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dogmom198611's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sara11_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I loved both these characters, especially Esme. I just wished there had been one more chapter to explain some little things like why Esme never spoke English to Khai or what happens at the wedding at the end.
winemakerssister's review against another edition
5.0
I know Helen Hoang's sophomore book has been highly anticipated, and it completely stands up to all the hype.
I was immediately immersed into the world of Mei/Esme a country girl who now works in a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City and lives in a tiny slum apartment where 4 generations of her family sleep on mats side-by-side. After a chance encounter in the hotel restroom, she is invited by Khai's mother to spend the summer with him, hoping he will wish to marry her once he gets to know her. But Khai is autistic and believes he's not capable of falling in love.
Emily Woo Zeller is one of my favorite narrators, and she did another flawless job.
Themes: Vietnam, restaurant, arranged marriage, silicon valley, autism, unknown father
I was immediately immersed into the world of Mei/Esme a country girl who now works in a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City and lives in a tiny slum apartment where 4 generations of her family sleep on mats side-by-side. After a chance encounter in the hotel restroom, she is invited by Khai's mother to spend the summer with him, hoping he will wish to marry her once he gets to know her. But Khai is autistic and believes he's not capable of falling in love.
Emily Woo Zeller is one of my favorite narrators, and she did another flawless job.
Themes: Vietnam, restaurant, arranged marriage, silicon valley, autism, unknown father
caroreads97's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
samellecooke's review against another edition
4.5
Another knock out for Helen Hoang. I loved the representation of another neurodiverse character and the journey Esme took as an immigrant. All their struggles to understand each other were so beautifully written. Esme doesn't quite understand the mix of American culture and Vietnamese heritage Kai was brought up in. She definitely doesn't understand him emotionally, at least at first. Kai can't process emotions well and while he can understand some Vietnamese there is definitely a level of language barrier happening. The cards are stacked against them, but they prevailed! Kiss Quotient still holds the top spot for me in this series, but this was an excellent second installment.
cldiggy's review against another edition
3.75
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jrosebartoli415's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
aritrigupta's review against another edition
3.0
It was a speed read for me. It was a neat plot. Nice people in the story. I like to read about diverse cultures in my books.
Unpopular opinion time.
It was just too convenient. Everything falling neatly into place, without any mess, any trouble. It's almost like you could tell how the story would go, the moment you started reading it. And these kind of stories make me feel nothing.
I did smile at some parts, some were cute. It was a nice filler before I move on to something more complex, and also it helped me catch up on my reading challenge. But, I like my contemporary romances to have more layers, to be more real.
The book, had nothing to make me connect with it or inspire me to read the rest of the series.
Unpopular opinion time.
It was just too convenient. Everything falling neatly into place, without any mess, any trouble. It's almost like you could tell how the story would go, the moment you started reading it. And these kind of stories make me feel nothing.
I did smile at some parts, some were cute. It was a nice filler before I move on to something more complex, and also it helped me catch up on my reading challenge. But, I like my contemporary romances to have more layers, to be more real.
The book, had nothing to make me connect with it or inspire me to read the rest of the series.