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emlefe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I heard this book covered harder topics but I was not prepared. It was so raw and intense and I could 100% feel the pain and struggle of the characters but especially Anna. The author really poured everything in this book.
The rom-com aspect was not as present as in the first two books but it didn’t botter me because you could feel Anna and Quan’s love, their passion and their connection.
I wish I had read the trigger warning before but that is 100% my fault. I still really enjoyed this book and I recommend it to everyone - but please read the TW before.
The rom-com aspect was not as present as in the first two books but it didn’t botter me because you could feel Anna and Quan’s love, their passion and their connection.
I wish I had read the trigger warning before but that is 100% my fault. I still really enjoyed this book and I recommend it to everyone - but please read the TW before.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Cancer
roussette31's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book was highly emotional, but I really liked it. The romance in it was super cute, and the character development was so well done on both sides.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, and Chronic illness
kiingchika's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
After reading the first two books, I was so eager for Quan to have a story of his own. This book, though, was so much more than that. It hit me in ways I wasn’t expecting, and I just love Anna. It was a lot emotionally, but worth it, and important, I think, to acknowledge.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Ableism, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Cancer
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
mariainestb's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, Ableism, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Cancer and Suicidal thoughts
teatunesandtales's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Part fiction, part memoir. Thank you Helen Hoang for writing my story also.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Classism, Toxic relationship, and Medical content
Trigger Warnings: Caretaker burnout, Autistic burnout.jillkaarlela's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
Taylor Swift songs: “I’m only me when I’m with you”
Age rating: 17+ (3 brief steamy scenes, 1.5/5🌶️)
This was a fairly emotional romance where the fmc has to cope with her autism spectrum diagnosis and unlearning her habits of masking. Please read with care and check the TW. This deals with pretty heavy topics. She has spent her whole life living for other people, doing only what everyone else wants, and it’s eating away at her. I love the journey of her finding the one person who never makes her feel like she has to put on a show. Quan is the one person who sees and loves Ana for her, and the only one who she doesn’t have to “mask” with. Their love is so tender and healing for both of them. I love the “failed” one night stand trope, where they plan to have a one night stand, but can’t seem to let each other go. They hold each other through truly dark times. They are just so perfect for each other!!
The way that Ana’s family treats her makes me want to scream. They always tell her what to do, and treat her with “tough love”, which is actually just bulldozing her wants and needs. It truly hearts my heart. This novel was definitely heavier than Hoang’s other novels, and it wasn’t my favorite, but it was still really great!
“When I realize I’m going south on the 101, I’m not surprised that I’m going straight to her. My compass always points to her.”
TW: emotional abuse, cancer (testicular), ableism, gaslighting, “tough love” very unsupportive family, terminal illness/end of life care, grief, death
Age rating: 17+ (3 brief steamy scenes, 1.5/5🌶️)
This was a fairly emotional romance where the fmc has to cope with her autism spectrum diagnosis and unlearning her habits of masking. Please read with care and check the TW. This deals with pretty heavy topics. She has spent her whole life living for other people, doing only what everyone else wants, and it’s eating away at her. I love the journey of her finding the one person who never makes her feel like she has to put on a show. Quan is the one person who sees and loves Ana for her, and the only one who she doesn’t have to “mask” with. Their love is so tender and healing for both of them. I love the “failed” one night stand trope, where they plan to have a one night stand, but can’t seem to let each other go. They hold each other through truly dark times. They are just so perfect for each other!!
The way that Ana’s family treats her makes me want to scream. They always tell her what to do, and treat her with “tough love”, which is actually just bulldozing her wants and needs. It truly hearts my heart. This novel was definitely heavier than Hoang’s other novels, and it wasn’t my favorite, but it was still really great!
“When I realize I’m going south on the 101, I’m not surprised that I’m going straight to her. My compass always points to her.”
TW: emotional abuse, cancer (testicular), ableism, gaslighting, “tough love” very unsupportive family, terminal illness/end of life care, grief, death
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Grief, Death of parent, Cancer, and Death
marleens's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This is a tough one to review, because I feel like I went in with the wrong expectations. I wasn’t expecting full-on romcom vibes, but I definitely think that the first 2 books of the series were a lot more lighthearted than this 3rd book. I did absolutely love Anna and Quan, both as separate characters as well as their relationship. Their characters and the romance could have made this a five star read. But the heavy plot was such a big part of the story that it became a very tough read. This is of course a good thing if that was the intention of the author, and I do think she did a great job writing this (and I’m glad I read the author’s note at the end). But this book just made me sad and angry so often, which is not the reading experience I’m looking for in this genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Cancer
Minor: Infertility and Infidelity
saraavowlerr's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Cancer, Cursing, Grief, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
lesseraliterary's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
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? Yes
5.0
something about this book filled all the crevices in my heart with soft gooey bits and made me feel whole…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Infertility
zids's review against another edition
sad
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? Yes
2.0
Never have I needed an author's note so much in my life. I was sitting reading this book thinking "Helen Hoang EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"
I was a big fan of the Bride Test, and I thought the Kiss Quotient was fine. But Jesus Christmas, this book.
I can't even say I didn't enjoy it. I was just kind of baffled by it. It was very different than the other books in this series. It was miserable. It seemed so focused on it's own misery that the relationship between Quan and Anna kind of took a back seat.
I knew at a certain point that something like this MUST'VE happened to the author, it was extremely personal, and I don't think I was prepared to read a book about carer burnout when I was expecting something very lighthearted. It certainly didn't mention any of this on the blurb.
The end of the book didn't particularly satisfy me, either. Anna starts to struggle with suicidal ideation like fifteen pages before the book ends. This part of her story seemed like a footnote when, TO ME, it maybe should've been focused on more? Or completely omitted, really. Not much would've changed without it. Quan stopped feeling real after a while, his problems certainly weren't as big as Anna's, so he naturally took a backseat. Reading about him floating around as she tries to exit a depression really didn't do anything for me.
Also, I don't hate this as a plot point, but the fact that his cancer left him infertile AND with a bad case of body dysmorphia. This book pulled no punches. Misery all the way down.
I almost feel like Hoang's pain was a little too big for this book. The type of book she was writing and the volume of her suffering don't... match. I don't think it can't be done, but I also don't think she did it. I truly hope writing this was cathartic for her.
Again, it wasn't so much that I hated the book, it was just baffling to me how much misery could be packed into such a small book with such a bright, flirty cover.
I guess I have to accept that Bride Test was a one off for me, which makes me sad, because it made me so excited about Hoang as an author. Woof.
I was a big fan of the Bride Test, and I thought the Kiss Quotient was fine. But Jesus Christmas, this book.
I can't even say I didn't enjoy it. I was just kind of baffled by it. It was very different than the other books in this series. It was miserable. It seemed so focused on it's own misery that the relationship between Quan and Anna kind of took a back seat.
I knew at a certain point that something like this MUST'VE happened to the author, it was extremely personal, and I don't think I was prepared to read a book about carer burnout when I was expecting something very lighthearted. It certainly didn't mention any of this on the blurb.
The end of the book didn't particularly satisfy me, either. Anna starts to struggle with suicidal ideation like fifteen pages before the book ends. This part of her story seemed like a footnote when, TO ME, it maybe should've been focused on more? Or completely omitted, really. Not much would've changed without it. Quan stopped feeling real after a while, his problems certainly weren't as big as Anna's, so he naturally took a backseat. Reading about him floating around as she tries to exit a depression really didn't do anything for me.
Also, I don't hate this as a plot point, but the fact that his cancer left him infertile AND with a bad case of body dysmorphia. This book pulled no punches. Misery all the way down.
I almost feel like Hoang's pain was a little too big for this book. The type of book she was writing and the volume of her suffering don't... match. I don't think it can't be done, but I also don't think she did it. I truly hope writing this was cathartic for her.
Again, it wasn't so much that I hated the book, it was just baffling to me how much misery could be packed into such a small book with such a bright, flirty cover.
I guess I have to accept that Bride Test was a one off for me, which makes me sad, because it made me so excited about Hoang as an author. Woof.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Excrement, Grief, Cancer, Death of parent, Infertility, and Medical content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts