Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - The Kiss Quotient

This is a perfect story that deserves 5 stars. I would have rated it 4.75 for the fact that the amount of high cortisol experienced is not my typical favorite (in books, films, or tv shows). However, it was just too beautifully crafted to rate it any lower.

Stella is such a relatable character to me, made all the more special with the author's POV as a late-diagnosed autistic woman (and her discovery of this for the sake of her daughter).

Michael is so so hard on himself, like I think many of us are. I kept thinking of things I would say to him, if I could convince him that he wasn't a horrible person but instead a complex one. With trauma and complicated feelings. And then I realized how *I* should listen to my words for myself.

This was an incredibly personal read for me. Their communication improved over time, as healthy relationships between two people do. It hurt and I cried when misunderstandings led to BIG, tough feelings for the FMC/MMC, but especially turned oh so sweet when they found the right words to cut straight to the heart of what would resolve the conflict. My mama hoghly recommended this read for me, and I couldn't be happier I gave this a shot!

(For personal record keeping, I started this book May 5th in the afternoon and finished at 12:15 AM that night/following morning on the 6th. I read To Catch a Firefly by Emmy Sanders the morning of the 5th and finished that afternoon. And I read Neon Gods by Katee Roberts in a little over 24 hours between the 4th and 5th (finishing at 11:30 at night). That makes 3 (300+ page) books in 48 hours, which very well may be a personal record!~ Been LUCKY (*wink*, see To Catch a Firefly) with some amazing reads~

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jaylene's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Didn't hate or like it - a bit cringey. I don't have much to say, but I wish I cared about the characters more.

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startjpw23's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

5.0

Stella is 30 years old. She works as an econometrician (I hadn't heard the word before this book. She comes up with formulas to predict people's buying behavior). She is really good at her job. She makes a lot of money. Her job is her refuge. She works all kinds of extra hours. Stella's mother is pressuring her to find a man, get married, and have babies. Stella is autistic. She is ashamed of this. She doesn't want anyone to know. Due to an offhand remark from a co-worker (he probably should have been written up by HR for what he said), Stella decides she needs to get good at sex to get a man. She hires a male escort, Michael, to teach her how to get good at sex. Michael has his own issues that he is trying to deal with. Stella and Michael try to understand one another. The story goes from there. I loved this book. I thought it was very realistic. There are a few sex scenes. They aren't super graphic or gratuitous. I thought they were necessary to forward the story. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a romance between two people who have to work through a lot of stuff to understand one another. And readers who don't mind a few mild sex scenes.

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sometimes_ready's review against another edition

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4.0

The Short: Highly relatable plot points, steamy scenes are still a fantasy. Here for fun, well written smut that reps the autists. Perfect, social representation does not exist.

The script on this candy coated rom com is good. Not sure what the author's connection to ASD is- at times it felt like more acceptable autistic quirks got turned into an "innocent" kink. Don't get me wrong- I was here for it. One hundo the type of connection I, as a sensory seeking autist, am here for.

But. Some key parts of the plot relying on exceptionalism where the autistic character has hard and fast rules related to sensory issues that are dropped for that one patient allistic hero. I'm being too technical about this, but it also blurs the line of fantasy and personal experience that makes me feel the need to forewarn readers. I am my persons' person. No amount of patient, loving coaxing is going to make him thrilled to be touched in highly sensitive places... he's not a sensory seeker and doesn't crave touch- even just from me. I sensory seek and didn't need to learn that from one special person. The plot relies on an autistic character that discovers one single person whose touch is not only tolerable but desired. It's a disbelief I struggle to suspend.

FWIW the library system had this book recommended for autism awareness month, so my expectations were skewed.

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relin's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed the way the author played with tropes and allowed these characters to grow. I was a little put off by the jealousy / manly man / kinda controlling part there for a bit with the MMC, but they seem to get to a beautiful place at the end. It was weird that the MMC had that phase, it wasn't something I was expecting going in with these characters. The family building and the interactions were very nice and really neat to see. And having an autistic FMC was really lovely.

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abby_can_read's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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? Yes

3.0

📱
This was cute book. It was a decent read. The characters were alright and their relationship were okay. The plot was decent and the writing kept me engaged. There was a lot of miscommunication at the end that I thought was irritating.

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rchatterjee188's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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emileegarrett's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

4.0

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