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isfantasi's review
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Body shaming, Car accident, Death, Grief, Racism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
marinajonesreads's review
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
slow-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? Yes
3.75
I started this book late at night thinking I would only read a couple chapters. Next thing I knew, it was 4:30 a.m. and I was reading the epilogue.
What I liked about this book was that it felt very grounded. As an immigrant, I understood where Esme and her mother were coming from. To read that Esme was originally the side character was interesting because she is such a fierce main character who has major main character energy.
I loved that Khai showed his emotions so fully, while also not knowing he was doing it.
The one thing that was frustrating was the final act. It dragged a little but I was shocked I liked the ending as much as I did.
What I liked about this book was that it felt very grounded. As an immigrant, I understood where Esme and her mother were coming from. To read that Esme was originally the side character was interesting because she is such a fierce main character who has major main character energy.
I loved that Khai showed his emotions so fully, while also not knowing he was doing it.
The one thing that was frustrating was the final act. It dragged a little but I was shocked I liked the ending as much as I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
bidoofenergy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Sexual content, and Classism
Moderate: Death and Ableism
zoiejanelle's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
(listened to audio book from library)
i do not read romance books often (i am trying to read more this year!) so the writing style and the ridiculous premise was off-putting at first… but once i accepted the plot and each character at face-value, i was hooked.
i have never read a contemporary/non-fantasy with Vietnamese characters and the subtle inclusion of authentic Vietnamese traditions and family dynamics was very interesting. it was so lovely to see a cast of characters that weren’t cookie cutter white bread with values that reflect those of Vietnamese people in current day. i feel like i truly learned something about the immigrant experience and about Vietnamese culture!
this story had the perfect amount of will-they-won’t-they moments, didn’t make me wait a painstakingly long time for romantic/sexual payoff, and had a happy ending. the pacing in the first 3/4 was perfect, but the timeline of events for the last ~3 weeks of the novel felt slightly rushed. the exposition introduced very intriguing sub-plots so, understandably, each one needed to be addressed and closed before the book ended. overall i liked how each sub-plot was handled and the epilogue was adorable icing on the cake.
i was generally pleased with the neurodivergent/autistic representation, though at times i felt like Khai was infantilized by other characters (could have been intentional by the author?). occasionally it felt like his absurd choices and opinions were attributed to his autism rather than him simply being an adult human man. all this to say, it was cool to see an nd person as a lead love interest and read how trauma informed his decisions and feelings differently than Esme’s. and his idiocy about love would have been believable had he not been autistic because… he is an adult
human man.
EDITED TO ADD: i just read that Helen Hoang & her daughter are both autistic! which makes me appreciate the representation much more and i now understand that she was drawing on personal experience for Khai’s characterization.
though Esme is coded as neurotypical, in my head Khai and Esme are the perfect autistic/ADHD couple. she totally brings that high energy, anxious, leave-half-empty-cups-around-the-house, and start-a-new-house-project-every-day energy that was very relatable to me.
wrt tge sex scenes: like i said, i don’t read romance much. i was not into the manly/carnal/feral descriptions from Khai’s POV, but maybe i’m not the right audience for it. 🤪 i did love that he was an… ahem… enthusiastic learner and that consent was very important to him. Esme’s POV the entire book was equally as entertaining, though i’m also not a fan of the “i’m so tiny and he’s so big!” internal voice. part of me wishes she had been described as thicker, softer, wider, or rounder seeing as she is a mother (MILF), but i understand why she wasn’t. kind of.
DESPITE my criticism, this was a thrill and a half. i really enjoyed the feel-good energy and the epic highs and lows. it was so fun to read (listen to) and i definitely want to check out Helen Hoang’s other books!
i do not read romance books often (i am trying to read more this year!) so the writing style and the ridiculous premise was off-putting at first… but once i accepted the plot and each character at face-value, i was hooked.
i have never read a contemporary/non-fantasy with Vietnamese characters and the subtle inclusion of authentic Vietnamese traditions and family dynamics was very interesting. it was so lovely to see a cast of characters that weren’t cookie cutter white bread with values that reflect those of Vietnamese people in current day. i feel like i truly learned something about the immigrant experience and about Vietnamese culture!
this story had the perfect amount of will-they-won’t-they moments, didn’t make me wait a painstakingly long time for romantic/sexual payoff, and had a happy ending. the pacing in the first 3/4 was perfect, but the timeline of events for the last ~3 weeks of the novel felt slightly rushed. the exposition introduced very intriguing sub-plots so, understandably, each one needed to be addressed and closed before the book ended. overall i liked how each sub-plot was handled and the epilogue was adorable icing on the cake.
i was generally pleased with the neurodivergent/autistic representation, though at times i felt like Khai was infantilized by other characters (could have been intentional by the author?). occasionally it felt like his absurd choices and opinions were attributed to his autism rather than him simply being an adult human man. all this to say, it was cool to see an nd person as a lead love interest and read how trauma informed his decisions and feelings differently than Esme’s. and his idiocy about love would have been believable had he not been autistic because… he is an adult
human man.
EDITED TO ADD: i just read that Helen Hoang & her daughter are both autistic! which makes me appreciate the representation much more and i now understand that she was drawing on personal experience for Khai’s characterization.
though Esme is coded as neurotypical, in my head Khai and Esme are the perfect autistic/ADHD couple. she totally brings that high energy, anxious, leave-half-empty-cups-around-the-house, and start-a-new-house-project-every-day energy that was very relatable to me.
wrt tge sex scenes: like i said, i don’t read romance much. i was not into the manly/carnal/feral descriptions from Khai’s POV, but maybe i’m not the right audience for it. 🤪 i did love that he was an… ahem… enthusiastic learner and that consent was very important to him. Esme’s POV the entire book was equally as entertaining, though i’m also not a fan of the “i’m so tiny and he’s so big!” internal voice. part of me wishes she had been described as thicker, softer, wider, or rounder seeing as she is a mother (MILF), but i understand why she wasn’t. kind of.
DESPITE my criticism, this was a thrill and a half. i really enjoyed the feel-good energy and the epic highs and lows. it was so fun to read (listen to) and i definitely want to check out Helen Hoang’s other books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Classism, Grief, Vomit, Car accident, and Death
Minor: Addiction, Deportation, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Abandonment, and Alcohol
skudiklier's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.5
I didn't like this as much as The Kiss Quotient, but I still definitely liked it! I appreciate having another autistic main character, especially one whose autism manifests in different ways than the main character in the first book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Xenophobia
ecravens's review
adventurous
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Xenophobia, and Sexual content
jhaneveauguste's review
funny
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia
cariam's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
4.0
This book gave me all the feelings. There was so much second-hand embarrassment at the first half, and so many goosebumps in the second.
It deals with issues like racism, a spectrum of autism and Asperger’s syndrome, self-confidence and westernized thinking. You may not imagine any of these things when you first lift up this book - but it makes it so much more worth it to actually read.
After reading Helen’s reasons for making My/Esme the heroine of her story, it makes me love the character infinitely more than I ever thought I could love a character. She’s smart, vulnerable but strong, and most of all brave.
This story made me queasy and question all my favourite attributes of my favourite characters in the past - but that made my enjoyment so much more real. The progression of Khai’s and Esme’s relationship and character growth within themselves was so raw and true for their POV’s that it’s hard to think only one person was writing this story. 10/10 would definitely recommend!
It deals with issues like racism, a spectrum of autism and Asperger’s syndrome, self-confidence and westernized thinking. You may not imagine any of these things when you first lift up this book - but it makes it so much more worth it to actually read.
After reading Helen’s reasons for making My/Esme the heroine of her story, it makes me love the character infinitely more than I ever thought I could love a character. She’s smart, vulnerable but strong, and most of all brave.
This story made me queasy and question all my favourite attributes of my favourite characters in the past - but that made my enjoyment so much more real. The progression of Khai’s and Esme’s relationship and character growth within themselves was so raw and true for their POV’s that it’s hard to think only one person was writing this story. 10/10 would definitely recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Bullying and Racism
cooper_reads_books's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
This book was a fun ride and explored the complexity of both love and loss with nuance and care. It also asks us to consider what we are willing to do for the people we love and what we want out of life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Grief, Classism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death and Car accident
Minor: Xenophobia and Racism
xxrosedarlingxx's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia