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hayleyvem's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Sexual content, Car accident, and Classism
Minor: Vomit and Pregnancy
sameeha_r05's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit and Racism
ceedy's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? No
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Vomit and Toxic relationship
meeklovestoread's review
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really liked "The Kiss Quotient" by this author and it's been a long while since I've read it so I decided to give her other books in the series a shot. Sadly, this book just didn't do it for me. It wasn't terrible persay, I'd still recommend it to people but it wasn't my favorite. There are almost equal amounts of things that I liked and disliked in this book. I liked the Vietnamese culture being integrated into this book as well as the realities of moving to a new country, being an immigrant, not understanding this current new place that you occupy, the struggles of accumulating into an unfamiliar place, and the autism rep of course. Also, I love Quan! He was the highlight of this book. And the conversation Quan, Khai, and Michael (from the Kiss Quotient) had about safe sex, orgasms, first times, etc. It was very informative. I feel like it was a very important chapter considering most romance books just dive into the sex and don't discuss the mechanics. I wish more books would do that.
However, it seems like my dislikes outweigh my likes about this book. Okay, this book is supposed to be a romance between the two characters but in my opinion, there wasn't much chemistry between them. The connection was more sexual than anything else. It would be nice if they had endearing conversations where they got to know each other. For the later half of the book, we see that both Khai and Esme miss each other and long for one another, but we really don't see why. From Esme's perspective, she's not really aware of what autism is so if we're just thinking from her perspective for the most part Khai has treated her horribly. Yes, he can be nice at times and he has shown that he cares for her, but he never takes time to get to KNOW her. I know his intention isn't to hurt her, however, that's what he does constantly in this book. He doesn't fight for her unless he's being told to and that isn't romantic to me. And when we are in Khai's perspective, besides their sexual attraction, we as the reader, don't really understand why he misses her.
Also, I know Khai's autistic (which is fine; it's actually the main reason I read Helen Hoang's books cuz of the representation), but I feel like the autism wasn't expanded on as much as I would've liked it to. From the minimal knowledge that I have, I know that autism is spectrum so not everyone is the same and there are also people called "high functioning" and "low functioning". We know, he has sensory issues and feels that due to his autism, he's not able to convey his feelings and feel "the right things", in turn, he feels like he's unable to love anyone, especially in a romantic way. Which I get, but I wish we got more insight into which part of the spectrum he's on because I feel like the author was using his autism as a reason, but also an excuse for being continuously rude behavior toward Esme.
I understand Khai's insecurities about his ability (or inability according to him) to love. Still, I don't think his insecurities should excuse his inefficient communication skills and subtle emotional immaturity. Like I understand that he's autistic and that he isn't the best at social cues, but my gosh it really got on my nerves how rude he was towards Esme when she was just trying. I feel like if he really liked her he'd be more considerate of her feelings and express why he is the way he is to her so she can understand instead of continuously breaking her heart because he's too insecure to admit that he cares for someone.
Also, I know if it's just me but in terms of the romance, it felt like the side characters were the ones leading it on. Like there would be instances where Khai and Esme aren't speaking for whatever reason and it's up to the side characters to bring them back together. Khai seems to be an actions rather words type of guy which is fine, but it would be nice if he went out of his way to fight for his feelings for Esme more instead of just accepting the fact that he just "can't love". Without these nuances, he just seemed like such a flat character. I wasn't really rooting for them. At times, I wish Esme would just stop fighting for him cuz in my opinion he wasn't worth it. He needed to deal with himself and his insecurities before he started dating. And I wish his family recognized that especially his mother because she's the one that goaded him into his false marriage to begin with (which was lowkey manipulative might I add).
Overall this book was just okay. Like it wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible.
However, it seems like my dislikes outweigh my likes about this book. Okay, this book is supposed to be a romance between the two characters but in my opinion, there wasn't much chemistry between them. The connection was more sexual than anything else. It would be nice if they had endearing conversations where they got to know each other.
Also, I know Khai's autistic (which is fine; it's actually the main reason I read Helen Hoang's books cuz of the representation), but I feel like the autism wasn't expanded on as much as I would've liked it to. From the minimal knowledge that I have, I know that autism is spectrum so not everyone is the same and there are also people called "high functioning" and "low functioning". We know, he has sensory issues and feels that due to his autism, he's not able to convey his feelings and feel "the right things", in turn, he feels like he's unable to love anyone, especially in a romantic way. Which I get, but I wish we got more insight into which part of the spectrum he's on because I feel like the author was using his autism as a reason, but also an excuse for being continuously rude behavior toward Esme.
I understand Khai's insecurities about his ability (or inability according to him) to love. Still, I don't think his insecurities should excuse his inefficient communication skills and subtle emotional immaturity. Like I understand that he's autistic and that he isn't the best at social cues, but my gosh it really got on my nerves how rude he was towards Esme when she was just trying. I feel like if he really liked her he'd be more considerate of her feelings and express why he is the way he is to her so she can understand instead of continuously breaking her heart because he's too insecure to admit that he cares for someone.
Also, I know if it's just me but in terms of the romance, it felt like the side characters were the ones leading it on. Like there would be instances where Khai and Esme aren't speaking for whatever reason and it's up to the side characters to bring them back together. Khai seems to be an actions rather words type of guy which is fine, but it would be nice if he went out of his way to fight for his feelings for Esme more instead of just accepting the fact that he just "can't love". Without these nuances, he just seemed like such a flat character. I wasn't really rooting for them. At times, I wish Esme would just stop fighting for him cuz in my opinion he wasn't worth it. He needed to deal with himself and his insecurities before he started dating. And I wish his family recognized that especially his mother because she's the one that goaded him into his false marriage to begin with (which was lowkey manipulative might I add).
Overall this book was just okay. Like it wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death and Cursing
Minor: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
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
micaelamariem's review
funny
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
5.0
After a month and a half of feeling like everything I read was just okay, I am so happy to have picked up this cute romance. It was what I needed. The Bride Test is technically the second in a romance series by Helen Hoang, but each book can be read as a standalone and isn’t connected to each other.
Helen Hoang lives in California with her family and has always loved romance novels. Her books investigate what it’s like to find love as someone on the autism spectrum, and thus also explore the intersectionality of being Asian-American and autistic.
In The Bride Test, the mom of an autisitc man worries her son will never get married if she doesn’t take matters into her own hands. So, she picks out a girl from Vietnam to come to America and woo Kai. Esme agrees to do this wooing so she can provide a better life for her daughter. But Kai is convinced he doesn’t have feelings and nothing goes to plan.
I absolutley adored this book. There was cute, swoon-worthy fluff, but there were also spicy scenes that made me scared to take the book in public. It was the perfect balance. On top of that, there were also a lot of scenes that made me laugh out loud.
I also loved the agency that Esme had as an immigrant to the United States. Yes she was there to fall in love, but that didn’t stop her from working hard, pursuing her own dreams, and having other plans that didn’t revolve around a man. In a romance, this is rare to see even if it shouldn’t be!
The exploration of Kai’s grief and emotions with him was also a journey I enjoyed, even though it was frusturating at times. I think it also gave me a bit more insight into what someone’s lived experience may be if they are on the spectrum (bearing in mind that it is a spectrum and people’s experiences differ). I knew a bit about Autism but I never really knew the depth it could take to recognize and regulate emotions when living with it.
There wasn’t much I didn’t like about this book–even the epilogue, which is where I find a lot of romances fall short for me, was satisfying. Everything seemed to find a resolution without doing so cheaply or rubbing me the wrong way.
This was a five star read for me, the first in a while! If you’re a romance reader, then I can’t reccomend this enough!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Death, Sexual content, Cursing, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Alcohol and Vomit
mehezz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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: Vomit
embla_v's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
4.5
En riktig bladvändare som man har dramatik, humor samt är underhållande. Vad mer kan man önska sig?
Khai har autism och är övertygad om att han inte har några känslor, inga viktiga känslor iallafall. Hans mamma blir ytterst frustrerad av detta och tar saken i egna händer. Hon ska välja en brud till sin son.
Esmeralda får ett förvånande erbjudande från en mystisk kvinna som är för bra för att säga nej till. Esme får spendera en hel sommar i USA och kanske kan hon förföra en Khai till att gifta sig med henne.
Inget går dock som någon av de tänkt sig och deras relation åker bergochdalbana, men kommer åkturen stanna på marken eller fortsätta upp mot himlen?
Oerhört rolig, underhållande och intressant bok med mycket åsikter, känslor, förvirring och förälskelse. Boken har spice, 18+. Rekommenderar starkt till den som vill ha en underhållande bok med en romans som tar många svängar.
Khai har autism och är övertygad om att han inte har några känslor, inga viktiga känslor iallafall. Hans mamma blir ytterst frustrerad av detta och tar saken i egna händer. Hon ska välja en brud till sin son.
Esmeralda får ett förvånande erbjudande från en mystisk kvinna som är för bra för att säga nej till. Esme får spendera en hel sommar i USA och kanske kan hon förföra en Khai till att gifta sig med henne.
Inget går dock som någon av de tänkt sig och deras relation åker bergochdalbana, men kommer åkturen stanna på marken eller fortsätta upp mot himlen?
Oerhört rolig, underhållande och intressant bok med mycket åsikter, känslor, förvirring och förälskelse. Boken har spice, 18+. Rekommenderar starkt till den som vill ha en underhållande bok med en romans som tar många svängar.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, Death, Sexual content, Ableism, and Vomit
Minor: Classism, Deportation, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, and Pregnancy
lucielockettreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The authors note really bumped up my rating, to see the author actually benefit from writing this book that you enjoyed reading is a nice feeling. The two MC were loveable to me and I was engrossed in their world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Car accident and Vomit
armontheroad's review
emotional
funny
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
5.0
Listen, Helen Hoang has a grip on me that I never want her to shake! Did I, once again, sob my eyes out over her characters? Yes. Did I also laugh so hard that I probably should have taken my inhaler? Yes. Hoang creates these authentic characters who leave you with no choice but to care deeply about them! I thoroughly loved this. I adored seeing our characters grow, I loved how Esme learned to be proud of herself and be independent, I adored Khai in ways I cannot put into words without having an Autistic meltdown. However, I want people to be aware of some of the content before going into this novel. From the synopsis, you are aware that Khai doesn’t believe he can love because he doesn’t experience grief. Grief is an underlining theme throughout this story and it should be made aware that the cause of his grieving is the person he cares most about being in a fatal vehicle accident. There are a few lines that rubbed me the wrong way: Esme commenting how she doesn’t care if she “looks like a prostitute” and Khai saying he “looks like a drug addict”. These are very, very minor sentences in this book but I want readers to be aware they exist before their reading experience. Overall, I adored this and will pick up anything Helen Hoang writes!
CWs/TWs: Sexual content (moderate), grief (moderate), car accident (minor), vomit (minor).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Sexual content
Minor: Car accident and Vomit