Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

13 reviews

eligru's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

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bakergirlsbooks1999's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny inspiring lighthearted 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

4.0

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zoiejanelle's review

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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! 
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micaelamariem's review

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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!
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embla_v's review

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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. 
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hannibanani29'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? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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sharebear431'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

3.5

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kdailyreads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing 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

4.25

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jessgreads's review

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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

4.0

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⬜
Title: The Bride Test
Author: Helen Hoang
Genre: Romance
Author Info: Female Author / AAPI Author
Setting:Vietnam / California
Month Read: January 2022
Book Type: Hardcover
Publication: 2019
Pages: 300
*Book of the Month Pick



TRIGGER WARNING- 
Death / Grieving / Alcohol / Sexual Themes 




"My heart works in a different way, but it’s yours. You’re my one."







No Spoiler Summary:
The Bride Test is a spinoff book for The Kiss Quotient, focusing on Michael's cousin Khai. He thinks he is broken, unable to be fixed or feel love or grief. He can do small emotions, frustration, anger, impatience, but none of the bigger ones. None of the ones where you give in, or give yourself to someone else, and because of this- he can never be in a relationship. His family is aware that this is because of his autism, and how he processes emotion differently- but Khai stands resolute in knowing himself. 


His mother goes to Vietnam and meets Esme, a mixed-race girl cleaning the bathroom for a job. She offers her a trip to America to meet (and potentially marry) Khai, her stubborn son who just needs to meet the right girl before he decides to settle down. Esme ends up taking the offer, and going to California and (temporarily) leaving her family behind for this new adventure. She is going to seduce Khai, and get married so she can bring her family out of poverty- and the only thing standing in her way is Khai's stubbornness. 


Will Esme and Khai live happily ever after? Will he allow himself to love her, and she him? Will she be sent back to Vietnam before they can both let down their walls to open up to each other - or does fate have something else in store?







Review:
I'm a huge fan of The Kiss Quotient, which I read this past November, and am equally into The Bride Test. I think it's a GREAT followup book, and am so excited to order The Heart Principle in my February BotM box. I think this book had a little bit of everything you'd want and expect in a romance- fantastic characters, some throwbacks to book one (thank GOODNESS for more Quan!), an interesting plot, and a really enjoyable love story. 


I was half expecting Khai's autism to be a huge plot point, and I liked that while it was prevalent, it wasn't all anyone spoke about and also wasn't all you thought about when thinking about Khai. He  was such a fleshed out character, and I loved that his diagnosis wasn't him, because I feel like in any book with a neurodivergent character- they sort of become their diagnosis. I also loved Esme's struggles with being mixed-race, not knowing who her dad is, and having the search for him be a really interesting subplot (like her going to her night classes!) I wish we got more of her family back home, especially Jade, but I did like how everything worked itself out in the end. 


I didn't get really into romance until the pandemic happened, but it's just really nice reading books that are (somewhat) predictible, because everything else is so constantly changing, and these books feel like a cozy, safe space. Has anyone else been feeling this during the past few years? I definitely would recommend this entire series.


Oh! I also forgot to mention, the sex scenes are GREAT. Helen Hoang doesn't shy away from a sex scene, and the conversation between Khai, Quan, and Michael is the absolute best. (IYKYK).







Recommendation:
Romance Series:
The League of Extraordinary Women Series by Evie Dunmore
The Kiss Quotient (for the other books in this series) by Helen Hoang


Other Romances featuring AAPI characters:
The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon (YA)
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon (YA)
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K Choi (YA)




"She needed to get ready for bed, but first, she wanted to do nothing for a few moments. Just nothing. Nothing was such a luxury"

See more reviews at:  https://jessgreads.wixsite.com
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katsbooks's review

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emotional lighthearted reflective 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

4.5

"Her history didn't define her. Her origins didn't define her."

“Everyone deserved to love and be loved back. Everyone.”

Khai and Esme are so stinking sweet. I can't believe I'm saying this but I actually teared up a couple of times while reading this book. That rarely happens to me. If a book can make me emotional, it's definitely a keeper. I really loved how we got to see Khai work through his emotions and how his autism was portrayed, in general. On one hand, I would have liked more discussion on it but, on the other, I really kind of dug how his autism was just part of who he was and wasn't a sign that something was wrong with him. The steam in this novel was definitely less than in the Kiss Quotient but I think the emotions were heightened in this one. It could also be that I just loved the characters that much. I really loved Esme. It's so rare to see the immigrant experience in romance novels. I loved that she took classes at an adult school and was so fierce and confident, while also being incredibly emotional and vulnerable. She was so multi-faceted and I'm totally here for it! I definitely wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book given that the premise is that Khai's mom convinces Esme to fly half way around the world to try and seduce him but I think the author handled the subject well and I ended up really loving how the leads fell for each other. My only real gripe is the ending. It felt like it wrapped up entirely too quickly and neatly. It's already just a little north of 300 pages so it feels like some things may have been cut/not addressed for the purpose of page count but Khai meeting Jade and Esme meeting Gleaves should have been much bigger moments than they were. I definitely would have liked to see more interaction in both of those relationships. Other than that, this was a fabulous follow-up to the Kiss Quotient. I can't wait to read Quan's story in the Heart Principle!
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