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nathaliagoncalves's review
5.0
Eu comecei o livro achando que não seria melhor que o primeiro da série mas gsuis como eu me apaixonei por esses personagens, chorei tanto de felicidade e tristeza por eles, e no final eu só queria poder abraçar eles. Eu não sei dizer se a representação autista e também vietnamita mas ao longo do livro não tem como negar que a autora fez o melhor que pode, e depois de o porque ela escreveu dessa forma tudo ficou ainda mais emocionante.
Já tô ansiosa pro lançamento do próximo livro ♡
Já tô ansiosa pro lançamento do próximo livro ♡
laura_corsi's review
3.0
A good book but the story was uneven somehow. My sense of Esme and Kai was a little disjointed. I found part of the time I wasn't sure if I liked Esme and felt frustrated at how she refused to talk about her feelings or situation with Khai. However, whenever he did not communicate with her she would get so angry with him because of her insecurities about her self-worth. I like that it was an immigrant story but did feel that it made everything come out a little too easily. I don't think most immigrant stories are so fairy tale-esque. Maybe that is okay though. Maybe all immigrants need a little fairy tale in their life...
simplymegy's review
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.0
I just love the diversity of characters in Hoang’s novels.
This time, we meet Esme- a poor young woman living in Vietnam who never finished high school. She catches the eye of a wealthy matriarch, who thinks she is the perfect match for Khai- the matriarch’s handsome, successful, yet autistic son. Esme goes to the US and has three months to make Khai fall in love with her so she can get married, get a green card, and build a new life.
Like The Kiss Quotient, the Bride Test was an easy read. Esme is a relatable character for me- she is an outsider, just hoping to build a better life abroad. She is naive but strong at the same time. I loved Khai and I love how Hoang writes about his eccentricities. Apart from a bit of instalove and the lightning speed issuance of visas that are far from realistic, this was actually a good read. I loved the inclusivity and the honesty in this book. A love story based on real life struggles as an immigrant trying to forge a new path in a foreign land deeply resonates with me. I support these kind of novels, I hope to read more of them.
shannnne_reads_words's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Vomit, Abandonment, Classism, and Death
Minor: Alcohol, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Self harm
emislostinabook's review against another edition
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
imme_van_gorp'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
4.5
This book proved that you really don’t need constant, over-the-top love declarations for a book to be insanely romantic!
Khai is autistic, and because he has never processed emotions the same way as other people do, he has convinced himself he has a heart of stone and can’t feel anything at all, but nothing could be further from the truth. He actually experiences things very deeply, and is capable of extending a tremendous amount of care. I mean, even though it isn’t until the end of the book that he is finally able to recognize he has loved Esme this entire time, it was already so obvious through his subconscious actions and thoughts towards her. It was such a touchingly sweet and gentle story, and I loved it from start to finish.
I also thought it was a very nice detail that Esme never really learned what autism was, and never saw Khai as different in any way. She fell for him exactly the way he was, and she didn’t need any excuses or explanations. It was honestly adorable; Khai’s broody cluelessness and Esme’s bubbly naivety truly made for the cutest couple.
Khai is autistic, and because he has never processed emotions the same way as other people do, he has convinced himself he has a heart of stone and can’t feel anything at all, but nothing could be further from the truth. He actually experiences things very deeply, and is capable of extending a tremendous amount of care. I mean, even though it isn’t until the end of the book that he is finally able to recognize he has loved Esme this entire time, it was already so obvious through his subconscious actions and thoughts towards her. It was such a touchingly sweet and gentle story, and I loved it from start to finish.
I also thought it was a very nice detail that Esme never really learned what autism was, and never saw Khai as different in any way. She fell for him exactly the way he was, and she didn’t need any excuses or explanations. It was honestly adorable; Khai’s broody cluelessness and Esme’s bubbly naivety truly made for the cutest couple.