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brynjamin's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness
kjthenerd3's review against another edition
5.0
I’m obsessed. I read this all in one sitting, and I’m going to be thinking about it for so long. I love both of these characters, and I am IN love with Michael
ariouch's review against another edition
emotional
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
beatanorina's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
heathermariee33's review against another edition
4.0
Cute rom-com. Warmed my heart. Quick and easy read.
julisaac's review against another edition
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
4.0
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
4.0
The kiss quotient has a quality that I didn't know I needed in a romance book: Self-awareness.
In case you need more evidence that this book balances the cute with realistic aspects: The characters show plenty of emotional growth. They were made aware of their own judgments and assumptions about relationships, and I think Hoang did a great job at showing how inner conflict can lead to external conflict in a relationship. The biggest issue was not what Stella and Michael thought of each other as partners, but their perception of themselves. This perspective was refreshing to see and made me feel more invested in their relationship. The kiss quotient has a wonderful cast of characters, and I appreciated that Michael and Stella's families were at the forefront of the story. I don't have experience with autism, but I appreciated the representation, especially after I read the author's note on how she got the idea for the book. I could definitely read more about this couple and enjoyed their sweet everyday moments. Rather than portraying Stella's insecurity about sex as the target of a joke, I found it was handled with great sensitivity. Michael's patience and encouragement helped Stella come out of her shell, and not just regarding her sexual confidence.
However, as much as I enjoyed the book, I have some things to nitpick on. It was hard to take some of the sex scenes seriously because I couldn't tell if what they said was meant to be sexy or a joke. There's a part where Michael compares Stella to a Lamborghini during sex and I went huh?! This better be a joke. Either the humor went over my head during these moments, or maybe it was meant to warm up my engine, so to say? Was I supposed to think you tell her Michael, now step on that gas pedal... Either way it threw me off.
Lastly, using sex as a conflict solution or in the middle of confusion and conflicting feelings is a big no from me. I understand that this works for some people but I didn't find it cute and it just seemed to avoid the problem. You two are good at talking and have handled stressful situations together before, why resort to kissing now?
Now, I am a petty romance reader and tend to cringe at many moments that others could find swoon-worthy. There are some things in here that bothered me but overall I am very excited to continue with the series. It made me smile and I rooted for Stella and Michael, and I would love to see what Hoang does with her future characters in the series.
''Something about the way she turned to him like he was her safe place satisfied caveman needs Michael hadn't known he possessed''The book has such a lighthearted tone and doesn't take itself too seriously. You could find a paragraph that describes these caveman needs with a fiery passion, and this is where I would roll my eyes. Hoang puts a spin on these romance tropes and exchanges them with genuine awkward moments. And in my opinion the latter happen are a lot more entertaining than the former.
In case you need more evidence that this book balances the cute with realistic aspects: The characters show plenty of emotional growth. They were made aware of their own judgments and assumptions about relationships, and I think Hoang did a great job at showing how inner conflict can lead to external conflict in a relationship. The biggest issue was not what Stella and Michael thought of each other as partners, but their perception of themselves. This perspective was refreshing to see and made me feel more invested in their relationship. The kiss quotient has a wonderful cast of characters, and I appreciated that Michael and Stella's families were at the forefront of the story. I don't have experience with autism, but I appreciated the representation, especially after I read the author's note on how she got the idea for the book. I could definitely read more about this couple and enjoyed their sweet everyday moments. Rather than portraying Stella's insecurity about sex as the target of a joke, I found it was handled with great sensitivity. Michael's patience and encouragement helped Stella come out of her shell, and not just regarding her sexual confidence.
However, as much as I enjoyed the book, I have some things to nitpick on. It was hard to take some of the sex scenes seriously because I couldn't tell if what they said was meant to be sexy or a joke. There's a part where Michael compares Stella to a Lamborghini during sex and I went huh?! This better be a joke. Either the humor went over my head during these moments, or maybe it was meant to warm up my engine, so to say? Was I supposed to think you tell her Michael, now step on that gas pedal... Either way it threw me off.
Lastly, using sex as a conflict solution or in the middle of confusion and conflicting feelings is a big no from me.
Spoiler
There's a scene where Stella is stressed out and Michael reacts by kissing her, which bugged me. I was disappointed because if I remember right then this was at a point near the end, where they had communicated better about their relationship.Now, I am a petty romance reader and tend to cringe at many moments that others could find swoon-worthy. There are some things in here that bothered me but overall I am very excited to continue with the series. It made me smile and I rooted for Stella and Michael, and I would love to see what Hoang does with her future characters in the series.
kynikoskyon's review against another edition
Dnf @ 56%
No es pa mí. Si no lo estaba leyendo, no me daban ni ganas de retomar la historia
No es pa mí. Si no lo estaba leyendo, no me daban ni ganas de retomar la historia
michellechien930's review against another edition
4.0
Helen Hoang is officially my new favorite romantic novelist! Read The Bride Test before this and fell in love with the way she writes. It's just such a fun story with some really cute moments sprinkled throughout. Making myself cozy on the couch with a warm throw, hot cocoa, and a Helen Hoang novel is the perfect recipe for a relaxing evening. Just feel like they are little chick-flicks in book form- which I am totally down for!