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katiez624 's review for:
The Bride Test
by Helen Hoang
It seems to be popular opinion that this book is the weakest one of the trilogy, and I agree that it does have its shortcomings. But I did really enjoy the focus on Vietnamese culture, language, and all the good food depicted in the story.
Lighter reads like these are not my bread and butter, but I do occasionally enjoy a really well-written romance as a palate cleanser. The writing and dialogue in this book are a bit clunky and don't flow as smoothly as the first. Even though the sex scenes are steamy and very gratifying, the characters themselves seem to be hyper-sexualized, thinking about sex constantly and not able to function. There were also a number of elements that seemed over-simplified, such as Khai's autism, using many stereotypes to depict personalities and cultural norms. This book is a classic case of telling, rather than showing the reader what the author wants us to understand, so it naturally lacks nuance and subtleties. The plot itself doesn't flow very organically and seems contrived, like a typical formulaic rom-com.
With all that being said, I enjoyed following the plot and the storyline of Esme and Khai, without becoming overly invested. They are both likable characters who are genuinely good people, so I'm glad a happy ending is in their future. I like how Hoang uses overlapping characters in this series but shifts the primary focus each time. I look forward to the third installment and finishing this series.
Lighter reads like these are not my bread and butter, but I do occasionally enjoy a really well-written romance as a palate cleanser. The writing and dialogue in this book are a bit clunky and don't flow as smoothly as the first. Even though the sex scenes are steamy and very gratifying, the characters themselves seem to be hyper-sexualized, thinking about sex constantly and not able to function. There were also a number of elements that seemed over-simplified, such as Khai's autism, using many stereotypes to depict personalities and cultural norms. This book is a classic case of telling, rather than showing the reader what the author wants us to understand, so it naturally lacks nuance and subtleties. The plot itself doesn't flow very organically and seems contrived, like a typical formulaic rom-com.
With all that being said, I enjoyed following the plot and the storyline of Esme and Khai, without becoming overly invested. They are both likable characters who are genuinely good people, so I'm glad a happy ending is in their future. I like how Hoang uses overlapping characters in this series but shifts the primary focus each time. I look forward to the third installment and finishing this series.