I hope y’all still believe in “better than late never“, because I am talking about a book that many of you have read and spoken to death about. Yes, I am talking about The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. And if you are one of those rare souls that haven’t read this yet, let my review convince you!
If you are looking to beat the boring afternoons during the lock down, you should pick The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang without a doubt. This racy, funny romance will steal your heart away for sure! Share on XAbout the book
Book Name: The Kiss Quotient
Author: Helen Hoang
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Stella Lane, Michael Phan
Setting: Silicon Valley, California, The United States of America
The plot
When her mother forces her to get married, the autistic Stella Lane hires a male escort to teach her the ways to please a man. Stella is a highly intelligent econometrician who is socially inept and hence generally poor in understanding people and thus relationships.
Micheal Phan works as an escort on Fridays to pay his ailing mother’s huge hospital bills. He is good at what he does and he is strict about not rebooking his clients, even if they pay well. Well everything changes when he is hired by Stella.
There is an instant connection between them but they resist because professional boundaries and miscommunication. Do they or not end up together forms the rest of The Kiss Quotient.
My initial thoughts
I took the book right from the first page. It is a story that we have all heard before but what makes The Kiss Quotient a good book are the protagonists.
The characters are so well thought and developed with depth. None of the cardboard stereotypes that are a dozen a dime in the Kissing Quotient. Both Stella and Micheal made me laugh and cry when they did.
I liked the fact that the author didn’t cheapen autism or oversell it. Even I, who have very little personal experience with autism, could understand a lot about the spectrum and Stella as a person. I would consider that a win for Helen Hoang.
Yay for the representation (autism, Asian (Vietnamese) characters and a male sex worker)! And extra credit for not shaming the sex work in anyway.
Things that worked for me
- The writing is so easy to read and I couldn’t put the book down at all.
- I loved the well developed characters.
- The Kiss Quotient is kinda smutty but it works so well. Kudos to the author!
Things that didn’t work for me
Definitely not a young adult novel, as some believe it to be. Lots of steamy scenes. So beware.
Bottom-line
If you are looking to beat the boring afternoons during the lock down, pick The Kiss Quotient without a doubt. This racy, funny romance will steal your heart away for sure!
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Let us chat
Have you read this one? Do you like steamy romances? If yes, suggest me similar books please. What are you currently reading? Let us talk.
I have seen this book all over the place.
Yes it has been everywhere and it is worth it!
Such a great book!! I loved it and can’t wait to read The Bride Test too. I’m glad you liked this one too 😉
I loved the Bride test as well!
I recently listened to this and loved it, definitely not a YA novel. Great review and I like your review style.
Thank you!
Wonderful review! I’m really happy you enjoyed this one so much 🙂 I am one of the rare souls that haven’t read this just yet, but it is sitting on my physical TBR and I’m hoping to get to it soon 🙂
Oh you have to read it soon!!
Sounds ok to me.
It was definitely A-okay!
Great review I’ve been hearing amazing raving reviews about this book and I hope that one day I can read this book. I am really glad you fully enjoyed reading this book. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.
And it is worth all the rave it has been receiving .
I’ve been meaning to read this one for ages.
Let me know if you ever do!
This is one of those books that I have umm and ahhh about whether to read it or not. At the moment I’ve not bought it but possibly in the future I might. Great review.
It is definitely a good one!
UGH I love this book – I’m glad you enjoyed it too
Yes I did.
Amazing review, I’ve been hearing amazing things about this book that I really do want to check it out one day. I am really glad you fully enjoyed reading this book. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.
You should. It is so adorable and you will love it.
This has been on my list so you aren’t the only one late to the game!! Glad you enjoyed. I’ll move it up my list.
You SHOULD, Kate!
I keep meaning to read this one – glad to see you thought it smutty, which makes me want it even more 😉
It definitely was smutty! You have to read it.
YIKES! to anyone who believes this is YA because there is absolutely NOTHING YA about this book. But, I’m soooo glad you’ve finally got around to reading The Kiss Quotient! I really enjoyed this book, and I actually hope it gets adapted.
Oh you loved it too!! Did you read the Bride test as well?
Oh yes, this is definitely not YA. But I LOVED it! One of my favorites from last year.
Same for me. Did you read The Bride Test as well?
Loved this book and the series actually. Looking forward to book 3 in 2021!
Same here!
I read it some time back and loved it for all the reasons that you gave a Yay! to. It was such an anti-sterotypical tale. I absolutely loved the protagonists and that, I feel, is half the battle won for any book.
As for the steamy scenes, if they fit into the narrative they work for me. I liked the fact that they were not cringe inducing and rather well written in this one.
On a similar note – have you read The Rosie Project?
YES. Yes yes, to everything you said. And I loved Rosie project too. I even read its sequel!