![The Bride test by Helen Hoang- A book review]()
review, Romance |
You know I loved The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang last year and I knew I was gonna love The bride test too, given the raving reviews it has been getting from all around. Can we get on with the review?
About the book
Book Name: The bride test (The Kiss Quotient #2)
Author: Helen Hoang
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Khai Diep, Quan and their mother, Esme Tran, Michael
Setting: San Francisco, The USA
The plot
Esme Tran is a self made woman, a single mother from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, who has been recruited by a rich lady to meet her son and win his heart, in a year. And in return, she gets a chance to the USA to look for her American father and help her family financially, if things go well.
Khai Diep leads a perfectly efficient life and he is not big on emotions. He usually ignores his mother’s nagging to get married as harmless, but when she brings in a woman to stay with him at his house, he is completely taken aback.
Did his mother’s plan work? Can Esme win Khai’s heart and more importantly, understand why he is not like everyone else? Is he really not like everyone else? Read The bride test by Helen Hoang to find out more.
My initial thoughts
I LOVED The bride test and I am going ahead to say I am gonna pick any book by Helen Hoang in the near future. She knows how to write characters that are fully developed and complex. Here is Khai who has made his mind up that he is above emotions and Esme can marry him only if he feels what she feels for him.
And both the families are rooting for them. His brother Quan goes a step ahead and even tries to speed things between them in his own way. I don’t remember the last time I laughed out loud reading a book.
I loved Quan and I can’t wait to read a book about his story. Interesting fact: If you have read The Kiss Quotient, you might remember Quan, the protagonist Michael’s cousin, who recognizes that Stella is autistic, because he had an autistic brother. That brother is our protagonist, Khai Diep. And Michael plays a cameo too.
The only problem I had was with dishonesty and omission.
Esme and Khai’s mother explicitly hide the fact that she was doing the whole arranged marriage for her own gains and the fact that she has a child back home in Vietnam. In fact, they agree to wait for him to fall for her, before telling him the truth.
And again, his mother omits telling her that Khai is autistic. I understand Esme turned out to be a great support to him and all. To be fair, doesn’t she have the right to know before agreeing to the deal? Go figure.
What worked for me
- I loved the OWN VOICE representations, as the author being autistic and a Vietnamese herself
- Oh the romance and chemistry! And it has been a while since I felt this invested in any fictional romance. Again, great writing.
- The humorous and witty dialogues help the the Bride Test from being a steamy or sappy romance. Stellar combo!
- I loved that all the characters, not just the protagonists, are full developed, with emotional depth.
What may have been better
- Some people may find all the deception and disregard to Khai’s feelings off putting.
Bottom line
If you are looking for a steamy, happily-ever-after with great Own voice representations, The bride test by Helen Hoang is your go to choice. You will not regret it. It comes close to being The Kiss Quotient !
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![The Bride test by Helen Hoang- A book review]()
review, Romance, YA |
How religious are you and how interested were in God as a teen? Our experiences may vary and sometimes our family gets a huge say in these things. There are things that we all have in common and then there are some gaps. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo talks a lot about religion and faith in these lines. Let us get on to my review, shall we?
About the book
Book Name: The Poet X
Author: Elizabeth Acevedo
Characters: Xiomara and Xavier Batista, Caridad, Aman, Isabelle
Genre: Fiction – Romance, YA, Contemporary
Setting: Harlem, New York, The United States of America
The plot
With an emotionally distant and a super religious mother, Xiomara Batista, a young teen, feels all alone in her questioning life, religion, on being a woman and her changing body. And boys.
Her Twin brother, who is a closeted queer, seem to know what their parents want and doesn’t have any problem in just doing that. Even if he has to hide things from them. Of course, he doesn’t get picked at by their mother or have so many restrictions as Xio because he was a guy.
Her best friend Caridad, is what Xio’s parents want her to be like. Soft, religious and obedient. But sadly, Xio was born ready to be a fighter, a protector and a spitfire.
Honestly all Xio wants is to be a normal teenager. Wear sexy clothes, meet boys, have a boyfriend, and to be kissed, all of which are forbidden by her religious, controlling and guilt tripping mother.
And Xio has questions. And doesn’t have anyone to help her figure them out. No one except her notebook that she has filled her poetry. Another thing she has to hide from her mother.
What happens when Xio finally finds someone or something where she could just be? Why would her questioning be so frowned upon by the religion. Read The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo to know more.
My initial thoughts
Xio is a Dominican, twin, catholic, thick girl and a poet and the author makes sure that she stays true to all the identities – from what I hear. Even if I am not a part of those representations, I could still relate to her and her thought process.
As someone from a “religious but not super religious” family, where guilt tripping, blind faith, sexism and casteism are encouraged, I felt connected to Xio so much that I even forgot that we are not talking about the same religion. I suppose most religions have a lot in common.
Acevedo’s writing, especially the poetry, was so raw and vulnerable that I had to often take my eyes off the book and collect my thoughts, which rarely happens.
If you had not realized it by now, I loved Xio. I wish I were this brave and fierce as a teen myself. And that I was as body positive as she was and I hate that she had to undergo the catcalls, groping, ogling, leering and then be guilt tripped by her mother.
Things that worked for me
- I loved Acevedo’s writing. LOVED.
- Xio’s questions about religion and women are so spot on, that she may have picked them from own teen dairy.
- I love the way the author built real, relatable characters. Xavier, Aman and even Caridad and of course, Xio.
Things that didn’t work for me
I wish I got to know more about Caridad, Xavier and even Aman, for that matter.
Bottom-line
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo is a contemporary romance that focuses very less on romance. Written in a verse format The Poet X doesn’t shy away from intense themes like religion, women in religion, puberty, body positivism, and parental control. Good recommendation, even if you are not into Young Adult books.
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![The Bride test by Helen Hoang- A book review]()
review, Romance |
What kinda books pull you out of a reading slump? A while ago, I read The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren when I was in a kinda slump and believe me, it worked. So let us get on with the review of The Unhoneymooners, shall we?
About the book
Book Name: The Unhoneymooners
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Olive and Ami Torres, Ethan Thomas
Setting: Minnesota, Maui, Hawaii, The USA
The plot
When her identical twin Ami, her husband and her entire party gets food poisoning, Olive is given a chance to use her all expenses paid honeymoon package. It sounds great except for the fact that she would have to share it with Ethan, her nemesis and brother of the groom.
To complicate matters, Olive bumps into her future ex boss and Ethan’s ex and they decide to pretend to be the married couple. They stop pretending after a while, but do they ever get back together after their unhoneymoon ends? Read The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren to know what happens next.
My initial thoughts
The Unhoneymooners is my first book by the duo Christina Lauren and I should say I am sold. If their other books are any similar, I would definitely read them. I loved the hilarious writing, especially in the first half. I liked the protagonists, even though I felt Ethan was not really developed deep enough.
And maybe it had to do with the entire plot being written only from Olive’s POV. That is different from the usual ‘enemies to lovers’ trope writing style, where we usually see the feelings of both the protagonists. But again, that is not a big negative on my radar.
Things that worked for me
- I love the deeper parts beyond the romance and the fluff (which I enjoyed too).
- The family/friendship bonding was well written.
- The writing is hilarious and witty and is perfect for a fun read.
Things that didn’t work for me
- I expected a little more groveling in the end. She forgave them too quickly, in my opinion.
- I wish we had a bit more about Ethan than his facial expressions.
Bottom-line
It is a perfect book to pick out of a slump or brighten your dull afternoon, which are incidentally what happened to me.
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Drama, review |
With the hype created by the new show, I had to read Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste NG, even though practically everyone around me has read and reviewed it. And I was low-key expecting me another over-hyped chick flick and boy, was I wrong! Read my review of Little Fires Everywhere to know more.
About the book
Book Name: Little Fires Everywhere
Author: Celeste Ng
Genre: Fiction – Drama
Characters: Mia and Pearl Warren, Elena, Izzy, Moody, Lexie and Trip Richardson, Bebe, Linda and Mark McCullough
Setting: Shaker Heights, Ohio, The USA
Plot Summary
Shaker heights is one of those perfect small towns, that is tight knit and followed every rule to the T. The residents of this meticulously planned community give great importance to the appearance and uniformity – they all paint their doors in particular colors, the lawns are perfectly manicured, the garbage cans are hidden behind the house etc.
The Richardson family is a model family to this Utopia. Mr Richardson, a well to do lawyer, Mrs Elena Richardson, a reporter who writes ‘wholesome’ articles and their four children (two boys and two girls) paint a pretty picture.
Their perfect lives go for a toss when a non conformist family – a single mother and her shy daughter enter their neighbourhood. Mrs Richardson takes in Mia Warren (an artist) and her daughter Pearl into her rented apartment to help them out – a gesture of benevolence. In a few months, the members of both the families get entwined with each other due to various reasons.
Meanwhile, an old family friend of the Richardsons adopts a Chinese-American baby and a battle custody ensues. How do the Warrens and Richardsons get caught in the custody web? Do they come out of it as one single piece forms the rest of the story in Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.
Book review
First of, WOW. I loved the book so much that I am writing the review of Little Fires Everywhere as soon as I finished reading it. This has not happened in a long time. Nor have I written such a big plot summary, in terms of word count in a while. So there is my verdict – WOW. Now let us dig in deeper shall we?
On the surface, Little Fires Everywhere is filled with stereotypes.
A control freak suburban mom, a distant workaholic dad, non conformist artist, a popular jock, spoilt rich popular girl, moody and outcast teen, and a nerd – there is one of every single fictional cliche. But what I loved is how Ng has spun these cliched characters into deep, multi layered characters.
A friend of mine asked whom I thought the baby should end up with, when I was reading the book. I didn’t have an answer then, or now, because that is how the world is. There is no complete black or white. Every character is flawed in Little Fires Everywhere and I loved them all the same.
For my personally, the most interesting character was Mrs Richardson, or Elena. She is one of the most complex characters I have read in a long time now. She made me question my choices and I am sure everyone feels related to her at some point.
If I had to nitpick, I am not sure if I like being told incessantly to root for a single character, Mia. Yes, she is ‘the empathetic and enlightened’ one. And I think she got off too easily when compared to her counterpart, given her history.
Things that worked for me
- Little Fires Everywhere deals with many intense themes like motherhood, identity, conformism and adoption.
- I liked the plot and the moral questioning that it posed.
- Deep, multi layered characters that stay with you long after you have finished reading are something to look forward to.
Things that didn’t work for me
- I felt the scales tipped too easily when it came to Mia.
Bottom-line
Little Fires Everywhere is an exquisitely written family drama with a bit of suspense. Read the book before you watch the series.
Similar books for you
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review, Romance |
I picked The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary more than six months ago from the airport bookstore and carried it with me during my travels last year. But when I finally started reading it earlier this month, I knew it was a mistake.
It was a mistake to have waited so long to read it. Yes, I loved it. Let’s get on to the book review of The Flatshare, shall we?
About the book
Book Name: The Flatshare
Author: Beth O’Leary
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Tiffy Moore, Leon and Richie Twomey, Gerty, Mo, Justine, Kay
Setting: London, England, The UK
The plot
Tiffy Moore has just been dumped (again) and wants to move out of Justin’s house ASAP. Despite what her friends say, she has hope that Justin will ask her to take him back. But at the same time, she knows this has happened far too many times, now.
Leon Twomey is a nurse who works night shifts. His brother has been wrongly accused of a robbery and is in jail. Leon needs urgent cash flow to get him acquitted.
And a flatshare made sense for both of them. Leon will use the flat during the day, when Tiffy is at work and vice versa. It sounds perfect in paper,right? What could go wrong?
For starters, emotionally abusive boyfriends, trips in search of a long lost lover, and the work schedule. But how long can they go without meeting forms the rest of The Flatshare.
My initial thoughts
The Flatshare is a well written romance with great characters and witty humor. But what I loved about this book was how it talked about emotional abuse – keeping it real and without being preachy.
I loved Tiffy’s arc especially. Initially she would not even stand a criticizing comment about Justin from her friends. But she slowly understood how he was gaslighting her and had been emotionally abusive and manipulating her. ALL BY HERSELF, with a bit of help from her ever supporting friends. And for once, the male protagonist was not her savior.
Leon was just a perfect sweetheart. He is an introvert who loves helping everyone, even going out of his way to do so. In fact, he spends his free time to help an aged patient to find his family. He is on first name basis with his younger patients who seem to know more about him than himself.
I loved Gerty, Mo and Rachel. And Richie. They were colorful and well developed, making it a treat to read about them.
Things that worked for me
- The Flatshare is just more than a romance, even when it has a cute love story in it.
- The characters. From Tiffy to Holly, were well written and adorable.
- I loved how the emotional abuse was portrayed, without making it all about the guy.
Things that didn’t work for me
I know this is a weak point but the flatshare arrangement without even meeting each other sounds too unrealistic right? Or is it just me? (It was not a deal breaker, though)
Bottom-line
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary is a fun romance with British humor that deals with heavy subjects like emotional abuse, gaslighting and friendships. Pick it up if you are a newbie reader or someone trying to get off a slump.
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