Perfection! I absolutely adored every single thing about this story, It's been a while since I sat down and devoured a book with such excitement, and I had a smile on my face throughout the whole book.

Stella is a statistician, she loves numbers and order, but due to the fact that she has high functioning autism, she really has no idea how to navigate the tricky subject of sex and boyfriends.

Enter Michael, an escort who Stella hires to help her learn how to deal with men with more ease.

I just loved the way Michael dealt with Stella's eccentricities, he understood her so well and it was plain to see from the start that he was going to be the perfect man for her! And perfect he was, I especially loved seeing him with his family, he had the biggest heart <3

What starts as a fake relationship, turns into friends to lovers - lots of butterflies whilst reading this one, and when the sexy times appeared, then WOAH! It was pure chemistry.

Such a refreshing read, I cannot wait to see more from Helen Hoang, this debut makes me so excited for what's to come.

I devoured this in a single sitting. And it was fucking delicious.

For me, this book has everything going for it. It’s dramatic, emotional, educational, complex, diverse, and hotter than sin.

This is an own voices romance with a female lead on the autism spectrum, and the entire plot setup revolves around her commitment to becoming better at sex. Because, for Stella, being touched by another human is a tricky, sometimes highly unenjoyable experience.

So what’s a modern, successful, driven woman to do?

Hire a male escort to give her sex lessons, obviously.

Enter Michael. He’s half Vietnamese, and half Swedish, and described as looking like Daniel Henney, only hotter.



YES, PLEASE.

He also comes with a lot of (understandable) baggage. His dad is an epic douche, and because of how he treated Michael and the rest of his family, Michael is left feeling like he’s never going to be good enough.

For himself, for his mother, and also for Stella.

From their very first interaction, it’s obvious that these two have some serious chemistry, and the pages practically smoldered beneath my fingertips as I was reading.

This is definitely one of those romances that could be listed as an erotic one, so for those of you who like your love stories without the physical act of love in them, be aware of that.

But this is also so much more than smexy times. Stella has never had a boyfriend before, and as their relationship changes, she has to learn how to navigate through all the social interactions that come with that: meeting Michael’s friends, his family, going out to strange places with him.

For someone on the autism spectrum, that can be a living nightmare. The social anxiety, the sound sensitivity, the potential for stimulus overload, it made for some tense and suuuuper awkward situations.

I felt so much for Stella because of her unabashed way of relating all of the above. And for Michael as well, because, like I mentioned before, he comes with his own set of issues and is brutally honest about them to himself.

This whole story just felt so real, if that makes sense. Most romance drama always feels borderline OTT to me, like, just TALK TO EACH OTHER AND RESOLVE THIS SHIT. The kind of petty misunderstandings and stubborn lack of communication that makes me want to rip my hair out.

This book, while definitely heavy on the internal conflict toward the end, never felt like that. Because Stella and Michael’s voices are both so separate and unique and relatable that I got why they were having trouble communicating.

This is a romance, after all, so in the end it all works out. And, for me, it’s one of those refreshing, modern, feminist, cathartic books that I can see myself re-reading every time I start to lose my faith in this genre.

So, yeah. That should tell you everything you need to know about how much I loved this.

Full review to be published online in early June.

THE KISS QUOTIENT is the debut effort of Helen Hoang; a gender-flipped Pretty Woman of sorts. Statistician Stella decides to hire an escort who can school her not just in the ways of lovemaking; but more importantly, in the emotional component of lovemaking. A single 30-year-old with Asperger's, Stella's great with numbers but not so great at understanding feelings and their impact on herself or the people in her life. She hires a gorgeous Vietnamese/Swedish male escort named Michael in the hopes he can teach her to relax in bed, but gets so much more than she bargained for when they click. Little does Stella know that Michael comes with his own emotional baggage, which he tries to keep hidden on every level.

THE KISS QUOTIENT is more than just a love story. It's more than just a love story with heart. Author Hoang takes the reader on a journey through the emotional process of someone with Asperger's, and she does it in a way that's organic and never heavy-handed. The book doesn't set out to teach readers a lesson, though. It simply tells its story in a beautiful and unique way. By the end I felt I had so much insight into both Stella and Michael that they'd become real to me. That's truly the hallmark of a gifted writer, and I’ll be looking for more works by this talented author.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Berkley June 5

Writing: 4.5 Plot: 2.5 Characters: 3

Romance novel about Stella — a successful econometrist with Aspergers — and a gorgeous hunk named Michael who works as an escort in order to help pay off his mother’s medical bills. Well-written, this highly eroticized romance follows a traditional plot trajectory with lots and lots of tasteful, but explicit, sex scenes. Stella dislikes sex but feels she needs to learn how to do it better in order to be able to seek a “normal” relationship. All takes place in Palo Alto for those who live nearby!

In some ways this novel does successful gender swapping — it’s the woman who is both successful
and on the autism spectrum (and therefore finds social interactions confusing and terrifying). On the other hand, the insecure and inexperienced woman being slowly seduced by the experienced , hunky, man is as gender predictable as it comes.

Ever since reading the synopsis a few month ago I was intrigued, fascinated and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. I’m a HUGE fan of everything unique, in this case it’s a heroine with Asperger’s. Not only did that pique my curiosity, it reminded me of one of my favorite books, The Rosie Project.

Helen Hoang’s debut novel was enchanting, sweet, romantic, and utterly heart-warming. I’m blown away by the author’s writing style, which was crisp, eloquent and impressive. Her writing was vibrant, and captivating. I loved the amount and detailed description of Vietnamese culture that was part of this book. Having such a diverse and lovable cast made this novel utterly endearing, not only but also by the wonderful main characters.

The story was incredibly well plotted and executed. Fresh, unique and interesting from beginning to end. There was nothing clique about this book. And that’s even more impressive since it was a debut novel.

I adored Stella. She was straight forward, blunt at times, fascinating, and adorable in her quest. And the way she melted into Michael was just the BEST. Whenever he touched her, hugged her, or cuddled her, she melted into a boneless heap. I couldn’t prevent myself from smiling from ear to ear. I loved how Stella only cared about Michael as a person. She had no false perceptions or prejudice about him.

And Michael, OMG, he was swoony. Not in your face all alpha swoony, rather understated, and because of that he was even more devastatingly handsome in the way he treated Stella, and his family. His personality was just beautiful. He was honestly THE perfect man. And WOWZER – let’s not forget about that gorgeous tattoo. I couldn’t have kept my hands to myself either – kudos to Stella.

This book is a definite recommendation.

A sweet love-story, the author called it a gender-swapped Pretty Woman, with a wonderful main couple and a wonderful and heart-warming and very personal backstory. I can’t wait to read book 2 – The Bride Test – which will be released in January of 2019.

The "Kiss Quotient" is a hard book to put in a specific category. It is a compelling read, a good look at the insecurities in relationships, an awareness of knowing who you are, a romance and somewhat erotic. Although the main characters start out interacting in a quasi-sexual relationship, this is not really the main focus of the book for me.

The main focus appears to me, to show the problems that the main character has with social interactions and insecurities due to being on the autistic spectrum. It helps to clarify what some of those situations may feel like for people who do not experience these sensations. At the same time, the other main character is “normal”, but has similar insecurities and trust issues to overcome. As they forge a true relationship it shows how people can adapt to another persons needs if they are caring and trying to understand each other. Labels, whether put in place by society in general, or by ourselves don’t define who one is, but may help us if we use them for understanding.

I feel this story is one worth reading. I wish I could recommend it for inclusion in a high school library, but educational settings are not liberal enough for the actions and a bit of the language (especially the frequent use of the “F” word) in this book.

Part of the author’s stated purpose was in making people more aware of how women with autism function in society and how that differs from their male counterparts. I feel she has succeeded in shining a light on this topic and making us more aware of others and ourselves.

I would definitely recommend this book for most adult/young adult readers.

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. I honestly laughed out loud once, and genuinely teared up twice. Stella is fabulous. She is adorably and tragically awkward. And here's what this book does so well: it reflects her struggles without being overly romantic about it, but also without treating autism like the world's worst diagnosis ever. And Michael totally gets it. He appreciates her quirkiness, and sympathizes with how hard life is for her sometimes. He accommodates her sensitivities and cluelessness when appropriate, but he also gently pushes her past her comfort zone when she needs it. Their relationship is messy, funny, sad, illuminating, and inspiring. And did I mention ROMANTIC?! Serious hot/swoony moments here. All in all a pitch-perfect story that the minute I was finished made me wish I could go back and read it for the first time again.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

Wow did I love this book! Such a sweet romance. I can’t say enough good about it!

We got a winner!!

The Kiss Quotient was marvelous!

So what happens when you're smart, have Asperger's and your parents want you to get married and provide a progeny of grandchildren but you aren't good at social situations or intimacy? Well, you hire an escort!!

Stella Lane is in her thirties. She is very successful and driven. She's an economist and a workaholic. She knows her limitations and having sex is one of them. She believes that if she can conquer her fears of intimacy, she can then be in a relationship.

Michael Pham is paying his mother's hospital bills by using his body as an escort. He's part Vietnamese and part Swedish. In other words, this combination makes him stunning. When his next job takes him to meet Stella, he can't help but be grateful. She fits his hot librarian fantasy to a tee. After their first meeting, he knows he's in trouble. He usually doesn't see a client twice but this time he wants to make an exception.

I love Stella and Michael together. Michael was so patient and understanding. He was also great with his whole family. He had his own insecurities and fears. I liked to think that being with Stella helped him realized he was worth it. Stella was amazing too. She tried her hardest to face her limitations. It takes great courage to try something new when you're so used to your routine and structure.

I can't but fan myself at their sexy times. Let's just say WOW is an understatement.

The Kiss Quotient was a wonderfully crafted novel. It's uniqueness and fascinating characters sets it apart from the rest.

I found myself doing a happy dance after finishing it. The ending was just perfect! I'm crossing my fingers we get to see more characters getting their own books. Mrs. Hoang has plenty of material.

5 AMAZING FANGS!

A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is EVERYTHING. I love all that it represents. Stella and Michael are such interesting, nuanced characters. There are elements of Stella that everyone can relate to, autistic or not. When it comes to love, we all feel that bumbling, insecure feeling that overrides our judgment and makes us second-guess ourselves. And it's so heartwarming that she has Michael to balance her out because we all yearn for that person who loves our quirks. It's been a while since a romance has captured my heart like this one. And this book is HOT. It belongs on everyone's TBR list. I'm so excited for whatever else Helen Hoang throws our way!

I really adored this book! Best book about consent that doesn't explicitly spell it out for you. Instead, it models what enthusiastic consent looks like, and how to go about it. The characters are so, so real - could really see them in my mind.

I loved this book. I loved this book. I loved this book.

Did I mention I loved this book? The Kiss Quotient is Pretty Women if Julia Roberts was a man and Richard Gere was a thirty year-old woman with Asperger Syndrome. Honestly that should be enough to convince you to read it.

The characters were relatable, the chemistry was undeniable, and the story left me with a huge smile on my face.

If you're looking for a fresh and unique story, then this is the one for you. The Kiss Quotient is diverse, unique, and completely captivating. The characters are adorable and you can't help but fall for them. I mean, these two could not be more opposite and they really should not work, but somehow they do. Somehow they are able to get past their differences and ideals of who they should be. They discover a love that they never knew existed or that could be possible. These two characters pulled me into their story and had me rooting for their happily ever after.

There is a ton of buzz surrounding The Kiss Quotient and I am definitely glad that I checked it out. The Kiss Quotient is a fantastic debut novel.  It is very well written, with a unique and fresh plot. It is a story that you can easily finish in one sitting and one that you won't be able to put down. I know I couldn't stop myself from devouring each word. The Kiss Quotient hit all the marks for me, delivering a sweet and swoon-worthy romance with loads of steam that will keep you begging for more. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Whoa....I mean...holy s*itballs this book blew me away! Being intrigued by the premise I jumped right in with no expectations and I was done for by the second chapter. I consumed The Kiss Quotient in a day and read it word for word because I absolutely adored Michael and Stella!!!

The romance was a perfect blend of steamy and sweet as the plot kept you on your toes,especially on their Friday dates.😋 Michael was all sexy-dreamy guy while Stella made my heart explode with sweet happiness. I’m usually all about the hero of the story (and don’t get me wrong Michael is THE man) but Stella stole the show for me.


The Kiss Quotient will definitely be on my list of Top 2018 reads and Helen Hoang will be on my watch list!