This was fabulous and completely worth the hype. I adored Stella and Michael and I can't wait to read the next book by this author. I think this is going to go over really, really well with my Library's users.

Our blog is doing two reviews of this book.

The first, by Kaetrin, appeared on June 6 and you can find it here:

http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/overall-a-reviews/a-minus-reviews/review-the-kiss-quotient-by-helen-hoang/

Due to illness, my review will run a bit later than originally planned, probably in late June / early July. I will try to remember to add a link here when that review is up, if Netgalley lets me. The grade on that review will be an A-.

Helen Hoang's debut novel is full of vim, vigor, and vitality!

Stella's autism has gotten in the way of having a boyfriend - her solution, hire a male escort to help practice her social and sexual skills. Michael steps into this role for the money, but this intriguing relationship goes in directions neither of the participants originally intend.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC copy.

PS: Many nights after work, I would pull into my driveway and sit captivated by Carly Robins audiobook performance.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I'm very impressed with this first time author. The story and the language flowed easily and I was quickly drawn into the characters. The idea of a woman with autism featuring as the heroine in a romance novel is unlikely, for sure, but I think that is what is so remarkable about this story. It helps to remind people that despite our differences, we are still more alike than we are different. Sure, Stella approaches things slightly differently but in the end, her goals are the same as every other heroine.

There were moments where this story fell short and the characters were acting on mis-information (one of my least favourite plot lines) but I was willing to let that pass. In all, it was an enjoyable read and since this is listed as the first in the series, I'll be happy to continue to read the next one.

Romance is not my typical genre, but this story was so cute it was really accessible and kept those pages turning.

I feel so #blessed to have gotten this book on my radar. I feel like a broken record, but I swear I don't normally like contemporary romance. I usually find them predictable, and worse boring.

However, this does the contemporary genre good. It is fresh, funny, hot, and I love a book that plays with traditional gender norms. Yasss gender swapped Pretty Woman. Can you believe? I don't want to suggest that that is all this is. It's more than a reboot. This novel's heroine is autistic and for the life of me I cannot think of another book that I've read that has a diagnosed/self-identifying autistic female character. Autism so frequently seems like a male disorder because that's what we see in media and I am so much more readily attuned to the male symptoms/experience. What a service to her readers that Hoang has written a novel with a character based on her own perceptions as an autistic woman.

The portrayal of Michael as biracial and his Vietnamese family was also riveting. So often the romantic hero is one dimensional and driven solely by how he relates to the female character. It's refreshing to see a well rounded male protagonist who has a personality, past, friends, family, and work life outside of the key romance.

This book gets all the stars!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Berkley for the copy I received for review.

The Kiss Quotient was quite remarkable. Even after finishing it a little more than two weeks ago, I can still feel the emotional mark it has left on me. There was not one aspect of this book that I did not fall in love with. The characters were magnetic and dynamic. I loved the gender swap play on Pretty Woman. The writing flowed beautifully and Hoang's tone carried a gentle honesty that brought awareness to and championed those with ASD.

This is a book I will reread again and again.

This book was a breath of fresh air, it had all the feels. I adored everything about this book. This was a stellar debut done right.

Stella in a statistician and loves numbers and order. She has Aspergers which is a type of autism. She is very smart and awkward when it comes to dating. With her mom pressuring her to settle down she decides to hire and escort to teach her how to date.

Michael is an escort that Stella hires. He does this one night a week to help his family financially. When Stella and Michael meet for the first time he can’t understand why someone like her would need to hire him. He is so patient with her.

These two characters I just loved. They formed a friendship and brought out the best in each other. I haven’t read a book this good in a long time. I didn’t want to put the book down to go to sleep. I can’t tell you how long it has been that I wanted to stay up all night and read. I am looking forward to reading more of Helen Hoang’s work

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the summer, so when I got approved on NetGalley for an advanced copy, I was STOKED. So THANK YOU to NetGalley and Berkley for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, this book had me staying up waaay past my bedtime to get in a couple more chapters. It's a compulsive hard-to-put-down read with strong, complex characters. This book would make a fantastic vacation/beach read; although you should be aware that being a romance novel, it was verryyy steamy. Let's just say the sexy-time parts were very... descriptive. But this book is more than just a 'chic lit' romance novel; I felt that it also had some depth. The main character, Stella, is on the autism spectrum, and it was wonderful to see representation we don't see that often.

All-around, I would highly recommend to someone looking for a light, really fun read. I don't read a ton of romance (this is my first this year), but I definitely loved it and am inclined to pick up some more similar books soon.

What a refreshing read! It’s so hard to believe The Kiss Quotient is Helen Hoang’s first book because it was smartly written, refreshing, quirky, sweet, sexy, and unputdownable. It was also nothing like what I expected. This is an adult book with some erotic scenes, make no mistake about it, but it was so much more.

Stella Lane is a very successful econometrician with high-functioning Autism, also referred to as Asperger’s. Because the author has the same thing, our heroine was so real and so special, you couldn’t help but love her. I have a close family member that is so much like her, I feel like I just read her story, and I enjoyed getting in her head. Stella didn’t like the label. She never talked about her “condition”. She felt that once people saw the label, they viewed her differently, so she often went along with things that made her hugely uncomfortable just to be “normal”. One common element of Asperger’s is not liking to be touched, especially intimately.
“I bet you just lie there and run linear recursions in your head while a man does his business. Am I right, Ms. Lane?”
Stella would totally do that if she could figure out how to input gigabytes of data into her brain, but she’d rather die than admit it.

Her previous sexual encounters have been horrible, so she thinks if she learns how to do it right, she will be comfortable doing it and maybe she will find someone. As it is, Stella is lonely. She works 7 days a week, and as much as she loves her work, she wants more. So she decides to hire a professional escort to teach her.

Enter Michael Phan. Half Vietnamese and half Swedish, Michael is using the only good thing his father left him with, his looks, to pay for his family, and he gave up his dreams to do so. He may be an escort, but of course, he’s one for noble reasons. He sees clients Friday nights only and he never sees a client twice, especially after one got obsessed.
She wished she had his cell phone number, but she figured he never gave that to his clients. It was too personal. Especially if his clients had the tendency to get obsessed. Which was actually one of her main weaknesses, and a defining characteristic of her disorder. She didn’t know how to be semi-interested in something. She was either indifferent … or obsessed.

Michael was immediately taken with his new client. He couldn’t understand why such a beautiful woman would hire an escort, but as he got further along with her, he noticed she was a bit different, and he loved that about her.
“Do you always say exactly what you’re thinking?”
“Either that or I don’t talk.” No matter how she tried, she couldn’t overcome it. Her brain simply wasn’t wired for social sophistication.

He also saw that she was not ready for what she wanted to learn. He had to take it slow with her. But he never broke the one-night rule. Or maybe just this once….
“Can I tell you where to kiss me?” she whispered.
A smile slowly stretched his lips. “Yes.”
“M-my temple.”
His breath fanned over her ear, sending goose bumps down her neck, before he pressed a kiss to her left temple. “Now where?” The words were spoken softly against her skin, each one a caress.
“My cheek.”
The tip of his nose grazed her skin as he moved lower. He kissed the hollow beneath her cheekbone. “Now?” he asked without lifting his lips.
So close. She could hardly breathe. “The corner of my m-mouth.”
“Are you sure? That’s very close to being a real kiss.”
Impulsive impatience seared through her, and she sank her fingers into his hair, held him in place, and pressed a closed-mouth kiss to his lips. Bolts of sensation zigzagged straight to her chest. After a surprised hesitation, she did it again, and he took the lead, showing her how it was done, drawing the kisses out.

Michael was so patient with her. He read her so well and knew just when to push and when to back off. Though he grew up with a cousin with the same condition, he didn’t realize Stella had autism, only that she was a little like his cousin. But it made him more patient and understanding with her.

(Quote graphic)

They both tried to keep the relationship about sex, but you know how that always goes.
These were supposed to be simple sex lessons. Why was it getting so complicated?

I found it so sad that Stella didn’t want to tell him her truth.
With the labels, he might be more understanding, but he’d quit viewing her as Stella Lane, awkward econometrician who loved his kisses. In his eyes, she’d become the girl with autism. She’d be … less.

But it’s sad to say, she might be right.
She could change her actions, change her words, change her appearance, but she couldn’t change the root of herself. At her core, she would always be autistic. People called it a disorder, but it didn’t feel like one. To her, it was simply the way she was.


Likes:

•Such a smartly written book.
•Quirky and unique.
•A REAL heroine, with REAL issues.
•How relatable it is for anyone, whether you know someone on the spectrum or not, but especially if you do.
•It never felt preachy, lecturey, or messagey, but it kind of was all three, because it was about learning to accept and love yourself the way you are. About embracing your true self.
•Michael’s family is Vietnamese and we got to get to know his family and their culture a bit.
•Fluid storytelling in a fast, easy read.
•Just enough angst.
•Such chemistry between the hero and heroine.
•Amazing side characters.
•The accuracy of all the things that comprise Asberger’s (although she is a very adventurous eater compared to anyone else that I know with Asperger’s).

Dislikes:

•While the book is about her learning about sex, I liked the build-up so much more, it sometimes felt like it was too focused on the sex.
•It seems all her issues faded away just a little too much with him. I wouldn’t want my family member reading this and thinking that if she just had a guy like Michael, all her issues would be gone.

The Down & Dirty:
I can’t tell you how many people I messaged personally about this book. I think it’s an important read, not only because it features an autistic character written by an autistic author, but it also has a diverse cast of characters. But forget about why it’s an “important” read and let’s focus on why it was a great read. It was a hopeful book, filled with pain, joy, sexy times, love, friendship, family, culture, and diversity. It made me laugh, it tugged at my heartstrings, it made me think, and it made me swoon. I reveled in the uniqueness it brought to a common theme (falling for your escort). The topic of autism could have overpowered the story, but it was more about Stella’s personality and the unique qualities that make her special. It was about overcoming labels, accepting that labels don’t make the person. I loved how they both learned to love themselves as they learned to love the other and accept the other’s love. The Kiss Quotient is truly a book I will remember for a long time and I really look forward to the next standalone in the series, The Bride Test, coming in 2019.

Rating: 5 Stars, 4 Heat

Helen Hoang has started her publishing career off with a bang with The Kiss Quotient. This is the autistic romance I’ve waited my whole life to read as an autistic woman much like Stella.

I received an eARC of The Kiss Quotient from Berkley through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The author and I are also mutuals on Twitter.
The Kiss Quotient features a white autistic woman, Stella, and a bi-racial Vietnamese and Swedish man, Michael, as the main pairing in this stunning romance. Author Helen Hoang is also autistic, though she was diagnosed much later in life than Stella.

This needs some content warnings for severe parent illness (specifically cancer), money troubles, sex work, forced kiss by non-hero, unwanted sexual comments from coworker, intentional sensory overload, accidental sensory overload, explicit sex, internalized ableism, and internalized shame about sex work.

The description of autism for Stella felt so real for me. Even Stella struggling to turn her brain off during sex is something that is familiar. Stella’s obsession after the break up with trying to make herself seem allistic (non-autistic) is definitely something I’ve tried to do when I was particularly frustrated with myself. But I always came back to the same conclusion.

“She could change her actions, change her words, change her appearance, but she couldn’t change the root of herself. At her core, she would always be autistic. People called it a disorder, but it didn’t feel like one. To her, it was simply the way she was.”

Most of the conflict on both sides was internal, and not communicated in a way that both parties entirely understood what was happening. It felt very real to me.

I also adored the loving portrayal of Michael’s family, particularly how he and his sisters work to care for their mother and grandmother in their age and illness, and how it affected their college choices. Stella built a legitimate friendship with his sister, Janie, bonding over their shared love of math and economics. It was beautiful to see.

I can’t say anything other than I loved this book. I look forward to seeing more of Khai and Quan in the next book, The Bride Test, which is out in January. You can pick up a copy on Amazon or Indiebound!

Not exactly the wow-worthy read I was expecting.

There’s been a ton of buzz surrounding this novel and I would say, rightly so—for one reason. With this story, Helen Hoang gives voice to a syndrome that until now, has been absent in the romance genre. Through her cast of endearing characters, she explores the importance of self-acceptance and the desire we all have to find that one person who makes establishing an intimate relationship feel effortless. I just wish I had enjoyed the plot as much as the characters she created. Viewing the world through an autistic lens brings a fresh energy to the storyline initially, but it doesn't take long for the formulaic feel of the plot to overshadow the quirkiness of the cast.

A gender-swapped Pretty Woman of sorts, The Kiss Quotient introduces the reader to Stella Lane, an incredibly smart and driven, thirty-something, living with high-functioning Asperger’s. Her social awkwardness, lack of interpersonal skills and myriad of other eccentricities have been a hinderance on her relationship status and her best bet, she figures, is to start by improving her skills in the bedroom.

So, how does one go about getting better at sex? I guess, if you’re rich and lacking in social skills, you hire a male escort to teach you a few things. Who better to learn from than a professional, right? Lucky for Stella, Michael is the perfect specimen of a man. Tailor by day, sexual escort every Friday night and all around good guy—what could go wrong? In the real world, probably a lot; but this is fiction. Predictable fiction.

What's a romance novel without a happy ending?—it's pretty much a given this is going to happen. Aside from the character traits I admired in both Stella and Michael, their love story felt, dare I say . . . basic. Their budding relationship narrowly avoids insta-love, is paved with convenience and the will-they/won't-they is fueled solely by miscommunication on both their parts, which takes on a stale note rather quickly. And while we would all love to fall for someone who completely understand us—no questions asked—it’s unrealistic to think it would ever happen this easily.

Despite all of my issues with the plot, I still found this to be a worthwhile read. My big takeaway—Helen Hoang’s message in the Author's Note following Stella and Michael's story—be unapologetically you.

“As I pursued and eventually attained a diagnosis (at age thirty-four), Stella, my autistic heroine, was born on the page. It has never been so easy for me to write a character. I knew her intimately. She came from my heart. I didn’t have to filter my thoughts to make her socially acceptable, something I’d been unconsciously doing for ages. And this freedom allowed me to find my voice. Before this, I’d been using every other author’s writing style, trying to be someone else. When I wrote The Kiss Quotient, I became myself, and I’ve been unapologetically myself ever since. Sometimes instead of confining you, a label can set you free.”

*Thanks to Berkley for providing my copy.

What a cute book from a new author to me! The Kiss Quotient is the debut novel by Helen Hoang and what a fun, sweet, heartwarming read.

Stella has Asperger's—a mild form of Autism—that makes it awkward for her in social interactions including those romantic in nature. Stella hires Michael Phan as an escort. What starts off as teachings of the physical turn into lessons of the heart as these two start off as a business agreement and turn into something much, much more.

I fell in love with Stella from the get-go. Her honesty, almost to the point of rudeness at times, her complete innocence in all situations but her true inquisitiveness and want to better herself. Not ever realizing that who she is and how she acts is the true gem of who she is.

Michael, being this really great guy despite his job, sees this from the start and rather than treat her as a business transaction, he has always shown her more... how it feels to be loved, touched, kissed, and treated like she is perfect in every way. I LOVED his gentlemanness, I loved his other side to his escort business—his true self with his family and his career—and I just loved the way he respected and worshipped Stella from the beginning.

Their interactions vary from fun bantering, to sweet moments, to hot and steamy WOW! I was entranced from the beginning to the very end of this book and am amazed by this author's talent. I very much look forward to reading more from her!

I would suggest this to fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. I can't wait to read the sequel.

This was a lovely, charming, sexy #ownvoices romance read! I loved the subtle Pretty Woman gender-swap component, and both Stella and Michael are characters you can really root for as they explore their complex relationship to one another. I absolutely adored this author debut and I can't wait to read more from Hoang (which is fortunate seeing as how she has another book coming out next year!).

The Kiss Quotient is a cute romantic read about Stella who is way more comfortable with numbers than she is with the opposite sex. After her mother keeps bugging her about meeting someone she sets her eyes on a fellow co-worker but before she can ask him out she decides that she needs more experience so she looks for an escort to help her out on that front.

Michael is the escort that Stella is set up with and soon Stella can't help but fall for him. Michael is a good guy who takes care of his mother and sisters and is getting tired of doing what he does but does it because the money is good and it helps him help his mother. Michael slowing starts to help Stella get out of her shell and while he has always been a professional he can't help falling for Stella also, she sees him for more than what he does she sees his potential and no one has done that before.

While Stella tries to understand her feelings for Michael, her Asperger’s makes things challenging she knows that she wants more from him, meaning sex and deals with how she can do that and not let her Asperger’s stop that. Michael, on the other hand, has his own issues, mainly with dealing with his past with his father. He has to come to terms with the fact that he isn’t him and that he is a good guy with a great heart. He also begins to find out about Stella’s Asperger’s and wants to understand it and tells her that it doesn’t change how he feels about her. These are two characters that you would never think could be together but they fit so well that they are the missing puzzle piece in each other's lives. Their road isn’t an easy one and things challenge them along the way but in the end, you can't help but root for them and want them together despite everything telling them they shouldn’t be.

I loved and adore everything about this read. I loved the representation of Asperger’s and how it shows that people with it can live full lives and also find love, and I also loved the diversity of all the characters. This book was fun, flirty, romantic and steamy without being trashy which is a fine line to do. This is a quick and easy read that will make you have all the feels and it’s a great book for these long summer days. So if you want something that will put a smile on your face look no further than The Kiss Quotient.

I absolutely loved The Kiss Quotient! I saw the book floating around and getting a lot of praise, but didn’t know the details of the story. I didn’t even read the blurb. It was just that feeling, ya know? Oh my gosh, even though I expected it to be good, I was totally surprised!

I completely adore the characters. Stelllaaaa! Sorry, I always channel A Street Car Named Desire when I hear/see that name. Anyway! What a refreshing and much-needed character she is. She was the biggest surprise for me because I wasn’t at all expecting her to have Aspergers. But her disorder does not define her. She’s a highly intelligent, successful woman who is determined to solve any problem she faces. I can’t tell how much I enjoyed getting her perspective. And Michael totally melted my icy heart with the way he treated Stella and his family. The chemistry between Michael and Stella gave me major feels!

This book was a total delight. It has a bit of a Pretty Woman thing going on with a twist, but way better. It took me through a range of emotions with a very touching, sweet, sexy, and at times humorous story. I can’t wait to read what Hoang writes next!

<strong>The Kiss Quotient</strong> kicks off newcomer Helen Hoang's <a href="http://bookbinge.com/reviews/series/the-kiss-quotient/">The Kiss Quotient</a> series and it features a high functioning autistic heroine and the male escort that falls madly in love with her.

The book starts off with our heroine, Stella Lane, having dinner with her parents and her Mom mentioning the fact that she would like grandchildren soon so that has Stella thinking. When a colleague at work brings up her lack of successful dating, Stella figures she needs to hire someone to teach her how to be good at having sex. Stella has Asperger's and that makes things hard for her because her mind won't turn off and she says the wrong thing and her partner always gets turned off and so she's learned some things to get through sex but she doesn't ever enjoy it herself. She needs professional help and that is when we meet my boo thang, Michael Phan.

<img src="http://bookbinge.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Michael-Phan-294x442.jpg" alt="" width="189" height="284" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-84244" />

Michael Phan is a dead ringer for Daniel Henney, much to his chagrin but it's helped him in his undercover gig as a male escort so he can't complain too much. He's got his reasons for the way that his life turned out and while he doesn't have regrets, he sometimes has them. He holds himself to a set of rules, a code of ethics, if you will that keeps his professional and his personal life separate. All of those rules seem to have gone right out the window with his latest client, Stella Lane because he's breaking rules left and right.

Stella hires Michael to help her be more comfortable with sex...only, their first night together, they don't get past second base so plans change and before either of them know what's what, Michael and Stella are teaching each other all about love and intimacy. Stella can't help her personality any more than Michael can help his financial situation. The more time that they spend together, the more they have to fight from falling in love with each other. Stella doesn't think anyone would love her and all of her quirks while Michael feels the shame of his secret life-threatening to overwhelm the ever living shit out of him.

I loved the heck out of this story. I loved Stella. I loved Michael. I loved both of their families and I seriously could not get enough. I know that I love a story when I keep texting Holly in between scenes, explaining to her in detail why I'm loving the book so much. I texted Holly a lot while reading this book.

I loved Hoang's writing style. I thought that the way she wrote Stella's character, her struggles with being autistic and just the way that her personality was, it felt authentic and it was written in a way that I completely got what Stella was going through, what she was thinking and I just got it. I really, really loved Stella and how her moral compass was planted firmly in what she thought was right. I loved seeing her love Michael and I loved whenever she changed the plan because when she secretly changed the plan to seduce Michael, my heart sighed ever so happily. She was just a freaking great heroine that I loved oh so much.

Stella made the book fantastic but the addition of Michael Phan? OMG. I completely adored him. His devotion to his family, to his cousins, to his Mom's business and just everything. The wealth of love coming from this man had me from the jump. I loved seeing him fall in love with Stella. From his confusion over what was happening to his crush and then to him realizing he was in love with her? OMG, so stinkin' good.

For me, this book was a complete romance. I enjoyed every single minute of this book and I'm super anxious for the next book to come out. Helen Hoang did so well with this book and seriously, if you've been on the fence about reading this book, don't be. You have no reason to fear you won't enjoy this book. I have every confidence that you'll love it.

<strong>Grade: 5 out of 5</strong>

Adorable! I loved how fleshed out ind well developed the characters were, and how each scene really felt like it developed their relationship in new and interesting ways!

Sometimes I see a cover and I just know that I need to read a book. That’s what happened with THE KISS QUOTIENT. This is the debut novel by Helen Hoang and I knew nothing about it when the cover was released but I knew I had to read it. I was expecting this book to be a cute/sweet contemporary romance and it delivered more than that.

Our heroine, Stella, is a very successful and smart woman that has learned to live her life in a way that works for her to cope with the fact she’s autistic. Her family is pressuring her to finally get a man and get married but she has a lot of issues with intimacy and how it makes her feel. So she decides to hire an escort to get over her fear/repulsion to touching and being touched in the hopes she can move on and have a relationship. What wasn’t part of the plan was developing feelings for said escort.

First of all, this book is completely adorable, but it’s not just a sweet contemporary as I was expecting because of the cover. It’s actually sexier than I was expecting but in a way that didn’t make the whole escort thing feel cheap and cheesy like I find a lot of books that revolve around that topic. Michael is a big part of that. I really liked his character, I liked how their relationship was about more than the physical and it was about showing Stella how to be in a relationship and interact with others. Michael was the perfect person to do that for her even when he didn’t know what the reasons behind her issues were.

Both Michael and Stella are characters you’ll fall in love with and care for from the very beginning until the end. They have their own issues to work through aside from their relationship. I enjoyed how well rounded the story was and also how diverse as this is a glimpse into the Vietnamese culture and community.

THE KISS QUOTIENT is definitely a feel good romance you need to put on your summer TBR. I cannot wait to read more from this author.