AMAZING. I thought I loved The Kiss Quotient but this book took Hoang’s writing and character depth to an entirely new level. And the author’s note. You MUST read the author’s note. I adored every word on every page. Must-read.

One of my most anticipated books of 2019 is finally out! The Bride Test, by author Helen Hoang, is the follow up novel to the insanely popular debut novel, The Kiss Quotient, which was one of my favorite books of 2018 by the way. While I can go on and on about The Kiss Quotient, my thoughts here are about The Bride Test. LOL. However, I will say this… my suggestion is that if you did read TKQ, do NOT compare, because The Bride Test all on its own is a great read with its an interesting spin on romance.

The Bride Test is an unconventional contemporary romance, that once again brings Autism to the forefront. It is really hard not to fall in love with Khai and his quirky, sometimes dry, ways. This brings us to his and Esme’s story… a “mail order” bride of sorts with no actual “ordering” in the mix. We can thank Khai’s meddling mother for bringing them together, yet the love story is all their own. While I did find it a little more difficult to connect to these characters, I really did enjoy the whirlwind that became their life. It was quirky, sweet, a bit frustrating at times, yet very satisfying in the end.

Helen Hoang has a gift for storytelling and her words are brought to life with each turn of the page. The Bride Test is test gives you a unique version of the whole arranged marriage thing while at the same time letting you get to know the lives of two complete opposites who couldn’t be more perfect for each other. This is today’s contemporary romance!

I fell in love with the Kiss Quotient, and while I didn’t think it was possible, I love the Bride Test more. Is it a wonderful romance? Of course. But there is so much more. this Book is about family, and doing whatever you can to change the circumstances that life has thrown at you. I also highly recommend reading the author’s note. Thank you to Berkeley and Netgalley for the egalley

The Bride Test was everything I’d hoped it would be and more. It was sweet and it was sexy. It was heart-warning and funny. It was romantic and tragic. And overall, it left me with a smile on my face as I wipe away a few tears.

Esme and Khai were both such brilliantly written characters. I loved how Hoang allowed us to go on Khai’s journey with him. However, Esme stole the show for me. I loved how she was strong, resilient, and determined. Hoang mentioned in the author’s note at the end that Esme was inspired by her mother (I HIGHLY recommend reading the author’s note for the full story!). I can’t wait until my physical copy arrives so I can read it again.

As with Hoang's first book, The Kiss Quotient, The Bride Test deals with multi-cultural characters with social issues. A diverse romance that pulls at your heart strings. Highly recommend this title.

I loved this follow up to The Kiss Quotient! My only issue with the book was how attractive Esme was. I didn't understand why that was necessary considering it didn't add much to the story. However it was a great read. I devoured it in a day.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (Holly’s Review, Rowena’s Review) was one of our favorite reads of 2018, and Rowena and I were so excited when we got The Bride Test, the second book in the series. The Bride Test follows Khai Diep. Khai is mentioned in TKQ, though I don’t think we ever met him on page. Michael, the hero from TKQ, and Khai are cousins.

Khai Diep is autistic, and as such doesn’t feel things the same way others do. To him, this means he can’t love, but his family knows better. After waiting years for him to find someone, his mother finally gives up on him doing it himself and goes to Vietnam to find a bride for him.

Esme Tran is cleaning the bathroom in the hotel where his mom is conducting wife interviews when they meet. His mom decides she’s the perfect person for Khai and offers her a deal – spend the summer in America trying to get Khai to marry her, and she can work in her restaurant and make some extra money. Esme doesn’t really know what to expect from Khai, but he’s so much more than she bargained for.

Holly: I have to be honest. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about a “mail-order bride” story. But it was so much more than that. I loved Esme’s personal journey almost more than the romance, I think.

Rowena: Yeah, I didn’t expect to like this one nearly as much as I did. I wasn’t excited to read a mail-order bride romance either but Helen Hoang did her thing. I really enjoyed Khai’s romance though I did have issues with certain things where Esme was concerned. I thought it took her wayyyyy too long to tell Khai the truth about EVERYTHING. I mean, she had so many opportunities to come clean with Khai and she didn’t. But other than that, this one was a solid read.

Holly: I don’t know why she didn’t come clean, either. That was the only part that really bothered me. She had things to tell him and she shouldn’t have waited as long as she did.

Rowena: Yeah, my issue with that is because sure, she knew that he didn’t want kids (at least according to his Mom) but after she knew that she wasn’t going to accept his marriage proposal, that should have been the time that she came clean about everything. About why she was sent there, about who was waiting for her back home, all of that. She was quick to come clean about that stuff with Quan but not Khai? I wasn’t a fan of that.

Holly: Yes, exactly. She should have told him. I do think she was more comfortable telling Quan because she didn’t really care what he thought of her, whereas she was afraid of what Khai would say. But still, she should have fessed up. I’d have liked to see more with Khai and Jade, too.

Holly: Speaking of things that needed to be said ….he never told her about his money? WTF?

Rowena: With Khai not telling her about his money, I chalked that up to his autism. He didn’t think the same way that everyone else did and he really didn’t think about his money at all. That was evident with the way that he chose to live his life. It wasn’t something that he was intentionally keeping from her so it didn’t bother me that it was never addressed.

Holly: No, you aren’t wrong about that part. I honestly wasn’t bothered about it for all the reasons you stated, until the very end when he thinks that thing about how he still hasn’t told her. Like, before that it wasn’t deliberate. After that, it was.

From the epilogue:

He’d already put Esme and Jade in his will, though they didn’t know—about the will itself or all the money they’d be inheriting from him because he had no idea what to do with it. That stuff wasn’t important.

So, maybe it was just that he never thought about it. But I’m surprised no one else mentioned it to her.

Still, I really liked how Esme was with Khai. She just let him be who he was, but found ways to keep him thinking about her. I also liked her personal growth and how she was determined to find a way to do it on her own. Her inner strength and determination really stood out, and I loved how she grew into her own powers as the novel went on.

Rowena: I liked how Khai adapted to being with her. He showed a lot of growth himself and I enjoyed seeing him come into his feelings for Esme. The way that she ended up in his bed, the way that did things that bothered him but he just kept right on taking it because in small ways, he enjoyed them.

Holly: Khai did show a lot of growth. Man, my heart hurt for him. But girl, when he basically wham, bam thank you-ma’am’d her? I wanted to beat him over the head with something. I know he didn’t realize what he was doing, but I was still low key pissed at him. I loved that the first time wasn’t all perfect for them both, though.

Rowena: The only thing that made me want to smack him upside his head was how he kept insisting that he didn’t have it in him to love anyone, let alone Esme. Even after Quan explains what he was feeling and how he was acting after their break up, Khai kept insisting that Quan was wrong. I was like, boy…if you don’t knock that shit off.

Holly: Honestly, I blame his aunts for all that nonsense. Because they’re the ones who were like “What’s wrong with you”. But I kind of blame Quan, Michael and his mom, too. Once they realized how he thought he couldn’t love, they should have explained it better. View Spoiler »

Rowena: View Spoiler » Still, there was a lot to love in this one. I loved Khai’s family, I loved little Jade and the way that she loved her Mom big time. I liked that Esme made moves for herself and I really liked the epilogue.

Holly: I was kind of bothered about how she made him wait to get married. I’m not sure why, though. I think it’s because it didn’t feel authentic to her character, or his. The whole book they were sort of working toward that, and they loved each other. So making him wait seemed…strange to me. I don’t know. I have to think about it a little more.

Rowena: I will say that as much as I enjoyed both Khai and the romance, I’m super excited about Quan…I need more Quan!

Holly: I love Quan, too. I hope we get his book next.

Rowena: This book gets a 4.25 out of 5 from me. What about you?

Holly: For all my complaints, I really did love the book. I was fully invested in them both from page one, and I read it in a single sitting. I got teary eyed a couple times and laughed out loud several others. Hoang did it again.

I’m giving it 4.25 as well.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2019/05/09/the-bride-test-by-helen-hoang/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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<strong>The Bride Tes</strong>t is a romance set in the same world as <strong>The Kiss Quotient</strong>.  They share a sweet authenticity of awkward honesty as characters work through their issues and emotions.  Esme is a delight. She is a realist, so honest and hard-working. She knows herself and sticks to her principles. I love her.

Khai is autistic, so he has some quirks. They are reasonable. However, he does lie to himself about his feelings, which is a common problem for all men, not just the autistic.  He is somewhat predictable, particularly to his family, which is hilarious.  I love both their families for how awesome and caring they are.

I encourage you to read this funny, amazing, sexy, emotional journey of life! Helen Hoang is a star and I'll be watching her with anticipation.

Plot

This book centers around a fake dating and arranged marriage plot that immediately hooks readers. I couldn’t wait to see how Khai and Esme were going to live together and learn to get along. The plot was realistic, interesting, and unique. Helen Hoang’s author note at the end of the book is also worth a read because it brings a new perspective to the plot and choice of Esme as a main character. Romance always promises a happy ending but this book really makes you wonder how the characters are going to get there. Besides the main romantic plot, the subplots about Esme’s search for her father, Khai’s inner turmoil about his best friend, and Esme’s secret daughter keep the plot moving along and the reader interested.

Characters

Once again Helen has written some fantastic and dynamic characters! The male lead, Khai, is on the autism spectrum and, like so many other romance novel leads, his family is determined to meddle in every aspect of his life. He is perfectly content with his daily routine and doesn’t see why he needs a wife. Khai always says what he means, doesn’t ever mean to hurt anyone’s feelings, and is incredibly loyal. He’s also dealing with the devastating loss of his best friend and still processing the grief.

Esme is one of my favorite romance novel characters and she’s so brave. She leaves her home country of Viet Nam and takes a chance on Khai. She goes to a country where she doesn’t know anyone and is ready to take charge. She enrolls in classes, practices her English at the family restaurant, and cooks all the food that Khai never knew he needed! Esme is so deserving of love and readers will cheer for her as the book progresses. Through Esme’s character, Hoang is able to explore an immigrant’s experience. Esme feels that she is not enough for Khai and lies about her career and home life. She is trying to make sense of a new country while also trying to get Khai to fall in love with her.

Both main characters experience such incredible personal growth and learn to find value in themselves exactly the way they already are. They don’t need to change to find love.

Helen Hoang includes characters we’ve already met from her first novel, The Kiss Quotient, and it was fun to check in on them! Both of the main characters are Vietnamese and Esme is searching for her white, American father.

Tropes

Fake dating- This is my favorite trope and I love watching characters fall in love even though they think they’re only pretending to be.

Arranged marriage- Khai’s mother sets their marriage up and she’s determined that she’s made a great match…no matter what Khai thinks

For fans of…

Helen Hoang’s first book, The Kiss Quotient! Fans will find familiar characters here and love the writing style

literary fiction! Think you’re not a romance reader? Romance also includes lots of timely themes and this book has a lot of discussion of the immigrant experience and includes autistic representation

The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis-Graves. This book also features a sweet love story featuring a character with autism

5 Stars / 2 Steam Fans

Oh my heart! This story is a great second book from Helen Hoang!! Khai and Esme were such special characters, they were both strong on their own, the connection was swoon-worthy, and the banter was just so very special. I loved how Helen Hoang once again weaved in beautiful autism representation without making it the main focus of the story. I loved the rags to riches, lost love aspect of the story. I just LOVED this story so much.

This specific video review will be included in the May 2019 wrap-up.

For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

I LOVED The Kiss Quotient, couldn’t put it down, and so I’ve been looking forward to The Bride Test, albeit with a little reservation. I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high just in case I didn’t like it as much. Looks like I didn’t need to worry, Helen Hoang beautiful, soul reaching writing comes through again in Khai and Esme’s story.

I enjoyed their slow journey getting to know each other, figuring each other out, and sorting out their feelings. Khai’s normal balance is upset with the addition of Esme and it was funny watching his frustrated confusion when she did things he didn’t understand. Irritated that this doesn’t stem his growing attraction to her. He’s also sure that starting something with Esme wouldn’t be good long-term for anyone since he doesn’t feel capable of having an emotion like love. Sure, he could become addicted to her to the point Esme’s absence would ruin any future peace. But would getting involved with no prospect for love be fair to her? It was apparent to me that Khai loved by his actions both with Esme and his family, but the problem was this wasn’t how Khai interpreted his own emotions.

Esme wanted everything to work out with Khai, at first because of the opportunity for a better life for her and her family, but she was immediately attracted to him, too. Her feelings only intensify as the story goes on, and Esme worried she was headed for heartbreak. Especially since every time she gets her hopes up that Khai’s falling too, something happens to crush her feelings. Understandable when she doesn’t fully understand the issues with autism.

Both Khai and Esme were a little outside of the world they lived in, Khai because of his autism and Esme because of her culture, and I feel that commonality bonded them even more. They get their signals mixed a bit at first, but they seem to get a better understanding of each other as the book goes on. What I loved most is how invested I was in these fictional characters! Helen Hoang did a masterful job of bringing Khai and Esme feelings come to life so that I felt their pain, yearning and passion right along with them! With The Bride Test Ms. Hoang proves her writing skills were no fluke, and I can’t wait for whatever she has in store next!

From someone who is not really into romance novel, I loved both of Helen Hoang's books. We first meet the title characters Khai and Quan in The Kiss Quotient because they are cousins of Michael Phan. Khai has autism and has problems connecting with people emotionally and physical touch can be over stimulating. This makes it very hard for Khai to meet or date eligible ladies. His mother takes matters into her own hands and goes to Vietnam to find a suitable match. What she finds is Esme (Mai), a cleaner and mother to a young girl born out of wedlock. Esme gets a chance to find love or at least a chance at a new life but how will she handle Khai? The story was equal parts entertaining, heartbreaking and I, personally, never wanted it to end.

This is a difficult book for me to rate because while I enjoyed the romance, my editor-hat kept slipping on. I felt there were several missed opportunities in the storytelling and worldbuilding, and overall, it just didn't have as strong of a hold on me as the first book in the series.

Regardless, Esme was a wonderful heroine, and reading the Author's Note at the end made me love her character even more. The core message of finding value intrinsic in oneself was powerful and authentically told, and it's something I think everyone can universally understand.

Like with THE KISS QUOTIENT, the autism representation in this story was stellar. That alone earns this book a higher rating. (I was going to give it 3½ stars, but that didn't feel like enough.)

Khai as a hero was easy to root for. I loved his relationship with his brother, Quan, and I definitely wanted more page time with his family. Vy, his sister, is a character I felt was sorely underutilized, as well as Cô Nga, his mom. I know the focus of the story was on Esme's immigrant experience and the romance, but I think including interactions with Vy and her mom could've helped illuminate some of Esme's struggles, as well as show another dimension to their family, which felt fairly flat in this story.

That's nitpicking, though, and although there were other things that niggled at my editor-brain, as a romance, this was a solid one. I really enjoy the way this author writes, telling stories of underrepresented people in a way that feels fresh and authentic, and I'm excited to see how her storytelling develops as she continues the series.

RATING: B

I absolutely loved The Kiss Quotient and couldn’t wait to get my copy of this author’s sophomore release, The Bride Test. You guys, I didn’t even read the blurb until right before I decided to sit down and read. Lol. I didn’t quite love this book as much as I did it’s predecessor, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Readers are introduced to My (she changes her name to Esme when she comes to the US), a woman living in Vietnam in cramped conditions with her mother, grandmother, and young daughter. She works as a maid to make ends meet, but dreams of giving her daughter a better life. One evening while at work she meets a woman who offers her a way to change her life. By traveling to America and becoming a bride.

If you’ve read The Kiss Quotient, then you should remember Khai Diep. He’s Michael’s cousin, Quan’s brother, some sort of accountant and lives with Asperger’s Syndrome. He lives an orderly life, on a set schedule, and has no desire to change anything up. Then his mother comes home from Vietnam and announces he’ll have a housemate for the summer and that she’s already booked them a wedding hall in August.

This was a very emotional love story. Between Khai’s struggle to understand both his own and Esme’s feelings and Esme’s desire to make everyone happy while at the same time trying to acclimate to living in a new country, which is essentially a whole new world, I got choked up more than once. I couldn’t help it.

I was totally absorbed in this story and glued to the page and then there was a scene in the book that set me aback and made me pause in a HOLY SHIT NO way. I’m going to spoiler tag it so don’t read it if you don’t want to know….
<Spoiler Tagged>
Esme and Khai go to a wedding and while wandering around by herself, Esme goes into a dressing room where the bride’s wedding dress is hanging on a hanger. She wants to try it on so bad that she begins to take off her clothes to try it on and all I could think was OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG SHE’S TRYING ON THIS WOMAN’S WEDDING DRESS. NOOOOOOOO.

Thankfully she is interrupted by Khai and then they are both interrupted by another couple coming in the room to have sex. She and Khai are forced into a closet to hide and of course she’s naked, so it served it’s purpose in the story, but I can’t tell you how worried I was that she was going to try on that dress and get caught. THE STRESS.
<End of Spoiler Tag>

Thankfully I kept reading, because this was such a solid, sweet romance.

The Bride Test is at it’s heart a story about two people stepping outside of their comfort zones, in different ways and for different reasons, and finding love on the other side. The Esme from the beginning of the book who is always trying to please everyone finds her strength and understands her value by the end. The Khai who didn’t think he could love discovers that he loves just as hard and just as deep as the rest of his family when he falls for Esme.

Despite the angst of misunderstandings and insecurities, and all the times I got choked up and stressed out, I really enjoyed this couple and their journey to HEA.

One of the best parts of this book is the main character’s interaction with family and friends. Especially Quan. I am all heart eyes in love-lust with him and am absolutely on the edge of my seat in anticipation for his story. I think I read somewhere that his book is coming up next and this makes Angela a very happy girl.

Final Grade- B-

Favorite Quote:

How did you change your life when you were trapped like this? Her history didn’t define her. Her origins didn’t define her. At least, they shouldn’t. She could be more, if she had a chance.

Sweet. Steamy. Diverse.

So over this past weekend I read both “The Kiss Quotient” and “The Bride Test”. Helen Hoang completely stole my heart with her delightful characters and enchanting storylines.”The Bride Test” was so charming it read like a fairytale, a more diverse much steamier fairytale. I like my romances with strong males and sassy females and this book checked both those boxes off. I also like my romances to be more than just a romance (if you know what I mean) and this one definitely was that! Miss Hoang has a new fan in me, I will absolutely read anything she writes.

Once upon a time... Khai, Who is on the autism spectrum was convinced he could not love. His mom was convinced he could, so she traveled to Vietnam to find her son a wife. Esme was a hard-working single mom. When Khai’s mother runs across Esme working as a maid in a hotel she knows that she is the ONE. So Esme boards a plane to America to seduce the prince, oh I mean Khai. BUT will Khai learn to love? And what will happen when Esme’s secrets come out? Will these two be able to conquer the cultural differences, the language barriers, Khai’s fears and live happily ever after? You’re going to need to read this to find out!

Both Khai and Esme were delightful characters that I completely adored.Esme was so spunky and sassy and I found her strength admirable. Khai, I really had a soft spot for him he was so vulnerable, it was tough to watch him struggle with certain things so much. The chemistry between these two was off the charts, they were definitely physically attracted to one another. This book has a lot of sizzle, steam,. and heat. If that’s not your thing I’d skim those parts, because this is a book not to be missed. I’d also suggest you read the authors note at the end it was so interesting how so much of this book related to her own life, a definite tribute to her mother. I like the trend toward more diverse books, but sometimes it seems a bit forced. This was a perfect example of a diverse book done extremely well. I cannot wait to see what Miss Hoang has in store for us next, might I suggest Quan’s story.😉

*** huge thanks to Berkley for my copy of this book ***

The Kiss Quotient was one of my top favorites last year. Helen Hoang was such a beautiful surprise with her quirky, refreshing, crisp writing voice and this wonderful story about a woman on the autism spectrum. I remember that Michael told Stella about his cousin, Khai, who was autistic too - The Bride Test is his story.

As a woman in Vietnam with a toddler at home and little education she doesn't have much. She lives with her mother and grandmother, sleeps with them in one room on the floor. She works harder than anyone. One day a woman makes her an irresistible offer: to go to the US for a couple of months to live with her son in the hopes that he will marry Esme and live happily ever after. Yeah, doesn't work that way because Khai is everything but willing.

Esme accepts the offer, hoping that finally she can better herself, that people wouldn't look down their noses when they looked at her.

"She didn’t need a rich man. She just needed someone who was hers."

Some readers may find Esme, the heroine of this story, manipulative - just a heads up! And maybe she is but I challenge everyone to walk in her shoes only for a week. Most of us, used to luxuries like a real bed and a shower every day would throw the towel after a few days. She is a fighter with a brave heart and a little sass. Sometimes courage left her for a while, when she had another setback in her life but she always got up, polished her crown and went on being the queen that she was.

Khai thinks his heart is made of stone. When his cousin dies he seems to deal well from his perspective. He doesn't grieve. He is oddly OK so he believes that he doesn't feel deeply. When Esme enters his life she teaches him the joy of life he has never felt before.

"In a split second, she redefined perfection for him. His standards aligned to her exact proportions and measurements. No one else would ever live up to her."

I felt so sad for Khai. He felt so deeply without realizing it. That conundrum, that it gave him so much grief that he thought he couldn't love at all, was unsolvable for this highly intelligent man. It takes his older brother, who is pushy but means well, to make him take a closer look at everything that happened in his past and with Esme. I loved Khai's innocence, he was pure and full of love without realizing it. Esme's sweetness, her light, her kind heart and strength was just what he needed.

"My heart works in a different way, but it’s yours.

There is one thing that didn't make much sense to me: Esme believes throughout the story that Khai is a middle class accountant when in fact he is really rich. For some reason it was never brought up or resolved in the end so when you close the book Emse must still believe that Khai is your average accountant. This was a bit of a dropped ball for me but ultimately didn't take away from my enjoyment.

The Bride Test was a wonderfully written. Helen Hoang worked her magic and created beautifully flawed characters who deserve their happy ever after. I'm looking forward to seeing what this author has up her sleeve next!

Helen Hoang did it again with another fun and sexy romance featuring a protagonist on the spectrum.

Khai Diep doesn't emote. As someone with ASD, his social skills are lacking and he's never had a girlfriend. When Khai's mother decides to bring a girl home from Vietnam to marry Khai, he agrees to let her live with him for the summer. They can either get married at the end of the summer, or Esme will move back to Vietnam.

Esme is a fantastic character. She's brave, optimistic, and comes to understand her brilliance and self worth. Khai isn't a typical love interest, but he's so earnest and endearing. Their story is a sweet little roller coaster ride. The book had elements an Asian television drama, which I loved. Two singles forced to occupy the same space? Check. A shower scene? Check. A beautiful, super rich bachelor woman cry over? Double check. Couldn't recommend this one more.

Like many of you I fell in love with the authors debut, The KISS Quotient last year and was really looking forward to her sophomore novel. I’m so pleased to say that I liked this one even more than TKQ and cannot even wait to see what she comes up with next! Something I wanna make clear really quick is that I’ve seen this being called a sequel to TKQ and it’s not, it’s more of a companion novel at the most. There are small appearances from some characters in that book but you definitely don’t have to read TKQ in order to enjoy this one.

From the prologue alone I was invested in Khai, he thinks he is incapable of true feelings, like love, because of a traumatic event in his past and his life as someone on the spectrum. I love that the author had another main character with ASD but showed a totally different side to it which is completely accurate. Just because you know one person on the spectrum means just that. You know one person on the spectrum, hence it being called a spectrum. Anyway, before I go off on an unnecessary tangent, I just really liked that she went in a new direction with this one. Esme also wiggled into my heart early on, she was such an interesting character, there were so many layers to her personality and I loved her unique little quirks, she had so much spunk and heart.

So as much as I love romance I’m a bit of a prude when it comes to reading super steamy scenes. TKQ made me blush even though I loved it and I was happy that this one wasn’t nearly as racy. Don’t get me wrong, there was definitely some heat here and it’s not a totally clean book, it was just toned down here and I liked that! This was more sweet and tender with just a dash of spice.

Interspersed between the burgeoning romance between Esme and Khai was this strong sense of family and culture that was just fascinating to me. Esme is from Vietnam and so is Khai’s family and the representation of their culture was so authentic. The author herself is Vietnamese and autistic so she is writing what she knows, and with heart and it shows. It deeply shows and was just a beautiful story of family, adversity and finding love when it’s not an easy road. Highly recommended by me for a different type of romance that will give you all the feels.

The Bride Test in three words: Tender, Diverse and Authentic.

Chastised for being unable to cry at his best-friend and cousin’s funeral, Khải comes to believe that he is unnaturally unfeeling, unable to love. Khải is actually autistic, a diagnosis his immigrant Vietnamese family mostly ignores, instead thinking him as simply a little strange. In Vietnam, My/Esme is just a bit strange too, but in her Khải’s mother sees the perfect bride for her son - humble, hard-working and honest.

While The Bride Test is at points quite funny, at its center it is a deeply emotional story about familial bonds and an immigrant's desperate striving to make a better life for herself and her family. Hoang parallels My’s experiences as a new immigrant trying to figure out the rules of a new culture as an outsider to Khải’s autism and his efforts to navigate the feelings and reactions he doesn’t fully understand. Both My and Khải have to work very hard to decode each other’s feelings and intentions, working to overcome their differing cultural expectations and learn each other boundaries.

The book was marvelously tense, with the countdown to the expiration of My’s visa at the end of the summer never far from either of their minds, especially as they become intimately involved. Sex and their inexperience at intimacy, while at points humorous, is also deeply serious. I loved how Hoang gently built up their rapport, and how it heightened the stakes every time there was a misunderstanding or setback. In the end, they both understand each other better and do more for each other than they ever dared to expect.

While I struggled to get started with The Kiss Quotient, I couldn’t put down The Bride Test, racing breathlessly to the final chapters because I needed to know if Khải and My/Esme would get the HEA they both richly deserve. I wasn’t disappointed. It was perfect.



Content Warnings: Ableism, depression



Ana received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

*****ARC for review****
This was fun. It was definitely different from what I usually read when it comes to romance. It was pleasant to see a different culture being represented. It feels fresh and intriguing. The whole grandma goes to pick a bride overseas hits close to home. Being Indian myself that was a scenario that I have seen in real life.
Overall, my favorite part of the book was the love between Esme and Khai. The fact that Esme didn't even know that he was autistic or searched that up to understand it more, made that love more real. Esme just fell in love with Khai, that's it. It didn't matter to her if he was autistic or not. It was a fight, but she fought for him and herself. That is another thing, she didn't lose her self-respect. She knew how to stand up for herself and also guide Khai through the turmoil of feeling he had blocked over the years. The side characters were amazing as well and made the story whole. Your mental illness or disability doesn't define you. It does not stop you from feeling what we all humans feel. They are entitled to that life as well. I'm so happy for Esme and Khai!!!!!