This was truly an excellent example of contemporary romance genre fiction. While I think the overall trope profile of THE KISS QUOTIENT worked better for me, as this one is quite emotional & I tend to like a little less angst, this was probably better written. Esme is the heroine we deserve in 2019 - I adored her. I also loved Khai, but it was just hard for me to emotionally negotiate how imbalanced the power dynamics between them really were. Hoang handles those elements with a good amount of sensitivity overall, but it was a barrier for me absolutely loving this. That said, I heartily recommend this book and cannot wait for more from this author. I especially recommend this for folks who love a fake relationship/marriage of convenience type trope

Please let Quan get the next book! We deserve a tatted hero with a heart of gold

The Bride Test is Helen Hoang’s follow up to last years instant hit, The Kiss Quotient. And I can’t help but wonder – is there a blogger out there who didn’t have this on their ‘Most Anticipated’ list for 2019? I know it was on mine! And for that reason…it makes this review so hard to write. There were parts of this book that I loved even more than its predecessor. The interactions between Khai and Quan were pure gold, and when you added Michael to the mix (Michael – sigh,) they were even more fun! I love the premise of this story – Khai’s mother is very aware of his lack of game with the ladies, but that doesn’t stop her from wanting him to get married. So she takes matters into her own hands and goes to Vietnam to find him a bride. Unfortunately, this is where the fun stops for me.

This was a heroine I was never going to get on board with. Esmeralda comes to the United States with very little in the way of possessions, but she has a very big secret. I won’t spoil it, but for this to work and for me to be OK with it as a reader, I needed to feel like this secret was an essential part of the book. That if this was not the case, this book just wouldn’t work. I never felt that way. But I will tell you that aside from that, I loved this heroine and think this story would have been so much better without her secret. She was a hard worker and though she knew nothing about Autism, Khai’s abruptness and personality traits were something she accepted as part of who he was. It was clear she adored her family and would do anything for them, and she was desperate to help them. As for Khai, I loved his character. The way he saw himself broke my heart, and it killed me that he kept selling himself so short. His character arc and emotional turmoil were my favorite things about this story. The fact that he was unable to recognize that the things he did for people was because he loved them nearly broke me. The author painted such a vivid picture of this character, and I adored him.

Aside from Quan and his mom, the rest of Khai’s family played a big role in this story, and I loved their times together. Their interactions were so authentic and fun, and they just made this story even better.

As for the end of this story…I felt like I was missing something. I didn’t care for the way it all played out; I feel like it was an attempt at being ‘feminist’ because…what? The princess saves herself in this one? Except she didn’t, because it was another man who did that. It felt contrived and half-hearted, and I was left so disappointed. I was also sad to see that four years had passed in the epilogue and Esmeralda and Khai still weren’t married. Why? I just don’t get it. I understand why they didn’t get married at the end scene in the book because that would have been a rush when there was a choice, but why let four years pass when you were convinced you were ready before?

Overall, I think there were some amazing elements to The Bride Test, and even with my issues, I would still recommend it. While I was left feeling disappointed, I will be continuing with this series; this just feels like a blip in the road. Khai is someone I won’t soon forget. His character was not only the highlight of this book, but one of the best I’ve read this year.

I mean, have you read THE KISS QUOTIENT? If you have, then you should RUN, not walk, to this book. All of the things you loved about TKQ are repackaged in another delightful, charming, acerbic story about a man with Asperger's and the "mail order bride" that teaches him what it means to love somebody. Kinda a reverse PRETTY WOMAN, and I loved it! Thanks to my friends at Berkeley and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I read The Kiss Quotient last year before publication so it was difficult for me to remember Khai as a character, but was pleasantly surprised that this book was not a squeal but a companion novel.

I would recommend this book (and The Kiss Quotient) to any fan of contemporary romance. This is not a bodice ripper but has a great story and feels like real adults finding love.

4 stars!

It's funny, because I was one of the few people who didn't lose their shit over TKQ, and I ended up loving this book! I never give up on an author after one book, and Helen Hoang proved she's not a one hit wonder with her sophomore novel.

The Bride Test is about Esme/My, a mixed race Vietnamese girl who is convinced to travel to America to date a strangers son. Except what she doesn't know is Khai Diep is autistic. In a comedy of errors almost, Esme ends up driving poor Khai crazy, in the best possible way. Esme finds herself falling for Khai, but he is convinced he can never love anyone.

As I said before I really enjoyed reading this book. It was the perfect balance of sweet and angsty, and not too smutty. I loved Esme's story and her struggles, I feel hers reflect a part of our country that isn't heard very often. I also thought Khai was portrayed amazingly. I cannot wait to see what else Hoang brings to her readers.

ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley.

I am one of what seems like the few that did not read The Kiss Quotient, so I did not go in with big expectations. I was intrigued enough by the premise and the popularity of TKQ to give this one a try. I will admit it took me a bit to get into it and at first I was really not sure, but I kept going and really warmed up to it.

My (Esme) is given an opportunity to leave Vietnam and spend the summer in America and hopefully fall in love with her sponsor's son and everyone will live happily ever after. At least that is the plan.

Well, Khai is as handsome as his mother promised, but he has a few more issues. He is autistic so he processes emotions differently. He is actually sure he does not feel any emotions, and therefore would never be able to be in a real relationship since he thinks he could not give another person the love they need.

Esme totally shakes up Khai's orderly life and it definitely takes him by surprise...as do his own reactions. All she wants is acceptance, love, and a fresh start in America. But she also sees Khai for who he is, appreciates him, and strives to understand his quirks and needs.

But bless his heart, he is struggling with his new thoughts and needs. And he is not adept with the nuances of male/female relationships and social skills in general. His thinking, actions, and lack of insight cause all kinds of angst and misunderstandings, and sometimes hurt feelings. He is a mix of clueless and adorable, but also hot, successful, and highly intelligent.

I liked them both and loved them together. I felt bad for both of them. Seeing Khai start to grow and learn about himself and be vulnerable was sweet, but seeing him hurt broke my heart. And Esme was a woman trying to find her own value and self worth while far from home. She also was carrying a secret. And it was easy for her to believe she was not worthy, but I loved her strength and tenacity.

It ramps up to the end of summer and what the final outcome will be. Some things I expected and some I did not. Some of the conflicts did seem to resolve a bit quickly and I thought the end was a bit rushed. There were a couple of plot things that I questioned. But overall, it turned out to be.a sweet, unique, low-key love story between unique and likable characters. They were not perfect and they made mistakes, but they really made a perfect match. But their communication and differences made it a rocky road to get there.

The author does a good job highlighting the cultural differences and personality differences of the characters. The side characters were good sounding boards and added some humor. I liked his mother with her big plans. There were cameos from Stella and Michael from the first book. I loved his brother, Quan and I imagine he might be the next book.

NOTE: BLOG and social Media Links will go live on release day. Amazon and others will be updated at that time.

I'll start by saying when I requested this book, I did not realize it follows after the Kiss Quotient and talks about characters from that story, but that did not in any way impact my ability to follow the story or understand what was going on.

Khai Diep believes he is incapable of feeling emotions, ever since his cousin Andy died when he was younger. Because of something an aunt said to him in her grief, Khai feels like he is somehow defective, and ever since then has avoided relationships outside of family and work partnerships at all costs.
Esme Tran is a mix of Vietnamese and American, and lives in a poorer neighborhood in Vietnam, working as a maid. One day, while cleaning toilets, the opportunity arises for her (provided by Khai's mother, who has decided to take his marriage/lack thereof situation into her own hands), to go to America and attempt to win his heart and marry him.

This was a very sweet novel, and I really enjoyed it. I loved watching as the relationship changes between Esme, who is determined to try to win Khai's affection and ends up growing affection for him in return, and Khai, who truly believes he is better off alone but doesn't understand what's happening as he gets used to having Esme around (but that doesn't mean he actually likes it, according to Khai.) I loved the author's writing style and the banter between characters, and seeing the family dynamic and the different ways all of the characters show love for one another, including Khai's other family members.

I LOVED The Kiss Quotient and enjoyed this follow-up as well. In particular, if you're looking for #ownvoices and diverse titles, this is the series for you!

Esme Tran is tough, principled, and trying to make a better life for her family. Khai Diep's mom really wants him to get married, and she taps Esme for the role. Things don't go quite as expected for Esme or Khai, but that's the fun of a contemporary romance with a good helping of sizzle.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review. I love Helen Hoang's books! I discovered her with her first book, The Kiss Quotient, and this one was just as good if not better. I loved the immigrant angle and found Khai's story very touching. And the romance is spicy! just the way I like it. It was nice to have a nod to the characters from The Kiss Quotient without them distracting from the main storyline. I look forward to more and more of her books!

It's so wonderful to see more diverse romance - in this case, a neurodivergent hero. I love reading a different experience, and the romance here had some great moments. I didn't buy how quickly they fell for each other, though, so I never connected with the characters.

Khai is convinced he has no feelings, and Esme is convinced she can make Khai fall in love with her. It is a marvel to watch these two unbelievably amazing characters make sense of their lives, fall in love, and create a future for themselves. This was a phenomenal follow up to The Kiss Quotient and I can’t wait to see what Helen Hoang does next.

The Bride Test is everything I hoped it would be and even a little more. I'm autistic and I loved The Kiss Quotient, so I was nervous about being disappointed by a "sophomore slump".

I needn't have worried, as The Bride Test was another brilliant love story with real, authentic depth in the autistic character. I can't speak to the immigrant experience, and I've never known poverty, but I've seen grief over the loss of a brother (my best friend from high school lost his brother, as did my wife) and that felt real too.

And I've struggled with really believing that I love the people I've had serious relationships with, too. Like Khải, I've had to reason my way through it: I feel this way and that way, and as far as I can tell that's what allistic people mean when they talk about romantic love. I'm sure it isn't the exact same experience for any two people, so I shouldn't downplay it because of variations. So I really felt seen when he constantly told himself that it wasn't love, that it couldn't be, because he doesn't work that way. I felt seen when he repeatedly acted in ways that he saw as fair or generous to Esme because he wanted what was best for her, wanted to respect her agency, wanted never to say anything that wasn't true — even though she saw it, through her own allistic eyes, as a painful rejection. Their love story inspires me and I might just have to go read it again from the beginning. Maybe right now.

I'm so grateful to the author and publisher for giving me a review copy on NetGalley.

Dnf at 37%

Unfortunately this one just wasn’t working for me:(

It’s very obvious that our hero is on the autism spectrum and I appreciate that the author can write about different types of characters that what we normally see in romance books.

But for this romance to work, you need to have some kind of connection and I was missing that.

This book was harder to get into than TKQ and I found myself bored :(

Maybe it’s just me... maybe it's just timing... but I would try this author again.

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions - like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better, that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working… but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And to learn that there’s more than one way to love.

AAR reviewers Caroline Russomanno and Em Wittman read Helen Hoang's The Bride Test, the much-anticipated follow up to her fabulous début, The Kiss Quotient - here's what they have to say about the book.

Caroline: This book got off to a bit of a rough start with me, because I felt that My/Esme’s life in Vietnam and her decision to come to America were underdeveloped. I think the author was worried that she’d come across as a gold digger, but I think her (Esme) seeing it as a financial opportunity would have been realistic. She’s a single mom in poverty caring for two older generations! It’s totally sympathetic!

It was also hard for me to fathom Khai’s mother, who owns some successful local restaurants but is not described as wealthy, blowing that kind of money on the hopes that she’d found a bride for Khai.

Em: I had the same problem. The plot premise that brings Esme to the US is established in these very first scenes and nothing about the set-up or My’s introduction to Khai's mother rang true as either possible or plausible. Fortunately, aside from this misstep that gets the story going, the rest works. The Bride Test is entertaining and well-written, poignant and often very funny. Unfortunately, everything that isn’t great about it (well, mostly everything) is related to that implausible set-up and its repercussions throughout the story.

Regarding the two mothers - Esme’s relationship with her mom was odd. She encourages Esme to take the offer knowing very little about it. And Khai’s mother starts off as a slightly Machiavellian character, trying to find a wife for Khai without him knowing anything about it or knowing anything about the woman she was choosing!

Caroline: I agree. Maybe it would have made more sense for Esme’s mother to have signed Esme up with an agency or web site without Esme’s knowledge, and then convinced Esme to go - at least then there’d have been some vetting and some more logic to the match.

But if we suspend disbelief about the premise, and see it as sort of a fairy godmother/Cinderella fantasy, what about the rest of the book? What did you like?

Em: Yes! Let’s do that - because it’s a great story. I loved the bewilderment Khai and Esme experience when they first meet and then immediately start living together. They’re total and complete strangers who - fortunately - feel a spark of attraction right from the start. I loved the little vignettes of their life together - every scene is either awkwardly hilarious or awful. Esme tries to understand Khai (but doesn’t know he’s autistic), and her efforts to win him over really endeared her to me. Although I thought it was bizarre that no one told her he has Asperger’s until the near end of the book.

Caroline: I’m a sucker for male virgins. The scene in which Khai and Esme first have sex, and Khai’s performance is… lacking - is at that magical literary intersection of hilarious, touching, and authentic. Not all first times are going to be fantastic, especially for a hero who really has no idea what he’s doing.

I loved how the author had Khai’s male relatives (including Michael, the male escort hero from The Kiss Quotient) rally to help him understand sexual technique rather than joking or teasing him. Khai was sincere, and they showed him respect. So many 'bro' bonding scenes are based on mocking, but this wasn’t, and I loved it.

Em: I loved that sequence too. It’s so well done - and I was happy to revisit Michael!The other wonderful aspect of this novel is how Ms. Hoang writes about families - the love and frustration family members feel for each other, the bond between mothers and their children, and especially the bond between Khai and Quan. What parts did you like best?

Caroline: I really like how she brings the details of Vietnamese immigrant and Vietnamese-American life to the surface. The funerals and death anniversary ceremonies, for instance, and how Khai feels so flawed because he doesn’t connect to grieving rituals. The way that the slinky dress Esme wears marks her as “mail order bride” when she and Khai attend a wedding. Esme’s choice to use Vietnamese with Khai so he doesn’t experience her flawed English, and the way her daughter picked Esmeralda as My’s English name because of her favorite Disney movie (as someone who studied German as Liesl because of The Sound of Music, I can relate!)

Em: Let’s talk about Khai for a bit. Much like Stella Lane in The Kiss Quotient, Khai is autistic, but high functioning. Ms. Hoang knows her subject matter (she has Asperger’s) - and her characterization of Khai is fascinating; it’s so interesting to view the world through his eyes and experience how he gets to know Esme. He owns a successful business and is going through life mostly happy - except for his pesky problem of thinking he’s unable to love. And he’s so wrong!

Caroline: I wanted to be okay with his “I can’t love” complex because, as someone who’s not autistic, I’m hesitant to judge the feeling as realistic or not. However, the fact that he came to a perfectly-timed thunderbolt realization, including cinematic long-delayed tears, made it feel like a plot device.

What I did like about him was how fully realized he is as a person with high-functioning autism. The details of his house, for instance - how he has everything placed, how he feels about smells when Esme cooks - they are details I can tell are coming from an author who has either lived them or done darn good research.

Em: Khai is complex and complicated, good and generous, and he tries so hard to understand Esme and be who she needs him to be. I thought he was terrific. But the timing of his ‘a ha!’ moment was definitely fortuitous! Quan knew just what it would take to force Khai to face his feelings, and he applied pressure right when it was needed. I didn’t have a problem with this last minute realization - Khai seems to process things in his own way, and then once he makes a decision, he’s all in.I was surprised by the evolution of Esme’s character. Although her initial purpose in coming to the US was to marry Khai, she works hard to improve her life in other ways. She goes back to school, saves her money and plans a better future for herself and her family - regardless of Khai’s affection. I enjoyed this depiction of an immigrant’s experience in America, and the hard work and perseverance she puts in even after she thinks she’s failed to win Khai’s love. Esme is 100% true to herself and doesn’t accept less from anyone else around her - even when it would make her life so much easier. I did find it difficult to reconcile Esme with the My we meet in the opening chapters, however. Did you?

Caroline: I agree. She was so passive at the start, being swept off by other people’s plans, and then suddenly became full of initiative and independence, doing things like pursuing education or borrowing Khai’s motorcycle without asking. The thing is, I liked that Esme! If the prologue had had the rewrite we talked about earlier, I think this whole issue would have gone away.

Em: I enjoyed almost everything about The Bride Test, and I think Ms. Hoang mostly succeeds with this ode to loving ourselves - flaws and all. The writing is strong, the principal and secondary characters are complex and interesting, and the love story is romantic and special. It’s a B+ for me.

Caroline: I like the author’s clear, straightforward prose, although my ARC had some spelling issues I hope will be sorted out before publication. I also liked the fact that these characters were falling in love in a multidimensional setting, with class issues, immigration issues, neurodiversity issues, weight of cultural expectations, etc., but I wanted a bit more depth from what was there, and a bit more originality in the plot structure. That sounds like a B+ to me, too.

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I didn't love this as much as The Kiss Quotient, but it is a very solid, moving, and exciting book. I thought it ended too abruptly, and there were a few confusing parts in the last chapter that I thought were a little off. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang is a sequel to last year’s best selling romance, The Kiss Quotient. It features one of the characters we met in that novel, Khai, and a new character named Esme. Khai’s mother went to Ho Chi Minh City to find a wife for her son and offered Esme the chance to come to America and meet him. Esme agrees hoping this will be a chance to improve her family’s circumstances.

To be honest I didn’t love The Kiss Quotient. I found the plot was lacking at times and both it and the characters could have been developed much more. When I first began reading The Bride Test, I thought it was going to be the same, but I was wrong. Both Khai and Esme were interesting and well rounded characters who portrayed two view points that are unfamiliar to me. Esme is a new immigrant to America and is trying to find her way in a totally new and unfamiliar country. Khai is autistic and struggles in social settings and with relationships. This novel is actually quite ground breaking when you compare it to most other best selling romances. I don’t think I have ever heard of another romance novel that features a character with autism (other than her first novel). I really appreciate the diversity in these novels as it is sorely lacking in the romance genre. I will be recommending this novel to those who love contemporary romances.

ALL OF THE STARS!

OH MY GOD YOU GUYS! MY HEART IS FULL! Helen Hoang has done it again!

Huge thank you Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with an ARC!!

I fell in love with The Kiss Quotient as soon as it came out and became one of my all time favorite romances ever and I’ve been eagerly anticipating this book ever since. I may have screamed and happy flailed when it popped up on my kindle.

This book is Khai and Esmes journey towards their HEA and it was filled with so much quirkiness, heart, and gave me so many butterflies. Khai’s mom wants him to settle down and find love so she arranges for Esme to come to America with the hopes of them getting married by the end of the summer. Khai feels like he’s somebody who emotionally cannot love and his story towards falling in love made me want to hug him forever and never let him go. He was SO SO SO SWEET!!! And Esme is trying to find her way in America, she doesn’t speak much English and feels like she’s “not enough” my heart ached for her and I was so incredibly proud of her strength. It was wonderful to follow her and Khais love story!

Helen Hoang just KNOWS how to write romance. The sex scenes were beautifully written and I just love how these two UNDERSTOOD eachother. The writing was addicting and love between these two was wonderful to read. Esme was so patient and Khai was there for her with everything. I loved reading through Khais thought process and I loved how we got both of their POVS. I loved the diversity and family element as well and I desperately need Quans book!!

Be sure to pick this up when it releases and read the authors note at the end! It got me so emotional and I ended up rereading all my favorite parts! This is a story that stays with you in the best way. I’m so excited for everyone to read this and fall in love!

I've read 'The Kiss Quotient' by Helen Hoang last year and really liked and enjoyed it so when I heard that Helen was coming out with this new treasure I immediately marked as one of my 2019 biggest anticipations! And IT. DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT. It delivered and I think I'm in way more in love with this gem than her last book. I LOVED and ADORED all of these characters and I was so glad that we got to see autism represented. Now I don't personally know anyone with autism but I felt like Helen really put so much care into getting the representation right (please correct me if I'm wrong.) I loved how we got to see Esme grow into such a confident, independent woman who had goals and love for herself and her family. I adored Khai so much. He's selfless, successful, caring and misunderstood. His whole arc was tragic and lonesome but I'm so happy he was able to overcome his losses and move on to finally be happy. These characters are so memorable and have so much depth in them I've fallen for them and their story. I loved everybody's relationships with each other; Khai and Quan's brotherly love, Quan and Esme's blooming friendship and of course Esme and Khai's adorable and sensuous relationship. They all made my heart burst! I loved how immigration was talked about and seeing Esme's struggle with the immigration system because that hit too close to home. There's just so much I adored about this book! It was wholesome, angsty and lovable. I can't wait to own the physical copy.

Helen Hoang strikes again. The Bride Test is the adorable, sweet, diverse romance you’ve been looking for. When Mỹ, a young single mom working cleaning services in a hotel Ho Chi Minh city gets the opportunity to move to America for the summer, she can’t believe it. Literally, she can’t believe anyone would want to fly across the Pacific to try and seduce a man they’ve never met for the possibility of moving up in life. But the desire to provide a better life for her young daughter drives her to choose a new name—Esme-- and set off on an adventure of a lifetime. Meanwhile, Khai can’t believe that his interfering mother has ordered him a bride from Vietnam, let alone that he’s expected to live with her all summer! There’s no chance he’ll really fall in love either, since he firmly believes in his inability to feel basic emotions like love. Of course, the summer is more than either of them expects and their journey to romance is just as sweet and thoughtful as The Kiss Quotient. Hoang’s writing creates characters that linger with you after you finish the book.

I sincerely enjoyed this book, burning through in under a day. While it may not appeal to everyone, the set up drew me and didn't let me go until I finished it. Hoang's talent for writing characters that are Autism spectrum with gentle humor and appreciation instead of mocking or distaste is such a change of pace. A must read for fans of Hoang’s first novel. I’m eagerly looking forward to a third!

I love Stella and Michael from THE KISS QUOTIENT, and could not wait to get my hands on Khai's story in THE BRIDE TEST. Although the first remains my favorite, I enjoyed this one so much as well.

Esme is a great match for Khai. Their circumstances don't begin in a typical modern romance way, but I don't think Khai would have gone for that anyway. I loved the way that their romance develops through the book. Esme is sweet and determined, and I loved seeing her work hard at accomplishing her dreams - and also work to seduce Khai. Khai, I wanted to shake a little bit at times, but I couldn't help but love him and I wanted the very best for him.

My only negative is that I though the BB <spoiler> Big Break</spoiler> went on a bit too long. Sometimes I roll my eyes at that part of a story because it just feels so predictable to a romance book. However, I did think it was needed for these characters to figure things out for themselves. That said, I thought dragged out the last part of the book a lot, and created drama I didn't love in a story that had been pretty low on angst throughout.

After two books by Helen Hoang, I am a huge fan and cannot wait for everything else she's going to write. Hopefully we'll get a book for Khai's brother, as well as the ones for Michael's sisters.

PS. The author's note is moving and definitely worth reading.

A review will go up on my blog as well: http://www.loveisnotatriangle.com