This started off slower than the first novel but if you think it's too slow keep going. I'ts impactful and powerful and meaningful novel . It's also funny and insightful. I'm interested to see in more of what this author can do because it seems like none of her books would be the same judging from the first two but it was very good.

Stars: 3.5

The Kiss Quotient set an impossibly high bar as one of my all-time favorite romance novels. I was ecstatic when I found out that Helen Hoang would be publishing another love story following a periphery character from her stunning debut.

The story, which follows Michael's cousin Khai and the delightfully independent Esme, is undeniably sweet, but somehow lacked the same swoon-worthy quality that made the The Kiss Quotient so unforgettable. It's hard to say exactly what it lacks, but it just doesn't have "it". The characters were likeable, and the plot was cutesy, but it felt to me like it was just running in a very predictable circle.

I appreciate that this romance is focused on somebody with autism, and if you read the first book, it was nice to see that Khai's autism isn't portrayed exactly the same as Stella's. There is so much diversity on the spectrum, and it is refreshing to see this represented.

I hope this book is going to be part of a trilogy, and I suspect that if it is, the third book will focus on Khai's brother, Quan. He is also a very likable character, and it would be great to follow his story next.

I chose this book after reading Hoang's first novel. I enjoyed this but not nearly as much as her previous book. I thought the characters were not fleshed out enough as in the other novel. Still a good read.

5 Plus Infinity Stars
* * * * * and Beyond Spoiler Free
I fell hard for Helen Hoang last year when discovered her and The Kiss Quotient. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... I devoured it in one sitting and then proceeded to tell anyone who would listen, they needed to read this book. I even convinced a new friend who had a very discerning taste to present it to her fancy-schmancy book club and she later thanked me as it was a huge hit. Score one for Wendy!

So when I saw The Bride Test was coming, I knew when it was available, I would drop Everything and dive in. From the first moments of the book, I had all the warm feels, the sense that everything was alright in my world...It is that special something which happens when the writing is compelling, the words flow and my heart is captured.

The introduction of Esme Tran, her circumstances, her perception of self and who she thought she was...was clear. I could see her and in turn feel her as she observed the scene before her. Her thoughts were my thoughts, her concerns were mine and I was all in.

This book is such a wonder. It is more than a mother's wish to find a wife for her son. It is about the challenges we all face...how to recognize when we love, how to accept the loss of another and how to be true to yourself. What it does do, though, is add other perspectives which enhanced the level of complexity and depth. It addresses the actual reality of missing a parent, of immigration to a foreign land, extreme differences of perceptions of poverty and cultures, and the understanding of Autism. All of it worked for me and had me thinking of more than what was on the page...

This book impacted and reinforced my feeling of how amazingly lucky I have been in my life. From my birth in this country to the parents and life experiences I have had. It stirred my sincere feelings of how incredibly brave and determined our population of immigrants is wishing to come to a place where they have to learn a new language, deal with new customs and rules, hold on to their culture, and start afresh.

But I digress...

The coming together of this couple is not easy. Khai Diep accepted long ago he had no capacity to love. He has learned how to live his life and routine is the key. He understands he has always been different, emotions are not part of his thinking. His sister did teach him there are six Rules to Follow When You're With A Girl. He decided long ago he was not cut out for relationships because he would only hurt someone if they started to love him.

Because He. Did. Not. Love. Period.

This is the initial challenge Esme takes on. She is determined to work hard, to break down Khai's walls and show him, love is possible. Eme was so strong and capable. She was a true hero, never taking the easy way. Khai was this man who my heart begged for him to see how he had all the ability to love and just accept it was possible.

This story was perfect for me. I loved the families, the traditions and the extra parts of the plot. What was most impactful for me was Ms. Hoang's writing of how this book came about. It touched me deeply.

If you wish a more insightful review, please take look at the others out there. All of them have so much to offer.

I am very excited as Ms. Hoang has put a placeholder for Untitled (The Kiss Quotient #3). Maybe Khai's brother Quan's story???? We will hopefully find out as the expected publication is 2020. Can't Wait.

I am happy to have received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Hoang’s writing continues to impress me. Esme and Khai’s love story is sweet, compelling, thoughtful, and beautiful. I can’t wait to see more from this author.

A wonderful romance, both My and Khai have secrets (My by design, Khai by personality) reading along as they discovered each other was beautiful. My’s struggles and insecurities were tough, but to be honest, Khai was the one who broke my heart. The ability to know yourself and your heart requires growth and maturity, and to see both of these characters struggle to define themselves against what society and even loved ones tell them... this is a beautiful story. Both Khai and My grow so much, adding their willingness to be vulnerable with each other makes an already lovely story even better.

A solid follow up to The Kiss Quotient. Definitely not as much sex as there was in the first book, but I felt like there was more character development as Esme learned to find herself and gain self worth and Khai learned that he could in fact have feelings. I highly recommend this title and definitely will be letting contemporary romance fans know about this title when it comes out.

This is a pretty good book with a neuro-atypical romantic hero. It is much better than the author's first book in that the neuro-more-typical love interest is a better-rounded, more realistic person. Recommended for all readers of romance with modern settings.

Khai, the hero of The Bride Test, is not interested in love. He's on the spectrum and doesn't think he even can love. His mom, however, wants him to get married, so she goes to Vietnam and brings back Esme for him to marry. I'm not sure that the set up of this book worked for me - I felt uncomfortable with the mail order bride aspect of it. However, I loved Esme, and how hard she worked to make a new life for herself. She is smart and driven and comes to realize her self worth. I also liked Khai, who struggles with being different from everyone else. What I really like about Helen Hoang's books is the way her characters interact - there are often misunderstandings, but they learn to successfully communicate in ways they each need. Esme and Khai are both coming from vastly different places - emotionally, culturally - but they are able to work through those differences. I did want a little more story in this book - the small side plots weren't developed enough for me, and I would've liked to see Esme and Khai in other contexts rather than just together at home or at family weddings. I also felt that the end wrapped up a little too quickly. I didn't like this as much as The Kiss Quotient, but it was a good read and I look forward to whatever Hoang writes next.

Oh my goodness I do not think I could be more excited to get given this book and I don't think I could have read it quicker and it held up to and maybe even surpassed Hoang's first book, "The Kiss Quotient." I raced through this book, fully captivated in the story, the characters, and the problems they were having.

This book focuses on Khai, Michael's cousin from the first book and Esme, a woman from Vietnam who is convinced to come to America by Khai's mother in order to convince him to get married. Khai is also autistic however and has no interest in having a relationship with a woman, or so he thinks. I enjoyed that one of the main character is an immigrant working to learn English and create a better life for her family back home.

Overall this book has engaging characters, some great steamy scenes, a fleshed out story, and it really holds up to the first book.

Hoang has done it again! She created characters I grew to love! This story had a little bit of a slower start than her previous title but still thoroughly enjoyed it.

So, I read this book is less than 24 hours! I can not remember the last time I was this into a book. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I adored the two main characters and was actually sad to part ways with them. The representation is wonderful and I think this novel has the potential to allow readers to have a better understanding of people on the autism spectrum. I also think it is fantastic that people on the spectrum will see themselves in this book and hopefully will feel understood. There is so much to love about this book- it made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me smile with absolute delight!

Full review on my blog to come.

This book was a surprisingly sweet slow-burn romance. It takes on a lot more issues than I was expecting in such a compact tale: autism, immigration, single parenthood, education, grief, and finances, to name a few. What could have felt overwhelming was handled with a deft hand, bringing these two main characters into a 3D focus.
My/Esme is a struggling single mother, caring for her own mother, grandmother, and child on a hotel housekeeper's salary when fate throws her a curveball, in the form of some crying women in the hotel's bathroom. By being in the right place at the right time, she is offered the opportunity to go to America (from her home Vietnam) to marry a very handsome single young man, Khai (not that he's aware of the arrangement at first). She has the summer to convince him to marry her, or she'll be sent back home.
Khai is different from everyone else; he doesn't feel things the way everyone else does. But he'll do what his mother wants, and he is drawn to Esme, even distracted by her. He doesn't want anything in his life to change, though, and that's all that Esme is bringing to his world.
The Bride Test did a great job exploring the discomfort Khai felt at many things that non-autistic people would not be bothered by. His sensitivity to little things, like the way he is touched, was well-explained to the reader. I also enjoyed seeing the other side, the way that Esme interpreted his responses.
Esme was an awesome independent role model and I really wasn't expecting that. She has goals and dreams that she has been putting on hold to put everyone else first. It was good to see her grow as a character.
Overall, I recommend this romance as more than just a romance, since it explores so much.

First, for some reason I kind of love a forced proximity/arranged marriage trope so I knew I was going to love this book going into it. I didn't realize that I would love it for so much more than the trope. I loved The Kiss Quotient but I gotta say I think I love this one even more. It was so fun and exciting to see these characters learn each other and slowly develop feelings for each other. Esme is such a strong, caring just LOVELY woman, Khai is just the sweetest (even if he thinks he cant feel). I loved this book and can't wait to read it again.

I was given an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This book seriously tugged at my heart strings! Helen Hoang hit it out of the park again with his sophomore novel, following her first book The Kiss Quotient. The thing about Hoang's romances is that there is so much more at work than just the love story, which is undeniably very good. The Bride Test features Khai, an attractive, successful autistic man who believes he can't feel emotions. Khai's Mom decides to take matters into her own hands and flys to her home country Vietnam to secure a wife for Khai. Who she decides on? Esme, a cleaning lady, who decides this opportunity is her best shot to provide for her family and her young daugther. The mission is to seduce Khai over the summer and if it works, marry him. But in addition to becoming close to Khai, Esme experiences many emotions and lessons by assimilating to a whole new country and culture. And for Khai, his annoyance at the situation his Mom has created fades away when he becomes intrigued by Esme's beauty and optimism and learns he might feel more than he thinks.

I adored Esme. She's fierce, kind, loyal and smart. Her story is empowering and you really root for her. She's the kind of book character I would love to meet in real life.

This is not working for me at all, I didn't feel any chemistry between the main characters and I can't muster up any enthusiasm to continue reading. I'm so disappointed because Hoang's first book was a massive winner for me last year

I'm so happy I got to read this.

I loved the kiss quotient so much and I was so excited to read this one and it didn't disappoint me at all.

I loved the story and the relationship between khai and esme,they were so cute and adorable and I highlighted so many quotes!.

It also made me emotional,reading about them and khai,I just love him so much and I wanna read more of them.

Definitely a 5/5 stars for me

Helen Hoang is a rising star for a reason; her thoughtful, nuanced writing plus red-hot romance are a formula for success. Hoang is incredibly sensitive in her depiction of immigration, autism, and gender dynamics in this book without ever taking the reader out of the story, and by the end I was about ready to burst into happy tears. Khai and Esme are such dynamic characters that they leap off the page and straight into your heart, and scene-stealer Quan has got to be gearing up for his own book, right? The Bride Test not only lives up to the hype and success of The Kiss Quotient, but it also has me totally thrilled for what's next for Hoang.

Much like Hoang's debut The Kiss Quotient, this story had moments of incredible sizzle as well as ones that pulled on my heartstrings. While I enjoyed it very much and read the whole thing in less than 24 hours, I didn't connect with the characters or their particular situations as much as in book one (and yes, I realize how silly that sounds!) A must buy for romance collections in libraries, and a great borrow for me.

A fun, heartwarming romance from Helen Hoang that has you cheering and swooning for the love story. It's a book that will keep you smiling long after the last page. Looking forward to her future titles!