Khai is a Vietnamese-American man who has trouble navigating other people's emotions. He's happy with his work and his solitary life, but his mother wants him to get married--so she goes to Vietnam in search of a bride for him. Esme is a Vietnamese hotel maid struggling to provide for her family. When Khai's mother makes her an offer--a summer in California and a chance to marry an American and make a new life there--she reluctantly agrees to try it. Started out a little slow but ended up being a sweet story of second chances and finding your place in the world.

This was one of my most-anticipated reads of 2019 and it did not disappoint. Khai and Esme are wonderful characters and their romance sizzles. What a wonderful follow up to The Kiss Quotient.

OMG, I loved this book so much!! This was an excellent follow up to The Kiss Quotient.

My, a hotel janitor in Viet Nam, in a moment of great serendipity met Khai Diep's mother when she was present to locate a wife for Khai. Khai is not like other men, much like Stella of The Kiss Quotient, Khai has autism. I appreciate learning about Khai, especially how he believes that he cannot love, or does not love My (also known as Esme).

My presented as an incredibly strong and smart heroine. I appreciated learning about the various foods and aspects of her Vietnamese culture. My, also a single mother, has to grapple with the tough decision to leave her daughter at home in Viet Nam while she moves to California to meet Khai.

Thankfully, we meet up with some of the characters of The Kiss Quotient again....I'm really, really, really hoping that we will see Quan in a future book. I think he is my favorite....I just picture him as such a hot bad boy (but that is beside the point).

Overall, this awesome book will resonate with readers longing to learn about different perspectives, different cultures, and also those who greatly enjoy romance.

While good, not as strong as her first novel. This story revolves around Khan, Michael's autistic cousin from The Kissing Quotient. Khan's mom finds him a match in Vietnam and has Esme come over to convince him to marry her. Khan is closed off to love because of a favorite cousin passing away years ago. Khan starts feeling for Esme but can't admit his true feelings to her or himself. I felt myself understanding Khan more than Esme, which was odd. I couldn't get over the secret she was keeping from him, and it nagged me through the book. I thought more would be resolved with the mystery Dad, but it was left unfinished. Again, things tidy up so quickly and Khan goes from 0 to 100, and wish there was direct communication between Stella and Esme. The Author's note was very important to read and am glad it was included. It really helped to bring authenticity to the story.

I really loved this book. I read it in one day! Esme and Khai are such great characters and I loved how their interactions developed. I liked how they both brought out the best in one another and how she helped him feel things he thought he was incapable of.
I liked seeing characters from Hoang's other book. I felt like we got to know more about Khai's family and about Quan. Quan, Khai's brother is definitely a good guy and I would love to see him get a book of his own and maybe finally settle down.
Khai's autism is handled so well in this book and we see how he figures out his different emotions and feelings about things. He think he can't love, but he just doesn't realize how to really show how he is feeling. I am not saying he got it down in this book, but Esme really did teach him how to open up and see what he was capable of.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! After finishing The Kiss Quotient a week ago, getting approved for this arc was amazing. I started it right away. And, sadly, I realized it was going to be nothing like The Kiss Quotient.

The Kiss Quotient characters had chemistry, whereas in this book, I felt like there was little-to-no chemistry. Obviously, that’s my opinion and some of you will disagree when the book is released. But, I wasn’t a fan.

Overall, I’ll write more when the book is released in May; I don't want to risk giving the plot away. Either way, I think many of you will like this, and I still recommend it to those who enjoyed The Kiss Quotient. I have a feeling I'll end up having the unpopular opinion, but we shall see in May!

When I saw that Helen Hoang had won Goodread’s Best Romance for 2018 I was a bit confused because I’d never heard of her. I immediately purchased The Kissing Quotient and devoured it quickly. I fell in love with her characters, their background and how she was able to write a female heroine with autism so well. I was also ashamed of myself for not having read more romances with diverse backgrounds and non-Western heroes and heroines. I was also hooked on her writing.

I was lucky enough to be selected by Netgalley to read her second novel The Bride Test before it releases. I went into her first novel with low expectations and ended up being blown away. I was slightly nervous to start this one because my expectations were so high second around only be impressed once again. My heart broke for Khai and Esme both for different reasons. I loved learning more about Vietnamese culture and their language. This was a love story set in a non-traditional way and I loved every minute of it. From Khai’s quirks due to his Aspergers to Esme’s love of education, but lack of opportunity. Read all the way through to the Author’s Note and if it doesn’t make you tear up, you have no heart. (Just kidding, but really—it got to me and I’m so glad Hoang went with this version of her novel).

I highly recommend this book!!! Thank you so much to Netgalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

A fascinating look at how a young man, Khai, with Asperger's responds to people and emotions. Esme has been brought from Viet Nam by Khai's mother for the specific purpose of marrying Khai, who is totally uncomfortable with the idea. Esme is extremely bright and catches on quickly how to work with Khai and avoid unpleasant situation. Such situation, however, do arise and make for a very interesting and entertaining story.

I'm not a huge reader of contemporary romance, but this book really did it for me! I liked the fact that the main male character was on the spectrum, and the author neither makes it all his character is about, or shies away from the consequences of his difference on his relationships and his day to day life. I also liked the main female lead - she was plucky and willing to do what it takes, while also having self respect and a strong character. The plot was less interesting to me, but the characters really make it work.

This was delightful. I loved Esme and Khai, and I loved the way Hoang wrote the obstacles and how she wrote them getting past the obstacles. I think Hoang took a big leap in writing ability too. The prose is better than in her first book. Can't wait to recommend this one to romance fans.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the digital ARC.

Another great read from Ms. Hoang. I really enjoy her character development. The story moves forward in unpredictable way. Her sex scenes are amazingly well written.

I did not think I'd like this book, bur I enjoyed it quite a bit. The characters were much more realistic in this book, than the first book. The ending is rushed. But, overall, it was a good story.

I was excited about this book after reading "The Kiss Quotient" and me excitement was totally warranted. The characters felt very realistic and relatable. The story is about Esme Trang, a single mother and maid in Vietnam who is persuaded to come to California by a mother who wants her to marry her son, Khai. Khai has been reluctant to open himself up to love, his autism has made him believe that he is incapable of feeling, and he didn't want to burden anyone with his inability to love. He was not happy when his mother showed up with a bride for him, but agreed to try it for the summer. As Esme and Khai try to learn to live together and relate to each other, they become closer. The conflicts are realistic and both characters are allowed to make mistakes. The secondary characters, especially Khai's brother, are well realized. Many books with an autistic main character tend to be message books, it was refreshing to read a story where Khai's autism was part of his character, but not the only thing about him.

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<p>Esme was always looking for a way over, around or through the obstacles in front of her. I couldn't help but admire her strength and perseverance will simultaneously being proud of her willingness to leave herself open to be hurt after everything she had experienced in her life. Even when everything happening was out of her control and life kept snatching her dreams away from her she kept pushing through.</p>
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<p>Sweet sweet Kai. My heart broke for him so many times in this book. Realizing that the fact he processed emotions differently make him feel like he didn't have feelings was devastating. Knowing that he had unconsciously pulled back from every relationship in his life both to protect himself and the people he cared about made me want to wrap him in giant hug. I am not an expert on autism so I can't say whether the portrayal was accurate. I can however say it felt like it was handled well as the reader. I appreciated that Khai was presented as having all the same emotional and physical desires as all of the other romance heroes we read do. Khai was everything anyone could want out of a hero.</p>
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<p>The only thing I struggled with was how long Esme kept Jade a secret. It bothered me just like the secret baby trope did because it felt wrong. Don't get me wrong, I completely understood why she felt like she had to make that decision but I wished she had been honest sooner.</p>
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<p>Fans of the Kiss Quotient will certainly enjoy the Bride Test. I felt it was a much stronger storyline and the characters were more developed. For those that haven't read Kiss Quotient, the Bride Test could be read as a standalone book easily. </p>
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Helen Hoang has stolen my heart again. The Bride Test is full of heart and hope, examining life and love with Autism as well as the immigrant experience while also telling a sweet love story. It’s the perfect follow up to The Kiss Quotient.

More serious, less smutty, equally sweet, compared to The Kiss Quotient.

So, mail-order bride scenario in romance is not exactly my idea of a good time. (And neither was a male escort one in The Kiss Quotient). But what Helen Hoang undoubtedly has a talent for is creating characters that are kind and empathetic.

Esme is recruited by Khai’s mom to seduce and marry him, so that he finally can have someone to be with. He is on the spectrum, and isn’t good at relationships, for obvious reasons. Now, this can go wrong in many ways, but Khai’s mom is super nice and truly believes Esme is the best match for her son. Esme isn’t exactly a seductress, but a goofy girl with a big heart (and some mistakes in her past). And Khai believes himself incapable of feeling emotions.

I feel like The Bride Test is a weightier, more serious work. Hoang draws on her parents’ immigrant past, adding a big dose of realism to this romance, but not exactly going all the way there, it is a smutty romance after all. Esme and Khai’s personal journeys are more real too, and so are their problems.

I liked The Bride Test a lot, and inhaled it in a matter of hours. I didn’t like it quite as much as The Kiss Quotient, because apparently I like fantasy scenarios more than real ones. And I clearly prefer a lot of smut too. Esme and Khai’s relationship is a steamy one , but I would have preferred it... even more so. The book has the sexiest haircut scene though. It’s amazing how arousing a conversation about boundaries and sensory sensitivity can be! @.@ And when Khai and Quan and Michael are in a different scene together, it’s a total riot! You are in for a treat.

Now, more wait for the next Helen Hoang romance. I don't know what it is yet, but I hope it’s Quan’s turn.

At its core The Bride Test is the story of a successful autistic Vietnamese-American CEO and the immigrant bride his mother has moved into his home without his permission.

That synopsis was enough to sell me, but if you need more, this is story about loneliness, feeling out of place, choosing love despite difficult circumstances, and really good sexual chemistry. Khai and Esme have a love story you don't want to miss.

This was a great second novel from Helen Hoang. I think I enjoyed it even more than her debut book, The Kiss Quotient. I can't wait to read what she comes up with next.

I loved The Kiss Quotient. It was my favorite book of 2018, and I read a fair number of books each year, the vast majority of them romance. But I'm also wary of sophomore efforts when the first is such a smash.

No need to worry here. The Bride Test is every bit as heartfelt and swoony and sexy as TKQ.

Khai is autistic, and convinced that he doesn't have the emotional capacity to love, or grieve, or feel anything deeply. He's not going to saddle someone else with that burden, so he is determined not to let any woman close enough to form feelings for him. It wouldn't be fair if he can't return them.

Esme doesn't seem to belong anywhere. Not in Vietnam, where she is set apart with her mixed-race heritage, unwed mother status, and poor economic standing. And not in California, where she goes--by invitation of Khai's mother--to live as Khai's fiancee as she tries to make him fall in love with her. She understands English but doesn't speak it well, and Khai is a tough nut to crack. But Esme needs the opportunity to make a better life for herself and her family, especially her daughter, and this is her shot.

I loved that Khai's family--his brother and his mother, particularly--understand him so well. Often, when you read about neurodiverse characters, the people closest to them don't seem to understand them. Here, his family seems to understand him (and what he's capable of) better than he knows himself.

Esme's determination to make a better life, to make the most of this opportunity she's been given, however things turn out, really made me cheer for her. She never gave up, no matter how heartbroken she might feel.

And the sexy bits? Very sexy, but also written so that they revealed so much about Khai and Esme. Every scene moved the story forward, uncovered another bit about the characters.

This book had me laughing, crying, and sighing with satisfaction. I'll be rereading this book many times, I'm sure

Helen Hoang has written another excellent book. She has managed to create two characters unlike traditional romance characters, one autistic, and the other a poor, ESL, immigrant. Kiep's journey in particular is an excellent arc as he goes from claiming to have no feelings to beginning to understand that he does and what they mean.

****SPOILER****
My only issue with the story was the handling of Esme's child at the end, as it felt like an afterthought for Kiep to find out.

The sophomore follow-up to the Kissing Quotient was everything I had hoped for and SO MUCH MORE! The characters were complex but thoroughly relateable. I cannot say enough good about The Bride Test. Officially on my Keeper Shelf for life!