Helen Hoang's charming debut, THE KISS QUOTIENT, killed my hopes of a productive Saturday. I had such a blast reading Michael and Stella's steamy and heartfelt love story. The hero is so swoony and I couldn't help but love watching Stella stumble unexpectedly in love. Such a great sexy read with substance! Highly recommended!

"But why should she settle for Phillip when maybe she could have Michael? Could she use what he taught her...on him? Could she seduce her escort?"

I had grand weekend plans to finally get ready to move into my new house. Thursday and Friday, I listened to the first 20% of this book to and from work. On Saturday, I thought, "I'll just sit down with a cup of coffee and read an eensy weensy bit of this and get to work." No productivity was achieved while this book was in my hands.

Stella is a wealthy and successful econometrician. She knows numbers. She loves numbers. Numbers she can do. People she cannot do. The combined anxieties of her autism spectrum disorder and her parents' not-so-gentle hints that they want grandchildren propel her to go to an expert—or shall I say sexpert?—to show her how to seduce a man. Michael Larsen moonlights as an escort and Stella is unlike any client he has ever encountered. He realizes that he has to be slow and gentle with this very different and intriguing woman. But from night one, he can't control how his heart feels. What starts as a 3-lesson arrangement turns to something more. Soon she's meeting his family and stealing his heart.

This book was utterly charming and it hit my need for a romance with the perfect balance of sexy and sweet. This book pulled me in instantly. This is one of those books that take no time to become fully invested, as you're dropped right in the middle of the action.

Stella is a character who's immediately endearing and likable. I wanted the best for her. As someone who isn't on the autism spectrum, it was sometimes sad to see her so uncomfortable in certain situations. But that's where Michael came in. He is like her knight in shining armor! I loved him so much. He recognized that there was something unique about her but was careful not to make her feel embarrassed, ashamed or as like she's an "other." He was so gentle with her and took time to get to know her.

This book was so enjoyable for me. The cover may lead you to believe that this read is going to sweet and "fade-to-black." Let me tell you that is not the case. This book was extremely sexy without feeling overly raunchy.

"Emotion clogged her throat, anyway. If this was just practice, she never wanted the real thing. How long could she live in a fantasy?"

I wanted a little more build up in terms of Michael's attraction to Stella. It felt a little too instant and intense, which took away some of the romantic tension that I love so much. Part of the fun in reading romance is watching that deep attraction develop and I felt like the author showed her cards a little too early in this one.

The author's note at the end discussed how writing this book led to her own diagnosis. The author did her research here and I felt like Stella's responses to certain sexual situations and social interactions mostly rang true. There was one scene in particular when she met Michael's family that didn't quite make sense. I found her behavior with his family felt true to someone with the disorder, but not necessarily for Stella and what the reader had learned about her up to that point. Both of these things that bothered me were very minor things that didn't take anything away from the massive amount of fun I had devouring this book!

If you're looking for a "teach me how to sex" romance in the vein of Samantha Young's Before Jamaica Lane or Christina Lauren's Beautiful Player, then check out this addictive and heartfelt romance! This one left me smiling from ear to ear! Definitely a great feel-good romance!

* Thanks to Berkeley for providing me with an early review copy. Receiving this book for free did not affect my opinion.

The Kiss Quotient is the very best thing I can think of… a debut novel that kept me up late into the night telling myself “just one more chapter” until I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore.

Stella Lane is an intriguing heroine, and one that I believe readers will fall in love with. An economist who studies patterns in consumer’s shopping habits, Stella loves her job and takes pride in her accomplishments within her field. What she doesn’t understand is relationships and intimacy. Her mother and father have let her know that they are more than ready for her to settle down and make babies, but Stella has no idea where to even start with finding a man who she likes enough to date on a regular basis. She has a form of Autism called Asperger’s and struggles in social situations and has a sensitivity to touch and sound. Although she isn’t a virgin, Stella hasn’t enjoyed any of her sexual encounters and places all the blame for that on herself. She wants to learn to be better at sex and intimacy and the only way she knows how to do that is to hire a professional.

During the day Michael works in his mother’s dry clean store as a tailor, but for the last several years he has also been working as an escort. He doesn’t know any other way to cover his mother’s mounting medical bills and keep his family in their home. Michael doesn’t enjoy that part of his life, but he does it because he feels like he has to. Which is why he has several rules he follows, including only working on Friday nights and never seeing a date more than once. That is until Stella Lane asks him to teach her how to be good at sex and now he can’t think of anyone else touching her but him.

Stella and Michael are so great together. He’s patient and understanding and she’s awkward and smart. He made me want to swoon from almost the moment he walked onto the page and into a hotel suite with Stella, I felt an instant connection with this woman who was so intelligent but had trouble understanding simple conversations and interactions, but was determined to figure it all out. Each of them feel like they aren’t good enough for the other, and I absolutely loved watching them fall for each other and realize that they were exactly what the other needed and deserved.

This romance swept me away and I absolutely can not wait to see what this author has coming out next. Final Grade- A

Favorite Quote:
“The sight of their hands side by side on the keys mesmerized Stella. The contrast was stark and beautiful: large to small, tan to pale, masculine to feminine. So different, but in perfect rhythm. They were making music. Together.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

How do you write a coherent review for a book that was endlessly more delightful than you could ever have hoped? The Kiss Quotient is an example of a book that perfectly delivers on an excellent premise (and an amazing cover, let’s be honest).

The characters are what make this romance stand out. Stella, our heroine, is an econometrician who hires a male escort, Michael, to teach her the ins and outs of dating. I always love romances with STEM heroines! Stella unashamedly loves math, mathematical puzzles, and her job– I love that she’s unapologetic in the things she’s passionate about. Plus, Stella is autistic, and this representation is #ownvoices. I loved reading from the perspective of a neurodivergent main character. Our hero, Michael, is mixed-race: half Vietnamese and half Swedish. I think what makes him so swoony is that, underneath it all, he has such a heart of gold. Everything he does, he does to help out his family, and he doesn’t expect anything in return.

It’s told through dual POVs, and both Michael and Stella’s voices shone through beautifully. I never once questioned which character’s perspective I was reading– the author did a great job of differentiating between them. I think dual POV worked well for The Kiss Quotient because we got clear insight into the characters’ feelings and what was going on inside their heads.

I mean, obviously, we have to discuss the romance itself. It was PERFECT. The tension, the swooniness, the steamy scenes (of which there are many, please be advised), the vulnerability… Helen Hoang described it all in such delicious detail. I genuinely had butterflies while reading this book. The characters make mistakes, but they own up to them, and they are patient with one another. Idk, it was refreshing to read such a healthy relationship, honestly. Plus, like, it was really, really hot.

Overall, The Kiss Quotient ticked all the boxes for me. Standout main characters, excellent representation, and a perfectly-written romantic relationship. If you’re looking for your next romance read, look no further!

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book so much that I couldn't put it down. The writing is tight, pithy and funny. The characters were real and more diverse than the typical romance couples. In particular, I really connected with Stella and her struggles with finding someone to love. It's not that I resemble Stella, who has Aperger's, but more that I see in Stella aspects of people I've known during my life: the smart, gifted person who is a little different, a little socially awkward yet kind and caring and wonderful to know and have as a friend. Her forthright way of looking at the world and stating her thoughts without embellishment was a refreshing change for the female lead in a romance.

I also appreciated that the male lead, Michael, was also different than the "typical" male character. I enjoyed, in particular, the scenes in which Michael (and, often, Stella) interact with Michael's family. The way in which Hoang described the tensions between traditional Vietnamese values and culture, represented by Michael's grandmother and mother, and those of Michael and his five sisters, who, along with their mother, have been abandoned by their Caucasian father brought to mind similar interactions I have witnessed in the homes of friends and neighbors.

I know I'm not really doing justice in this review to how much I enjoyed this book, so I'll wind up by saying that I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a smart, modern romance with well-developed, real, likable characters.

I loved this book! Such a great romance story that also provided lessons in autism and consent. Highly recommend for romance readers who like to have a little more substance.

Quirky? Neurodivergent? Diverse cast? Super smart heroine? Kind hero? I am in.

This is a ROMANCE novel with the over the top sexual tutoring and escort trope but outside that glitter is a lovely, funny romance of family and falling in love.

Micheal is a kind hero and Stella blooms here though she has always been her own flower.

Stella's sexual issues don't really stem from her Autism but rather really bad partners in the past. However, her brain works differently and we get to see the the joy and struggles that take place in social setting in this in our own voices novel.

Micheal has a large complex family and all the joys and struggles that go with it. I hope we see the rest of the books in this series set amid his clan.

The writing is crisp, fun, and moving. I read this debut book in one setting and am very excited to see what comes next from Helen Hoang.

I was given this book for my honest review. So, there you have it!

Stars: ✦✦✦✦.5
So as usual, I'll tell 4.5 things I liked about the book and 0.5 things I didn't like.

+1 | The idea is clever and pulled me to it immediately.

+1 | The entertainment value kept me reading and reading

+1 | The characters are perfectly executed, flawed yet lovable. And the struggles were portrayed stunningly with family, friends and colleagues woven in.

+1 | The writing brought the main character, and all her struggles, to life and the flow was so well timed.

+0.5 | The romance was definitely refreshing and new.

-0.5 | Disclaimer: only for mature audiences.

Read on lovelies,
S

I LOVED this book! It was the perfect book for me. It was such a well written love story! I will be recommending this to everyone I talk to!

I'm going to preface by saying contemporary romance is not my usual genre of choice. I generally prefer plot driven fantasy novels that I can get lost in with romance as a side plot. However, The Kiss Quotient really surprised me.

Stella has asbergers and the book opens up with her mom pressuring her into having children (this immediately threw me off because I'm sorry, but I can't stand it when parents expect to have children for them), but she's awkward and doesn't have much success with personal relationships so she hires an escort. You can see where it goes from there.

I liked this book for one, because of the representation, and two, this was such a healthy portrayal of sex. Every time something sex related happened Michael ASKED. Do you know how rare that is in romance books? I was living the entire time. I also related to Stella in the fact that she's socially awkward and has had zero relationships before Michael. I myself, have also had zero relationships, so I completely related to her. Also, I loved Michael's whole family and learning about that situation because it really added more depth to the character.

I rated it 3.75, because I had some technical issues with the writing. I think this is due to the fact that it's Hoang's debut novel. There were parts that were phrased awkwardly and I thought were a little campy. I think it's because I've been in too many creative writing workshops at this point, but the book might have flowed better in first person point of view. The third person is part of what made the dialogue feel stinted and awkward, but I think if we were in Stella's head (or Stella AND Micheal's head, because it already switches their perspectives), it would have been easier to connect with. I also think some things worked out too easily, but I guess that's generally the case with romance novels so I can't be too picky. Overall I liked this and would recommend it! It's perfect summer/beach reading so if you're going on vacation try this one!

Absolutely, no doubt in my mind, this is a five-star read.
It was everything I love about great romance, sexy, sweet, sincere and completely unforgettable. Stella and Michael are a one of a kind couple and it was refreshing to read about a somewhat non-traditional couple. Stella, in particular, was such a lovely character and I fell in love with Michael and the way he treated her, even before he knew something was (clinically) different with Stella.
And the sex? Holy moly... it was redonkulous, but so well written. Stella and Michael's chemistry was completely undeniable and every physical encounter was perfect for me.

The Kiss Quotient will be on my best of 2018 list for sure and I truly cannot wait for Ms. Hoang's next book!

This is hands down the best book I’ve read this year and probably the best debut novel I’ve ever read. I wanted to crawl inside this book and live with these characters forever.

Everything, from the character development to the pacing of this story just screamed perfection to me. There wasn’t a moment while reading this book that I was bored and having to step away from it to carry on with my normal daily activities was torture.

I fell in love with Stella and all of her insecurities and awkwardness; with her honesty and self-awareness, even though she was ashamed of most of it. It was extremely refreshing to read about an autistic character who represented the community in, what seemed like, an honest and thoughtful way.

And Micheal. Oh Michael. He is so perfect in all of his imperfections. He was so patient and attentive with Stella. He didn’t judge her for her quirks but instead embraced them and showed her that she could, and should, embrace them too. He was both unendingly sexy and infallibly kind. He was the guy who, based on assumptions, I would never imagine falling for, that I now can’t imagine how anyone couldn’t absolutely fall for.

I still can’t find the proper words that will do justice to just how fantastic this book is so stop reading this review to find the right words and go READ THIS BOOK TODAY!!

The perfect mix of chick-lit, endearing characters and just a bit steamy, but still full of substance. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started hearing early praise for The Kiss Quotient, but I was pleasantly surprised and as I closed the last page, I immediately found myself running to add Hoang's 2019 book to my most-anticipating list!

I received an e-galley of this book off NetGalley but loved it so much I had to purchase my own physical copy to keep on my bookshelf forever.

This Kiss Quotient is one of THE books of the summer. Seriously, you MUST read it. Everyone I know that reads romance has read this book or is picking it up ASAP. It made me laugh, cry, swoon, and made my heart expand 5x.

The Kiss Quotient features a heroine who is on the autism spectrum, and a Vietnamese-Swedish hero. Neither of these are my own personal experiences of the world, and I really appreciated how the book taught me about some of the personal experiences of those on the autism spectrum and about Vietnamese culture, most of which I had never even considered before. Romance needs more racial, cultural, and neurological-diversity representation, and this book has that in spades.

I would recommend this book to romance readers everywhere, anyone looking for a new, enticing, intriguing, and heartwarming romance, as well as anyone looking to diversify their romance reading. It is a fun, sexy, contemporary about a heroine and her hero, both of whom are struggling with the things they feel make them impossibly different from everyone else. Each has a different personal struggle, but finds solace for those struggles in the other. Watching them come together and perfectly fit each other was one of the most pleasurable reading experiences I've ever had.

If you only read one contemporary romance this summer, this should be the one. I absolutely LOVED it. My usual test of a book is whether I skip sleep in order to continue reading, and I read well past my bedtime 3 nights in a row to finish this book. I couldn't put it down.

The cover of this book is what first drew me in. It reminded me of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, and that is a book that I have read multiple times over the past few years.

I like books that have something a little different, and having characters that are a) a little older and b) on the spectrum lured me in.

What a cute, sweet and wonderful debut novel from Ms Hoang. I was enchanted with this story right from the start.

The Kiss Quotient is a refreshing story, Michael and Stella both have a lot of learning to do when it comes to relationships, and they way they do it made me smile. I felt that we could all relate to Stella in ways, We have all felt out of place, overwhelmed, and all spoken out before our brain has caught up.

Heck, I loved Stella's bluntness! So much talking around things these days, the straight to the point can be a good thing.

I adore Michael and his family. Ms Hoang brought quite of the Vietnamese-ness to the reader, which is something else that I have not come across in my reading, though I am sure there is plenty of it out there.

Beautifully written, lovely storyline, enjoyable characters. This was one that just left me feeling good.

I can't wait to see what Ms Hoang brings us next.

This book has all of the romance world buzzing. It’s thoughtful and charming and so incredibly honest.

I loved the Stella was on a journey of self-discovery throughout this novel. Prior to the start of this book she may have known her likes and dislikes, her career was set, and she had the love and support of her family. But in many ways, this was Stella's "throw up her hands and move to a small-town" book; she cut a few ties, tried something TOTALLY new for her, and she had to learn to deal with the repercussions of that action.

And Michael...he is a hero among heroes that's for sure. Engaging in sex work to pay off his bills, he accepts Stella's offer to be her tutor in all things sex. Except she begins to teach him things too, about family and how to appreciate differences in on another. Soon he begins to crave time with her, which is not what his business is built upon (Do the job, get paid, get out, no repeats).

I was nervous to read this book since it's gotten such great reviews and I hate to be disappointed when something takes Romancelandia by storm and I just don't get it. This book though, it's so crazy good and satisfying. Schedule a day alone before picking this one up, I could not put it down.

The Kiss Quotient is an exquisite treat. Stella and Michael melted my romance-loving heart. I was heartbroken that the story had to end. I didn’t want to let them go.

Usually storylines of that “one true mate made just for you” are saved for paranormal romance, and while there was no mystical cataclysm which took place when they met, there is no question that Michael and Stella were made for one another.

I receive many emails from publishers telling me that this latest story rocked their world and it is impossible to try each and every one of them. Yet something drew me to this story and I am so glad I gave it a try. There is no question that The Kiss Quotient melted my heart. The most surprising part was that the book description led me to think that this would be in the category of erotica — geeky girl hires escort to teach her how to be good in bed — but I am so very happy that I was wrong. And while I wouldn’t catagorize it as erotica, it was very sexy and oh so delicious. I love an author who can make a kiss euphoric all by itself.

Occasionally, I have a hard time walking away from a book. Everything about this story is so wonderful that I just don’t want to let it go. Not only have I had a hard time walking away from Michael and Stella, but I have to admit that I really haven’t done it yet. I have read it three or four times…okay, maybe five, since I first downloaded it. It is still sitting in my carousel on my Kindle and then I received a paperback copy the other day and just wanted to see if there were any changes from my digital ARC copy and sat and read it over again (okay, make it six times).

This is also a book that I want to tell everyone about. I want to stop strangers on the street. If I had extra copies, I would be passing them out wherever I went. But yet, this is also a story I don’t want to tell anyone about. There is a big part of me that wants to keep Michael and Stella all to myself. They are mine, mine, mine and I don’t want to share them.

Stella Lane is a nerdy math geek, but there is so much more to her social awkwardness than just not understanding social etiquette. Stella has Asperger syndrome. She has issues with sights and sound and touch. Stella freezes on casual contact, let alone the intimate contact of lovers. Stella wants love just like every other woman but how to get it when every sexual encounter becomes a disaster. So she decides to hire an escort and selects Michael Larson.

Michael is amazed to see Stella sitting in the restaurant waiting for him. His usual customers are older women looking for a night of entertainment, not exquisite young women. He believes that Stella just lacks confidence but when she truly freezes up when he tries to initiate sex, he, at first, fears she has suffered sexual trauma. He knows that there are deeper issues and he wants to help her.

Michael has learned from experience not to see a client more than once. Some have become too clingy in the past. But from their first kiss, both are addicted and Michael agrees to meet Stella again for more lessons. When those lessons aren’t getting them any further along, Stella asks Michael to give her 30 days of a practice relationship to teach her how to be a couple. She hopes that if she can get someone to love her they would be willing to work past her sexual stumbling blocks.

Michael knows this is a very bad idea because his attraction to Stella is already too great, and what he doesn’t know is that Stella is hoping the man Michael can teach her how to seduce is him. The problem is that neither Michael nor Stella believe themselves worthy of the love they want so desperately.

The only sad part of this story was that we couldn’t keep Michael and Stella out of their heads. They made magic together and both desperately wanted their relationship to be real but Stella believed Michael wouldn’t want her if he knew she was autistic (he knew) and Michael couldn’t believe that Stella could overlook that the fact that he was a whore who sold his body to strangers (she didn’t care). These two were madly in love and only their own inferiority issues kept them from the HEA they both wanted.

I’m sitting here trying to write a review and all I want to do is go read it all over again. I know that this isn’t the last time I will be spending my night with Michael and Stella and I am looking forward to seeing what the author will bring us in her next story.

I can't remember the last time a book made me cry because of how good it is. This book is very, very memorable one!

Holy. Wow. What a book!

That was my first thought after I finished The Kiss Quotient.

I had seen a lot of people talking about The Kiss Quotient and I admit that it made me a little scared to read it. Hyped up books can sometimes go horribly wrong. You get your hopes up and expect something earth shattering only to be let down. I have been burned before and super sad about it. But The Kiss Quotient was not one of those burns. It was fun, and real, and filled with smoking hot chemistry.

At first glance, Stella and Michael are complete opposites. Stella is a serious and quirky character that has Asperger’s, while Michael is this cool, suave guy that happens to be an escort. On paper there is nothing about these two that should fit. They live in different worlds and lead very different lives. But in the end that is exactly what made them work. When Stella hires Michael all their boundaries are pushed and they end up finding a comfort with one another they never expected. Their differences end up bringing out the best in each of them and making them start to question the rules they have been living by. Watching them step out of their respective comfort zones and form a physical and emotional bound is a pure thing of beauty. Meeting one another changes them to the core and that is what I found so special and unique about The Kiss Quotient.

Miranda Kenneally said it was a reverse Pretty Woman and she was so spot on with that description and I’m mad at myself for not even seeing it because the obvious aside (Stella hiring an escort), it had the same feels as that classic movie and made you just root for this two to be together. Honestly it was my favorite romance read of the year and I think it will be yours too. Go and check it out!

Charming, romantic, and fun -- perfect for fans of Sally Thorne's The Hating Game and Jasmine Guillory's The Wedding Date.

Stella Lane is a whiz with numbers, but romantic relationships are a confusing mystery to her. Especially when it comes to sex. Stella’s autism can make any relationship tricky to navigate when she doesn’t always pick up on social subtleties. Feeling pressure from her mother to date and marry, Stella figures a professional should be able to help her enjoy intimacy and sex, and this is where Michael Phan comes in.

Being an escort was never in Michael Phan’s life plan, but life has handed him some rotten luck and a pile of bills. He dreads his Friday nights, the only nights he takes on “clients”, but that all changes when he meets Stella. She’s beautiful, awkward, and honest; a breath of fresh air, and Michael’s in serious trouble if he lets himself fall for her.

I loved The Kiss Quotient from page one! The story was refreshingly different and almost impossible to put down! I adored Stella! She was so brilliant, focused and completely unaware of her appeal. She really thought love and sex would never be fulfilling for her or any man she paired with, because of her condition, but when she gets together with Michael her world shifts. Suddenly numbers aren’t Stella’s only obsession, and I couldn’t blame her! Michael was dizzyingly hot, and we’re not talking about looks here, he made Stella come alive sensually with his touch and words! But more than that, Michael was so patient, understanding, and sweet!

I savored Stella and Michael’s journey, bumps, struggles and all! The Kiss Quotient is one of my favorite romance reads this year!

A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.