I would suggest this to fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. I can't wait to read the sequel.

This was a lovely, charming, sexy #ownvoices romance read! I loved the subtle Pretty Woman gender-swap component, and both Stella and Michael are characters you can really root for as they explore their complex relationship to one another. I absolutely adored this author debut and I can't wait to read more from Hoang (which is fortunate seeing as how she has another book coming out next year!).

The Kiss Quotient is a cute romantic read about Stella who is way more comfortable with numbers than she is with the opposite sex. After her mother keeps bugging her about meeting someone she sets her eyes on a fellow co-worker but before she can ask him out she decides that she needs more experience so she looks for an escort to help her out on that front.

Michael is the escort that Stella is set up with and soon Stella can't help but fall for him. Michael is a good guy who takes care of his mother and sisters and is getting tired of doing what he does but does it because the money is good and it helps him help his mother. Michael slowing starts to help Stella get out of her shell and while he has always been a professional he can't help falling for Stella also, she sees him for more than what he does she sees his potential and no one has done that before.

While Stella tries to understand her feelings for Michael, her Asperger’s makes things challenging she knows that she wants more from him, meaning sex and deals with how she can do that and not let her Asperger’s stop that. Michael, on the other hand, has his own issues, mainly with dealing with his past with his father. He has to come to terms with the fact that he isn’t him and that he is a good guy with a great heart. He also begins to find out about Stella’s Asperger’s and wants to understand it and tells her that it doesn’t change how he feels about her. These are two characters that you would never think could be together but they fit so well that they are the missing puzzle piece in each other's lives. Their road isn’t an easy one and things challenge them along the way but in the end, you can't help but root for them and want them together despite everything telling them they shouldn’t be.

I loved and adore everything about this read. I loved the representation of Asperger’s and how it shows that people with it can live full lives and also find love, and I also loved the diversity of all the characters. This book was fun, flirty, romantic and steamy without being trashy which is a fine line to do. This is a quick and easy read that will make you have all the feels and it’s a great book for these long summer days. So if you want something that will put a smile on your face look no further than The Kiss Quotient.

I absolutely loved The Kiss Quotient! I saw the book floating around and getting a lot of praise, but didn’t know the details of the story. I didn’t even read the blurb. It was just that feeling, ya know? Oh my gosh, even though I expected it to be good, I was totally surprised!

I completely adore the characters. Stelllaaaa! Sorry, I always channel A Street Car Named Desire when I hear/see that name. Anyway! What a refreshing and much-needed character she is. She was the biggest surprise for me because I wasn’t at all expecting her to have Aspergers. But her disorder does not define her. She’s a highly intelligent, successful woman who is determined to solve any problem she faces. I can’t tell how much I enjoyed getting her perspective. And Michael totally melted my icy heart with the way he treated Stella and his family. The chemistry between Michael and Stella gave me major feels!

This book was a total delight. It has a bit of a Pretty Woman thing going on with a twist, but way better. It took me through a range of emotions with a very touching, sweet, sexy, and at times humorous story. I can’t wait to read what Hoang writes next!

<strong>The Kiss Quotient</strong> kicks off newcomer Helen Hoang's <a href="http://bookbinge.com/reviews/series/the-kiss-quotient/">The Kiss Quotient</a> series and it features a high functioning autistic heroine and the male escort that falls madly in love with her.

The book starts off with our heroine, Stella Lane, having dinner with her parents and her Mom mentioning the fact that she would like grandchildren soon so that has Stella thinking. When a colleague at work brings up her lack of successful dating, Stella figures she needs to hire someone to teach her how to be good at having sex. Stella has Asperger's and that makes things hard for her because her mind won't turn off and she says the wrong thing and her partner always gets turned off and so she's learned some things to get through sex but she doesn't ever enjoy it herself. She needs professional help and that is when we meet my boo thang, Michael Phan.

<img src="http://bookbinge.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Michael-Phan-294x442.jpg" alt="" width="189" height="284" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-84244" />

Michael Phan is a dead ringer for Daniel Henney, much to his chagrin but it's helped him in his undercover gig as a male escort so he can't complain too much. He's got his reasons for the way that his life turned out and while he doesn't have regrets, he sometimes has them. He holds himself to a set of rules, a code of ethics, if you will that keeps his professional and his personal life separate. All of those rules seem to have gone right out the window with his latest client, Stella Lane because he's breaking rules left and right.

Stella hires Michael to help her be more comfortable with sex...only, their first night together, they don't get past second base so plans change and before either of them know what's what, Michael and Stella are teaching each other all about love and intimacy. Stella can't help her personality any more than Michael can help his financial situation. The more time that they spend together, the more they have to fight from falling in love with each other. Stella doesn't think anyone would love her and all of her quirks while Michael feels the shame of his secret life-threatening to overwhelm the ever living shit out of him.

I loved the heck out of this story. I loved Stella. I loved Michael. I loved both of their families and I seriously could not get enough. I know that I love a story when I keep texting Holly in between scenes, explaining to her in detail why I'm loving the book so much. I texted Holly a lot while reading this book.

I loved Hoang's writing style. I thought that the way she wrote Stella's character, her struggles with being autistic and just the way that her personality was, it felt authentic and it was written in a way that I completely got what Stella was going through, what she was thinking and I just got it. I really, really loved Stella and how her moral compass was planted firmly in what she thought was right. I loved seeing her love Michael and I loved whenever she changed the plan because when she secretly changed the plan to seduce Michael, my heart sighed ever so happily. She was just a freaking great heroine that I loved oh so much.

Stella made the book fantastic but the addition of Michael Phan? OMG. I completely adored him. His devotion to his family, to his cousins, to his Mom's business and just everything. The wealth of love coming from this man had me from the jump. I loved seeing him fall in love with Stella. From his confusion over what was happening to his crush and then to him realizing he was in love with her? OMG, so stinkin' good.

For me, this book was a complete romance. I enjoyed every single minute of this book and I'm super anxious for the next book to come out. Helen Hoang did so well with this book and seriously, if you've been on the fence about reading this book, don't be. You have no reason to fear you won't enjoy this book. I have every confidence that you'll love it.

<strong>Grade: 5 out of 5</strong>

Adorable! I loved how fleshed out ind well developed the characters were, and how each scene really felt like it developed their relationship in new and interesting ways!

Sometimes I see a cover and I just know that I need to read a book. That’s what happened with THE KISS QUOTIENT. This is the debut novel by Helen Hoang and I knew nothing about it when the cover was released but I knew I had to read it. I was expecting this book to be a cute/sweet contemporary romance and it delivered more than that.

Our heroine, Stella, is a very successful and smart woman that has learned to live her life in a way that works for her to cope with the fact she’s autistic. Her family is pressuring her to finally get a man and get married but she has a lot of issues with intimacy and how it makes her feel. So she decides to hire an escort to get over her fear/repulsion to touching and being touched in the hopes she can move on and have a relationship. What wasn’t part of the plan was developing feelings for said escort.

First of all, this book is completely adorable, but it’s not just a sweet contemporary as I was expecting because of the cover. It’s actually sexier than I was expecting but in a way that didn’t make the whole escort thing feel cheap and cheesy like I find a lot of books that revolve around that topic. Michael is a big part of that. I really liked his character, I liked how their relationship was about more than the physical and it was about showing Stella how to be in a relationship and interact with others. Michael was the perfect person to do that for her even when he didn’t know what the reasons behind her issues were.

Both Michael and Stella are characters you’ll fall in love with and care for from the very beginning until the end. They have their own issues to work through aside from their relationship. I enjoyed how well rounded the story was and also how diverse as this is a glimpse into the Vietnamese culture and community.

THE KISS QUOTIENT is definitely a feel good romance you need to put on your summer TBR. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Absolutely wonderful. Fresh and realistic. Compelling, sympathetic characters. Both h/h (Stella and Michael) are characters who struggle with inner demons and eventually face their fears together. Stella’s autism is presented as both a genuine challenge and a part of her that she knows how to use to her advantage.

I was a bit late to the party on this one since its an adult title, but as soon as the reviews started coming in about how amazing it was and how sweet, I KNEW I had to get my hands on it. And I'm so glad I did!

Stella is not one for romance. She thinks math is the only thing in the universe that makes things right. Her mom is pressuring her to get a boyfriend (or something) and she hates not giving her what she wants. But her Asperger's creates different problems (like French kissing). So she calls on a pro. Enter Michael. But before she knows it, Stella begins to find that Michael's lessons are too good and maybe she should try to convince him to stay around.

Starting with the characters, Michael was amazing. I loved how sweet he was to Stella and how understanding he was. And Stella was an amazing character as well. She was so intuitive and well written. And of course that means the two of them together were gold. And let's not forget the spice level of this off the charts! Those lessons were a lot more spicy than I was expecting and I hope there's more in the next book of the series.

And then there was the writing style. I found myself getting lost in Hoang's words. I found myself not wanting to stop listening to this. I listened to it everywhere, including at work..... In a crowded workroom. (I had to fan my face a few times and turn the volume down, but it was TOTES worth it!) Hoang has a way with words that will make you put everything else on hold. Or she definitely did for me. And I can't wait to see what else she comes up with.

As for the plot, it was a contemp romance so it was a bit predictable. It fit directly with the romance troupes, but still was unique enough to keep me entertained. And being able to see from both of their POV's was such a nice touch. It was great to be able to know what they both were thinking. It was a great, quick read.

I really love seeing this diverse romance getting so much warranted attention. A great writing style, a great plot, and great characters all make for a great contemporary romance. After getting so lost in this one, I can't wait to see what Hoang does with the rest of this series.

I will start by saying the cover is fantastic. I definitely would have picked it up if browsing in a bookstore. I'm not a huge reader of the romance genre but I'm not sure I've read a book that depicted an autistic woman and I loved it. I think both Stella and Michael were well rounded characters. Despite Stella's difficulties interacting, her desire to meet the right person was spot on. I will say I was honestly surprised by some of the content. The book was heavily publicized and I saw several reviews in magazines or on websites...but it was made to sound more like a light romance- which I don't think it is. It seemed like it was part literary fiction, part chick lit, part romance and part over-the-top Harlequin. Some of the love scenes were overdone but the relationship between Stella and Michael was sweet and the length of the book made the pacing just right. Anything else would have seemed fake (even though the story line is kind of unrealistic in terms of the turnaround a handsome escort makes in mere weeks!) I think the strongest part was the 3rd person POV. Most of what I read these days is 1st person and so this was a standout feature for me. Stella's character was really well done and I think it was a strong debut novel. I heard it is going to be a series so I look forward to the future of Stella and Michael.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved, loved, loved this book! I love that it featured a protagonist on a the spectrum and that both protagonists were POC but at the same time, it was a reasonably conventional romance novel with all the usual tropes. What a fun and refreshing read.

I absolutely loved this sparkling debut novel by Helen Hoang! I am not often surprised by a book but ‘The Kiss Quotient’ was a total delight. Sexy, warm-hearted and totally refreshing, this story has become one of my favorite reads this year!

Stella is brilliant but has Asperger’s Syndrome and so is unable to read and interpret common social cues. As a result, she is lonely and seeks an instructor to teach her how to act in social situations. In total control of her professional life, she has no clue how to act with members of the opposite sex or even how to act around friends.

”While she was ahead on all her deadlines, need was still the right word for it. Work fascinated her, channeled the furious craving in her brain. It was also therapeutic.


Inside her office, she initiated her most beloved routine. First, she powered on her computer and entered her password into the prompt screen. As all the software booted up, she plopped her purse in her desk drawer and went to fill her cup with water from the kitchen. Her shoes came off, and she placed them in their regular spot under her desk. She sat. Power, password, purse, water, shoes, sit. Always this order.”

Michael works as an escort but his passion is in clothing design. He is handsome and smart but his family has fallen on hard times and he has taken it upon himself to make everything right again.


”As Michael padded through his cheap apartment toward the bathroom and shed his clothes, he tried to revive his old enthusiasm for this job. The taboo nature of it had been enough in the beginning, but after three years of escorting, that was pretty much old hat. The revenge aspect still satisfied him, though. ‘Look at your only son now, Dad.’”


Michael cannot believe a woman like Stella needs the services of a professional escort. He sees a beautiful, sexy and smart young woman who is very different from his usual clients.

”He stared at her open expression and proffered hand for a stunned fraction of a second. This wasn’t how clients greeted him. They usually waved him into a seat with a sly curl of their lips and a sparkle in their eyes—that sparkle that said they thought they were better than him but were looking forward to what he could offer anyway. She greeted him like he was … an equal.”

I was enthralled by this book from beginning to end. The story touches on family, unconditional love, individuality and acceptance and I could not put it down! The writing was sparkling and entertaining and intelligent. Stella and Michael came alive on the pages!

Once Stella hires Michael to teach her the ways of the world, so to speak, he begins to realize that she is a bit different from most people. But as they get to know each other, Stella literally blossoms and she also encourages Michael to follow his true path in life.

A grin tugged at his lips again. “Are you a scientist, Stella?” “Oh, no. I’m an economist. More precisely, I’m an econometrician.” In Michael’s book, that put her solidly in the brainiac category, and an odd feeling ghosted up the back of his neck. Damned if he didn’t have a thing for smart girls. There was a reason why his favorite fantasy was Hot for Teacher.


This book is funny and poignant and romantic and filled with life. I absolutely adored the unique storyline and the quirky supporting characters. The author is a talent to watch, that’s for sure. I cannot wait for more!

”Saying nothing, she let the moment wash over her, the uncertainty, the breathless hope, the anxiousness, and the shimmering contentment. The sight of their intertwined hands pleased her.


So different, but still five fingers and five knuckles, the same general blueprint. She tightened her grip, and he squeezed her back. Palm to palm, two lonely halves found comfort in together.” (less)

Just Another Book Bitch's ALWAYS SPOILER FREE REVIEW

Sometimes you stumble on a new author that not only writes beautifully but brings to light a condition many live with. Something that you may or may not be familiar with but is so well done it opens your eyes and makes you want to shake the hand of said author and say “thank you”. Thank you for your words. Thank you for opening my eyes. Or maybe thank you for putting into words how I feel on a daily basis with the promise that yes there is someone out there who will understand you and accept you for you. The Kiss Quotient is that book. Author Helen Hoang is that author. You’re about to embark on an original story told from the heart with such passion and empathy you can’t help but fall, not only for the characters but for the author herself. You can truly see she is writing from her soul when creating these characters. They were meant to be put to paper for all the world to read and Hoang performed that task flawlessly.

I can honestly say I've never read anything like this before. The condition Stella lives with is one I'm not personally familiar with. However, Hoang's seamless depiction of the struggles that people like Stella deal with on a daily basis was eye-opening. I truly empathized and fell in love with Stella. Yes, she may have her idiosyncrasies that those around her don't understand. But she is also a brilliant strong and independent woman that I found myself completely and totally immersed in. I found her to be such a beautiful character that deserves all the love understanding and passion that she's looking for.

Michael Phan is everything a girl wants. In real life and in her romance novels. He's an amazing character that is sure to sweep you off your feet. But I have to say It's not just the hero and heroine that make this novel. The realism that Michael's family delivers to this novel makes you feel as if you are one of them. You hurt when they hurt, you laugh with their crazy antics and you feel as if you are one of them. These characters and their personalities added so much more heart to this story it was the perfect touch to truly bring this story home for the reader.

Swoon-worthy romance to make your heart melt ✔
Steamy passion that makes your kindle sizzle
and the girly bits tingle ✔
Characters that leap off the pages and burrow into your heart ✔

I hope that you make this an instant click. This was really hard to keep spoiler free but that's the way I went in and regret nothing. I got to truly enjoy the book as the author intended. If you really need more info, check out the blurb for The Kiss Quotient ◄ here but I beseech you... jump into this story and let the author sweep you away the way I was. You will not regret it!

The story is a bit different than I had originally thought it was going to be. It was such a sweet romance. I was expecting more humor but I really dig that the author revved up on the romance.

Stella is a super sweet character who is just struggling to work on her social skills. She needed someone with patience to deal with her. I liked that Michael was that guy every step of the way.

There is a lot of sex going down in this book. I got startled by it. Stella didn't have no problem hanging tough with Michael. At one point, I wanted the author to get back on track with the emotional connection of the story which she slowly did.

Overall, this is just a fantastic read. I look forward to reading more by this author.

ARC provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Everywhere I go, I see raves for this book, and whenever I see too many raves, I worry that the book won't live up to all the hype, but you know what, The Kiss Quotient more than delivered.

Who?
• Stella, a brilliant woman with ASD, who works in econometrics, and thinks if she was better at the physical aspects, she would be able to have a successful relationship.

• Michael, a devastatingly attractive male escort by circumstance, who puts his family needs before his own, but worries that he may become like his father.

What?
Stella hires Michael to "help" her learn to tolerate kissing and other physically intimacies, to make her better at relationships, but this arrangement may become more than either of them had anticipated.

Why?
Oh. My. God! This book so funny, so sexy, so sweet, so heartfelt, and just all around amazing. I was drawn into this story from the very beginning, and once I started, I found it really hard to stop.

I absolutely adored Stella. She was intelligent and driven, but the confidence she had in her professional life did NOT carry over to her personal life. It was such to joy to watch her flourish with Michael, because he was able to see how wonderful she was.

And let me tell you, Michael was a fantastic hero. I understand, that he was an escort, and they are supposed to cater to their client's needs, but he went beyond that. He had this gentleness with Stella, which made her more open and receptive to things, and once he realized she had ASD, he was even more aware of how to approach things with her. Aside from that, there were a ton of other things to love about Micheal. He was so dedicated to his family. He didn't want to be an escort, but due to his family's financial situation, he needed to earn copious amounts of money quickly. He abandoned his dream in order to help with the family business. Michael was very self sacrificing, and that made me root for him to get something that he really wanted, because he deserved good things to happen to him.

The romance between Michael and Stella was everything! It was hot, steamy, sweet, adorable, swoony. I just couldn't get enough of these two. But there was more than just romance in this story, and I loved the way Hoang wove those other plot lines into the story. It was as seamless and organic as how she educated me on things associated with ASD.

This was a really beautiful story too. Both Michael and Stella felt that they were not good enough. Michael was stuck in this prison due to family debts. He felt defined by his circumstances, but Stella saw him as smart and talented. She saw more than the nice car, great body, and pretty face. I loved seeing Michael's confidence in himself grow as he spent more time with Stella. Stella felt as though there was nothing more to her than her ASD. Michael seeing beyond her disability was such a huge step in her journey towards self acceptance, and it was really heartwarming to watch these two grow together.

Overall
One of the best and most delightful adult contemporary romances I have read this year! I shall await Hoang's next book with bated breath.

I FINALLY got around to reading this. I went in with high expectations and they were not met. I think I was expecting a more emotional story and this missed the mark for me. I don't think I ever truly connected with either MC.
They did a horrible job of communicating with each other and it seemed like the relationship was built on sex. There may have even been a little bit of "magic penis" happening. It took two encounters with Michael and then all of a sudden Stella is an orgasming machine.
I was very irritated by Michael's issues with his dad. He was acting like his dad had done something that no one ever in the history of the world has done. When in reality, parents leave their families all the time. It is hurtful and sad, but in the year 2018, not something that carries as much of a stigma as he was making it out to be.
I did really enjoy the scenes with Michael's family and reading bits and pieces about Vietnamese culture.
Overall this was an okay read for me.

I finished reading The Kiss Quotient a couple of hours ago, and I’m still not over it. What an incredible book! From the start, I found myself rooting for Stella and Michael, and it’s not often that I find multiple characters wholly likeable. However, the author personified Stella in a way that many can relate to, even as she struggles with the aspects of her diagnosis. And talk about a strong female lead! It was refreshing to experience a female main character advocate for herself and her needs, and to have Michael’s character know, understand, and accept those needs. The author is an amazing storyteller, and I just wish the ending had dragged out in a little more detail, because I did not want the story to end! Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Fun and sexy read -- not high literature, but captured my attention and I read it one sitting! The premise made me giggle and the characters were very sweet; I rooted for them all the way. Looking forward to more from the author!

*4.5 stars. Truly one of the best romances I've read in years. Quirky characters, off the wall chemistry, and extremely hot love scenes. What really sets this romance above others, though, is Hoang's ability to portray the vulnerabilities of her characters. I couldn't stop thinking about this book after I finished it. Truly phenomenal.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Great look at love from the point of view of two very different characters. So well developed. I love the focus on the autistic characteristics.