Helen Hoang's The Bride Test is an entertaining and beautiful follow up to one of my favorite books last year, The Kiss Quotient. The characters draw you in until you need to know what happens next. I hope Hoang continues to write characters with Autism in the future.

4 'Rule Number Six' Stars!
ARC kindly provided by the the publisher.

Absolutely one of my most expected releases of 2019 since I freaking adored The Kiss Quotient last year. Helen Hoang just blew my mind with her debut novel and I 100% had crazy high expectations for The Bride Test. Of course, again, Helen Hoang did a fantastic job. TKQ continues being my absolute favorite but this author just has a beautiful way to develop love stories and Khai and Esme's was no exception.

So, The Bride Test’s release day is just around the corner and if you haven’t lived under a rock you know it is the second installment in Helen’s The Kiss Quotient series. We actually met Khai Diep in TKQ (he is the hero’s cousin) and he is a man who is fine with the life he has. Well, his mother is not having it and she finds him a fiancé while she is visiting Vietnam. Esme Tran cannot turn down the opportunity to have a better life for her and her family. She is nervous but determined to seduce Khai but that is not an easy task when said man does not know much on how to actually feel. Will love win? Read and find out!

He was a puzzle she never would have been able to solve if he hadn't shown her how. Those were the best kinds of puzzles, weren't they? The ones no one else could figure out?

Obviously, I knew that Helen Hoang would not be writing a typical romance. I learnt that while reading The Kiss Quotient. The woman is super talented and has her unique way to develop fresh and original love stories with complex characters. Yes, Khai also is autistic but his personality and everything about him just feels different from Stella (the heroine of TKQ). The Bride Test definitely is a much slow burn romance than TKQ and that I loved. It was delightful to see all the layers of these characters, their burning chemistry, how they learn to care for each other and finally fall in love.

It made him a greedy bastard, but he wanted her love. He wanted to be her "one," the recipient of her smiles, the reason of her smiles, her drug. She was his.

Therefore, my rating for The Bride Test is 4 STARS because it surely had the same feel to it as TKQ but still with a different couple and their unique relationship. Yes, I did have very high expectations for this and I did not love it as much as The Kiss Quotient but still, it was a stunning and original love story that made me fall in love more with Helen Hoang’s writing. I definitely cannot wait to read Quan’s story, he simply sounds yummy! Of course, I will be reading whatever this author releases because I am already addicted. Guys, check her works out, trust me.

Khai Diep has never been like anyone else. He is ruthlessly controlled and seemingly without emotions. His life is organized to avoid entanglements of all kinds and he especially avoids romantic relationships. His family knows he is caring and that being on the Autism Spectrum means he processes emotions differently. Frustrated by Khai’s refusal to date, his meddling mother takes matters into her own hands and brings home a bride from Viet Nam for him.

Esme Tran is smart and hard working. But as a mixed-race girl living in Ho Chi Min, it is hard to rise above her circumstances and better her life and that of her family. When an opportunity to travel to America is presented, how can she refuse the chance? Seducing Khai is complicated and she falls for his kind, caring self. But can she convince Khai he does have feelings for her?

This was a sweet, story and made more enjoyable because it was obviously an important story for the author herself. It was interesting to read a romance novel that was told as much from the hero’s point of view as the heroines. I liked Esme – it was hard not to root for her. But Khai was a little bit of a tough nut to crack. I felt his emotional distance. Watching both characters conquer their demons was satisfying but I felt the ending was rushed and some story elements --Esme’s father and introducing her daughter for example-- were wrapped up too quickly. Living with an OCD spouse, I know that people with mental health challenges can overcome and change deeply ingrained behavior patterns. However, I also know that it takes a great deal of time and patience. The pace of storytelling in romance novels is compressed and that compressed pace made the resolution of the story feel a bit too rushed to seem realistic.

At the end of a day, I want a romance novel to leave me feeling happy. Despite some issues at the conclusion, The Bride Test was a fun read and I finished with a smile on my face. A solid read I would recommend. 4 stars.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for your next FIVE STAR READ, you needn't look any further than Helen Hoang's The Bride Test. Seriously, this book BLEW ME AWAY. I didn't anticipate loving this book even more than I did The Kiss Quotient, but I think I just did. I so so so did. I loved it from the very first page to the very last and I screamed and swooned and ached the whole way through. 

I didn't even read the blurb before I went into this book and if you can help it, you shouldn't either. I went in completely blind and let Hoang sweep me away yet again with another wickedly sharp romance full of humor and heartache, lush romance and refreshing authenticity. Our current reading climate finds more and more readers seeking diversity in their romance, and relatable characters facing relevant issues. Well, Helen Hoang just showed up with a book that is guaranteed to check all those boxes while melting and shredding readers' hearts everywhere along the way. 

This storyline is unlike anything I've ever read. It's sexy and angsty and surprisingly funny but it's also thought provoking and NEXT LEVEL smart. (And God knows I do love a smart romance.) I love when a story is BIGGER. More important. Eye opening. I appreciate a story that sweeps me away as much with its sweet romance as it does with the honesty of its message. This is a story about women going after what they want in a world that tells them they're worth less. It's a story where characters step out from behind the labels they've been assigned to greet you with the gift of a supremely profound understanding you didn't have before. It's a story about love, both romantic and familial. It's about healing and acceptance and self discovery. It's about bravery and heroism and strength. It's beautiful and unforgettable and remarkably well written. It's tender and heartfelt with just the right amount of angsty complication. It's perfection and to say I loved it is an understatement.

I devoured this book. Esme and Khai's story, from word one, had me turning these pages like there was no tomorrow. I COULD NOT GET ENOUGH. The chemistry... the tension... the reluctant emotions... the side characters... the superb character development... the raw honesty woven into these pages... I could not have loved this book more if I tried. The Bride Test is a new TOP FAVORITE read I'm happily adding to the list of books I can not recommend enough. You seriously HAVE to read this book.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. It was good. It's shining part is My Ngoc Tran aka Esme. She is real, strong, full of life, a little strange, in a good way. She kept me reading and reading this unusual love story that starts out of necessity.

My finds a way out of poverty, a better life for her family. Kkai thinks he gets a way out of being set up by his mother but he gets someone to care about in his own way. Someone who learns who he is and loves him. All of him.

Diverse heroes and heroines in many ways. My and Khai find their happiness. It is a fairy tale. Autism and people with autism like syndrome face many, many difficulties in life, love and in their search for happiness.

At the beginning before start reading The Bride Test I wasn't sure if it could be as good as The Kisss Quotient so I'm so happy to say this was absolutely fantastic!The Brite Test is a heartwarming and sweet story.

I adored Esme and Khai, their story was unique and full of emotions.The romance was sweet and so cute , my heart *sigh* I was swooning with these two!They are two characters from different worlds but somehow they were perfect for each other! Esme is a strong heroine and I liked her a lot!I liked the build up between Esme and Khai through the story.

"It made him a greedy bastard, but he wanted her love. He wanted to be her one, the recipient of her smiles, the reason for her smiles, her drug. She was his.”

I need more books from Helen Hoang, her writing is flawless and her stories captivating and addictive!

Loved this! Smart, fun, and sexy! I really enjoy books about characters with ASD, and seeing them in romantic roles is so empowering. The characters were fresh and likeable, and the Vietnamese language and culture throughout was well written and interesting.

It truly breaks my heart that I didn't love this book. The Kiss Quotient was a smash hit and made my yearly top favorites list last year. To say that I was impatiently waiting to get my hands on the follow up book would be an understatement. I really struggled with my rating, debating with myself over the pros and cons of the story throughout the morning yesterday. But when I sat down and starting writing out the things that bothered me, I realized that the story was sadly just okay for me and there were several things that bothered me quite a bit. I adore Hoang's style of writing. Its ability to instantly engage you and leave you feeling thoroughly swept away by the romance she crafts so carefully. But even with your absolute favorite authors, there will always be some stories that miss the mark and unfortunately this is one of them for me.

The core themes of the book were poverty vs privilige, immigration and the hardships of having to reinvent your life in a foreign country, and Khai's journey to understanding that he's not broken emotionally. He simply processes things differently than most people and his belief that he is incapable of deep feelings like grief and love prevented him from seeking out a romantic relationship. All of these things were thought provoking topics, especially Khai's personal journey which was probably my favorite thing out of the book. It was Mỹ that caused me to struggle the most and caused a disconnect to the romance.

The entire basis of their relationship was based in deception on her part. When Khai's mother meets her in Vietnam and offers her the opportunity for a possible arranged marriage to her son, she agrees. However, having not discussed this manipulation of his life beforehand, she warns her that she will have to "convince him" to agree. Her son has avoided relationships for too long and she wants him to settle down with a good girl and make grandbabies. I didn't particularly care for her meddling, but her heart was genuinely in the right place. She wanted her son to find happiness and fulfillment and she didn't think he'd ever initiate finding a wife himself. Though his mother's reason for her coming there was transparent to Khai, Mỹ did not have a pure intent with him. Her mother urged her to seduce him in order to gain a marriage proposal and hide the existence of her daughter which really upset me.

Even though everything her mother advised bothered her, she willingly lies by omission about her child's existence the entire time. When I say that, I mean she didn't tell him until the last 3% of the book. Not only did she not tell him, she kept it from his mother and everyone else in the family who welcomed her with open arms. This is not okay at all. This is a HUGE thing to hide. It's not a little white lie, it's a child. She had struggles with her conscience about it, but her fear of his reaction overpowered thoughts of admitting the truth. She also lied about being an accountant to impress him, and then hid going to night school from him. I understood that she had low self-confidence, but she was painting a false image of herself to him which got frustrating. I had a very hard time rooting for her when she was acting this way.

There were issues that cropped up in relation to Mỹ's ignorance of his autism. All of these could have easily been avoided had his mother simply talked to her about it when she was proposing she marry the man! As his mother, wouldn't it make sense that she was sensitive to his differences so that there would be no unnecessary hurt feelings or misunderstandings? And yet she never mentions it once. Another thing that didn't make sense to me was the fact that Mỹ had left her mother, grandmother, and daughter in Vietnam and I wondered how they were supporting themselves. She was the one bringing in the income, and if they are so poor how are they getting by? She was waitressing while she was there, but after a few weeks of work she supposedly had enough money saved to pay the cost of getting her own apartment. Granted, it's not in the best neighborhood and the rent wouldn't be steep, but it still takes a good chunk of money to move in somewhere.

Mỹ spent the whole book believing that Khai was an employee in his own company. He is actually very wealthy, but she mistakenly believes that he's just an accountant who lives in an average sized house. In actuality, he's not the type of person that focuses on money or flashes it around so it never occured to him to discuss it. I kept waiting for her to discover the misconception, but it never happened which I found kind of strange.

I did start warming up to them as a couple in the last 30% or so, but there were so many things that didn't work for me that it overshadowed the moments that I enjoyed. I loved Quon and his devotion to his brother. My heart went out to Khai as he sifted through his confusing emotions over love and his capacity to feel things in his own unique way. I'm still extremely excited about Helen Hoang's next book despite having bad luck this time around. Many will find more to enjoy, so don't just take my word for it. I urge you to give this one a go and judge for yourself.

Charming new romance from Helen Hoang about Michael 's (from Kiss Quotient) cousin Khai finding love and opening his heart to those around him. After a family tragedy occurs Khai thinks he has no feelings and does not think himself capable of love. His mother has other ideas and chooses a bride from Vietnam to bring back to the U.S. in hopes of a organic courtship. Esme Tran is strong willed and hard working spitfire who can't pass this opportunity up for herself and her family. As Esme tries to seduce Khai all her ideas and lessons in love start to work...but on her instead of Khai. Esme falls in love with Khai while Khai is determined to shield Esme from disappointment of his inability to love. Wires get crossed and the two find out that there is more than one way to communicate and love.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc! I loved this one. It was a quick read, fun and refreshing, and lots and lots of steam. I loved the wedding scenes, and I absolutely loved Esme. I would read more of this series!

Did I realize this was a series?
Absolutely not. It's not the first time it has taken me 3/4 of a book to place why the cursory characters seem familiar.

Do you need to read The Kiss Quotient first?
Nope.

It is as lovely an sweet as Kiss Quotient?
Yes.

Is it as steamy?
No. But it is still hot, hot hot,but it felt right to not be so detailed in the sexytime.

I loved, loved The Kiss Quotient and had high expectations for The Bride Test, so I am thrilled to say that Helen Hoang beyond delivered! A fast-paced, engrossing read with well-developed, diverse characters and a steamy romance.

Equal parts sexy, funny and insightful, Helen Hoang gives us another romantic masterpiece in The Bride Test. You can really get lost in this novel. It is so unputdownable! All the characters are likable—even the supporting characters like Quan and Cô Nga. Just like in The Kiss Quotient, I loved the family dynamics. It’s so wonderful to see adult males being sweet and obedient to their moms and the elder in the family. The friendship between the cousins Khai, Quan and Michael is also adorable.

The plot itself—a controlling mother arranging a bride for her socially-awkward son— could have gone the wrong way and turned out trite, but with Hoang’s skilled writing, I immediately warmed up to the story. Esme is simply lovable. I really admired her kindness, determination and her devotion to her daughter, mother and grandmother. As a person who also grew up in poverty, I totally understand how she feels about being born without enough opportunities. Sometimes we are dealt with a bad hand in life, but our fate is ours to control.

Ultimately the romance in this novel is just a bonus to its exploration of normalizing autism, promotion of consent and its inspiring story of an immigrant’s journey to better her life. Esme is a truly admirable heroine—a strong female character who does not need a man to get ahead in life. She is not afraid to fight for love, but she valued education and hard work over romance. She knows and upholds her worth as a woman. It turns out at the end that she was loosely based on Hoang’s mother’s story and it made much more sense to me how she was able to create such a believable character. (Do not miss the author’s note at the end!)

I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from Helen Hoang. Hopefully the next book will be about Quan! ❤️ Big thanks to Berkley Publishing for providing a copy of this wonderful book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.