This book, while a nice romance, is great book about female empowerment. Following
Esme is a joy as she finds her true wroth. I look forward to more books by this author.

Although this is technically a romance, the joy of this story is watching Esme, an unusual heroine readers who can't help but root for, embrace her independence and self-worth.

This was another great romance by Helen Hoang. She’s going to be an auto-buy author for me, since I heard she just got a five-book contract.

Much like Hoang’s first book, this is a story set within the same Vietnamese-American family as her first novel, and also like her first novel, it features a character with Autism. It was really fun spending time with this family and the heroine Esme, who has come from Vietnam as a potential bride for Khai. Esme was a compelling character, and I was really rooting for her to have an opportunity to improve her life to better care for her daughter, mom and grandmother. Khai is also a great character, and it is wonder to watch him come to love Esme.

While the romance is good (and hot) there are so many great little moments that linger with me that show Hoang’s talent as a writer. Esme is such a hard working character who always moves forward, despite every challenge and setback. And Khai is so caring, despite the fact that he thinks he does not have emotions. These are two characters you won’t quickly forget.

Since I’m reviewing this book before it has been published, you may have guessed that I got a free copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. It’s a blessing and a curse, because now I’ll have longer to wait for the next book to be published.

Helen Hoang, the author of the Kiss Quotient and now the Bride Test, has written a wonderful romance story of a Vietnam woman who is asked by a mother to marry her “autistic” son in American. With courage and sheer strength Esmeralda leaves her child and family to convince this man to marry her. Esmeralda wants more for herself and her family and this man may be the only way she can do it.

With humor and hot romantic scenes, the story comes to life and each character touches your heart. I fully enjoyed The Bride Test and Helen Hoang has become one of my favorite authors. Also, I would take the time to read her acknowledgement at the end of the book. It gives the story personal and more meaningful.

Thank you random house and Netgalley for this advanced copy.

4.75 stars!

This book was everything that I needed! Helen has done it again. I absolutely adore this story. The characters are so fleshed out, the diversity and representation is phenomenal, the cultural aspects are so intriguing, and we had a cameo from Stella and Michael!
I cannot wait to read a finished copy of this book. Helen has written another fantastic book! I can’t wait to read what she has next 😍!

I. Loved. This. Book. So. Much!! The main characters were so engaging and I loved their stories. I liked the sex discussion between Khai and his two guy friends and how one of his friends just casually had a couple books on sex he was able to lend him. Also, I adored Esme, but I appreciated her character more after reading the author's note that Esme wasn't even supposed to be the main love interest in this story but after talking to her mom about the poverty she experienced growing up in rural Vietnam, Hoang knew Esme deserved more.

A mesmerizing book about love, hardship, the immigrant experience and autism.
The most unusual and interesting book I've read in a long time. The beauty of family ties mixes with a rare love story.
It was too good to put down. I devoured it. Highly recommended.

I didn't intend to read this right away, but I couldn't help myself. This book, like THE KISS QUOTIENT, features a neurodiverse main character entering a relationship. This time, the character is male, the partner is a girl his mother has flown in from Vietnam to be his wife - should they hit it off, they'll marry at the end of the summer. Esme is the lady in question, has plenty of secrets of her own, and is trying to navigate this relationship opportunity as a way toward a better life for her family in Vietnam, learn English, and maybe find her biological father. It is a fast, enjoyable read. It isn't quite as sex-filled as THE KISS QUOTIENT, which may or may not be what the reader is looking for. The ending is tied up nicely and a little fantastically, basically what you look for in a fairy-tale type romance.

There aren't enough stars for me to rate how much I loved this book! If you're a fan of The Kiss Quotient go ahead and preorder or be first on your library hold list--it's even funnier and more heartfelt than her first. Hoang knows how to write a fantastic rom-com and I will read anything she writers.

Really enjoyed this. I love books where the romantic leads spend a lot of time together. The main protagonist was refreshing - a strong woman who knows her worth.

I really enjoyed Hoang's first book, The Kiss Quotient. It was smart, funny, and contemporary. I went into "The Bride Test" with the same expectations, and unfortunately, they fell short. I simply didn't connect with the characters and didn't find them as sympathetic or realistic as Michael and Stella. The story also seemed to move at breakneck speed, which isn't always bad, but there wasn't enough explanation for details in the story. The author didn't flesh out her secondary characters as much as I would like, so I honestly don't remember them much. Finally, the premise itself seems so dated to me (marriage of convenience) and the search for Esme's father bordered on ridiculous. I had hoped for more with this one.

This was another fun read by Helen Hoang. I was a little hesitant to read another autism romance by this author, but Khai was a totally different character than Stella was in The Kiss Quotient.

And I think underneath the romantic fluff and relationship angst, there are some smart observations about immigration and the American dream. The author's note at the end really expands on this point and adds depth to the story.

The own voices autism stuff was REALLY good. It's so smart to use sensory issues as a lens on consent. I really felt for Khai, all reading a book at every wedding.

I liked both Esme and Khai as characters. It was cool to read about a baller Vietnamese family. This one will be great for a real romance reader who loves a super big POW of HEA at the end. That's not me, so I found it a little contrived/cheesy and got impatient with all the necessary plot obstacles.

ARC via NetGalley.

Ever since I fell in love with Helen Hoang's debut novel, The Kiss Quotient, I've been eager to get my hands on this follow-up... and it did not disappoint! She's done it again- brought charm, sweetness, humor, and genuine emotion to a diverse contemporary romance.

Once again, we have a Vietnamese-American guy as the romantic lead, which I am ALL ABOUT (please see my husband). The romance here is sweet, earnest, and all about finding commonalities and overcoming obstacles. It's steamy, but slightly less so in comparison to The Kiss Quotient. Which makes sense- the plot in TKQ centers around a woman trying to learn to enjoy physical intimacy, whereas the plot here is more about two people building a relationship that transcends a variety of barriers.

Hoang explores a variety of themes and topics in this one, including:

* arranged marriage - which, btw, is still totally a thing! When my husband was in his 20s, it was strongly suggested on multiple occasions that his grandmother would be more than happy to find him a nice bride from Vietnam instead of this useless white girl. (Spoilers: he ended up with the useless white girl.)

* the immigrant experience - navigating a culture when you're not entirely proficient in the customs or the language. This is always a challenge, and Esme faces the added burden of feeling inferior because of her lack of education and resources. She fights for everything, works hard for everything, and refuses to give up. Don't miss the author's note at the end, where Hoang talks about how she based Esme a great deal on her own mother's experiences.

* the big Vietnamese family dynamic, as seen in The Kiss Quotient. A little less warm-fuzzy this time, as much of the narrative is seen through Khai's eyes, and he's just not a warm-fuzzy guy. But the sense of a big, extended family (where everyone is kinda all up in each other's business) rings true, and I loved it.

* autism - Khai's way of navigating the world and relationships is different from Stella's in The Kiss Quotient. I find Hoang's portrayal of two very different adults with autism to be really thoughtful and nuanced-- autism is a big part of their lives, but it's not the thing defines them, and it's not the same for each character.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, absolutely didn't want to put it down, and hope hope hope Helen Hoang and Berkley Publishing will grace us with a third book about Khai's brother Quan!

THE BRIDE TEST by itself is a very entertaining, enjoyable contemporary romance. However, when compared to Hoang's breakout hit THE KISS QUOTIENT it falls short in a couple areas. I tried to keep this in mind while reading it and focus solely on THE BRIDE TEST"S merits, but comparison between the two is perhaps inevitable due to the first book's immense popularity.

Hoang succeeded in creating an endearing, immensely likable heroine in Esme, but I had trouble connecting with Khai's character. I appreciated the moments when he showed a tender side towards Esme, but overall there was a lack of vulnerability about him that bothered me, even at the end. This ability to show vulnerability was something that I so loved about Stella in THE KISS QUOTIENT, so it was disappointing to find such a lack of that here.

The other thing that felt lacking was the love scenes. They weren't bad, but again, I was subconsciously expecting the same level of sexiness that was found in THE KISS QUOTIENT. They had an almost lackluster quality to them that was surprising given that the sexual chemistry between Esme and Khai was actually very well done.

Finally, I did not feel this was as well-written a book as I've come to expect from Hoang. The writing felt rushed in certain areas, and there was a curious casualness to the language that didn't sit well with me.

Overall, I enjoyed THE BRIDE TEST, and it is certainly a step above the average romance novel. However, I don't think it achieved quite the same level of success as THE KISS QUOTIENT in terms of character development, hot love scenes, and the quality of the language.

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

While reluctant to give 5 stars, The Bride Test deserved more than 4. I was one of the few who didn't read The Kiss Quotient, so I can honestly say I read this because of the description and I absolutely adored the cover. I think it is important for authors to write for people needing to be understood and for the reader who needs to understand. I would recommend this book to anyone, not just a person with Asperger's or someone who knows someone with Asperger's/autism, because it is such a powerful love story. What is love anyway? Haven't we proved that you can grow to love a stranger? Hit me in the heart!! I cried.

What a lovely and delightful book. Khai and Esme are such sweet characters. It was fun to see how they both grew. As with many romance novels, if there had been just a bit more communication, there would have been a lot fewer difficulties. It's wonderful to see a story highlighting both minorities and neuroatypical characters.

HOW DOES HELEN HOANG DO IT? This was perfection. Hoang writes such unique romances in just about every way, but especially the circumstances in which the characters get together (an “arranged marriage” here and the whole “male escort” thing KISS QUOTIENT).

When Khai’s mom heads to Vietnam to essentially hand-pick a woman for her son to marry, she finds that Esme, who is working in the restroom, would be the perfect match. She is hesitant at first because she has a young daughter, mother, and grandmother to support. Her mother insists that she comes to California for the summer to try to make things work with him. She can also try to find her father, an American on business who never knew he got her mother pregnant. She eventually agrees for those reasons – why not give it a shot? Khai, on the other hand, just decides to appease his mom, live with Esme, and see what happens. He was obviously in for a surprise when he found himself instantly fascinated by her.

I was completely charmed by both Esme and Khai; they were totally lovable in their different ways. Esme talked a lot while Khai would just take it all in. They were opposites but complementary. Watching them open up to each other was so entertaining and heartwarming. They didn’t just grow as a pair, but absolutely grew as individuals too. Esme learned about her own interests and goals while Khai opened up to the fact that he DOES have feelings, of all kinds. Superb, natural character development.

I am so eager to read more and more of her stories. LOVED this one, just a tiny tiny bit (okay one half-star) more than TKQ. If I could complain about ANYTHING, I wish there was a tiny bit more development at the beginning of the story and toward the end of the story. I’m nitpicking, but a little bit more backstory could have been interesting! (This is mostly about Khai’s mom and Esme’s mom.)

I gobbled this book up in a single day. A sweet, funny, and sometimes sexy romance, with a lot of substance. I loved getting to know these characters and I can't wait to read what this author writes next!

***ARC received for an honest review***

At first I wasn’t sure how I felt. I couldn’t identify with the characters - their cultures were unfamiliar, and they were both difficult to identify with. I felt uncomfortable as Esme struggled, as Khai pushed.

But I wanted more. I wanted what’s next. I wanted to watch these two strange people bloom and unfurl because it became abundantly clear they both had amazing just under the surface.

And then I was swept away. Esme’s determination to be the hero of her own story. Khai’s grappling with his feelings. I feel like they started this book like tiny little acorns - hard and green and bitter. And they finished it like towering oaks - strong and resilient and majestic.

I liked The Kiss Quotient a lot. But I loved this book. There was a core of sweetness and strength to Khai and Esme that is rare and lovely. Characters that felt scratchy and off in the beginning came to feel like home.

I am so excited for all of you to read this.

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