The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Kiss Quotient comes a romantic novel about love that crosses international borders and all boundaries of the heart. . . Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions like grief. And love. He thinks he's defective. His family knows better that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride. As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can't turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn't go as planned. Esme's lessons in love seem to be working. . . but only on herself. She's hopelessly smitten with a man who's convinced he can never return her affection. With Esme's time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he's been wrong all along. And there's more than one way to love.
- Author - Helen Hoang
- Publisher - Penguin Publishing Group
- Publication Date - 05-07-2019
- Page Count - 320
- Paperback
- Adult
- Romance
- Product Dimensions - 5.4 H x 8.2 W x 0.9 D
- ISBN-13 - 9780451490827
Web ID: 14352423
Great Autism Rep!
The sequel to The Kiss Quotient is my second favorite book of the series, behind The Heart Principle, so I can easily say that the series gets better as you go! I give this book five stars for its romance, autism representation, and beautiful story of immigrants overcoming adversity while staying true to their roots. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a steamy romance with a real depth of character and plot!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Beautiful romance
Amazing romance with a variety of different characters. Seemed like a flip in stereotype of the typical female and male couple, but had kind of a predictable ending.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A very enjoyable story, on every re-read!
I loved this one as much as I loved The Kiss Quotient - and that was a lot! The plot doesn’t unfold quite how you might imagine at the beginning of the book, and that is wonderful. Helen’s writing makes ‘thinking differently’ understandable and relatable, while still taking the reader on a gorgeous journey. I particularly loved the healthy male relationships in this story - so refreshing and gratifying.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
One of my favorite rom-coms
Honestly one of my favorite rom-coms that I've read so far! Full of endearing moments, learning how to fall in love, and how to improve oneself through education.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
An endearing, heartfelt story
After reading, “The Kiss Quotient”, I knew I wanted to read the rest of the series. “The Bride Test”, was a great follow up from the first book, and I was intrigued to read Khai’s story. Khai was the kind of man who, was set with his life. Focusing on his work, maintaining his exercise regimen, and going about his daily life, scheduled out to detail, but… his mother had different plans. Right away, Esme was introduced in the beginning and you could see that she was kind of “down on her luck”, trying to get by and support for her family. With Esme going to America, it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up, not only could she possibly marry Khai, but there were other possibilities that Esme wanted to pursue. I loved reading about Esme and Khai’s relationship especially in the moments where Esme paid attention to specific details about Khai such as, learning that he didn’t like “light/ unexpected touches”, noticing things he does when he was he frustrated, etc. Esme started to pick up on subtle things about Khai that most people wouldn’t have considered. Esme was an attentive, sweet, kind, and happy person whereas Khai was more composed, calm, kept to himself, and was adamant on his lifestyle. Obviously once Esme came into Khai’s life, everything changed for the better and Khai’s originally plan to remain a bachelor slowly dissolved. One of my favorite thing (among numerous things) about this book/ series is reading about the main characters falling in love with one another, but more importantly the journey of how they get there. From beginning, middle, and end, Esme and Khai were constantly learning new things about one another and like any relationship they learned to communicate their wants, their needs, and their fears to one another. Once again, just like the first book, this book looked cute, but it still provided the spicy romance we all know and love that Helen creates so beautifully. Reading how passionate Khai and Esme got with each other was fantastic because, you could just feel the fierce passion that Esme and Khai had for one another. Plus, I was genuinely surprised how Khai reacted whenever he was around Esme, like I knew he was physically into her, but when things finally came down to them engaged in adult playtime….. all I gotta say is Khai definitely listened to his instincts and knew EXACTLY what to do. Overall, this was an endearing, sweet, heartfelt story and I absolutely fell in love with Esme and Khai. This story was more than just about the romance, it was about overcoming obstacles, learning about one’s self, and happiness. I’m sure there are some things I forgot to mention, but overall this book had my attention all the way through, and by the end I was filled with joy. Of course, the epilogue made my heart swoon and it gave a beautiful ending or more like continuation to Esme and Khai’s story.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Absolutely Amazing!
Helen Hoang quickly became an auto-buy author with The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test solidifies that decision 100%. Bride Test is book 2 in The Kiss Quotient Series #1 The Kiss Quotient 2. The Bride Test - You are here! 3. The Heart Principle - currently reading haha So far there are only 3 books in this series but I’m game for more and I’m sure others are as well. I love the way Helen Hoang writes and how she develops her love stories. These aren’t insta-love, these aren’t stories you can read half heartedly. You are invested in their growth, their culture, their families, ther struggles, and it is EVERYTHING. I read a lot of romance and if you know me, usually it’s paranormal. I like to have ‘more’ with my reading and like the ~extra~ plot points. Haha I say this because these books…. THESE books are so much MORE than just romance. I’m not sure how to quantify it. However, it’s the reason I always pause, click, and buy Helen Hoang’s books. Always. Her books are ‘more’ and contain that special something that keeps you engaged. TO THE REVIEW “He was ignoring everyone, including her, at this expensive wedding. So he could read a novel about alien demon things.” This book is an amazing #ownvoices novel involving Vietnamese culture and Autism. While that is similar to The Kiss Quotient, these characters are completely different and the story is (in my opinion) more intense. It goes straight for the heart. Esme made my heart ache. As far as character development, she wins all the things in this novel. Her strength, her bravery, and sheer tenacity stood out above everyone else. I hurt when she got frustrated and I cried when she cried. Esme’s relationship with her immediate family and her struggles are stark and gut wrenching. The mothers were major characters in The Bride Test and they took no prisoners. They are the definition of steel balls and I was ‘side eyeing’ their interactions with everyone else. I loved it. Specifically, I love how each character’s impact was reflected on our main characters. Defining a family and upbringing dynamic that is highlighted throughout. It took me a bit to realize how they’re all connected. Michael Phan from The Kiss Quotient is the cousin of Khai Diep in The Bride Test. There is only a slight mention of Michael in one of the most hysterical scenes in this book. #nospoilers #youneedtoreadthis What to say on Khai. I think he’s a work of art. How Helen articulates his interactions. How he strives to be a good son and a good brother to his family. He is alive on the page and yes, like any hero in a book you want to yell at him when he messes up. I think my favorite parts in the book are his family interactions. Especially with his brother and sister. I’m HOPING his sister gets a book. #crossingfingers Overall, I recommend this to anyone that enjoys contemporary or romance. Even if it’s not your usual cup of tea. GIVE IT A GO! These books are some of the best and won’t disappoint. Overall rating: 4.5 Plot: 4 Character Development: 5 Dialogue: 4.5 Writing: 4.5 Happy Reading, Ash~
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Love, Autism, and Immigration
This was a fun read - the story of a strong young woman who is making her way in a new country for love, not just for a man, but for her family, as well. This was an easy book to read, and I enjoyed the author's voice. Bonus - I also learned how to read Vietnamese names, which I enjoyed!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Can't Wait for the Next One!
The Bride Test was a cute follow-up to The Kiss Quotient. Definitely reading The Heart Principle the minute it comes out!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com