It’s not every day that I find a new favorite romance, so when I do, I have to shout it out from the rooftops, no? Okay maybe not, but this time I want to. Because I felt like this book – The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang voted as The Goodreads Choice Best Romance Book of 2018 totally deserved the title & all the hype it got.
To sum up this book in one line, it’s ‘Pretty Woman (the one starring Julia Roberts)…on Steroids’. But let me not get ahead of myself. I’ll share the blurb & my thoughts on this book, and then you can decide for yourself.
The Kiss Quotient – Book Blurb
Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases — a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.
It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice — with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan — from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…
Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he’s making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic…
The Kiss Quotient – My Review
When I first read the blurb of this book, I was both excited and kind of nervous to pick it up.
Excited because it was an own voices* romance, where the female lead Stella has Asperger’s, and that is something I had never come across in this genre, so I was super curious & eager to check it out.
But I was also a little conflicted because the male lead was an escort, and that usually doesn’t go down well with me. So I wasn’t sure if I would be able to root for this couple here, and that’s basically the point of reading a romance right?
But there was really no cause for concern, because despite my initial reservations, I found myself falling in love with the characters (both Michael & Stella), and the premise and the narrative kept me hooked and turning pages.
In-fact it pretty much checked off all the boxes in my romance wish-list, and so much more! It was the perfect blend between sweet, swoony & steamy.
Though I have to say that it had more steamy scenes than average romances, but considering the premise, I guess that was to be expected? But either way I am not complaining, because it was really tastefully done, and the chemistry was sizzling!
Verdict: I am in love, with the characters and this story! It’s fresh, fun & full of heart, while also breaking stereotypes, embracing consent in relationships, and celebrating uniqueness. It’s the kind of book that will make you laugh, cry, and think, sometimes all of it at once.
Seriously, The Kiss Quotient is worth every single ounce of hype it has received and so much more. After reading this book, Helen Hoang is definitely an auto-buy author for me, no blurb required.
GET YOUR COPY NOW:
Amazon One Link: Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
Amazon India: Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
That’s all from my end, folks. I’d love to hear from you. Have you read The Kiss Quotient? How did you find it? And speaking of good romances, which book would you say is your all time favorite romance?
Oh and by the way, for those who loved this book, there is another book coming out by this author really soon – it’s called The Bride Test, and it’s Khai’s story (from The Kiss Quotient).
*Own Voices for High Functioning Autism – as the author, like Stella, has Asperger’s.
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Just waiting to read this book,
Happy Reading!
If you keep writing reviews like this one how on earth am I going to stick to my resolution Shantala? I so so want this one. I loved The Rosie Project which was about a man with Asperger’s, this sounds even better. And it’s so inexpensive on the kindle. Damn! No reason to not buy and keep. Except that resolution. Uff.
Obsessivemom recently posted…The Night Rainbow – A hauntingly beautiful read
I did hear it was especially cheap on Amazon India. So if you have managed to resist, you deserve a medal, Tulika!
But honestly, this one is really good. Maybe you can find it at a library? Or is that cheating as per your rules? 😛
Shanaya Tales recently posted…Becoming by Michelle Obama – Review-cum-Love Fest
Shantala, when I had first heard about Fifty Shades of Grey, even I had felt apprehensive to read about it. BDSM was a new thing for me but when I read it, I realised that there are people in it and it’s their story. There is always a human connect. I am glad you went for this book and liked it. I will see too if I can get it at my library.
I completely agree. Fifty Shades of Grey was made to seem like a porn fest. But there was a love story in there. Even though I have to admit the erotic component was too much for me, that I had to skip pages upon pages, I still loved the love story between Christian & Ana.
And yes, definitely check this out at a library.
Shanaya Tales recently posted…Becoming by Michelle Obama – Review-cum-Love Fest
That’s definitely a hatke storyline and it has piqued my interest. Gonna add this to my list of TBR 😀
Rajlakshmi recently posted…Melt in a sigh
Right? I thought so too. Though I was skeptical about the whole escort thing. But I am glad I picked it up anyway, because that was a non issue in this case.
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang – A New 5 Star Romance
I have heard so many great things about this book, and I still haven’t had a chance to read it! The author has a second book either out or coming out, so it’s high time I read her first one. Thanks for reviewing, it sounds amazing!
It is amazing, Jenny. I hope you pick it up soon, and love it too! Happy reading!
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang – A New 5 Star Romance