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 … 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.
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As I was finishing the novel, I read that TBT hit the USA Today Bestseller list. So here’s my review: well, duh!
Another great read by Helen Hoang. She writes with heart and depth, and I look forward to her next bestseller.
Helen Hoang cleverly turned Khai’s quirks into humorous situations. The Bride Test had me chuckling throughout. Khai’s uniqueness is celebrated rather than over-explained. He is unintentionally funny, and that makes him so lovable.
My is formidable and unassuming, Khai’s walls really didn’t stand a chance.
I’m sorry, Michael, but Khai is now my favourite HH male character.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Important: If you haven’t read The Kiss Quotient do not let that stop you from reading The Bride Test–it’s a standalone novel that can be enjoyed by everyone.
The Bride Test is Helen Hoang’s sophomore novel after the amazing success of her debut, The Kiss Quotient, which was one of my top favorites of 2018 (if not my #1 favorite). To say I was highly anticipating The Bride Test was an understatement.
I desperately wanted to get my hands on The Bride Test, but when I actually did get a hold of it I was a little nervous. I loved The Kiss Quotient so much but will The Bride Test be equally amazing? Well, I’ll never doubt Helen Hoang again because all the yeses!!! The Bride Test was equally amazing if not more.
The Bride Test especially resonated with me because at the heart of it was an immigrant story of Esme Tran coming to the United States for the opportunity of a better life for herself and her family. As an immigrant myself, I saw not only myself in Esme but also my mom who came to the US as an adult, closer to Esme’s age. And it was so powerful to see that in a romance novel. I want to give Helen Hoang a million thank yous for giving us this gift.
I absolutely loved the romance between Khai and Esme. Helen Hoang is a genius at writing a romance between two unlikely people. I love her twist on the mail-order bride trope (well, fiancee rather than bride in this instance) in a contemporary setting and the hate-to-love trope. While The Bride Test does delve into serious topics, it didn’t skimp on the swoons either nor the humor. I especially laughed so hard in the scene between Khai, his brother Quan, and their cousin Michael (for fans of The Kiss Quotient, we get a little glimpse of Stella too).
In The Kiss Quotient, the heroine is autistic and in The Bride Test our hero, Khai, is autistic. As someone who doesn’t personally know anyone who is autistic, I really appreciated having an intimate look into the life of someone with autism. I came out of both The Bride Test (as well as The Kiss Quotient) with fresh understanding and empathy as Helen Hoang is an ownvoices author.
There was a lot to love in The Bride Test: Khai, Esme, their journey together and separately, their romance, Vietnamese culture, the sibling relationship between Khai and Quan, family, among many, many others. But, is The Bride Test a perfectly written book without faults? Definitely not. The reason why I couldn’t give it a full five stars was because I thought the ending was a bit rushed. Also, Esme was hiding the fact that she has a daughter and it kept coming up throughout the book, but I thought the resolution of that was somewhat lacking. And, while I enjoyed the epilogue (yay Esme!), I would’ve liked to see Khai and Esme at their actual wedding (after the events in the last couple of chapters) and/or living their life as a married couple–this is not a complaint by the way, just a wish.
With that being said, The Bride Test is very much a must-read. Basically, Helen Hoang’s novels are required reading for all romance readers. Personally, I’m going to be recommending this book for the rest of the year and beyond.
My goodness! This was such a beautiful, at times heart wrenching, story. It’s a perfect follow up to The KISS Quotient— no sophomore slump in sight.
As the daughter in law of immigrants (and the wife of a man who immigrated as a toddler), I encourage you to read her author’s note at the end. It brought tears to my eyes.
I was so excited to be getting another book by this author. After reading The Kiss Quotient I was hoping for another book just as good. Helen Hoang did not disappoint.
The Bride Test was a sweet unique story that pulls you in. Esme and Khai were so different but so right for each other. Esme comes to America to date a strangers son she doesn’t know he is autistic. The dynamic between these two was frustrating and sweet at times.
This was a sweet story full of emotions that you won’t be able to put down. I am looking forward to more work by this author.
While reading the intricate twist and turn of emotions of a young man dealing with autism and coming to realize the emotions he do have for his family, I realized why I love this book and characters so much. It was gracefully written by Hellen Hoang. Solid “A” rating. (punctuation would only slow down my excitement for this book 😉
Oh how I love this author’s writing! Another beautiful story, and what a great read!!! I definitely recommend this author, this book, and this wonderful series.
Smartly written, this book was unlike anything I’ve read before. It shined a light on difficulties people can encounter in love, plus so much more. It was honest about how there’s still a stigma about autism (people just ignore it and pretend it isn’t a thing), and how hard it is for someone to try to start over in a new country with a language barrier. Not to mention the struggle of poverty and how it plays into the person you become.
Esme is quirky but resilient and strong. She’s humble but mostly honest and I love how real she is. I also love watching Khai unravel his feelings. And how they both appreciate the quirks in one another. Well, maybe not at first- she flips his world upside down! I was caught up straight through to the end, which was awesome. I really love how it turned out for everyone!
4.5 stars
I absolutely love Helen Hoang’s storytelling abilities and writing style. In The Bride Test she gives us pretty well-rounded characters who are very intriguing. I loved both Esme and Khai and I could relate to a lot of things in this book. My parents came to the Netherlands as immigrants, and they have done everything in their power to give me the opportunities they didn’t get. So I could really relate to Esme that she wanted a better life for herself and her family. I was already intrigued by Khai when I met him in The Kiss Quotient, I just love the type of characters that we don’t see a lot of in the typical romance genre. I just loved that Esme was accepting of his behavior and quirks even before she really understood what autism meant. It wasn’t always easy, but they overcame their hurts and struggles by being patient and understanding.
I absolutely loved every side-character in this book and I am already looking forward to reading Quan’s book. He was the best big brother and very supportive of Khai. He was also very hilarious and I couldn’t get enough of him. The reason why I didn’t give this book 5 stars was because there was a lot going on in the last 10% of the book. I think it would’ve been better if some things happened a bit earlier in the book. I think if that was the case then the characters could’ve grown even more, which I would’ve loved to see. Besides that I wouldn’t change anything about this book. It was fun, light-hearted but also a bit emotional at times. I will definitely read anything this author writes. I love that she gives the reader a diverse group of characters and tells their story phenomenally, and isn’t afraid to touch on some important issues. I highly recommend this book to any romance reader!
The Kiss Quotient topped my favourite reads of 2018, but when it comes to managing expectations, sophomore novels can be very tricky things. It’s tempting as a reader to want the author to reproduce the same story we loved so much the first time, and I imagine for authors the temptation may be to replicate the formers success without rocking the boat too much by bringing anything new to the table.
The Bride Test has the charm and humour much loved from Hoang’s debut, and with it a heartwarming and emotionally complex layer. It deals with “well intentions” and ignorance of autism, as well as the struggles of immigration and discovering ones true self.
Along with a romance story, it’s a story of self love and particularly in My’s case, her ability to find pride in herself, her heritage and her accomplishments.
There is absolutely no doubt Helen Hoang is an extremely talented and special writer. She is able to give a voice and experience to people who in everyday life may feel unheard and/or misunderstood. Along with the enjoyment I get from her novels I have yet again come away with compassion and understanding those with unseen struggles.
I loved The Kiss Quotient and was eagerly awaiting The Bride Test. My expectations were pretty high for this book and I am happy to say that it didn’t disappoint. I love Helen Hoang’s writing and her humor and I love the characters she creates. Both Khai and Esme are so endearing, I was rooting for them from the moment they first met. A lot of their interactions were very awkward, which made the book more fun to read.
I loved Esme’s character! Because she grew up in poverty, she worked so hard to make her and her family lives better. The author’s note at the end of the book where she talks about how Esme’s story was inspired by her mother’s immigrant journey was so touching, it made me appreciate the book even more. Helen Hoang is now an auto-buy author for me, I am looking forward to her next book and any other stories she’ll chose to write.
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
The Bride Test was one of my most anticipated 2019 books and I knew Helen Hoang would deliver. She has such a beautiful way with words. Khai is on the spectrum and Hoang writes these characters dynamically. Even if you don’t know anyone on the spectrum, you can understand Khai because Hoang ensures it.
My (Esme) won my heart as quickly as Khai! She is a poor single mother cleaning hotels in Vietnam. Khai’s mother is in town interviewing potential wives for her son and quickly realizes Esme is a gem. She is keeping secrets from Khai, but as a reader, you get why and it isn’t a bad or selfish decision. She really does develop feelings for Khai and she has the patience of a saint!
I loved seeing Khai develop an understanding of himself. He had one version of himself that he thought was who he was, and throughout the story, he begins to rewrite his own ideas on Khai. Their romance is slow burn and perfect for their story. The best thing about The Bride Test is it isn’t “The Kiss Quotient” with a different couple. Autism is a spectrum, and no two people have the same behaviors or quirks. While Khai and Stella might have had the same medical diagnosis, they certainly are not the same and neither are their experiences. Hoang not only brings the diversity with characters on the spectrum, but having an entire story about an Asian family and with Esme being from Vietnam (and of mixed heritage) and in America for the first time , the level of diversity is high and on point!
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.
I received this book for free from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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.
4.5 stars
I absolutely loved The Kiss Quotient and couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Bride Test. Helen Hoang did not disappoint and I continue to be impressed by her incredible writing!
Khai and My/Esme have a very unconventional meet cute and situation. Their motivations for agreeing to participate are vastly different, but what they find along the way is so uniquely beautiful. Often when a forced proximity trope is used, things come together really quickly and ignite right away. I loved that Hoang let Khai and Esme’s relationship build very organically for their personalities. Both are adjusting and learning and it was hilarious (and heartbreaking) to watch them struggle and tackle new experiences. The slow burn build up was very gradual and Hoang kept things perfectly simmering before letting things boil over. There was so much sweetness in the inexperience and wonder that these two discovered. Tears were definitely shed as they confronted their feelings (or lack of) and I felt like the epilogue suited them perfectly. I truly loved Khai and Esme together, but the real star of the book for me was Esme.
Esme grew so much throughout the book and I appreciated reading about such a strong and driven heroine. She is clawing at the ground trying to rise above her lot in life and I respected her so much. Reading the author’s note at the end brought tears to my eyes because it was not only refreshing, but it also rang so true to my own family’s experiences. I’m sure my own cultural background influenced the impact this book had on me, but I think the theme of being truly accepted and loved for who you are and the hope of the American dream will ring true for many. All I can say is thank you Helen Hoang for staying true to the story that you wanted to write and I can’t wait for more!
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*
The Kiss Quotient was one of the breakout books of 2018 for me, and I was really looking forward to The Bride Test.
However, unfortunately for me it didn’t have the oomph that The Kiss Quotient had.
Esme and Khai just didn’t have that extra something that Stella and Michael had, I just didn’t fell the connection with them. At All. It wasn’t until the very end that I felt much more than meh for Khai.
I did love the diversity of the story, I love that this series has characters on ASD spectrum and the way their quirks are dealt with was great.
You can read this as a stand alone, however there are appearances by characters from The Kiss Quotient that those who have read will enjoy seeing.
Another thing that got to me that might not bother anyone else was the plot device of the green card to get Esme to the USA. I just felt that this did a disservice to Esme in particular, as as the story progressed we can see she is so much more than there “for his money and a green card”. Again, the is probably just me.
Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy The Bride Test, however I think I had lofty expectations after my enjoyment of The Kiss Quotient.
I did enjoy this enough that I will dive into the 3rd book whenever it arrives.
Normalde seveceğim bir karakter değildi Khai.. Helen’in yeteneği sayesinde oldu her şey.
5 Plus Infinity Stars
* * * * * and Beyond Spoiler Free
I fell hard for Helen Hoang last year when discovered her and The Kiss Quotient. I devoured it in one sitting and then proceeded to tell anyone who would listen, they needed to read this book. I even convinced a new friend who had a very discerning taste to present it to her fancy-schmancy book club and she later thanked me as it was a huge hit. Score one for Wendy!
So when I saw The Bride Test was coming, I knew when it was available, I would drop Everything and dive in. From the first moments of the book, I had all the warm feels, the sense that everything was alright in my world…It is that special something which happens when the writing is compelling, the words flow and my heart is captured.
The introduction of Esme Tran, her circumstances, her perception of self and who she thought she was…was clear. I could see her and in turn feel her as she observed the scene before her. Her thoughts were my thoughts, her concerns were mine and I was all in.
This book is such a wonder. It is more than a mother’s wish to find a wife for her son. It is about the challenges we all face…how to recognize when we love, how to accept the loss of another and how to be true to yourself. What it does do, though, is add other perspectives which enhanced the level of complexity and depth. It addresses the actual reality of missing a parent, of immigration to a foreign land, extreme differences of perceptions of poverty and cultures, and the understanding of Autism. All of it worked for me and had me thinking of more than what was on the page…
This book impacted and reinforced my feeling of how amazingly lucky I have been in my life. From my birth in this country to the parents and life experiences I have had. It stirred my sincere feelings of how incredibly brave and determined our population of immigrants is wishing to come to a place where they have to learn a new language, deal with new customs and rules, hold on to their culture, and start afresh.
But I digress…
The coming together of this couple is not easy. Khai Diep accepted long ago he had no capacity to love. He has learned how to live his life and routine is the key. He understands he has always been different, emotions are not part of his thinking. His sister did teach him there are six Rules to Follow When You’re With A Girl. He decided long ago he was not cut out for relationships because he would only hurt someone if they started to love him.
Because He. Did. Not. Love. Period.
This is the initial challenge Esme takes on. She is determined to work hard, to break down Khai’s walls and show him, love is possible. Eme was so strong and capable. She was a true hero, never taking the easy way. Khai was this man who my heart begged for him to see how he had all the ability to love and just accept it was possible.
This story was perfect for me. I loved the families, the traditions and the extra parts of the plot. What was most impactful for me was Ms. Hoang’s writing of how this book came about. It touched me deeply.
If you wish a more insightful review, please take look at the others out there. All of them have so much to offer.
I am very excited as Ms. Hoang has put a placeholder for Untitled (The Kiss Quotient #3). Maybe Khai’s brother Quan’s story???? We will hopefully find out as the expected publication is 2020. Can’t Wait.
I absolutely adored this book. The character development was so amazing. I really enjoyed seeing Khai and Esme/My stumble around and keep bouncing off each other trying to navigate life together. They seemed at odds because neither would really speak their true feeling, each basing assumptions on very different life experiences. It wasn’t so much a lack of communication, but a lack of HOW to communicate across different cultures. The sex scene and poor Khai’s confusion after highlighted the disparity in their experiences. Thank god for Quan! Once Khai opened up to Esme, they worked together and figured it out.
I can’t believe that this is only Hoang’s second book. I had my heart broken and healed. I laughed and I cried. I can’t wait for the next book!
girl loves boy loves girl