From the author of The Bride Test comes a romance novel hailed as one of The Washington Post’s 50 Notable Works of Fiction in 2018 and one of Amazon’s Top 100 Books of 2018!“This is such a fun read and it’s also quite original and sexy and sensitive.”—Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author “Hoang’s writing bursts from the page.”—BuzzfeedA heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves … page.”—Buzzfeed
A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.
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 crave all of the other things he’s making her feel. 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…
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I kept going back to reread scenes in this book. Wonderful portrayal of several issues in today’s society. Main characters development is believable and wonderful. A male main character who treats his love with surprising exquisite gentle understanding and a strong female lead who stands by her man. I loved it.
I simply fell in love with Stella and Michael in Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient. A smart, sexy and thoughtful read, it was filled with diverse and complex characters who gave me all the feels. I laughed. I cried. I cringed. I cheered.
I have been looking forward to this book since I first heard about it last year. If you’ve been following my blog for any amount of time you’ll know I love romance. It is definitely my favorite genre. I love love stories. I love reading about characters who learn from their mistakes and grow in order to open themselves up to love.
THE KISS QUOTIENT is a perfect example of everything I love about romance. The story centers around Stella and Michael (it’s dual POV!). Stella is an econometrician who happens to have autism. She is being evermore persistently pressured by her mother to get married and give her grandchildren. One of the things Stella deals with because of her autism is an aversion to touch. She doesn’t love it. She tolerates it when necessary; like when her mother hugs her with her overwhelming Chanel perfume or holds her hand for too long. Stella doesn’t know how she’ll give her mother grandkids when she can hardly stand being touched by another person.
A passing comment from a jerk of a co-worker leads her to hire an escort to teach her how to be good at sex and relationships.
Enter Michael. A Swedish-Vietnamese escort who has issues of his own. Although we don’t know exactly what those issues are until later. Right away the reader knows Michael doesn’t love being an escort. He does it because he needs the money due to the fact that he has a never-ending pile of bills coming every week.
Something about Stella strikes Michael right away. She’s different. She’s interesting and sweet, and he’s drawn to her immediately.
Their arrangement slowly morphs from Michael teaching Stella how to be good at sex to Michael being Stella’s practice boyfriend… and I think I’ll leave it there so you can find out the rest of it for yourself. 🙂
I loved these characters. Although I don’t have autism, I feel like I could relate to Stella and some of her insecurities. Stella’s such a caring and sweet soul, and you want her to have everything she’s ever wanted. Which soon becomes Michael.
I don’t think there are enough good words to use to describe Michael. Caring, thoughtful, attentive, gorgeous, loving, funny, tender, creative, smart… you get the idea. He definitely has things he has to work through though. He has issues with his father and has to learn that just because his father is a terrible human, doesn’t automatically make Michael one as well. He is his own person and won’t become his father —> but Michael has to learn that on his own.
Both Stella’s and Michael’s individual character growth was lovely to read. Seeing how these characters navigated new situations, unexpected feelings, and stepping out of their comfort zone, was one of the reasons why this was just an enjoyable and unputdownable story.
I loved how Stella and Michael were as a couple, even if it was just ‘practice.’ They were so sweet together and you could tell as a reader that this wasn’t as much as a practice relationship as it was a real one.
A big part of the story is consent, but it’s done in a way that shows that it doesn’t hinder the romantic aspect of consensual sex. It actually makes the scenes that much hotter in my opinion. Michael uses consent as a way to figure out what Stella is comfortable with and to get her comfortable with being intimate. He never does anything she isn’t okay with and instead of trying to convince her, he consistently tells her to let him know if she’s uncomfortable and that they can move onto something else. He listens and pays attention to her verbal and nonverbal cues in a way that shows he truly cares about her. It is a great example that shows that consent doesn’t ruin the mood, it only adds to the intimacy.
All of this is a testament to Hoang’s writing and storytelling ability. She brings you into the story right away by exposing Stella’s vulnerabilities. You can’t help but feel compelled to read to find out what happens. I did my best to drag out my reading time on this. Even going so far as to leave the epilogue to the next morning so it wouldn’t be over.
I cannot recommend this book enough. If you love romance, if you love a great story and even better characters, read this book!
I received a free eARC and physical ARC courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Stella is autistic, Michael is a half Vietnamese, half-Swedish male escort.
She hires him to help her learn about sex, but their relationship becomes so much more…
An utterly delightful book that will leave you sighing with happiness.
“She had a disorder, but it didn’t define her. She was Stella. She was a unique person.”
This book was awesome! I knew I had to read it after I saw this book on my social media timeline a lot. I enjoy books in which the characters are different, which I think is a beautiful thing. We need more books like The Kiss Quotient, because there are a lot of people who need heroines/heroes that they can identify with. This book was refreshing and heartwarming and I loved seeing how both main characters grew as individuals. Normally the whole hiring of escorts isn’t really a trope I like, but it worked really well in this book. It also helped that it wasn’t sleazy or distasteful. Everything worked so well together and the side characters were great as well. Stella and Michael were perfect for each other, and I loved seeing them grow closer together. Especially, Michael was so patient and understanding! I am so happy that one of the side characters Khai is getting his own story, because I was intrigued by him in this book. I can’t wait for it to release!
he Kiss Quotient is a sweet and sexy romance that will make you laugh, swoon, and fall in love with the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I had high expectations for this book and I am glad to report it didn’t disappoint. I loved the main characters, Stella and Michael, separately and I especially loved them together. They have great chemistry and are perfect for each other. I loved Stella’s quirkiness and I loved how sweet and patient Michael was with her. I also loved Michael’s big family and hope we will get to see more of them throughout the series.
If you are looking for a good contemporary romance don’t look any further. The Kiss Quotient is a very strong romantic fiction debut and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series, The Bride Test.
What a great debut from author Helen Hoang!
Different from other romances I’ve read. Great character development.
I kept hearing great things for this new author and title. I was not disappointed! Unique characters with gorgeous character development made this one of the freshest stories I’ve read in quite a long time. I can’t wait to read more from this author, even though reading the Kissing Quotient has left me with a massive book hangover. I loved every second with these characters!
This is really a great book, it’s highly recommend. It took me a minute to wrap my head around the 3rd POV. Not a fan of that writing style, it makes my brain go wonky. But after I got used to it, I really got into Stella and Michaels story. I was smiling a lot throughout the book. I enjoyed all the secondary characters and I hope we get more.
I just finished this book last week and three nights since, I’ve found myself reaching for it just before bed to re-read my favorite parts as a comfort feel-good read. It’s a gender swapped Pretty Woman, with a male escort hired by a woman with Aspergers to teach her how to have a relationship. Michael is heart-meltingly sweet, coaxing Stella to where she can relax and enjoy sex. And that’s interspersed with scenes of him doing sword-form martial arts. Dear god, just take my money!!!
Instantly one of my top 5 favorite adult romances of all time.
The Kiss Quotient’s synopsis tells you about all you need to know in order to determine if you might enjoy this debut novel. What it doesn’t tell you is it’s sweet, humorous, smile-enducing, in my opinion a tad too long, and it incorporates a beautiful cultural element which was my favorite part. Additionally, I think this book would fall into the category of an “own voices” read, as the author was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (specifically what was formerly diagnosed as Asperger’s Syndrome). According to the author, her fairly recent diagnosis inspired her to develop the heroine for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and I intend to continue the series.
It should be noted that despite the chick-lit’ish cover art, The Kiss Quotient is adult romance, as the sexual content goes beyond what would be considered the norm for chick-lit, but this is my opinion only. I’ve interacted with readers who don’t enjoy reading detailed sex scenes, so I thought it was worth mentioning. Enjoy!!
I love this book!!! I felt every feeling and wanted more. Stella and Michael are wonderful and their HEA is extra special. Thanks for sharing their story.
Oh. My. Word. This book was everything I expected and MORE! The Kiss Quotient is a sweet romance with lots of fire and steam and even some dirty talk. Stella and Michael are sweet and real and human. They are my favorite types of characters. This story pulled me in and enveloped me in the lives of Michael and Stella. Helen Hoang wrote one heck of a debut novel and I can’t wait to see what she puts out next!
Loved it!!
What a refreshing read! It’s so hard to believe The Kiss Quotient is Helen Hoang’s first book because it was smartly written, refreshing, quirky, sweet, sexy, and unputdownable. It was also nothing like what I expected. This is an adult book with some erotic scenes, make no mistake about it, but it was so much more.
Stella Lane is a very successful econometrician with high-functioning Autism, also referred to as Asperger’s. Because the author has the same thing, our heroine was so real and so special, you couldn’t help but love her. I have a close family member that is so much like her, I feel like I just read her story, and I enjoyed getting in her head. Stella didn’t like the label. She never talked about her “condition”. She felt that once people saw the label, they viewed her differently, so she often went along with things that made her hugely uncomfortable just to be “normal”. One common element of Asperger’s is not liking to be touched, especially intimately.
“I bet you just lie there and run linear recursions in your head while a man does his business. Am I right, Ms. Lane?”
Stella would totally do that if she could figure out how to input gigabytes of data into her brain, but she’d rather die than admit it.
Her previous sexual encounters have been horrible, so she thinks if she learns how to do it right, she will be comfortable doing it and maybe she will find someone. As it is, Stella is lonely. She works 7 days a week, and as much as she loves her work, she wants more. So she decides to hire a professional escort to teach her.
Enter Michael Phan. Half Vietnamese and half Swedish, Michael is using the only good thing his father left him with, his looks, to pay for his family, and he gave up his dreams to do so. He may be an escort, but of course, he’s one for noble reasons. He sees clients Friday nights only and he never sees a client twice, especially after one got obsessed.
She wished she had his cell phone number, but she figured he never gave that to his clients. It was too personal. Especially if his clients had the tendency to get obsessed. Which was actually one of her main weaknesses, and a defining characteristic of her disorder. She didn’t know how to be semi-interested in something. She was either indifferent … or obsessed.
Michael was immediately taken with his new client. He couldn’t understand why such a beautiful woman would hire an escort, but as he got further along with her, he noticed she was a bit different, and he loved that about her.
“Do you always say exactly what you’re thinking?”
“Either that or I don’t talk.” No matter how she tried, she couldn’t overcome it. Her brain simply wasn’t wired for social sophistication.
He also saw that she was not ready for what she wanted to learn. He had to take it slow with her. But he never broke the one-night rule. Or maybe just this once….
“Can I tell you where to kiss me?” she whispered.
A smile slowly stretched his lips. “Yes.”
“M-my temple.”
His breath fanned over her ear, sending goose bumps down her neck, before he pressed a kiss to her left temple. “Now where?” The words were spoken softly against her skin, each one a caress.
“My cheek.”
The tip of his nose grazed her skin as he moved lower. He kissed the hollow beneath her cheekbone. “Now?” he asked without lifting his lips.
So close. She could hardly breathe. “The corner of my m-mouth.”
“Are you sure? That’s very close to being a real kiss.”
Impulsive impatience seared through her, and she sank her fingers into his hair, held him in place, and pressed a closed-mouth kiss to his lips. Bolts of sensation zigzagged straight to her chest. After a surprised hesitation, she did it again, and he took the lead, showing her how it was done, drawing the kisses out.
Michael was so patient with her. He read her so well and knew just when to push and when to back off. Though he grew up with a cousin with the same condition, he didn’t realize Stella had autism, only that she was a little like his cousin. But it made him more patient and understanding with her.
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They both tried to keep the relationship about sex, but you know how that always goes.
These were supposed to be simple sex lessons. Why was it getting so complicated?
I found it so sad that Stella didn’t want to tell him her truth.
With the labels, he might be more understanding, but he’d quit viewing her as Stella Lane, awkward econometrician who loved his kisses. In his eyes, she’d become the girl with autism. She’d be … less.
But it’s sad to say, she might be right.
She could change her actions, change her words, change her appearance, but she couldn’t change the root of herself. At her core, she would always be autistic. People called it a disorder, but it didn’t feel like one. To her, it was simply the way she was.
Likes:
•Such a smartly written book.
•Quirky and unique.
•A REAL heroine, with REAL issues.
•How relatable it is for anyone, whether you know someone on the spectrum or not, but especially if you do.
•It never felt preachy, lecturey, or messagey, but it kind of was all three, because it was about learning to accept and love yourself the way you are. About embracing your true self.
•Michael’s family is Vietnamese and we got to get to know his family and their culture a bit.
•Fluid storytelling in a fast, easy read.
•Just enough angst.
•Such chemistry between the hero and heroine.
•Amazing side characters.
•The accuracy of all the things that comprise Asberger’s (although she is a very adventurous eater compared to anyone else that I know with Asperger’s).
Dislikes:
•While the book is about her learning about sex, I liked the build-up so much more, it sometimes felt like it was too focused on the sex.
•It seems all her issues faded away just a little too much with him. I wouldn’t want my family member reading this and thinking that if she just had a guy like Michael, all her issues would be gone.
The Down & Dirty:
I can’t tell you how many people I messaged personally about this book. I think it’s an important read, not only because it features an autistic character written by an autistic author, but it also has a diverse cast of characters. But forget about why it’s an “important” read and let’s focus on why it was a great read. It was a hopeful book, filled with pain, joy, sexy times, love, friendship, family, culture, and diversity. It made me laugh, it tugged at my heartstrings, it made me think, and it made me swoon. I reveled in the uniqueness it brought to a common theme (falling for your escort). The topic of autism could have overpowered the story, but it was more about Stella’s personality and the unique qualities that make her special. It was about overcoming labels, accepting that labels don’t make the person. I loved how they both learned to love themselves as they learned to love the other and accept the other’s love. The Kiss Quotient is truly a book I will remember for a long time and I really look forward to the next standalone in the series, The Bride Test, coming in 2019.
Rating: 5 Stars, 4 Heat
4 1/2 stars. So good! Michael and Stella were so wonderful together! They both had their insecurities, but managed to overcome them and accept each other. Quirks and all. Plus their chemistry was HOT!
I found out about this book a couple of days ago. It interested me because the heroine, and she is a hero, had autism. I went to Amazon to purchase the ebook, but it was $10 and I am a cheapskate, so I went to barnes and noble and bought myself a slightly, more expensive hard copy. That was the best decision ever. I LOVED this book!!! I will reread it many times. Basically, Stella, the heroine, has trouble with social situations. She is extremely smart and profitable in her line of work. Her parents are wanting grandchildren, but intimacy is a struggle. Enter in an escort service and she meets Michael. Michael is beautiful inside and out, and maybe, just maybe they can find what they need in each other. This is a beautiful love story. It has been a while since I have cried while reading a novel. This book made me laugh and cry. I found myself nodding and agreeing with the characters as I read. I am so glad Helen Hoang’s book popped up on my recommendation list. It was great! (less)
“He was an obsession waiting to happen.”
Smart, sexy, unique, relevant, and one of the most entertaining romances I’ve read this year!
It just goes to show you that you can’t judge a book by its cover. I’m not saying I don’t like the cover, I actually LOVE IT. It’s cute, unique, and fun! But, it does not depict just how sexy this original story was. I mean, you can’t see me but I’m fanning myself just thinking over some of the scenes between Stella and Michael. That’s not all this is though. The plot, the tone, the magnificent writing just captivated me to no end. It’s completely original, one of a kind romance that will lift your spirit and leave you with a HUGE SMILE on your face. And did I mention that this is Helen Hoang’s DEBUT NOVEL? That’s just INSANE to me! This was an INSTANT CLASSIC for me and Helen, giving us THE KISS QUOTIENT, and baring her soul with every turn of the page, that just solidified the fact that this author is now one of my FAVORITES! I can’t wait to see her show off her incredible talent some more, and bring us the next book in the series, THE BRIDE TEST, releasing sometime in 2019! I’ll be waiting and I know after the TONS of fans she will make by releasing this book into the wild, I’ll have TONS of people waiting right alongside me. This book is PURE MAGIC and even if you’re not a romance reader, it doesn’t matter. THE KISS QUOTIENT has a little something for everybody, but most of all it has HEART!
I adored this book! What a look into the mind of an autistic woman. Helen Hoang’s portrayal of Stella and her thought processes is positively brilliant. This closer look at what makes an autistic person tick has been a true eye-opener.
For thirty-ish Stella, there is a direct correlation between personal success and independence. It’s essential to her that she’s in charge of her own life’s path. Years of pressure from her wealthy, socialite parents to find a man and the few awkward and distasteful sexual encounters she’s managed to have on her own have led her to make an extreme decision. She’s decided to procure the services of a male escort. This is a logical option by Stella’s standards. If one needs help with an important problem, one hires an expert. Said expert must be not only willing and able to help her improve her sexual prowess, but also to instruct her in the ways she is expected to interact in a relationship. The decision may be tough to swallow upon first glance, but at this point, the author has already developed Stella’s character so expertly that it seems like something she not only would do, but something she should do.
Stella is gorgeous. She doesn’t see it, but not in that “I’m damaged on the inside and/or I’m so humble that I don’t see how beautiful I am to anyone with eyes” way that is so often written into romance plotlines. Her regimented mind keeps her focused to the point of obsession on the ways she feels she doesn’t fit into the world around her. Her physical appearance just doesn’t qualify for that list. I think there’s an awareness that she’s appealing enough aesthetically, so that box has been checked where this particular exercise is concerned. She’s brilliant, an econometrician. Numbers, statistics, and equations with their predictable outcomes and consistent presence in her life both soothe and ground her. Unfortunately, outside of work, she finds herself frequently stumbling through a social minefield.
Stella feels connected to Michael so instantaneously upon their introduction that she immediately starts to worry that she’ll become obsessed with him and won’t be able to leave him alone when the arrangement ends. For Michael, a beautiful Asian-American man, the pull toward Stella is like a punch to the gut. He finds her physically stunning, but more importantly and even more worrisome is that indefinable something about her that causes him to actually feel something, too deeply and much too soon for his comfort.
That said, this wonderfully compelling story is neither neat nor tidy. A gifted clothing designer, Michael has put his career on hold to help his very sick mother run his family’s dry cleaning business. His decision to take a second job as an escort by night has perpetuated an inner struggle to keep a beast called self-loathing at bay. That he took the job to keep up with his mother’s exorbitant medical expenses is no help in that struggle. It makes him feel more trapped than honorable. Still, it’s clear that family is everything to Michael. It’s a strong theme throughout the story and is the foundation on which Michael’s understanding of Stella rests. Working hard to keep his business and personal life separated has always been a non-issue for him-until Stella. He’s faced with a maelstrom of feelings and he’s not remotely prepared for any of them. He adores the inner workings of her unique mind, but those same qualities that endear her to him also terrify him. He sees the havoc they can wreak in his own life and in the lives of those he loves. He tries to keep his carefully constructed walls up, at times against Stella herself and at times to steel himself against the heartbreak that is sure to come when her “lessons” are done. Almost simultaneously, though, he finds himself trying to tear those same walls down in order to be as close to her as he can.
Some who read this book may call insta-love. I’ve come to the conclusion, however, that although there may have been a bit of it, as well as a few minor blips in the story’s rhythm, they’re far outweighed by the fun I’ve had following this couple down their own crazy road of self-discovery. Some of Stella’s interactions with others, especially Michael’s family, are actually cringe-worthy! Her heart is so good, she wants those who are important to her to be happy and to like her and she feels so deeply. Her struggles to relay those feelings in her encounters with others made my stomach drop and my heart swell with their various outcomes. There’s just enough humor sprinkled throughout to make it light when it’s needed. I can’t finish this review without giving props to both Michael’s inner monologue and the bedroom scenes-very, very sexy.
I was invested in these characters when I finished the story. I really want to know how they’re both doing right now. In this reader’s humble opinion, you can’t ask for a better indicator of a great book.