The Bride Test

Author: Helen Hoang
Genre: Romance
Type: Trade Paperback
Pages: 296
Source: Local Public Library & GoodReads Giveaway
Series: #2 in the Kiss Quotient series
Publisher: Berkley
First Published: May 7, 2019
Opening Lines: "Khai was supposed to be crying. He knew he was supposed to be crying. Everyone else was. But his eyes were dry."

Book Description from GoodReads: 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.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.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

My Review: A few months ago I read The Kiss Quotient and even though I'm not a romance buff, I adored it. Sweet with a hearty dose of make-me-blush sexy sassiness! Things got hot-hot-hot but it was the connection of the characters, and a story centred around an autistic main character, that made that book for me.

The Bride Test is the second book in the Kiss Quotient series but can easily be read as a standalone. It also features an autistic main character but this time it's a male character, Khai Diep and it's his love life and family connections that are the focus of the book.

This is a sweet, engaging story but I'll admit that I felt less of a connection to Khai and Esme and struggled to feel their chemistry. I enjoyed Esme's quiet strength and perseverance but the way she blended into American culture so seamlessly and quickly felt contrived.

There are some strong secondary character - namely Khai's mom and brother, Quan (* silently hoping he's the focus of the upcoming third book*) to round out the cast and fans of the first book will get all atwitter (like I did) at the mere mention of Stella and Michael (the main characters of The Kiss Quotient) in one scene.

This is an enjoyable read and while Khai and Esme didn't quite have the magic I had expected, this is an entertaining romance that would make an excellent summer read. I also applaud the author for writing stories featuring an underrepresented group of people and showing that not all people on the autism spectrum are the same.