Title: The Kiss Quotient
Author: Helen Hoang
Series: The Kiss Quotient #1
Publication Date: June 5, 2018
Publisher: Berkley
SYNOPSIS
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...
PURCHASE LINKS
Praise for The Kiss Quotient:
“I devoured The Kiss Quotient. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time. It has everything—it’s funny, sad, poignant and impossible to put down.”—Christine Feehan, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Original and sexy and sensitive.”—Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author
“The Kiss Quotient is unexpected, unconventional and unputdownable. I loved it. Hoang’s writing has a sharp, quirky, emotional edge that will resonate with anyone who has ever tried to navigate the complicated world of modern relationships. Opening this book is like setting a match to a handful of fireworks — lots of sparkle, heat and energy.”—Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling author
“In just under 24 hours I devoured The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang and it was AWESOME. Adorable, sexy, smart. Exactly the book I wanted to read!”—Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author
“An unexpectedly sweet erotic romance that left me with a huge smile on my face. I dare you not to fall in love with these two characters and their story. Helen Hoang’s debut is quite simply delightful!”—Nalini Singh, New York Times bestselling author
NEXT IN THE SERIES
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang is coming January 29th, 2019!
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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REVIEW
The Kiss Quotient by Helen HoangMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Authentically true characters elevate a good book to great, and Michael and Stella are as real as you can get. That's only a fraction of what makes The Kiss Quotient one of the most exciting and memorable books I will read this year. It's only May, and I know this to be a fact. I'm sitting here trying to come up with a way to explain just how much I enjoyed this book without sounding trite. These two characters have completely stolen my heart and they deserve so much more than that.
This is one of those stories that I entered into with zero expectations. (Helen Hoang is a debut author!) After only a few pages, I found myself so completely immersed and invested that there was no real life until I turned the last page. I was utterly ADDICTED, and unable to put it down. Word of advice: do not start this book late at night, people, because you can kiss a good night's sleep goodbye. The humor was effervescent, the narrative crisp and clear, and the love story was an unconventional match made in heaven.
On the outside, Stella Lane seems to have it all. She excels in her chosen career as an Econometrician. After all, facts, figures, algorithms, and statistics are like child's play for her. She's creatively gifted, comes from a family that loves and only wants the best for her. But there are many things that Stella struggles with every single day, simple things that most people take for granted. Stella has Asperger's. Interacting with people always seems to end badly for her, so going to work becomes her solace, and her personal life becomes non-existent. She has no close friends and no past romantic relationships to speak of. After constant pressure from her mother to find a man, she decides to take charge of her life and hire a professional to help ease her into physical intimacy and dating.
Going out was supposed to be fun. For her, it was work— hard work. She could interact with people if she wanted to, but it cost her. Some times more than others.
I adored everything about Stella, even the things that she perceived as faults. There was absolutely zero artifice to her. Her thoughts filtered through her brain, and directly out of her mouth with complete innocence. The unpredictability of what she would say would have me laughing out loud on many occasions. Her brain is hardwired to examine things analytically as opposed to emotionally. She would use data she discovered from work to solve her problems in her personal life.
If a woman purchased underclothes for a man, it meant she loved him. Stella was fully capable of purchasing underclothes.
Escort Michael Phan only works on Friday nights, and there are no repeat performances. It wasn't something he enjoyed, but a sacrifice he was willing to make. Like a mask he would take on and off, he became another person, and then slipped back into his everyday life. A desperate financial situation has him backed into a corner, forcing him to live a double life, hiding his activities from his family. When he arrives to see his client, Stella is the last thing he was expecting. You could see right away that he thought she was adorably funny and cute, and her intelligence was a turn on. His protective side immediately came out as he noticed her vulnerability, and my heart swelled seeing how sweet he was with her.
I could feel how perfectly they matched during their first interaction. He intrinsically knew she needed patience, and he soothed her anxiety without judgement. That was something that was imperative for her to have. But despite his best efforts with Stella, she was going to need more time...something he didn't have to give. What he didn't know? She was about to make him break all of his rules and shatter every last one of his expectations.
Everything about him pleased her. Not just his looks, but his patience and his kindness. He was good. He was an obsession waiting to happen.
I loved the way their relationship evolved. There was never a moment where I felt that what they had was cheap or meaningless. They both treated each other with respect from day one. He didn't see her as just a paycheck, and she didn't treat him as her personal property. And there was a total comfort between them that eased them into their attraction. Before they knew it, they were moving from a physical tutoring arrangement, to a fake dating relationship, to true intimacy and hopes for more.
Both were clinging to secrets that they felt would alter how the other felt about them. Big secrets. Insecurities would get in the way, and fears would have to be faced. Michael had to let go of his fear of turning into his father, and allowing himself to pursue his own path. Stella needed to love herself exactly as she was, challenges and all, and have the confidence that others could as well.
I can't finish the review without talking about Michael's relationship with his family. The ribbing between the siblings, and the honor and loyalty that centered around them all was beautiful. They were the absolute sweetest. I couldn't get enough of those scenes, especially the ones where they brought Stella into their fold and accepted her as one of their own. Michael's friend Kai will be getting his own story next in The Bride Test , coming January 2019! My
To sum up: It was delicious. I happily devoured the charm Hoang served up with a spoon, and left the table fully sated in romantic bliss. It was sexy, sassy, and everything I could hope for in a contemporary romance. Don't walk...RUN to pre-order this gem of a book.
Recommended for fans of: fake relationship trope, rom-coms
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