#Review: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

The Kiss Quotient

Author: Helen Hoang

Publisher: Berkley

Genre/Themes/Demo: Romance

Release Date: June 5th 2018

Page Count: 336

Format: Audiobook via Scribd

ISBN: N/A

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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…

What I Liked

The originality. Look, I’ll be the first to tell you that I don’t read much romance at all. It’s just not my genre. So while The Kiss Quotient may have felt original to me, I understand if maybe I’m just behind the times. What made it original for me were the elements of real life that were integrated into the story between all of the inevitable sexy times. I loved that our main character, Stella, has Asperger’s syndrome and that it factored into her life and the way it effects her relationships and dating life. It wasn’t just a small thing that was mentioned and forgotten about, but was actually a huge part of this novel and the story being told. I’m not sure on how accurate the Asperger’s representation is, but I’ve seen a few reviews that mention that it is in fact well done and accurate. I also loved the idea of Stella hiring a male escort to help her with her dating life. I don’t know why I loved this concept so much, but it really worked well for this story!

The sexy-times. Again, not really a huge fan of romance and the romance novels/stories that I have read can be a little over-the-top when it comes to the sexy times if you know what I mean. However, I feel like the R-rated scenes found within The Kiss Quotient were just the right level of swoon-worthy. They didn’t make me cringe or roll my eyes which is always a bonus, but more than that, I think they were written really well. I actually thoroughly enjoyed reading them while also low-key blushing on the subway thinking how if only the other passengers knew what I was reading right now!

The unexpected-ness. As you now know, I really wasn’t expecting to love this one at all as it is really rare for me to love a romance novel as much as I loved The Kiss Quotient. It threw me for a loop and to be honest, I’m still thinking about this novel. I want more!

What I Didn’t Like

You would think there should be something? Right? I mean, me loving a romance novel so much I gave it 5 stars has never happened to me before. Honestly, there wasn’t really anything that I didn’t like about this story and its characters!

About The Author

Helen Hoang is that shy person who never talks. Until she does. And the worst things fly out of her mouth. She read her first romance novel in eighth grade and has been addicted ever since. In 2016, she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in line with what was previously known as Asperger’s Syndrome. Her journey inspired THE KISS QUOTIENT, which comes out in June 2018 with Berkley. She currently lives in San Diego, California with her husband, two kids, and pet fish. Helen is represented by Kim Lionetti of BookEnds Literary Agency.

Book Trailer