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The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang…Review

August 8, 2018 · By · 1 Comment

Synopsis:

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 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…

My Review:

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The Kiss Quotient is a breath of fresh air. After reading hundreds and hundreds of romances, I’ll admit I search out those stories that will still make my toes curl and get me giddy for the process of two people falling in love. In The Kiss Quotient, some of the best tropes are here: lessons in seduction, diverse characters and cultures, escort. But the shining star here is the very real portrayal of a heroine on the Austism Spectrum. You see, Stella has Asperger’s, a social disorder that finds her in her element at work as a numbers wizard but completely out of her element with anything that comes close to dating or sex. And that right there is the magic: a heroine whose differences allow her to shine and in the process teach us all something about the search for love.
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Stella is nothing if not goal-oriented. With the pressures of an overbearing mother, Stella decides to take the bull by the horns and seeks the help of Michael Phan, a Swedish Vietnamese male escort, for the source of all her knowledge on how to become good at the finer points of male/female interaction, namely how to behave properly and seductively so she can land a guy. It’s the main area of her life that is lacking, according to her parents, society, and, if she’s honest, herself. 
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But from the beginning, there’s something special between Stella and Michael, who are really more than business from the start. He’s not merely a male escort—in fact, he’s put his life on hold for those who depend on him, and he’s become disillusioned with the whole thing, until Stella. He’s patient and doesn’t put on a front with her. And in return, Stella’s blunt honesty becomes an openness with Michael. What follows is a lovely, refreshing contemporary romance that’s sexy and heartfelt. Best of all, Stella’s disorder doesn’t make her hard to relate to—if anything, it shows women everywhere what it’s like when women of any size, shape, struggle, or in between finds love. Stella’s Asperger’s has her feeling many of the same out of control feelings that we all feel when it comes to attraction, only heightened, and Michael is her perfect match. I love Helen Hoang’s unique perspective, and The Kiss Quotient is one of the best romances of 2018.
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Five Loves

Book Links:

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. She currently lives in San Diego, California with her husband, two kids, and pet fish.
Find out more on her website 

Filed Under: August 2018, Contemporary Romance, Five Loves ·

Comments

  1. kat valentine (@valentinekathy6) says
    August 8, 2018 at 6:41 pm

    Awesome review tiffany!! Sounds good! Shared on all my socials!!

    Reply

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