THE DETAILS:
Title: The Kiss Quotient
Author: Helen Hoang
Genre: Steamy Romantic Comedy
Pub date: June 5, 2018
Read if you like: indulging in your inner romantic.
MORGAN’S THOUGHTS:
It’s been a long time since I let myself disappear into a romance and, wow, was that a silly way to live. Reading this book was so much fun. If you’re looking for a whirlwind read that will completely suck you in until you hit the last page with a stupidly large grin on your face, this is your book. It left my heart full.
One thing I loved in particular about this romance was that the two leads were both admittedly imperfect. Despite feeling very on how strong their feelings were, they couldn’t prevent their baggage from getting in the way. Stella has Asperger’s and a total aversion to sex. Michael is an Asian male escort who is all kinds of ashamed about his past. Nothing about these two people should make them compatible for one another. And yet…
I loved that Stella was a math geek (and well respected econometrist in her field) and Michael is a prostitute with a passion for design. In so many romances, the man is the more successful character and the woman is the artistic type and I was here for Hoang’s role reversal of the typical power dynamic. (Who run the world? Girls.)
Hoang writes about Stella’s Asperger’s with delicacy and honesty – Hoang herself was diagnosed with autism later in life. I have never read any kind of romance featuring a character with Asperger’s and loved getting the chance to learn more about Stella’s life with this disorder in the context of this book.
A well written romance with extremely lovable characters: this book served up everything I wanted. I absolutely would recommend The Kiss Quotient to romance lovers or those looking to dip their toes in the genre.
SYNOPSIS: (AS TOLD BY THE BACK OF THE BOOK)
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…
I got my copy of The Kiss Quotient through my subscription with the Book of the Month club! Want to join Book of the Month? Use this link and you’ll get a free book (and I’ll get a free book too!)