My favorite romance novels are the ones that suck you in completely and leave you blinking at your alarm clock at 2:34 AM wondering how the heck time My favorite romance novels are the ones that suck you in completely and leave you blinking at your alarm clock at 2:34 AM wondering how the heck time flew by so quickly. And of course, that's exactly what happened when I read The Kiss Quotient. One moment I was flipping through the first few pages on my e-reader, the next, I was reading the last page and squealing with pure joy at just how satisfying this book was (all while meticulously avoiding checking the time on my phone to see just how late it had gotten). Hoang has done a phenomenal job in crafting all-too-real characters, creating a plot that just kept growing more intense, and also mixed in some fascinating discussion on culture, family, and what it means to have Asperger's.
Characters are arguably the most important part of any novel, and Hoang does a beautiful job with them here. Stella is an ambitious and brilliant mathematician at a start-up culture whose voice almost dripped off the page. Hoang does a phenomenal job capturing her narration and made everything so logical and clear to the reader. I loved being able to so clearly follow Stella's thinking and fully understand and empathize with her. Her character just further emphasizes how important #ownvoices novels are, particularly in romance. Michael is just as compelling of a hero. His predicaments and his relationship with his family are both detailed so well. I loved getting to uncover his flaws and watch him grapple with them just as Stella dealt with hers.
The plot also made this book utterly impossible to put down. I was so invested in seeing how the characters would navigate their respective problems and I totally cheered every time they overcame an obstacle and almost threw the book in frustration when they didn't. The characters made realistic assumptions and mistakes, and watching them navigate those through the story felt so fulfilling. Also, fake dating is definitely one of my favorite tropes and I loved getting to see how everything fell apart in a certain scene.
The themes Hoang explores in this novel felt so important and added another richness to the story. Michael struggled with family and his obligation to them, especially as a son in a Vietnamese family. His relationship with his father was so important and I almost wished we got more of that given how important of an influence it was on his character. Stella struggling whether or not to share about her Asperger's also felt so real and opens up so many questions about how these disabilities are treated not just in personal relationships, but families, workplaces, and broader society in general.
Overall, The Kiss Quotient is one of those books that will suck you in and never let go. By the end you'll be rooting all the way for Stella and Michael and for that hard-earned HEA. Romance fans will find a true gem in this story, and I can't wait for more from Hoang....more
There are some books that leave you speechless after you finish them. I swear I didn't talk for hours after I finished this oActual Rating: 4.5 Stars
There are some books that leave you speechless after you finish them. I swear I didn't talk for hours after I finished this one, because I simply couldn't. In a story that tries to give a voice to the gritty, unlikable girls of our world, Summers has done an exceptional job of making us question our wants, our voices, and who gets to tell our stories.
The concept of this story is brilliant. It traces our toughened protagonist, Sadie, as she tries to unravel the mystery of what happened to her sister Mattie after she disappeared. But what makes this story truly special is the way it interweaves a reporter who's creating a podcast about Sadie, her town, and Mattie's murder. The way Summers intersperses the narrative and the podcast is masterful and as a result she's created one of the fast-paced stories I've read in a while.
But what's interesting about this story is that despite the immensely commercial hook, it's a hard one to swallow. There are so many elements of this story that are deeply uncomfortable to read. There's a wide variety of traumas Sadie has dealt with, from an absentee mother to an abusive father. Sadie's hardness is almost off-putting at times, but she's written in a way that makes her deeply, deeply empathetic. Sadie's character made me question my own, and how I would react to being placed in her situation. And those are the best characters at all, likability be damned.
Something that makes this story especially distinct is the vague ending. With a thriller like this, you'd expect for the ending to be full of definitive answers. But we were left with nothing. When I got to the last page, I really thought there had been a page or two torn out of my book. But it's clear that ambiguous ending was meant to be. Because sometimes stories like these don't have an ending. And that's just life.
Overall, this book can't be described as anything except brilliant. While I had a few minor frustrations with it, overall, this is one of those haunting books that's going to stay with me for a long, long time. ...more
Such an engrossing, hilarious, and poignant book. I loved the focus on family and calling out of misogyny, but also how Mei was also able to embrace hSuch an engrossing, hilarious, and poignant book. I loved the focus on family and calling out of misogyny, but also how Mei was also able to embrace her family. Can't wait to read more from this author!!...more
Such a fun, adorable read! I loved the K-Drama arc and the character growth. Was it a bit predictable? Yes. Were the characters a bit overdrawn? Yes. Such a fun, adorable read! I loved the K-Drama arc and the character growth. Was it a bit predictable? Yes. Were the characters a bit overdrawn? Yes. But it was still a blast to read, which is exactly what I wanted....more
Love, love, love. It's so amazing to be able to see yourself and kids like you in a book like this. While I do feel it was a bit insta-love-y, it was Love, love, love. It's so amazing to be able to see yourself and kids like you in a book like this. While I do feel it was a bit insta-love-y, it was just so dang adorable that I couldn't but help love it anyways. <33...more
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