The Kiss Quotient

I heard about this book from many #BookBesties... and all of them had nothing but praises to say about it... and since it sounded unique and very interesting I decided to give it a try... technically it's the first book in a series, but the second one will be about a completely different couple... the hero appears here very briefly, so I assume the same secondary characters will be present throughout this series :) we shall see ;) so before I get into all my thoughts and feelings about this novel, let me tell you a bit more what it's all about :) What originally drew me to this book was the fact that Stella has Asperger's syndrome... she's authistic and I was really interested to read a romance story with a heroine like that, especially since the author herself is also diagnosed with it... I was looking forward to reading an own voices book like that :) Stella is in her early thirties and very successful at her job... but she struggles when it comes to relationships... when her parents, and by that I mean her mom, start talking more and more about her settling down, starting a family and such, she decides that she needs help... so she figures out who would be better to help her overcome intimacy and relationship issues than a professional... an escort... that's how she meets Michael... and I know how that may sound, but bear with me :) I don't really want to say too much about how their relationship progress... how one meeting change into three... and then into more... I want you to be able to form your own opinion about this novel, and I will explain why in a second :) but I definitely enjoyed their story and I think it's worth giving a try :) Ok, so now for the biggest reason why I don't really want to say too much about it or hype it too much to you guys... because before I gave it a try, I heard about this story everywhere... all my #BookBesties were reading it and loving it... so it was hyped to epic proportions in my mind... and I think it actually turned into a bit of a disadvantage for me... because I built it up soooo much in my mind before I even started it... my expectations were insanely high for it... and in the end I was left... not really disappointed, because it is a wonderful story, worth the praises, but... it wasn't as amazing as I built it up in my head... which is not really surprising based on how high I was hyped... :) so yeah... listen to all the hype, but not too much ;) it's better if you get into this book with an open mind and fresh perspective :) I think from all the reasons why I loved this story, the biggest one is the writing style... it was amazing, especially if you take into consideration the fact that it's a debut novel... :) I am seriously impressed :) it's a very diverse cast of characters, and I loved it :) both the main couple and the secondary characters are complex and flawed, which only make this novel that much more interesting to read... I inhaled it in one day... I knew I would want to finish it once I started it, so during one weekend, this book was my sunday :) it was a beautiful mix of funny, emotional, sweet and serious moments, that blended together perfectly into this heartwarming story that gave me all the feels... I definitely recommend you guys this gem... give it a try :) now that I read it, I'm gonna impatiently wait for something else published by this author :)

The Kiss Quotient is a contemporary romance set in San Francisco. It follows Stella, a highly successful econometrician and Michael, a male escort. Stella is autistic, but she doesn’t want to disclose it to anyone. With her good coping mechanisms, not many people notice, but it has led into some very bad dates and sexual encounters. Disgusted with herself, she hires Michael to teach her how to be better in bed. This soon turns into teaching her how to be better in relationships. It turns out, she’s just fine with both. She just needs a partner that takes her needs into consideration. But as she is bad at reading people, and he is keeping secrets from her, what could’ve been a start of a great relationship dissolves into misunderstandings and heartbreak. Both need to do some thinking before the happily ever after. This is a satisfying romance, with enough angst to give it a bite. Sex scenes are great and there are quite a lot of those, especially in the beginning. I liked Stella and Michael both, but side characters remained somewhat vague. What I didn’t like, and which almost made me give this one star, is how Michael never told Stella that her romantic problems aren’t her fault. He doesn’t tell her that she’s good as she is, and that her problems with sex stem from her partners. Instead of telling her she should let the relationship grow before sex, he pretty much treats her like a porn object, forcing his needs to make her feel good on her. That she does enjoy everything, eventually, didn’t really compensate for it. Stella figures it out by herself, in the end, and Michael works on his issue too, but as they do it separately, it lessens the romantic impact of the ending. It was satisfying, but not very emotional. But I liked the book well enough to read the next one in the series too.

Rating: I actually rated it 4.5/5, but for the purposes of this review I can bump it up to 5! Steaminess level: freshly served bowl of pho. ****. The Kiss Quotient is a reverse Pretty Woman story, with a twist. Stella is a successful, sexy and autistic econometrician without much of a love life. She's much more interested in her job, anyway. But her parents (well, her mother) want grandkids, so Stella decides that the logical thing to do is to hire escort Michael to teach her how to be good at sex and relationships. Sparks fly and they fall in love, of course. Who would have guessed? I hadn't read romance novels in a whiiiile, but this book single-handedly has gotten me into reading romance novels again. There's something so relaxing about reading a sweet, fluffy love story where you know things will work out in the end. But this book is also a thoughtful and insightful read that touches on a number of important issues. I didn't know both were possible, and now I'm on the constant lookout for similar reads because I enjoyed this one so damn much. There are issues with a relationship developing with someone hired for sex, and the author deftly handled those issues. The dynamic between Stella and Michael is such a delight, I loved the delicious tension and sizzling chemistry as they got to know each other better and started to fall for each other. The premise of the book is sex, but it wasn't rushed into. There's a slow and careful build-up that's so worth it, as it adds to and is integral to the story. One of the things that was so wonderful about this book is how careful and considerate Michael is throughout. This book could be a textbook for enthusiastic consent, basically, and it's so important to see that establishing consent can be very sexy. Speaking of sexy... *fans self* I am someone who likes my romance with explicit scenes, and this book has a healthy number of them. And they're wonderfully written - writing good erotic scenes is a skill, and Hoang has it is spades. If you're someone who likes your romances a bit tamer, that's worth noting. It's also notable that the book is never judgemental about Michael's sex work, which I very much appreciated. One of the things that took this book to the next level for me was that while it was a straight-up romance, the story is also more than the romance. There are a number of lovely side characters I enjoyed getting to know, like Michael's whole family. His mother and grandmother were a delight to read. I loved how much he cared about them, and I also appreciated the development of Michael's backstory and why he did what he did - (view spoiler) I also really enjoyed the nods to his Vietnamese culture with food, worship and movies, which added such warmth and authenticity. The scenes with food made me hungry, everything seemed so yummy! The humour is on point, I laughed out loud on multiple occasions. Also, straight up, Michael is such a hottie. He's got his own issues, but the man is gorgeous, does swordfighting as a hobby, and knows the value of foreplay. He even adds it to her lesson plans. Yes, she's got lesson plans. Autism in women doesn't get much representation. I don't know much about it, but Stella is rendered in loving detail that gives the reader better understanding of it. There were so many small things I wouldn't have considered that are an issue in her life. It's important that this book exists, if only for that. The author's note is well worth reading, as she's an autistic woman herself, and was able to bring her own insights to the character. This book couldn't have been written in such vivid detail without her own life experiences, and the value of her ownvoices writing is evident throughout. But beyond that, Stella is a strong, generous and thoughtful woman who knows and accepts herself. I loved that she appreciates her own value, and that she does her best to be helpful and considerate of others wherever she can. Also, her house has solar panels and she drives a Tesla so as an environmentalist, she gets bonus points from me. My only complaint with this book is that it's left me wanting more thoughtful, multifaceted, heartfelt and sexy stories like this, and it's a high standard to match!

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang - 5,0⭐️ “𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘪-𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 . . . 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥.” Meet Stella Lane, she is comfortable with numbers and after a lunch date with her mother she realizes she needs to get better at dating to find her perfect match, even if the person always gets uncomfortable knowing she has Asperger’s and she hates kissing. That’s when Michael enters her life, she hires him to teach her how to date properly and be “normal” around the opposite sex when on a intimate way. What she didn’t expected was to fall in love with him. What a funny and sexy read! I was hooked since page one and kept going because of the fluid narrative, smart dialogues and kdramas references. Stella is a different character that I loved to get to know what goes inside her head, she is sweet and strong despite all the insecurities and how people treat her because of some of her actions due to her autism. And Michael is always so patient with her, a little intrigued by her forthcomings comments, and honest remarks during their encounters. He is kind of infatuated by her since day one and he is a sweet pie in general. Michael with his troublesome past, and also having insecurities even though he transpires confidence and a perpetual easy going smile, that becomes a real one when with Stella by the way. Their relationship has a gradual construction, it wasn't love at first sight which is something that's puts me off constantly in books and movies, we can follow Stella and Michael's thoughts as they realize that their feelings are bigger than only attraction, so it felt natural and beautiful. Philip was a disgusting man that unfortunately we see a lot in real life and it bugged me so much his interactions and disrespectful actions towards Stella. And Stella's dad and mom were super inconvenient but they tried their best to make their daughter happy so I think it's what counts in the end of the day. The author was very respectful when portraying Stella' autism, with nuances and delicate writing. Me having a close experience with people that has the same issue made me have a more deep insight through what Stella goes through, even if the author does a splendid job when describing it. So plus points to the author. This was a perfect way of starting my year, just what I needed and what would I give to see this book as movie!

HIGHLY RECCOMEND READING THIS BOOK! This book is amazing I'm so glad it exists. It was such a good read, there really wasn't a dull moment! The story of a woman with autism navigating the world of relationships and sex whilst having sensory sensitivities and difficulties in certain social areas, (all varying depending on where you are on the spectrum and who you are as an individual), is a real life struggle for people who have autism. It is so important that society becomes less stigmatized and stops alienating people with developmental disabilities. People with a developmental disability have a right/need for love just as any neurotypical person does! It's great to see a story including someone who is neurodivergent, written from their perspective, and on top of that written by an author who is autistic herself, who's has done further research on autism, and other women's experiences to help form this story. It just makes the book that much better; it's more authentic. As a DSP just starting in the field, seeing change in society around stigmas with such developmental disabilities is a passion of mine and this story was so cool. Normalizing life experiences specifically around romantic experiences for people who have a developmental disability is really important and I look forward to a day where society isn't so harsh on uniqueness. It's important to understand that every human being has a right to relationships and every other right a person may have regardless of neurological state and especially if that person is an adult. All in all, I'm so glad I came across this book and that it got published! I'll be looking for other reads from this author, I'm a sucker for romances and this book hit the spot! :)

I'm absolutely CRAZY over this book! "This girl was different. It was that spark in her eyes. He wanted to take his time and see if he could make her shine with a different kind of excitement." Stella Lane is 30YO, has Asperger's, and thrives on routine. In her world, things are pretty black and white, especially maths. Her job as an econometrician helps her make sense of the world through algorithms. Unfortunately, her love life is pretty lacklustre, awkward and just wholly unsatisfying. Therefore, she decides to approach it scientifically and clinically by hiring an escort to help her find her way through the quagmire of relationships and intimacy. It doesn't hurt that he looks like a famous K-drama hottie. "He forgot he was seducing her. He even forgot why. All he knew was her taste and the hot sighs of her breath. He wanted to devour her." Michael Phan has huge financial burdens. He uses his God-given looks and sexual talent to bridge the gap, and has basically given up on his dreams. When he meets the beautiful, quirky Stella, he does something uncharacteristic - he breaks his one-date rule. There's just something about this woman that gets to him. The fact that he's not just a body for hire, but that she actually sees the real him. "It was like Stella was made for him, specially designed to respond to him. Only him. The thought filled him with fierce possessiveness." I just ADORED this book! The characters were well-drawn with sensitivity and empathy, and the scenes between the MCs were humorous but heart-meltingly sexy. Stella is a unique and amazing heroine. She's super brainy but so adorable in all her socially-awkward glory. I loved her unfiltered directness and her tenacity in her approach to everything in her life. I loved the connection and trust that built between Michael and her. "He'd developed a new kink, and it involved a shy girl who daydreamed about economics." Michael is a pretty noble character, in spite of his night-time profession. He has huge burdens on his shoulders, and he does the best he can with what he's got. Even though he's supposed to be the teacher, I loved his vulnerability when he's with Stella. I adored how valued he felt just by virtue of her enjoyment in being with him. The relationship that built up between Stella and Michael was just so damn THRILLING! I adored every single bit of their journey. Stella's sexual awakening was gorgeous and sensuous. Michael was so patient and caring, and I loved how quickly he felt invested in 'his Stella'. This story is such a FANTASTIC and RIVETING debut novel and I cannot wait for this author's next book.

I never expected to obtain so much from such a bargain. But it was everything I looked for from the genre and more: sweet, cute, hot, smart and super sexy. Can't recommend it enough: an amazingly in-sync couple, funny lins, aching misunderstandings, a strong woman and a caring man, and just overall hotness!!!