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The Kiss Quotient Book Review

A fast-paced and definite must-read novel in the contemporary romance genre, The Kiss Quotient creates necessary space for underrepresented voices in a genre that doesn't do that enough! I devoured this novel, both because I became very invested in Stella's and Michael's stories, but also because the structure and tropes of this novel made interesting commentary on what we believe romance to be.

Helen Hoang is that shy person who never talks. Until she does. And then 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 a pet fish. Visit her online at helenhoang.com, facebook.com/hhoangwrites, instagram.com/hhoangwrites, and twitter.com/hhoangwrites. You can find more of my reviews of Helen's works here. 

Stella Lane 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 or that 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 Michael Phan. With the looks of a K-drama star and the martial arts moves to match, the Vietnamese-Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer. And when she comes up with a lesson plan, he proves willing to help her check off all the boxes—from foreplay to more-than-missionary position. Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all of the other things he's making her feel. 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 had no idea what this story was about before diving in, and I was so pleasantly surprised to see the protagonist Stella as a female on the spectrum! This was not a voice I had seen in any book I've ever read, much less something I expected to find in contemporary romance, and so I was so pleased to see Stella's anxieties and experiences written out on the page. It is so important to have this type of representation in contemporary romance, and I hope that we continue to see protagonists of romance novels from underrepresented communities in contemporary romance specifically. In addition to reading about Stella's experiences as someone with autism, I was also struck with how some of her anxieties are just plain relatable—this book really made me think about autism and anxiety in a different and necessary light. This is why I would say The Kiss Quotient is a must read for anyone looking to break into the contemporary romance genre, or anyone who already loves romance books. 

Speaking of romance, Michael and Stella definitely had chemistry. The author claims having started this novel with the idea of a gender-swapped Pretty Woman which is one of the absolute best rom-com movies of the 90s. I really enjoyed not only this gender-swapped idea, but also how the entire novel turns the contemporary romance tropes on its head. Instead of building up to sex, Michael and Stella share intimate moments right off the bat, and then backpedal to finding common ground to build a real relationship. Some of the tropes one usually sees in contemporary romance exist here, like fake dating, but it is balanced really nicely with some real-world problems and discussions you don't always see in contemporary romance, like the issue of money in relationships. 

Unfortunately, there were just a few moments that fell short for me. I wish we'd seen more from the epilogue of how Stella's and Michael's relationship had flourished. I also felt like there were some more scenes that needed to exist in the middle of the novel—such as Stella talking to her parents outside of a place where Michael could be, and a scene where Michael was making Stella's dress. I also wish the storyline of sexual harassment was leaned into and resolved—Philip's behavior was disgusting, and I wish we had seen some on-the-page resolution on that front. However, that wasn't enough for me to not enjoy Stella's and Michael's stories on the whole, and I really hope we do see some cameos of them in the upcoming books in this series! 

Helen Hoang isn't done with the world she's just built, yet. The Bride Test is the next chapter in this story, and I hope you'll stay tuned for my review! 

*This review can be found on my Goodreads page*

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