After a long week of late nights to make deadlines (and an overall lack of self-control to go to bed at a decent hour), I promised myself Friday I would call it and early night and get extra sleep. So, approximately thirty minutes after walking in the door after work, I grabbed a bath bomb and The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang and I figured I would read a few chapters before I moved onto self-care round two: sleep.
Two hours later, I started getting phone calls because my parents thought I fell asleep in the bathtub. I hadn’t moved. My bath water was cold. The sun was setting. So I did the responsible thing: I moved to the couch and continued reading. The idea of sleep quickly became a thing of the past, and I have no regrets. Well, maybe just one: the book is over.
Yes, you read that right: in a matter of just a few hours, I devoured The Kiss Quotient like a box of chocolates. It had everything I look for in a romance book: humor (especially smart humor), incredibly likeable characters, a story that drew me in and made me root for the couple, and enough moments throughout that made my heart hurt in the best way possible.
Stella is thirty years old. She’s incredibly smart and has a job that she loves more than anything. Her life follows a careful routine, and she couldn’t be happier. But when her mother starts pushing for grandchildren and for Stella to date—a problem for Stella, who is autistic and doesn’t like uninvited touch—Stella realizes she’s going to need some help.
After some thought and research, Stella turns to Michael Phan, a professional escort. She plans to pay for one night to learn everything she can about intimacy to be prepared to date. But, for the first time, Stella learns that not everything can follow a schedule and a set plan. Sometimes, the heart gets in the way of the head…
The Kiss Quotient opens up with a hook that set the tone for everything that was to come:
“I know you hate surprises, Stella. In the interests of communicating our expectations and providing you a reasonable timeline, you should know we’re ready for grandchildren.”
Stella Lane’s gaze jumped from her breakfast up to her mother’s gracefully aging face. A subtle application of makeup drew attention to battle-ready, coffee-colored eyes. That boded ill for Stella. When her mother got something into her mind, she was like a honey badger with a vendetta—pugnacious and tenacious, but without the snarling and fur.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Stella said.
Only three paragraphs in and wit and subtle humor is already being presented. Sold I am thrilled to be able to say the tone carries itself throughout the book. Unlike some books that have an incredible beginning that falls flat overtime, The Kiss Quotient just got better. I fell in love with the characters, who were developed and real. I fell in love with their love story, and by the time I finished the book, my heart was full.
If The Hating Game by Sally Thorne was my number one romance read of 2017, then The Kiss Quotient has found its place there for 2018. I’m already planning my re-read, and I’ve started shoving this book into my friends’ faces. Helen Hoang’s next book, The Bride Test, as a “Need to Read.” Helen Hoang will be an author to watch for me, and I can’t wait to see what she does next!
***
Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient releases on June 5, 2018, and is available for pre-order LINK. I was granted an ARC by Berkley Romance, Penguin Random House, and Bookish First in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Two hours later, I started getting phone calls because my parents thought I fell asleep in the bathtub. I hadn’t moved. My bath water was cold. The sun was setting. So I did the responsible thing: I moved to the couch and continued reading. The idea of sleep quickly became a thing of the past, and I have no regrets. Well, maybe just one: the book is over.
Yes, you read that right: in a matter of just a few hours, I devoured The Kiss Quotient like a box of chocolates. It had everything I look for in a romance book: humor (especially smart humor), incredibly likeable characters, a story that drew me in and made me root for the couple, and enough moments throughout that made my heart hurt in the best way possible.
Stella is thirty years old. She’s incredibly smart and has a job that she loves more than anything. Her life follows a careful routine, and she couldn’t be happier. But when her mother starts pushing for grandchildren and for Stella to date—a problem for Stella, who is autistic and doesn’t like uninvited touch—Stella realizes she’s going to need some help.
After some thought and research, Stella turns to Michael Phan, a professional escort. She plans to pay for one night to learn everything she can about intimacy to be prepared to date. But, for the first time, Stella learns that not everything can follow a schedule and a set plan. Sometimes, the heart gets in the way of the head…
The Kiss Quotient opens up with a hook that set the tone for everything that was to come:
“I know you hate surprises, Stella. In the interests of communicating our expectations and providing you a reasonable timeline, you should know we’re ready for grandchildren.”
Stella Lane’s gaze jumped from her breakfast up to her mother’s gracefully aging face. A subtle application of makeup drew attention to battle-ready, coffee-colored eyes. That boded ill for Stella. When her mother got something into her mind, she was like a honey badger with a vendetta—pugnacious and tenacious, but without the snarling and fur.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Stella said.
Only three paragraphs in and wit and subtle humor is already being presented. Sold I am thrilled to be able to say the tone carries itself throughout the book. Unlike some books that have an incredible beginning that falls flat overtime, The Kiss Quotient just got better. I fell in love with the characters, who were developed and real. I fell in love with their love story, and by the time I finished the book, my heart was full.
If The Hating Game by Sally Thorne was my number one romance read of 2017, then The Kiss Quotient has found its place there for 2018. I’m already planning my re-read, and I’ve started shoving this book into my friends’ faces. Helen Hoang’s next book, The Bride Test, as a “Need to Read.” Helen Hoang will be an author to watch for me, and I can’t wait to see what she does next!
***
Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient releases on June 5, 2018, and is available for pre-order LINK. I was granted an ARC by Berkley Romance, Penguin Random House, and Bookish First in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.