The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang Pages: 336
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Setting: Palo Alto, California
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Also by this author: The Bride Test
Goodreads
A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.
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 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...
Every once in a while, a book comes along and blows you away. The Kiss Quotient is that book for me. By day, I am a special education teacher and I have had the joy of working with many students on the Autism spectrum. These kids are awesome! So, to read a book about a woman with Asperger’s trying to figure out relationships and love is amazing. Hoang does a marvelous job of really making the reader understand the quirks of someone with Aspergers. Seriously, some of the things Stella says or does I have heard or seen my students do! And so many of the things the adults do (her parents, coworkers, exes, etc) I have seen as well.
Stella doesn’t like sex. She decides that a tutor would be helpful! This leads her to Michael, an escort! The set up between these two was great! I loved how Stella approached sex and I loved that Michael was not judgmental about it at all. These two are so different but it works perfectly.
If you love unconventional characters (a woman with Aspergers and a male escort-seriously! Thats pretty unconventional!), The Kiss Quotient delivers. Helen Hoang has become my hero author and I will forever buy every one of her books. This is a story I know I will reread. I will probably grab the audiobook so I can listen whenever I want!
- POV: 3rd person
- Tears: yes! I really felt for Stella!
- Trope: opposites attract, fake relationship, teacher/student
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: stand alone
- Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
- HEA: View Spoiler »
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books by Kristan Higgins, RS Grey, Christina Lauren, Sally Thorne, …then you will probably like The Kiss Quotient!
The Kiss Quotient
“You’ve watched Pretty Woman too many times. Kissing doesn’t mean anything, and it’s always best if you’re not thinking too much in bed. Trust me,” he said.
Her mouth thinned into a stubborn line. “This is too important for me not to think. I’d rather not kiss anymore if you don’t mind.”
Michael’s irritation redoubled, and he forced his hands to relax before he popped all his blood vessels. How the hell had he gotten himself into this? Ah yes, he’d been worried about his escort colleagues taking advantage of her. Stupid of him. His life was complicated enough without worrying about his clients. This was exactly why he had the one-session policy.
He would have backed out—it was tempting—but he’d promised. He always carried through on his promises. It was his way of balancing out the universe. His dad had broken enough promises for the both of them.
“All right,” he made himself say. “No kissing.”
“Do the other plans look okay?” she asked.
He forced himself to read them and found them pretty similar, only she’d moved from hand jobs to blowjobs and changed the sexual positions.
Amused despite himself, he said, “I’m surprised you used the terms ‘doggy style’ and ‘cow girl.’”
Her cheeks went bright red, and she adjusted her glasses. “I’m inexperienced, not clueless.”
“Your plans are missing something important.” He held his hand out, and she placed the pen in his palm with wary motions.
She tilted her head to the side as she watched him write FOREPLAY at the top of all the plans in capital letters. As an afterthought, he drew a box in front of each iteration with hard stabs of the pen.
“But why? I was under the impression men don’t need it.”
“You do,” he said flatly.
She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “You don’t have to bother with me.”
He narrowed his eyes. “It’s not a bother. Most men like foreplay. I do. Getting a woman hot is satisfying as hell.” Besides, he was not having sex with her if she wasn’t ready. No fucking way.
Swallowing, she stared down at the menu. “So you’re saying I don’t have a chance to improve.”
“What? No.” His mind scrambled to figure out why she might say that and came up with nothing.
“You saw how I reacted. It was one button.”
“And then you slept with me all night. You were basically naked, and you cling.”
“Are you two ready to order?” the waitress interjected. Judging by the amused glimmer in her eyes, she’d caught the last part of their conversation.
Stella perused the dinner options, her nails picking at the fabric edging of the menu.
“We’ll have the special,” Michael said.
“Wise choice. I’ll leave you to it.” The waitress winked, gathered the menus, and disappeared.
“What’s the special?” Stella asked.
“I have no idea. Let’s hope it’s not woolly.”
A troubled frown bracketed her mouth, and she leaned forward hesitantly, meeting his eyes for the briefest second. “What exactly do you mean by ‘cling?’”
Michael grinned. “It means you like to cuddle when you’re asleep.”
“Oh.”
She looked so horrified Michael couldn’t help laughing. “I confess to liking it.” Which was the truth, and unlike him. Cuddling was an obligatory thing he did for his clients because he understood they needed it. He usually spent the time counting the seconds until he could leave and go home to shower. Holding Stella had been nothing like that. They hadn’t had sex, so there’d been nothing to wash away, and the trusting way she’d curled into him had made him feel things he didn’t want to think about.
Alright, I’m going to hold off on reading your review because I have this book to read soon but I’ll be back. I just wanted to stop in and say hi and that I missed you! Work has been kicking my butt. Hope all is well, Samantha!
Yeah! Tears and it blew you away. I have to put this on next week’s TBR. I have the book, but may check the audio out from Hoopla since I am so far behind.
I am glad to hear you enjoyed this one. I have a copy on my Kindle and am really looking forward now to reading it!
[…] The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang: The buzz started early about this book and I was excited. I mean, a heroine with ASD? Yes! And let me tell you, this book was everything I was hoping for. The characters were well written, dynamic, and totally endearing. […]
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