Review: Helen Hoang – The Bride Test

The Bride Test
Helen Hoang

Khai doesn’t need relationships – he’s not lonely. Esme doesn’t think she needs to get married, since she has her daughter already. But both of them could be happier if they had someone in their lives. Esme can stay in the USA if she can marry him – but can she love him as well?

Ah, I wouldn’t have called this The Bride Test. Is Esme really tested? Or is it Khai who has to decide what he really wants? I loved reading their different perspectives and how the times almost overlapped, and that arg! How could they both think such different things about the same interactions? Well, since Khai identifies as having Autism, yes, it’s clear how that can be the case. It’s nice to see a non-neurotypical writer commenting and writing on a topic that she is surely intimately familiar with.

This novel has some HOT sex scenes that surprisingly didn’t make me cringe too much! Khai’s first time is adorable. There’s a lot of time spent thinking about penises because Khai is sexually frustrated, so if that’s not your thing, perhaps don’t pick this novel up. Esme is so comfortable with her body that it’s really freeing to read about.

GoodReads has this tagged as ‘The Kiss Quotient #2′ but it has NOTHING to do with Helen Hoang’s other novel. Yes, they both have autistic protagonists and are hot romances, but that’s it. They don’t contain any of the same characters.

You know, I read this the moment it got inside my front door like a ravaging maniac. Then I didn’t review it because I went on holidays. So then, oh, poor me, I had to read it again! And so I’ll give it 5 stars. I can’t wait for Helen Hoang’s next novel.