Date Night With a Book: Review of The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

Read for: Recently Added

Synopsis: "Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love."

My Review: This and Kiss Quotient have been on my radar but not a priority, then I received this book in my Baecrate and it seemed like a perfect, light summer read. I was not disappointed, as soon as I picked it up I was completely invested in the story and the characters. I read the book in one day, I just couldn't put it down! I loved My/ Esme, she was sweet, a hard worker, brave and so caring. Khai was fantastic as well, I loved his character and the way he developed as the story went on. I really appreciated the depiction of sensory disorder (as someone who has a family member who needs firm touch and another who can barely stand even the faintest brush, it was great to see an example of this in a book). I was completely invested in the story, I was laughing with them, crying with them, frustrated with them, and I found them completely endearing. I now need everyone of Hoang's books right now!

My Rating: I so enjoyed reading this book, even a couple of months later I am still thinking about it and loving the relationship and character developments made throughout the book.  I can't help but give it a rating of Four Paws and a Stump Wag!