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 to crave all the other things he's making her feel. Soon, 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...
ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review
The cover of this book is what first drew me in. It reminded me of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, and that is a book that I have read multiple times over the past few years.
I like books that have something a little different, and having characters that are a) a little older and b) on the spectrum lured me in.
What a cute, sweet and wonderful debut novel from Ms Hoang. I was enchanted with this story right from the start.
The Kiss Quotient is a refreshing story, Michael and Stella both have a lot of learning to do when it comes to relationships, and they way they do it made me smile. I felt that we could all relate to Stella in ways, We have all felt out of place, overwhelmed, and all spoken out before our brain has caught up.
Heck, I loved Stella's bluntness! So much talking around things these days, the straight to the point can be a good thing.
I adore Michael and his family. Ms Hoang brought quite of the Vietnamese-ness to the reader, which is something else that I have not come across in my reading, though I am sure there is plenty of it out there.
Beautifully written, lovely storyline, enjoyable characters. This was one that just left me feeling good.
I can't wait to see what Ms Hoang brings us next.
THE KISS QUOTIENT by Helen Hoang
Blogger Excerpt
“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.
