Review: The Kiss Quotient

Title: The Kiss Quotient
Series: The Kiss Quotient #1 
Author: Helen Hoang 
Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary 
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: June 5, 2018
Source: Bought 

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...

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SO GOOD. 

That was my first thought after finishing this book! It was one of those reads that made me let out a big, happy sigh when I turned the last page. It's not often I find a book that genuinely brings a smile to my face but The Kiss Quotient did just that. I love the characters, the plot, and sizzling chemistry between the leads, and the fact that it was an ownvoices novel!

Okay, I absolutely freaking love Stella. She was such a badass and an all-around great character to read about! I loved how sweet she was and how passionate she was about her interests and the people she loved. Honestly, she's been a huge motivation and an inspiration to me since reading the book. I loved how strong she was and how willing she was to put the time and the effort into the things she wanted. Easily one of the strongest characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. While The Kiss Quotient is part of a series, I don't think the second book follows these characters and I'm so sad we won't see more of Stella in the next story. 

I also loved Michael (surprise surprise). He was such a sweet guy and put all of his efforts into making those around him happy. While this was very nice of him, it also lead to some frustration on my end. Like, I loved how caring and protective he was but I just wanted him to be selfish sometimes and put himself and his happiness first sometimes! A lot of the conflict in the novel sort of grew from that aspect of his personality. 

Even though I did have some issues with Michael, I still found his connection with Stella absolutely amazing. Holy cow, did these two have some insane chemistry! I really wasn't expecting this novel to be as hot as it was but . . . I mean, make sure you have a fan and an iced drink near when you read it!

Overall, this was an absolutely fantastic read. If you haven't picked it up yet, I really urge you to do so. It's full of so much heart and so many sweet moments. I'm so looking forward to read more books by Helen Hoang and already have the second book in the series -- The Bride Test -- listed on my TBR! 

“All the things that make you different make you perfect.” 

Four out of Five Teapots