The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
Reviewed by: Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
Genre: Romance
Suggested Age: Adults
What is this Book About?: Esme Tran lives in Vietnam, supporting her mother and little girl by cleaning hotel bathrooms. A chance encounter with an American gives her an opportunity to move to the U.S. to marry a man she has never met. But, there is a bit of a twist. Esme’s potential husband, Khai, doesn’t know that his mother is arranging a marriage for him. Nor does he want to marry. Khai has autism and relationships are very hard for him. When Esme and Khai have to live together for a trial period, it seems like a train wreck ready to happen.
My Review: I read Helen Hoang’s debut novel, The Kiss Quotient, last year and loved it. As soon as I found out she was writing a companion novel this year, I quickly added The Bride Test to my Goodreads TBR list. One does not have to read the first novel to understand this one since the main characters are different. There is some fan service, though, as the star couple from The Kiss Quotient do show up briefly. Esme and Khai are very likable and the reader is rooting for their relationship to work out. It’s definitely more than just a steamy romance. Esme is a strong woman who takes a huge risk to help her family and Khai is a complex character who is quirky, neurotic, and lovable.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Cute, Funny, Romantic
Give this a try if you like…The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, Meet Cute by Helena Hunting, Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
Rating (out of 5): 5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
