It’s been a while since I’ve read a straight up romance book, but oh boy, I missed it. The Kiss Quotient is the best of the romance genre, in my humble opinion. It was just right for me and it helped kick start me out of my reading slump!
Summary
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…
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from First to Read. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Um, can I just say this book is swoony and steamy and I love it? The day after reading I immediately met someone as obsessed as I and I can’t get over it. The Kiss Quotient i one of those books with endearing characters whose chemistry makes your swoon and whose scenes make you sweat. Let’s tick some other reasons I loved it off – Hello Vietnamese love interest and a heroine who is intelligent and has Asperger’s.
Michael is dreamy and McSteamy. This is the love interest I’ve been searching for. He’s so much more than just a body or a romantic interest. There’s a depth to the characters, all of them – even Stella’s parents – that I really appreciate. It didn’t feel like our two protagonists were the only real people surrounded by cut out people.
I could really identify with Stella. (Not sure how accurate the representation is on this level) Stella needs help figuring out relationships and intimacy and other interactions people deem as ‘steps in a relationship’. And while Stella has some truly unique ways of handling these challenges, and interpretations of them, you can totally see where she gets confused. People are messy and confusing. They say what they don’t mean. There are all these social rules that aren’t laid out that you just learn via trial and error.
I adored The Kiss Quotient. If romance, smart heroines, and a super swoony romance are your thing, check it out on Goodreads.