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The Bride Test

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The Bride Test

By: Helen Hoang
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
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About this listen

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 important emotions, like love. 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. Seducing Khai, however, doesn't go as planned. She's hopelessly smitten with a man who's convinced he can never return her affection.

©2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2019 Dreamscape Media, LLC Contemporary Contemporary Romance Fiction Multicultural Women's Fiction Romance Emotions
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Perfection! One can never go wrong with a Helen Hoang masterpiece. This book is a great way to start 2022! I absolutely adored the characters and writing style. It is highly entertaining and overflowing with life lessons. I finished it quickly via audiobook and there was never a dull moment. It is fast-paced and relatable. The main characters complemented each other which made the story grounded and not cliche'.
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Liked:
-Autism has been one of the focus
-Women empowerment
-Life of a migrant/expat has been delved into
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Disliked:
-I wanted more from the secondary character aka the main character's hottie brother
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Setting: 3⭐️
Character Building: 5⭐️
Writing Style: 5⭐️
Message: 5⭐️
Overall: 5⭐️
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Overall, this is an excellent recommendation to readers who are venturing more to contemporary new adult genre. I still like reading YA but part of my new year's resolution when it comes to my bookish life is to dive more on to stories where the characters are closer to my age range (not that I'm too old or something. LOL)z This is highly recommended and the author did a fantastic job. I am now off to read her next book!
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Instagram: @BibliophileMom

My First 5-star Read for 2022

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I absolutely adored listening to this book. Great narrator and amazing storyline. It really enthralled me. Esme and Khai were made for each other!! And the brief mention of Michael and Stella was beautiful. Next it's Quan's turn!!! Helen Hoang is an amazing author. I felt so many emotions and the book kept me interested right till the end.

Great narrator and amazing storyline

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Esme, a young single Mum, is plucked from her native Vietnam cleaning hotel toilets to be a mail order bride in California for Khai . She has one short summer to successfully win her reluctant intended beau and find her long lost American father if she can. A tall order on top of learning English, holding down a job in her (maybe) mother-in-laws restaurant and discovering the deep secret in Khai’s past that he believes has taught him he is incapable of love all the while keeping her own secret, that of the existence of her young daughter.
The story is told alternately from Esme and Khai’s point of view which helps to build the tension as the reader gains insights into the various misunderstandings that arise as both characters pursue their divergent goals. Khai also has the added filter of autism (very very mild) to his perspectives.
The novel is engaging and evokes laughter and empathy for the two main protagonists' various calamities and is a quick easy read, something we all enjoy once in a while though it would probably appeal more to a young female market as it is at times little more than a Mills and Boon with a spot of soft porn thrown in, otherwise excluding it from the Young Adult Fiction category I would guess.
Enjoyable none the less and recommended if you have the time but not one I would choose if it had not been selected for our book club.
While not at first, I did love the readers whispered delivery in the end.

Enjoyable but . . .

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I can't express how deeply in love I am with this book. This whole series, in fact! This one in particular I hold dearly in my heart because of many many reasons. Character development being aligned with relationship development is such a key motif for authors to include and wow did Hoang achieve this with flying colours. I love this series, her writing and her slow burn style, making you blush and pine for the desire the characters share.

Enchanted

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I'm so happy I found Helen Huong's books - her sensitive and relatable portrayal of autistic characters is a breath of fresh air. While I don't share all of Khai's autistic traits, there were plenty of moments where I thought to myself, "ha! I do that too!"

I also really enjoy the multi-cultural aspect of her books. In this one, both characters shared Vietnamese culture (unlike book 1), but Esme is mixed and grew up in rural Vietnam, while Khai grew up in the US. The story explores Esme's emotions and challenges adapting to life in a different country. She goes through a lot of ups and downs, and it's beautiful to see how her character evolves throughout the story.

I'm looking forward to book 3 and reading Quan's love story!

A beautiful neurodivergent love story

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I love Helen Hoang's writing! It's just like dessert: fun, sweet and easy to swallow :-D Now I absolutely HAVE to go back and re-read the Kiss Quotient! Two completely independent stories that stand wonderfully on their own beautifully intersecting with each other - so fabulous! I can't wait for the release of her next book.

Fabulous!

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I can't stop laughing while listening to the book. There was a balance of happy and sad events of the story. I enjoyed it since this is a different type of love story, the fact that Khai has autism and he is capable of falling in love also Esme who is a single mom found the love of her life. Somehow this story gives hope to all people who doesn't believe that true love exist. I am now a a fan Helen Hoang.

LOL

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Loved every minute. 100 percent reccomend! well done Helen Hoang! So adorable, So realistic, All the feels!!!

Excellent!

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