Reviews: Meet Cute + The Bride Test

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

pub 4/9/19 by Forever Romance
Fiction - Romance
Received ARC from pub for review

Meet Cute is one of those books that will make you swoon, laugh out loud and undoubtedly put a smile on your face. At least, that’s how I felt while reading it. Kailyn and Dax first meet at law school when she literally and physically ran into him. Except he’s not just Dax. He is the Daxton Hughes, an actor from her favorite childhood TV show and celebrity crush. She never expected them to become friends or for that to eventually fall apart but eight years later, they bump into each other again. He’s now become the sole guardian to his 13-year-old sister and asks Kailyn for legal advice. The situation is already awkward for her but then her boss tells her that if she can get him to work at their firm, she’ll be promoted to partner. What initially begins as a business relationship quickly evolves into more in a number of ways. There’s the chemistry between Dax and Kailyn, which is both sexy and filled with banter. Then Kailyn gets to know his sister and have their own little bond. Then Dax is grieving while trying to figure out his new role in his sister’s life, as both brother and guardian. Through all the mess, they're able to form this family-like unit which is the heart of this whole book, more than anything else. It’s exactly what made me love the story so much. I loved each character and each relationship. I just felt like Meet Cute had everything - humor, romance, family and friendship.

Do I recommend? Yes! Before this, I had only read Good Luck Charm by this author but this one is by far my favorite of hers.

The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient, #2) by Helen Hoang

pub 5/7/19 by Berkley
Fiction - Romance
Borrowed ARC from Alexa

To say that The Bride Test was one of my most anticipated books of this year would be an understatement. After reading and loving The Kiss Quotient, I couldn't wait to see what she'd do next and I'm happy to report that she didn't disappoint. The Bride Test follows Khai Diep (a character mentioned in passing in the previous book) and Esme Tran as they are thrown together under crazy circumstances. Khai is on the high functioning autism spectrum and as such, he processes his emotions differently but he can't help feeling that there's something wrong with him. That maybe he's incapable of experiencing emotions and therefore avoids relationships altogether. Until his mother decides to bring home a girl from Vietnam in the hopes that they'll get married. Enter Esme, a mixed-race girl living in the poor neighborhoods of Ho Chi Minh City. When Khai's mother approaches her, she doesn't know what to believe at first but she accepts of the incredible opportunity it will give her to go to America and find a way to support her family back home. I know it sounds like a mail-order bride / gold digger scenario but I guarantee it's nothing of the sort (this is just a FYI for those of you new to the awesomeness that is Helen Hoang). It is truly a heartwarming, funny and genuine love story. It's just on the unconventional side, which is what makes Hoang's stories so special. Khai genuinely believes he can't love anyone and when Esme shows up, she begins to break down his walls. She's tenacious, sees and likes Khai for exactly who he is and I enjoyed reading about how these two different people started to fall

Do I recommend? Yes! It was such a feel-good read. And the cameos from previous characters made me even more excited for the next book in the series (Quan!).