The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

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 big, important emotions — like grief. And love. He thinks he's defective. 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, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn't go as planned. Esme's lessons in love seem to be working... but only on herself. She's hopelessly smitten with a man who's convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme's time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he's been wrong all along. And there's more than one way to love.


There are only two genres that I don't generally read, and romance is one of them. I even cringe through the romantic scenes in most contemporary YA novels. But I decided to give The Bride Test a chance because it sounded so unique. Not only did it feature an autistic protagonist, but it also dealt with the immigrant experience through Esme's POV. 

I found Khai sympathetic, but I really clicked with Esme. There was something so relatable about her. Normally, I roll my eyes at just the idea of arranged marriages, or someone's mom trying to play matchmaker. But Esme's unique situation, and her determination when things didn't go as planned, made this scenario very readable to me. It also helped that the whole novel didn't revolve solely around Khai and Esme's relationship, but also went into Esme's journey to get a higher education and attend night school. She became a stronger character as the novel went on, and that was very rewarding. 

Did I think Khai and Esme were the perfect couple? No. But they seemed to be what the other person needed, and the sex scenes weren't cringe-worthy. I wished for a little more of Khai's mother, just because I thought she was a fascinating character in her own right. Actually, I thought all of Khai's family members were pretty delightful. 

I'm still not sold on romance novels, but I will pick up Hoang's other novel, The Kiss Quotient, sometime in the future.