Do you know that feeling when you are reading a really good book, and you have finally gotten to the part that you’ve been flipping pages non-stop to get to and the one thing stopping you from seeing if he finally gets the girl is your eye speed???? I mean come on!!! To be honest, sometimes I just get so excited that I find myself missing words, then lines, then paragraphs, then…wait, what’s going on here, again?
What’s up, y’all! I hope quarantine has been treating you well and y’all are #stayinghome so we can flatten out this curve! Today on the blog I am going to be reviewing my first complete read of 2020. Before you all start judging me for my lack of book reading, for the past seven months I have been studying like a madwoman in my graduate program and really haven’t had much time to read for leisure. The second I got a chance to read something other than the latest research publications in physiology and biophysics, I ran to my Goodreads app to pick out my next read.
With only 48 hours on the clock, I opened my Libby App (an app that functions as an ebook library…you need a library card to borrow from them) and gave it a go! I didn’t even need a whole 48 hours to finish “The Bride Test” by Helen Hoang!
About the Author
Helen Hoang is the daughter of a Vitamamese immigrant and an American man. Like her father, Hoang was also diagnosed with autism which led to the release of her first book called “The Quotient Kiss” in 2018. In her second book, “The Bride Test,” Hoang was inspired by her mother and father’s story. She writes a humorous, romantic, love story that feels nothing short than genuine and something we can all relate to. Hoang currently lives in California with her husband and two daughters where I am hoping she is currently writing away at her next publication.
About the Book
“The Bride Test” is a fiction novel that is centered around two main characters, Esme and Khai. Esme comes from a poor Vietnamese family and Khai is an autistic American of Vietnamese descent. To me, it sounds like he is a first-generation immigrant but don’t quote me on that. Long story short, Khai’s mother happens to be in Vietnam and spots Esme. Something about her catches her eye and before you know it Esme lands in America with the quest of persuading (more like seducing) Khai into marrying her by the end of the summer. If she doesn’t, she must go back to Vietnam. “The Bride Test” takes us through the evolution of connection (and sometimes disconnection) between the two characters as they try to navigate this new “normal” with each other. We fall in love with Esme’s charisma and courage, we melt at Khai’s internal battle with himself and the world around him, and we giggle at Khai’s mother’s remarks about her longing for grandchildren. (#relatable)
My Thoughts
Listen, y’all. I couldn’t put the book down. The way Hoang wrote, my brain couldn’t tell if this was a romance novel or a fiction-form of an immigrant American dream account or a non-fiction memoir of love through the lens of an autistic character. To be honest, my brain didn’t care. Hoang’s writing was simple but filled with beautiful detail. When reading the book, I felt like I could hear, see, feel, and smell everything that was going on.
I love the flow of the book. The development of the characters still has me thinking about what happens next for them even days after finishing the book. I think being able to see a perspective of love and its complicatedness carried through a lens I hadn’t experienced before was creative, innovative, and the type of inclusive sharing of story that I love to read.
If you’re looking for a quick and sweet read, I would recommend this one! It was a wonderful escape into the lives of some wonderful characters.
Thank you, Helen Hoang for writing and thanks y’all for checking out another review from the #beautifulbooks series on the blog!
