I have been riding the romance reading train for a few weeks now, and unwilling to get off, I started The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. Instantly, I fell head over heels for this book. This was another 5 star read for me. One of my other passions in life is children with special needs (aka my day job), and the female lead in this book has Autism, which earned this book brownie points from me. Not to mention the story was filled with fun, flirty, delightful moments throughout. This is one I would highly recommend to all my romance lovers out there, looking for their next fix.
The story centers around Stella, a smart and successful economist, who has Autism. In an attempt to conquer her challenges and anxiety around relationships, she hires Michael, a professional escort to help her practice her social and dating skills. Things get complicated when their professional relationship starts to feel personal, and more is at stake than they ever could have anticipated.
Part of what made this book so refreshing was the female lead, Stella.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is just that, a spectrum. This is important to keep in mind when judging Stella and her tendencies because no two individuals with Autism look the same, there is no right or wrong here. The author does use some of the more common features such as difficulty with eye contact, challenges reading social cues, and preferences regarding physical touch. Although these aspects were definitely present, I appreciated that they were part of Stella, but not who she was as a whole. She was also written as intelligent, successful, and kind. When thinking and talking about people who have special needs or some form of disability, it is so important to appreciate them for more than just the label they are given. They are people first. I thought the book did this well and brought attention to Autism in a format I had never experienced before.
This book had it all for me. Michael, the male lead, was everything you could hope for. There is something dreamy about a man who knows he's got the moves and uses them to his full advantage, am I right? There was sufficient family drama, jealousy, and personal hurdles for these characters to keep the story interesting and moving along. Plus, guys, it was just so darn cute I couldn't put it down.
If you read and loved The Kiss Quotient, I would also recommend The Hating Game or 99% Mine by Sally Thorne. These are the books I have been ripping through lately and it is because they are such satisfying romantic stories. If you have read any of the above ( which I would highly recommend if you haven't), comment below and I would love to hear your thoughts or which was your favourite!
Yours Literarily,
Lauren.
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