❤ The Bride Test by Helen Hoang (May 7)
Helan Hoang’s The Bride Test is one of my most-anticipated new releases in 2019, and I am thrilled to say that it lived up to all of my expectations. This utterly unique romance with its engaging, unforgettable characters, lush narrative and thought-provoking, beautiful storyline stole my heart.
Mỹ/Esme is single, hardworking mom in Vietnam and has a chance meeting with Khai’s mom, who convinces her to come to the United States for the summer in order to make a love connection with Khai and marry him – hopefully, fingers crossed, please. Khai is not happy about his mother’s outrageous matchmaking, but he’ll do about anything for her and reluctantly goes along with the plan, at least to host Esme. He doesn’t believe he will every marry, because he’s convinced that he’s not able to sustain a relationship because he doesn’t have the ability to truly love someone. He’s on the autism spectrum and has struggled to accept that although he may experience his feelings differently, his are just as intense and genuine as everyone else’s.
He and Esme’s awkward meet-cute at the airport ignited my ear-to-ear grin that never wavered until long after I was finished reading The Bride Test. They find compassion and understanding with one another – virtual strangers – and their meeting and developing connection is brimming with kismet. I feel like I was with them on every step of their difficult, transformative and beautiful journey. Hoang writes with tremendous insight and intelligence, and she has a brilliantly deft touch when it comes to on-the-page humor, and The Bride Test is a contemporary romance that truly stands out.