Review: The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

First of all, I’m so excited so many of you are excited for #GOTSummerRead! I’ll share more details on how to participate as June 1st approaches. But for now, go get yourselves a copy of the first book! I currently i have two (lol). I went to the library yesterday to get my copy of Beartown and the clerk handed me Game of Thrones as well. I totally forgot I ordered it, since a friend is loaning me her copies. Whoops.

Second of all, I’m a little nervous for today’s post. I’m sharing what seems to be an unpopular opinion…but i just didn’t love The Bride Test.

Alright, so I read The Kiss Quotient back in April and it didn’t love it but didn’t hate it. It kept me reading, even though it really wasn’t my style. I know it has a lot of fans out there but I think it was just too much steam for me and not enough substance. However, I heard that The Bride Test was totally different and had more substance. So, I decided to give it a chance. 

Unpopular opinion maybe but…I just didn’t love it. It was work to pick it up and read this weekend. I guess I prefer RomCom style romance or just realistic fiction that centers on a relationship? I didn’t mind My Oxford Year, though it did up the mush factor significantly more than I was ready for. But this one just kind of drove me nuts. 

Basically, I know it’s written by a woman, but it sounds like it’s written by a man when Hoang describes the “perfect” body of the character Esme. I’m not into unrealistic body standards for women in the media let alone in literature. It kind of just turned me off from the whole thing. Pun unintended. 

Here’s what I loved about this book: the Asian representation, that it was written by a female author, and that it has a main character with high functioning autism (like TKQ). I am so glad we are seeing greater representation in literature. 

Overall, this book just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t fall into it because too many things kept me alienated from the story. I did love Khai’s character and I loved Esme’s determination to finish school and provide a better life for her daughter. But like the steaminess was just gratuitous, in my humble opinion. 

What did you think of The Bride Test? And if you haven’t read it, will you read it for yourself or do you think you’ll skip it?