The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang is a captivating, romantic story that proves that love can transcend age, culture and even the most difficult of circumstances.
It follows Stella, a successful but emotionally detached woman who hires an escort to help her learn to be intimate with someone. Along the way, she discovers more about herself and what she truly desires in life.
Plot and Characters
The Kiss Quotient opens with the introduction of its main character, Stella Lane. Stella is a 30-year-old woman living in San Francisco who has been unsuccessful in finding love in her life.
To remedy this, she takes extreme steps and hires an escort to help her learn how to be intimate with someone. The escort, Michael Phan, has his own struggles and they quickly discover they are more alike than they had initially anticipated.
The pair become closer as they continue their lessons together, leading them to form a unique bond that can’t be explained away by societal norms or pressures.
The novel follows the two characters as they navigate their new relationship and explore their feelings for one another. Hoang does an excellent job of exploring difficult topics such as fear of intimacy and cultural expectations without being preachy or heavy handed.
The characters are well developed and easy to sympathize with — it’s hard not to root for them amidst all of the chaos that life throws their way.
Writing Style
Hoang has a smooth writing style that makes it easy to read through the book quickly. Her writing is engaging throughout — it keeps you turning pages until you reach the end. She does an excellent job of making each scene vivid which helps pull in the reader more into story itself.
Conclusion
The Kiss Quotient is sure to please any reader who enjoys romance novels with a bit of drama thrown in for good measure.
Hoang does an excellent job of exploring complex issues while also weaving together a heartfelt story about two people who must battle social expectations on their way towards happiness together. This book should definitely not be missed!
