The Kiss Quotient

I had a craving this week for erotic books. I don't know what was wrong with me, I felt like I was going through puberty again.

So what did I do? I consulted Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, a blog specialized in sentimental literature that makes me laugh a lot (seriously, subscribe to their Facebook page, you'll see). That's when I came across an extremely enthusiastic review of The Kiss Quotient which absolutely convinced me. With OverDrive, I was able to get the book immediately. And let the fun begin.

Summary

Stella is an econometrician, which means she analyzes data to find trends, especially in consumer habits (basically). She loves her work. She dreams about it at night, and she excels at it, which explains why she is so rich.

But Stella also has Asperger's Syndrome. She has only had three sexual experiences in her life, and they were far from conclusive. So when her parents told her they were ready to be grandparents (no pressure there!), she decided to take matters into her own hands. Her thought process was this: to make babies, you have to have sex. If she doesn't have a man in her life, it's because she's not good at sex. She needs to get better at it.

So she hires a male escort, Michael, half Swedish and half Vietnamese, to educate her in this area. Michael, who does this job to pay his mother's medical bills, never expected to have such a charming and pretty client, nor to enjoy his sessions with her. And Stella never expected to feel such ecstasy in a man's arms.

Impressions

I admit, I didn't pick this book up for the romance. You have to have one, of course, otherwise it's just mindless porn, but mostly I wanted good steamy steamy (I can't believe I'm saying that on the internets.) On this aspect, I was quite satisfied. Two short introductory chapters, then the action started. I'll give you a little excerpt soft to give you an idea:

He ran his fingertips down the length of her arm and smiled when goose bumps rippled outward. Nuzzling her neck, he breathed in the soft scent of her skin and kissed the sweet spot just behind her jaw. Her lips called to him, but instead of trespassing, he sucked on her earlobe and bit it, startling a shaky sigh from her.

“This is foreplay?” The breathy quality of her voice sent satisfaction curling through him.

“It is.” Even though he knew the answer, he asked against her ear, “Do you like it?”

– The Kiss Quotient, by Helen Hoang, ch. 8

It's very important in a romance to like the characters. You have to like them and find them sexy. For that, bravo. Stella is adorable, and Michael, in addition to acting like a prince charming, is straight out of a Calvin Klein ad. I didn't mind the educational aspect of it either.

But this book isn't perfect. About three-quarters of the way through the book, it got pretty quaint thank you. Michael gets insecure and jealous; Stella starts acting silly; Michael's family tells him he just met the woman of his life; Michael pushes a little too hard for my taste when he decides to reveal his love to Stella; and four months later they're engaged, rich, happy, and way too in love. Too many rainbows for me. I don't regret my reading though.

I read this book in English, but it is also available in French, under the same title. You can get it through the link below.