The Bride Test

The companion novel to The Kiss Quotient, set in the same world but following different characters. When Khai, an autistic man who believes he is incapable of love, steadfastly refuses to date, his mother travels to Vietnam to find him a bride. Esme Tran, a young woman from Ho Chi Minh City, accepts the chance to come to America, but winning over Khai proves more complicated than anyone expected.

Why This One

If you loved The Kiss Quotient and want more of Hoang’s world, The Bride Test expands it beautifully. Esme is a wonderful protagonist: resourceful, proud, and determined to succeed on her own terms even as she falls for a man who insists he cannot return her feelings. Khai’s autism is portrayed differently from Stella’s, showing that the spectrum is genuinely a spectrum rather than a single experience.

The novel also goes deeper into Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American culture, exploring the tensions between immigrant parents and their American-raised children with real nuance. The romance is slower to develop than in The Kiss Quotient, but the payoff is just as satisfying.

What to Expect

A cross-cultural romance with humor, heat, and heart. Dual perspectives that let you see the misunderstandings from both sides. A hero who processes emotions differently and a heroine who refuses to give up. Family dynamics that feel specific and real. A happy ending that makes you believe both characters have truly grown.