The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

Paperback, 336 pages

Expected publication: June 6th 2019 by Corvus (first published May 7th 2019)

Series: The Kiss Quotient #2

To review

Contemporary romance

I do think I enjoyed this book even more than the previous one! I do love when that happens. When the books just grow stronger. Which means I can't wait for the next one. Ohh Quan's book, thrilling!

We met Khai in a previous book for a moment, but I would say that this one works perfectly as a stand alone. You do not need to have read it to understand this new one.

Khai has aspergers. And his mum goes to Vietnam to find him a wife *headdesk, mum!* But she means well and se wants him to be happy. And he just kind of goes along with it when his mum tells him look here, you have 3 months with her, marry her or do not marry her.

I loved Khai. Just loved him.

Esme worked cleaning toilets when she met Khai's mum, who saw something in her. And gave her a chance to win his love. She took the chance and ran with it.

Obviously there are hurdles to overcome. He does not do emotions, he does not want to be touched. Things should be as they are. While Esme is forward, sweet and cheerful. And they are exactly perfect for each other.

But this is so much more than two people finding love. She finds her own path, which is more important. She wants to make something of herself, to create a better life for her daughter.

I really enjoyed this book. It felt light and I read it in no time at all.

Sweet, with passion on the side. Fun, with drama thrown in. And most of all, delightful.

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love. 

TMST

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where Rainy discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog.

June 4th: Who are some of your favorite audiobook narrators?

First, I am really bad with names. I am sure I have favorites that I will not even remember ;)

But, let's start with Vikas Adam, because his voice makes my insides melt into puddles.

Justine Eyre is great! Lately I have only come across her with historicals, but for me she excels at those. Though I do really like when she does fantasy/sci.fi too.

Amy Melissa Bentley does great YA voices, she is such a great fit there.

Anthony Ferguson, what can I say, I just like when he does Highlander romance!

Audio: The Cowboy and his baby - Jessica Clare

Narrated by: Abby Craden

Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 05-07-19

Language: English

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Contemporary romance

It has been a while since I wanted to slap a heroine this badly...and a lot. So that might be the wrong thing to start a review with, bu hey it was a fun book, I just wanted to slap some sense into her!

Abby meets Dustin, a hot cowboy who has a player rep. She is a dog trainer on a set from hell, he is a local cowboy and they have a fling.

And then she does something stupid. She listen to someone else and leaves. She does not even talk to him. Come on girl, whyyy!?

Then she has to return for reshoots and decides to tell him that she is 7 months along. Not cool girl, not cool!

He takes her back cos he is freaking wonderful and he had fallen in love with her. She keeps listening to other people and thinks she knows what is best for him. You are the best for him, you!!!!! I get that people are insecure, but this man needs looove!

So she keeps backtracking and he is always there. Dang, that man was wonderful. So wonderful. Gotta love a cowboy.

I enjoyed it, slapping aside, lol

Narrator

I enjoyed her narration. She does different voices well and I think she is a good fit for romance. She takes the slow and the fast well. The romance and the drama.

Dustin is a ranch hand with a reputation around town as a ladies' man. He loves flirting and the thrill of the chase. When he tilts his cowboy hat just so, no one can resist his charms. It's all fun and games for Dustin until he meets a woman who sparks real feelings in him, and he's blindsided by love.

Annie is an animal trainer working on set for a film. Other than her furry, canine coworkers, she hasn't connected with the rest of the crew working on the movie. It's only when a certain cowboy catches her eye that Wyoming becomes interesting. She intends for their romance to be a fling, but by the time filming wraps up, she's unexpectedly pregnant. 

While Annie is prepared to walk away and raise her baby by herself, Dustin isn't so ready to say goodbye. He has to prove to Annie that she has a future in Wyoming and capture her heart before it's too late.

Joint Discussion: A night divided by Jennifer A Nielsen

Hello all! Carole and I will be discussing "A Night Divided" by Jennifer A. Nielsen.I am in red and C in purple. 

Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen

Narrator: Kate Simses

Title: A Night Divided

Genre: Historical Fiction, MG, & YA

Pages: Audiobook

Published: August 25th 2015

Where I Got It: Audiosync

With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelve-year-old Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can't help herself. She sees the East German soldiers with their guns trained on their own citizens; she, her family, her neighbors and friends are prisoners in their own city.

But one day, while on her way to school, Gerta spots her father on a viewing platform on the western side, pantomiming a peculiar dance. Then, when she receives a mysterious drawing, Gerta puts two and two together and concludes that her father wants Gerta and Fritz to tunnel beneath the wall, out of East Berlin. However, if they are caught, the consequences will be deadly. No one can be trusted. Will Gerta and her family find their way to freedom?

Our audiosync book! Which reminds me that I have to Dl this week's free ones!

I can’t remember what this week’s freebie is! I’ll have to look after this ;)

They sounded good! And now onwards! So this one was MG, and yes I did like it. But I did feel that it could have had a bigger impact as YA. A deeper, scarier one. Or maybe I just want people to suffer 0_0

I can agree with that. If it had been a YA or even a fiction it would’ve been sadder and been able to show more of the darkness of their situation. It did fine as an MG and it was light (comparatively). I liked it a lot though. But I doooo wish it was a touch darker.

Exactly. Now it was hopeful and I knew nothing bad would happen, well, well yea you know. Anyway, it was lighter than it should have been considering what they were doing. I really want to read a novel set in East Berlin now with a little more despair, death and madness. Just to really feel what it was like. Now I did not get that feeling of how they really felt.

It was a good intro to East Berlin. I’ll admit that I haven’t really watched or read any fiction about it. Just generic history books and etc. I would like to read a more adult story about it now! GIVE ME DESPAIR AND SADNESS! MWUAHAHAHA *coughs* sorry. ;)

That woman she came across and later saw where she lived. That woman must have had one hell of a story! I would read her story. Ohh maybe with a man on the other side, so we can have some longing too.

Yesss I am more curious about that lady. Who was she? What has she done? Where was she off to? So many questions! Now - there was one really sad moment near the end there. I was SO mad, but I think the author did it on purpose to not make the journey just as perfect as it seemed it was going to be. But whyyyyy?! I feel so bad.

The more I think of it I feel it was a evil shall be punished thing. I can’t say more to spoil things for others but you know what I mean. Evil = punished. But it wasn’t that black and white! This was the world of grey. Evil was not evil. And I wanted happy.

Maybe it was a redemption thing too? IDK. But I just felt really bad. And yes...I do feel this book really did show that nothing isn’t black and white. It is a world of grey. Some are evil. Some are good. However, not all evil is truly evil. Some are good but have some bad and darkness. This is a really good book for the kiddies in school. Lots of lessons for sure.

Lots of grey. And I totally know about the grey around here that she talks about her. New buildings built after wwII were so freaking grey! Blergh. What a horrible world to live in. The propaganda and no way to get a better life if you have been put down as a potential enemy. And I have not even thought about families torn asunder cos of that wall. Really sad. Stupid Soviets,

Yessss stupid Soviets. That wall was horrible. Glad it got torn down. Can you imagine being locked in???? I would lose it! I would for sure try to escape. Would you?

I would sure want to! The question is, would I have the courage? But it would be so horrible feeling fenced in, looking at that wall. Having people spying on you. Doing the right things, saying the right things. My soul would wither and die.

Yesss. The courage would be hard to get, but I know myself...I would die staying there because I would be too dumb and say the wrong thing to the wrong person. I tend to ramble and dig myself a hole. Hahaha. So might as well die trying to escape instead of my own stupidity.

And maybe not wait until the actual wall was up. I would have hoped I would have gone for it before that.

I would like to think my family and I would be gone WAY before the wall goes up. But you never know? One always has hopes things will stay the same or get better.

Talking about East Berlin. The only movies I have watched are those spy ones. They really should make more about the actual humans instead. Or we should find that great book then ;) But yes the great escape. Who wants to live in a world of grey. I really liked this heroine, she had more courage than me for sure.

Yess I really liked her too even though she was so young! She was brave and smart. She was for sure her father’s child. Thanks to her she gave her family hope! I am curious to see her father’s and brother’s POV on the other side of the wall. That would be a fun novella or short story or something.

Your wife and two kids stuck on the other side. Poor dad, what must he have felt? Their pov would have been interesting.

I can’t imagine what he must have felt. Probably a lot of guilt. I know I would’ve!

So much guilt. Like why did he not try harder. Why did he go then when he got trapped on the wrong (right) side. I did google later on how many people actually got away. In the weirdest ways too.

I thought this idea was nuts! But I am honestly not surprised. Desperate people do desperate things to get somewhere just for the chance at a better life! Can’t fault them that! I would’ve tried anything myself.

I read about nuttier, lol. But all in all, it was a good book, an interesting book. A horrible city filled with scary people. But done in a way not to make it too dark. So kids should read it and see what it was all about.

Yes, this is a pretty good book. I would for sure encourage kiddies who are learning about history or just about mankind to read this or listen to it like we did! OOOO! Which! How did you like the narrator before we wrap it up? I liked her. She had a good kid voice. I think she had a good change for different characters and telling the story and making it come alive.

Ha, yes I totally forgot about the narrator! But she was great, I liked her kid voice too. Some just sounds too old, but she did a good job, and with everyone else too. I did feel she made the book better for me. To read, eh, maybe it would have been too grey and not a lot happening. But when listening it is a whole other business. Also the last 20 min were intense! I had to listen to the end, I could not stop.

Yes she did really help with the book. I think it would’ve been a touch boring if we read it until near the end. It was a slow-burn for sure, but I think we needed that build-up for the crazy intense ending there! So good! I was on the edge of my seat!

That is a Listen then. And not read recommendation ;) I also want to add that everyone should check out Audiobook sync http://www.audiobooksync.com/ To get 2 free audio books every week! The bad thing is, you have to remember to grab them ;)

Yessss, don’t be like me and be forgetful. LOLL

Also, next week’s sound good. A love story in Saudi Arabia, might end really badly, we should read it.

I am curious about that one….maybe I’ll download it :D

I will try and remind you ;)

Hehehe yes! Please do! Well. The end? I think it was overall a good listen and a good pick! We needed this one!

The end

About the Authors

Carole and Blodeuedd have been blogging a long while now. The last couple of years the epic duo have been discussing books, watching movies, and even wetting the pen and sharing their stories with the worldwide web. They both love cats, chocolate, and a good story.