Author: Helen Hoang
Started: January 8, 2019
Finished: January 11, 2019
Pages: 317
Genre: Fiction
First Sentence: "I know you hate surprises, Stella."
Summary: [From BN] Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old. It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan—from foreplay to more-than-missionary position. Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he's making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic.
Thoughts: On the whole, I liked this book because the lead characters are a little different and the writing iss well-paced. It's sort of a different take on Pretty Woman. This time Julia Roberts is being played by a male hottie with an interesting backstory and strong love for his family. Our female lead, Stella is a fascinating character. Her autism shapes her character without fully taking over who she is as a person. Without the autism, this book does not exist. But, it's not the be all and end all of the story. This book is a romance through and through.
The narrative of this book is straightforward, but the author throws in enough decoration to keep it interesting. Stella has a mission, Michael has a backstory, and they're both trying to keep parts of themselves secret from the other. That's what causes the drama. What causes the heat is that these two characters are just so well-formed and well-written that it's impossible not to root for them. Also, the bedroom scenes are alternatively touching and hella steamy. Hoang knows how to pace a story and it keeps you flipping pages until you have to force yourself to stop reading.
As much as I enjoyed this book, parts of it still made my brain itchy. As romantic as Michael could be, some of his reactions and emotions felt controlling and, possibly, borderline emotionally abusive. I get that he is taking the lead in the relationship, but there are a few passages that made me uncomfortable. That said, this book is more enthusiastic, affirmative consent than anything else and that makes me very happy. More of that in books please!
Rating: 7/10 [Very Good]
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