“All the things that make you different make you perfect.”
If you fell head over heels for The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, you’re probably on the hunt for more books that capture that perfect mix of heart, humour, and heat. This bestselling romance charmed readers with its neurodivergent heroine, tender slow-burn chemistry, and its fresh take on modern love. Thankfully, there are plenty of books like The Kiss Quotient that deliver the same feel-good energy and emotional depth. From romantic comedies with quirky leads to diverse contemporary romances full of genuine connection, these stories will make you swoon, laugh, and maybe even tear up a little. Whether you’re after more books similar to The Kiss Quotient or just looking for your next romance read, join us at What We Reading for something every fan of Helen Hoang’s heartfelt writing will love.
The Kiss Quotient Summary
Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms that predict customer purchases – a job that has given her so much money, and way less experience in the dating department. It doesn’t help that she has Asperger’s either. Her conclusion is that she needs lots of practice with a professional.
This is how she comes to hire 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. Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he’s making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership begins to make a strange sort of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic.
The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient #2) – Helen Hoang
Kicking off our list of books like The Kiss Quotient is the second book in Helen Hoang’s bestselling series, The Bride Test. 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 know better – that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he defiantly 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, believing it to 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’ll never be able to return her affection.
Get A Life, Chloe Brown – Talia Hibbert
Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost – but not quite – dying, she’s come up with six directives to help her “Get a Life,” and she’s already completed the first: moving out of her parents’ glamorous mansion. But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written a step-by-step plan on how to do it. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.
Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the day. Which Chloe knows, because she spies on him. But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she finally begins to realise why he resents her wealthy background so much, why he never shows his art to anyone, and what’s really underneath his rough exterior…
The Right Swipe – Alisha Rai
Another contemporary, steamy romance book similar to The Kiss Quotient comes from Alisha Rai in The Right Swipe. Rhiannon Hunter might have revolutionised romance in the digital world, but in real life, she only swipes right on her career – and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a series of strict rules. Only there aren’t any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former pro-footballer Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night… and then vanishes.
Rhi thought she’d buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful – and in league with a business rival. He says he won’t fumble their second chance, but she’s wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely, that’s too high a risk?
Fix Her Up – Tessa Bailey
Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints, and they haven’t taken her seriously since. But Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh. She’s determined to live her best life. Only living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t ever been on a date. Perhaps having a steamy love affair will be enough to convince the town she’s more than just the local clown?
Travis Ford was Major League Baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ruined his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But when his best friend’s sister, Georgie, proposes a wild scheme, he agrees. Where’s the harm? It’s not real. Only the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman, and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her…
The Girl He Used To Know – Tracey Garvis Graves
Another one of the best romance books like The Kiss Quotient, featuring a neurodivergent lead, Tracey Garvis Graves introduces readers to Annika Rose in The Girl He Used to Know. Annika likes to be alone. She feels lost in social situations, saying the wrong thing or acting in the wrong way. She just cannot read people.
The one exception to this is Jonathan. She liked being around him, but she hadn’t seen him for ten years. Until now, that is. And she’s not sure he’ll want to see her again after what happened all those years ago. Annika Rose likes being alone. Except that, actually, she doesn’t like being alone at all.
The Flatshare – Beth O’Leary
Tiffy and Leon share a flat, they share a bed, and they have never met one another. Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they’re crazy, but it’s the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy’s at work during the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.
But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers, and, of course, the fact they still haven’t met each other yet, they’re about to discover that if you want the perfect home, you need to throw the rulebook out the window. Contemporary, sweet, and funny, The Flatshare is one of the best books to read if you loved The Kiss Quotient.
Check Out The Best Books Like The Flatshare
Love Lettering – Kate Clayborn
Meg Mackworth’s hand-lettering skill has made her famous as the Planner of Park Slope, designing beautiful custom journals for New York City’s elite. She has another skill too: reading signs that other people miss. Like the time she sat across from Reid Sutherland and his gorgeous fiancée, and knew their upcoming marriage was doomed to fail. Weaving a secret word into their wedding program was a little unprofessional, but she was sure no one else would spot it. She hadn’t counted on the sharp-eyed, pattern-obsessed Reid…
A year on, Reid has tracked down to find out how she knew that his meticulously planned future was about to implode. But with a looming deadline, a fractured friendship, and a bad case of creative block, Meg doesn’t have time for questions. As they slowly open up to one another, both try to ignore how their unlikely connection is growing. But, similar to The Kiss Quotient, the signs are there – irresistible, indisputable, urging Meg to heed the messages Reid is sending her, before it is too late…
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
