
"This is such a fun read and it's also quite original and sexy and sensitive."--Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author
"Hoang's writing bursts from the page."--Buzzfeed
A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.
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...
"Hoang's writing bursts from the page."--Buzzfeed
A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.
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...
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3
epaulettes
(Grade: 4/5) After seeing this book hyped hither & yon as some sort of romance/mainstream crossover hit, I was surprised that it was a regular romance novel. Just, an extremely good one that is impossible not to love. Stella's autism is handled with realism & grace. Michael's large Vietnamese family is fleshed out well. And our protags fall in love in that spectacularly romance-y way where they find the person who loves them just as they are, & that love lets them become the best versions of themselves.

(Rated on Jan 1, 2019)
2
HeathersCorner
(Grade: 4/5) I read this book in one sitting and was surprised when it lived up to the hype. The characters are convincingly developed as is their relationship. I love fake dating stories and solid side characters. However the multiple miscommunications got tiring towards the end, and I didn’t love some of the possessive traits/behaviors in the romantic conclusion. Still, this was a very well executed contemporary romance and has earned its recent reputation!

(Rated on Mar 16, 2019)
2
Bug
(Grade: 3/5) A very sweet story exploring what it’s like for a woman on the autism spectrum to be in a relationship. I quite liked Stella though I thought everything tied up a little too neatly.

(Rated on Jun 6, 2019)
2
ladyflash
(Grade: 4/5) Quick read, but enjoyable. Both Michael and Stella are loveable in their own ways.

(Rated on Nov 18, 2019)
0
amachat (Grade: 3/5) I really liked Stella and the book's attention to her experience. I really enjoyed reading her chapters. That said, there was a lot of questionable stuff about consent coming from Michael, whose whole thing initially was that he made her feel comfortable by respecting her consent. The jealous, controlling, violent man thing really doesn't do it for me.
(Rated on May 22, 2020)
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