#(by audio version i mean lauren read it to me over zoom lmao)

[readingoals]

Like I said in an earlier post, I’ve decided to try and get into Romance this year. The Bride Test was an early foray into the genre. I listened to an audio version of it and...it was alright. I’m gonna put my thoughts under a cut for spoilers but yeah not my favourite book ever. I gave it 3 stars on goodreads but in reality it was maybe a 2.5? I did however like some of the side characters more so I’d be willing to try the next book in the series.

So I didn’t love the initial setup with his mum flying overseas to try and find him a bride, it felt very manipulative and icky. And in fact I think a lot of how people behaved towards Khai came off as manipulative, right down to the fake wedding at the end. I’m sure it wasn’t intended that way but it definitely didn’t sit right with me.

Then there were the main characters. Neither of them really did anything for me. Khai was alright but I found Esme particularly annoying and half of what she did came off as less quirky cute and more just like....stupid? The tree thing and the wedding dress thing are the two big ones that come to mind and neither of them hit right for me. I understand romances books (much like romcom movies of which im generally a fan) require some level of suspension of disbelief but the wedding dress thing was too ridiculous. It ended up feeling like a very contrived way to have her topless around Khai which was unnecessary since he’d obviously already noticed she had tits while she was chopping down the tree. 

And don’t get me started about the kid! This book did the equivalent of every sitcom that made the main couple have a kid, in that she was mentioned once or twice but never was really part of the show. She was a plot device to explain why her mum dropped out of school. 

I think this one was probably not a great choice for me. It hit a couple of squicks of mine - virgin characters (i can’t do it in fanfic and apparently I can’t do it in actual books either) and...idk would you call it arranged marriage? whatever it is I am not a fan - and just generally felt a bit disappointing. 

Hopefully my next romance read is a little more successful but too many like this and I will be giving up on the genre.