Take one single mom, add in a socially constipated geneticist and add in some genetic profiling...

And this is a great, fun, engaging read with a great supporting cast of super interesting characters.
Jess is a single mom to Juno and can't get past a first date.
Dr. River Pena is a geneticist who has created a genetic profiling app for, well, match making. Oh, and he's socially constipated.

First impressions aren't everything....because River and Jess are an improbably high match.
In order to make his IPO successful, River needs an uber successful match. Is his match Jess?
Recommend. It was delightful.

Chemistry off the charts! This author team never disappoints with characters, storyline or originality. A matchmaking app with DNA is very creative and original. Jess’s friends and family are hysterical and true supporters. Starting off as enemies, or at least appearing that way, River and Jess began to really click. Her daughter is a real gem and too curious for her own good, definitely great comic relief. Always enjoy reading their books and more pleased to receive an early copy, review provided voluntarily.

I’ve read several of Christina Lauren’s titles, but none have touched me as much as this one did. The whole abandonment issue for the characters to deal with was definitely my jam. I guess because it’s how I grew up and didn’t really start dealing with it mentally until I was in my 40’s. I also love the getting rid of toxic people plot. Again, been there, done that…

There were a lot of comedic spots in the book, mostly from the BFF and Jess’s daughter Juno, but as you get further into the story the comedy tapers off and it turns into a hot mess Jess and River have to dig their way out of. So unlike many of their other rom-com’s, this one isn’t funny right to the end. The other topics I think overshadow the comedy in a good way.

Somehow they were able to channel what it feels like to be abandoned all your life and the angst and anger you project to everyone else that tries to get close. My dad was mostly absentee until I was in my late teens and I felt on many occasions just as Jess did. It’s better to just rely on yourself, you can’t trust anyone else to be there so why even try to have a relationship. Oh, how I’ve felt those choked down tears on many occasions. Thankfully for me, my abandoning parent was toxic too. I was able to work things out before he passed.

On the other hand, I’ve had a ton of family I’ve had to cut off because just like Jess’s mom they made my life hell with the rollercoaster of emotions and the constant train wrecking I would have to clean up from. It’s so draining. After many moons, I now believe you should get to choose who you spend your time and energy on in relationships, no matter if they are your family or not. If it is causing too much stress in your life, you have to let them go or it will literally kill you. I think a lot of people could learn from this story.

I’m giving this a 5 of 5 propellers and it will probably be in my Top 10 list for 2021. Not only did it resonate with me deep, but it made me cry too…and I never cry from books. So my hat’s off to Christina and Lauren for such a great story.

Single mom Jess Davis spends her days doing her freelance statistics work, raising her bright and delightful 7-year-old daughter Juno, and hanging out with the grandparents who raised her. She meets her best friend, novelist Fizzy (short for Felicity), at a coffee shop every morning to get work done. And she goes on disappointing dates: Given her less-than-thrilling experiences, Jess is quite sure Tinder isn’t going to help her find a man she can love and who will love her and Juno.

Then one morning Jess and Fizzy find out about a new company, not even launched yet, called GeneticAlly, which uses DNA to help people find their ideal matches. If Jess were to use a service to find a good man, this would be it: GeneticAlly is data-driven and has been tested on thousands of people. In a low moment, Jess caves in and swabs the inside of her cheek and sends in her DNA sample. She forgets about it until she gets a call from the company: The data show she has an unheard-of 98% compatibility score with one other person in the huge database — and it’s the founder of the company, River Peña.

While Jess is a sucker for numbers, she’s positive these can’t be right: She’s met River Peña, and he’s completely antisocial and stuck-up. But GeneticAlly executives give her an offer she pretty much can’t refuse, given her tight finances: They will pay her to simply spend time getting to know him for a few months, up until the company’s launch. After all, if the “Diamond” pair truly fall for each other, that’s a story the media will eat up — and that will boost stock prices for the new company.

Of course, as these kinds of stories go, Jess slowly finds that River has a lot of admirable qualities, in addition to the insane hotness she certainly had already observed. The two hit it off. But can they overcome the challenges that present themselves? Are the data always right? And if the data are wrong, does that matter if they care for each other?

The Soulmate Equation is another fun, romantic story from Christina Lauren. It has all the elements of this writing duo’s satisfying novels: hot guy, protagonist who is pretty and has many great qualities but worries about her prospects in general or with that particular guy for various reasons, plenty of fireworks when the two get together. It’s not my favorite, which remains In a Holidaze, but I’ll keep reading their books when I need a little fun escape.

Omg it’s just so good!

The Soulmate Equation is CLo at their finest. The plot itself is unique - it explores what might happen if we could analyze our DNA to find out who we’re compatible (and not compatible) with? Would we ignore lower compatibility matches, not giving them the time of day, assuming it won’t work out?Would we trick ourselves into loving our highest matches? SUCH an interesting thought experiment. Set in a world where this tech exists, Jess and River try to navigate a relationship where their genetic compatibility is high but their actual in-person compatibility is about zero (they do NOT like each other). Their story is actually adorable and will give you all the warm fuzzies that only the best romcoms can serve up.

Per usual for CLo, the writing is 10/10. There are so many hilarious scenes with killer quips and pithy one liners to keep you entertained. I absolutely adore books where I can get lost in the story, and this one kept my attention the entire time.

In what will be a surprise to no CLo fan, the characters are *chefs kiss* ~perfection~. There’s the unlucky-in-love, single mom statistician (Jess) and the handsome but aloof, emotionally unavailable, less interesting than a cardboard cutout bachelor acquaintance (River). Along for the ride are Jess’s sassy, romance-novel-writing sidekick (Fizzy); Jess’s brilliant and wise-beyond-her-years 7-year-old daughter (Juno); and a few family members who add depth and provide insight into what makes Jess and River tick. The main characters are well developed and the entire cast is engaging - I felt like I knew them even just a few chapters in. I found myself laughing along with Fizzy and cringing along with Jess as if I were part of the squad. I also LOVE the meta-ness of the romance author angle. I desperate want to believe that Christina and Lauren are always up to Fizzy-level antics.

I’m still figuring out where to rank this among other CLo novels, but it’s absolutely in my top 3 (maybe even top 2!). If you like romcoms or have ever enjoyed a CLo novel (or just like books and want to be entertained), don’t miss The Soulmate Equation (OUT NOW!).

Thank you to Gallery Books and Christina Lauren for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Jess is a single mom just trying to do her best everyday to make the best life possible for her daughter. River is a brilliant scientist who has found a way to help people find their soulmates through DNA analysis. Logistically, their paths should never really have crossed, but considering the local coffeeshop is Jess' "home office" and River's OCD-ish stop every morning for an Americano, they were bound to run into each other. What they didn't expect was to find out they were destined for each other. After submitting a sample to River's company on a whim, Jess is called in to his office building to find a whole room of people super excited to hear that her and River are 98% compatible. Not exactly a meet-cute, but both Jess and River agree to give this match a shot -- for the sake of science and with a contract, of course. While they both believe in science and numbers, they're still skeptical of this "Diamond" match. But as they get to know one another better, they realize the science just may be on to something...

Thoughts: I have always enjoyed the work of these authors, so I was super excited to get the opportunity to read this new release -- and I was not disappointed! I absolutely adored this book! First of all, I could totally envision the authors having the same hilarious conversations that Jess and her BFF Fizzy share. Jess and Fizzy were so funny together that I even read portions aloud to my husband because I was "LOL'ing. And the chemistry between Jess and River -- woo boy! They basically go from enemies to lovers, but River doesn't do anything too horrible to make readers dislike him, they'll just be annoyed with him a bit at first. (I hate parking space stealers, too, Jess!) And Jess' daughter, Juno, is just too cute. She's smart, funny, observant, and really sweet. As far as side characters go, Fizzy is total BFF-goals and Jess' grandparents are not only adorable but I wish they were my grandparents (nothing against my own, they're just that awesome!). This book is going to make Christina Lauren fans very happy and, if you haven't read their work yet, this is the perfect book to start with!

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.**

The newest book from the writing duo of Christina Lauren is a lovely tale of finding your perfect match even if at first you don't think it true. I loved the characters and the way they wrote the daughter was lovely. It's a great book and would recommend it as I would all their books.

When you see the name Christina Lauren you know your in for a fantastic book! This book is the perfect example of why she is a must read author . DNA matched for romance Jess mother to an adorable 7 yr old Juno is matched with River a rough around the edges scientist . The balance of characteristics between River and Jess I think kept their dynamic so intriguing. Juno is by far my favorite character in this book though , she had that witty, sweet personality .

Thank you Netgalley and Christina Lauren for the opportunity to read this as an ARC

A quick and fun summer read. This has a fairly simple romance plotline, but the characters were interesting and relatable and the science was interesting and handled well. I wish it hadn't wrapped up so quickly though and I wish the author has been willing to write more than quick kiss scenes, after so much build up the fade to black cutoffs made it hard to feel the chemistry. This will make a great beach read, but it's not Lauren's best.

I love Christina Lauren, but the concept of this book didn't entice me. I'm very glad my initial opinion was wrong because this story was great! I really loved all the characters, from the main couple to all of the side characters. I was kind of sad it ended! It was sweet, funny, with light steam. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren is a fun, charming and entertaining read. I loved the premise.

Author duo Christina Lauren deliver a unique, creative answer to dating apps. I was intrigued. Imagine a sure-fire way to meet your soulmate. Add in the authors' flair for romcom and witty banter and I was sold.

Our main characters Jess, a single, struggling mother, and River, a sexy, aloof executive. Both are nerdy and yet seem unlikely to get together.

This book started kind of slow for me but then picked up and I couldn't put it down. I loved the way the relationship develops after quite an unorthodox start.

This story is everything you want in a romance, especially if you're a fan of Christina Lauren. It is refreshing, intriguing, witty fun with some twists and heat. Perfect read while lying on the beach!

There’s something so fresh, witty and feel good about a Christina Lauren book hat they’re just impossible to pass up! This one is no exception. Soulmate Equation is charming, fun, and touching with great character development.

I highly recommend this for a quick, cute, sexy, nerdy, and totally relatable story. Looking for a summer beach read? Look no further!

Thank you, NetGalley, Gallery Books and author for a copy of this book for review!

Author Christina Lauren delivered a knock out enemy to lovers romantic book.
I totally loved the chemistry between all the characters.
Love, family, friends, humor, this book has it all.
You will get invested in the characters emotions of finding their happily ever after.
I got all the feels from this book and was left feeling happy to how it all ended.
Definitely a #mustread and another book from Christina Lauren to add to your bookshelf!
5 🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒popped!

Another entirely binge-able contemporary romance from Christina Lauren. This time, the writing duo focuses on STEM geeks in love. Nothing too surprising here, but all in all, a very enjoyable one-sitting read.

I love a good Christina Lauren book anytime, and this was as good as any one of theirs I have read. I will admit that for me it started slow and took me a minute or more to get into the story, but once I did, River and Jess and to a degree all the wonderful secondary characters, came to life. When I am reading a good book, it becomes a movie in my head, and when that happens, I pay attention and ask myself why I am loving it. First and foremost, good writing and structure, and of course, a good love story, but above all that, I want to feel all the emotions that the main characters are feeling. Jess and River had an interesting beginning, and at first I couldn’t see this relationship going anywhere. River was a difficult character to understand at first, but once the story got rolling, i thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks Christina Lauren for another wonderful book.

“Empty companionship was lonelier than being alone.”

Happy Pub Day to The Soulmate Equation! While I’m still relatively new to @christinalauren books I’ve quickly become obsessed making this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it did not disappoint!

I flew through this book, I literally read the last 85% of it yesterday after work. I loved the concept - if you could find your soulmate through DNA, would you? What if the results showed your soulmate is someone you already know, someone you don’t like? As a math person myself, I personally enjoyed the statistics mentioned throughout but I wouldn’t let the science/math of this storyline to steer you away if you don’t enjoy that. River is a top notch book boyfriend - he is kind, thoughtful, brilliant, funny, and all around swoon worthy. While I of course loved the budding romance, I also couldn’t get enough of Jess’ family. Fizzy is such a loyal and fun best friend, her grandparents made my heart ache in the best way, and I loved how involved Jess’ daughter Juno was in the plot. This was such a well done romance, it didn’t feel repetitive, it had a smart independent single mother as it’s heroine, and it still managed to tackle some tough topics.

This was a 5⭐️ read for me - I loved it! I know I’ve said it before, but I should really read more romcoms. They’re so enjoyable, easy to read, and give me all the warm and fuzzy feelings.

Thank you to @netgalley and @gallerybooks for this eARC!

The Soulmate Equation isn’t quite an enemies-to-lovers story, and as Jess and River get to know each other, their chemistry is hard to ignore. The side characters round out the story nicely, and I’d love to see Fizzy in her own book. There is of course a hiccup before Jess and River can find their happily ever after, and while I was a Statistics major in college, I glazed over a bit at all of the genetics and statistical jargon. But once the story gets going it was hard to put down.

This book was so cute and EASY to get lost in! Jess is a single mom and has made the best of life. She has amazing grandparents in her life that are her biggest cheerleaders and she wants to make the best out of things for her own child. Her best friend is a hoot! She's a romance author and always wants romance IRL. She encourages Jess to participate in Dr. River Peña's company. She's not expecting the results she got though. And while River and Jess don't hit things off at first, slowly they start to build that foundation and respect each other. I liked seeing how their relationship progressed and it gave me ALL. THE. FEELS. This story was sweet, endearing and left me feeling good! I can't recommend this book enough!

Am I a grown adult with daily commitments and an early bedtime that I completely ignored in order to finish this book? Yes. Worth it? 100%. I would do it again. 10/10 would recommend. The Soulmate Equation is the best CLo book I have read in a while. That's not to say they aren't all good, but this one just took it up a notch. A single-mom, a brooding scientist, and a cast of meddling secondary characters make this nerdy love story one of my top romance reads this year.

We've all heard of or have used the dating sites that are out there, but handsome River and his team have created GenitcAlly, a dating app that pairs you with your DNA's best matches. Jess has no time or desire for romance in her life, but a bad day and a run in with the grumpy Americano, who she now knows is River, has her spitting in a test tube for her match. The single-mom sets her match pairing to the highest, not expecting to hear anything, but then she gets called to the matchmaking service's offices. She's got a match. Not just any match, though. A diamond match, 98%, to none other than Americano, or rather Dr. River Pena. With a monetary offer she can't refuse, a load of press commitments, and a crush she won't admit to, Jess agrees to test the match with River for three months.

The cute factor of this novel is just BEYOND. It's a unique, and silly, romance that has chemistry that is off the charts. Jess is such a classic young single-mom who is consumed by work, motherhood, and worries. She treats herself like she's ancient, beyond dating, but thank goodness for her best friend Fizzy and her belief that Jess is deserving and capable of more. Reading Jess' journey into dating and opening up again is just beautiful. She's somehow both cheesy and sultry all at once, while broody Americano unveils a thoughtful, nervous side of himself that pairs perfectly with her. The two are literally a perfect match, even when they have to acknowledge that science may not know it all.

If you're a fan of Christina Lauren and/or love stories, The Soulmate Equation is the romance I recommend you absolutely put at the top of your TBR pile. It's funny, heartwarming, and completely impossible to put down.

The Soulmate Equation was a funny and sweet story and a fascinating topic. It's about a single mom who signs up for a dating site that matches you through your DNA. My first thoughts were that this sounds similar to The One, but Christina Lauren are in an entirely different genre than John Marrs! And this is an entirely different story although equally compelling.

The plot and characters really ticked all the boxes for me, The main character Jess is a single mom of an adorably smart and quirky 7 year old who has really close connections to her grandparents and friends. Her best friend Felicity, nicknamed Fizzy, writes romance novels which sound hilarious, and can be found in a coffee shop or lurking over Zoom, hurriedly typing out all of Jess's awkward dating experiences to write into a future plot line. Jess works with statistics and data and is given an unbelievably high % match with the handsome but slightly geeky founder of the DNA dating company, Dr. River Peña, who I liked as soon as I realized he was really just shy and not as stuck-up or stubborn as he initially seemed.

I really enjoyed the humour, character development and story told in this book, and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a lighthearted, entertaining read.