OK so I've read a lot of Christina Lauren's books...like A LOT. Several of them have been 5 star reads. That being said, this might be my favorite Christina Lauren book of all time!!! Single mom meets sexy and broody scientist, they can't stand each other but can't stay away from each other either...HELLO sign me up! It's got fantastic characters (lead and supporting), an interesting storyline you've never read before, smart and witty dialog, chemistry that burns up the pages and just the right amount of drama to keep you flipping pages, dying to find out how it all plays out. In this era of digital dating, is finding your soulmate actually a scientific matter of compatible DNA sequences? Could it be that simple, or actually that complicated? You'll have to read this story to find out ;-) 5 enthusiastic stars for me!

Thank you to Gallery Books, Christina Lauren and Netgalley for the e-ARC of The Soulmate Equation!

Jess and River just might be my new favorite CLo couple! And River is right up there with the Rookie, Jonah and Rowan in my list of favorite book boyfriends.

I loved how relatable Jess was as a character. She wasn’t like some of the romcom trope-y heroines who have ridiculous careers. Instead she was a single mom struggling to support her kid and grandparents and live a little too. Who can’t relate to that on some level?

SYNOPSIS Jess is a single mom who just doesn’t have time to date. So when her best friend Fizzy convinces her to try a new dating service where you submit a DNA sample to be genetically matched with your soulmate. When Jess gets her results back she’s shocked because she already knows her match...the moody man at the coffee shop they call Americano aka Dr. River Pena. And on top of that Jess and River aren’t only a match… they’re a “Diamond Match” with a 98% compatibility rating, the highest in the company's history. GeneticAlly makes Jess an offer, get to know River and help with the company’s publicity before it goes public and we’ll pay you. As Jess and River spend more time together, they begin to wonder if the science behind their match just might have something to it after all.

The Soulmate Equation is out today!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3838586379
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPBU1JLLT_p/

There’s not much I can say without being spoilery except that:
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK AND ITS DEFINITELY A NEW CHRISTINA LAUREN FAVORITE!
I adore Jess and Juno and SWOONY LOVE RIVER!
Omg and I love Fizzy! She was hysterical and her and Jess’s friendship was beautifully supportive and caring!
I loved the intriguing aspect of finding your soulmate via your DNA and even though I understood virtually none of the science, I was utterly fascinated and found it very believable!
I just loved absolutely everything about this story and will be recommending it to all my romance loving friends!

The Soulmate Equation by author duo Christina Lauren is a quick, heart warming, humorous read that is perfect for summer!

When I started reading the book I found the premise and the characters to be very silly. The premise seemed a little more far fetched than I have come to expect from the authors and some of the characters even had comical names. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pulled into this one to the point of wanting to stay up late to finish it.

This is for readers who are looking for a light, swoon worthy read that will put a smile on their faces.

I've read and enjoyed a few books by Christina Lauren over the last few years, and the synopsis of The Soulmate Equation immediately attracted me. - Soulmates discovered through DNA? Tell me more.

Single mom Jess Davis is a skeptic, but her author best friend buys her a test kit. During a particularly low moment, she spits in the vial despite her doubts. When she matches, at an unheard of 98%, with the DNA matchmaking company's super hot founder Dr. River Pena, the statistician in Jess cannot ignore it. The woman in Jess cannot ignore Dr. Pena when his company pays her to fake date him ahead of the company's launch.

Fake dating, single-parent romance? Sign me up. This is a funny, warm, easy read that I definitely recommend.

Happy release day to The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren and thank you so much to Gallery Books and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of it! I am a huge Christina Lauren fan and I have loved all of their books so much, so there should be no surprises here when I say that I absolutely loved The Soulmate Equation!

The Soulmate Equation 5/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:

Single mom Jess Davis is a data and statistics wizard, but no amount of number crunching can convince her to step back into the dating world. Raised by her grandparents--who now help raise her seven-year-old daughter, Juno--Jess has been left behind too often to feel comfortable letting anyone in. After all, her father's never been around, her hard-partying mother disappeared when she was six, and her ex decided he wasn't "father material" before Juno was even born. Jess holds her loved ones close, but working constantly to stay afloat is hard...and lonely.
But then Jess hears about GeneticAlly, a buzzy new DNA-based matchmaking company that's predicted to change dating forever. Finding a soulmate through DNA? The reliability of numbers: This Jess understands. At least she thought she did, until her test shows an unheard-of 98% compatibility with another subject in the database: GeneticAlly's founder, Dr. River Pena. This is one number she can't wrap her head around, because she already knows Dr. Pena. The stuck-up, stubborn man is without a doubt not her soulmate. But GeneticAlly has a proposition: Get to know him and we'll pay you. Jess--who is barely making ends meet--is in no position to turn it down, despite her skepticism about the project and her dislike for River. As the pair are dragged from one event to the next as the "Diamond" pairing that could make GeneticAlly a mint in stock prices, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to the scientist--and the science behind a soulmate--than she thought.
Funny, warm, and full of heart, The Soulmate Equation proves that the delicate balance between fate and choice can never be calculated.

I loved everything about this book. From Jess to Juno to River and OMG Fizzy, who was arguably my favorite, we had such a great cast of characters to fall in love with. And the whole concept behind River's company, GeneticAlly, was so interesting! What if we were genetically predisposed to be better matched with someone based on how well our DNA matches up to someone else's? I mean, sure definitely doesn't take all of the hard work out of relationships, but it makes you think. I really liked the way Jess thought about things and how Christina Lauren honed in on how hard it can be to be a single mom and how it takes a village, but sometimes you don't want to be dependent on your village and how hard that balance can be. The way they built Jess and River's relationship was so cute and I loved how great River was with Juno. And Juno was so incredibly cute and such a great 7 year old! I also really liked Nana Jo and Pops- they seemed like really solid influences on both Jess and Juno and as someone who really values family relationships, I loved how strong theirs was. And Fizzy, OMG Fizzy. She was so fun and loyal and I loved how she got inspiration for her romance novels everywhere and she pushed Jess to take more chances and be more adventurous. Everyone needs a good friend like Fizzy. Even the plot twist that caused the big conflict in the book was so well executed and the way that the ensuing fallout was handled was so real and really highlighted one of the key tenets of any relationship (98% match or not). I especially loved the epilogue at the end, but I won't tell y'all anything about that, so you'll just have to get the book and read it to find out what it's about. Overall, this has probably overtaken In a Holidaze as my favorite Christina Lauren book and I cannot wait for y'all to read it (and to read what they put out next)!

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Christina Lauren, and Gallery Books for the ebook ARC of this beauty! And Happy Pub Day!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – reading a Christina Lauren book feels like going home. I binge read so many of them this fall, that it just felt right. I adore them all, especially this one. These authors are so talented; their stories are funny, sweet and interesting.

This book found me when I’ve been in a bit of a slump, so to speak. Have I been reading? Yes. But everything has felt forced; I’ve been reading books that finally came through on a my library app, and none of them have been necessarily enjoyable. So, this insta-love, mostly happy, sweet sweet book was just what I needed. While My Favorite Half-Night Stand will forever be my favorite CLo book, I did enjoy this one very much. I thought Fizzy was hilarious, and some of the early dialogue with Jess and River had me laughing out loud. I also loved the premise; wouldn’t you give it a try if you were supposedly genetically perfect for someone?

If you’re a CLo fan, this one is absolutely worth reading!

Christina Lauren books are auto-reads for me so when The Soulmate Equation came across my NetGalley, I didn't even bother to read the synopsis! When I found out the premise - two people connect through a matchmaking service based on DNA compatibility - admittedly, I was skeptical. The plot sounded very similar to John Marrs' The One and I was worried that this wouldn't be unique enough from that to hold my interest. Boy was I wrong!!

Jess is a thirty-year old single mom to the amazing Juno. She's put dating (and herself) on hold for the past seven years to focus on her daughter. When she and her BFF Fizzy meet River at their local coffee shop, they are intrigued by his line of work and his proposition to stop by and learn more about GeneticALLY. Fizzy is a romance author and a matchmaking service based on DNA is just the kind of material she could use in an upcoming novel. What Jess doesn't bargain for when she spits into the cup is the rare and elusive Diamond Match... with none other than the creator of GeneticALLY himself, Dr. River Pena. But her and River have felt nothing but animosity toward each other since they met - is the match legit or can they fake it until they make it to help River's IPO?

For fans of enemies to lovers, this one is right up your alley. I didn't feel the enemies trope was too overplayed and even though the love story seemed to unfold fairly fast, it was pretty natural, given the circumstances. There were many instances where River seemed too good to be true, but sometimes we need that in a fun romcom!

I loved the characters and really connected with most of them. Jess seemed like such a devoted and caring mother and her backstory was developed enough to help the reader understand her quirks and insecurities. River was a bit more mysterious but his ugly duckling past and overbearing sisters made him more relatable and charming. I also loved the relationships between Jess and her grandparents and between Jess and Fizzy. We all have (or want) that best friend that we can count on no matter what and I loved that theirs seemed to be a healthy, supportive female friendship.

I will say this one differed quite a bit from The One, so if that's a reservation for you as well, I wouldn't let it hold you back from reading this. GeneticALLY's approach to the DNA match felt more realistic to me and actually quite plausible. It was basically an online dating platform that instead of matching you based on how you answered questions to their tests, it matched you based on your genetic compatibility. The users weren't restricted from dating people that weren't their "soulmates," they were just given statistics of compatibility which I found super fascinating. But even with all the DNA and science talk, the novel wasn't stuffy at all or hard to follow. Christina Lauren did an excellent job of presenting the facts and information in an easy to understand, enjoyable way.

Overall this was a really fun and cute read. It's definitely one I recommend if you're a fan of romance and/or a fan of Christina Lauren.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

Another Christina Lauren book I loved, surprise surprise! This one was different than any other romance novel I have read, and I loved every minute of it!

I loved the nerdy science background, that Jess was a single mom, and her relationships with River, her parents, Juno, and Fizzy. If you are looking for another great Christina Lauren book, look no further!

3.5 rounded up. This is not my usual genre at all but it was a good, lighter read from my usual heavy, deep and sometimes darker books. It was a bit slow in parts and I did find myself skimming more than once. The overall the concept and development was very far-fetched - keeping my rating from being higher. Jess is a single mom that doesn't ever date. River is a scientist developing a matchmaking app based on DNA. Jess submits a sample once pressured by her friend Fizzy (best character in the book). And here we go - Jess and River are a 98% match - highest ever. Overall, it is a fun, silly, sexy romp that provided entertainment for the two days I was reading it. I will definitely reach for this author duo again when I need a light, fun palette cleanser selection. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion. The Soulmate Equation is now available.

This story starts off really slow for me but thank goodness it picks up. I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Not just Jessica and River but their friends as well.

This is a great single parent romance book.

This book goes well with how the authors are writing now. It’s not like their earlier work if you’re looking for BB or Wild Things. Think more of Hazel and Josh and The Unhoneymooners.

Thank you @gallerybooks @netgalley for my review copy!

Happy pub day! I loved this book so much! It reminded me a lot of some other contemporary romances I love like The Unhoneymooners and Well Met. I loved the characters and the chemistry between Jess and River was 🔥

I equal parts swooned and laughed out loud. If you’re a fan of romcoms, I highly recommend you pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed! My favorite Christina Lauren to date!

Title: The Soulmate Equation
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"The Soulmate Equation" by Christina Lauren

What will single mom Jess do to make money and her friend Fizzy wanting her to get back into the dating game? What will happen when she enters a 'DNA matchmaking company' with the CEO of a dating company [River]? It was enjoyable seeing this enemy-to-lover storyline, the female friendship, some loving grandparents, and a loveable daughter, Juno. The bantering between Juno and Fizzy had me laughing out loud, which added some dimension to the story.

"The Soulmate Equation" had a unique concept of a story that will keep you turning the pages as the perspective of the story being of science/romance and seeing if it brings these two adults together. And after all, is said and done, it was interesting seeing if they would stay together in the end after it all comes out about this DNA matchmaking company.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

While I haven’t read all of their books, this may be my favorite. Jess Davis is a single Mom and can’t find the energy to date. Her and her best friend are thrown into a chance to have their DNA tested to find their soulmate. Is this a hoax when Jess is matched up with the founder River with their highest scored match ever? As a statistician she is skeptical, but with a chance to earn some much needed cash, she is willing to test their compatibility.

Does this book reinvent the rom com genre? No, but it stays within its lane perfectly and even adds in some emotional moments. I really did like the DNA plot. I’ve read a few books in the last year trying to do matches based on DNA, but this is my first romance. The plot is usually used in Sci Fi and thrillers. And the authors briefly describe the math behind it, to make it seem possible.

The authors do a good job of making Jess and her cutie pie daughter, Juno, relatable and you just hope for good things to happen to them. You feel for them through their struggles in the book and keep hoping Jess warms to River.

And even the supporting characters are well developed and lovable. I wish I knew Jess’ BFF Fizzy and had Nana and Pops in my corner. My grandparents died before I was an adult, and their storyline made me yearn for them.

I think this is a great romance to start off the summer beach read season. I’d definitely add it to your TBR list.

My Review:⭐️⭐⭐⭐ / 5 stars

Jess Davis is a single mom of a precocious young daughter, Juno, living in San Diego. She makes ends meet working as a statistics/data analyst, hanging out with her best friend Fizzy at their local coffee shop. She is used to being abandoned by the ones she cares about - including her own mother and her ex, Alec. She kept her guard up around new people she dated to protect her little family. After tagging along with Fizzy to GeneticAlly - a dna match making /dating company, she finds out she is a 98% match, a diamond match to the company’s founder, Dr. River Pena. The company’s marketing team wants them to date to prove if their technology is legit and for marketing purposes before they IPO - and Jess is reluctant because River is basically a science nerd version of Darcy, minus the romantic words. After spending more time with him due to their arrangement, she finds there might be more to him than meets the eye.

I really loved this romance - it was very cute! It had the perfect funny banter, chemistry, and I always love a Darcy-like character. However, I wish there was a bit more in between when he was indifferent to when he was suddenly a puppy dog. I thought I missed something pivotal that had shifted his feelings. Other than that, totally loved it and highly recommend it!

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! US Pub date : May 18, 2021!

Being a geneticist working in cancer diagnostic company, this book was a captivating read with a dazzling combination of nerdy genetic lingo and a sizzling hot chemistry of soulmates!!

Thank you @gallerybooks and @netgalley for the complimentary galley in exchange of my honest review!

This was my first Christina Lauren read and I was blown away by the concept of this book. She is a genius and very witty storyteller! The concept of finding your soulmate through DNA genetic testing is very unique. Reading about all the scientific reasoning and explanation behind this theory made it sound very very realistic!!

Jess, a single mom is a statistic wizard living in San Diego. She gets her DNA tested for compatibility score at GeneticAlly, a DNA matchmaking company. To her utter surprise she has a whooping 98% compatibility with the very first client in the database, who is none other than the very elusive founder of GeneticAlly Dr. River Pena!

It was amusing to read Dr Pena and Jess’s reaction to there Diamond level match (score of above 90) and their slow building relationship! This book was my instant favorite as it speaks my language of DNA genetic testing!

The Soulmate Equation release on May 18 and I would highly recommend this book to all you nerdy romantics out there! I was completely hooked from the get go.

Friends, I am late to the Christina Lauren party and I fully admit it.

I never snubbed romance novels--I have been into them since I was a kid, sitting on the floor and staring up at my mom's bookshelves full of Harlequin romances, getting in constant trouble for trying to sneak one off the shelf to read at 6 years old.

No, I have never *not* been into romance. My first question is always "is this a kissing book?"

Rather, I have just been SO entrenched in YA the past several years that most adult books have sort of just slipped past me. But last fall, I got an ARC of In a Holidaze and I was DONE for. The minute I was done--I mean the minute I was done, I ordered their entire backlist. Since then, I've been slowly making my way through. I don't want to read them all too fast. I save them for when I need one, and I just *know* when I need one.

But something about the synopsis of The Soulmate Equation made me think this was gonna be the one I didn't care for. The main character has a kid, something I haven't yet encountered in the other books of theirs I've read, and I thought it was going to be too sciencey, too mathy, too something.

Reader, I devoured it.

♥ Jess is a stats wiz and single mom to Juno, who is 7 and prefers nonfiction about animals to storybooks. Jess is VERY "I can do it all myself," but she does accept help from her tiny village to help Juno. Her grandparents and romance novelist best friend, Fizzy, all take turns with her after school. They even say, only sort of jokingly, that Juno is half Fizzy's because their personalities are so similar. And this pretty much takes up Jess' whole world. Could she go on dates, spend time without her kid, do something just for her? Of course, in fact Fizzy and her grandparents are constantly telling her to. But she can't shake the guilt that comes whenever she isn't with Juno, but could be.

I am not a parent and will never will be a parent, but I suspect this is a shitty, common feeling among most moms and I truly empathize with you.

It was not Jess's idea to take the DNADuo test. But she and Fizzy saw River every day at the coffee shop they frequented, and one day they finally spoke. And he was just as much as an arrogant asshole as Jess assumed he would be (but annoyingly hot). He tells them to stop by the office if they really want to know about the company (and Fizzy really wants to know about the company), so they go straight there. Fizzy takes the test right away, but Jess doesn't plan on it. Until one terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, when she takes it on a whim and sends it off, promptly forgetting about it.

Until she gets The Call.


♥ Plotwise from here it's spoiler city, but I can tell you how much loved every character! Jess is super into science and math because they make sense to her. She hasn't had a boyfriend since her daughter was born, and she's fine with that. Really.

Besides, Fizzy does enough dating for the both of them. And as a bestselling romance novelist, she writes about it too. Fizzy ALWAYS has a notebook with her, and she's forever jotting down quick ideas that come to her, things other people say, things she says, entire conversations she's not part of. She is the kind of best friend that everybody needs--a strong constant. Fizzy is always there, and she's always reminding Jess to do things for herself. She reminds her that the whole point of loving someone is doing things for each other because you want to, not because you have to. She gets truly excited when Jess gives up a night with Juno so that she can have her. She reminds Jess that even though Juno is her kid, she's also Fizzy's, and Nana's, and Pop's, and they need to spend time with her too. Fizzy is too special, too vivid, too sassy, to not get her own book one day (LOOK AT OTHER REVIEWS I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS SO).

Pops and Nana are a big part of the story, as they live right across the courtyard and are helping now to raise Juno. Pops takes Juno to the library every Monday after school, and Nana makes family dinners for the four of them. Jess never knew her father, and her mother relinquished custody when she was six years old (I do have empathy for her in this book but also she is complete garbage). Luckily, her grandparents are wonderful people who I just want to hug. It's never a question for them to help with Juno, or to help Jess with money or anything either of them might need.

Juno...Juno is a very lively little girl. She's clever, she likes to learn, and she wants a pet danger noodle (please refer to @paigesquared on Twitter if you don't know what this is, she will explain. I cannot even say it). She has her little group of friends at school but it equally good with adults. She loves all the adults in her small little village, and when River slowly slips into place she falls in love with him right alongside Jess. He picks her up from school, they have their own handshake and always call each other by their first and middle names. He takes a real interest in her life, the problems with her friends, school projects. Basically, watching River with Juno is just...sigh.

...and River. This one is a real enemies to lovers, and it was truly easy to cast River as an enemy in the beginning. It takes him awhile to warm up and come out of his shell, explain things he said and did (like calling her average! It wasn't actually an insult!). But when he does, we learn what a sweet, nerdy, smart, shy, sexy guy he really is. He may be the founder of this company, but he wasn't looking for love. So he's just as shocked as Jess to find out that they're a match, let alone a match of an unheard of 98%. They don't like each other much, but they're willing to at least try to spend some time together because science doesn't lie. And science is telling them they're genetically 98% likely to fall in love.

TL;DR: Don't be turned off by the thought of statistics and science. They talk about it some, but the book is just SO GOOD that you won't care. </p>

Favorite Quotes:

"Did you think of me when you put on that dress?"

"You've chosen your circumstances, Jess. I like that about you. You take what you want and leave the rest behind. You decide."

"I realize that I'm easy to leave, but I was hoping you were better than that."
I swear to god I get tears in my eyes every time I read that line.


"Destiny could also be choice, she'd realized. To believe or not, to be vulnerable or not, to go all-in or not."

Loved it. Everything from the characters to how they interact to the super-nerdy scientific way the main couple finds themselves together. It's one fun, well-thought-out detail after another.
This is the book that solidifies the fact that Christina Lauren are the queens of rom-com. They've found the perfect formula to balance out the crazy fun expected of the genre with solid, serious drama and fully-fleshed characters that are relatable and familiar.
I tried to find something to complain about it so this review isn't a total gush fest, but other than the fact that River is way too perfect to be a believable human being, which is something I complain about in pretty much every rom-com ever, there is nothing I can fault this book for.
This is a fun, romantic beach read that should not be missed.

Extremely happy thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the early read!

I wanted to love this book, I really did... but this one fell flat for me and is my least favorite CLo book out of the seven that I’ve read so far. The storyline is super unique and creative and had a lot of potential, but the story had too many flaws. First, I did not like Jess at all and I only tolerated River. Second, the beginning of this book was SO slow. It took me four days to read the first half of the book when I usually read CLo’s books in 1-2 days. Lastly, there were a few scenes in this book that just made me roll my eyes. Like the ending... which I thought was rushed and anticlimactic.

Now on to the parts I liked, I loved both Fizzy and Juno. Their characters were well written and I loved both of their relationships with Jess. I also loved the switch from enemies to lovers and the banter between Jess and River. This book was steamier than a lot of their other books, which I also really enjoyed!

One of my favorite stories is of a similar plot, except with the romance - John Marrs THE ONE, so I was delighted when I read this synopsis with a romantic twist. An everyday girl becomes a high scoring match with one of the founders of a genetic matching company. What are the odds? Ha ha. Pun intended. As Jess becomes enamored with River, I still held him at an arms length. Call me crazy, but I couldn’t tell if he was playing it up for the cameras, or if his feelings for Jess were real. It seemed like every opportunity to be romantic happened in front of the press. I was hesitant to immediately like him. Yet, he seemed like an okay guy. I wanted to make sure that he was with Jess for the right reasons (yes, I said it!) and not to use her as a publicity stunt to catapult his new company into a overnight success.