I have read everything by Christina Lauren and The Soulmate Equation is now my absolute favorite! I devoured this book in a day! Skeptical single statistician mom, Jess, and her romance writer, best friend, Fizzy, have obsessed over a handsome, brooding man that they have nicknamed "Americano" based on his 8:24 AM daily order at the local coffee shop. One day, Jess strikes up a conversation with the man and learns that he is River Pena, PhD, a geneticist who has developed a dating profiling process utilizing members DNA to find their best love matches. Fizzy, ever the openminded romantic, is on board with signing up immediately. It takes Jess a bit longer to commit to the process, but when she does her perfect match is as unexpected and close to perfect as you can get!

This novel is well plotted and paced, made me laugh and cry, and was such fun to read. The authors do such a great job at writing supportive female friendships, well flushed out secondary characters, realistic dialogue, and chemistry between the love interests. I loved the fresh take on the dating world and that Jess is a brilliant, witty, loving character AND a single mother who is on the struggle bus with her seven year old daily - she felt relatable and I connected immediately with her world. I highly recommend this book!

Advanced copy provided courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Content warning: explicit content, addiction, estranged parent

Jess Davis is a single mother who would rather spend her free time crunching numbers than going on dates. Numbers and data are dependable, unlike most people in Jess's life. When she was younger, her hard-partying mother was never in the picture, so Jess was raised by her grandparents-- who now help Jess raise her seven-year-old daughter, Juno. Jess knows what it feels like to be left behind, and she refuses to let anyone disrupt the careful balance she's created. But as happy and content as she is, she still gets lonely.

When Jess learns about a new matchmaking company called GeneticAlly which can determine your soulmate based on your DNA, she's hesitant, to say the least. After some prodding from her best friend, Jess sends in her sample not expecting to be matched with the founder of the company, Dr. River Pena at an unheard of 98%. Jess can't wrap her head around the situation, especially since River is the same broody quiet man who frequents the same coffee shop as her every morning. To prove the data GeneticAlly proposes an experiment: they'll pay Jess to spend time getting to know River. Despite her skepticism, Jess is in no position to turn down their offer, and as the pair grow closer, neither can deny that science might be on to something.

I'm such a sucker for CLo books and this was no exception. It's just so effortless to fall into their stories and every character always feels relatable in some way. I loved how nerdy both Jess and River were and how they connected over data and numbers. It was so cute watching their relationship develop and I thought they balanced each other out very well. River also had that shy quality that I find so endearing in love interests. I also loved the family dynamic between Jess, her daughter, and her grandparents. Her daughter was especially adorable and had me smiling the whole time. My only slight critique was that a lot of the statistical information went over my head because I don't have a numbers brain, but I can appreciate just how much research went into making sure all the science was correct. Aside from that, I thought this was highly enjoyable.

Can you believe I've never read Christina Lauren? I was definitely interested to find out what her romance books are like. I have say I LOVED this one. Romance is my go-to down-time reading. I read it to be entertained. I found The Soulmate Equation a completely entertaining, escapist read. The concept was 100%original. I mean finding your soulmate through DNA! The charcters were all pretty likeable. Sometimes I was mad at them , but that just shows emotional investment. There was good banter, nice families, a great best friend, and some struggles to overcome. But nothing to heavy or too ridiculous either. A definite purchase!

This will be short, sweet and to the point! Loved this story. One of the better books that this duo has done since The Unhoneymooners. If you enjoyed the banter and friskiness in that book, you'll love this one! The two leads carry the storyline till the very end.

Absolutely adored this new Christina Lauren novel. Such adorable characters and I love Fizzy best! Most awesome best friend. Both main characters grew exponentially once they found one another - loved the journey.

Fluffy, feel good, sweetness! This is exactly what I expect from a CL title. I thought the concept was original and fresh and makes for a sold contemporary romance. A large portion of our romance reading patrons are CL fans, so I cannot wait for them to have access to this title! I adored the characters (even the side characters) which is always a plus! Highly recommend when you need something light hearted and fun!

This was a really cute book! The idea of matching people romantically based on their genetics was very creative and an interesting twist on a typical rom com. I think the story lost me a little because it was so predictable - I would have liked to see a better twist at the end that I didn't see coming. I think the resolution was also a little quick and neat for me. I did like all of the characters and found myself rooting for the couple, which is always a good sign. Loyal readers of Christina Lauren will appreciate this one, although I admit it is not my favorite of theirs.

4.5

Fun, witty, unique, swoony and all kinds of Christina Lauren wonderful.

I loved the premise of this book. A stuffy scientist of DNA dating company gets matched with a single mom struggling to make ends meet. The characters were great. I get tired of the same type of characters in romance books so I enjoyed that this was a scientist that was in his own head more than he was aware of life around him. Secondary characters were also well written. Our heroine had a funny best friend and a wonderful set of caring grandparents that help her along the way. I didn't really care for the mother's presence in the book. It just seemed unnecessary. And it did take me a little bit to get into. The story was well written.

Overall, a great addition to the Christina Lauren books.

I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN! I loved every second of it. The premise was very different than other books. I pretty much loved all the secondary characters from the little girl, to the grandparents to Fizzy, her best friend. All the characters, including the main characters, were so real and down to earth. They had flaws and real emotions. The book also had some fun twists. This author team is dynamite! I was so lucky enough to be provided this ARC from netgalley and the publisher. Thank you so much.

I really really liked this one y’all. I’m a big CLo fan and enjoy everything they write. This one was a nice change I felt like. I loved that the MC was a single mother. I loved the family dynamics and the storyline of the MC being raised by her grandparents. Her relationship with her mother was so real and honest I felt like. The “nerdy number loving” side of me was totally interested in the love matching business and the statistics. This was a short, happy read that I blazed through and would recommend!
4.5 ⭐️

Jess Davis is single mom and a stats goddess and while her friend is a romance writer and dating enthusiast, Jess has been burned by dating before and is hesitant to try anything new. When Jess hears about Genetic Ally a new matchmaking company based in San Diego that uses DNA based pairing combining math and science to create a new type of matchmaking she is skeptical and intrigued.

After a particularly difficult day parenting, working and helping her grandparents Jess decides on a whim to send in her DNA for analysis. When she receives a call from Genetic Ally a few days later Jess is astonished to find out that she has matched at an incredibly high level with one of the founders of the company, the smolderingly attractive and workaholic, Dr. River Peña. Having met him before Jess is incredibly annoyed and frustrated with Peña's dismissive attitude but with such a high number she's willing to try it out.

Christina Lauren knock another book out of the ballpark with this one. Current readers will love another hit and new readers will be enthralled from the get go. This is both a heart warming sizzling read guaranteed to suck you in from the start. Happy Reading!

As someone who has read every Christina Lauren book ever, this one brings back a lot of the old feels.

Yes, if you've recently watched The One on Netflix the premise will feel familiar, and yes, I skimmed a lot of the nerdy statistics talk. But, the characters are fully fleshed out and I enjoyed reading the way they found themselves and each other, immensely. Plus, in true CLo fashion, the side characters are just as endearing and hilarious as the main characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Soulmate Equation.

Christina Lauren never fails to disappoint! I honestly feel that with each new book of theirs I read it becomes my new favorite.

I was a bit skeptical going into The Soulmate Equation because I didn't know if I'd be interested in the dating app aspect of the story, but I was totally hooked! I really love the quirky main characters that Christina Lauren writes, and Jess was no exception. I found myself rooting for her and really enjoying her character. I loved her best friend, Fizzy, and the dynamic that she had with her kid and grandparents. This book was nerdy but in all the best ways!

I found this story to be unique, entertaining, and it focused a bit more on the relationship and dynamic as a whole between River and Jess rather than just the physical part - which I liked.

Highly recommend this one for a fun, slightly nerdy read!

Any time I select a book by Christina Lauren, I know I’m in for an enjoyable read. The Soulmate Equation was no exception. The cover is beautiful, the story/plot is unique, and the characters kept me entertained from start to finish. Highly recommend!

I very gratefully received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

If I can be real here for a second, you should know that I did a little happy dance when I received this ARC. I am a huge Christina Lauren fan and this was by far the most exciting ARC win for me to date. In true typical fashion, they did not disappoint. As with all of their previous novels, this one was a real page turner and kept me up way past my bedtime a few nights in a row because I just had to know what happened with Jess & River! Pick your copy up next month!

Dr. River Pēna, a broody scientist and an avid Americano drinker, has invented a dating site based on DNA. River finds himself regularly crossing paths with Jess Davis, a single mom working in STEM without a lick of luck in the realm of dating. After a particularly rough day Jess decides to send in her spit swab to River’s new site to see if she has any luck finding her soulmate.

This book was such a joy and it is coming out just in time for your post vaccine beach travels this summer. The Soulmate Equation is a fun quick read that hit all the right notes that I look for while reading a Christina Lauren novel; witty, funny, tender at times and of course a little spice. 😉

While the relationship between Jess and River did move pretty quickly, I found it incredibly believable. The conflict felt realistic and the emotional response was earned, I actually tearer up a few times (I’m an incredibly emotional person so do with that what you will). I can always count on a Christina Lauren novel to be a great read and this one was no exception.

If you’re into the Contemporary Romance you should absolutely grab, The Soulmate Equation, available now for pre-order through your favorite local bookstore!!

This is the kind of book that makes you SWOON with delight. It makes your heart skip a beat and gives you butterflies in your belly. I had the biggest, cheesiest smile plastered on my face page after page. Soulmate Equation was an assault of sensation in the most fun and flirty of ways.

Is finding long lasting love actually a matter of complex biology rather than destiny? With the new technology from GeneticAlly, finding the perfect mate might be as simple as spitting into a tube. With Jess and River a 98% genetic match, the company’s theory is put to the ultimate test, especially since his brooding nature is completely contradictory to her bighearted personality.

Oh how I adored this entire cast of characters, so much so that it feels harsh thinking of them as fictional creations rather than real life people that I want to meet for coffee and a gab session! Christina Lauren has adeptly crafted authentic, multi-faceted characters that I easily connected with. I felt every emotion they felt. I rooted for them. And I was crushed when I turned the last page and had to say goodbye to them.

Snark and romance make the best of bedfellows. And Christina Lauren is on point with the witty banter in this novel. It made me laugh and endeared me to the budding romance. One of my favorite quotes from Jess happened early on, “I realize your default energy level is cardboard cutout, but I can’t get to know you if you don’t speak.” The energy of a cardboard cutout! Witty banter level: perfection!

Christina Lauren is a powerhouse writing team and the reigning queens of rom-com. But it’s not an understatement to say they are at their best in Soulmate Equation. This book gave me the PERFECT Saturday escape.

Thank you Christina Lauren, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

This is a sweet, swoony, funny story and has everything you expect in Lauren’s books. It didn’t take me much time to fall in love with this book as it has enemies to lovers which is my favorite trope in romance.

Jess is a single mom, works as a freelance statistician. Her grandparents Pops and Nana take care of her daughter Juno when she is busy with work. They are an adorable pair and their support for Jess melted my heart.

Fizz, is a romance author and friend of Jess. Loved Fizz, for her witty dialogues, laid back attitude. She made me laugh a lot with her behavior and provided much needed laughs. Their banter is funny and heartwarming.
Fizz deserves a book of her own. She was so much fun and perfect balance to uptight Jess.

River is a reserved, nerdy scientist who is the face of a company dedicated to finding soulmates by matching DNAs. He reminded me of Mr. Darcy with his broodiness.

River was matched with Jess, and their match was diamond. By a turn of events, they were forced into fake dating much to their annoyance as both of them don't share warm feelings and River finds Jess an average girl.

Enjoyed the fake dating, though it lasted only for a short duration. Wished they would hate each other for a little longer and found falling into each other's arms immediately little disappointing. Felt the conflict between them resolved too quickly.

Lauren’s writing is witty and kept me entertained throughout the book. The characters are well developed and seem authentic. Loved themes explored in this family, fake dating, enemies to lovers, soulmates, and fake dating.

Overall, it was an entertaining, hilarious, charming and slow burn romance and I recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I will read any and everything from Christina Lauren! I love this author duo so much, because every book seems so different and I truly believe they can write any genre and keep readers reading!

The Soulmate Equation is about a single mom named Jess, who works as a freelance statistician and is obsessed with data and numbers. She lives with her 7-year old daughter, Juno, in an apartment right across from her grandmother and grandfather, who raised her.
I really loved this book. The characters are phenomenal and the love connection was through the roof.

I can't wait to read more from Christina Lauren

Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books and Author, Christina Lauren, for the advanced reader’s copy of this book!

This book was incredibly fun, light-hearted and well written with a great cast of characters and a quirky plot line. Jess, a single mother, sends in her spit test on a whim to GeniticAlly only to find she has a 98% match with the founder of the company, Dr. River Peña. This begins an awkward, forced at first romance that ignites into something neither of them expected.

But is this love connection truly based solely on numbers? They say numbers don’t lie...

This is the perfect summer read. It’s fun, fast, quirky and completely charming.

Release Date: May 18, 2021