Leave it to Christina Lauren to completely shatter my reading slump and give me a LOT of feelings. The Soulmate Equation cemented their status as an auto-buy author for me - I think this is one of their best books in years. Without giving too much away, this book is about Jess, a single mom and brilliant data analyst, and River, a scientist behind a DNA-based matchmaking company. When Jess is convinced by her best friend Fizzy (who, incidentally, I need a book about, she's delightful) to send in her saliva to the matchmaking company, she gets a stunning result - she and River are a near-perfect match. This book was funny and heartfelt. All of the side characters are truly incredible and I would love to read more books set in this little world. The sexual tension is staggering without being explicit, the feelings felt genuine and remarkable, and I am so thankful I got the chance to read this book early. I feel like Christina Lauren's books always hit a direct corner of my soul. It releases the day after my birthday, and it is the very best birthday present I could have asked for - I've already preordered.

This story is about Jess. She’s a single other in her early 30’s. She gets introduced to this new dating system/app and her story through it. I don’t want to give too much away.
I love love love this book! I love the hate-to-love trope. I love all the characters. I love all the different relationships between all the characters, especially the best friendship between Jess and Fizzy. I love the writing style. I truly love it all. This was my first Christina Lauren book and it was such a great introduction into the authors writing style. The plot was so unique to anything I’ve read and it was truly believable in this tech era that we live in. I loved all the butterflies that this book gave me. There was a little bit of naughty scenes but it was not raunchy at all.
I highly recommend it to everyone that loves a good rom-com with a little bit of steam!

I think this is Christina Lauren's best book yet, maybe even better than The Unhoneymooners. The meeting of geneticist Dr. River Pena and self-employed statistician Jessica Davis is a wonderful story of first impressions being wrong, being open-minded and willing to try new things, trust and friendship, and finally love and sex. This book was really incredible, the science was well-done and accessible, and the characters were all lovable. Highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my digital ARC!

So "The One" was the book I read right before this one. They have some of the same feelings, but obviously this one is more romantic, and less thrills. But in general, the premise is the same: Use DNA to find your ideal partner. Anyway, I loved this book, up until the end.


**spoilers**
I thought their reunion was too quick and easy. We had this whole buildup for everything to fall into place perfectly within a couple of pages. And I think having them be *probably* a 98% match anyway, felt like a cop out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This was one of my favorite Christina Lauren books to date! It was exactly what I want from a rom/com book, great characters, fun premise, good chemistry. I really liked Jess & River together and LOVED all of the side characters! Juno, Jess' grandparents, and Fizzy really brought something to the story, they didn't just feel like placeholders if that makes any sense.

This is one of those books that just give that warm, comfortable feeling when you read it.

Not your average rom com, Christina Lauren doesn't disappoint in this innovative meet cute. Engaging, entertaining, and thought provoking. CL creates multidimensional characters that are likeable and relatable. I am a fan and this novel is a good time.

I absolutely ADORED this story with the lovely cast of characters and the adorably nerdy love story of Jess and River. Single mom, romance writer bestie, lovely grandparents, and spunky daughter—I just wanted to jump right in a be a part of this quirky crew. Toss in the seemly grumpy River with a meet cute in a coffee shop and then a genetically based relationship app turns their worlds upside down?? Sold! Definitely check out this lovely story, yet another one I couldn’t get enough of, from Christina Lauren!

The dynamic writing pair Christina Lauren has once again written a quick-witted rom-com that is sure to be a fan favorite.

The concept behind this story is one I found very intriguing. Can people be marched on a generic level to find their true love? What is the basis for attraction? Is it on a cellular and genetic level? Does knowing a score for this genetic match influence your feelings and ultimately cause you to fall in love?

Dr River Pena has worked for years on this concept. He has a match that is the highest score ever in the company’s history. His match is single mom, Jess. Jess, mother to Juno, is skeptical that the match score is highest ever.

Christina Lauren has a cast of lovable characters that worm their way in to the reader’s heart. I hope this cast shows up in future books. I would love to see Fizzy the star of her own romance.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. All thoughts an opinions are my own.

The team of Christina Lauren is always an automatic read for me be it I was wowed or VERY slightly disappointed in the previous book. I love their romance writing style and the banter between the romance leads. The Soulmate Equation is not one of my favorites as the Unhoneymooners or Josh and Hazel, but it was a fun read and I enjoyed the "nerdy" rom-com of the story. I'm still a Christina Lauren fan and will always look forward to reading more of their work. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me the opportunity to read this delightful book.

Firstly, I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publishers of The Soulmate Equation for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Plot: 5⭐️
I was really captivated by the book’s concept related to DNA-based dating. I thought the concept was well executed. I think the climax is when my interest really peaked. I became super invested in Jess and River’s score and I was happy with the way things unfolded in the end.
Pacing: 3.75⭐️
I wish the pacing was a bit better. It felt like River and Jess’s relationship trajectory started out very slow and then we see that they suddenly fell in love without as much build-up. The second half of the book was much better in terms of pacing.

Character Development: 4.5⭐️
It was also nice to see a realistic portrayal of motherhood and I liked how Juno was Jess’s first priority throughout the book, not just at the beginning before she met River. I also really enjoyed reading about Jess’s friendship with her best friend Fizz. Fizz was bold and fearless and I almost hope that she gets her own book. I liked River’s relationship with Juno as well. He was able to develop a sweet bond with Juno, which I found heartwarming. However, I am not sure I really liked River’s character a romantic interest. I feel like we kept being told that River and Jess have amazing chemistry, but I wanted more flirty banter between them from the beginning.

Writing Style: 5⭐️
Christina Lauren never let me down in terms of writing. Their writing always keeps me engaged and allows me to visualize all the scenes. When I first read the synopsis of the book, I was curious to see how they would describe the dating app and I was quite happy with the way the app was explained.

Would you recommend it?
I would recommend this book to all contemporary romance book lovers.

I loved this book and the characters! What a charming read. I am rating this book a 4.5 star review.
The story starts with a single mother, Jess. She is not looking for love but decides with her best friend to do a new dating app that takes people’s DNA and matches them with their “soulmate.” She ends up with a match with the founder of the company, Riva. They have already met and do not like each other, but they do have a lot in common (data/math nerds). The company is a start up and this would really help it out in the media. So they decide to pay her to date him. Can sparks fly if they do not like each other?
The characters were so charming and cute! I also thought that the main character was relatable. They had both of the main characters have flaws. I loved that. Typically the supporting characters do not play big roles in these rom-coms, but the author manages for you to really get connected to Juno (Jess’s daughter), her grandparents, and best friend. Finally, the story was engaging and humorous at times.

Thank you Gallery for my review copy. All opinions are my own.
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Well, that was amazingly cute. CL are auto buy authors for me. The Soulmate Equation will for sure be a title I recommend. Very cute, very sweet, a lil steamy and we ended with a big awwwwwwww. I do love a good Happy Ever After.
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River and Jess were delightful. Throw in a cute kid in Juno and fun is sure to ensue. The scientific nerdy River was a favorite. Who doesn't love the nerdy guy done good? Jess deserved everything as she was hands down a great lead. Just sassy enough to make me love her more. The entire concept was a fun enemies (kinda) to lovers story. Neat little premise that turned into a great RomCom.
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Pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

Can we talk for a minute about how adorable this book is?

Jess Davis is single mom who has no time for dating. When her best friend notices her attention shifts to a stranger every day at the coffee shop she gets a conversation going with the mystery stranger. He offers to show them around his lab where he matches people up with their true love match based on their DNA.

Jess submits a sample and her and the stranger (my newest book boyfriend River) apparently have the strongest match in the company's history. This match kicks off one of my new favorite love stories.

For those of you that have been following my book adventures for some time you know I love Christina and Lauren. They are totally auto buy authors for me.

This book did not disappoint. I loved seeing Jess (a single mom) find love. The "science" got a little much at certain points and Fizzy's nickname made me roll my eyes but other than that this book is incredibly sweet (but yes the conflict is hella predictable). If you are looking for a sweet (and not too steamy) love story pick this one up on May 18th 2o21 when it releases.

Thank you Gallery and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

It's a cute meet comedy romance at first. The premise of genetically match with someone reminds me of John Marrs' book titled "The One". However, the similarity ends there. Opposed to Marrs' story this was a romance. It was extremely great, at the beginning, where Jess and River's personality has that nice banter but still let the reader knows that they belong together. River started as a shy and somewhat socially awkward guy, but then somehow became Casanova. I find that 180 personality change to be off-putting. The banter between Jess and River was something magically. Two unfit pieces of the puzzle somehow fitted. Suddenly it turned into a sop story and there were no touches of humor or wittiness to the characters. It started good but fell flat in the end.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

You really can't go wrong with a Christina Lauren book, if you ask me. The characters are always fun and the plot keeps you engaged, takes you through a journey and always lands in a happy place.

This story is no exception. I had a soft spot in my heart for River and really enjoyed reading about Jess and Fizzy and their friendship.

When I grab one of their books, I know it will keep me engaged and entertained and leave me content by the end and that's exactly what happened.

with gratitude to netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

So as someone who adored Josh and Hazel and The Unhoneymooners, I really like Christina Lauren's books. However, the past few releases have not really been my jam. Because of that, I went into The Soulmate Equation with copious amounts of hesitation. However, I liked it a lot more than The Honey-Don't LIst or In a Holidaze. The plot felt a little convoluted at times and the characters felt sometimes one-dimensional, but I had fun and was charmed in many moments of the book. Do I wish that the catalyst for their relationship was paced a little bit quicker? Yes, but I really liked getting the perspective of a single mother and what dating is like from that point of view. Plus as someone who once lived in San Diego, getting to read about parts of the area left me with a nice sense of pride and nostalgia.

The Soulmate Equation

As a preface to this review, I adore Christiana Lauren as people. They are great and I love seeing them on panels. I also love some of their books, but lately their books have not been working for me. The Soulmate Equation to me was sort of my last chance giving them a shot and after finishing this I am even more confused, because I really liked parts of this and the book as a whole is a fun time, I just don’t think this is a great book.

Essentially this book is about Jess, a single mom, and River a geneticist who is creating a dating app that matches people by their DNA. Jess doesn’t want to date, but in a moment of loneliness, submitted a saliva sample. She is very surprised when her and River have a 98% match which is the highest match ever.

It started off strong, even though I did not care about the science of this app, but I was invested in River and Jess trying to figure out what was between them. The attraction between them is intense and I liked reading about it. They both are pretty frank and honest with their feelings which was refreshing.

However, most of this plot just does not make sense. Jess and River start hanging out at the request of the app, but they don’t really specify about fake dating and then all of a sudden they are being interviewed, but they don’t practice or anything? It felt like the plot was carrying them instead of them driving the plot with their actions. As a person who prefers character driven novels, I wanted them to move the plot forward themselves.

There is also A LOT of plot for such a short novel. There is the relationship, Jess’s relationship with her BFF, Jess’ struggles with her job, her relationships with her mom and grandparents which are both complicated, Jess’s reluctance to ask for help/do anything for herself, trying to figure out if what they have is real, AND? This isn’t bad, but many are not fully fleshed out and feel like they were only put (once again) to move Jess to a particular emotional spot.

Jess is a single mom which typically isn’t my favorite for romance, but I did like it here. Juno was super cute, and I liked her and River’s vibe. I felt that her relationship with River was a little too easy, but it was very cute. I also am a sucker for a man who can talk to children so points for River.


Again, this is not a bad book. It’s fun and has some great dialog. But, I expect more from Christina Lauren. They are prolific writers and I wish they would slow down a bit and write more complex stories. I see why people like it, heck I had a great time reading this, but I wanted more nuance and a more complex story.

What a fun, sweet book! This was just what I needed after a rough few weeks and a few darker books.

Jess Davis is a single-mom who has no interest in stepping back into the dating world. She works hard and adores her close circle - grandparents, best friends and daughter. When her best friend convinces her to submit her DNA to GeneticAlly, a DNA-based matchmaking company. Never does she expect to have a match at the highest ever, River Pena. He is stubborn, cranky and rude - definitely not Jess’ soulmate. Or is he?

This is a cute story about soulmates, science and choosing to love. It shows that you can’t always judge someone based on your first meeting - and that sometimes those you think you dislike most end up being the best additions to your life.

Thank you netgalley and gallery books for my advanced reader copy!

I know it's only March, but this book will definitely be one of my favorites for this year! Although the underlying premise was similar to "The One" by John Marrs, the story is entirely different. River and Jess could be one of my favorite book couples ever! Their relationship is sweet and caring and their chemistry is off the charts hot. Add in wonderful grandparents, a great kid, and a hysterical best friend (we all should be so lucky to have a Fizzy in our lives!), and you have a fun, entertaining read!

Review also posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

All the Feels! Simply Magical!

Is it possible to be matched with the love of your life through DNA? Such that you will be soulmates in every way and that every facet of your relationship will be better than you ever could have imagined?

In “The Soulmate Equation” by Christina Lauren, it is GeneticAlly possible. In this sweet, romantic novel, a new dating app is created that matches people by their DNA.

Jess Davis is a single mom and a statistician who barely makes ends meet. Luckily for her, she has an amazing support system behind her. Jess lives right next to her grandparents, who raised her and who help raise Jess’s seven-year-old daughter Juno. She also happens to have Fizzy, an amazing best friend who stands by her side and helps out wherever she’s needed. Together, Fizzy and Jess take GeneticAlly’s DNA test. Amazingly enough, Jess is matched with GeneticAlly’s founder, Dr. River Pena, who, Jess kind of, sort of knows. He’s the gorgeous guy she’s been crushing on at the coffee shop, who also happens to be a complete jerk. Their compatibility is off the charts, as in, Gold Level, and has never been reached before, a whopping 98%! It seems impossible and yet the sparks between these two are Outrageous!

There is Love and then there is DNA Matching. All I can say after reading this book is, if such a thing actually existed, I’d sign up!

Jess and River’s relationship is Swoonworthy! Let’s just say that I was hooked! This book had it all, love, romance, friendship, and family! I adored all of the characters in this novel, including Jess, Juno, River & Fizzy and I think you will too.

This was a fantastic buddy read with my bestie Kaceey!

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

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