Dr. River Pena is the geneticist behind the not-quite-public dating app GeneticAlly that takes a DNA sample and matches people based on how compatible their genes are. Jess is a single mom statistician who gets roped into submitting a sample to GeneticAlly by her best friend. When her results come in, everyone is absolutely blown away: Jess and River have a score of 98! This is the highest score they've ever gotten, and only three other couples have scored 90 or higher. To help with the launch of GeneticAlly, they agree to pay Jess $10,000 a month for the next three months if she will go on dates with River and attend multiple public appearances. Jess agrees, and she and River go in with the same game plan: cautiously optimistic. VERY quickly, it turns out that they are a superb match. But is it too perfect?

I was worried about The Soulmate Equation not meeting my expectations since I didn't particularly enjoy Christina Lauren's previous book The Holidaze. But I loved it! Every character is a pure delight-- and the romance author BFF meta is so fun! River is a divine male protagonist, and the juggling of being a single mom and grandparents is *chef's kiss*. Brava!

This is the third book that I've read by this author duo, and they have sealed the deal with this book and become and auto-read for me! Their story lines are always a little bit far-fetched, but the characters totally make it work, and make the story line more believable (or at least you want to believe it). The hero and heroine always seem like good, normal people and their conflicts are more situational than about character flaws. I loved this book and would highly recommend it.

As someone who has devoured Christina Lauren books like a kid eating candy, I immediately felt like this one deserved to be savored. (Seriously—at one point I DID put it down and walk away for ten minutes, because I was overcome with sadness that it was almost over.)

I fell in love with the premise immediately upon reading the description; a single mom taking a chance on a new genetic dating app (think 23andMe colliding with Tinder) and matching with the science’s founder. I was already invested.

When I dove into the story, I became invested in so much more than that, because there is so much more here. There is unwavering friendship between women. Bonds within a family. Complex feelings of responsibility, and the line between being selfless and allowing yourself to be a little selfish. Knowing when it’s okay to let go of control. What people do when they’re forced to question everything they know in their brains when it contradicts everything they feel in their DNA. And a few good ol’ fashioned steamy moments, too.

The result is this stunning book. Be prepared to fall in love with Juno, Jess & River Nicolas, and find yourself dreaming about Fizzy getting a spin-off book, because Fizzy demands a spin-off book.

Not interested in reading this one after I realized the eugenics ethical issues posed by DNA testing soulmate issues.

I LOVED this one!!! The dynamic duo of CLo is a top favorite of mine. I've been slowly working my way through their backlist and I was so excited to dive into this one. I was looking for a read that would grip me and suck me into the story. This book did exactly that! I finished it in just over 24 hours because I couldn't put it down. I LOVED Jess and River's story! They are adorable and nerdy and flawed and awkward and ... perfection. I also really loved that Jess was a single mom. It was fun to see her relationship with Juno and with her grandparents. Fizzy (the bff) was a fun addition! Everyone needs a bff that makes you laugh like Fiz does and supports you like she does! Also, I would NOT be sad if there was a book two that followed Fizzy's love life!

Jess Davis is a single mom who works hard to care for her daughter while juggling work as a freelance statistician. She and her best friend, Fizzy, find out about this new dating service called GeneticAlly, which claims it can find people's soulmates based on DNA. Jess is skeptical, but in a moment of weakness late at night, she gives in and sends in a sample to create her profile. Much to everyone's surprise, she receives one of the highest rated matches ever... with the founder of the company, River Peña, who she has already met and who is definitely not her idea of a soulmate. She quickly finds herself thrown together more and more with River as they grapple with what the numbers mean for their real life and whether the numbers can predict something lasting.

This was a cute story! The best part for me were the characters. Jess is real and likeable, but she wasn't a perfect character. There were plenty of real life moments portrayed in the book that would be relatable for any parent. Juno was so sweet, and I really liked Jess's grandparents. Fizzy was the crazy, but fun best friend, and River was stand-offish at first, but eventually so caring and charming. I appreciated the subtle nod to Mr. Darcy that I noticed in River.

The one thing that I didn't really like were some of the descriptions as Jess was narrating the events. There are some weird descriptions that are certainly unique, but they seemed over the top cheesy and were jarring to me.

Overall, I enjoyed it. It's fluffy and sweet, and just a lot of fun to read.

A big thank you to Christina Lauren, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I typically love Christina Lauren books but this fell short for me. I love an enemies to lovers trope but this felt very rushed. I didn’t relate to the protagonist which also made it difficult to enjoy the book. However, I did enjoy the supporting characters.

I’ve never met a Christina Lauren book that I didn’t love, so it’s no surprise that this was another in a long line of great reads by two great authors! They aren’t all 5 stars for me, though, and this one definitely was. I loved all of the characters. River Peña was a swoon-worthy male lead, and he and Jess had great chemistry. But Jess’ seven-year-old daughter Juno absolutely stole my heart. You may (will) have to suspend disbelief on the science - I’m no geneticist but I’m skeptical that any of it would make any sense irl to someone who is. Nevertheless, it’s a rom-com and you know what you’re in for from the description, so that did not detract from the story for me at all. I’m excited for my friends to read this one so we can chat about it, and that’s the hallmark of any great book for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Christina Lauren, and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little skeptical at the concept but Christina Lauren rocked this one out of the park! I absolutely loved The Soulmate Equation. The characters were well-developed and super likable, and I felt like I was living right in the story.

It’s not often that I completely and utterly agree with the blurb on the front cover of a book, but on the cover of The Soulmate Equation it read “Emotional, sweet, and surprising.” -Shondaland.

This sums up exactly how I felt about this book. Except I’d add in swoon worthy. There was so much about it that I loved. The characters just worked. All of them. From her witty best friend to her adorable grandparents to her funny daughter. I love a book with amazing secondary characters and it definitely delivered. One can dream for Fizzy to get her own book!

And then there was River. He quickly got added to my group of favorite male leads. He was 100% swoon worthy and stole my heart. And Jess was equally as likable. I flew through their story and have no regrets!

Hands down one of my favorite books from Christiana Lauren!

In traditional Christina Lauren style, I was laughing within the first couple pages. The best friend, Fizzy, had me in stitches and the quick whips between Jess and River were hilarious. Great plot line, plenty of humor and cutesy moments but with all of the steaminess that Christina Lauren does so well. These girls can seriously write the best feel good romance stories! I really liked that this was one of the more serious stories that I've read by Christina Lauren, and is probably my 2nd favorite of their books so far. I devoured this book in less than a day, almost like it was super-glued to my hand. I really enjoyed the character development in this book, it was so well written and extremely realistic. Definitely recommend to anyone who wants a cute, light and fun read!

Forget about swiping left or right, blind dates just for sex, or looking for your perfect fish. GeneticAlly has discovered a break-through in relationships. After finding a correspondence in matching DNA with successful relationships, they’ved developed a dating service that will match you to your genetically perfect match. All you have to do is send in a spit sample and tell them how close you want your match to be.

Jessica is a single mom with no interest in dating, but after a rough day she sends in her DNA sample on a whim. She’s surprised to learn she has a match but it isn’t just any match. It’s a diamond match….to River, who thinks she is only average. He is also the founder of GeneticAlly. How can she trust if her feelings are real? Is it possible her feelings are there just because she knows they are a good match? Is River in this relationship for the right reasons, or is it just a business proposition?

As usual Christina Lauren did it again. This is a quick-paced witty read that you won’t want to put down.

#romcom #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookstagram #christinalauren #thesoulmateequation #netgalley

The Soulmate Equation is about a single mom, Jess, and her vow to give up on love just when a genetics-based dating app throws off her plans. She meets River, the CEO and creator of the app, who she matches perfectly with, but has also detested due to his stand-offish attitude. What will happen to the two of them?
I loved this book. In typical C-Lo style, I adored the romantic journey it took me along for. The idea of a genetic based matching app was truly unique. At first, I thought, uh-oh – this is going to be a problematic scenario, but the app didn’t discriminate based on race, gender, ethnicity, sexual preference, etc., so everything was taken into account, which I appreciated. It was really fascinating seeing how you could choose to see what type of person you wanted to date based on the percentage of your match. Of course, the book was predictable, but that’s okay – it was the ride you are reading for, and with that, this book delivered. It’s exactly what I needed right now and was a perfect rebound from In a Holidaze.

If you’re into the enemies-to-lovers trope, this one is for you.

VERDICT: 4 STARS.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🧬 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

After a bad day single mom & freelance statistician Jessica Davis sends in a sample to GeneticAlly, a matchmaking service that uses DNA to determine “biological compatibility” between users.

To her shock & horror Jess is *very highly* compatible with Dr. River Peña, the hot man—& also a geneticist-founder of the aforementioned matchmaking company—she’s had a couple of negative run-ins with.

She thinks he’s an asshole & his opinion of her isn’t favorable either.

But River’s worked so hard & put his reputation on the line to create this innovative matchmaking tech, so how can he ignore this result?

& after skeptical Jess loses a big job, GeneticAlly’s offer of a monthly payment for “research” encourages her to spend more time with him.

Will their time together reveal that they’re actually soulmates?

The Soulmate Equation has so many moments that call to my heart.

☑️ A single mom who has a mommy meltdown & day to day worries & insecurities.
☑️ A hero who comes across as a jerk & isn’t the most forthcoming conversationalist who later reveals himself to be sweet & kind & lovely.
☑️ Funny one-liners that put a smile on my face.
☑️ Our heroine refers to taking antidepressants—I love that rep!
☑️ freaking amazing chemistry!

While there’s so much to love here I did have a bit of a trouble with what I’m smartly calling the “science talk.” Also the “statistician talk.” On one hand it does a lot establishing the characters’s work & interests & the plot itself; on the other, it’s just difficult for me to understand . Numbers 🥴. There’s also a plot element I kinda questioned.

But I really enjoyed this one. The enemies ⚔️ to (reluctant) maybe there’s something more to this person to lovers, the sweetness, the STEM leads, the kissing. Yes yes yes.

4 ⭐️. ​The Soulmate Equation is out 05/18.

I have read several books by this author and enjoyed them. In fact, the Unhoneymooners is a favorite that I have recommended many times. I found this one a bit tedious, however. I really had to plow through all the science stuff to get to the meat of the story. It wasn’t very believable and until I got hooked by the characters and their romance, it was tough going. I enjoyed the second half of the book and we will add it to our collection for other fans of this author

This book was interesting. It didn’t feel like much of a romance for almost the first half of the book. It wasn’t that it’s a slow burn, there just wasn’t any romance yet. It was a unique idea and set up. I haven’t read any other romances like it. I loved the male love interest. He’s what bumped the rating up to four stars. He was perfect. Overall I enjoyed the book and do recommend it.

I absolutely loved this book!! All the stars and then some! River is my new book boyfriend and I loved Jess and Juno! Fizzy was the best too! I highly recommend this book!! All the feels and then some and now I’m in a book hangover!

4.5 stars.

Thank you Gallery Pub and NetGalley for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A year ago, I was really worried CLo were publishing books too quickly and losing their magic. While their most recent books definitely feel different than their backlist, I really love The Soulmate Equation! It is a stats filled nerdy romance that really speaks to me. I love personality and compatibility tests so a DNA compatibility test to find your soulmate sounds super interesting and exciting. I'm impressed with the research CLo must have done to write this novel. River is a perfect broody hero - he came off such an asshole and I kept wondering what his backstory was. He turned out to be quite sweet! He and Jess make a really good match. This story left me wanting more. I love love love Jess's BFF Fizzy - I hope she gets her own book!

TW - toxic parent/child relationship, alcoholism

4.5 stars

What is it about Christina Lauren!? How do they do it? How do they always create believable, compelling characters and intriguing storylines!?

Jess Davis is a freelance statistician, struggling to make ends meet for herself and her 7-year-old daughter, Juno.. She and her best friend, Felicia "Fizzy", a successful romance writer, work out of a local coffee shop. Every day a swoon-worthy hunk grabs his Americano at exactly 8:24, never deeming to acknowledge anyone else in the shop. What's his deal? One day, Jess ventures to ask him. He drops his business card, explaining he is part of a new technology that uses genetics for matchmaking. A dating app based on DNA. Can love be determined by biology? They're going to find out!

First off, I am a sucker for a book where characters have nicknames for each other. For some reason, that just adds such a level of realism for me. Fizzy for Felicia, Junebug for Juno - gets me every time!

Christina Lauren just has such a way of creating male leads that are not just a pretty face. River is academically a genius, but emotionally not so much. He's beautiful but flawed. His relationship with Juno - ahhhh!
We all know there's going to be a complication about 3/4 of the way through the story. It's inevitable. I swear my heart was racing when I got to that point. What was going to pull the rug out from under them? It's like watching a car wreck. You know it's going to happen and you are powerless to stop it!

Also, I am in awe of the amount of detail that Christina Lauren is able to put into their books. So much science and statistics in this one. I'm not a science or statistics kind of gal, so it was all Greek to me, but it sure looked impressive.

The only bad thing about reading this is that I no longer have it to look forward to. I have been saving this one, like the last present under the Christmas tree - anxious to see what's inside but sad that it's over!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this digital advance copy in return for an honest review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.