I was so excited to read this especially when I had read In a Holidaze not too long ago! Jess Davis is a single mom & a data/statistics genius, she is quite nervous to jump into the dating scene. Jess hears about GeneticAlly, a DNA based matchmaking company. It claims the probability of finding a soulmate is high! Perfect this is something Jess can get behind! She is matched with the founder, Dr. River Pena. Of course she is lol! Dr. Pena is a stuck up snob, not her soulmate! This was so fun to read and I always love a good enemies to lovers trope, definitely a beachy read! Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery Books, and the authors for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

My reviews are on Goodreads, BookBub, and Instagram.

I sat down to read this and finished it in one sitting and I'm still thinking about it. The Soulmate Equation features Jessica Davis, a single mom who feels like she's just pretty much going through the motions without really living her life. In the beginning, she has lost her biggest client and has been having financial struggles while feeling like she never has time to live her own life. Her life gets thrown off course when she is talked into using a genetic dating app and ends up with a crazy-high match with her coffee shop nemesis, who is also the app's founder. I don't want to reveal how this ends up, but trust me- if you need something to lift you up and pull from a funk- this is the one. Delightful book!

Very interesting premise. I liked the main characters and even liked them together, but instead of their connection developing it felt like it went from nothing to real feelings in two seconds flat. Really enjoyed the side characters and the world that was built around Jess and how Jess had some harshly realistic problems in her family life.

My favorite Christina Lauren is still In a Holidaze, but I enjoyed this a lot more than The Honey Don't List and Twice in a Blue Moon (which I DNF-ed). Probably on par with Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, but this probably wins second place.

I can't decide if this is a bug or a feature, but I find that often with CL's books I care more about the other storylines more than the romance. I think it's a positive because it demonstrates how well-developed the side characters etc. are.

I am officially a Christina Lauren convert! This is my second Christina Lauren novel after the holiday, and I have already put a few more of their books on hold at the local library. The soulmate equation is about Jess, a single mom to the humorous Juno, and what happens when she decides to try a brand new matchmaking service called Genetic Ally, which matches a couple's DNA to see if they are a match. Jess is 98% matched with the company's owner Dr. River Pena who she refers to as Americano, ever morning at the coffee shop. The couple seems like a mismatch, but their chemistry is fire on the page. Not only does the storyline hook the reader into the text, but the cast of characters, Fizzy, Juno, and Jess' grandparents, had me laughing and sometimes crying. Excellent novel, and I will definitely recommend it!! Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

I always enjoy Christina Lauren. I always describe the author's books as Hallmark movies with more adult themes, and this one fit right in that general category. I admire writers of romantic fiction who can take the standard formula, and still make it a unique and interesting story.

Single mom Jess has all but given up on having her own love life as she is too busy taking care of everyone else. On a whim instigated by her delightful friend Fizzy, she finds herself providing her DNA for a new dating site with a twist. Much to her surprise, she gets an off the charts match with the head of the company itself. What follows is the couple's journey as they seek to find out if love is written in our genes.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something light and fun that will leave you filling good. The Soulmate Equation definitely fits that bill!

I love all CL books, but this is by far my new favorite. The pure chemistry between River and Jess is hot enough to melt an iceberg! The side characters are amazing and add to the story, too. Will we get a Fizzy story? Fingers crossed!

This is so far my favorite book from Christine Lauren at this point in time. I've read a handful of their work and this one by far has exceeded the others. I loved the concept of meeting not just a soulmate through a DNA matching program but also having an array of matches at various levels of compatibility. I was enamored with River Pena in this story and I loved Jess and Fizzy's friendship. I could easily imagine this turned into a romcom and am still thinking about the storyline days after finishing. I think when you can think back on a story as if it were a memory then it was a fantastic one and this one fits the bill!

Christina Lauren deliver on another sweet romance with their trademark humor. I am not an expert on genetics, so can't attest to whether any of the science in the book is at all accurate, but the concept of finding your soulmate based on DNA compatibility seemed like a novel concept amongst the, often times disappointing, world of online dating. The main character, Jess, is a single mom trying to balance the demands of raising her daughter and supporting her family financially. Alongside Jess is a fun set of secondary characters - her best friend, Fizzy, was both supportive and hilarious, making her probably one of my favorite Christina Lauren characters to-date. The romance that developed between Jess and River was also really heartwarming, though some of the fade-to-black scenes were a little bit awkward to read.

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren concerns the DNA based matching of the single mom Jess and the dating service’s creator, Dr. Peña. While The Soulmate Equation was a fast paced and fun read, this was heavier than other Christina Lauren novels. As such it was also a lot more open- door. I highly enjoyed this book, but fair warning.

5 enthusiastic stars for what is now my favorite Christina Lauren book. Smart, funny and fully of nerdy joy-- the Soulmate Equation is the romcom book we've been waiting for. The main character, Jess, is a single mom whose struggles are REAL-- bogged down by day-to-day life and no time for love, in a moment of desperations she sends her DNA off to to GeneticAlly, a company that thinks they can find your soulmate based on DNA. When she has a startlingly high match percentage with the company's founder (and someone she does not perceive as a match)... will or won't things evolve?

Finding a soulmate based on DNA is a new concept and made the idea of reading this novel an exciting one. It is always nice to have a fresh new idea in the romance genre, though these characters do meet in a coffee shop the story gains intrigue as Jess is told that the man she sees ordering coffee everyday is genetically likely to be her perfect romantic match. Christina adds intrigue to the story as she shows the struggle Jess and River have to figure out if their feelings are real or just because they were a match. Though in the real world we don’t have DNA matching dating apps, this struggle the couple goes through to explore their feelings is relatable and brings us deeper into the couples journey.

Taking a DNA test changes the life of young mother Jess when it is revealed that she has a 98% comparability match on the newest dating app, which pairs couples up based on their genetics. Not only is her match one of the founders of the company he is also the local straight faced grump from the coffee shop she visits every day. With the launch of the app on the horizon the creators want to capitalize on their highest match ever, thrusting the new couple into the spot light. This book follows their relationship as they try to fall in love with one another, not because their genetics say they should, but because of the connection they are discovering. Both Jess and River struggle with knowing if their connection is real or just happening because the app says they are a good match.

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren is an excellent contemporary women’s fiction and romance. I have to admit that I have read several books by this awesome author duo, and I have enjoyed each one. This one did not disappoint.

I loved the unique twist and premise of this narrative. I loved the inclusion of matchmaking via a genetic aspect and DNA comparison. It was cute, creative, and added a biology-laboratory aspect if you will to a literary premise. Both the quantitative and qualitative aspects balanced nicely.

I also enjoyed Jess and River, both together, and separate. I felt that that had a great pull/push feeling going for them at the beginning that evolved nicely as the story went onward. I liked how it progressed, and I enjoyed the ending.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Gallery Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram and B&N accounts upon publication on 5/18/21.

What happens when science meets love? Is such a thing even possible? In Christina Laurens newest book, The Soulmate Equation, not only is it possible, but maybe even likely. When single mother Jess Davis meets Dr. River Pena for the first time, it is definitely not love at first sight. In fact, it takes an encounter with a new dating site, GeneticAlly, which is based on DNA compatibility, to give this love story an interesting twist. Add in a best friend who thinks she needs to live a little and a little bit of author magic and you have a book that is less than predictable. With signature Christina Lauren warmth, fabulous characters and laugh-out-loud lines, this is definitely a book worth reading over and over again.

HJ Recommended Read!

In The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren, Jess Davis is a single mom who feels like she's forever just barely holding it together. Not that she would change a thing. She loves her young daughter Juno to the moon and back and enjoys the fact that they live in the same apartment complex as her beloved grandparents–who raised Jess when her own mom bailed. She also couldn't ask for a better best friend than Fizzy, who is a popular romance author. And whose books happen to be the only type of romance going on in Jess's bedroom these days. With little time and no luck when it comes to dating, she's all but given up on the idea of finding her soulmate.

Everything changes when Fizzy somehow talks Jess into doing a DNA compatibility test to see if new breakout company, GeneticAlly, can find them both a match. Skeptical but interested in the premise seeing as she's a statistician, Jess doesn't expect much in the way of an outcome. So when she's a ninety-eight percent match with GeneticAlly's founder, Dr. River Pena, she's flabbergasted. Especially since she's run into him a few times. And they didn't exactly get along–or start off on the right foot. But time together to promote the company's success has Jess very slowly changing her mind about River. The problem she can't get past, though, is if the feelings she has for him are real or if they are a product of knowing they are biologically matched.

With a storyline that will spark your imagination and a cast of characters so unique and awesome you'll adore them, Christina Lauren's newest standalone, The Soulmate Equation, dazzled me immediately.

This book! I had such a blast with CLo's newest romance. So much so that I wanted to turn around and go right back to page one and start it all over again when I finished reading. It piqued my interest as soon as I checked out the book synopsis. I mean, finding a love match based on DNA compatibility? How cool an idea is that? And it was something that only got more intriguing as the story moved forward and Jess and River grappled with figuring out if their growing feelings were real or clouded by their incredible match results.

As with all of CLo's work I've read in the past, I fell in love with the characters and enjoyed every moment of getting to know them all. There was single mom Jess, who had the weight of the world on her very capable shoulders. Her BFF Fizzy who had me in hysterics with her lack of a verbal filter. And Juno, Jess's seven-going-on-twenty-seven year old super smart, lovely daughter. And then there was River, the scientist with a PhD–and a possible hidden romantic side? He and Jess weren't enemies per se. But there was some animosity and dislike between them at first. I got a kick out of seeing why River acted aloof and cool and couldn't get enough of him and Jess once they began to understand each other better.

The Soulmate Equation had all of the humor, genuine emotion, and sparkling dialogue I expect from author duo Christina Lauren. If you're looking for a romance that will keep you completely engaged–and giggling profusely–this book is for you.

This writing duo hits another home run with The Soulmate Equation!

Jess is a freelance statistician, a single mom, and best friend to romance writer Fizzy Chen. Fizzy and Jess "work" from the local coffee shop every morning because the Wi-Fi is great and it's a perfect spot for people watching. As it turns out, one of these people they watch is "the Americano," Dr Rivers Pena. He comes in at 8:24 every morning and he;s gorgeous.

Dr. Pena's company has developed a "dating" service based on genetic matches. As much as Jess loathes Dr Pena from the coffee shop, she is not thrilled when it turns out they are a perfect match.

Chaos and romance ensues.

Christina Lauren gives us truly delightful characters, even the precious Juno, and smart, quick dialogue. Fizzy would be anybody's perfect best friend, and her friendship with Jess is priceless. Jess's grandparents are precious and her relationship with them is heartwarming. Even if some events were predictable, you find that you don't care because it's exactly what you wanted.

Loved this book and I'm so thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Christina Lauren just keeps getting better! I couldn't put this one down, the steamy romance between Jess and River heated up every page yet their romance was not outshone by the power of Jess's friendship with best friend Fizzy and her relationship with her young daughter and grandparents. Christina Lauren created a complex, nuanced character in Jess whose life was full of dimension and independence. I appreciated that River was a complement to the richness of Jess's life but not the culmination.

I really enjoyed this novel about Jess and River. So sweet! I love the single parent trope, and Juno was such a doll. River and Juno together was so sweet!

A new dating app that finds your match based on DNA must be science fiction or the creation of a the super hot scientist that frequents her favorite coffee shop. But when a fluke sample comes but at a 98% match who are they to question it, even if they seem like total opposites. A single mom, mess and the put together no nonsense science guy. As River and Jess test the waters so to speak they might just find not only a steamy connection but maybe true love based on DNA is real. Cute, sexy, an opposites attract, slow burn romantic read.

I finished this in one sitting and my neck is killing me. I LOVED this new story from Christina Lauren. I loved the third person POV that they usually don’t do, and I love the mix of science and romance! It was perfect from every last side character to the sexual tension between the mains.

Christina Lauren has never let me down–and their new book, out this May, is no exception. I was having one of *those* days when you just cannot get into anything, and then I dove into the digital ARC I had of The Soulmate Equation and couldn’t come up for air. It was sweet, adorable, fun, and the perfect read. I think this should be the beach read of the summer this year, TBH.
Jess Davis is a single mom and free-lance statistician who lives with her grandparents and is perfectly content with her life, but she hasn’t been on a GOOD date in years, so when a regular at the coffee shop she frequents is supposedly starting a dating site that matches you via DNA, she agrees, along with her best friend Fizzy, to spit in the vial. The company–GeneticAlly–is led by coffee shop frequenter and kind of grump River Pena, but Jess isn’t worried about it too much…until her match profile comes back and she and River match with 98% compatibility. Neither of them want to believe it could be true, but the company could really use this boost in PR before they go public, so a contract is drawn up and suddenly, Jess and River are getting to know each other in the public eye and suddenly, the attraction isn’t just on the page anymore. But what if it’s all rooted in a lie?
This book was SUPER adorable–low stakes, high cute, a little flame, and so much heart. I just love what Christina Lauren can do with a story. We dive right in, the situation is super cool (DNA matchmaking? Aight, sign me up) and Jess’s daughter and River’s interactions with her made me want to spring out of my apartment in pursuit of the nearest single dad. Soooo cute. I also LOVED the character of Fizzy (a bodice-ripper-esque Romance Novelist) and the inclusion of Jess’s grandparents. Also big LOL and *yikes* to Jess’s mom and her pyramid scheme. Too real world? A little. But relatable, yes.
This is a perfect read if you just want an escape and to smile wide and not want to put the book down—and we could all use more of those in our lives, couldn’t we?