Thank you to Christina Lauren, Gallery Books and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of The Soulmate Equation. The combination of science and quirky romantic characters was cat nip for me. I love a "from loathe to love" story, and no one does it better than Christina Lauren. For those who have enjoyed their previous works, this is can't be missed. Another great outing as expected.

I love Christina Lauren books so I was eager to read this one as usual with their books. I adored Jess and River - they truly made me smile and laugh. The beginning of the book was cute, prob around 3.5 stars as I enjoyed it but was worried it was "trying too hard" to be witty and cute. However, it settled into its groove and the middle of the book when they were falling for each other was my very favorite and was definitely 5 stars! I really feel in love with River and Jess. The problem they had to conquer and the wrap up were okay but dropped to the 3.5-4 stars range for me. Overall a good Christina Lauren book with memorable main characters - I enjoyed and will recommend to those who enjoy this type of book.

*I really liked The One from John Marrs and it was fun to read a chick lit version of this idea!

first, thank you to Net Galley and publishers for this ARC!

y’all i was drawn to this book immediately when i found out about it and even more when i learned that Lauren of Christina Lauren has her PhD in neuroscience- what a badass! so cool!

this book definitely exceeded expectations! it was the perfect mix of real-life, steam, romance, comedy, and predictability (or lack thereof). it had me swooning and heartbroken and i truly loved the characters- which is always a sign of a good book! this definitely made the list of books i will always recommend

You won't be able to wipe the grin off your face when reading this book. It was such a great story! The characters jumped off the page with personality. I loved the details behind the DNA testing and statistics, it really made me feel like those were big aspects of our main character's personalities. I love this author so much, and I am so excited about this book!

Looking for charm, some laughs, some depth, some romance, and fantastic characters? Look no further!

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.

Jess’s best friend, Fizzy, is convinced she needs to get back into the world of dating...or at least the occasional roll in the hay. When Jess finds out the seemingly rude and elusive customer she and Fizzy see every day at the coffee shop they work out of is the owner of GeneticAlly, her mind is blown. GeneticAlly is an up and coming matchmaking company that used DNA as the basis to find your true match. Jess can’t picture this guy being the the brain behind something to do with romance.

Still, she gives a sample of her DNA (in the form of spit) and waits to find out the results. In a move that nobody could have predicted, her test reveals a peak of 98% compatibility with another person: Dr. River Pena...the owner of GeneticAlly.

Jess and River can’t stand each other from the brief interactions they’ve had. There is NO WAY that they are compatible...or is there?

I loved almost everything about this cute book. The characters are phenomenal. I really cared for each of them, and appreciated the depth they conveyed. That’s not always apparent in romantic comedies, but it is evident in this one. Jess and her antics made me laugh and giggle more than once. I also had a cheesy smile on my face throughout many moments.

The only parts that I didn’t connect with were a couple scenes that deep-dived into the data and statistics of GeneticAlly. Some of that went right over my head. Luckily, those parts are very minimal.

I recently read In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren, which I enjoyed as a holiday read. I favored this one much more! It’s a truly sweet and sometimes saucy romance (with a little bit of heat) that left me wanting more.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on 5/18/2021.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

I adored this for many reasons...I love single parent romances, I love grumpy heroes, and I love a fun best friend side character. Not to mention that the grandparents were pretty cool and June, the kid was just as cool. I pretty much devoured this book. I found it to be original, fun and romantic.

The premise behind the genetic matchmaking is what made this story stand out for me. I haven't read anything like it and I thought it was well done. Add all the reasons I mentioned above and that's why I this book was a hit for me. I highly recommend it!

What any book penned by the Christina Lauren contingency does best is create characters who are so vivid, life-like, believable . . . so real that I'm sure we are passing them on the street. A mundane existence under then scripting of Christina Lauren takes on a prismatic shine that is so engaging it is possible to read through one of their books in one sitting because you cannot put it down. The Soulmate Equation is entirely on brand and will not disappoint.
Jess Davis, single mom whose entire life lives in 4-block radius, lives and breaths by the numbers. As a statistician with a seven year-old daughter she has cultivated a routine, a budget, and knows her limits. Even when her less than savory mom shows up asking for money or when her grandparents need help working in the apartment complex they own. Jess is dependable. Her best friend, Fizzy (who, just to interject with a small request, probably needs her own novel at some point) is Jess's relief from the day to day. There work life at the local coffee shop is peppered with bestie convos and people watching, especially the stone-faced hot guy dubbed Americano because of his unwavering order at exactly 8:24 each day.
And then the meet-cute enters, with Fizzy buzzing for material for her latest novel, the third wall is broken and the lives of Americano ( real name River) and Jess intersect. Turns out Americano is a working on a dating start up that uses genetic material to determine compatibility. Buy into the concept if you want - it is an idea offered throughout the novel, which makes a great case for the larger topic - what makes you believe? Is it the numbers and statistics? Science? Your gut feeling and reaction?
And maybe this is *really* why I love Christina Lauren - characters you love, romance that makes you swoon, but ideas that make you want to start a conversation with a stranger at a coffee shop. An awesome, of-the-moment, contemporary romance that reminds us that sparkle and shine lingers just beneath the surface of any moment. Don't be afraid to search for it.

Oh my mind blowing goodness!!!! This has to be my favorite Christina Lauren book to date, and I don’t need a computer algorithm to rate this Diamond level! My only regret is that it is over!! My fingers are crossed that Jess and River make an appearance in another novel - perhaps a Fizzy concoction coming down the road! A huge thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the Arc!!

One of my favorite romances to date! This book is fun, intelligent, self-aware, and incredibly sweet. I really enjoyed "The Love Proof" and thought this one would have similar appeal, and it certainly delivered!

Sometimes I need a good romance novel, which I only discovered this past year. It is a good distraction. I really enjoyed In a Holidaze by these authors so I jumped at the chance to read The Soulmate Equation. I was super excited to read about a couple of nerds falling in love because of science. It was an okay, easy read. I did like Jess and River and loved Juno and Fizzy. I dont know if the tiny side plot between Jess and her mom was needed as it took a bit away from the story and made it a little heavier than it needed to be for a romance novel. Again, I am new to the genre so I might be off base. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book even though I thought it was just okay.

I don't know what to say other than, wow I really loved this. Like in a way I haven't loved many romances in the first place. It's fun, a little high concept, and bolstered by a wonderful main couple whose relationship is just a treat to read. I've been lukewarm on the other Christina Lauren books I've read but this? This is a knockout.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Soulmate Equation is a sweet story by the amazing duo Christina Lauren.
This story follows the life of, a very realistic and easy to relate to, Jess. She’s a single mom with a tiny but mighty village who helps her raise her daughter while she’s trying to be the best mom she can be, make ends meet, and not permanently scar her daughter in the same way she was as a child. Throw in spit in a vial, a super hot scientist, and a crazy turn of events and you’ve got a cute love story that will leave your rooting for love to prevail.

I always open a Christina Lauren book ready to fall in love, but this one had me SWOONING from start to finish! This writing duo has truly outdone itself!

Jess is a freelance statistician, best friend to adventurous, romance author Fizzy, and mother to adorable, intelligent, way beyond her years 7yo Juno. In summary: she's a strong independent woman surrounded by other amazing women, and I AM HERE FOR IT. However, bf Fizzy knows that Jess wants a partner in life and convinces her to try Genetic Ally, a new dating service which matches people based off of their genes. Jess knows more than anyone that numbers can be fickle, but when she achieves an unheard of 98% match with the company's founder, River Peña, she's torn between whether the results are her friend or her foe.

With this set-up, Christina Lauren delivers their funniest, swooniest, and most uplifting novel yet: The Soulmate Equation. I touched on this in the description, but the character development (ESPECIALLY for Fizzy and Juno) was by far one of the greatest aspects of this book. CL breathed life into every character, pulling no short stops when it came to Jess's statistician nerdiness nor Juno's wide breadth of animal/rollercoaster knowledge.

It should go without saying, considering CL wrote this, but the chemistry between Jess and River is EVERYTHING. These writers really had me annoyed by him in Chapter 1, only to gradually increase the pressure until I was crying by the end of the novel because I'm not Jess (although tbh, not being Fizzy also produced some tears). This book has five love-struck stars from me!

So many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I know it say it nearly every time, but I think this is my favorite Christina Lauren book. It may end up being a five star book, but I'm going to wait for the final copy to make that assessment.

Jess is a delightful main character, someone who knows what she wants and how she wants to live her life. River is an impossible and charming love interest, who has his own complications. Together their story is so cute, while also being twist in some places, and overall VERY swoony. I'm really excited for my statistical minded friend to read this and tell me how the authors did in that area...as I know nothing about statistics.

Now I just need to wait five months for everyone else to read it!! SIGH.

I really wanted to enjoy this book because the premise that you can find your soulmate by exploring your DNA was a cool thought. Unfortunately, I just didn't like it.
There was too much math that had to be writer-splained.
The hero and heroine, I felt, didn't really have much chemistry.
I never believed the hero loved the heroine.
The heroine's mother was an add on a character and I didn't understand why she was even in the story.
I miss the The Beautiful Bastard days...

Great addition to the Christina Lauren line! I love that the duo continually writes interesting characters with different backgrounds - I never feel like I'm reading the same overused plot when I pick up a Christina Lauren book.

Oh man, CLo does it again! I was beyond excited to get to read Christina Lauren's newest book early, and these authors did not disappoint. It's a remarkable book that causes me to sacrifice my precious sleeping hours, and The Soulmate Equation fit the bill.

The plot:
Jess Davis is a single mom raising her seven-year-old daughter, making a living crunching numbers and analyzing statistics when her best friend manages to convince her to send in her DNA sample to GeneticAlly. This matchmaking company claims to change the dating world by using genetic compatibility scores to match clients. When Jess receives a 98% compatibility score, her initial skepticism turns to incredulity when she finds out that her "near perfect" match turns out to be the surly, stuck-up founder of the company, Dr. River Pena. Wanting to capitalize on this "Diamond" level pairing in anticipation of the company's IPO, they issue Jess a proposition. Will she consent to getting to know her match in exchange for three month's salary? Although Jess finds comfort in the reliability of numbers, can she truly believe that one can find a soulmate through DNA?

One might consider this book fitting the enemies-to-lovers archetype, but that would dramatically reduce what this book actually is.

What I liked:
In my opinion, a five-star book has to have three things: excellent writing, a well-designed plot, and likable (or at the very least accessible) characters. This book has all three. The main character Jess, felt like someone I'd totally want to be friends with. There's a scene early on where she's talking to herself in the restaurant bathroom mirror on a terrible Tinder date that was so relatable. I found myself laughing out loud at so much of the protagonist's dialogue and inner thoughts, not to mention those of her hilarious and sassy best friend.

I also appreciated the fact that the seven-year-old daughter Juno actually felt like a seven-year-old. There's nothing worse than a book where the author completely abandons developmentally-appropriate conventions for children.

What I didn't like:
Although initially all of the statistics talk was weirdly sexy (who doesn't love a baller woman who can wipe the floor with her male peers when it comes to data analysis?), it goes a bit too far later in the book. Maybe it's because I had hit my threshold of knowledge about statistics and stopped being able to follow it, but I think it could have been simplified slightly for broader audience appeal.

Finally, my biggest gripe was the fact that the authors casually mention our male romantic lead's height of 6'4". I cannot figure out why so many romance authors ascribe their characters to this insanely tall height. As this is largely a book about statistics and probability, I'll offer this piece of data for consideration. The percentage of men in the United States who are 6'4" or above is a whopping 1%. The average woman in the US is 5'4", and honestly, who wants to be craning their neck up that high just to get in a kiss? I would very much like to see this particular trend in the genre die a quiet death.

Overall:
Statistically improbable heights aside, this book was wonderful, and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to have a smile plastered on their face for their entire reading duration.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for sharing a digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

3.5

I got to say this was an extremely sweet book! Not as hot and steamy as other Christina Lauren books and not as emotionally fleshed out as I would have liked it to be, but overall it was a nice fluffy book to tide over the reading grouch.

Although the premise was sound enough, I really wished we got more chemistry (ironic, I know) and just more of the characters, world, and dialogue. If it had just 100 pages more it would have been a banger but I have to settle with 3.5 stars.

I really like the Author Duo and their latest book is as good as I hoped. The plot is about two women who experiment with DNA dating. They use a dating service that looks at your DNA to find someone who is compatible with you. If this concept sounds very similiar to "The One" by John Marrs you are right. However he wrote his book in a thriller style, while this is a fun rom-com romp.
I found the characters very likable and the dating DNA concept to be well thought out.
This book was very readable and I think I zipped through it in one weekend.
If you are looking for a cute, light hearted romance for Spring this is the book to get.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Soulmate Equation shows what happens when science and genetics are brought into the dating world. Jess and River are brought together in the most unusual way, their DNA shows them to be an "Emerald Match." This means that they should have the best chance to have a long term "soulmate" relationship based on their DNA. The problem is, they can barely stand each other. I usually love Christina Lauren novels, and this one was no different. The story is unique with a science background. It leads to deeper wonderings about the role of DNA in relationships. I would and will definitely recommend to friends.