The Soulmate Equation was such a cute story. Single mom & statistician Jess doesn’t have time to date, but then she hears about GeneticAlly, a DNA-based matchmaking service. Her best friend, Fizzy, convinces her to join, and she ends up being matched with the company’s founder, the seemingly straight-laced and uptight River Pena. When GeneticAlly offers Jess a huge sum to date River and test their match-making skills, she can’t turn it down. Once she starts dating River in earnest, she starts to learn how to make time for herself and really open up to love.

I thought the writing was great and this was a fast read, but the math and statistics talk was a little over my head and I found myself skimming those paragraphs. That type of talk wasn’t frequent enough to be off-putting, but I think it was slightly too much math talk for me. I mean, I know they’re both number nerds, but I doubt the average reader is.

Jess and her daughter, Juno, were great characters, but I found River to be a little one-dimensional at first. As the story went on, he became more of a person and not just a caricature of the boring, uptight CEO.

Overall this was a fun story and fast read, with depth and interesting characters.

Christina Lauren's books are auto-reads for me and this book was no exception. This book was laugh out loud funny and also had really emotional moments that made me fall in love with the characters. I would highly recommend this romantic comedy.

Yes! Everything about this book. I started it and couldn't stop until I reached the last page. Then I was mad at myself for reading it so fast...I didn't want it to end! While I had an idea where the plot was going the characters were so likeable I was rooting for them the whole time and feeling their emotions on the roller coaster of their relationship. Christina Lauren latest novel is like drinking your favorite cocktail....good to the last drop! Fingers crossed they make this one into a movie!

Always SO excited to read a Christina Lauren book. Their latest does not disappoint! It is light hearted, fun, a quick read and will keep you turning the pages. Perfect to read on the beach or by the pool!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a light read that provided some welcomed entertainment. In this book, Jess and her friend finally chat with the mysterious (and serious) man at the coffee shop and learn that he owns a DNA-based matchmaking company. Jess's love of statistics and her friend's career in romance writing, lead them to tour the facility and eventually give a sample to see how the matching process works. Jess ends of being matched at a 98% compatibility level with River Pena who is the owner and many they saw at the coffee shop.
A 98% match draws a lot of interest from a lot of people, so Jess and River are faced with decisions on whether to pursue a potential relationship and how to best approach this interesting way of meeting. There is some light humor and romance in this story and was a nice read overall.

What if finding your soulmate could be narrowed down by science? The Soulmate Equation focuses on this question and tells the story of two people who are nearly perfectly compatible based on their genes. GeneticAlly has developed a matchmaking system based on genetic compatibility. They have mapped thousands of genomes and have found the markers that can predict compatibility in love and long term relationships. Clients can submit a DNA sample and the system will alert the client if they have a match with another client, based on the level of match they are looking for.

Single mother Jess Davis has sworn off dating but she sends off her DNA sample to GeneticAlly on a whim one day. She is as shocked as anyone to find out that she has scored a match of 98 (the highest in the company's history) with the company's founder, Dr. River Pena. The company would like to use this match as an opportunity to promote their services and they convince Jess to date River in the public eye. As a statistician, she enters this arrangement skeptically, not believing in the science or the system. Jess has no idea that all of her knowledge about numbers and science is going to be turned upside down with her feelings.

How does this author duo think of these concepts?!? I found the concept of matchmaking based on genetics fascinating. There was a lot of math and science in this book to set the groundwork for understanding the system in a believable way. As someone who does not have much more than general knowledge of math or science, I felt like this could really be a thing. I was engrossed in the story because I wanted to know how it would play out. There were so many directions that this story could have gone in and so many "what if" questions came to my mind as I read this book.

Jess received an offer that she couldn't refuse and it put her in a position that made her vulnerable, not only in the public eye but also in love. There was a lot of pressure for her and River to fall in love and end up together. Coupled with the constant questioning of whether or not River's feelings were genuine (or if he was just trying to promote his company), there was a lot for her to process. I loved that she was such a strong and independent character, proceeding with caution and guarding her heart and family.

As usual, Christina Lauren built a supporting cast that I fell in love with. Jess's family and best friend, Fizzy, made me laugh and warmed my heart with their love and support for one another.

This ended up being a bit more of a thought-provoking romance than I thought it would be and I really enjoyed it!

When I got the Netgalley email that I had been approved for this I think I squealed like a little girl...squealed.

Christina Lauren is an auto-buy author for me - their dynamic duo writing style just works for me. I think that they are so high on a pedestal, I was bound to find a book that I wasn't head over heels in love with. I liked this one - but it just wasn't my favorite for a few reasons. First: this just felt really rushed to me. The enemy to lover dynamic was there in writing, but I never actually felt it like I have in their other books. Second: the numbers...oh my gosh the numbers. I am not a math person and I legit skimmed anytime we started going down a rabbit hole of stats/numbers/analytics. I get why it was there, but I don't think the story needed it. Finally: elements of this story were just too damn predictable for me.

What I liked, because yes I did really like this story: Juno and Fizzy...I needed more of them in this story. If books could hand out an Academy Award for best supporting actress in a fictional story; Juno and Fizzy would both win. They were what I love about Christina Lauren - we needed more of them! I loved how strong Jess was and how the authors told this love story of a single mom who was barely holding it all together. It felt realistic at times and I really appreciated that - I mean Jess trying to get Juno to decide between Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Trix made me actually laugh out loud.

This was a fun and quick read, that would pair nicely with an umbrella drink and a beach chair on the sand.....cheers!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.



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The dynamic duo of Christina Lauren has done it again! The Soulmate Equation is compelling and heartwarming, and it’ll make you think about compatibility! Jess is a single mom with an awesome daughter. She hasn’t dated in years. Like, YEARS years. While hanging with her best friend at her local coffee shop, they hear about this company that matches people up using their dna. Needless to say, Jess matches up with Dr. River Peña and you need to read this to find out what happens next!

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
The Soulmate Equation takes a look at love through the lens of a scientific equation. Does our DNA determine who we will match with? That's the premise of Christina Lauren's new book. The romance was spot-on and the secondary characters were fantastic.

Christina Lauren once again create rich, likeable characters and a unique, and always romantic, storyline. This book is great for fans that want just a smidge of steam, can handle a perfectly portioned amount of scientific 'talk,' and appreciate characters that might have succumb to their 'baggage' but choose to take charge of their lives and maturely handle what is thrown at them. Loved it.

I went into this with high (probably too high) hopes. I haven't read all of Christina Lauren's books, but the few I have read I have really loved. This one is probably my least favorite so far. There were definitely parts of this I felt made the story enjoyable and gave it great potential - Jess being a single mom (loved this), the DNA science nerding out involved, JUNO (loved her), and Jess' really great support system at home. All of that gave me hope this would be an easy five star for me, but unfortunately some things just dragged it down - Jess being a single mom (I felt like this tried to hit every stereotypical single mom problem without first hand knowledge of it), the romance happening basically immediately with hardly any enemies to lover build up, the conflict was way too predictable and the resolution seemed rushed and lazy, and finally the in depth explanations about statistics. I think my eyes actually started to cross at one point.

So all in all, I did like this because of the plot idea and the characters that really held up this story. But I just needed more juice for it to fully put me over the edge in love with their love story and the book as a whole.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of The Soulmate Equation. I am posting my review to GR and Netgalley now, and will post to my IG on pub date 05/18/2021.

Christina Lauren never misses! The Soulmate Equation is another 5-star contemporary romance from my favorite authors. Once again, they write very lovable characters, including their first single mom, Jess. I loved the single mom aspect of the story because I loved seeing the love interest, River’s, interactions with Jess’s daughter. This story follows a fairly predictable contemporary romance format, but the characters and writing more than make up for any predictability. The Soulmate Equation made me laugh and cry, and I recommend it to any romance fans!

Christina Lauren never disappoints, and the Soulmate Equation was no different in that sense. This was a new dynamic though, and they really knocked it out of the park. A brooding, attractive man who ends up being a shy genius who is good with kids? Good lord, take me to the altar now.

I've read quite a few Christina Lauren books over the years - some that I've liked, some that I loved. It is safe to say that this one topped them all. While I wish it had been 50 pages longer (the end felt slightly rushed) I loved the story and the protagonists just so thoroughly. If Fizzy doesn't get a spinoff novel then I will RIOT.

Single mom, and freelance data/statistics analyst, Jess Davis and her BFF, Felicity “Fizzy” Chen, meet at a coffee shop every morning and overhear that the grumpy guy they refer to as “Americano” (Dr. River Peña), is the CEO of a new DNA based match-making company, GeneticAlly. Being a romance writer, Fizzy is curious how that works, and they are invited, begrudgingly, by Dr. Pena to come by the lab, see how the process works, and maybe even provide a spit sample to see if they’re matched with anyone. Jess ends up matching with River with 98% compatibility, and with the app launch only 3 months away, the GeneticAlly big wigs want to see how well they’d do dating each other. They hate each other, so Jess isn’t interested, until she loses a client and GeneticAlly makes her an offer she can’t refuse.

This is the 5th book I’ve read by Christina Lauren and I’ve learned that they are hit or miss for me. This one had so much potential for me to love it, but it just fell kinda flat.
The relationship developed far two quickly for two people who hated each other. It was like all it took was the first date for them to go from hating to liking and not much else to loving. There wasn’t much build up like there is in most enemies to lovers. I also felt like the steamiest bits were rushed.
The main conflict happened around the 80% mark and was resolved too easily and far too quickly. The MC hero was forgiven far too easily for how he acted near the end. It also left a handful of lose ends. There’s a run in with the two MCs in the fourth chapter of the book and I kept on wondering why they were in the same place and it was never explained. I feel like they only had them in the same place to make them more irritated at each other.
I did really like the idea of the story. I think it was well thought out, for most of it. It just needed more resolution for me to rate it higher. I loved the relationships between Jess and the supporting characters. Her daughter is sassy and cute and I love how she got along with River. The moments with them are really cute and are some of the only times I felt a swoon from River. The grandparents are sweet and her BFF, Fizzy, is laugh out loud funny. I just loved her and would her book, if that ever happens.
Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery Books, and Christina Lauren for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Christina Lauren books and I have to say, this may be the best one yet. So well written; I would read passages out loud to my boyfriend; and laugh out loud funny. Its only January but this easily makes it into the Best Books of 2021. Sheer perfection, would recommend and gift to everyone.

Can you find your soulmate via DNA test? This book is not John Marrs’ One. The subject may be similar but this is truly entertaining, heartwarming and lately the best romcom my favorite duo has written. ( at some parts I loved it more than In A Holidaze because entire characters are adorable and I have to admit we don’t have Fizzy at In a Holidaze, actually all we need more Fizzys in our lives. What a sassy, naughty, funny, loyal, smart, vivid best friend she is! )

My pros about this fun escapade:
Both of the MCs are nerds!

They love mathematics, equations, genetics! At some parts of the book, they seem like talking Gibberish ( geneticish if it is a real language) Jess, single mom, quirky, smart, easy to connect, statistics prodigy, barely making ends meet as a single mother but she still does a great job, trying to gather pieces of life, always trying to finish her next task. On the other hand , Dr. Riva Pena is outstandingly charismatic, a charming human robot, workaholic, founder of GeneticAlly’s : visionary version of dating sites. You just spit into an envelope and ta ta, you learn who is genetically compatible for you!

Hot chemistry and enemies to lovers theme
When I see ETL blurb, I always go blind because this is my all time favorite theme. The sexy and smart banters, increasing sexual tension, smoky hot intimacy between two people who cannot stand each other but also want to rip each other’s clothes is my favorite romcom formula.

Super duper supporting characters:
Juno: 7 years old daughter of Jess is extremely sweet and I loved her quirky mind! She and best friend Fizzy were scene stealers! At some parts they truly stole the book!
Nana and Pops are also huggable, sweet so much lovable characters!
We only see at one chapter but I already liked River’s overprotective sisters, too.
But as you may imagine I think Fizzy needs her own book as a sassy romance writer!

Unputdownable, intriguing pace:
I was hooked as soon as I was introduced the whirlwind, extra busy life of Jess, how she puts others’ needs above herself, how she takes care of her loved ones. The book moved fast but it didn’t affect romance’s blooming ( thankfully this is not insta romance story) actually I found myself chant for River to kiss the girl! I finished this gem at one sit, canceling everything in my life, buried my face into ereader.

My cons
Hero was truly dislikable at the beginning:

At the beginning River earned so many punching and kicking his ass points with his extra arrogant douchebag attitudes! He told his colleague Jess was average! Of course Jess heard and reminded him of his rudeness at several times! It took nearly half of the book to see his true face and realize he is kind hearted nerd!

Scientific terminology:
The characters talked so gibberish when they mention about their professions. As Jess talks about statistics or River makes explanations about genetics I felt like my head may explode because of information bombardment! Those parts made me lose my interest about the story.

Overall: instead of genetical mumbo jumbo, I enjoyed this heartfelt, sweet, sexy, enjoyable story! It is a big winner! I love this duo and I loved their incredible book!

A quick request: I want sequel ASAP! Fizzy is too vivid, entertaining character to be wasted as supporting characters at one book!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for sharing this incredible digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

As an avid reader of Christina Lauren, I was very excited to get an ARC of this novel from NetGalley. That being said, I was disappointed in this book. I enjoyed the usual rom-com storyline, but I found that there was too much emphasis on explaining the scientific aspects of the storyline. It seemed unnecessary and didn't flow well with the rest of the story. Overall, I enjoyed the characters and especially liked to witness the Jess' growth. I would've liked to have seen a little more of an arc for River's character though. In the end, my issue with this book may just be though that I'm not a believer in its notion that genetics plays such a large role in love and romance. Thanks again to NetGalley for giving me an early copy of this story!

Oh my heart.

I started and finished this in one day as I couldn't put it down.

Jess is a single mother, broaching the age of 30. She's very selfless, always giving of herself and finds that idea of dating, daunting. She doesn't have a lot of time and to spend it trying to date someone... Well, she'd rather not. After being pushed by her best friend Fizzy, and in a moment of self loathing, she submits a spit test to find a soulmate using DNA.

Imagine Jess's surprise when she matches someone at a 98%. The probability is astounding. That someone happens to be Dr. River Peña, aka Americano, the lead scientist and founder of the company GeneticAlly.

Jess, the skeptic, isn't sure she should pursue something as the company tries to push them together to enhance their marketing. What happens? You'll have to one click.

I generally stay away from the single mom books. I often find the child or children written unrealistically, but Christina Lauren was superb in their writing. I emotionally connected to this character and let me tell you all the swooning I did by the end of chapter 15. I highly recommend this book.

Kudos girls! This book was fantastic!

I’m a big fan of Christina Lauren books. My most beloved is still Love and Other Words, but I also adore Josh and Hazel as a couple. But The Soulmate Equation was everything I was hoping for.

It had heart, wonderful characters, a smart and trendy story, and a love story that will be a fan favorite. Honestly, besides a slow beginning, there was nothing in this book that didn’t work for me.

The story was heartfelt and charming. The idea of finding a love match via DNA was fascinating. And I wonder if this is something we’ll be seeing in the future.

What I loved about the book:

The heroine was easy to like and root for.
Her daughter was adorable. Also since I’m a big fan of the single parent trope I was charmed by the daughter from the very first moment.
The grandparents were dream grandparents, especially Pops made me LOL. And their relationship made my heart all gooey!!
Her best friend was the hoot. Wouldn’t mind if she would get her own story.
And the hero was swoony in a wonderful nerdy way.
I also noticed how much I loved and enjoyed the little details the authors added to conversations, and throughout the story. Small things that stood out to me, and only added to the overall enjoyment.

The Soulmate Equation was more than a solid romance novel. It’s everything I wanted in a new CLo novel. And I can’t wait to own the book for my bookshelf.