This was my favorite Christina Lauren book to date. Lots of fun characters, and a swoony love story that I really enjoyed. I like that this is a woman who gets pigeon-holed as one thing, but is recognized for being so much more. She's paired with a man who she initially pigeon-holes... who is also so much more. They were both delightful, and their chemistry had real zing. It may have been predictable (I mean, beyond the obvious that we know they will end up happily ever after) but I still kept wondering how the authors would pull it off. :But they did! I'm not a romance reality TV watcher or K-Pop fan... but neither inhibited my enthusiasm. A great summer read!

THanks Netgalley for the digital ARC!

I enjoyed this book, loved seeing characters from the Soulmate Equation.

Def would reccomend to a friend!

I really enjoyed this book!! I want to be friends with Fizzy!! She is funny, sassy, down to earth..... real. My favorite Christine Lauren character! The True Love Experiment had the right amount of spice! love it

Fizzy’s a wildly successful romance author who has no success in her own romantic life. Connor’s a documentarian who’s been assigned to produce a reality show so that his company can stay profitable and relevant. Connor conceives of an idea for a dating show and asks Fizzy to be on it as the single looking for her soulmate. She agrees only after he caves in to her outrageous demands. During filming, the two who initially didn’t jibe, become closer because Fizzy insists that the always serious Connor learn how to have fun. And they fall for each other which is inconvenient since she’s the star of the dating show he’s producing.

It’s entertaining, and one where romance itself is the heroine. Connor starts out skeptical of the genre but soon learns of its reach. I liked his character as someone with a steadfast work ethic adapting to his new circumstances, and sticking to his principles.

I had a harder time with Fizzy, partly because I didn’t read 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 where she was introduced. I love her confidence, and straightforwardness, but she’s also a steamroller. She consistently pushes for a physical relationship even though it’s a no no, and he’s told her it could be detrimental to his career. Even after she promises to behave she recklessly crosses that boundary. It seems it only matters what she can say or do while disregarding the ramifications for others. Connor’s not innocent, either. He gives in because he wants to. Only towards the end when another crisis arises does she concede there’s more at stake for him than for her. They’re adults and have to deal with the consequences.

I still loved their chemistry and the fun they had together. The spice was full on and well done. Christina Lauren fans should all be happy with their latest!

Thanks to @netgalley & @gallerybooks for my ARC.

This book brought me back to the days when I first started reading Christina Lauren books. I was hooked from the very beginning and devoured it in one sitting. It encompassed a lot of my favorite tropes combined with the high stakes of romance with a reality tv show.

I love having one of my favorite secondary characters from a previous book come forward with their own romance. Felicity or Fizzy, was one of my favorite characters from The Soulmate Equation. And she's now one of my favorite MC's by this author duo.

I think this book started off really strong with Fizzy's narration. Her frustration and doubt, setting the scene with her writer's block. Wondering if she, as a romance author, will ever experience the love that she writes about. Although it did start off strong and I immediately felt attached to Felicity's story. It took me a little bit longer to come on board for Conner. I'm not usually a fan of a male character that comes off mean and never has to atone or explain his harshness or behavior at any point. Once I was able to get over Connor's prickliness I was really able to enjoy their romance unfold.

Forced proximity is one of my favorite tropes so if you add that with workplace romance, a witty and funny fmc, a single dad, and a dash of spice, you get the perfect cocktail. These characters had really great chemistry and banter. I found myself laughing more often than not.

Overall, this was just a really fun and enjoyable romance that I've come to expect from this author duo.

I loved Fizzy in The Soulmate Equation, and I loved her even more in The True Love Experiment. Moving from best friend to heroine in this novel, romance author Fizzy Chen is invited to participate in a reality dating show where the heroes are based on romance hero archetypes. Fizzy has lost her writing mojo and also her belief in true love, so she agrees. Enter Connor Prince III, buttoned up producer of the show and single dad. As a condition of her agreement to do the sow, Connor and Fizzy must spend time together to "find joy" in the weeks before the show starts. This works a little too well as Fizzy and Connor both catch feelings.

It was fun to be back in this world again. I've read a lot of Christina Lauren's books, and this is up there with my favorites. It felt like a love letter to romance fans, and I am here for it!

I liked the switch up of the man wanting something serious and the woman only wanting a fling. Women shouldn't be shamed for that, so points to Christina Lauren for that. I loved Fizzy in Jess and River's book, so I knew her book was going to be a trip and a treat. It did not disappoint. Connor came in with the accent and he understood Fizzy from the beginning and that's all she had been looking for in a partner. Prior to filming a dating show were Fizzy is the star and Connor is the producers, they bonded during their "joy excursions". We all know these excursions were actually dates, and I loved seeing their personalities come to life during these outings. Overall, super good book and I loved the character development. Ends with an HEA!

Fun, sexy, and smart, The True Love Experiment was a wonderful romantic ride. Fizzy is absolutely amazing. She's confident, intelligent, full off life, and makes no apologies. Connor is tall, dark and handsome, driven, and devoted. Together the two have bucket loads of chemistry. An added bonus is that both characters are in their later thirties, and Connor is a dad. The scenes with his daughter Stevie are fun and heart warming. I adored his co-parenting with ex wife, Natalia, and his recognizing his short falls as a father.

This book has plenty of heat, heart warming moments and laughs. While it can be read alone, I strongly suggest reading The Soulmate Equation. Readers who have read the first book will get a bit more background and will recognize Jess, River, and Juno. Overall, a fun read.

I loved this book, I loved this book, I loved this book!!! Christina Lauren, you dynamic duo, you always nail it for me!

My heart soared when I found out we would be getting to see Fizzy's quest for her Happily Ever After. I adored her in The Soulmate Equation and to get more of her was perfection! I also loved being able to check on my sweet lovebirds from The Soulmate Equation.

Felicity "Fizzy" Chen is in a slump. For the best selling romance author, writer's block isn't an option. However, when she delivers a commencement speech, something just seems to break for her. Since then, she's been stuck. Enter Connor Prince, who is a bit of a stick in the mud. His career as a filmmaker is being tested, when his company tells him he has to produce a high-rating realty TV show, Connor is absolutely miffed. However, once he meets Fizzy, he can see the show's potential. Fizzy is unlike any woman he has met before, she challenges him.

I loved watching these two bicker, butt heads, laugh, and support one another through the pages of The True Love Experiment. A HUGE thank you to Gallery Books for granting me access to this title. If you are. fan of Christina Lauren, I highly recommend you read this! Just remember, it does have some spoilers for The Soulmate Equation if you don't read them in order!!

This quickly became my new favorite Christina Lauren book! I loved the plot, the sassy characters, and the writing. It was all perfection to me.

This book. Ahhhhh. I don’t even know where to begin.

In terms of general audience readability, I would say this book hit it out of the park. Like you couldn’t have a more adorable character than Fizzy (which I already knew from her role as “best friend” in The Soulmate Equation) or a more sturdy and charming love interest than Connor. Predictably, there is some off the charts chemistry and the HEA in the book was amazing. Plus, I love a reality tv plot line. It mixes my two great loves: reading and trash television. So for me, this book was highly anticipated.
I have to acknowledge, though, I had some misgivings. While I enjoyed the plot and the characters very much, there was a message to this book I couldn’t get behind. Love has to be consensual and no matter how much you believe you’re meant to be with someone, I do think it’s problematic to suggest it’s okay not to take the answer you’re given. I won’t say more to avoid spoilers and this isn’t, like, a trigger warning worthy thing, just a note on something that I felt I needed to speak on.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4/5

I don’t know why I waited so long to read this book! I absolutely loved The Soulmate Equation and my love for The True Love Experiment is no different. In this book, we follow Fizzy, a romance writer with an immense following. Fizzy writes swoon-worthy love stories, but for some reason, hasn’t been able to find her great love. Enter hot Brit and single dad, Connor, who is a documentary filmmaker forced to switch gears and enter into the reality dating stratosphere. After a chance encounter, Connor feels that Fizzy would make the perfect lead for his new show, but he soon finds that he may be getting a bit too close…

I was gifted the audiobook by @simon.audio and let me just say, Connor is SWOON-CITY! I was sucked into this story and didn’t want it to end. I loved seeing Jess, River, and Juno again and enjoyed the tie-ins from The Soulmate Equation. This is definitely a great read for summer!

The True Love Experiment is the sequel to The Soulmate Equation! You don’t need to read the first in order to grasp TTLE, but it definitely provides some great backstory!

Thank you to Christina Lauren, Gallery Books (@gallerybooks), and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Adored this romcom that had me hooked from start to finish. It's 400 pages but I would have read 400 more of colorful Fizzy comments and dreamy Connor. This is my fave from this writing duo, ah!

I loved the soulmate equation so much that I was so excited for this book! I felt a little let down by it, but it was still a great read! I loved Fizzy and Connor's relationship, as he was such a protector and was obviously so in love with her from the start of the book. I felt that the book started a little slower than I had wanted, but over all, it came together nicely. The characters where fully flushed out, the premise was new and fun, and I loved being back in the DNADuo world. Overall, a good read, I just felt it started off a bit slow.

girl sees boy across a restaurant. boy sees girl. both say nothing to each other. boy gets offered a job to produce a “stupid” dating show. boy wants “the queen of romance” as the star but doesn’t know that she is “the girl”. boy and girl meet & hang out on “joy excursions” and end up falling for each other, but can’t date because boy is the show producer & girl is supposed to meet her “soulmate” on the show.

Now, this is my type of trope. Friends to lovers, with a dash of forced proximity. The love just felt natural with these two. They met. They fell for each other. They confessed their feelings. Their circumstance kept them apart - she is the star of the dating show & he is the producer. Here comes the forced proximity…hehe. I enjoyed Fizzy’s character so much. Fizzy was vivacious, wild, and bold. She just made me laugh out loud. The banter between Fizzy and Connor was ✨chefs kiss ✨ (you know me & banter go together, real bad) ooh and Connor is British 😏 need I say more….

The True Love Experiment takes place after the events of The Soulmate Equation, but can still be read as a standalone (though you might feel like you're missing something like I did).
I really liked this book. Fizzy was such an incredibly relatable character, and I loved her so much. Her being a romance author herself and addressing a lot of the harmful stereotypes and judgement surrounding romance (from people who don't even read them) made me feel incredibly seen. Connor making the effort to actually understand made my heart melt.
The only thing I didn't love was the third act breakup. It's not new and doesn't generally bother me but it's feeling a little over used at this point, and I just wish more romance books had some other conflict.
BUT the enemies to friends to lovers was top tier, along with all the bookish references throughout. Loved the characters. Loved the humor. Just loved.

The Soulmate Equation is one of my favorite romances of all time, so this one had quite a lot to live up to. I LOVED Fizzy in the first one, so I had high hopes for this one as well.
THANK YOU for putting such a positive light on coparenting. I rarely see I portrayed in a positive manner, so this was refreshing. Sometimes people get along better (and are therefore better parents) when they split up. Shocking, I know. 🙄

I listened mostly to the audio, and finished it in two half days. I only wish we saw more into his life as a dad.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 which I always round up.

This is an absolutely adorable must read of Christina Lauren fans and might be one of my favorites of theirs so far. This one showcases Fizzy, who we first met in The Soulmate Equation, who is a famous and currently struggling romance author who is asked to star on a dating show using the DNADuo that her friend designed. She grudgingly obliges, hoping to get out of her funk, and initially can't stand the producer, but quickly finds herself completely attracted to him, and him to her, which is in direct violation of the contract she signed for the show. This has a bachelorette-esque feel to it but on a smaller scale, and the writing is on the wall for how this will end very early on, but it is pulled off in such a perfect way and it's exactly what all romance novel lovers are looking for. Quite the open door romance as well!

I really liked the Soulmate Equation and was excited to read this one so Fizzy could get her chance at a love match. The chemistry between Fizzy and Connor was immediate. I enjoyed watching their story grow. The premise around a dating reality tv show could have been more integral into the story. It was shown and talked about but it kind of felt a little seperate as well.

Many thanks to my friends at @gallerybooks and @simon.audio for the #gifted copies of this book.

Swoon worthy, firecracker HOT, and hilarious! I had the biggest, cheesiest grin plastered on my face as I fell in love right alongside Fizzy and Connor.

CLo’s latest is not only their 30th book and a love letter to readers of romance, but it’s also my favorite of theirs to date.

Bestselling romance author, Fizzy, teams up with documentarian turned TV producer, Connor, to find her “true love” match in a reality dating show. {The queen of romance looking for love? And the suitors are based on romance tropes? I’d totally watch that.} But the sparks start to fly long before her TV dating prospects are even chosen.

The banter. The chemistry. The flirting. Tension you could cut with a knife. Longing that was palpable.

And yet, there was more to them than steam alone. There was a genuine friendship and a longing to want the best for each other. There was a focus on vulnerability and growth, singularly and together. And maybe most importantly, there was quality communication! (What a breath of fresh air!!!)

I don’t think I’ve ever been so easily convinced that a couple deserved a HEA. And this happily ever after was absolutely worth the journey! I’m still swooning.

Other reasons to read this book:
💞 Fizzy is a bold, independent female that oozes fun.
💞 Connor is dependable and genuine. He’s also tall, handsome, and British. 🔥
💞 The Ex-relationship is sensible and healthy
💞 The entire boy band concert scene!
💞 Single (girl!) dad
💞 Jess, River, & Juno (The Soulmate Equation) make appearances
💞 Sex-positive: you’ll find no sex shaming here!

The old adage “better with time” definitely applies to this writing duo. True Love Experiment is “chef’s kiss” perfection. It’s the ideal summer escape to throw in your pool bag.

🎧 I’d recommend this in any format, but the audiobook was a total win for me. Cindy Kay’s narration brought Fizzy’s energy and wit to life, and Jonathan Cole’s sexy British accent had me like putty in his hands. The audiobook is a total treat.