Ahhh Fizzy. I ADORE YOU! This was such a sweet, unique, and FUNNY book. It has easily become my 2nd favorite Christina Lauren book, only behind Love & Other Words. I highly recommend.

The True Love Experiment follows Fizzy, who we meet in The Soulmate Equation, and simply put she may be one of my FAVORITE rom-com FMCs ever. She's so smart, funny, quick, witty, and everything I could ever hope to be. She's also unabashedly herself. She KNOWS who she is and isn't afraid to be that or apologetic in any way.

She meets Connor and I immediately felt their chemistry. He's kind, smart, strong, thoughtful, and also very much himself. His love for his daughter and relationship with his ex-wife was beautiful.

I absolutely loved Fizzy and Connor's journey from strangers to friends to lovers and my heart was bursting for them by the end.

Read if you Like:
-Books about romance authors
-Older (37) main female characters
-Hot single dads
-British men
-Dating show trope
-Witty banter

Audiobook review: I only listened to the last 25% and it wasn't my favorite. I didn't feel like the voice actors matched the characters or what I expected from them. I also felt the male narrator's chapters were low-quality. I could hear the echoing in his studio. If reading the book is an option, I'd recommend sticking to that.

The only reason I gave this 4 Stars is because I didn't find myself completely hooked by the book. It wasn't all-consuming and a book I couldn't put down. Fully could have just been me being busy though!

Thank you so much to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

<b>"Romance isn't gratuitous bodice ripping. It can be, and there's nothing wrong with that, but in the end, romance isn't about the fantasy of being wealthy or beautiful or even being tied to the bed... It's about elevating stories of joy above stories of pain. It is about seeing yourself as the main character in a very interesting - or maybe even quiet - life that is entirely yours to control. It is, my friends, the fantasy of significance."</b>

This book left me absolutely speechless, but I am going to try to write a coherent review because people need to know to read it. This book is, as Christina Lauren said, a blatant love letter to the romance genre. I love their portrayal of the realness of what it's like being a romance writer, and as much as it makes me sad to see it so plainly stated in this book, I respect them so much for being so vulnerable about such a real struggle they face.

<b>"The thing is, if you ask Jessica Marie Davis Pena what her favorite TV show of all time is, she'll say Breaking Bad or Downtown Abbey, because those are socially appropriate answers. No one says their favorite show is Married at First Sight, just like nobody says their favorite restaurant is McDonalds. But somebody's buying those 550 million Big Macs a year."</b>

Fizzy is an incredible character. After meeting her in The Soulmate Equation I hoped we would on day hear her story, and my oh my Christina Lauren <i>delivered</i> it. Fizzy's charisma, charm, and utter self-confidence flies off the page with effortlessness; seeing it through Connor's eyes is an added bonus I didn't know I needed and I am so glad we got to follow through his perspective as well. Her progression from being lost to finding joy was really fun, and I loved that we had so many comedic moments along the way.

<b>We barely know each other, but I can already sense I don't want to be caught lying to this woman."</b>

<b>"I'm so fucking in love with her I can barely take a full breath."</b>

Speaking of Connor, what an incredibly well-rounded main character. I have never been so in love with a fictional 33-year-old in my life. I love the way that from the beginning he recognizes Fizzy for who she is and not the character she portrays to the world. He sees her right where she is and doesn't let her hide from him. I loved his progression from having the world's view of her as a romance writer (i.e., beneath him) to getting to know her and understand her field of work as something to be admired and acknowledged as a true profession. Watching him fall in love with her while simultaneously trying to not destroy these men he is contractually obligated to watch her try to fall in love with was the perfect kind of tension and I think it was written really well.

<b>"Fizzy will love him. It's irrational, but I hate him already. He's in."</b>

Good Lord, the slow burn tension in this book is HEAVY and sometimes I swear I forgot to breathe. The chemistry between Fizzy and Connor is so hot that I had to internalize the fact that he was also British in an effort to avoid needing a fan to finish the book.

This is officially my favorite Christina Lauren read and one of my favorite reads of this year; calling it now. Thanks so much to Christina Lauren, NetGalley, and Gallery books for an ARC of this book. I truly loved it.

Some more fun quotes just because:

<b>"'You keep the condoms in your junk drawer?' 'Ask that again,' I say, 'and realize how funny it sounds.'"</b>

<b>"People aren't the same as fruit. You don't look for new ones if they're bruised."</b>

<b>"Book people are just better, I swear by it."</b>

Fizzy was annoying and somewhat immature. But Conner is the reason I finished the book. Big cheese and very unrealistic production schedule for small film company. If you are in the film/tv industry don’t read it very annoying.

So so cute and sweet and WAY more like the CLo I have been craving!! I feel like this book really had the spice and banter and relationship dynamics that I've been wanting from this author duo's books lately (like they have in their earlier writing).

The friends and family in this story added so much to the plot and the central conflict keeping the couple apart was very legit and not just a miscommunication like sometimes happens in romances.

It's a quick and fun read and I definitely recommend.

This is a fun and fast-paced book that is perfect for fans of the Bachelor franchise. It follows the story of two individuals who do not think they could fall in love but do in the midst of every challenge thrown their way. It is a perfect read for the beach this summer!

So amazing. I was literally hooked from start to finish. Fizzy is a romance novelist who has lost her spark and is having a big writer’s block. Connor is a producer, trying to make documentary films who has to appeal to the big bosses first. When Connor gets the idea to put Fizzy on a new dating show, he thinks she’ll be the perfect fit. But can he really watch her fall for a bunch of other guys when he is too?

This is funny and heartwarming. It also says a lot of great things in defense of romance novels! I loved the strength of Fizzy’s convictions and how Connor and her values were so in synch! Love love love!!

What a fun, steamy rom-com! I had never read a Christina Lauren novel before this one and was surprised how much I loved it! Felicity "Fizzy" Chen is a romance novelist in a writing slump. She has been extremely successful in her writing career but not in her own love life. Along comes an opportunity to stretch herself outside of her comfort zone by participating in a dating reality television show with eight matches from a dating app. But her producer, Connor, grabs her attention in unexpected ways. Will Fizzy find what she's looking for in her career and personal life?
I enjoyed this book and its cast of characters so much! Will be reading more from Christina Lauren!

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

Published: May 16, 2023
Gallery Books
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Pages: 413
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the New York Times, USA TODAY, and #1 Internationally bestselling authors of the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, Dating You / Hating You, Autoboyography, Love and Other Words, Roomies, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, My Favorite Half-Night Stand, and The Unhoneymooners.

“The answer here is obvious. It’s time for bangs.”

Fizzy is a romance author who lives her life on her terms. She is loud, vibrant, and currently struggling. Connor is hardworking, passionate, and devoted to his daughter. When he is told he will be producing a reality dating show, he is less than thrilled until he finds the perfect leading lady. From once upon a time to and they lived happily ever after, for better or worse, here they come.

This was very sweet. The concept was cute, and I enjoyed how the story unfolded. The plot was engaging and had a perfect balance of humor, drama, and steam.

FIzzy was such a great character. I liked her immediately. Her inner dialogue was fantastic, and she was charming. Connor was the heartthrob people dream about. Tall, intelligent, kind, and has an accent.

Their chemistry was delicious, and watching their relationship blossom was a joyful experience. I wasn’t aware this was a spin-off from other books, but now I will have to read those stories too.

I love how these ladies tell a story. This was such a fun, light, and easy read. And sometimes we need a happily ever after.

Ready for your next fictional HEA? Look no further bc THE TRUE LOVE EXPERIMENT by Christina Lauren has the happiest of happily ever afters! 🥰💖

GENRE: Romance/Rom-Com
MY RATING: 🌟🌟🌟💫 (3.5/5)
Swipe for GR’s info!
Tysm so much @gallerybooks for my #gifted copy! This cover is a 10/10 🎆

READ IF YOU LIKE:
▫️Reality dating shows (The Bachelorette vibes!) 🌹
▫️Romance tropes: enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, work place romance
▫️Dual POV 🔁
▫️Witty banter
▫️San Diego, CA ☀️
▫️The book, The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun 👀

FAV QUOTE:
“He is the stillness to my storm, the shadow to my bright sunlight, the Styles to my Harry.”

MY THOUGHTS // RATING EXPLAINED:
Fizzy is definitely one of my favorite FMCs. She’s a force to be reckoned with and I’m ALWAYS here for that kind of female energy 😂💣 I will say I was a bit disappointed with how this one opened up… it was a downer with Fizzy’s mood/slow start, but I’m glad it picked up 100+ pages in! Connor had his moments but overall wasn’t swoon-worthy IMO… 🤷‍♀️ The star of the show here was definitelyyy Fizzy (literally, lol 😘🎥).

I really appreciate what CL did with these characters’ backstories— authors are realizing how messy real-life relationships/people are. I’m loving that representation pop up more & more in romance novels! 👌

Overall, story was cute, quick, & sweet! 💞 You truly can’t go wrong when picking up a Christina Lauren book. They remain some of my favorite rom-com authors! 🥇

DETAILS:
▫️Published: 5/16/23
▫️Pages: 416
▫️I recommend reading THE SOULMATE EQUATION first!

I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I finished it. It was perfect. I laughed, I smiled, I was giddy. If I could have kicked my legs in the air like a giggling child, I would have but I probably would have pulled a muscle or five. I love a good reality dating show, especially when they have a unique premise. I really wish the one this book centered on was real because I would watch it all the time. Fizzy and Connor were utter perfection together and the cast of supporting characters was also outstanding. This is one of my top romance books of the year. Many thanks to Gallery Books for an early copy.

I took a break from CL books for these past few years. I just wasn’t enjoying them. I thought I’d try again but sadly I should’ve stayed away. I did not finish after the first couple chapters. Guess CL books just aren’t for me anymore. Sad.

A very solid romance novel and significantly better than Something Wilder, which did not work as a book club book at all for me. The ending is fairly predictable even for a romance but the characters are nice and I enjoyed reading it.

This is possibly the best CLo I've read to date. I am definitely a fan of their writing; I find their storytelling so unique, and though this is set in a world we've already visited, it felt entirely new. The character development in this was *chef's kiss* and the steam was O N P O I N T. I will forever be a Christina Lauren fan--a definite autobuy for me!

True fireworks exploded in my head. I LOVED this book! Christina Lauren is one of my favorite authors and knows how to deliver a great romance story. I also loved how this story focused on Jess' friend Fizzy. It was the perfect "sequel" to the Soulmate Equation. Definitely would recommend it to anyone who loves a bit of spice in their romance books. :)

Another truly fabulous read by my favorite writing duo! I loved the concept of the book with the reality dating "hero" show. Very original and the romance was believable. Definitely recommend!

This was an enjoyable book and so far my favorite Christina Lauren book. This book is about a romance novelist and a filmmaker who decide to create a Hollywood love story but they have to keep their chemistry between them and off the script. I haven't read The Soulmate Equation but I still enjoyed the story though there could be spoilers for TSE. Just know you can still have a great experience with the book but a lot of my friends recommend TSE first. I really loved the setting of this book and the whole reality show aspect of the story. These authors did such an incredible job with the writing and I loved it a lot more than Something Wilder. I wasn't instantly hooked from the first page but I did start to enjoy it once I got the feel of the characters. The pacing was a tad bit off throughout the whole book as it was slow in the beginning and some scenes were fast. This was a true rom-com as there were many funny and cute moments.

This book is written from both Fizzy and Connor's pov. I really enjoyed Fizzy's character who was funny and is a romance writer which is so cool! Connor is the filmmaker and is a single dad whose story I also enjoyed. I really loved how relatable these characters were and how well they were written. They developed a lot in the story which I love when it comes to books. There were many side characters, but the one who stole the show for me was Connor's daughter, who had a great relationship with her dad. The romance tropes are friends to lovers, one bed, opposites attract, and single dad. The book is not super steamy but there are some cute moments.

The ending was well done and I love how the book ended for Fizzy and Connor. I will totally be going back to read The Soulmate Equation just to see how these characters were in that book. I did have some minor issues but overall it was a very great story. I recommend this if you love The Charm Offensive and Take the Lead.

I really enjoyed this one and it was fun to continue a bit of the story of the soulmate equation! I do think I enjoyed book 1 better but this is still enjoyable and one I would recommend to others!

**As posted on my Instagram**

💗 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 💗

Thank you #partner @gallerybooks for the gifted copy.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
𝗕𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗻
𝗣𝘂𝗯: 𝟱/𝟭𝟲/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

✨𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁: Christina Lauren was my first romcom! I've been reading romance in various subgenres for decades, but I only read my first romantic comedy in 2019 when I took a chance on The Unhoneymooners. I loved it, and I've been devouring romcoms ever since! Later that year, I got an ARC of The Soulmate Equation and it quickly became my favorite romance of the year. So to say I'm a huge CLo fan is an understatement!

Since The True Love Experiment has been everywhere lately, and there are countless reviews and blurbs, I decided to do something a bit different with my review by simply listing everything I love about it!

•Fizzy's voice is so clear. From the very first chapter, we HEAR HER and she's distinct. This is excellent writing!! 👏🏻

•I'm such a sucker for a British hero! 🇬🇧

•We get to see Jess and River again! 💕

•The sexual tension and pining! 🥵

•The fun setting of a Bachelorette-style dating show! 👩🏽‍🤝‍👨🏼

•Both Fizzy and Connor are just solid humans and so easy to root for! 💘

•The single parent trope!👨‍👧

•The humor! 😂

•Strong feminist vibes throughout🔥

•The RESPECT shown to the romance genre! 👏🏻

This is a standalone, but I highly recommend reading it after The Soulmate Equation.

The Soulmate Equation is still my favorite CLo, but this was close! 💗

The True Love Experiment is out now! Grab your copy today!
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𝐼’𝓂 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝒾𝓉’𝓈 𝒶 𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.  
  
I didn’t think anything could top The Soulmate Equation and HERE WE ARE!! The True Love Experiment is phenomenal, definitely one of my favorites of the year. Christina Lauren pulls out all the stops on this unforgettable romance between romance novelist Felicity “Fizzy” Chen and documentary filmmaker, turned reality tv show exec producer Connor Prince. It’s a love letter to the romance genre and reality dating shows. To all the fangirls this is your summer must read. 
  
I have been desperately waiting for Fizzy’s moment in the spotlight since her debut as best friend to Jess in The Soulmate Equation. Now it’s her time to fall in love but first she must confront the reality that despite the fact she’s a successful romance author, she’s never been in love. Lust yes, love no. For all she has she doesn’t feel fulfilled. Things that once brought her joy like writing others happily ever afters no longer do, and that’s what I love most about this book. It’s relatable because sometimes in life no matter how good things are you might not really be happy. 
 
After a chance run-in Fizzy gets asked to do a dating show by Connor who’s boss has ordered him to create a reality TV show, putting his job on the line if it fails. What if he could show the queen of romance herself falling head-over-heels for all the world to see? Insta hit show. As a single father who loves his job largely in part because it allows him to live near his daughter, Conor is desperate to meet all of Fizzy’s crazy demands to do the show. Fizzy judges Conor, but the more time they spend off camera producing a new kind of dating show, they peel back each others layers and a genuine friendship blossoms into an irresistible and swoon worthy love. There interactions and witty banter are laugh out loud funny and I loved the TV show itself (make it a real show). While it can be a standalone I highly recommend reading The Soulmate Equation first.   
  
Read if you like:  
- Friends to lovers  
- Single dad  
- BFF Goals  
- Reality dating shows  
- Cinnamon roll hero  
- Saucy heroine  
- Dual POVs

Romance author Fizzy has written countless love stories, except for her own. When was the last time she felt truly happy? Documentary producer Connor is pushed outside his comfort zone by his boss and asked to produce a reality dating show. When Fizzy and Connor cross paths for the first time, sparks fly. If Fizzy agrees to be on the show, Connor must follow her list of demands and find suitors that fit every romance trope. But when his feelings for Fizzy grow, how can he possibly keep his job and find Fizzy her perfect match?

Is there any writing duo better than Christina Lauren? Someone please show me because I am wholeheartedly
convinced they do not exist. I adored The Soulmate Equation and I was so excited to read a book focused on Fizzy! The premise of this book was absolutely perfect and so entertaining from start to finish. I mean a romance author on a dating show with all her favorite tropes vying for her affection? Yes please! I loved her friends to lovers relationship with Connor and how they tried so hard to stay friends but just couldn’t resist. And is there anything better than a British single dad? No 👏🏼 there 👏🏼 is 👏🏼 not! All the stars for this one. Thank you so much to Christina Lauren, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for my gifted e-ARC! This book releases 5.16.23!