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!
.
.

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!

I am here for all the romcoms.
All of them. And The True Love Experiment is an ode to the romcom. As a follow up to Soulmate Equation, it tells the story of Connor, a man tapped to produce a reality dating show using the DNA matching information from the prior book and, Fizzy,
a famous romcom author (and the best friend of Jess, from Soulmate Equation), is cast as the woman being pursued by the various suitors with varying DNA matches. First, I love a crossover. Second, as a romcom lover, this book hit in all the right places. All the lingo and tropes from romcoms were peppered throughout, along with quotes and references famous romcom movies - a pop culture dream. I mean, not one but two Harry Styles references and clearly an ode to One Direction with a story line about a boy band. The chemistry between Connor and Fizzy was off the charts and the cast of potential suitors added so much humor. All the warm fuzzies and happy vibes for this book. I loved it.

While I have greatly enjoyed the books I have read by these authors, when I started this one I had some trepidations. I realized I had just read another “reality tv” story that didn’t work for me. And while I love dancing competition-type shows, I don’t watch a lot of reality tv myself. Thankfully, the duo that is Christina Lauren did what they do so well and pulled me into their story, giving me big feels and keeping me entertained.

The dedication for this book states that it is a “blatant love letter to our genre”, and that it is. While this is a standalone book the MFC is Fizzy, the best friend from The Soulmate Equation. (Don’t worry, you don’t have to read that book to read this one.) Fizzy is a romance author and boy is it fun when she is educating Connor on the different types of heroes. Not only that, but Connor is a bit of a cinnamon roll himself and I love that. I feel this would be a wonderful book to suggest to someone new to the Romance genre. It’s a great story by itself, but it also explains Romance so clearly when Fizzy gets into different discussions throughout the story about how fabulous the genre is and why it shouldn’t be denigrated.

There are so many fantastic relationships in this book. There’s Fizzy and Connor, of course. But also Fizzy and her BFF, Fizzy and her BFF’s daughter, Connor and his ex-wife, Connor and his daughter, and Fizzy and Connor’s daughter. I could go on, but you get the picture. Every relationship was given care by the authors and that is much appreciated.

I love how Connor and Fizzy made me feel. I love how honest Fizzy is and how she doesn’t let anyone tamp down her energy. I love how careful Connor is because, in the end, he is doing everything for his daughter and making sure he’s always a presence in her life. What I’m trying to say is…I love this book.

I loved this romcom! The idea of a dating show with all the male tropes and her finding her true love. This book had it all. I am not a big romcom person, but I loved this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I'm glad this book is finally in the world! I loved Jess and River's story and getting to dive into Fizzy's world was such a fun ride! Quick and easy read, cheesy and predictable but I accept nothing less!! At first, I wasn't completely sold on the chemistry between Fizzy and Connor but it grew on me throughout the book. The concept was fun and I was really able to play things out in my mind while reading which is always a journey. I recommend to those who want a quick, fun, and light-hearted read!

This story and characters are everything!! Fizzy and Connor are so fun! I loved every moment of them together and getting to be in their heads. I honestly never wanted this book to end. Fizzy is such a strong lead with opinions and a love for all things romance. I like how she stands ups for what she writes and reads. Any romance reader has had those same talks with people who hate on romance.

I will need a follow up story on all 4 characters from this universe. They should all go on a couples trip!

This was a nice reality dating TV show, sequel to a fan favorite, romance author meets TV exec. novel. It didn't quite live up to expectations or to the book that came before it, but I still enjoyed it.

Fizzy is so funny! I feel like we knew this from book one, but we really get a front row seat to her humor and the absolute chaos of her brain. I loved it. She's comfortable with romance novels, talking and writing them obviously, but she also stands up for them when people express ill-informed opinions on them. She usually says what's on her mind, even if others might think it's embarrassing or revealing. And she's not afraid of her sexuality. She's awesome!

Connor is also a great character. He is a cutie with that British accent and general nice-ness. As well, I love that he does whatever he can to please Fizzy while balancing what he knows is necessary to take care of his daughter and stay close to her.

My main negative of the book is that the romance lost some of the magic when they admitted so early on that they liked each other. And it was more than simply attraction so I felt like things were obvious. That doesn't mean there weren't problems and conflicts with their relationship, but some of that sparkle was missing.

Overall, this was a nice sequel and I'm really glad I got to know Fizzy better. She deserved her own story,

I love this book, it’s at the top of my list of “Best books of 2023”.
The romance is beautifully developed, the plot is interesting, and the characters feel like familiar friends.

I was hoping that Fizzy would get her own story, and here it is! Fizzy is a romance writer who’s in a slump. Her best friend’s husband is the creator of a dating program that matches people using their DNA, introduced in the previous book The Soulmate Equation. Fizzy is approached by Connor Prince, the producer of a new reality dating show based on the DNA matching.

FIFizzy initially says no, but agrees to star in the show after a few concessions. When she meets the men, they seem nice, but Fizzy can’t stop thinking about her tall, gorgeous producer.

I highly recommend this book, it’s a “must read” for romance lovers. 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.