This is the first Christina Lauren I've read since "Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating," and it didn't disappoint! I'll be recommending this one to all my friends.

3,5 rounded up. I'm so glad Fizzy Chen got her own story and that it incorporates so much of Jess, Jude, and River from The Soulmate Equation!

Fizzy is such a strong, vibrant character, and her chemistry with Connor is solid throughout the book. Some of the dialogue and character reactions made me cringe or roll my eyes, but not enough to deter me much. I also love the use of the reality show conceit in romance novels, and I actually wish it had been stronger and/or more structured here; the show itself feels flimsy. Overall, though, this is another strong entry in the Christina Lauren canon.

I'm so glad Fizzy got her own book!
We met Fizzy in a previous Christina Lauren book and she stole the show. A very engaging and likable character, Fizzy gets drawn into her own story in this novel. This novel should definitely be in your beach reads bag!

I just love Christina Laurens' books, and I was really excited to get the chance to read this one. And they sure did not disappoint. We were introduced to Fizzy's character in a previous book featuring her best friend, Jess, and her hero, River. In that book, I, along with everyone out there I think, fell in love with Fizzy and immediately wanted to know when she would get her own love story. Fizzy's personality is exactly as her name describes - bubbly and exciting. I loved the banter between her and the hero, and I loved her internal monologue - she was absolutely hilarious. The plot of this book was just fantastic too. I wish this reality dating show existed in real life because I would 100% watch it. The ending of this book, too, was just *chef's kiss* perfection. I couldn't put this book down once I started it. I would definitely recommend this book - it was a fantastic read!!

This is yet another book that I really enjoyed overall but, also had some minor issues with it.

Here’s what didn’t work so well for me:
- I didn’t love the excessive use of nicknames like “Hot Brit” or “Hot DILF”
- I found the constant dialogue about the romance genre and how it is not a “guilty pleasure” or “fluffy” very preachy due to the sheer volume. I’m a romance reader so it seemed like it was preaching to the choir instead of their intended audience.
- I feel like the pacing was a bit off. The beginning was great, the middle slowed way down, and the end was super quick.

Here’s what definitely worked:
- I loved the chemistry as well as the progression of this relationship.
- I appreciated the premise for the reality show.
- I adored the dates and scenarios these characters found themselves in.
- There was some warranted jealousy that really worked for me.

One other thing I would like to mention is that this is a companion novel to The Soulmate Equation. I wish I knew that before going in so I could have read that book first. I feel like this book can be read as a standalone but it does rely heavily on the science and characters from the other book.

Fizzy (who is a supporting character from the Soulmate Equation) is a romance author who has been in a bit of a dry spell, both in her work and in her personal life. When the producer of a new reality dating show discovers her thanks to his ex wife, he knows her personality is just what his show needs to be a hit. Fizzy is feisty, strong willed, confident and she needs to get that back.
Connor is a documentary filmmaker who is now being tasked with heading up this reality show: a bachelorette type series that incorporates the DNADuo app that was created in the Soulmate Equation. Connor doesn’t know about reality tv or about Fizzy but he decides to take a chance on her because his ex wife recommends her books to him to learn about romance and then he meets Fuzzy herself and he knows that she is something special. Not only will she make the show a hit, but she may be a hit with him as well if he will just let his guard down.
I’m not a fan of reality dating shows but I did very much enjoy this book. Fizzy is a fun character and even though the ending was predictable, it was worth the journey to get there.
Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Have you ever read a book with a side character and thought to yourself gee, I hope they get their own book? That was exactly my thought with Felicity “Fizzy” Chen while reading The Soulmate Equation.

I fell in love with Fizzy’s sense of humor and her penchant for saying exactly what’s on her mind. I’ve always wanted to have the balls to do that myself and will hopefully grow a pair someday. But until then, I will live vicariously through Fizzy.

Despite being a popular romance writer, Fizzy can’t find love to save her life. Meanwhile, documentary filmmaker Connor Prince has just been tasked with producing a reality television show that’s a knock-off of The Bachelor. The two collide after Connor sees a photograph of Fizzy on the back of one of her books…in his ex-wife’s house. Knowing that he’s found his star, Connor approaches a reluctant-at-first Fizzy with the proposition. Eventually, she agrees, but with the stipulation that the men competing for her heart must all represent various book-boyfriend tropes, including the cinnamon roll, hot nerd, and the one that got away.

Honestly, that’s a brilliant idea.

Anyway…along the way, sparks begin to fly between Connor and Fizzy. But will a mistake Connor made in his past come back to haunt him? Will Fizzy allow her insecurities to cause her to run away from what could be true love? What about the other dudes?

Christina Lauren are two of my favorite authors, and this was one of my most anticipated reads. For the most part, it measured up. I got a healthy dose of Fizzy, a pinch of River and Jess, and more precocious antics from Juno, as well as Connor’s daughter, Stevie, who’s Juno’s best friend. The romance was pure fire. But…I felt that, at times, Connor was a bit much and overreacted to the point where, for me, it may have been a deal breaker. And, at times, the strong, independent woman I loved in Fizzy seemed to wilt away. With that said, love makes us do crazy things, and ultimately Fizzy’s installment was pretty enjoyable.

THIS BOOOOK!

Fizzy is the perfect name for the FMC who literally sparkled on the page. Effervescent like a glorious sip of champagne, she is funny, flirty, and the kind of person you would instantly become friends with.

And her chemistry with Connor is literally off the charts -- and off the page. Their relationship simmered and sparked from the very beginning and their banter was just so fun to witness.

There's only one teeny tiny problem -- Fizzy has signed up to be on a true love reality dating show --- and Connor is not a contestant, but the executive producer. The two have to decide if their attraction is long-lasting enough to risk the career consequences that would come from becoming a couple.

I haven't (yet) read the Soulmate Equation, but I love that her side character in that book was enough of a fan-favorite to get the authors to give her her own.

This book is just a total feel-good read.

Christina Lauren does it again! This duo is an “auto read” for me - if they have a book out, I will read it. However, I definitely have my most favorites from them. Well, make way on the shelf. The True Love Experiment will now be on that most favorite Christina Lauren shelf.

Fizzy is such a great character. A strong woman who has just lost herself a bit. She agrees to participate in a TV dating show hoping to find true love and inspire her new romance novel. It sounds like a great plan until she realizes she is paying more attention to the producer, Connor, than the men on the show.

I highly recommend this quick read that will have you giggling and engrossed in the story.

Christina Lauren haven’t done a sequel about a side character in the past 5 years that I know of. I was excited to see what they would do.

Fizzy, the best friend of Jess from the first novel, is a romance novelist who has lost her mojo. At this time, Conner, a TV producer asks her to be the heroine in a new dating reality show. Conner is a divorcee with a 10 year old and he has just been forced to move from making documentaries to this reality show, so he has his reservations as well.

Christina Lauren writes romance so well. The chemistry between Conner and Fizzy was immediate. I also liked how they took some of the romance tropes and ropes in them into the story in a tongue and cheek way. While I don’t think the format of the reality show would’ve worked in real life, it worked for the sake of the story and I enjoyed how they tied it back to the dating app from the first book.

I enjoyed that Fizzy is a strong woman who is unapologetic for her sexuality and her personality. She has some crises in the story about who she is and how to continue, but she still stays true to who she is. What I always love about Christina Lauren books is how realistic they are. There are always scenes where I feel like I’ve lived those moments or I know people who have.

The only part I didn’t love about this story compared to some of their others is the third at break. I didn’t love the conflict. There were actually two points of conflict and I felt like one of them was a little stronger than the other. I could’ve done without one of them because the way Fizzy reacted wasn’t my favorite.

While this isn’t one of my favorites of theirs, I feel like it’s always a little hard to judge because I’m comparing to other great novels. The hidden romance and reality show storylines were great. I also adored the chemistry between Conner and Fizzy and feel like I fell in love with Conner a bit. I think it’s a great follow up to The Soulmate Equation and it another solid book to their list. I highly recommend both books in this series.

I adored this. Having not read The Soulmate Equation, it isn't needed first, but I *ran* to go read it next!

Fizzy Chen is a romance author in a slump. When documentary-turned-reality-TV producer Connor Prince approaches her to helm their new reality dating show, The True Love Experiment, she makes a list of ridiculous demands... and he accepts. (Truly, Fizzy is hilarious in this. Everything she does is gold, I tell you. And Connor takes it in stride!)

Fizzy is all of us romance readers, truly.

Now she has men vying for her attention in a version of the Bachelorette I would TOTALLY watch, a tall, smexy and British producer, and of course cameos from River and Jess (who I also love).

I don't want to spoil here, so I'll remain vague. I loved the romance-- from the honesty to the spice, to the vulnerability and growth here from both of our MCs (who each get first-person POVs). Think sexual tension, yearning, words I had to look up (thanks to Fizzy), and joy. This book is pure joy, and more than lives up to its cover.

Highly recommend, all the stars--now can we get bonus content about Fizzy and her man post-book? I will be SO GOOD this year!

Again, I will read anything by Christina Lauren and I was so excited to get my hands on this ARC!

In my review for The Soulmate Equation, I wrote, "Loved Fizzy and I would love a book from her POV." And my dreams came trueeeeeee! It was amazing and I was trying to find any opportunity to get back to reading this book.

I fell in love with Fizzy and her personality and I'm so glad we get to have this book about her. And Connor??? COME ON! I might have to do a reread and do the audiobook if they get someone with an accent for this DILF because that would make the story even better. And his relationship with his daughter? Precious!

Fizzy, a romance writer hits a block after realizing she's never really been in love. Her spark diminishes and doesn't date for a while. Connor is a documentary filmmaker that is tasked with creating a reality tv show and casts Fizzy as the Heroine. Their chemistry is off the charts and things get complicated, but I loved every minute of it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I loved everything about this book. I loved getting to see characters from The Soulmate Equation. I loved Fizzy and Conner. I loved the TV show concept. Christina Lauren's books are always great and this is definitely one of my tops favorites.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! I loved, loved, loved this swoony and sweet book from romance master’s Christina Lauren. This book wasn’t perfect, but this book was perfect for me right now. This book is a love letter to the genre of romance and it worked for me in so many ways! Fizzy is a romance writer in a slump, when she’s approached by single dad Connor, a documentary producer who is tasked to create a hit reality “Bachelorette” type show where he wants Fizzy to be the star. Soon their attraction becomes clear, but how can they make it work when Fizzy is meant to meet her soulmate on the show that Connor is creating? There were so many things that I liked about this book: it was a great mix of funny and romantic, and it had a great balance of paying homage to the genre of romance while also showcasing why it’s so great. This book also had a great balance of slow-burn and steam - the open door scenes were some of the better ones I have read in a while (and I read a lot of romance). The ONLY thing I have an argument with in this book is that it’s a little slow to get into, but the ending, romantic build, and steam made up ultimately made this a 5 star read for me. Overall this book just worked, and I LOVED the ending: it made me laugh, cry, and swoon for the whole final couple of chapters. I have read a lot of Christina Lauren, and this is one of my favorites to date! I highly recommend this book for fans of Christina Lauren, the romance genre, romantic comedy, fandom, and open door contemporary romance.

I loved this book! The storyline was not predictable. I really enjoyed seeing characters for The Soulmate Equation show back up too. Fizzy's character was very likable and I found myself just wanting to see what she did next. I enjoyed the reality TV twist. If you like reading Christina Lauren books, you will not want to miss this one. I highly recommend reading The Soutmate Equation first.

If you are looking for a cute and fun summer romance, look no further! The True Love Experiment has it all: fast paced reading, funny and loveable characters, plot twists, and of course a charming romance.

There was so much chemistry throughout this book, but the best chemistry was between the cast of supporting characters. I fell in love with all of them and their meddling ways!

As for the romance itself…I loved that it wasn’t cheesy. The relationship between Fizzy and Connor grew and evolved at a steady and realistic pace. This made their romance so much better and went along with their unique personalities.

I’m so glad @mamas_top_shelf and I read this book as a buddy read. We were messaging each other throughout about the characters, romance, and staying up way too late to finish the story (thank goodness for coffee).

Overall, this is exactly the kind of light and feel good rom-com story the duo, Christina Lauren, is known for. If you are looking for an oh so heartwarming and fun romance, steam, witty commentary, and a strong family and friendship presence, go grab this bingeable book today!

Thank you, Gallery Books, for this gifted copy.

4.5 stars
Ok, so I think I had heard that this book took place in the same universe as The Soulmate Equation but I forgot by the time I actually started. Once they started talking about the DNADuo, I actually got quite excited because I loved that concept and that book.
The characters in this book were fantastic. I loved Fizzy in The Soulmate Equation and am so happy she got her own book. She starts out in a life slump, a work slump and dating slump. Our other POV is Connor. He directs documentaries, but his boss forces him to go in a different direction and make a dating reality show. He sees Fizzy in his ex wife's book collection and knows he needs to cast her for the lead. Fizzy is just an absolutely hilarious character. She's confident despite her slump, and she's just such a good friend. She agrees to the show but only if Connor casts the perfect Hero archetypes (cinnamon roll, cowboy, vampire etc). I loved Connor as well, he was a great dad and had a really good relationship with his ex wife which is something I love to see. We get quite a lot of Jess and some River who were the main characters of The Soulmate Equation which was really fun.
The plot was always interesting because it was so obvious that there was a crazy attraction between Fizzy and Connor right from the get go and there was just so much chemistry in every page. Another one of Fizzy's conditions to do the show is to "find joy" again with Connor. They do such fun things and even though you can tell there is so much chemistry, they just really enjoy being around each other.
The actual reality show is a really cool concept. The men chosen to do the show all take the DNADuo test (which matches you to levels of soulmate, base, silver, gold etc) and are different levels of compatible with Fizzy. Every week the audience votes on who they think has the highest DNADuo compatibility with Fizzy. It was really fun to see the dates Fizzy goes on with these men and while we don't get to know any of them really well, it's easy to keep them apart because of their Hero archetypes.
The typical romance "problem" fit in so well with the story and made so much sense. Usually at this point, things kind of blow up, but without giving anything away, this was so perfect. The ending was just so great, it gave me goosebumps even though there was something earlier in the book that gave it away. It was so well done.
Every book I read that Christina Lauren writes, I just fall more in love!

The True Love Experiment by Christine Lauren was such a fun read! It was the first time that I had read a book by the duo and I was blown away! I didn't even know that this was a companion novel to The Soulmate Equation but I really liked it and it stood alone. This novel tells the story of Fizzy as she navigates a reality TV show like The Bachelorette with a twist. The Twist is that people will vote on which contestants will stay and each contestant is matched to Fizzy by DNA. The social media and the DNA matched twists make this an updated story to a new, an often used, trope. It just so happens that fizzy finds herself falling for the handsome British executive producer, Connor, and not any of the heroes that he has lined up for her! This book was very fun to read. I liked the enthusiasm in it. I loved Fizzy as a character because she was strong and confident and what I think every young woman should be! This is a recommended purchase for libraries that serve adult readers. Fans of Colleen Hoover and Lucy Score will enjoy this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery books for the complimentary digital copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions shared are my own. This book is available on May 16, 2023.

Before reading The True Love Experiment, I had already read four Christina Lauren titles. And, I had pretty much enjoyed all of them immensely.

So, I was super pumped to receive an arc via NetGalley (Thank you!). I read this in about two days. It was a fun story. I really enjoyed The Soulmate Equation, And I was happy to see that Fizzy received her own story.

I read one comment on Goodreads that stated that they didn't enjoy Fizzy as a character, and because of that, he couldn't finish the book. I can understand that and also at the same time, I feel like they didn't really see her. I like her character because she seems really human. She experienced a really difficult thing, she did the work, and even in doing so, you never really know how those former feelings might arise or manifest until you're put in specific situations. The way she reacted to a situation with Connor wasn't the right way, and she took responsibility for that. Which, is like better than 98% of the people I know in real life (sometimes I'm in that 98%).

I of course love the way it ended and it was really sweet how some delightful goodness was revealed!

This was a fun, funny and quick read. It's very entertaining, and I was happy to read it. I definitely and highly recommend a read!

Have you read many Chrisina Lauren books? I think I have loved everything Christina Lauren and this book is no exception. This book is a sequel to The Soulmate Equation but I think it could totally stand alone without reading that book first. Fizzy is a very fun, relatable character yet is on a reality TV show. She falls for the Exec Producer of the show, a guy who is pretty much Mr. Perfect. The way they hit it off just worked for me. This book was fun escape and I read it very quickly. Although parts were a bit predictable - I always like when things go the way I want them to go!