I am convinced that people who think romance isn’t the best fictional genre just haven’t read the right Christina Lauren book yet.

The True Love Experiment follows Felicity “Fizzy” Chen who’s feeling lost. Sure, she’s got an amazing career as a beloved romance novelist, but she hasn’t written anything new in ages. Stuck in a rut, Fizzy realises that as much as she’s written about love, she’s never been in it herself. Connor Prince, meanwhile, is a documentary filmmaker and single father who’s happy with where he’s at in life, even if there is no romance to speak of. When his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show to bring in the big bucks or get fired, Connor is out of his element. Desperate to find a romantic lead that will make the show a success, he finds the perfect solution in Fizzy. What if he could find the queen of romance her soulmate on live television? When Fizzy eventually says yes, and the production of The True Love Experiment begins which brings them in close proximity and sparks being to fly, Connor wonders if he’s met his perfect match—only to have to see her find her happily ever after with someone else.

The premise of this book? 10/10, would recommend. The execution? Somehow even better. I mean, come on, this is set during a reality TV show that casts hero archetypes as potential suitors and has a romance novelist fall back in love not only with writing but with love itself. What more could you possibly want? Breathtaking characters and relationship dynamics that will have you grinning like a Cheshire Cat? Whoo boy, are you in for a treat.

Our main characters Fizzy and Connor are just the absolute best. Their banter felt so natural and completely in character and what’s more, throughout the entirety of the story, you could actually feel the bond between them strengthening. Yet despite them becoming romantically entangled, they never lost that spark, that connection that drove me absolutely mad with love. I adored that even in their steamier moments, you could still tell that these two are also just genuinely best friends who have more fun together than apart. Rarely have I ever read about such a well-balanced couple. There is literally no way that you can read this book without falling in love with Fizzy and Connor on their own and then fall in love with their relationship.

Don’t get me wrong, both Fizzy and Connor are not perfect (but yes they are), they have flaws (no, shhh, these babies are flawless) and they make mistakes but that’s okay because they learn from them. There is a bit of drama added because, well, Fizzy is literally the star of Connor’s reality show and supposed to find her true love within the show, not behind the cameras. We also explore ridiculous and antiquated stereotypes about the romance genre and I loved seeing Fizzy and later on Connor calling people out for not seeing how breathtaking romance fiction can be. We also have an incredible cast of secondary characters, for example Connor’s daughter and his ex-wife, not to mention Fizzy’s best friend Jess (who you’ll be familar with if you’ve read The Soulmate Equation). There’s also tons of personal growth and learning from the things you have done in the past and there’s a strong focus on what it means to love and to be in love, especially when you think you’ll never really get it. Watching Fizzy relearn what it means to love and falling in love for the first time after having written about it for ages and then see Connor struggling to pursue Fizzy’s happily-ever-after even if he isn’t a part of that equation was nothing short of riveting. I couldn’t put this story down even if I wanted to because these characters just wouldn’t let go of me.

It’s incredible that Christina and Lauren have written thirty books together and somehow they still manage to surprise me with every single one of them. These ladies don’t get older, they just get better and I can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with next.

An homage to romance writers, readers, and lovers alike, The True Love Experiment is an unputdownable read following a romance novelist falling back in love with writing while participating in a reality TV show that’s supposed to help her find her soulmate on live television—only for her to fall in love with the man behind the camera.

"No matter what poetry tells us, love isn’t always patient; it is urgent and hungry, eating up all of the blank space in my head."

I really wanted to meet you two but missed the second day signing. Next time!
This is in the same universe as The Soulmate Equation with Jess' romance author friend Felicity (Fizzy). I just love grumpy sunshine and opposites attract romances. They are the best!
Connor is a 6'5" well dressed business executive producer type, but also a DILF as fizzy calls him.
Their chemistry and banter as they shot a reality show where she was the bachelorette type using River's dating app was swoonworthy. Connor didn't want a hookup but couldn't stay away. And he really should have since he was the producer and not one of the contestants. Loved getting to know Fizzy and also totally appreciated the healthy co parenting relationship that Connor and Natalia had. Not all divorces have to be bad, end of romances don't have to be end of friendships. With work they can turn into something symbiotic and with children involved it's important to try.

Thank you gallerybooks for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Okay WOW. I love Christina Lauren’s books but this one ranks high on my list. I reread the soulmate equation not too long ago so it was fresh in my mind but I didn’t realize this was Fizzy’s book and when I did, I knew I was in for it. I was HOOKED from the beginning. Connor is my favorite type of man in a book and he did it so well. And throw in the single dad trope? You’re kidding. I was rooting for these guys the whole time, I loved the way it played out I loved them together and of course I was so happy to see grumpy River making some appearances. Dare I say this might be my favorite book of the year…

This is my first Christina Lauren book, and I totally get the hype now! The True Love Experiment had me hooked because of it's sci-fi/dystopian Tinder app meets The Bachelor reality TV show premise, and it was absolutely what I wanted it to be. Fun, flirty, and easy to read!

Fast paced, romantic fiction, I read it in less than 24 hours. I enjoyed the romantic premise and modern twist similar to The Bachelor. The characters were relatable and had good chemistry. However, I didn’t enjoy the crude and vulgar language, or the steamy romance. For this novel, it was much harder to skip through those unwanted parts. For these reasons I have rated at three stars..

Let me tell you something LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. This book is perfection.

I've liked quite a few of the Christina Lauren books that I've read, but I've never read one that blew me away or that I absolutely loved. This is that one!

Put aside the fact that it's about our fantastically funny romance author FMC Fizzy, put aside the fact that our MMC Connor is British perfection... this book has a band BASED ON BTS IN IT. Very brief and we don't see them on page (except from afar at a concert), but it counts, guys, it freaking counts.

The authors in their authors' note said this book is a love note to fandoms, fangirls, and BTS. I felt that with everything in me and adored every second of reading it. Throw in a reality tv show plot and I am HERE TO STAY.

Dare I say I am a Christina Lauren stan now? Time to read the backlog and see if any gems have eluded me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early e-arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Fizzy was a delightful, sex-positive character and I loved getting the perspective of an older heroine. The romance was amazing and the Bachelorette-type premise was a delight. This was just a fun book to read. I had recently finished The Soulmate Equation, but I don't think that's necessary to appreciate this story. It did add to it however.

I am usually a huge fan of this duo. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy this book. It just didn't grab me the way the others have. Connor was an okay main character, though I really hated his condescending attitude toward romance novels and reality shows in the beginning. I am not a fan of shows like The Bachelor, but I'm not going to act like there is something wrong with those who do. I know his attitude changed, but I would have liked more of a conversation about that change.

Fizzy was an interesting heroine. I liked her and her attitude; I just got annoyed by her "I'm so perfect and amazing vibe." It's old and has been done with so many other heroines. Argh. I liked the chemistry between Fizzy and Connor, but the supposed obstacle between them at the end was overblown, in my opinion. I thought it was manufactured outrage. This book was just meh in comparison to their other books.

I have not read THE SOULMATE EQUATION, so I went into this book with no previous versions of Fizzy to compare her to. I really enjoyed the bold and blunt Fizzy character contrasted with the quiet and stoic Conner. The development of their relationship felt authentic and I didn’t see how they were going to get together in the end. Even the premise of Fizzy being a romance author and being the lead in a reality dating show was done in a non-cringey way. The banter between Fizzy and all the characters was witty and funny, but she also had a serious side to make her a well rounded character.

This has some very steamy open door scenes, but it was a very fun romcom read that balanced light moments with some deeply emotional moments. I was expecting that the bedroom scenes would be a bit more spicy since Fizzy was a romance author and that wouldn’t have felt authentic. I did feel like the intimate moments revealed Fizzy and Conner’s truest feelings, but also their insecurities.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery books for the eARC.

Thank you @netgalley for my ARC of The True Love Experiment! It has literally gotten me out of my reading slump !

This book exceeded my expectations! It’s been a while since I have wanted to do nothing but read a book in one sitting & this one brought that feeling back to me. The banter, the chemistry, and the spicy inner monologues made this a difficult book to put down.

Told in a dual POVs, we have Connor, (who is dreamy and absolutely perfect) is the producer of a hot new reality dating show and Fizzy, a witty romance author, is our “bachelorette” so to speak. From the moment these two meet, there is chemistry & it builds this insane tension that was honestly perfectly executed. Fizzy is funny and care free, but you also see different sides of her where you can’t help but become obsessed with her. Connor… simply seeing him be the best dad to Stevie is enough to make ya fall in love with him 🥹🥹.

I loved everything about this book and I swear it’s the perfect contemporary romance to read this spring/summer.

I didn’t think I’d like this book as much as The Soulmate Equation and man oh man was I INCORRECT.

I loved this book so much.

While I usually enjoy Christina Lauren’s books, this one was just over the top incredible. I fell absolutely in love with the characters and their relationship. I adored this book and cannot say enough good things about it. This is a must read!!

Is there a Christina Lauren book that isn’t amazing? The True Love Experiment was like a reality tv dating show in book form! Such a fun read. Could be read as a series after the Soulmate Equation but also as a standalone. Fizzy and Connor had so much chemistry, you will easily fall in love with both of them. Off the charts steamy scenes as you can expect with most books by these ladies! 4.5 stars

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up! Such a fantastic follow to The Soulmate Equation with Fizzy’s story. I honestly wasn’t sure what direction the ending would take. I knew what I wanted, but I can also say the writing allowed you to be okay regardless.

Fizzy is a bad ass MC and I love everything about who she is and what she stands for.

In The True Love Experiment, a side character from The Soulmate Equation, Fizzy, gets her own story. While it isn’t necessary to read Soulmate Equation first, I wish I had so that the characters were more fleshed out for me. Fans of Christina Lauren will enjoy this book about a romance writer experiencing writers block. When she agrees to go on a reality show, sparks fly with producer Connor.

Fizzy Chen is a romance novelist who has lost her belief in true love, at least for herself. It’s stifled her creativity and is making conceptualizing a new book next to impossible. When Fizzy is approached by Connor Prince to star in a reality dating show, she sends him a list of terms that he shockingly agrees to. Connor has his own agenda, namely creating a reality show for his boss so he can get back to the documentary making that he loves.

Naturally, sparks fly between Fizzy and Connor creating an immediate conflict of interest that sucked me right in. I will say, I guessed exactlyyy where the story was going, but honestly I still really enjoyed the ride. The chemistry between Fizzy and Connor was palpable and I like the depth of each of them as individuals.

The premise of the dating show was really fun although the details of filming were largely glossed over. More time was spent getting to know Fizzy and Connor, separately and together, and the people they held dearest to them. They each had strong and wonderfully detailed support systems. I enjoyed getting to know everyone in this sparkling story.

Christina Lauren feel like they're getting back to their roots with The True Love Experiment. A romance writer has lost her mojo when she agrees to be on a reality TV dating show with some major caveats. Fortunately for us, she hits it off with the hot British executive producer. The True Love Experiment is funny, sexy, and so much fun to read. Reading it felt like visiting old friends.

I could not stop smiling as I read this follow up to Soulmate Equation! Fizzy and Connor had amazing chemistry and banter. This might be my new favorite Christina Lauren and I can't wait to recommend it to readers looking for a happy, fun book this summer!

Humor, tender moments and plenty of spice! An instant hit with Christina Lauren fans! Opposites attract when tv producer Connor teams up with romance author Felicity Chen (Fizzy). Fizzy has writers block and is struggling with her love life as well. When she meets Connor and starts work on a romantic reality series, based on finding Fizzy's true love, sparks start to fly. It was so much fun watching these two fall in love. Especially when everyone sees it but them!

Take one romance novelist who has lost her spark, add in a hot British DILF. Stir in a Bachelorette style reality dating show and let simmer.

The True Love Experiment is a love letter to the romance genre. The concept of Fizzy testing her chemistry with different romance novel archetypes like Hot Nerd, Bad Boy, and The Cinnamon Roll was so fun. But most of all, I loved her connection with the one man she couldn’t seem to categorize: Connor, the show’s reluctant executive producer.

As the sequel to The Soulmate Equation, of course the kicker is that one of the dating show contestants is supposedly her genetic soulmate. River, Jess, and Juno from the first book were incorporated into the plot well, with a cute running joke with Fizzy and River. And single dad Connor’s own relationship with his daughter was very sweet.

As far as Fizzy and Connor themselves: i love them! I was swooning, I was laughing, I was screaming into my pillow and kicking my feet in glee at the Grand Gesture. The love scenes weren’t super spicy, but they were satisfying and felt earned. The tone is very true to romantic comedy, light and feel-good with just enough angst to raise the stakes.

Overall, this was a joy to read. Very high on my personal CLo book ranking! This is an honest, voluntary review from a fan. 😊