I ABSOLUTELY loved this book! I think I honestly liked it more than The Soulmate Equation. Fizzy and Connor had an undeniable connection and I loved reading it. The dating show aspect was wonderful also!

Oy! This was one of my most anticipated romances this year. I’ve come to the conclusion that Christina Lauren books are hit or miss for me and this one was a miss.

In this book we get a story about Fizzy, Jess’s best friend and sidekick in 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. I enjoyed TSE when it came out two years ago and was looking forward to this book. Fizzy, however, was not for me. She’s supposed to be 37 and acted like she was in her early 20’s. She’s very horny and often vulgar and prides herself on being both. If a man said half the things she says in the book he wouldn’t get away with it.

The romance went from “I hate you but don’t know why or have a true reason” to quick insta-lust. I honestly was not sure why these two even liked each other and fell in love. I think there was a lot of potential with the reality dating show, but I found myself bored to death with those parts of the book. It just became silly. I won’t even go into why the two main characters can’t act like two adults in their 30’s and keep things professional while filming this show.

There was a trope thrown in there towards the end that I despise, and the ending wrapped up too nicely for me after all the reasons they can’t be together.

2.5 stars might seem harsh but I found myself bored and skimming the end. It made me cringe at times and I didn’t even like the main characters so I can’t justify anything higher than that. Will some people love it? Sure! There are a ton of 5 star ratings on Goodreads, but this one wasn’t for me.

🛑: lots of language
🌶️: door wiiiiide open! It’s definitely steamy so if that isn’t your thing then stay away.

FIZZY IS MY FAV! Do I dare say I liked this one better than the first one? Fizzy is just the best and I adore her character so it was nice to see her get her happy ending 😭 I enjoyed the “bachelorette show vibe” it was super fun to read about it especially Fizzys twist on it all. Once again a few Fleetwood Mac references with Connor’s daughter being nicknamed Stevie! I always love the Fleetwood Mac references in the CLo books so it’s always a win from me! I truly loved how the story unraveled and the friendship to lovers of Fizzy and Connor. I also liked how there was a positive side to co parenting! I need more Juno and Stevie, can they get books next?😂

Will post on my bookstagram in a week

Light, frothy fun! When I realized that this starred Fizzy, the sidekick from Soulmate Equation, I was of two minds. First, the "DNA is destiny" plot from the previous book really annoyed me but Fizzy is Just. So. Awesome. and needs her own book. Therefore, I started this with some trepidation.

I am pleased to say that The True Love Experiment definitely stood up to my Fizzy expectations. The reality show plot was a great twist and I actually shed a few tears of joy at the end. Seriously, what more can you want from a romance?

This was one of my more anticipated romance reads for 2023 as I was excited to return to the universe of THE SOULMATE EQUATION, and am happy to say that THE TRUE LOVE EXPERIMENT is everything I was hoping for! I loved that it's an exploration of the science-based fated mates trope that not only works as a romance in itself, but is also an examination of romance--both the concept and the genre--and Fizzy and Connor were so great as individual characters and as a couple. I know the authors weren't even planning to write this book and presumably aren't planning any more sequels, but I would absolutely insta-buy another book set in this universe if they ever write one.

Fizzy’s book!! Fizzy was the star of the show, literally and figuratively, since she’s lead in a new reality dating show. Fizzy is unlike any female main character I’ve read about. She’s so strong willed and is very upfront about what she wants. But she still struggles with insecurities regarding her dating life which is what led her to accepting the role on this show. Her goal is to rediscover her romantic side and find inspiration for her next book.

Connor is a sexy, British filmmaker who is reluctantly assigned to create a reality dating show. Fizzy and Connor have immediate chemistry but cannot act on it for obvious reasons (we love a forbidden romance😏). They have insanely great communication and both state their wants and boundaries early on in their attraction which is very unique because normally in forbidden romances there is a ton of miscommunication involved.

This was such a solid romance. I was giggling and sweating at the spicy scenes. I also loved how it ended (although I did predict it but it was perfect).

I can always count on Christina Lauren to write an entertaining and easy read! Their books are usually books that I can sit down and devour in one sitting, and this one was no different.

This story features Fizzy from The Soulmate Equation. Fizzy is a big personality, and while many will likely find her to be funny and endearing, she sometimes rubbed me the way. I found her personality to be too much at times. I wonder if I may be in the minority with this though, as I can see Fizzy being a character that many will enjoy.

This story features a Bachelor-type TV show where Fizzy is the main contestant. But while she is supposed to be dating and falling in love with the men on the show, Fizzy is actually falling for the show's producer Connor. I was also not a huge fan of Connor, though I don't have a great reason for not loving him. I was just kind of "meh" about both Fizzy and Connor and their relationship. And that is kind of a big part of this book!

I thought this was an easy and light read and while entertaining, it was not my favorite by Christina Lauren.

My new favorite Christina lauren book! I loved this one so much

This will be a great beach read this summer 😍 the true love experiment was a fast read with amazing characters. Fizzy was fiesty, funny, and charming. Connor was everything you'd want in a book boyfriend. The chemistry between them both was 👩‍🍳😘🤌🏻

When romance writer Fizzy feels like she lost her spark and Connor was pulled in a different direction for work, she was casted as his lead in a new reality tv show called the true love experiment. They did an amazing job of giving us enough show but also put a lot of focus on their actual relationship. I love that we got to see a glimpse of Jess and River and I loved fizzys family dynamic. All in all I was obsessed

Highly recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love Christina Lauren books and this is no exception! Fizzy was such a lovable and relatable character. I was also excited to see cameos!! (River, I am looking at you).

“An accurate portrayal of my life would be me double-fisting tortilla chips into a giant bowl of guacamole with Crash Landing on You playing on the television for the 70th time…”

As a huge fan of the writing duo, Christina Lauren, I was over the moon to read an ARC of this book. If you read The Soulmate Equation you are familiar with Jess’ hilarious friend Fizzy. Fizzy is the main character in The True Love Experiment and let me tell you, she was delightful and funny and a female lead that you want to root for. The premise of the story is that Fizzy hasn’t been lucky in love and when she gets pitched the idea to be the star of a new reality dating show, she hesitantly agrees. With a handsome British TV producer as the male lead, this book hit all of my favorite romance tropes.

Things I loved:
• the humor
• the pacing
• all of the side characters!
• the romance (it was impeccable)
• the reality dating show (something I would seriously watch!)
• Fizzy! She was such a great main character!!

This may be my favorite Christina Lauren book and that’s HIGH praise. I highly recommend you check it out when it’s released May 16!

Thank you, Net Galley + Gallery Books for the ARC!

The Soulmate Equation was one of my favorite reads of 2021, so I was thrilled to learn Fizzy would get her own book. As much as we love seeing a WOC as the fantastic best friend, we also deserve to see them as the main character!

I loved that Fizzy was rounded out a bit more as a character. In TSE, I think she wasn't fully fleshed out, so we saw only what was on the surface. In this book, we got to see a very real consequence of what happened with Rob in TSE, something that skewed her perception of both herself, and her relationships.

With Connor, we got a male character that we don't always see done well, a single dad who has a good relationship with his ex wife and daughter. Connor works really hard on himself and the things he is passionate about, which makes you root for him all the more.

Connor and Fizzy are very different people, but they bring out the best in one another, being each other's best friend before anything else.

One of my favorite plot points of this book was that people change. They can work to make themselves better than the person they were the day before. It doesn't erase the past, but acknowledges that all parts of life make you who you are - imperfect, but trying.

At the end of the day, we are not a reflection of our mistakes, we are a product of how we react to them.

4/5 stars ☆

Thank you to Gallery Books for this Arc in exchange for an honest review :)

I love Christina Lauren - I loved Soulmate Equation - I love this whole story line!! Fizzy & Connor are fire, the whole thing was just fantastic!

One measure I have when deciding how much I love a book, is whether or not I want to turn around and read it again immediately. I can safely say, The True Love Experiment has hit that bar and beyond. Since finishing it yesterday, I cannot stop thinking about it. Is this my new favorite Christina Lauren book? Yes, yes it is.

When I heard Fizzy was getting her own story, I quickly did a binge reread of The Soulmate Equation to refresh my memory of this really unique world and set of characters. And while I still love it, I was not prepared for how much more I was going to love Fizzy and Connor’s story. From the witty banter to the off the charts chemistry; the friends to lovers build up, to the fun reality show element. This book is done to absolute perfection.

Read if you like:
•reality tv
•friends to lovers
•single parent trope
•found family
•witty banter
•the soulmate equation

Do yourself a favor and preorder this one, then read it the second you can get your hands on it. You will not be disappointed.

A huge thank you to Gallery Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Felicity "Fizzy" Chen feels like she's in a rut. She is a bestselling romance author who cannot write another book. She loves dating but has not been enjoying it. When she's asked to present a commencement speech, Fizzy realizes she's not really practicing what she's telling the audience to do!

Fizzy is approached by Connor Prince, a documentary filmmaker, about making a reality TV show. The queen of romance will be filmed finding true love. Connor's producer says he must, or he'll lose his job. Fizzy says no, but then gives Connor a list of ridiculous demands, which he meets!! Each contestant on the game show will meet a classic romance archetype - bad boy, cinnamon roll, hot nerd, etc.

The True Love Experiment begins, and Fizzy is finding her groove. She's surprised when the person she falls for isn't even a contestant, but that's a problem, as it's not part of the game.

I love Christina Lauren's books, and this one was just as amazing! I was laughing, squealing, and crying. Fizzy was the heroine I needed and wanted, and Connor was just so swoon worthy! Fizzy and Connor became friends, had great chemistry, and really respected one another. I also appreciated Connor and Nat's relationship; they were great co-parents and were friends, despite divorcing. We need more of this in the media!

I was ecstatic to get my hands on an early copy. I laughed out loud a lot while crying my way through it. It's been a long time since l've seen myself in a character. Because I read to escape--not to find myself. But Fizzy? I see myself in her. And she brought me a lot of healing in these pages. She reminded me that it's ok to want love. And that it's ok to be multidemensional. This book wasn't just about finding love- it was about finding JOY again. And I find myself needing joy in my life right now. Also shoutout to CLo for reminding us all that reading romance is nothing to be ashamed of. This is a homerun of a book-one I can't wait to read again. And probably my favorite in a long. long time.

Love, love, love this! Probably my fave of Christina Lauren since Love and Other Words! It would be advisable to read The Soulmate Equation first though, as there will be spoilers, so there's that. This was delightful, sexy, and a whole lot of fun.

Thank you CLo and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book…. I don’t even know where to begin! I feel like I just spent two days spinning around in glitter, petting puppies, being hugged by my best friends, and kissed by the hottest and sexiest man.

This book had me giggling, squealing, and wanting to write Fizzy and Connor’s initials in little read hearts all over the place. I also wanted to write my initials with Fizzy because I am completely obsessed with her. I was a little nervous about this book because who could EVER match or deserve Fizzy, but I didn’t need to worry. The banter? Top notch. The chemistry? Off the charts. And you get to see two people falling for each other UNDERSTAND each other. Really see them for who they are. And that is so satisfying to see.

When I finished this book, I immediately wanted to read it again.

A++++ work.

This was such a delight to read. It's basically a love letter to romance as a genre and romance readers, and as I'm one of those readers, it really worked for me. Felicity "Fizzy" Chen (Jess's best friend from The Soul Mate Equation) is a romance novelist who has possibly lost her faith in love. She's in a dating slump, she's got writer's block, and she's not sure what to do. Enter Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and dad to 10 year old Stevie, who is told by his boss that he has to switch gears from his usual climate warrior fare to a reality dating show so that their production company can stay successful. In a random conversation with his ex-wife, he gets the idea to bring in Fizzy, one of her favorite authors. She's reluctant at first, but she knows she needs a change, so she agrees on a few conditions. The best one, in my opinion, is that she requires that the contestants brought in to date her align with classic romance novel archetypes - the bad boy, the cinnamon roll, the hot nerd, the vampire, etc. All the while, Fizzy and Connor become close friends with an escalating sexual tension between them, which complicates not only their lives, but also the show. I really liked both leads and there was just a lot of joy in these pages - even when the inevitable conflict arises - that I had a great time reading it.

I received an advanced digital copy of Christina Lauren's newest book which releases this May. I LOVED IT! It's their best book since The Unhoneymooners. This book follows a romance author who ends up on a reality dating show because she hasn't found love on her own. If you're a fan of romance or Christina Lauren, I highly recommend it! It comes out May 16. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Christina Lauren does it again! I REALLY enjoyed this book. Fizzy was such a great character, saying the things out loud that we usually only think in our heads - which made me laugh so much. I loved the chemistry between her and Connor. Would definitely suggest to others to read :)