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 :)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It took me awhile to get into this book. Fizzy is a romance author, but has been in a writing slump. She is asked to be on a reality dating show, where they test your dna to match you with a potential soulmate. The relationships she makes with the contestants & producer along the way creates issues for the direction the show is going. A *spicy* read and at the halfway point I couldn’t put the book down. I love Christina Lauren books and was happy to read another one!

Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for this ARC!

This was a cute story! I am not normally a rom com reader, but I found myself enjoying this title! The main characters are likable and I laughed out loud during the interactions quite a few times! Thank you for allowing me to preview this book!

ARC read through NetGalley, all opinions are my own. Wow Christina Lauren does it again. Man, I don't know if there is anything that could have made me love this book more. The Soulmate Equation is one of my all time favorites, so I was so happy to see Jess, River, Juno, and of course Fizzy in this book. I loved Fizzy. I loved Connor. I loved their story. This book made me feel so many things, but most of all it made me feel hopeful. It also kept me guessing, there were some things that happened that I had no idea were coming. Fizzy going on a dating show was both unexpected and expected for her personality, and I loved how the dating show her and Connor came up with was different than other dating shows.

Firstly, obligatory thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC! This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I was so excited to get it early.

I am even more excited to say that it did not disappoint. What. A good. Time.

Christina Lauren dedicate this book as being “a blatant love letter to our genre” and that truly is how it feels. Was it predictable and formulaic? Yes. I knew exactly how it would end 30% in and had it near perfect. Did that take away from how much I absolutely adored it? No, not even a little bit. At one point a character comments on how romance must be difficult to write when “the reader already knows how it ends” but I feel this book accomplished it perfectly. Knowing how it would end did not take away from how much I enjoyed it at all.

Connor and Fizzy are another absolutely delightful couple from Christina Lauren, full of banter, immediate attraction, and just a couple of idiots in love who think SURELY they just need one time and they won’t fall deeply in love no no no it’s fine they’ve got this they can compartmentalize.

Look, Fizzy is not gonna be everyone’s cup of tea - the frequent sex jokes and self-deprecating humor as a form of self-preservation won’t be everyone’s vibe, but boy was it mine. I absolutely loved seeing her grow and discover that maybe she was both ready for and deserving of a good relationship at all.

Connor is great. I will always love a simp who is obsessed with the love interest, especially if he’s one who is desperately trying not to be. Connor you can tell yourself all you want that you aren’t gonna go after her - I do not believe you. With the whole premise of their reality show being fitting men into stereotypical romance archetypes, Fizzy repeatedly tries to fit him into one - but it’s so hard when he’s a lovely mix of so many while also being uniquely his own character. British hot billionaire dilf who is also a cinnamon roll but also a side of “look at her and die” (but the contemp romance version not the fantasy I’ll actually kill you version)? I’m in.

Also, on a side note, I love the relationship between Connor and his ex-wife Nat so much? Give us more ex-wives who aren’t rude or bitter. Nat and Connor are friends who still love each other and want what’s best for each other, even though that isn’t each other. They’re so supportive of the other’s relationships and it is very, very sweet to see.

This book was great, I loved getting to see the glimpses of River and Jess together (also I forgot just how funny River was?) and I am so glad Fizzy got the delightful sequel she deserved.

4.5/5 stars.

PS: This book mentions Ted Lasso from the jump and I was immediately sold.

Fizzy and Conner are my new favorite book couple. Christina Lauren- knocked this out of the park! The chemistry between Fizzy and Conner was hot, their banter was perfect and their story was beautiful. This will absolutely be one of my top reads for 2023. Thank you for the advanced copy!

I didn't realize the characters in this book were from The Soulmate Equation until I read the author's note at the end of this book. Now I know why the characters sounded so familiar!

Fizzy was a sub-character in that book and now she has her own book. Fizzy is a romance author that is in a writing slump, and Connor is a sexy DILF who usually makes documentaries, but is now tasked with creating a bachelor-type reality show using The Soulmate Equation's technology to select the "perfect" partner. Fizzy is selected to be the lead on the show and immediately takes a liking to Connor. They develop a cute banter and have instant chemistry, but they are bound by the show to not get involved. However, things don't really go as planned.

I really liked Christina Lauren's take on the reality dating show. The characters were fun (although Fizzy was slightly annoying at times), the plot was good, and I loved the rapport between all the different characters - Fizzy, her best friend, Connor, his ex-wife, and the kids - Juno and Stevie.

Christina Lauren does it again! I loved how this one was kind of a sequel to The Soulmate Equation. I loved the idea behind the “perfect match” dating app and have had a lot of fun reading about that in two books. This book, I absolutely loved the main characters. Fizzy was so spunky, herself, and entertaining. I loved the chemistry and relationship in the story. Another big thing I loved about this book was the emphasis on the importance of romance books. Read what makes you happy! It made me smile to see this conversation throughout the book. I also really enjoyed the premise of the reality show. I don’t watch too much reality tv, but I loved reading about this show in the book!

Thank you Gallery books for an eARC via Netgalley so I could give my honest feedback on this title!

I think this is the 5th or 6th Christina Lauren title I've read, and this one falls somewhere in the middle - not the best, not the worst. It took me a while to get into it (and that may partly have been because I was reading it on my Kindle and I'm 99% sure my body is now programmed to fall asleep while I'm reading it) but once I hit the 30% mark or so, I was pretty invested.

Here is what I liked about this story:
1) The faux reality TV show within. I can't help it, I love a good knockoff of The Bachelor or something of the like in a book, and this one had a fun spin to it!
2) The San Diego setting. I'll never not love when a story is set in my favorite city in the world, and this one was no different with its references to the Gaslamp Quarter, Coronado, Balboa Park, and more. Made me want to book a flight directly there.
3) The male lead, Connor, was super sweet. While he didn't stand out to me as one I won't ever forget, I did really enjoy his kindness, his relationship with his daughter, and his maturity in his friendship with his ex wife.
4) The MC, Fizzy's family - they were all so sweet and fun and reading about the tea ceremony the day of the wedding was one of my favorite parts of the whole book!

What I didn't love:
1) Unfortunately, the female MC, Fizzy really irritated me. I didn't like her attitude and smart mouth (though many may find her funny). Because roughly half the book was from her perspective, this was a major drawback for me.
2) The pacing of the book was a little off for me. The beginning was slow, the middle had some parts where it picked up speed, then it hit the brakes, and the last 10% went super quickly. It felt a bit like whiplash.

Overall, this was a mostly enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from Christina Lauren in the future!

The True Love Experiment
by Christina Lauren
Pub Date: 16 May 2023
Gallery Books
Romance
Rating: 5/5

The True Love Experiment is a feel-good story full of laughter. I was immediately captivated by the book and the emotions of the delightful characters. Written under the pseudonym Christina Lauren, The True Love Experiment is the sequel to The Soulmate Equation by Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings.

Synopsis:
Conner Prince III is a documentary producer and single dad whose next project is a reality dating TV show starring Felicity "Fizzy" Chen. Fizzy Chen is a successful romance writer who feels discouraged by dating, but agrees to do the show to boost her career. As the show begins filming, things get out of hand, resulting in a steamy attraction you won't want to miss.

Thank you NetGalley, and Gallery Books, for sharing this cozy romance with me. The True Love Experiment is another successful collaboration between Lauren Billings and Christina Hobbs. In my opinion, they are the best romance authors of 2023!

#TheTrueLoveExperiment
#NetGalley
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel. The True Love Experiment is fun, fresh, and a romantic read that will appeal to wide range of readers. I will definitely be recommending this title!

WOW WOW WOW! Christina Lauren is quickly becoming the queen of Rom Com( Watch out Emily Henry!) " The Unhoneymooners" and " love and Other Words" have always been my favorite CL books, and this one has definitely surpassed! The story follows a romance writer who is in a writing slump, and isn't finding herself enjoying casual romances like she used to in the past. However, when she gets approached by gorgeous Connor Prince to participate in a reality tv dating show, she ends up falling in love. This book was definitely steamier than Lauren's more recent novels, but I loved every second of it. Also, can someone please make this show?!

The True Love Experiment is an absolute joy—I stayed up til 1 in the morning to finish and left with with such happiness in my heart. Fizzy, a romance author, has lost her spark after being burned by love. Connor Prince wants nothing more than to make documentaries, but his profit-minded boss has a different idea: a reality dating show. And when Connor meets Fizzy, he knows he found his star—if only the two could keep away from each other. Oh this book—it was funny, it was witty, it had so much heart. I would absolutely watch the reality show these two put together and be dying for a new episode every week, especially with how Fizzy made it her own (romance readers are going to love it). And Fizzy just sparkles. She’s flawed and unapologetically honest and herself, she’s loud and fun and I just adored her. Plus Jess (from The Soulmate Equation) and Fizzy are friendship goals with their wordless talks and endless love and support. It’s beautiful! And Connor! These two have the most amazing, electric chemistry, and I love how they start as enemies to lovers and build such an honest friendship. It’s steamy and sexy and there’s so much love! This book is also such a beautiful ode to the genre of romance, highlighting all the best parts of romance reading. Honestly I could just keep gushing about it, this is definitely a new favorite book of mine!

I truly loved The Soulmate Equation, so when I found out that 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚎 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝙴𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 was going to feature Fizzy’s story, Jess’s best friend, I was super excited!

Of course it lived up to the hype! This romcom was fun, spicy, and sincere.

Christina Lauren can do no wrong! I loved The Soulmate Equation so I was very excited to get approved for this arc. It was so so good! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review!