The True Love Experiment picks up after The Soulmate Equation and follows Romance writer and Jess' best friend Fizzy. Nature documentary producer Connor is put in a tough spot when his production company decides to take a much different approach and veer off into reality tv. Connor comes across Fizzy's books and knows she's the only one who can make his reality dating show a success.

I loved this book. I enjoyed Fizzy in TSE, and I was excited for her to get her own story. This did not disappoint. This book's storyline kept coming back to the idea of finding your joy, and this book was pure joy to me. This book was funny, smart, and will make a fantastic movie knet day. I loved the premise of putting the real back into reality tv. Easy 5 ⭐

This might be one of my favorite Christina Lauren books. First of all, did not know that this was a companion to The Soulmate Equation but was very excited to learn it was since I loved the Soulmate Equation when I read it. The romance was amazing and the talk about romance novels as a genre was incredible. I love a grumpy sunshine romance. And I impulsively bought tickets last night before finishing to meet them in St. Louis and have been collecting their books I don't have.

Loved this book! Such a funny, spicy romance from the queens of romance writing! Wouldn't put it in a classroom but I'd DEFINITELY recommend it to my friends!

This romance book was a book for romance book lovers. So many satisfying moments defending the genre and those who read romance. I fell head over heels for this story and love feeling represented in a book. Fizzy is my soul sister and Connor truly could not have been more perfect (except for, well… iykyk).

Cannot wait for the world to experience these two gems!

Back to the romance I love - this novel gave me laughter, sorrow, angst, and the right amount of tension and steam. Christina Lauren has delivered another guilty pleasure!

The True Love Experiment is a love letter to romance novels and romance novel readers. Christina Lauren are at the top of their game in this book. It has the perfect balance of fun and funny and steamy/sexy pining. There is just the right portion of connection to the Soulmate Equation and bringing in the original chapters without making TLE derivative and stale. I love love loved this story and it’ll be one I recommend for years to come,

So good and cute and the female mc is sooo likable !!! Fizzy is a character who is likable and relatable but we can all take something from her go-getter personality. How she admits exactly what she wants to herself and lets herself have it, and thats soemthing we dont get often with female MC!

Also looove connor! The single dad vibes but also dope co-parenting and realization of his past mistakes but not wearing them like hes still ashamed! LOVE! We love someone who can own up to mistakes and move on!

The drop in characters from soulmate equation was super cute but reminded me how much better this book was!

NO MISCOMMUNICATION TROPE.
I ALMOST SCREAMED I WAS SO HAPPY THANK YOU CHRISTINA AND LAUREN FOR NOT ADDING THIS HORRIBLE TROPE IN!


4.5 ROUNDED UP

Not my favorite by Lauren. But I found it to be enjoyable. Definitely a time killer.m or rainy day read.

Easily one of my top two Christina Lauren books! I really loved the storyline and the characters. The ending really made the whole story.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC!

Another fabulous Christina Lauren book! Need I say more? This book did not disappoint at all! It was absolutely amazing! I would high recommend it!

Did NOT realize that this was a follow up book to The Soulmate Equation so that was fun!! I really love this premise. Fizzy is a romance author who has now sworn off love. She gets approached by Connor (😍❤️) who is being forced to make a new reality tv show and wants Fizzy to be the lead. She’s hoping that this show will bring her out of her funk and be able to go back to writing again!

I’m not going to lie - the first 30% or so was mildly annoying. I did not like this Fizzy here. At all. She was just so rude and inconsiderate and touchy. It was kind of a struggle to get this done for that first 30%. BUT something shifted and boy I loved it!! The dynamics between the characters, the witty banter, the kids!! So. Fun. I can almost completely forgive that I didn’t love the first part because the last 70% I couldn’t put down!! I’m writing this at 3:30am because I just HAD to stay up to finish. I just loved this. If CL wanted to write more books about Connor, sign me up!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the authors for this ARC. Expected publication date is May 16, 2023.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.75 stars rounded up (.25 off because I can’t totally forget the beginning 😂🤷🏻‍♀️)

A interesting love story that isn't like all the rest. The author keeps the reader's attention and keeps them wanting more.

CLo can be hit and miss for me, but this is hands down the best book of theirs I've ever read. Fizzy was the best part of SOULMATE EQUATION, and this is a true homage to romance and romancelandia without being trite. The characters feel very well thought out, the stakes are real, and the conflicts not manufactured. Just so much fun to read and everything you want in a romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery for providing an eARC in exchange for this review.

I loved that Fizzy got her own book! She was so much fun in the :Soulmate Equation" that I was very excited to read this book. It was classic Christina Lauren in the best way. I loved it and it was the perfect vacation read.

Predictible but written so well and made me giddy reading it. I was physcially laughing out loud, smilling, and gushing while reading this book. Do not let the reality tv show aspect of this book turn you off, it is minimal time actually spent filming. Most of this is planning the show and the producer and main love interst of the show hanging out. If you are a romance reader you are going to love the defence of the genre in this book. It makes fun of its self in a goofy way that makes you love the genre even more and it defends that romance is a valuable genre and is not a guitly pleasure. The last 20% of this book is one of the best scenes I've ever read and I would 100% watch a reality tv show if I knew it would get this ending.

Tropes: falling for your matchmaker; author; single dad; reality tv show; secret relationship; friends to lovers; forbidden love; oposites attract;

Quotes: "I don't know what it feels like to be consistently significant."
"Last week I considered going jogging in flip-flops just to remind myself how sex sounds."
"'Yes, but why should I feel guilty for reading something that makes me happy?'"
"'Once the world sees you, Fizzy, they're going to fall in love.'"
"Truth is, you'll never meet abook lover who hates the quiet.'"
"Our relationship was professional for approximately one millisecond; the crumbled boundaries look like a pile rubble in the rearview mirror."
"'I think you are the masterpiece.'"
"Connor Prince III should be awarded a gold medal in the Active Listening event at the romance olympics."
"'You make it very hard to want to fall for someone else.'"
"'It's a terrible idea, but that's my brand.'"
"Whoever invented kissing is my favorite historical figure ever."
"Book people are just better."
"'You look in the mirror and see all of the ways you are letting me down. I look at you and see everything I've ever wanted you to be.'"
"She is the best mood."

This book sucked me in from the jump and was giving OG Christina Lauren. A very fun setting- reality television and online dating. Friends to lovers is not my favorite rom-com trope, but they managed to keep me invested in the character’s dynamic and build tension without me getting bored. A fun read and perfect for your next spring break/summer beach read.

Another fantastic read by Christina Lauren!

A slight tie in to The Soulmate Equation and while you can read this as a stand alone, I'd recommend reading The Soulmate Equation first. Fizzy was a surprisingly great lead... and sure met her match in Connor! The set up was just so so fun and the characters really came alive!

Solid one!

I fell in [true] love with this novel! I couldn't put it down... which is quite typical for me when reading Christina Lauren novels. (And I've read almost all of them!) This may be my new favorite. I enjoyed that they brought back previous characters and created a new, fun story line that intertwined with an old favorite.

I think that the characters were given the right amount of development that kept them entertaining and real.
I could absolutely see this becoming a movie-- it seemed to be written for the screen.

If you are part of #bachelornation,, then I think this would be a great pleasure read!

3.5/4⭐️

Fizzy, a romance writer, has had writer’s block for almost a year. Adding salt to the wound, she also hasn’t dated since her disastrous relationship with a married man. She is approached to be the lead on a dating show that Connor is producing. What starts as less than a friendship, quickly develops into something more between the lead of a dating show and it’s producer.

Fizzy was fun, energetic and hilarious. I loved how her personality flew off the pages and how her relationship with Connor seemed to develops organically. I loved the dating show premise and how it wasn’t too heavily part of the plot but just enough. Where I got lost was there seemed to be a lot of filler that could be taken out, conversations with extra characters that derailed the story a little. I still rooted for Fizzy and Connor and loved them as the MCs!

Thank you NetGalley for my eARC

This book! This book is pure joy. I had a smile on my face the whole time and felt like this was a love story written for and to romance readers as a whole. My people!!!

The Soulmate Equation introduced us to Fizzy Chen, fun loving, sex positive romance writer and best friend. She was such a well developed character she needed her own story and, wow, did CL deliver. Fizzy has lost her writing and sexy mojo after a disastrous relationship. Connor is a divorced father and documentary producer who has just been told to pivot to reality dating shows. He sets his sights on Fizzy as the star and honestly I would watch a reality daring show like the one they develop.

The men on the show have been selected to fit into romance hero types and I loved almost each of them so much. This really felt like a behind the scenes of an actual show and I loved every minute of it. I am not a reality tv watcher but love books about it.

Watching the friendship and relationship between Fizzy and Connor was just so fun. The flirting was perfection. And the surrounding cast and characters were excellent.

I have been a fan of CL and their books for years and, once again, they have knocked it out of the park. I have zero complaints. Fun and steamy and excellently written. Romance lovers are in for a treat this May with this perfect summer beach read.

Thank you for NetGalley for my gifted arc.