Member Reviews

Christina Lauren’s new book is a sexy rom com filled with so much banter, chemistry but also lots of miscommunication.

3.5 ⭐️

I LOVED the first 60%. Fizzy and Connor had insane chemistry and I could feel like through the page. The banter was so good and the reality show setting surprisingly kept me engaged and interested. The cast of characters was also SO great. I adored every character. You couldn’t help but root for these two. I had a great time until….

The miscommunication and rejection.

Fizzy was rejected by Connor 3 TIMES and then continued to tell him she loved him (girl please read the room). Connor was a dick at times and when Fizzy got rightfully upset at things from his past, he acted so hurt and like she shouldn’t have been upset. He really downplayed her feelings throughout the whole book and it was very annoying. He needed to grovel a lot more. I found this whole plot about Connors past really hard to overlook and no one seemed bothered except for Fizzy?

My mixed feelings aside, this book was genuinely fun and I had a good time reading it. I think fans of CL will love this book!

Thanks NetGalley and Gallery books for the ARC I’m exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

Love this sequel to the Soulmate Equation. I absolutely loved Fizzy and her bold personality. The chemistry between Fizzy and Connor was amazing throughout the whole book. The ending was exactly what I was hoping for throughout the whole book 🤩!!

Was this review helpful?

An absolutely wonderful follow-up to The Soulmate Equation from the dynamic Christina Lauren duo. I did not realize just how badly I wanted to read Fizzy's book until she got a story of her own and I could not put it down. Fizzy and Connor were delightful and I loved every single page of this book - full of banter and some spicy moments, what more could you ask for?

Was this review helpful?

Christina Lauren's last few books have been hit or miss with me. However, I really enjoyed this one. The True Love Experiment is about Fizzy. Fizzy is a romance author who has been going through a dry spell (both personally and professionally). When a TV producer approaches her to do a dating show with her as the star, she is surprised but eventually agrees. However, she and the TV producer seem to have more chemistry than any of the contestants.
This was so fun and sweet. I love that we got to see the characters from the previous book settling into their new lives. I really liked Fizzy's vivacious personality.

Was this review helpful?

This was a much better read from Christina Lauren compared to the last few books they wrote. I know this was a continuation of the Love Experiment, but I read that so long ago I barely remembered Fizzy Chen (the protagonist of this novel). I wish there was a little reminder before about what had happened. Fizzy was extremely relatable and a diverse character which is nice to see from CL. I did not think any parts dragged. I enjoyed this book a lot!

Was this review helpful?

Sadly this one didn't work for me. There was nothing outright "wrong", but I just found it to lack the tension, angst and yearning that I look for in a good romance

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advance reader copy in return for my honest review. I am generally a big fan of Christina Lauren. Some of their books are better than others, but I know the writing will always be top notch and I really enjoyed The Soulmate Equation so I was thrilled to get a chance to read The True Love Experiment! The cover is gorgeous and I had really high hopes for this one! Unfortunately, this story didn't do it for me. I found Fizzy to be a fun side character in the previous book, but she was really annoying and way too much in this book. I found myself really disliking her. Connor, the male MC, was great. He was fleshed out really well and I found myself rooting for him. I just couldn't figure out what was so amazing about Fizzy though that he'd be attracted to her. She was generally just obnoxious and really was a much better side character than main character and I think that is really evident throughout the whole book. I am admittedly not at all interested in the fake dating reality tv shows so maybe that also went into my dislike of this book in general. It just didn't work for me. I'll still look forward to future Christina Lauren books, but this one just wasn't for me.

Was this review helpful?

This book made me laugh from the get go, it made me cry, this book is the ultimate Christina Lauren novel.

We turn the page right into Fizzy, questioning life, love, and what the hell she’s actually doing with hers. It was shocking to see this fun and quirky character who always has the perfect retort to every quib questioning herself.
One of the things I really love about Fizzy other than her great sense of humor is her sex positivity and openness to being upfront about what she wants.
She and Connor’s flirting or budding friendship were absolutely the sweetest and hottest scenes to read. Connor was such a caring and honest MMC without the alpha-ness it was a nice read and his daughter along with Juno was a hoot.
It was an added bonus to have River and Jess in the book a lot so we got to have a great check in and see how their story is going post HEA and the creative use of the DNAduo.
The tv show really just let Fizzy shine and she quickly and easily went from a supporting character in The Soulmate Equation to the FMC in this novel.
I think one of the things that was a really great connection were the pop culture references, which makes sense with the book centered around a reality tv show.


If you are in a book hangover and looking for something similar in my opinion pick up Josh and Hazels Guide to Not Dating.
Fizzy actually reminds me a lot of Hazel from Josh and Hazel’sGuide to Not Dating, and maybe that’s why I love Fizzy so much as well as the way Fizzy and Connor just fall into each other like Josh and Hazel.

Was this review helpful?

The true love experiment by Christina Lauren publishes may 2023. Fizzy, a romance novelist hasn’t had sex in so long. She needs to run in flip flops to remember the sound. But enter Conner a documentary turned love reality show producer, Fizzy just might hear the real thing again

Was this review helpful?

This book. I don't really know how to review or rate it because I'm feeling very waffly (is that even a word?? I'm getting over a 5-day migraine so I don't have the energy to even look it up right now).

I had a lot of hope for this book because I liked Fizzy's character so much in The Soulmate Equation. And while I did like her in the book, I didn't really like the love story. There was a tiny bit of enemies-adjacent – more like "I don't know you but I don't like you" – but that quickly morphed into instalust, with a lot of infatuation.

Fizzy is still the quick-witted character we know from The Soulmate Equation. She wasn't quite as well-adjusted? confident? as she's made out to look, but I didn't really have a problem with that. I think to a certain extent, we all have at one point in our lives portrayed something outwardly that's different than who we truly are.

I enjoyed Connor's character for the most part, even if he sometimes had the self-restraint of a toddler in a toy shop. I liked that he owned up to his past mistakes and genuinely made the effort to improve himself, right his wrongs (as much as possible), and work for forgiveness.

What I think irked me a lot was that they both knew they couldn't be together because of the rules of the show, but the boundaries they set for themselves were like toothpicks. They were knocked down by them so easily. You've already slept together once, want to do it again, and you think you'll be tooootally fine to be alone, in a hotel room, after you've been drinking and your inhibitions are down, and you think you won't have any trouble holding onto the last threads of your self-control. Yea, right, okay. But I also wanted to be like YOU ARE BOTH ADULTS. You can exercise self-control. You are 100% capable of this. You just don't want to. Between two consenting adults, that's fine! Just own that.

I was also very confused at how that live finale episode went down. The parameters they'd laid out in the book on how the winner would be chosen and how they'd get the money, trip, etc., did not match up in the end. Which, I get it, but I think it should have been clearer on how it ended up working, because I was left feeling confused.

I've read a dozen or so of Christina Lauren's books, and this one is pretty middle-of-the-road for me. I didn't hate it, but it's not a new favorite either. I think a big part of me is just disappointed I didn't like it more.

Was this review helpful?

This started off so cheesy but it made up for that in the fun banter. If this doesn’t get picked up for a movie or show, I would be really surprised! This is probably one of the better romantic comedies I have read. Thank you Netgalley and Gallery books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Gosh I loved this book! The chemistry, the banter, the tension, the spice - so good! Fizzy made me giggle and Conner made me swoon! Fighting the urge to immediately re-read!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

Can I just started by saying how much I freaking love Christina Lauren? When I tell you that this book didn’t disappoint, I mean that whole heartedly. It’s absolutely the best when I fall in love with both main characters. I will admit that the first 6 chapters had me wondering if I’d end up liking Fizzy but once I really got into it, she quickly became my favorite character. And Connor, oh my… he’s just… wow. I was in love with him from the moment he made his appearance. This book made me so absolutely happy and crushed me and then made me happy all at the same time. I love when a book has me dying for the next page. I do wish there was more of an epilogue and we learned what happened with them down the road but I was definitely satisfied with the ending. I can not recommend this book any more. Seriously. I would have given it a 10/5 if I could have. So well done.

Was this review helpful?

I loved The Soulmate Equation so I knew I HAD to get my hands on The True Love Experiment. And it did not disappoint. You would be able to read The True Love Experiment without having read The Soulmate Equation first, however, I would highly recommend reading The Soulmate Equation first.

As always, the duo Christina Lauren wrote an awesome love story with actual substance. Connor Prince has been assigned as the producer of a reality "finding love" show by allowing the viewers to vote on who they believe had the most chemistry, even though he isn't excited about the task. The show will compare the results from the audience to the DNADuo to determine if the audience found the "Gold Match." Connor Prince decides that romance author, Fizzy Chen would be the perfect candidate for the show that he isn't too excited about producing. What he didn't anticipate was also falling for Fizzy. How can he fall for someone who is expected to fall for someone that she has been matched with for the show? His job is also in jeopardy if he follows his heart and acts on his feelings.

I was able to guess how the book would end pretty easily, but it still did not stop me from wanting to know exactly how it played out. This was the book I needed to get me out of a book slump.

Was this review helpful?

This may be my most favorite Christina Lauren book yet (and I’ve read loooots of their books)! A romance author on a dating show, but not just any dating show…one where specific types of contestants were selected and matched with a DNA program. The results are heartwarming and perfect!

Was this review helpful?

LOVED IT!!! Oh my goodness this book is pure perfection!

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of these ladies. I could not get enough of Fizzy. She truly runs the show of this book and just adored her.

And ooooo that sexy and sassy banter that I love about their books is BACK in this one and it's SO much fun seeing Connor and Fizzy rise with that steam ;).

Connor and Fizzy have the butterflies, the silent looks and connection, the pure and raw love energy that floats around them, and their passion that tells their story beautifully.

This book was oh so fun, delightful, tender hearted, and just what I needed in the romance gods.

The True Love Experiment is a must read for all my romance fans! Phenomenal characters, amazing storyline, and so passionate.

5/5 stars

Thank you so much to the publisher for my arc in exchange for an honest review. Btw, this package I got in the mail was so much fun!!!!

Was this review helpful?

The True Love Experiment is another Christina Lauren hit. This is a follow-up to The Soulmate Equation and far surpasses that book in my opinion. I loved every character but especially the main female, Izzy. While I can’t even remotely relate to her life as a famous romance author, I could relate to the struggles she experiences just like everyone. Izzy is also hilarious. The dialogue throughout the book is engaging and entertaining and the chemistry between the main characters is undeniable. An overall well-rounded book that I think most romance readers will love.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I am officially fangirling over Christina Lauren and their latest love story! As one who doesn’t fully read summaries of books prior to reading in order to avoid spoilers, I was pleasantly surprised to revisit characters from The Soulmate Equation. Our heroine Fizzy is quirky, confident, full of personality, and I feel like she got the story she deserves! I enjoyed the premise of the authentic dating show that should make the Bachelor/Bachelorette producers rethink everything. The True Love Experiment, that’s a show I would like to watch! This story has it all: humor, heartache, angst, spice, a strong heroine, a swoon worthy hero, family, and supportive friendships. This book truly is a love letter to romance, fandom, and fangirls!

Thank you to Christina Lauren and NetGalley for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this book!

Was this review helpful?

Just like Fizzy, I have been in a slump. Not a romance or writing slump which is Fizzy's specialty, but instead in a reading slump. I move from book to book, but nothing stays with me, especially from one of my favorite genres, romance, which just seemed played out and tired. Well, HELLO, Christina Laurens! This book woke me right back up and reminded me of just how fun romance books could be.

The story picks up from Soulmate Equation and pulls romance author Felicity (Fizzy) Chen front and center. Through a series of amusing and slightly improbable events, she's invited to star in a reality TV dating show showcasing River Pena's "scientific" matching algorithm (Soulmate Equation). She agrees largely to annoy tv producer Conner Prince III because, of course, that's his name. She'll provide casting categories straight from her romance novels, and if he can find these eight men to fit these categories (pirate, hot nerd, cinnamon roll), then she's in! But of course, sometimes the best thing doesn't fit the categories and is outside all the rules.

There is just a lot of joy and fun in this book, and I thank Netgalley for the eARC and Christina Lauren for restoring my faith in the genre. Releases the middle of May 2023.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange of an honnest review. I've read a couple of Christina Lauren in the past, and enjoyed very much my reading. So I was very thrilled to receive this one.
Fizzy is a romance writer. She is used to describe love in her books, yet she has never trully experienced it herself. But she has a very active dating life.
And one day, she realises that she is a fluke : how can she be a trustworthy writer, talking about love and romance, when she has never been in love ? And just like that, she loses her mojo, can't find inspiration, and is not interested anymore in dating.
She meets a TV producer who ask her to be part of a dating reality show, based on a meeting app (see The Soulmate experience) where she will have to meet 8 hero archetypes (the Bad boy, the Cinnamon roll, or the Hot Geek...).
But along the way, she becomes friend with Connor, her hot-charming-very british producer. And perhaps she doesn't have a type, after all...

I couldn't put this book down : reading until the middle of the night, while eating, instead of doing my yoga every morning... I wanted to discover every part of their story. I discovered by reading the aknowledments that this book was sort of a sequel to The Soulmate experience, which I haven't read. And that is frankly not a problem.
The relationship between Fizzi and Connor is sweat, supportive, fun and steamy. They are irremediably attracted, but they fight it along the way. I felt joy, and sadness reading this book, and I was happy that all the clichés of the romance were turned over. One of my favorite this year!

Was this review helpful?