The depth of these characters, the swoooony tension of their love story. Let me tell you I was so excited for this amazing, hilarious, kind, strong character, Fizzy, to get her own story! And it was such a good story! How she comes to see love, how she grows in relation to her family and work, and all of her hilarious and sometimes censor worthy quips. I just love her, I think because in some ways she reminds me of my college best friend. Anyway, I adored this story.

And Connor! I mean, who could be worthy of Fizzy, someone who oozes kindness and hilarity. Someone everyone wants to be around. She is amazing, so it’s sort of fitting that we see her with all of these hero archetypes. But Connor is truly worthy. His kindness, his willingness to learn and change and be whatever she needs. And his relationship with his daughter! AGH! His character was so damn likable, I’d love to just be both their best friends, please. 😅

Also, dual point of view. 🥰
Spice warning, if you’re happy about it or desire to avoid it like me, know it’s there. But even skipping it, the tension is perfect.

I have the audiobook on preorder, and I’m SO EXCITED to see who they cast in those dual points of view for it. 😁

I watched so many Bachelor and Bachelorette shows growing up, that I'm kinda over them at this point. But put them in a rom-com and I am all over them! This is definitely the case with The True Love Experiment.

We first meet Fizzy in The Soulmate Equation where she hangs out a lot with her bestie Jess. She's a super fun and bubbly character who is a romance author and has a fun social/dating life. Fast forward a bit and Fizzy is struggling with not only her romantic life, but also writing her next romance. She's lost her muse and is having a hard time getting her words down.

Connor Prince is a documentary filmmaker and single father. He's not big on reality types of TV shows, but his boss tells him the network needs him to come up with something big. When Connor realizes that his ex-wife's favorite romance author is Felicity Chen aka Fizzy -a beautiful woman who Connor recently saw at a bar - Connor immediately realizes this is who he wants for the reality show. But their first encounter doesn't exactly end on good terms. Felicity thinks Connor is a bit of a douche-bag and immediately says no to the show, unless Connor agrees to her very specific terms. When Connor says yes, Fizzy realizes this could be fun and she could potentially find her soulmate. The more these two work together, the more they realize that their chemistry seems to be flaring offset while the rest of the contestants wonder who Fizzy will end up picking.

Recent Christina Lauren books have been hit and miss for me. But The True Love Experiment was a definite YES. I loved Fizzy's character so much, which isn't a surprise because I also loved her in The Soulmate Equation. She's fun, bubbly and appears to be so carefree. It's only when we get to know her that we realize she has insecurities and vulnerabilities too. The fact that she's a romance author is *chefs kiss*. I loved those passages when she talks about how so many people look down upon the genre, and for what? I feel her vulnerabilities so much - not only with her writing, but with her family too.

Here am I am, proven a liar again when I say I don't like single parent romances. Because Connor is so lovely and so caring with his daughter. He's not perfect, and I love that he owns up to his past as ugly as it might be. His relationship with his daughter and his ex-wife were honestly always so fun and added a lot to the story.

The True Love Experiment had me laughing out loud, but also pulling on my heart strings. There were some beautiful angsty moments where I had tears rolling down my eyes. I just wanted Fizzy and Connor to be happy together. If you're looking for a rom-com with great banter, humor and a spicy romance I highly recommend The True Love Experiment.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you liked The Soulmate Equation, you are going to love The True Love Experiment!

Maybe I was just in the mood for a solid romance, but I couldn't put this down. When I first started reading, I wasn't that excited, it sounded like a book I read recently and it was just ok. Of course, I underestimated how fun Christina Lauren books are!

Fizzy is a romance writer who has totally lost her mojo. She is approached about being on a reality dating show and at first, she isn't interested, but the more she thinks about it, why not? She hasn't written anything in forever and her book is DUE any day now. She needs something to make her feel like herself again.

Connor has been tasked with producing a reality dating show, when he couldn't be less interested in "trashy TV." When he decides to cast Fizzy as the lead, he isn't sure what he's getting himself into, but he knows she is charismatic and has a large following of romance reader fans.

They have both given up on finding true love, but this show might just be the kick they need.

I loved this book so much! It was funny and sweet and so enjoyable to read. Fans of the bachelor and saying shows will get a kick out of this book. Christina and Lauren have done it again, they are such a fantastic writing duo. I did find some elements of this book to be predicable but I didn't care in the least! I still read every page and couldn't wait to read more. Perfect book for the summer!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book!

This is my first Christina Lauren book to read and it is hands down amazing. The book is a must read for all romance fans. The storyline was uniqueness such a fun ride. I can’t recommend this book enough. All of the characters were very well rounded.

The True Love Experiment is easily my favorite book that CLo has written in a long time. Well, maybe since Soulmate Equation? lol. I loved reading the banter and intense longing in this book so much. Fizzy is in a writing and dating slump. She agrees to star in a reality dating show to help her get out of both slumps. But what she doesn't expect is the producer to keeps her on her toes and in her feels. Connor is a single dad who isn't really excited about producing this dating show or about romance in general. But he does change his mind.

This book is a sort of love letter to romance writers and readers. It's all of the things that we as readers want in a book. It's smart and funny. It's thoughtful and steamy. It's the Christina Lauren that we love and why we have been reading their books for years. Be prepared for me to shout about this book all year long.

I enjoyed The True Love Experiment, but I also found myself wanting more from it. I was a little taken aback by how Fizzy’s character plays out as a protagonist—for someone who sometimes demonstrates so much self awareness, she says and does so many really dumb things, seemingly for the plot—and found myself very frustrated with her at times. I was also annoyed by the eventual conflict between her and Connor, which seemed to spring up from nowhere and get resolved too quickly given the hurts both characters expressed. The “twist” at the end is one I could see coming from miles away. And although I agreed with 100% of the points about romance, they seemed clunky here, like something the authors wanted to say rather than what the characters would say in the moment.

But all that said….this book is also a very fun read. Christina Lauren knows how to write banter and chemistry, and despite my objections, the book ended up sweeping me away. This is one I recommend for the Christina Lauren fans.

Final rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an early review copy! All opinions are my own.

Okay, I'm not one to give this kind of book 5 stars (yes, I am, sadly, that baselessly discriminatory jerk), but, oh my, my feelings. Loooooong sigh. If Fizzy is perfection, Conner is slightly better. The ancillary characters are true gold. This is a fucking gem.

While I really enjoyed this story and was happy that it revisited characters from The Soulmate Equation, I found it a bit predictable. In the end I would have liked more about Fizzy and Conner’s happy ending…but maybe there will be another book in the series?!?

I was given an ARC by #netgalley

I absolutely ADORED this book! Everything about it was amazing! The tension, the romance, the character development, it was all SO GOOD! Christina Lauren always hits it out of the park and this book is no different!

I was very happy that Fizzy got her own story! Fizzy is full of spunk, and deserves a happy ending! The chemistry between Fizzy and Connor was notable through reading! While I found the ending to be pretty predictable, that is the ending that everyone should be cheering for! Great, quick read overall! Love this author duo!

What a delightful book!

I loved The Soulmate Equation so it was fun to see these characters return and focus on Fizzy's story. Fizzy is a romance author who believes fully in her craft, and is in a rut. She is in an emotional rut and a career rut. She needs to change of pace. What better option could there be than go on a reality show to find love??

As per usual, Christina Lauren do a wonderful job of writing a fun, light story, but adding depth. I felt and connected with Fizzy. I understand the idea of these ruts in life. Then, there was the fun part! The men So many fun characters and a great story!

This was a lovely follow up to The Soulmate Equation, it was delightful to see Fizzy have her moment, and revisit Jess and River. From the beginning, Fizzy and Connor have chemistry and it continues to build throughout the book. I love that both of them are in their mid-late thirties and have figured a lot out about who they are and who they want to be with. The ending is a bit abrupt, but it's still a super swoony and fun read! Thanks NetGalley!

I love a Christina Lauren book! I had forgotten reading about Lizzy Chen from The Soulmate Equation and I am so glad she got her own book. I enjoyed the plot, the characters, the romance between Lizzy and Connor, and the friends and family element included in this lovely story. I will definitely recommend this book! Especially for summer reading!

I really enjoyed the True Love Experiment. It was much better than the Soulmate Equation, even though some of the characters overlap. Fizzy, a romance writer who needs to publish her next book, lost her romance vibes and agrees to participate in a dating show where she decided what kind of men she would be willing to date and the show's producer must find suitable dates for her. After lots of entertaining encounters with Mr. Wrongs, she finds that Mr. Right is right under her nose. This is a sweet, enjoyable rom-com that should hook readers from the beginning and keep them reading to the end. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book in return for my honest review.

I absolutely adore Christina Lauren and I was very excited to see Fizzy get a book after The Soulmate Equation. This book was super cute and while some stuff wasn't my favorite, I really enjoyed this book.

Pros:
Fizzy was super fun. Her energy was infectious even through the page and I loved her whole sex-positive attitude.
I liked that Fizzy was a bit older (37). Most romances use women who are in their 20s, which is fine, but most people don't start to settle down until their 30s, and the few romances that use women in their 30s tend to make a point that the heroine is older. It was nice to read about someone who wasn't like fresh out of college and somehow has her life together. Fizzy was a grown woman who had everything together and was ready for a partner to compliment her life, not to fill in and holes in who she is.
I loved the representation of the romance community.
Connor was awesome. I loved how we slowly see him relax and come apart from the uptight businessman he originally comes off as. His energy with Fizzy was awesome and his overall attitude made him a total dream.
I thought the concept of the dating show was interesting. I liked that they tried to make it more authentic and acknowledged the flaws in more popular dating shows that actually exist.
I thought the entire book was really funny and pacing was great. I liked that the chapters were pretty short. It helped keep things moving along nicely.

Cons:
There was a lot of pining throughout the book. At first I didn't mind it as much because it was more Fizzy and Connor getting to know each other but once they became friends I was getting a bit frustrated and just wanted things to move along.
Maybe it's as a result of having read The Charm Offensive recently, but I didn't really think the dating show component (which I know is most of the plot) was very necessary. It felt like an unnecessary added component to prolong the incessant pining.
I'm not a big fan of having kids in romance books and the single parent trope. Christina Lauren wrote it well in this book, but I also could've done without Connor having a kid especially since the child was used at random times to push Fizzy and Connor together. It felt unneeded.
I would've liked more of an epilogue with some explanation for how things turned out with Connor and the higher ups. It was such a big deal throughout the book and then we get to the end and they're like everything will turn out okay because it has to. I would've liked something a bit more concrete.

Overall, I really liked this book and would recommend it to people. I give it 4.5 stars (which isn't an option in the star rating provided). I think if you want a fun and flirty romance, this is the right book for you. I also highly recommend reading the acknowledgements at the end.

"The True Love Experiment" is everything readers have come to expect from Christina Lauren: witty, funny, characters you love rooting for, and a slow, delicious burn that's positively swoony.

This not just a book. This is the book. Oh my god!! I loved every single second of it. I couldn’t help myself but finish it in a single sitting, it was that good. I loved the heroine, fizzy. She’s been my fav since the love experiment. But getting to read about her and see things with her PoV made me sigh with absolute adoration. And the hero was so sweet and swoon worthy. Overall, I enjoyed each and everything about it.

I absolutely loved every single second I spent with this book and it has my whole heart! I could not put it down nor did I want to! It had me laughing, crying, and screaming! The story itself was fun and well written and not having read The Soulmate Equation it was easy enough to follow along without it. I loved the plot revolving around this new dating show! But I think what makes this book a quick favorite is Fizzy and Connor! Fizzy is such a great mc and I absolutely love and adore her. She was funny and bright and brought joy to this book! Her relationship with Connor was everything, who is also a loveable mc who will be your next book bf and has a British accent! Their relationship literally had me screaming into my pillow because of their forbidden romance as she’s the dating show star and he’s the producer. The pining, tension, emotions, and jealousy were all there and were so well executed! Like this is literally true love as per the title!

Overall, this was an instant favorite for me and I cannot recommend this enough! It comes out May 16 so do yourself a favor and preorder!

Read if you’re looking for…
•forbidden romance
•reality/dating show setting
•single dad
•dual pov

Well, writing duo Christina and Lauren have done it again. Swoon-worthy, sexy, smart love interests in a story I simply could not put down. Any rom-com fan will adore The True Love Experiment. Romance novelist, Fizzy, and a documentary filmmaker, Connor, team up to make a Bachelor-esque dating show stacked with every dating trope in the book (pun intended), and spoiler alert, sparks FLY!

In the words of our leading lady Fizzy Chen, "book people are just better, I swear by it." Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC. I can't wait to tell everyone I know to read it.