Cover Image: The True Love Experiment

The True Love Experiment

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Member Reviews

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this fantastic, well-written novel.

I absolutely loved this book!!!!

I greatly enjoyed Soulmate Equation, so it was great for those characters to return but this focused on Fizzy and her romantic journey. While they do not have to be read in order, I was still pleased to see the return of River, but he was not the sole focus of this book but Connor took his place.

Fizzy was a thirty-seven year old single girl who had been on countless dates and never found the right one. Then after she went on a date with a guy (Rob) whom she thought was single and later learned he was married, she decided to step back from the dating world. This also impacted her next soon to be novel that was not going anywhere fast.

The dating/reality television show was an amazing way to create this book which added tension, mystery and swooning/spicy romance.

The characters were so easy to follow and love. While reading, I found myself guessing which character would be her match and the sparks continued to fly.

Overall, I loved it and glad I had the opportunity to review this eBook through NetGalley.

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Connor is a producer of documentaries for a small film company. His whole world is his 10-year-old daughter Stevie. They told him he needs to produce a reality romance show. He may lose his job if he can’t deliver. His ex-wife loves the romance books by Felicity Chen, Fizzy, as her friends call her. He decides to ask her to be on the show to choose her true love. They will be matched using a DNA program. Fizzy is in a slump and cannot make herself feel the happiness romance novels need. As much as she does not want to do this, she needs to motivate herself to produce her next book. I loved this book. Fizzy tells Connor what the 8 Heroes must represent which is creative and keeps each contestant in a world of their own. Fizzy’s friends and family contribute so much, especially her niece, Stevie, who happens to be Conner’s daughter. I loved the efforts Fizzy and Conner put in to avoid the attraction to each other. This book shows what love is about, how community contributes to happiness, and the need to be honest with one another. Wonderful story, romance, and characters!

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I know this is going to sound hyperbolic, but I think I just read the best romance I’ve ever read. I’m 49 and have been reading romance since I was 11 years old. And I’m a fast reader. I have literally read thousands of novels. This one was…perfect.

They mention that it’s a love letter to romance readers and it exceeded that on so many levels. I have always loved their words, but this one was beyond perfection. I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on it.

In the future, when anyone asks me my favorite romance (which I’ve always answered with, “Nobody could ever pick just one.”) or if someone who’s never read romance asks where they should start, THIS. WILL. BE. THE. BOOK.

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Readers were introduced to Felicity Chen, aka Fizzy in The Soulmate Equation. The True Love Experiment is Fizzy's journey to find love.

I absolutely loved this book and story and all of the characters. I love when authors tie characters from their previous books into their own stories and this story did not disappoint. I found that I couldn't put the book down and wondered how in the world it would end and I was so happy with the ending.

I often find that there is so much angst in romance stories, but this story did not make me angry at all. I absolutely loved it.

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The True Love Experiment is the sequel that all Christine Lauren fans have been waiting for. The book delivered a sweet and humorous story about Fizzy. Fizzy found herself being a lead in a reality television dating show. She hoped that it would help her bring back her mojo in her writing and her dating life. The book was slower to get into than the Soulmate Equation, but the pace was still good, and the ending was perfect. I loved the book's premise, which included a reality dating show with a hunky single-father producer. The romance between Fizzy and Connor was genuine, and I could feel their connection through the pages. Their natural chemistry and their progression could easily have been real in a real-world situation, and that made the book better. The ending was perfect, and felt like it wrapped up the story well. I do not think the story would have been better if the conclusion had shifted directions. It was fun to see River and Jess in this story as well.w

Thank you to both NetGallery and Gallery Books for giving me a copy of the book.

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I love this author duo so much and I knew Fizzy's story was going to be absolutely wonderful. This storyline was unique and such a fun ride. I liked The Soulmate Equation, however, TTLE blew it out of the water. This book was steamier, funnier, and had so much tension- I loved every page. You could really feel the chemistry between Fizzy and Connor and their spicy scenes were some of the best that Christina Lauren has written in my opinion. This was an absolute delight to read and I'm so glad that Fizzy got her own HEA.

Also, loved how introspective the writing was. These characters were very self-aware and well-rounded. I loved the vulnerability, the reliability, and the overall storyline. Both characters gave a lot for this story. This was probably my most highlighted Christina Lauren book I've read.

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❤️Book Review❤️
The True Love Experiment
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: May 16, 2023

I absolutely LOVED this book! I went into it blind and didn’t realize it was a spin-off of Fizzy’s character from The Soulmate Equation. I liked that book, but enjoyed this one so much more!

The MC, Fizzy, is such a likable character. She is funny, over-the-top, silly, but really sincere, as well. I could see all of the facets to her personality and felt what she felt as I was reading this. The story was fun, funny, and heartbreaking. I enjoyed the journey so much and definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to @netgalley @gallerybooks and @christinalauren for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I’m so, so glad that Fizzy got her own love story! After reading and falling in love with Soulmate Equation, I knew that Fizzy most definitely needed her own story. From the very opening pages, I fell in love with her and Connor and absolutely loved how it all played out. Fives stars for sure!

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“I tell them that if they approach their future with the optimism of the world’s boyfriend, Ted Lasso, things will turn out okay.” When a book starts out by mentioning Ted Lasso within the first 6 pages, I know it’s going to be a good one.

I have not read every Christina Lauren book out there, but of the ones that I have read, this is now one of my favorites. Fizzy and Connor were extremely likable characters, and for most of the book, I could not stop laughing. I love that this book is technically a sequel to The Soulmate Equation, but you did not have to read it to understand what was happening in this book because they gave you enough background information. I personally loved The Love Experiment more than The Soulmate Equation because it kept me so entertained. I also judge a book by if it can make me tear up or not, and this one definitely brought me some tears. I liked how the book went back and forth between Connor and Fizzy’s perspectives. Books that give both perspectives are my favorite. Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

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As promised, this book is a love letter to the romance genre and romance readers. Thank you to Christina Lauren, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I had really high hopes for this book and I was NOT disappointed! I mean this 100% as a compliment to their RANGE, but I cannot believe these are the same authors who wrote Elliot and Macy?! They were WRITING!!!

While I love Connor, Fizzy hoisted this book on her back and CARRIED. She is so funny, deep, witty, LOVABLE! I love everything about her, and as stated in the author’s note, who could possibly deserve her?! They did great with Connor. These two were made for each other 100%. The setting of this book was sooooo fun and I love the constant wink wink to the readers with the format of the show.

I imagine that the longer I sit with this book the more I will love it. Can’t wait for the audiobook. BRITISH ACCENT?! Sign me up.

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What a way to start 2023! I haven’t read Soulmate Equation, so I wasn’t familiar with Fizzy until I started The True Love Experiment. OMG! Christina Lauren’s book about Fizzy’s adventure on a reality show captures her cheeky character. She’s funny, endearing, and vulnerable as she sets out to find true love on her show with classic rom com archetypes. I was hooked from the first page. The alternating first person narrative between Fizzy and Connor, her producer, made it a quick read that I didn’t want to end. This is a book for fans of The Bachelor and romantic comedies alike. This is only my second Christina Lauren book, and I can’t wait to read more! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

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This was a slow start for me, but once I got into it I was definitely rooting for the mains on the way to their happily ever after. I thought this was a fun twist on the dating show trend and I liked the unexpected ending!

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Thank you Gallery books for a gifted copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved Fizzy in The Soulmate Equation. She was hilarious and fun - the perfect side character who provided a lot of comic relief. I was so excited to see she would get her own book! CLo did a great job writing from the perspective of an Asian woman - it was clear they did their homework. Fizzy and Connor are the perfect couple with great banter and energy. I may be in the minority but I'm tired of the bachelorette/bachelor spin offs. It made the book unnecessarily long.

Overall -enjoyed it but not my favorite CLo book.

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Thank you Netgalley for the early copy of The True Love Experiment!! I didn't think that they could do better than Soulmate Equation, because I loved it so much, but this one was even better!! Extremely likable characters and fun plot! I would love to see this on screen!

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is one my most anticipated books of 2023 so I greatly thank you for the chance to read it early. I love everything Christina Lauren puts out!

I did not realize this was somewhat of a sequel to "The Soulmate Equation" so keep that in mind before you read this one. You could still read this one w/o reading TSE but some things probably would not make sense. I would suggest reading TSE first.

First off this book totally gave off Love is Blind, Big Brother and Bachelor vibes all put together. I absolutely devoured it. I loved the characters so much I hope there is another book with them. I can't get enough! Fizzy is my hero and I want to be her when grow up. I love her personality so so much! Put that together with the reality show and the forbidden love trope with Connor who is her producer on the show. *chefs kiss* Lauren fans are going to love this one.

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Everything Christina Lauren writes basically turns to gold. I have yet to read a bad book by this pair. The ending had me all in my feelings, and I gobbled up the entire book in a few short hours. Definitely a recommended read for any fans of romance or romantic comedies.

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““But I’m saying that I love you,” I continue, “because I sometimes think we as a society hold too many things back. We’re afraid of being vulnerable or rejected, we’re scared that we’re weird or say things that no one else thinks. And that’s okay. I’m not scared of that with you. I know I’m being rejected, I know I’m weird, and I know for a fact that no one else thinks exactly what I’m thinking right now because no one knows you the way I do. No one loves you in this exact, perfect, consuming way.”

If these two women don’t stop writing the horniest most predictable yet best damn romance novels out there, I’m gonna lose it. But then again, PLEASE NEVER STOP.

Okay really though. If you’re anything like me, you grew up in the era of reality tv dating shows where everyone thought they were going to find their Prince Charming like Trista found Ryan in the OG bachelor days, and we all know the shows just aren’t made like that anymore.

When I saw this book was Fizzy’s the crazy best friend to the MC from The Soulmate Equation, story, I was expecting something but it wasn’t this.

Hot and steamy? Yes. We know they love to write those scenes. But hot British single dad producing reality dating show falls in love with Fizzy? Nope. Didn’t see it coming.

It’s a good one tho, I’ll tell ya that much, but none of y’all better walk around comparing the crotch region of men to the size of your wrist after reading this. That’s all I’m saying.

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I liked the characters and the energy they brought to the story. It was fun and full of heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

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Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great new read by Christina Lauren! I actually enjoyed it more than The Soulmate Equation and while I actually don't remember the character, Fizzy, after this book I'm definitely a fan. This was steamy, but not cringey, and the banter was fantastic. It took a few minutes for me to get into, but once there, I was committed. I especially enjoyed the discussion surrounding the Romance genre and particularly took to heart how hard it is to write engaging books when the reader already knows there is a HEA ending. The only thing that truly bothered me was the emphasis on how "hot" the guys must be. I didn't appreciate the superficiality of it, or believe that Fizzy lives in a world where every single guy (her best friend's husband, etc...) is crazy hot. That being said, it is Romance, so I guess hotness helps....

This is a fun one, enjoy!

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Their absolute best yet, Christina Lauren knocks it out of the park with The True Love Experiment. It’s funny, it’s flirty, it’s Fizzy! Those who loved The Soulmate Equation will run to pick up this almost-sequel that stars Felicity Chen, Jess’s witty, romance author best friend. Lovers of The Bachelor/Bachelorette series will adore this book. A true nod to the romance genre, fan girls and love stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

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