Christina Lauren duo, do it again. This engaging romance brings the mysteries of science and love side-by-side in a journey to Happily Ever After. The characters feel authentic and the reader can easily pick out someone similar in their own lives. A fast-paced read that had me smiling thru the final pages.

Ahhh...this novel nails it with steamy romance, witty banter, and solid relationships! It's only the second CLo book I've read, but I love it so much and am definitely going to need to read more of their backlist.

Although I didn't comprehend all the science and math they spouted about genetics, it didn't make me feel lost or annoyed - if anything, it gave me warm fuzzies for Jess and River's mutual smartypants-love (one of my favorites!) Their chemistry was fantastic - so electric! And the communication was on point - I have an issue with very poor communication in books, and am thankful that this one took a more open route.

The secondary characters, like Jess's best friend Fizzy, and Jess's daughter and grandparents, are equally quirky and lovable. They definitely added unique dimension to the story.

Overall, this sciency romance was engaging, exciting, and lovely. My nerd heart is totally swooning! Highly recommend!

Thanks to Gallery Books for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars!

This was the story I didn’t even know I needed. It gave me a good feeling. It was a cute story and low on the angst.

Jess and her friend Fizzy often hang out at a coffee shop to work. They can’t help but notice River when he comes in to get his coffee every morning. He’s easy to notice. He’s hot, but he rubs Jess the wrong way - so right off the bat you know that Jess and River will wind up together. There are no surprises there, but seeing how their relationship started was certainly different.

Jess is a statistician. She geeks out at numbers. River is a PhD working in genetics. On paper they are perfect for one another, and as it turns out, there are actual papers that show they will in fact be perfect together. Now just to convince them.

Other than Jess’s mother, this story was filled with a great group of lovable characters. Her best friend, Fizzy, is a romance author often jotting down notes for story ideas. Her daughter, Juno, adds some cuteness to the story, while her grandparents are a great example of true love.

If you’re looking for a fun, heart-warming story, I highly recommend this one.

If you've liked Christina Lauren's books in the past, you're going to LOVE this book. It's a fast, fun, engaging read with fantastic characters; from a grumpy scientist, adorable 7-year old, fun grandparents, and a great best friend and I haven't even mention single-mom Jessica. The story-line is a different take on finding your perfect match using a dating app that I found quite intriguing. This book does NOT disappoint & will go down as one of my top picks by these authors. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

This is a classic enemies-to-lovers story with a little Pride and Prejudice undertone. Life is messy and bad things happen and sometimes things go totally off the rails. What’s neat about the DNA love match idea is the struggle of “are we together because we want to be or because we feel like we should be”. Because sometimes good things actually happen and they’re almost too good to be true and so difficult to trust.

The statistics and algorithms were totally over my head, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything because of my lack of comprehension. I was so into the book that I think I finished it in under 24 hours!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

“What’s that face you’re making?” Fizzy drew an imaginary circle around Jess’s expression. “I’m blanking on the word.”“This?” Jess pointed to her own head. “Defeat?” Fizzy nodded, mumbling aloud as she typed: “‘She glanced away from his penetrating gaze, defeat coloring her features a milky gray.’”“Wow. Thank you.”“I am not writing about you. Your expression was just timely.”

“This is part of life, Jess. Emergencies and responsibility and managing small fires all the time— but it’s only part of it. There are quiet moments, too . Good moments. Moments when we can ask for more.”

Finished The Soulmate Equation last night and loved it! I was pleasantly surprised because Christina Lauren is sometimes a hit or miss for me. This was also one of those books where life is messy and the circumstances aren’t necessarily desirable but you run with it and make due. Loved the characters. Loved the romance. The premise was very intriguing as well; a new matchmaking company that finds soulmates through DNA. It was so entertaining. Loved it. Thank you @netgalley for the ARC to read and review. The Soulmate Equation releases on May 18th!

Christina Lauren is one of those auto buy authors for me. No matter what, I feel like I have to have it. Unfortunately, they are not always as good as I want them to be. This was one of those. It really fell flat for me. After In a Holidaze, I was really excited for their books again. I thought this would be a cute read for spring. I was not a fan of the characters and I struggled to force myself to pick it up each night. While it wasn't terrible, it just wasn't as good as some previous books of theirs that I have my expectations set to. Hopefully the next one is back on track for me!

The Soulmate Equation kept me up until 1am. Christina Lauren’s books tend to be that captivating, so engrossing you do not want to stop reading. This was definitely the case.
Jess and River got a match, a pretty unbelievable one, at many different levels. Now that some feelings might be surging….what to do about them?
The story was quite original and the DNA matching was interesting (I wish that would exist). The characters were really nice and complex too. I liked River from the start, I liked Jess too but I thought she was a bit quick to judge River in the beginning, but I could understand her and connect with her in other things. I appreciated that they were both very mature, that they care about the facts and that family was important to them. Jess and River as a couple were great and the characters had great chemistry. That is probably the thing I love the most about CL’s books, their characters and their relationship are both well thought and it shows. The secondary characters like Fizzy and Juno were great too.
Overall, it was a great read. I deeply enjoyed it; it was fun and riveting, with the right amount of romance and a dash of steaminess.

I am fairly certain that Christian Lauren can do me no wrong. While I haven’t been reading her books for a super long time, I have really enjoyed the ones I have read. She creates well-rounded, relateable characters and puts them into fun settings. I like to call her books the Netflix style movies. Easy reads, enjoyable and perfect for a summer day with an adult beverage in your hand. I love Jess’s freelance job, harried life and single mom-ness and River’s uptight demenor. The new aged Tinder situation was also really intriging and kept me wanting to read. Really enjoyed this one.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this story. It is better than their last few books and I enjoyed the main character and her daughter. It felt realistic (as much as it could be) and was just a nice feel good story.

What if you could find your soulmate with a genetic test? But what if the person you’re 98% compatible with is kind of a butthead?
Combing the enemies to lovers & fake dating tropes, this was a delightful story. With the witty banter & wonderful characters that I have come to expect from CLo books, this one didn’t disappoint. It was a little predictable, but in a good way. There was just the right amount of steam (nothing explicit) and I loved Juno & Fizzy.
Definitely recommend for contemporary romance lovers.

This is the second book I have read about a DNA test determining your soulmate and I have to say, I love the idea. I think it’s so interesting and part of me wonders if it’s really something in the works.

This is about a single mom named Jess who is a freelancer. Her and her best friend, Fizzy, a romance writer, work at a local coffee shop and like clock work a handsome man they nicknamed “Americano” comes in at 8:24am daily. One day they end up talking to him and he explains that he owns a company that searches DNA samples for your soulmate and invited Jess and Fizzy for a tour. They take the tour and end up sending in their samples. It all comes to a head when Jess finds out that she is a near perfect match for River Peña, aka Americano.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review. I loved the twists and turns this book took and will be recommending it to everyone when it releases on May 18th.

"Have you ever wondered what a soulmate truly is?" she asked. "Is love a quality you can quantify?" — The Soulmate Equation
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren is without a doubt my version of book crack. By the first page, I was intrigued. By the end of the first chapter, I was hooked.  By the time Dr. River Peña entered the picture, I was already mentally inserting myself as the heroine into every single interaction he and Jessica Davis had together.

The Soulmate Equation is a story that has it all: a badass single mother, a best friend that is on the slightly-crazed side of quirky,  and a scientist that if he were translatable to another fictional character he would be the 2005 version of Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice with all the swoon-worthy awkwardness that comes from a hand flex (if you know, you know).  Add in a big helping of a meet cute gone wrong, all within a situation that is rife with not only scientific implications to the lives of both Jessica and River, but also social and most obviously romantic ones too, it translates to one amazing book. Through it all, The Soulmate Equation serves up a hefty helping of everything I adore about the romance genre.

For me, The Soulmate Equation is the book that I cannot stop talking about, and has easily become my favorite Christina Lauren (CLo) book…ever.  If you’re a fan of Penny Reid or any of the Smartypants Romance books, or are a reader who adores stories with meaningfully written characters who are put into situations that are equal parts absurd yet totally believable…you and I are of the same mind, and trust me when I say that you will enjoy this book. CLo, the duo with the word magic, does not do anyone dirty here with this story. The sweet moments made me melt into a pile of gushy goo, and the emotional ones had me clutching at my chest with all the beautiful feelings that are so easily translated from the page. It’s smart, and at times scientific, but not overly so. Jess is a career woman, an independent woman with a brain, intelligent and yet not the overly-stereotyped kind. She is a kind mother, granddaughter, daughter, and friend. Watching how seamlessly River falls within her world is equally romantic and enchanting.

The Soulmate Equation is a story that you read, finish, and then read again immediately. If you couldn’t tell, if I had more than 5 stars to give it, I would. I loved The Soulmate Equation so much I sent a DM to CLo and gushed my happy little heart out. I even used the phrase “Chef’s kiss, gold medal, rose petals falling softly as you accept all the stars higher than the 5 that you’ve emphatically earned…” I may have also used an innuendo because Jess’s BFF, Fizzy, is a romance author with the mind of a teenage boy. I’ve adored Christina Lauren since I got to meet them with my own bestie at a book signing (remember those?), and after this book, my love has grown exponentially. In fact, Jessica Davis is a character who could calculate just how much it’s grown and I would buy her a flat white while she told me the results.

Preorder The Soulmate Equation immediately. Once it releases on May 18th, read it and then tell me what you thought, because I need someone else to talk to about this amazing book! Congrats CLo!

This is the type of witty and charming romance I've come to expect from Christina Lauren. They took the classic enemies-to-lovers trope and made it more nuanced as single mom and data whiz Jess and single non-parent and scientist River fall in love. The chemistry between the two of them was palpable, but I also enjoyed Jess' interactions and relationships with her best friend and romance author Fizzy (possible surrogate for Christina Lauren?), her grandparents Ron and Jo, and her precocious daughter Juno.

There's one frustrating toward the end (I won't spoil it, but it has to do with how River handles conflict) that made me give this four stars, but if you're a fan of Christina Lauren and are looking for a lighter romance with some heart and intelligence behind it, give this one a try.

4 charming stars for Christina Lauren’s latest romantic comedy!

The Soulmate Equation follows single mom Jess, a freelance statistician who has pretty much given up on ever finding love. Funnily enough, her best friend Fizzy, a popular romance novelist, convinces Jess to send a sample in for testing after hearing of a new app-based dating company that matches participants based on DNA.

After skeptically submitting her DNA sample, Jess is floored when she finds out that she’s a 98% match (the first in the DNA company’s history) with none other than the startup’s founding scientist, Dr. River Peña. Not only is River handsome, smart, and successful but he’s also stand-offish and rude...Jess can’t believe that of all people, he could be her match.

This was such a fun romance! I really enjoyed the storyline, the main characters’ chemistry, and the supporting characters were great as well. Fizzy and Juno were super cute and I loved the relationship between Jess and her family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Single mom and statistician Jess is sure of two things: her love for her family and numbers. What she’s not so sure about? The 98% compatibility score she gets with Dr. River Peña, founder of GeneticAlly—a new matchmaking service that believes it can predict compatibility between potential partners through DNA. Problem is, she and River are already acquainted, and let’s just say neither believes theirs is a love connection.

I read this one in about 4 days, which is faster than usual for me! I'm not sure how sound the science is or if it even exists but I found it to be an interesting concept. I loved following along as Jess tried to balance everything: her freelance business, parenting, and being a good friend to Fizzy (who is a stand-out side character BTW!). Once you get to know more about River, his seemingly icy facade melts into a sweet and shy guy who just wants people to find love. This one was such an enjoyable read.

With a hilarious and supportive best friend, wonderfully nerdy science talk, and sexual tension between our leads so thick you could cut it with a knife, THE SOULMATE EQUATION is a charming story that’s a perfect kickoff to summer.

Jessica Davis’ primary concern is raising her daughter, Juno. Raised by her grandparents, Jess never really knew a mother’s unconditional love. She’s determined to make sure her daughter gets all of her attention and that doesn’t leave much time for dating or men in general. When Jess and her friend Fizzy happen upon a company that specializes in not just matching making but matching a person with their Soulmate via DNA, she tries it on whim. Not only does Jess have a match, but she matched with one of the founding members of the company. Their ninety-eight percent match is unheard of. The problem number one, she and River Pena don’t exactly see eye-to-eye and aren’t the biggest fans of each other. Problem number two, River’s company is about to go public and news of their match has garnered so much attention that the two are now legally bound by contract to spend time together in public.
Not too much to say about this book except a witty, fun read. I wasn’t sure I was going to like both the two primary characters but the turned out to be quite fun. I was pleasantly surprised at how laid-back River turned out to be, regarding relationships, not his work…he is a scientist after all. I the beginning I was ready deck him. He was your stereotypical scientist who didn’t think before he spoke. I even enjoyed his sisters. I especially enjoyed River’s relationship with Juno, and Fizzy was a hoot (hope there’s a Fizzy story somewhere out there). I enjoyed the process of these two characters getting to know each other.
The one thing keeping me from giving this four stars, it was kind of heavy on the science and that lost me a bit, the whole talk of algorithms/statistics/equations had me wanting to skip pages at times, but the upside to that was these two where nerdy as heck and perfect for each other!
Add this one to your beach or pool side read for the summer.

Jessica Davis is a single mom and statistician who has basically given up on dating. And although she may sit up and take notice when the resident hunky jerk makes his daily appearance at the coffee shop she frequents, she immediately decides there is most likely nothing redeeming about him...

Dr. River Peña may not be the most aware of the world around him, but being on the precipice of all of his hard work coming to fruition, living inside his head is what he's accustomed to. But the moment that River's dating DNA gets paired with the girl from the coffeeshop... his thoughts can't seem to come out of the clouds fast enough...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Soulmate Equation was an original, entertaining, and uniquely smart read! When Jess submits her DNA to a matchmaking service, the last person she expects to match with is the company's founder and a decidedly unfriendly acquaintance, Dr. River Peña. But when they start to date, for the sake of the science, of course, Jess and River may have to fight against their expectations and the pressure of being in the spotlight before a real relationship between will ever have a chance...

Jess is a selfless single mother to an adorable seven year old daughter, who is her entire world. While she is generally frustrated with dating, Jess doesn't mind being single... most of the time. But when she and her BFF learn about a new DNA matchmaking service, she applies on a whim... and her entire future changes before her eyes.

I loved River, and once we get to know him a little more, the reason for all of his silence and awkward moments was such a great male character attribute (that you rarely see!) But, I would have LOVED to see some of his male POV when it came to his relationship with Jess.

This book introduced a completely unique concept and plot, all of which I wholeheartedly loved! The unconventional connection between Jess and River made for an engaging and fun, modern love story. I was hooked from the moment the explanation of the science behind River's innovative matchmaking service takes root, and I really enjoyed where this author duo takes the story from there!

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

The Soulmate Equation is Christina Lauren at their best.

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for my advance review copy.

Can genetics predict a couple's long-term compatibility and commitment? That's what GeneticAlly is trying to prove. Jessica Davis is a single mom, who only submits her DNA to this new dating service because her best friend pressures her into it. What's the harm, right? River Pena, one of the founders of GeneticAlly, is so busy with the behind the scenes management of the company to even go on a date. But when he and Jess get a 98% match, they agree to give it (and each other) a chance. Funny and sweet, The Soulmate Equation has heart.

The Soulmate Equation reminded me why I love Christina Lauren. Quirky, tender, and real, The Soulmate Equation quietly charmed me, and I rooted for Jessica and River all the way to the last page.

I devoured this new Christina Lauren book in one sitting! I am a huge fan of their writing and this one did not disappoint.

Jess Davis is a single mom living next door to her grandparents, who raised her and are helping raise her daughter. Jess’s best friend, Fizzy, pushes Jess to complete a DNA test with GeneticAlly, which will tell you who your soulmate could be. Of course, Jess doesn’t think she will match with anyone, much less one of the founders of the GeneticAlly with one of the highest scores ever.

This is such a cute sciencey romance that made my nerd heart swoon. This one is full of endearing and lovely characters. Everyone should have a friend like Fizzy! The premise of finding your soulmate by DNA was intriguing to me and I felt they explored this concept well.

Thank you for the eARC Gallery Books and NetGalley!