I enjoy getting my hands on whatever Christina Lauren writes. The Soulmate Equation had an interesting premise that reminded me a bit of Kismet, by Luke Tredget. The concept that a number could determine a couple's lifelong success is fascinating.

The story took a while to build up to the heart and when the conflict came in, it was resolved quickly because it was so close to the end. The characters were good, however, and I liked Jess's relationships with her grandparents, best friend, daughter (who sounded really cute), and--of course--River. The science talk got to be a bit much at times, though. I couldn't wrap my head around what they were saying. There were some really sweet moments that I enjoyed a lot. Now I want Fizzy to have her own book!

Movie casting suggestions:
Jess: Sofia Black-D'Elia
River: Justin Baldoni (I pictured him right away!)
Fizzy: Anna Akana
Nana: Dianne Wiest
Pops: Richard Jenkins
Jamie: Pauley Perrette

It was an intense, emotional, and captivating love story. I was invested from the very beginning and truly enjoyed these characters. I definitely recommend this book and hope we get more stories from it.

Advance copy received through NetGalley for my honest review.

The Soulmate Equation is another solid romance from Christina Lauren and one of my favorites of theirs because it borders on the edge of practical with enough steam to keep it in the romance category. I loved that this book featured an independent, smart, strong mom lead with Jess. I loved her spunky daughter Juno as well. Love interest River is swoonworthy, but also not without his faults. There's a bit of enemies to lovers here, but not in a way that makes you think the characters are pretentious jerks, so it's easy to root for them. My favorite character was Jess' friend Fizzy, who adds so much comedic relief and fun into the book and Jess life. I could have easily read 100+ more pages of their antics!

I also found the concept of compatibility being a part of our DNA. After reading The One earlier this year, and seeing the more negative sides of DNA match potentials, the Soulmate Equation was a refreshing read and It'll be interesting to see if our future includes DNA matches/dating sites. I'm skeptical but intrigued!

At this point it's just a given - If Christina Lauren writes it, I want to read it. I don't have to worry if it will be good or not, because it will. They just know what they're doing. And The Soulmate Equation is no exception.

I loved Jess and River, I love the kooky family unit that Jess has created, and I don't have a bad thing to say about this book!

What if you could take out all the guesswork and know for certain that you’ve found your one true love? Like a DNA test that can tell you under scientifically calculated terms who you’re meant to be with?

When single mom Jess Davis is genetically matched with the surly hot guy who frequents her coffee shop, she scoffs at the results — an unprecedented 98% compatibility rating. And since said surly hot guy is also one of the founders and chief scientist of the company that matched them, it’s in everyone’s best interest to pursue the results if just for the pure marketability of it. The two agree to embark on a series of dates and interviews to get to know each other and see what happens. Are we really genetically engineered to be linked with a specific person?

While this idea of DNA matchmaking isn’t new (John Marrs’ The One comes to mind, especially with the Netflix adaption just released), this interpretation of events falls into the sweet adorable romcom variety that Christina Lauren excels at. I loved it!

Thank you @netgalley, @gallerybooks, and @christinalauren for the advanced copy of this book! The perfect #beachread, this book will be released on May 18th so pre-order now!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren / Pages: 368 / Genre: RomCom / Release Date: May 18, 2021

I loved this book so much. The scientific aspect was fresh and interesting and Jess was an amazing mother. I loved getting to know her family and River.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC

I really wanted to love this book since I found the premise to be so interesting. The plot was a little far-fetched, but still engaging and thought-provoking. The major problem here is that a plot like this requires the characters to be likeable, and I didn't like Jess or River. There was so much promise here but in the end it just fell flat.

The Soulmate Equation is a witty romcom filled with science, romance writers, an adorable 7 year old, dating apps, and spice. I loved Jess and River and their chemistry! (Hehe science) I am not normally a science person but I loved the numbers and science of this book! It was fun to see their relationship through the lens of data. The spice was the perfect amount and I enjoyed the supporting characters! I will be recommending this to everyone!

Christina Lauren is an author duo I adore...half of the time. I really really love the super sexy books, but the tamer books are just not for me (except for Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, I would die for that book)
This newest book is cute, quick to read, fluffy, funny, and predictable in the way I want in a romance novel. I love a nerdy science heroine, and there was a feeling of fake dating/enemies to lovers, which is always fun. The side characters are excellently written, as always. The concept of the story is really fun. Overall, a fun read, but not my favorite Christina Lauren.

I was 100% over the moon to get this ARC from @netgalley and now that I've read it, I can honestly say it surpassed all expectations! I could have read it one sitting because I could not get enough of River and Jess! Christina Lauren, the dynamic author duo, have done it again!

Jess is a single mom and lives for her daughter Juno, data analysis and statistics. River happens to be the dark, brooding coffee drinker she sees every morning at her favorite coffee show. Oh, and also the founder of a genetics based dating company that touts being able to find your match via genetics.

On a whim, Jess sends in her sample and her and River match with an unheard of 98% compatibility. What follows is pure romance gold: RIver, the brooding grump, is a perfect nerd-romance leading man. Jess is a devoted mom trying to giver her daughter the life (and mother) she never had. All while trying to find her person, caring for her child, working, and keeping up with aging grandparents.

If you're on the fence, don't be... pick this one up ASAP!

Once again, I have stayed up past 1am finishing a Christina Lauren book. I loved the characters in this one. Although I'm not a fan of dating apps, and wasn't sure that this plot would hook me, of course these ladies did it again. This book was interesting *and* sexy. What more could you want?

There were highs and lows with this book. I enjoyed the family themes but the romance was a bit lacking. The main characters seemed forced to me, and they weren’t authentic. I wanted to love this story but unfortunately it was just meh overall. In terms of the DNA plot line, I was initially intrigued, but it fell flat as well. It was an easy read and I was invested in finishing but needed more. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the fourth one I’ve read by the writing duo, Christina Lauren, and I’d say it’s my favorite out of the bunch. What stands out with this romance novel is the premise is so darn intriguing. Part of the fun in reading this book is contemplating whether your genetic code might be the key to finding your soulmate.

Single mom Jess Davis works as a freelance statistician. She's only been on a few dates since the birth of her young daughter, Juno. Jess and her friend, Fizzy, frequent a neighborhood coffee shop. A handsome man they have nicknamed "Americano" comes in to place an order every day. They finally talk to him one day and that's when they find out his name is Dr. River Pena and he works for the DNA-based matchmaking company, GeneticAlly. Basically a group of scientists compare your genetic code to other test subjects and have a point system that indicates how likely you are to be a good match. The higher the points, the better odds a long term romantic relationship could be successful. If Jess submits her DNA to the company, what could happen? Will she find a good match?

The concept of this DNA based matchmaking company is fascinating and it makes you wonder if something like this is in our future. For the most part, the science stuff in the story is easy to understand on a basic level. You certainly don't need to be genius to get the gist of it.

At one time or another most of us have given some thought to the term soulmate and whether that special someone is truly out there. And that's why this premise works so well because its combining science with that natural curiosity. What if it were this easy to find the love of your life? It would significantly reduce all that time spent on awkward or downright horrible first dates as the science is essentially giving you a heads up as to who will pair up best with you.

I enjoyed the story and thought the characters had good chemistry. However, it felt like something was missing which prevented it from being an awesome read. River wasn't a fully fleshed out character in my view. I think there was more to tap into when it came to him. To be honest, this is just teeny tiny criticism as this is a nice romance novel I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to other readers.

Leave it to Christina Lauren to completely shatter my reading slump and give me a LOT of feelings. The Soulmate Equation cemented their status as an auto-buy author for me - I think this is one of their best books in years. Without giving too much away, this book is about Jess, a single mom and brilliant data analyst, and River, a scientist behind a DNA-based matchmaking company. When Jess is convinced by her best friend Fizzy (who, incidentally, I need a book about, she's delightful) to send in her saliva to the matchmaking company, she gets a stunning result - she and River are a near-perfect match. This book was funny and heartfelt. All of the side characters are truly incredible and I would love to read more books set in this little world. The sexual tension is staggering without being explicit, the feelings felt genuine and remarkable, and I am so thankful I got the chance to read this book early. I feel like Christina Lauren's books always hit a direct corner of my soul. It releases the day after my birthday, and it is the very best birthday present I could have asked for - I've already preordered.

This story is about Jess. She’s a single other in her early 30’s. She gets introduced to this new dating system/app and her story through it. I don’t want to give too much away.
I love love love this book! I love the hate-to-love trope. I love all the characters. I love all the different relationships between all the characters, especially the best friendship between Jess and Fizzy. I love the writing style. I truly love it all. This was my first Christina Lauren book and it was such a great introduction into the authors writing style. The plot was so unique to anything I’ve read and it was truly believable in this tech era that we live in. I loved all the butterflies that this book gave me. There was a little bit of naughty scenes but it was not raunchy at all.
I highly recommend it to everyone that loves a good rom-com with a little bit of steam!

I think this is Christina Lauren's best book yet, maybe even better than The Unhoneymooners. The meeting of geneticist Dr. River Pena and self-employed statistician Jessica Davis is a wonderful story of first impressions being wrong, being open-minded and willing to try new things, trust and friendship, and finally love and sex. This book was really incredible, the science was well-done and accessible, and the characters were all lovable. Highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my digital ARC!

So "The One" was the book I read right before this one. They have some of the same feelings, but obviously this one is more romantic, and less thrills. But in general, the premise is the same: Use DNA to find your ideal partner. Anyway, I loved this book, up until the end.


**spoilers**
I thought their reunion was too quick and easy. We had this whole buildup for everything to fall into place perfectly within a couple of pages. And I think having them be *probably* a 98% match anyway, felt like a cop out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This was one of my favorite Christina Lauren books to date! It was exactly what I want from a rom/com book, great characters, fun premise, good chemistry. I really liked Jess & River together and LOVED all of the side characters! Juno, Jess' grandparents, and Fizzy really brought something to the story, they didn't just feel like placeholders if that makes any sense.

This is one of those books that just give that warm, comfortable feeling when you read it.

Not your average rom com, Christina Lauren doesn't disappoint in this innovative meet cute. Engaging, entertaining, and thought provoking. CL creates multidimensional characters that are likeable and relatable. I am a fan and this novel is a good time.

I absolutely ADORED this story with the lovely cast of characters and the adorably nerdy love story of Jess and River. Single mom, romance writer bestie, lovely grandparents, and spunky daughter—I just wanted to jump right in a be a part of this quirky crew. Toss in the seemly grumpy River with a meet cute in a coffee shop and then a genetically based relationship app turns their worlds upside down?? Sold! Definitely check out this lovely story, yet another one I couldn’t get enough of, from Christina Lauren!