Christina Lauren just keeps getting better! I couldn't put this one down, the steamy romance between Jess and River heated up every page yet their romance was not outshone by the power of Jess's friendship with best friend Fizzy and her relationship with her young daughter and grandparents. Christina Lauren created a complex, nuanced character in Jess whose life was full of dimension and independence. I appreciated that River was a complement to the richness of Jess's life but not the culmination.

I really enjoyed this novel about Jess and River. So sweet! I love the single parent trope, and Juno was such a doll. River and Juno together was so sweet!

A new dating app that finds your match based on DNA must be science fiction or the creation of a the super hot scientist that frequents her favorite coffee shop. But when a fluke sample comes but at a 98% match who are they to question it, even if they seem like total opposites. A single mom, mess and the put together no nonsense science guy. As River and Jess test the waters so to speak they might just find not only a steamy connection but maybe true love based on DNA is real. Cute, sexy, an opposites attract, slow burn romantic read.

I finished this in one sitting and my neck is killing me. I LOVED this new story from Christina Lauren. I loved the third person POV that they usually don’t do, and I love the mix of science and romance! It was perfect from every last side character to the sexual tension between the mains.

Christina Lauren has never let me down–and their new book, out this May, is no exception. I was having one of *those* days when you just cannot get into anything, and then I dove into the digital ARC I had of The Soulmate Equation and couldn’t come up for air. It was sweet, adorable, fun, and the perfect read. I think this should be the beach read of the summer this year, TBH.
Jess Davis is a single mom and free-lance statistician who lives with her grandparents and is perfectly content with her life, but she hasn’t been on a GOOD date in years, so when a regular at the coffee shop she frequents is supposedly starting a dating site that matches you via DNA, she agrees, along with her best friend Fizzy, to spit in the vial. The company–GeneticAlly–is led by coffee shop frequenter and kind of grump River Pena, but Jess isn’t worried about it too much…until her match profile comes back and she and River match with 98% compatibility. Neither of them want to believe it could be true, but the company could really use this boost in PR before they go public, so a contract is drawn up and suddenly, Jess and River are getting to know each other in the public eye and suddenly, the attraction isn’t just on the page anymore. But what if it’s all rooted in a lie?
This book was SUPER adorable–low stakes, high cute, a little flame, and so much heart. I just love what Christina Lauren can do with a story. We dive right in, the situation is super cool (DNA matchmaking? Aight, sign me up) and Jess’s daughter and River’s interactions with her made me want to spring out of my apartment in pursuit of the nearest single dad. Soooo cute. I also LOVED the character of Fizzy (a bodice-ripper-esque Romance Novelist) and the inclusion of Jess’s grandparents. Also big LOL and *yikes* to Jess’s mom and her pyramid scheme. Too real world? A little. But relatable, yes.
This is a perfect read if you just want an escape and to smile wide and not want to put the book down—and we could all use more of those in our lives, couldn’t we?

I love Christina Lauren books so I was eager to read this one as usual with their books. I adored Jess and River - they truly made me smile and laugh. The beginning of the book was cute, prob around 3.5 stars as I enjoyed it but was worried it was "trying too hard" to be witty and cute. However, it settled into its groove and the middle of the book when they were falling for each other was my very favorite and was definitely 5 stars! I really feel in love with River and Jess. The problem they had to conquer and the wrap up were okay but dropped to the 3.5-4 stars range for me. Overall a good Christina Lauren book with memorable main characters - I enjoyed and will recommend to those who enjoy this type of book.

*I really liked The One from John Marrs and it was fun to read a chick lit version of this idea!

first, thank you to Net Galley and publishers for this ARC!

y’all i was drawn to this book immediately when i found out about it and even more when i learned that Lauren of Christina Lauren has her PhD in neuroscience- what a badass! so cool!

this book definitely exceeded expectations! it was the perfect mix of real-life, steam, romance, comedy, and predictability (or lack thereof). it had me swooning and heartbroken and i truly loved the characters- which is always a sign of a good book! this definitely made the list of books i will always recommend

You won't be able to wipe the grin off your face when reading this book. It was such a great story! The characters jumped off the page with personality. I loved the details behind the DNA testing and statistics, it really made me feel like those were big aspects of our main character's personalities. I love this author so much, and I am so excited about this book!

Looking for charm, some laughs, some depth, some romance, and fantastic characters? Look no further!

The Soulmate Equation is about a single mom named Jess, who works as a freelance statistician and is obsessed with data and numbers. She lives with her 7-year old daughter, Juno, in an apartment right across from her grandmother and grandfather, who raised her.

Jess’s best friend, Fizzy, is convinced she needs to get back into the world of dating...or at least the occasional roll in the hay. When Jess finds out the seemingly rude and elusive customer she and Fizzy see every day at the coffee shop they work out of is the owner of GeneticAlly, her mind is blown. GeneticAlly is an up and coming matchmaking company that used DNA as the basis to find your true match. Jess can’t picture this guy being the the brain behind something to do with romance.

Still, she gives a sample of her DNA (in the form of spit) and waits to find out the results. In a move that nobody could have predicted, her test reveals a peak of 98% compatibility with another person: Dr. River Pena...the owner of GeneticAlly.

Jess and River can’t stand each other from the brief interactions they’ve had. There is NO WAY that they are compatible...or is there?

I loved almost everything about this cute book. The characters are phenomenal. I really cared for each of them, and appreciated the depth they conveyed. That’s not always apparent in romantic comedies, but it is evident in this one. Jess and her antics made me laugh and giggle more than once. I also had a cheesy smile on my face throughout many moments.

The only parts that I didn’t connect with were a couple scenes that deep-dived into the data and statistics of GeneticAlly. Some of that went right over my head. Luckily, those parts are very minimal.

I recently read In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren, which I enjoyed as a holiday read. I favored this one much more! It’s a truly sweet and sometimes saucy romance (with a little bit of heat) that left me wanting more.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on 5/18/2021.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

I adored this for many reasons...I love single parent romances, I love grumpy heroes, and I love a fun best friend side character. Not to mention that the grandparents were pretty cool and June, the kid was just as cool. I pretty much devoured this book. I found it to be original, fun and romantic.

The premise behind the genetic matchmaking is what made this story stand out for me. I haven't read anything like it and I thought it was well done. Add all the reasons I mentioned above and that's why I this book was a hit for me. I highly recommend it!

What any book penned by the Christina Lauren contingency does best is create characters who are so vivid, life-like, believable . . . so real that I'm sure we are passing them on the street. A mundane existence under then scripting of Christina Lauren takes on a prismatic shine that is so engaging it is possible to read through one of their books in one sitting because you cannot put it down. The Soulmate Equation is entirely on brand and will not disappoint.
Jess Davis, single mom whose entire life lives in 4-block radius, lives and breaths by the numbers. As a statistician with a seven year-old daughter she has cultivated a routine, a budget, and knows her limits. Even when her less than savory mom shows up asking for money or when her grandparents need help working in the apartment complex they own. Jess is dependable. Her best friend, Fizzy (who, just to interject with a small request, probably needs her own novel at some point) is Jess's relief from the day to day. There work life at the local coffee shop is peppered with bestie convos and people watching, especially the stone-faced hot guy dubbed Americano because of his unwavering order at exactly 8:24 each day.
And then the meet-cute enters, with Fizzy buzzing for material for her latest novel, the third wall is broken and the lives of Americano ( real name River) and Jess intersect. Turns out Americano is a working on a dating start up that uses genetic material to determine compatibility. Buy into the concept if you want - it is an idea offered throughout the novel, which makes a great case for the larger topic - what makes you believe? Is it the numbers and statistics? Science? Your gut feeling and reaction?
And maybe this is *really* why I love Christina Lauren - characters you love, romance that makes you swoon, but ideas that make you want to start a conversation with a stranger at a coffee shop. An awesome, of-the-moment, contemporary romance that reminds us that sparkle and shine lingers just beneath the surface of any moment. Don't be afraid to search for it.

Oh my mind blowing goodness!!!! This has to be my favorite Christina Lauren book to date, and I don’t need a computer algorithm to rate this Diamond level! My only regret is that it is over!! My fingers are crossed that Jess and River make an appearance in another novel - perhaps a Fizzy concoction coming down the road! A huge thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the Arc!!

One of my favorite romances to date! This book is fun, intelligent, self-aware, and incredibly sweet. I really enjoyed "The Love Proof" and thought this one would have similar appeal, and it certainly delivered!

Sometimes I need a good romance novel, which I only discovered this past year. It is a good distraction. I really enjoyed In a Holidaze by these authors so I jumped at the chance to read The Soulmate Equation. I was super excited to read about a couple of nerds falling in love because of science. It was an okay, easy read. I did like Jess and River and loved Juno and Fizzy. I dont know if the tiny side plot between Jess and her mom was needed as it took a bit away from the story and made it a little heavier than it needed to be for a romance novel. Again, I am new to the genre so I might be off base. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book even though I thought it was just okay.

I don't know what to say other than, wow I really loved this. Like in a way I haven't loved many romances in the first place. It's fun, a little high concept, and bolstered by a wonderful main couple whose relationship is just a treat to read. I've been lukewarm on the other Christina Lauren books I've read but this? This is a knockout.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Soulmate Equation is a sweet story by the amazing duo Christina Lauren.
This story follows the life of, a very realistic and easy to relate to, Jess. She’s a single mom with a tiny but mighty village who helps her raise her daughter while she’s trying to be the best mom she can be, make ends meet, and not permanently scar her daughter in the same way she was as a child. Throw in spit in a vial, a super hot scientist, and a crazy turn of events and you’ve got a cute love story that will leave your rooting for love to prevail.

I always open a Christina Lauren book ready to fall in love, but this one had me SWOONING from start to finish! This writing duo has truly outdone itself!

Jess is a freelance statistician, best friend to adventurous, romance author Fizzy, and mother to adorable, intelligent, way beyond her years 7yo Juno. In summary: she's a strong independent woman surrounded by other amazing women, and I AM HERE FOR IT. However, bf Fizzy knows that Jess wants a partner in life and convinces her to try Genetic Ally, a new dating service which matches people based off of their genes. Jess knows more than anyone that numbers can be fickle, but when she achieves an unheard of 98% match with the company's founder, River Peña, she's torn between whether the results are her friend or her foe.

With this set-up, Christina Lauren delivers their funniest, swooniest, and most uplifting novel yet: The Soulmate Equation. I touched on this in the description, but the character development (ESPECIALLY for Fizzy and Juno) was by far one of the greatest aspects of this book. CL breathed life into every character, pulling no short stops when it came to Jess's statistician nerdiness nor Juno's wide breadth of animal/rollercoaster knowledge.

It should go without saying, considering CL wrote this, but the chemistry between Jess and River is EVERYTHING. These writers really had me annoyed by him in Chapter 1, only to gradually increase the pressure until I was crying by the end of the novel because I'm not Jess (although tbh, not being Fizzy also produced some tears). This book has five love-struck stars from me!

So many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I know it say it nearly every time, but I think this is my favorite Christina Lauren book. It may end up being a five star book, but I'm going to wait for the final copy to make that assessment.

Jess is a delightful main character, someone who knows what she wants and how she wants to live her life. River is an impossible and charming love interest, who has his own complications. Together their story is so cute, while also being twist in some places, and overall VERY swoony. I'm really excited for my statistical minded friend to read this and tell me how the authors did in that area...as I know nothing about statistics.

Now I just need to wait five months for everyone else to read it!! SIGH.

I really wanted to enjoy this book because the premise that you can find your soulmate by exploring your DNA was a cool thought. Unfortunately, I just didn't like it.
There was too much math that had to be writer-splained.
The hero and heroine, I felt, didn't really have much chemistry.
I never believed the hero loved the heroine.
The heroine's mother was an add on a character and I didn't understand why she was even in the story.
I miss the The Beautiful Bastard days...

Great addition to the Christina Lauren line! I love that the duo continually writes interesting characters with different backgrounds - I never feel like I'm reading the same overused plot when I pick up a Christina Lauren book.