When I picked this book up, I was in a bit of a reading slump. I was reading good books by authors I enjoy, I just couldn't get invested or stay focused on anything - not the fault of the books, just my mindset at the time. After sitting on it for months, and with a week left to release day, I decided to take a break from my other books and get this one read, figuring it would take the full week to to do it given how everything else was going. I was wrong, I read <i>The Soulmate Equation</i> start to finish in one sitting.

The characters in this book were fantastic. I absolutely loved River, probably because I identify with him... Initial impressions mark him as a bit of an as**ole, but as you get to know him, you realize he's just shy, a little socially awkward, and hyper focused on the task in front of him. Jess is a very devoted single mom who has pretty much spread herself thin raising her daughter, bailing her mother out of various disasters, and keeping herself afloat financially. She's smart and independent and the kind of heroine you can't help but love and root for. The side characters were equally delightful - I'd love to see Fizzy get her own story, and Jess's grandparents are #relationshipgoals!

I read a LOT of books, most of them romance/rom-coms (112 so far this year, and we're mid-way through May), so it takes a lot for a book to really be a standout for me, but this one was. Jess and River's story felt fresh and was built on a unique premise. <i>The Soulmate Equation</i> definitely earns a spot in my top 3 favorite Christina Lauren novels. If you're a fan, or just looking for a funny, sweet, heartwarming read, check this one out!

Before I begin my review, read this. Seriously read this book. Christina Lauren have done it again. This book is amazing. If you are looking for a simple, sweet romance with a sciencey twist, this is the one for you.

This story is about a single mom, Jess, who learns that she is a never-seen-before 98% match with the grumpy founder of GeneticAlly, a DNA-based dating app, Dr. River Peña. When she gets paid by the company to date River, she can't say no. Soon both find themselves falling heads over heels for each other as they navigate their lives and their numerous public appearances.

I love books with science involved. This book did not disappoint. It had a great amount of science, which was all clearly well-researched as it all made sense and added up. It was weaved beautifully into the story. Normally books with STEM get really overwhelming with their integration of the main character's knowledge of STEM. This book, however, did not fall into that trap. We got enough science and math to get immersed in the story and the main characters' passions but not so much that I am screaming "We get it!" into my Kindle.

Don’t even get me started on River. River is amazing, flawed, and utterly sexy. He was so good with Juno (who I loved by the way, I normally hate the way kids are written in romances), I was consistently squealing. Yes, squealing. He is total husband material. He was so sweet, funny, loving, and more. He treated Jess so nicely. Those scenes where he would go out of his way to do nice things for her, the way he comforted her in public, the way he filled in the shoes of a dad with Juno, I loved everything. He was also written so realistically. His flaws and mistakes felt so real and made the book so much more enjoyable. So many times we get flaws in heroes that are clearly written from the female gaze and may not be the most realistic. River's flaws and mistakes were very realistic. I was also living for the normalizing of POC heroes.

The chemistry and the romance between Jess and River were written beautifully. While I do wish there were more romantic development and vulnerable moments between the two, I still enjoyed their story. The scenes at the beginning of their relationship were so angsty and sweet. They gave me a nervous, fake-dating scene kind of vibe and I was living for it. You'll see what I mean when you read it. I loved how they relied on each other and completed each other, especially when they were in public. I loved the ending and how Jess had come full circle. So many times, as a woman, I feel like I have to be single and cold-hearted in order to be seen as a badass, independent woman. I shouldn't want a partner. The scenes where Jess was talking about how she wanted to be taken care of and how she felt lonely really struck a chord with me.

The best part of this book? Jess’s romance author best friend, Fizzy. Believe me. She is amazing. She is so fun and bubbly and adds so much fun to the story. All the side characters in this book are amazing.

I do wish we got the old Christina Lauren steam level, but it’s alright. The few steam scenes we got were written in a very elusive manner, which confused me.

If you are looking for a fun, sciencey read with a great heroine & hero that have wonderful chemistry and fantastic secondary characters, this is the one for you. Seriously, pick this up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars
🌶/ 5 steam

Single mom Jess Davis is just trying to do her best. And after a particularly bad day, she caves and takes a dna-based soulmate test that her best friend bought for her. Never in her wildest dreams did she thing that she would get an almost perfect match with the sexy scientist, Dr. River Pena, who runs the company. Jess has some problems to consider... She doesn't particularly like River. While he is certainly beautiful to look at, he is kind of a jerk. Aside from that, she has a seven year old daughter who is her whole world and she doesn't want anything to alter the quiet life they share with Jess's grandparents. Then again, the more time she spends with River, the deeper in her feels she gets for this man.

I thought this was super cute. I loved Jess and her family. All of them were wonderful, including her bestie. I especially loved her daughter Juno. She was adorable and I really enjoyed the relationship they all shared with one another. I am not always a fan of the single parent trope because most of the time, the child is just used as this unexplored character in the book as an idea that is always just hovering in the background. But in The Soulmate Equation, the authors have made Juno not only a character, but an integral part of the story.

I thought the science behind this book was really interesting. Kind of crazy to think about, but neat! Buuuttttt... I have to say that I didn't really care for River. He was unkind to Jess in the beginning of the book and I didn't see why (aside from the handsome face) Jess changed her opinion of him so fast. There were no real demonstrations of change. He just was nice to her all of a sudden and it wasn't brought up why he acted the way he did, and why he changed his tune... He doesn't really prove to be a great communicator throughout the final chapters of the book, either and it just made me lose interest in the conclusion.

All in all, this was a cute read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to read a fun and easy rom-com.

This is my sixth novel from the writing duo that goes by the pen name of Christina Lauren. They mostly right in the romance genre, although granted, several of their books veer more heavily towards women's fiction. In fact, some romance readers feel that their books are not steamy enough. I think I am on the opposite end of this. I tend to like their more emotional, grounded in life stories better. Out of the 6 books I read, four were five star reads, and two I rated at 3 stars. The Soulmate Equation is by far my favorite from them. In fact, this is the book that kept me up reading till 3AM on a Monday morning. And yes, I had no regrets even though I only got 3 hours of sleep and had a pretty tough workday ahead of me.

The Soulmate Equation is about two people who unexpectedly get matched via a new dating app that uses DNA as the basis for matching applicants. Jess is a single mother struggling to keep up with the bills, and River is the founder of the company and the brains behind this new genetic matching app. As I mentioned, I found the story hard to put down. The characters in this book are amazing and so relatable. There is something very cozy and heartwarming about Jess's relationship with her grandparents and her daughter. Her relationship with River is super intense and is in equal part hate to love and instant attraction. I think this is a perfect book for getting out of a reading slump. And for readers who are like me and prefer more complex, grounded in life romance stories, this one will not disappoint. 5 out of 5 stars.

An e-ARC was provided by NetGalley.com

I'm in a very stressful time of my life. Between my grandfather's death and helping to take care of my grandmother who has Alzheimer's, I haven't had as much time to read or the mental capacity to read a heavy or deep story. The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren was the perfect escape.

When single mom, Jessica, in a moment of weakness, sends her spit in to a biotech company that matches people for romantic relationships based on DNA markers, she never expected to find her soulmate. But when it turns out to be the grouchy man from the coffee shop she frequents, she couldn't be more skeptical. Is it a scam or is River the man of her dreams?

This book made me laugh out loud a few times. The plot isn't very deep but it has the perfect Hallmark formula down. This is definitely a book you want to read by the pool or on the beach. It took my mind off of my real life problems and gave me a feel-good vibe.

The Soulmate Equation was an overall delightful book filled with some of my favorite romance tropes including enemies to lovers, fake dating with a time constraint, and grumpy hero. I loved the incredibly interesting premise of a dating app based around genetics. There were some scenes related to character interactions that left me confused, but it was not enough to detract from the overall enjoyment of the book or understanding of the story. I adored Jess and River, as well as all of the supporting characters. Some of my favorite scenes included River interacting with Jess in a soft and caring manner, and watching his character development. The swoon worthy moments in the book definitely made up for the few times I was left confused about what was happening in certain scenes. I wished there was slightly more from the ending, but overall the story tugged at my heart and left me with butterflies.

I really enjoyed this! I loved Jess and Juno's relationship and how River fit into their lives. I have gotten used to having both POVs in romance so only getting Jess' felt like a lot of the story was missing and I think the story would have felt more well-rounded with River's POV.

The more I think about The Soulmate Equation the more I struggle with what to rate it and how to review it. The problem is there were so many things I loved about this book. I loved a lot of the characters, the familial aspects, the premise of the story was compelling and I wanted to love this one. I honestly thought it could be a five star favorite at the start, but there were a few things that just didn't work for me personally.

You can tell a lot about what this story is about by the blurb and if you read it, I'm sure you'll agree the concept seems fascinating. I am thankful I have never had to date in the world of apps. Though I'm in my mid-thirties, I've been with my husband since I was a teenager, but I've heard the horror stories from friends and it seems completely unappealing. The thought of swabbing your DNA and finding someone who could potentially be a perfect match... it seems too good to be true.

Jess Davis is a single mom and has no interest in this, but her best friend talks her into it. When she gets the results of the test, no one is more surprised than her with her 'perfect match'. It's none other than Mr. Americano, the man she sees every morning, and also the founder of the program, Dr. River Pena. They are a 98% match which is completely unheard of in all the years they've been in trial. And they're going to see just how well these tests work...

I loved Jess, I loved River, I loved Jess's daughter, Juno and her grandparents... I just didn't love Jess and River together. Maybe it was just me, but I completely missed that spark between them. My biggest issue with the book was the romance just felt underwhelming to me. I also didn't love the conflict at the end and how it was handled. I think a lot of people will love this one, especially if the romance works for them, but it was just an okay read for me.

I really enjoyed these characters and wish there was at least one more chapter for this book!

The beginning of the book had me questioning that this was not written by the same authors as I don't recall them writing in third person point-of-view. The book starts off slow, but once you really get the interactions with the main characters it is very hard to put this book down!

First off this whole concept of finding a match based on DNA and you just kind of automatically work together, sounds intriguing, no searching and basically wasting time on those you aren't compatible with in the long run? Sign me up, ha! River and Jess and all the side characters are adorable and I loved the dynamics between everyone. It ended too abruptly for my taste which is where it lost a star for me.

I am obsessed with this book! I was initially drawn to the unique premise, could DNA really find your soulmate? I think its something I’d try. But besides the cool plot, the heartwarming, feel-good moments, and very relatable characters make this book a total knock out.

Is it science or is it fate...or is it just close proximity? I love the enemies to lovers trope. Even though Jess and River can’t stand each other at first, their relationship is a slow burn oozing with sexual tension. These characters were laugh out loud funny and so lovable. Jess is a strong, intelligent single mom and while River may come off like a cold hearted jerk at first, it was sweet seeing his shy, caring side. I also absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Jess and her best friend Fizzy’s relationship. I feel like some authors struggle with writing female friendships that actually feel real, but this was pretty perfect. I guess that’s what happens when the book is written by two best friends.

If I didn’t have things to do I wouldn’t have put this book down. This is a total must read for hopeless romantics. This is my second book by Christina Lauren and now I can’t wait to get my hands on some of their other books.

4.5 stars rounded up!

HOW have I not seen more hype over River!? Smart, successful, caring, thoughtful, AND asks for consent!? Sign me up! 

Jess is a single mom who decides on a whim to submit her DNA to a DNA matchmaking company, GeneticAlly. To her surprise, she has a match! But her match is someone she can hardly stand, let alone someone she would consider to be her soulmate. 

This was such a fun book! I loved the concept of finding your soulmate through DNA and enjoyed reading about the "science" and statistics behind it. But I think my favorite aspect was the cast of likable, unique characters. If this is ever made into a movie and Awkwafina isn't cast to play Fizzy, I will boycott ... maybe I am being dramatic but she would be PERFECT!

Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. The Soulmate Equation is out everywhere this Tuesday, May 18!

Jess Davis and River Pina are meant to be. So says genetic testing. As to how they really feel about each other, it will take a lot of forgiving, coffee, and getting to know each other's families to help them empathize with each other. So begins an entertaining plot full of romantic pitfalls, humorous situations, and physical attraction. Their story and the genetic matchmaking aspect of finding romance kept my attention throughout. Jess and River are without a doubt an adorable couple who are realistic in their doubts of the new blossoming feelings and relatable in many instances. The awkward and nerdy love communication between them was charming. Jess’s grandparents, daughter, and best friend all created a warm atmosphere in the story and showed the importance of supporting your loved ones. Fizzy, who plays the best friend, was one of my favorite characters as she popped in perfectly to add dollops of humor at just the right moments. I sincerely hope that she ends up getting a story of her own!

What threw me off were a few situations that bothered me. One was Jess giving into her mom, putting her daughter in danger, and River reacting stupidly in a situation that could have been handled better (no spoilers). The story was also a bit predictable, even the climax that would cause the friction.

This is only the second Christina Lauren novel I have read and I already know they are top of my chick lit/romance authors. I adored this book and recommend it to anyone looking for a light-hearted romance with a unique matchmaking process. Thank you NetGalley and Galley Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Can you find the perfect match? It’s all in the DNA…

Jess and River aren’t meant to be, or are they? The DNA doesn’t lie but your heart will. River is stubborn, and Jess is all about the numbers. Together the are romance gold. The story is sweet, fun, and hits you with a couple of twists.

Christina Lauren always hits you with a well thought out story that’s filled with great characters. The chemistry is always on point and you can’t help buy fall in love with the whole package. The Soulmate Equation checks all the boxes. A must for your summer reading list.

Christina Lauren stories are always cute, easy and fun to read. This book was no exception!

The story is about a dating app called GenticAlly which helps people to find their soulmates through DNA. The idea seems a bit far-fetched, but also given the technology in our world right now, it's not so hard to imagine something like this existing. When single mom Jess Davis takes the test on a whim, she finds out that she is matched with River Pena, the creator of the app and a man finds to be stuck up, grumpy and infuriating.

So begins an enemies to lovers/fake dating type of love story that forces Jess and River to figure out if true love can be predicted by scientific data. As with most romances, this is 100% predictable but still a lot of fun to read. The joy of Christina Lauren stories comes from the witty writing, the great characters and an ever present sense of humor.

This is an entertaining romance that was a lot of fun to read. Nothing too serious or deep, but sometimes that is perfectly okay!

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for sending me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Christina Lauren’s books are usually a hit or miss for me, but this one has such good early reviews I had to give it a shot. I am very happy that I agree with the positive reviews - it was sweet, funny, and romantic, all without being overdone.
Jessica Davis, a statistician, and Dr. River Peña are a 98% match for compatibility according to River’s DNA-based dating company, GeneticAlly. After agreeing to give dating the seemingly grumpy hottie a try, Jess has to figure out where her expectations because of the high percentage end and true, growing feelings for him begin.
I know nothing about genetics and DNA based testing, but it seemed as though a lot of research went into this book and it was very detailed oriented, which I enjoyed (albeit did not completely understand). The chemistry between Jess and River was well written, and I thought the reality of Jess as a single mom to her seven year old daughter, Juno, was presented realistically. This is one I’ll definitely recommend in the future!

Christina Lauren’s latest romance is a must read. I loved their look at modern dating with technology and what it might mean to connect with your soulmate.

The Story
I was quick to snag this book because I was so intrigued by the storyline. What if a dating app could match you with a potential soulmate based on your DNA? Could science “tell” us who our ideal match could be?

I loved the questions raised throughout the novel with such an interesting premise.

At first I thought the idea sounded really great but River and Jess made me see the pressure and doubt that could also come with that technology. Christina Lauren created two characters who really humanized such a thought provoking concept which I loved.

Don’t get me wrong, this book was not all heavy science talk or discussion about DNA and compatibility. Christina Lauren penned great characters who explored this idea of matchmaking in a way that was sweet, romantic and endearing.

The Characters
I have to say that I loved both main characters but River stole the show for me.

He came across as an arrogant scientist without social skills but he was really just a shy guy which totally endeared him to me. Despite the somewhat awkwardness of their situation and his shyness, he really made an effort with Jess.

Jess was a single mom, depicted as one strong woman holding her family together and yet also one who felt the pains of single parenthood. Her relationship with her bestie, Fizzy, was awesome and provided great comedic relief to the story.

Although not a lot of time elapsed in the story, I felt like River and Jess’ romance had this sweet slow burn quality to it which kept me on the edge of my seat.

My only gripe is that I wanted MORE opportunities for them to really learn more about each other. They really didn’t have a lot of interactions before they fell hard but maybe that is the point with compatible DNA!

This romance had everything I love about Christina Lauren books – great writing, intriguing storyline and lovable characters. They even added some spice to this one too.

A definite must read in my book.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I was given access to an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

I LOVED this book. I generally enjoy Christina Lauren's works - the Unhoneymooners is one of my favorites. But this book was just amazing.

It was cute, sweet, and so nerdy that I just couldn't stop reading it. I felt like the characterizations were so well done and the subplot of "how much of this is real?" just so good. I want more.

If you're at all into romance books, this is a book to check out. I promise you won't regret it.

Love love LOVED this book. This was what I had been hoping for when I read The Love Proof.

Jess and her friend Fizzy meet River at their local coffee shop where they find out that he is creating a dating app that is based off of your DNA. He invites them to check it out and Fizzy jumps on it because she’s a romance novelist. Jess, a single mother and statistician is a bit more skeptical. When she finally decides to submit her sample, she ends up match with River with 98% compatibility. Problem is, neither of them have felt any type of compatibility with each other during their previous meetings.

How can I squeal about this book over writing? I just loved everything about this book and enjoyed every moment. I read it in just over three days, but mostly read it over the weekend because I couldn’t put it down. This is one of their less spicy romance novels, so if you’re wary of that, you will be safe with this one.

I loved the science aspect of this story. Does your DNA play a part in who you fall in love with? Does it predetermine who you will be attracted to? If you know that information, does it change how you view a person?

I’m also, as I’m sure many of you know by now, a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope in romance novels and this one definitely toes that line. Jess and River do not like one another at first which makes it all the sweeter when they find out that they’re meant to be. I also appreciated the point of conflict that was chosen. I don’t want to say much about it, but I didn’t see it coming and it didn’t make me angry.

River and Jess were also adorable. I loved their chemistry and was rooting for them the entire time. The side characters were great too! I loved Jess’s daughter Juno, her grandparents, and of course Fizzy. I know it’s not common for Christina Lauren to do sequels to these stories but I would love to see Fizzy get her own book.

How many times have I said I loved this book? The concept, the characters, the story, it was pure perfection for me. This may have moved up the list to become my second favorite Christina Lauren book and that’s saying something! Especially since I did really love their last book, In a Holidaze. But yes, this one is a close second in my mind to Josh and Hazel (which will likely never be beat).

Another hit for Christina Lauren! The Soulmate Equation managed to mix science, humor and romance into a lovely entertaining story. I started this book right before bed on Thursday night and then spent all day Friday with my Kindle in my hand. Jess & Fizzy’s humor had me laughing to myself all alone in my house. And River had me swooning. The concept itself is really unique and had me wondering about the compatibility of my husband and myself. 😂 I enjoyed this wonderful book that is available today!

Thank you to @netgalley and @gallerybooks for the digital arc. All thoughts expressed are my own.