Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

THE SOULMATE EQUATION is my favorite CLo novel to date. It's laugh-out-loud funny, poignant, and smart. I was rooting for Jess the whole way.

Single-mom Jess is just managing to keep her head above water. Her tiny "village" helps Jess raise her precocious seven-year-old daughter, while she tries to build a data analysis consulting business. Her routine is set, and as long as everything goes to plan, she can put food on the table, take care of her grandparents, and support her best friend. But the pieces of her life are precariously balanced, and when one part wobbles, the others do too. It makes absolutely no sense to enter the dating game with so much at stake. And yet....what is the point of a perfect plan if it ultimately gets you nowhere?

River is genuinely likeable as a love interest, but Jess really is the star of this book. She's wicked smart, fiercely devoted to her friends and family, and harbors just enough self-doubt to make her believable. It was a pleasure to read her thoughts, and I was (silently) cheering her on at the end.

N.B. to the universe: Please let us have a novel of Fizzy's path to eternal love.

I tend to run hot and cold with CLo novels, but SOULMATE is a solid 4.5 stars, rounded up. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

Jess is a single mom who is tired of the dating world. Then she and her friend, Fizzy, become interested in the guy they call “Americano,” who comes into the coffee shop they have turned into their workspace every morning at the same time. They discover that he has created a new way of dating by matching couples through their DNA. When Jess sends her DNA sample, it comes back with a huge surprise. She has an unheard of 98% match with none other than “Americano” aka River Pena. Did I mention that they did not get off on the right foot and now they have to “date” to help promote the company’s launch.

Christina Lauren has done it again. If you have liked their previous books, especially The Unhoneymooners or In a Holidaze, you’ll like this one. It had me hooked right away and I’ve really been liking books that come up with new apps and fun ideas like this. I liked all of the characters and that they had their own personalities. I loved Fizzy and that she is a romance writer. She was really fun. I don’t usually like a main character’s kids because they aren’t usually given personalities, but Jess’s daughter, Juno had a great personality and I loved all of her random facts (I did not know a roller coaster was built to deter people away from brothels.)

I really liked the romance. I liked that serious things were also included in the novel, such as Jess’s mom who pretty much abandoned her for drugs and alcohol. I thought this was handled well of how she feels about her mom. I also didn’t mind the obligatory “break-up” at the end, which I usually dread in other romance books.

I couldn’t wait to start this one, and it didn’t let me down. I think Christina Lauren is one of my new favorite authors. I liked the premise of the story, and how it made me think about how I’d react to dating software that could predict a soulmate based on DNA.

The characters were amazing. I loved the supporting characters — Jess’s grandparents, her best friend Fizzy, and especially her daughter, Juno. They were perfect companions and played such a great role in how the story developed. Jess was so relatable. She’s a single mom with a strong support group, a freelance job that allows her to be involved in her daughter’s life, and a tentative hold on everything else. Except she’s not really managing very well, and has completely put romance on the back burner. Until she meets her DNA-determined soulmate. Dr. River Peña is the most infuriating character at first. He wasn’t very likable, but he definitely grew on me as I kept reading, and I genuinely grew to love him. He had some truly redeeming characteristics, but also some incredibly frustrating flaws that helped him avoid the “too perfect” trap.

I enjoyed the way the romance unfolded as well. It wasn’t a fake dating story as much as a forced dating story, where they wound up having to give the relationship a genuine try, regardless of how they felt about it at first. I wasn’t sure how they’d get past the initial obstacles, since they were both pretty resistant to each other’s personalities, although there was a definite physical attraction. But when they started to give each other a chance, things started to heat up. There wasn’t any explicit sex in the story, but I did enjoy how the romance was portrayed.

Overall, this was a great story, and I’d definitely recommend giving it a shot. While it did get a little bit technical when it came to statistics and genes, it wasn’t overwhelmingly so and didn’t fall into too much jargon for a novice (read: non math person) like myself to be able to follow. So give this one a shot!

As usual, Christina Lauren had me gripped from the first chapter. This novel is fun and futuristic, taking today's obsession with dating apps/culture and adding a scientific twist. The characters are fun and sexy and as the reader, you can't help but continue to turn the pages to find out what happens next. The ending was satisfying and left me wanting more.

Christina Lauren's book, the Soulmate Equation, is based on genetics and compatibility. Or maybe just the thought that there is a possible link between the two. It is about Jessica, a woman who was in college, dating someone but not ready for marriage when she found herself pregnant. Her boyfriend wanted no part of a baby so he left. Jessica was raising her daughter with the help of her grandparents and best friend, Fizzy. Things were just as she wanted them.
Jessica was a self-employed statistician and spent her mornings at a nearby coffee shop where she and Fizzy, a romance author, worked at the tables and drank coffee. They would watch the people and became interested in a nice-looking man who came in every morning for an Americano coffee drink. One day, in the interest of research for a new romance book, they decided to talk to him. Fizzy was not afraid to talk to anyone, and he invited them to see his work. They found out that he worked at a place where you could find a partner, an app that was like a genetic version of Tinder. They decided to stop by and try it.
Fizzy bought the program for herself. She decided that Jess needed a little liveliness in her life and bought one for her, also. That is when things got a little crazy.
The story is based on modern problems like dating apps and IPOs (stock offerings). It reads quickly and is hard to put down. I recommend this book as a great diversion from the day.

I wanted to like this book! I have liked or loved almost every book by Christina Lauren that I've read. Unfortunately, Fizzy ruined it for me... The balance of her character at the beginning took too much attention away from the main characters. I wanted the nerds, the math, the technology, the potential for social awkwardness. I wanted that, but I didn't want Fizzy. So I stopped reading this about 1/3 of the way through.

Thank you Gallery Books and Netgalley for the ARC! I'm a huge Christina Lauren fan so I get super excited when a new CLo book is coming out. I will admit that I didn't love this one as much as most CLo books I've read - BUT I still enjoyed it! What I wish there were more of: the emotional development in the romantic relationship and discussion of the impact Jess's relationship with her mom has on her relationship with herself and her own daughter. Jess's mom struggles with addiction to alcohol and drugs, and this is such an important topic, but I feel that there isn't enough nuanced discussion about addiction. The physical chemistry was definitely there between Jess and River, but I would have loved more of them getting to know each other and falling for each other emotionally. What I loved: JUNO. FIZZY. JESS'S GRANDPARENTS. The supporting characters in this one were so lovable. I want more Juno and Fizzy!! And the science was actually really interesting! Overall, while I wish some things were more fleshed out, this was an enjoyable and cute rom com. I have seen lots of 5 star reviews so take my opinion with a grain of salt!

Really 3.5. This was my third Christina Lauren book & the first one I read in print instead of listening to the audiobook. I think I’ll go back to audio for them. Overall it was cute, but the writing was heavily flawed. The pacing felt off & the narrative just didn’t seem smooth. For the first time it really felt like it was written by two separate writers. There seemed to be a lot more tell than show. I also think an audio narrator may have infused some much-needed energy. One thing I did love about this book is that the main character is in a STEM field. Usually the women in contemporary romances are event planners or in the arts or work for charities. It was nice that Jess was a statistician.

This is only the third book by author duo “Christina Lauren” that I have read, and they’re three-for-three for me so far!

This book had its heartbreaking moments. Being a single mom with a challenging childhood, feeling as though everyone you care about leaves you? Definitely not easy. But this book also SCREAMS #StrongFemaleProtagonist by the end and I swear, Jess Davis is not one I’d want to get in the way of. (I seriously love how she doesn’t just let a guy make mistakes and get away with it!)

This book warmed my heart. The enemies-to-lovers trope was so well done, and I loved the banter between the two main characters. This will not be my last @christinalauren book, that’s for sure.

🆂🆈🅽🅾🅿🆂🅸🆂
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙀𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 follows Jessica Davis, a single mom and statistics wizard, as she moves through her daily life with her grandparents, her awesome kid (Juno), and her best friend. Her mom is out of the picture, but pops back in at her convenience, often leaving Jess reeling. Meantime, Jess is incredibly busy managing her day-to-day life, attempting to make ends meet.

But she can’t help but notice Americano (nick-named for his coffee order at the shop he comes into every morning). On a whim, she finds out that he’s a geneticist starting up a compatibility company where the system would determine whether or not you’re compatible with a match depending on biology and genetics.

At first skeptical, even Jess has to admit they’re thorough when she learns the details. But what she doesn’t expect is to find a match. A diamond match at that – one where she matches at 98% with another person. Better yet…with someone she can’t stand to be around.

Can it work? Can data determine compatibility? Can she give him a chance? Even if everything she comes to trust falls apart?

Such a cute book and I love that it was so STEM oriented. I thought it was really fun. Christina Lauren doesn't let us down.

This book was really good. The science part was sometimes a bit descriptive for me and over my head, but it was easy to get past and not get lost trying to figure anything out. Without any spoilers I will say there was one thing at the end of the book that really truly bothered me. I knew it was coming (I really hoped it wouldn’t happen) but it did and I didn’t like it. But all around this was a good book that I would recommend to others.

Really enjoyed this book! It made me reminisce about when Match.com was the new and best way to find a relationships it seemed so crazy and of the wall at the time. Never in my wildest dream didmI imagine fast forwarding 20 years and match becoming passé and hearing about dating apps like Tinder,Bumble etc. I have never used these apps or match but find the algorithms and methods fascinating. I loved this fresh take on this and found this book to be really cute and entertaining. While much of it was predictable- it was a fun and sweet book to start hailing in the summer. I enjoy books by this duo author team. I was not as into their last book but really found this one to be fun. Imprecise t it to be a big summer hit.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest opionion.

I absolutely loved this ARC that i received! There is a ew app that takes your spit and genetically matches you with the love of your life.. Or does it??? When Jess decides to give it a go, she meets Dr Pena who’s less than welcoming, turns out they’re matched at a high rating. They both let their guards down and let the love in all while handling real life accidents and drama.
I just kept turning the pages! I wanted to know more but didn’t want it to end.

#TheSoulmateEquation by #ChristinaLauren #142of250 #35of25 #26chapters #368pages #covidreading #Kindle #ARC #Netgalley #NetGAlleyARC #ReadItQuick #whatsnext #ClearingOffReadingShelves

Hmmm. I’m struggling with rating this book because I wanted to like it more than I actually did. The idea behind it in this technology run world is kinda cool, but I found myself at times skimming because it was quite factual and boring.
That being said, there were definitely some good parts and I Loved Fizzy and Juno. And Jess’ grandparents were so amazing and supportive, it made me remember all the good times I had with my own grandparents.
Jess is a single mom who turns 30 and her BFF gives her a DNA dating match test for her birthday. She reluctantly sends in her results and ends up matched with one of the founders of the company. She doesn’t believe the results and neither does he, but they have to pretend they like each other while promoting the company and of course, end up falling for each other. In the process of figuring things out between them, something happens that could change everything or nothing, depending on what they decide to do about it. I hope there’s a sequel with Fizz and her dating future in it.
I have a feeling this will be a big hit, I’m just starting to realize that mainstream books are not really my thing.
Thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

First, I want to address those “eugenics” criticisms. I’ve seen reviews that say using DNA to match people together automatically falls under eugenics, but I don’t really agree with that. I think there needs to be actual intent to (or results that) only match certain demographics of people with other certain demographics of people for it to be considered eugenics – which is obviously repulsive. It’s not what’s going on in this book at all, though. I do feel like the authors could have gone a little bit more out of their way to make this distinction more clear, though. And while we’re on the topic of science, I thought it could have been handled a little more thoughtfully than it was. There is a lot scientific terminology thrown out in short bursts and I found it all pretty confusing.

I also struggled a bit with the main character, Jess. She made so many assumptions on River before ever even talking to him, that it colored all of her interactions with him once they officially meet and she was so rude. She went on and on about how he was the worst when she was the one that was acting so horribly. It drove me a little crazy. As she eventually gets to know him and realizes she was wrong about him, I started to like her a little more, just to get frustrated again by how she reacted to the Big Conflict. The unevenness of her character really brought down my overall enjoyment of the book.

While Jess wasn’t my favorite, I did really like River. He made a couple missteps – including how he handled the Big Conflict, as well – but other than those he was pretty perfect. He was sweet and romantic and probably one of my favorite male characters Christina Lauren has written. I also enjoyed Jess’ grandparents and daughter. I thought they were all kind and supportive and I wouldn’t have minded seeing a bit more of them.

Overall, I enjoyed The Soulmate Equation, but I didn’t love it. While there was some good banter occasionally and I shipped the romance, my struggle with the main character brought everything down a bit for me. While this one may not be my favorite Christina Lauren book, I look forward to checking out whatever they write next.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars

I love this duo so much! They always make the best rom-coms (in my opinion). I was invested with all the characters with their great banter and fun character development. I thought this was their best storyline yet! Strongly recommend to any Christina Lauren fan.

This was a fantastic story. I don't know what changed but the writing felt more reminiscent of older books by Christina Lauren that I adored.

I loved that there was a twist to the story, and a lot of very real and valid mom guilt Jess experienced. All the moms in books tend to be super moms even when they're "frazzled" Here we had a women who messed up and definitely didn't have it all together and it was refreshing.

I loved the flip script in who you expect to panic and destroy it all.

Christina Lauren are the types of authors where I'm never disappointed: quick easy reads that make me swoon, laugh and just be happy.

The Soulmate Equation is one of their best books. Hands down.

This story follows statistic obsessed single mom Jess who lives a very family oriented life of caring for her daughter and freelancing when possible to help out her grandparents who helped raise her. She gets bamboozled into participating in a new dating app start up that uses genetics to match you to your potential soulmate. The twist is that Jess matches almost perfectly with the company's found Dr. River Pena.

THIS BOOK! I swooned! I laughed! I almost cried!

Not only is the concept so ridiculously fantastic, but but this book was just a damn good and well written romance. The sexual tension was genius and what I've began to notice was a damn good romance includes a damn good first kiss. AND THIS HAD IT.

I loved this book! Such a perfect read with a totally new concept: think Bumble meets 23andMe. The idea of finding your soulmate based on genetic matchmaking is fascinating to me, and I loved that this book read light and fun for a summer romance but also was smart and well researched to back up the subject matter. I would 10/10 recommend adding this book to your summer reading list.

** I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley.

Jess Davis is a freelance statistician who has pretty much given up on the daving scene because of her daughter Juno. In her opinion, raising her daughter is a full time job and dating doesn't fit in. After hearing about a new dating company, GeneticAlly, Jess's best friend Fizzy takes a test that promises to match you to your genetic soulmate. After having a tough night, Jess also takes the test and is given a 98% compatibility rating with non other than the company's founder, Dr. River Pena. Jess is given an opportunity to get to know River and see if they really are soulmates.

The book was such an easy read! I was almost immediately drawn to it and sucked into the story. Jess is such an interesting character because of her love for numbers and having a "real" concrete formula. The real fun in this novel is Fizzy. She is so boisterous and fun to read. I loved every portion of the book that showcased their friendship as it felt so true. Fizzy writes romance novels and always puts Jess in them somehow. I just really loved that.

Juno and River's relationship was so sweet and it made the book really special. Juno is an inquisitive child who always has questions up her sleeves and reads vicariously for new information. River connects to her in that way and is almost captivated by her. I think it's such an important relationship that went so well.

The true connection in this book is Jess and River. I have no doubt in my mind that these characters needed each other and it was so wonderful to read their beginning. This is definitely my new favorite Christina Lauren novel.