I honestly don't know if I should focus on how cute and fun this book was to read or how fascinating the science/idea of our genes as an indicator for compatibility is!

Whenever I am in a rut, Christina Lauren's books are guaranteed to make me smile and this one is no different. This book is about two people who get matched via a new dating site that is based on science. Specifically, compatibility of their genes. And to make it more interesting, our hero (River) is one of the founders of the dating company. Jess and River don't have the best of starts- he doesn't make a very good first impression- but their relationship is sweet. I love how awkward they can be- and I admit I really loved the science jokes. But the star of the show is Jude. She doesn't really speak like a seven year old, but she is the coolest of kids, and I love the family they have built. I also loved Jess' best friend. I wish she was focused on a little more- but maybe she is getting her own book soon :)

Overall, this was a sweet and fun read.

Okay I want to start this off with the fact that I'm a big Christina Lauren fan. The Unhoneymooners is one of my favorite books and I re-read it often. I really liked the plot, and the characters were great. I loved the relationship between Jess and Fizzy. I also liked the idea that they really drove home that there's a pressure that comes with "knowing" someone is your soulmate. I liked how developed the characters were and their relationship with each other and the growing attraction between Jess and River. I also had a few issues with the book though because I found there to be a really big pacing issue. The beginning, for me at least, moved way too slowly. It took forever to get to the inciting moment. Once we really got down to it I enjoyed it a lot more but that was already like 20% into the book. Also, I felt like the end was a little rushed and I did not like the conflict at all because we still don't know if they're "soulmates" or not but then again I guess that was the point, that it doesn't really matter. Overall, it was good but not my favorite.

I loved this book. Christina Lauren (as a writing pair) never disappoint in the heartfelt, fun romance department. A central part of the plot of the story is DNA testing and some of the outcomes that this technology can bring about. It also delves into what leads to attraction, why we love who we love, and how much of a role biology plays in human connection.

Jess submits her sample for testing by a new startup company aimed at matchmaking through DNA. She is very skeptical until she ends up with a remarkably strong match with a man she really does not like in person, Dr. River Pena. The pair is persuaded to explore their connection as publicity for the company (her match is one of the founders). Both Jess and River are scientists so they are intrigued by the possibilities and quickly find that there may be something to the DNA technology.

I loved every character from Jess to her family to her best friend Fizzy. My favorite has to be her daughter Juno though, who steals every scene. Both Jess and River are mature, well-rounded people and their individual personalities add to their connection. Every romance story has to have a plot twist but this one felt very real and in tune with how each character would react to the situation. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Christina Lauren, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished The Soulmate Equation last night and it was such a cute story. Jess Davis is a single mom, raising her daughter Juno with the help of her amazing grandparents. Jess hasn’t even tried to make time to date men or find love in her life, she is completely focused on her daughter and her work. So when her best friend Fizzy mentions a new company that vows to find your soulmate using DNA based matchmaking, Jess is skeptical. But she figures what is the harm in submitting her DNA as long as she sets the perimeters high- only matching if the results are Diamond level (basically a perfect match result).

Jess never imagines that she will actually be matched with someone, and not just anyone...the founder of the company who is not only drop dead gorgeous but seemingly the biggest jerk she’s ever met. The company is ready to launch soon and their Diamond level results could help really sell this science- so they make a deal with Jess...spend time together and get to know Dr. River Pena and we will compensate you. Jess needs the money and she is curious about their results, so why not?

Correct me if I’m wrong but I think this is the first Christina Lauren book that follows a single mom finding love and I absolutely adored this story. It is full of heart and wonderful characters. I’m so thankful I was able to read this early, thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for this advance reading copy. This is one you don’t want to miss out on so make a note- it is available 5/18/21.

This is a lovely story about a single mom, Jess, who lives with her 7-year-old daughter Juno close to Jess' grandparents who raised her. And it is about a new 'dating' app where you are matched through your DNA from a company called GeneticAlly. When Jess finds she is matched with an unbelievable high score to River Pena (whom she has met and they have not exactly hit it off), she hesitantly agrees to a couple of dates with River to promote the company.

I have read Christina Lauren before (years ago) and it was actually not my style so this was a bit of a gamble and purely based on the blurb. And fortunately it paid off, as this was a very nice and enjoyable read. The main couple had a believable romance, I loved Juno and Jess' best friend Felicity.
So now I will be on the lookout for more books by this/these authors.

I'm not a big fan of Christina Lauren. Some of their other books I read weren't much to my liking so I went into this one with my expectations low. When I got the chance to read this ARC I was hesitant about it but finally decided I give it a chance. And I'm really glad I did (maybe my expectations being low was a good thing). I enjoyed The Soulmate Equation, I liked the plot, I enjoyed the twist on the online dating/dating app trope & I liked the characters (even if I didn't always agree with their actions), I even liked Juno and that's saying a lot because I'm not a big fan of children in plot (Jess being a single mother was actually one of the reasons I was heistant to read this book, it's something I usually don't enjoy in the stories so I try to avoid it). And I liked that it was a slow burn romance and that the couple didn't fall into bed right away. So why 4 instead of 5 stars if I liked everything so much? Well in my opinion, River got forgiven for his behaviour way too easily. I think he should be made to grovel. The way he acted when the shit hit the fan was so not ok and Jess forgave him too easily in my opinion. That's it, that's why 4 insted of 5 stars. But otherwise this was a really sweet, low angst romance book and I enjoyed it a lot. Rocommended.

This was a sweet, cute, and charming read. I really enjoy this authors work and I feel like this was a book that is needed to bring up my spirits. It definitely hit the mark for the feel-good romance. I really enjoyed getting to see the characters grow and learn to care for one another. And I especially loved the growing sexual tension. Overall I’m very happy with the book.

A dating app that genetically matches you to your soulmate? This should totally be a real thing! Jess and River loathe and lust each other at first sight. Jess is a single mom to adorably precocious 7 year old Juno. She’s just trying to be the best mom she can be and take care of her daughter. But she’s lonely and on a particularly lonely night, she spits in a tube and sends off her sample. River is a pompous workaholic who started a project to genetically match people with their soulmate but lived an empty life himself. Sparks fly when these lovebirds receive a higher than normal match percentage. I found this novel to be hilariously delicious.

Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

CLo is at it again with another laugh out loud, extremely cute story. I loved the premise and the characters right away. Plus it has one of my favorite tropes - enemies to lovers. I couldn’t put it down and read it in less than 24 hours (basically how how CLo books go for me). The only aspect I didn’t love was the money plot line but I think they did a great job of addressing it over and over.

This is our May 18th and for CLo fans: this has the laughter of The Unhoneymooners but the sweetness of Love and Other Words!

NOTE: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another good one from Christina Lauren. Can your DNA predict your soulmate? Single mother Jess is about to find out. This fun, if somewhat predictable, book could be called Hot Nerds in Love, as statistician Jess is matched with scientist River, one of the founders of the genetics dating company. There are some memorable side characters including Jess's BFF Felicity (her nickname Fizzy is a bit too cute for me, I admit), her precocious daughter Juno, her grandparents and River's older sisters who make a too short appearance.

Some elements of the story didn't quite add up for me - I had an issue with the timing of the publicity surrounding the match being way too quick and with Jess's ethics concern with one client but seemingly little questioning of the ethics with this company. But if I glossed over those writer missteps, I could enjoy this book for what it was: a fun, vacation read from a reliably writing duo who always manage to turn out want-to-read stories.

I flew through this book with a smile plastered on my face. The unique premise gives us a single Mom Jess who gets matched with the Dr. River Pena, founder of the revolutionary DNA-based dating company. I know this book is heavy on the math, but the chemistry between these two was off the charts (cheesy puns totally intended).

Christina Lauren crafts another enjoyable romance--smart, funny and heart-warming. I loved all the characters, from her endearing grandparents to her sassy best friend and adorable daughter Juno. There were moments of cuteness that made this total sap tear up.

Still pinching myself that I was able to read an ARC of this, but so glad I did! Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to share my honest review in advance of this being published on May 18th!

I enjoyed this book so much. I work in a quantitative field, and I really enjoyed reading a romantic story about two people who also worked in a quantitative field. I really liked Jess, and I identified so much with her struggles, insecurities, and doubts. And River...Oh.My.Gosh. I about melted every time he was on the page. He is one of the best male leads I’ve read in a romantic comedy/romance in a long time. He was so kind, and I loved that he was a shy guy. As someone who is shy herself, it was nice to see a romantic lead not be a smarmy, outgoing guy for a change, and for River to just be a normal person. I found the whole concept of the story fascinating, and I could not put this book down. I loved the idea of meeting my soulmate with a genetic link, and I thought the twist at the end was well-done.

One issue...In Chapter 16, Fizzy is described as being out of town in LA, and that’s why she can’t help Jess pick up Juno. In the next chapter, though, Fizzy was detailed as being in New York while Jess needed the help. I think this inconsistency should be corrected.

Overall, I loved this book!

I plan to post my review for this book on my blog and my instagram page. My blog review will be available on 2/22/2021, and my Instagram review will be available on 2/28/2021.

Please contact me at chasingmrdarcy@outlook.com if you have any questions or concerns. I would love to review another Christina Lauren book in the future.

This morning, I just finished THE SOULMATE EQUATION by everyone’s favorite: Christina Lauren. After finishing another romcom yesterday, I knew this was exactly what I needed to continue my reading streak (is that the opposite of a slump?). On a whim, and under her BFFs insistence, single-mom Jess Davis submits her DNA to a new company: a DNA-based matchmaking company. Think Bumble meets 23andMe! Wildly, she is match at a 98% compatibility (a wildly high number, never seen in the company’s research) with the handsome Dr. River Pena. But can science really determine your soulmate?

This book was just wildly cute. The attraction between Jess and River (what a hunky name, right?) was palpable, but I appreciated that Jess was a whole woman with family concerns, a wonderful daughter, and a job as a statistician - not a one dimensional heroine. For me, I think these types of books are really made on the cast of characters - not just the two MC - and this book has a zany BFF, supportive grandparents, and a host of characters involved at the DNA company.

To me, Christina Lauren can just do no wrong - they’ve delivered another hit, that I’m sure we will see all over booksta in the next few months.

THE SOULMATE EQUATION is out May 18, so pre-order now!

[Side note, may have found a typo when Fizzy is out of town? At one point it says she was in LA and then it said New York?]

Let me preface this review by stating that I took the science route in my career at a very young age so I instantly knew this book was going to have me sucked in. Even beyond the fun science jargon, this was such a new take on an "enemies to lovers" trope that had me quickly immersed in the story of Jess and the DNA test she took to find a compatible soulmate, which leads her to Dr River Péna. I loved the idea of two math and science nerds getting to know each other in the wake of finding out their intense compatibility and their journey to falling in love, it's every science nerd's dream! It had just enough steam too to excite the average romance reader but not get too carried away that you have to take a hot shower afterwards to cool off after what you just read. I absolutely loved the supporting characters in the story as well, especially Jess's sassy friend Felicity, who provides the right amount of humor to round out the entire story.

I think Christina Lauren have another hit on their hands with The Soulmate Equation, it felt so unique and had the appropriate amount of romance/cheesiness to the story that their fans will go crazy for. I need to work through their back list of novels, but from the few that I've read so far this one is by far my favorite! Thank you to Gallery books and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this upcoming Christina Lauren novel.

I absolutely loved it!!

It’s such a fun, uplifting book with a great story!! The characters are all well developed and very likable. Even the grumpy guy, Dr River Pena.

The story is about Jess a single mom. Jess and her daughter June live with Jess’s amazing grandparents. They are always there to help her out. Then Jess hears about a new DNA matchmaking company. The company’s premise is its ability to find your soulmate through DNA matching. Jess is skeptical but intrigued. That’s when the story gets really good! I don’t want to say much more to spoil it for others.

If you like rom coms you will love this one! It’s a fun romance that I think everyone can enjoy!!

Smart women, science, and a grumpy, socially inept love interest? The Soulmate Equation has all the right variables.
Now, I should be up front: as a double Liberal Arts major and professional creative, I am the furthest thing from a statistician or geneticist, so I can't speak for the accuracy of the numbers or science. However, what I can say is that as a layperson, it seems like the authors did a great job researching their subject and presenting it in a palatable manner. There is a balance to that, and perhaps someone who is deeply into science would find this silly (there are moments that I found myself questioning the logic), but it was entertaining for me, and I think if the authors had gone any further into the complexities, it would've lost me.
The pacing is great and the characters are all engaging. As is often the case with rom-com's, the supporting characters-- amateur romance writer Fizzy and precocious Juno-- are even more fun than the lead, Jess. I really liked that the love interest here, River, started out being truly unlikeable but arced into a loyal, desirable partner for Jess. So often, love interests are given traits that make them superficially unlikeable, for the sole purpose of making them the opposite of our heroine, but it never feels authentic. Here, River always feels authentically himself, which I love. And furthermore, neither River nor Jess has a huge flaw that they have to *change* for the other-- they just sort of learn how to be better versions of themselves.
Fans of Christina Lauren and similar stories like The Kiss Quotient will love this book.

Another hit from the dynamic duo! I have yet to meet a Christina Lauren book I haven't loved. This one felt a bit different than their usual romantic comedy - not as lighthearted and fluffy - but never fear, it was still full of the classic slow burn and romantic tension that they are loved for.

The Soulmate Equation features single mom Jess and her relatable struggle to find the balance in her work/personal/mom life. She meets Will - a scientist developing an app to match couples based on their genetic composition. After a particularly rough day, Jess decides on a whim to participate in the app. She is beyond shocked when she matches with a potential suitor at 98% - a match that is so far unheard of. Jess has to decide if she believes in the science behind the app and furthermore if she even believes in the possibility of a soulmate.

The Soulmate Equation. involves a good bit of science and math related details in the storyline - seeing as Will is a scientific developer and Jess is a statistician. I am admittedly not a "numbers person," so this wasn't exactly an aspect of the story that drew me in...but it wasn't so much that it turned me off. It is definitely more of a scientific romance (is that even a category - ha!) but oddly enough the amount of details added helped the story feel more realistic - as if this type of dating app could (or does?) exist.

Not my favorite Christina Lauren book, but definitely one worth reading! Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

There was too much science and math in this book so I did not enjoy it as much as I usually enjoy their books. Still, a cute story but I did get bogged down in places.

My nerdy romantic heart loved this so very much. I love CL books anyway, but this one was an extra fun read. I loved the dynamic of the likable characters. There are literally laugh out loud moments that I wanted to highlight and save! I’ll be buying the book. When it hits the shelves to pass it around to my friends. Does it come with a DNA kit?

This is such a fun book! I love everything written by this dynamic duo.
Jess is possibly my favorite character so far. She is real and unpretentiousness and through her we see the struggle. I loved the relationships between Jess and every character. Jess as the daughter. The caretaker of the grandparents Jess the single mom. Jess the amazing best friend. And Jess the lover. The authors did an amazing job showing the guilt, exhaustion and needs of this character.
As with all books from this author, I pick up the book and before I know it I have finished.
Thank you for the advanced opportunity to read this book