Christina Lauren always gives a solid performance in the chick-lit, romance, rom-com arena! I also think that their books just keep getting better and better. This was a fun read about a single mom who's not really looking for love (but isn't NOT looking, either) who agrees to try out a new dating site concept with her crazy fun friend. Is love a science or an art??

I loved every moment on this novel. The characters weren't cliche, the premise of the story was fresh and I loved every aspect of the hero and heroine's romance. This is shaping up to be one of my favorite novels of 2021.

A wonderful sweet read in today's emotionally charfldes world. Jess is a single Mom living with her daughter, Juno. Jess gets involved in a DNA test to look for a love match and the story takes off from that. Another cute novel from this author duo.

I think this is the best book by Christina Lauren yet. I loved the story and the characters felt so genuine!! I’m such a sucker for enemies to lovers stories.

Single mom Jessica feels like she has to do EVERYTHING for her daughter. Not in a spoiling way but in a need to ensure her daughter feels loved. She feels like she’s a bad mom if she can’t pick Juno up on time or has to miss an evening at home with her. Jess’s #1 fear is that Juno will feel abandonment like Jess has her whole life.

River. How can you not swoon at a name like that?! I think some readers won’t get how he goes from being a standoffish jerk to being a total sweetheart. I’ll defend his shyness though. I can totally relate. I have TERRIBLE people skills especially around new or unfamiliar people. Most people think I hate them for months (some even years) after first meeting because I have absolutely no idea how to act or what to say. So for all you naysayers, River is a totally relatable character and his seeming shift in personality is totally plausible.

River and Jess together was next level. Their banter was great, especially at the beginning. I like that they tried to be genuine instead of faking it for the money.

Fizzy was such a delightful side character. Can we have a sequel starring her??? She was kooky and funny and supportive.

Juno was great. She was curious and smart and very clever.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. So much that I finished it in 1 day. I didn’t want it to end. It’s so refreshing to read this after the last few I’ve read. I like that Jess didn’t expect River to read her mind and then get mad when he couldn’t. They were honest with each other even when honesty hurt. Communication is key people!! I think that’s part of what makes their story work.

Christina and Lauren, I need a sequel, another epilogue, a short story 5 years down the road, I don’t care. I just need more River and Jess.

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
I was so excited to read this once Netgalley sent me the email that I was approved to review it. I was intrigued by the plot, matchmaking based on DNA compatibility. What a new inventive take on the romance genre. I was hooked from page one. The chemistry between Jess and River is at first non existant. Through the story it unfolds into a relationship. I loved the supporting characters as well, especially Jess' daughter and best friend.

I am a huge fan of all of Christina Laurens' writing. The Soulmate Equation did not disappoint. I had very high expectations for this one after all the top notch books I have read from theirs but this one did not miss the mark. The plot line was so creative, and unlike anything I have read in other books. I loved that they toyed with the idea of what really makes a soulmate, and how that can play into the dating scene. I always love the idea of relating things back to science and I thought they did a great job at that. Although you make think this would be a more serious book based on the plot and having science vibes, I actually found myself laughing my way through this book. All of the characters had great relationships and hilarious personalities it kept the book lively and entertaining all the way to the end. The one thing that I thought they would do better in the end was giving us more of a story after everything. I am not a fan of abrupt endings and I just felt like I was missing something when I closed up the book, but on the contrary I think they do that on purpose to keep you thinking about the book.

All in all this was an amazing book and I will continue to consume any book that Christina and Lauren publish because I am a full on fan.

So cute! I quickly fell in love with the main characters. I loved how strong Jess was. She's been handed more blows than some people could recover from (narcissistic mother, absent father, and a terrible ex) but she does what she needs to do for her adorable daughter Juno. The only thing that I didn't love about Jess' character was her supposed love for statistics and data. I just wasn't convinced and it felt like a forced character trait that could act as a bridge to River. River... oh River. Loved his character so much! Mysterious, vulnerable at the right times, gentle but strong, not to mention Tall, Dark, and Handsome. I've really enjoyed everything that Christina Lauren has written and I'm excited to read whatever they come up with next!

Christina Lauren is my favorite for cute love stories. This was super easy to read, albeit slightly predictable but still enjoyable! Single mom Jess's sole purpose is taking care of her daughter, even at the expense of her social life. Her best friend Fizzy convinces her to follow the cute guy from the coffee shop to his job at a DNA based dating app, To be a part of the app one needs to send in their spit samples for genetic matching, then you are given a score between you and matches. After a bad day, Jess decides to do just that. What happens next she would have never expected.

Now we get to follow Jess down a path of compatibility....

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and author Christina Lauren for this ARC! Hope everyone takes some time to experience a Christina Lauren book.

So many troupes I love, soulmates, bit of enemies to lovers, hint of fake dating, and just a whiff of force proximity. Both main characters are quite loveable and some great side characters.

This is definitely up there as one of my favorite Christina Lauren books! I enjoyed this more than In a Holidaze and it’s tied for The Unhoneymooners for sure. Thank you to NetGallery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Soulmate Equation follows Jess Davis, a single mother who is a freelance statistician. She loves data, crunching numbers and her small bubble which includes her daughter, her best friend Fizzy and her adorable grandparents. Jess was raised by her grandparents and has a very strained relationship with her mother who suffers from addiction. Jess hasn’t had the best luck in the dating world and is pretty much ready to throw in the towel until her and Fizzy learn about GeneticAlly, a new DNA-based matchmaking company. The company helps people find a soulmate through DNA and numbers, something Jess can relate to. When Fizzy and Jess decide to try it out, Jess ends up matching high with the company’s owner, River. Jess knows River because he is a local at their favorite coffee shop, and she knows he is anything but warm and “soulmate” material. The two are skeptical about their match but agree to get to know each other and see if the science is right. As Jess is dragged from one event to another, she learns more about the mysterious and standoffish River. She quickly realizes that in order for this to work, she’ll have to lay down her skepticism and learn to trust in love again and not just in the numbers.

I loved this book! It was perfectly predicable in the way that romcoms are, although I did not guess the slight twist at the end. It tugged on your heart strings and was so fun and dynamic. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this light fun romance!! Although you generally know how this kind of book is going to end up, the idea of a matchmaking service that was based on genetics was a new idea (and probably something that we are headed to in the future!) I liked the characters and their back stories, and although I figured out early on who the "bad guy" was gong to be, that didn't make the story any less enjoyable! Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

This is the kind of Christina Lauren book I LOVE. It had a whole lot of heart and I loved the single mom aspect of it, which I'm not usually a fan of, but Juno had my heart from the first time she appears.

River was such an interesting character. He was definitely awkward, but I liked how he threw himself into this experiment with reckless abandon. He comes off as a bit of a jerk because of his awkwardness, but you soon realize that he is a big softy under all of that rough exterior. His friendship with Juno was one of the best parts of this book.

Jess was exactly what you would expect from a single mom who has been burned in the past. She's very wary of the service and of River himself. She was pretty cautious with allowing River into her world and home life and I really respected that.

The story itself was fun and dynamic and tugged on your heart strings a little bit. I liked the angst towards the end and that I shockingly didn't see it coming at first.

Overall, this is a great book and I highly recommend it!

I had access to this book through Netgalley. I really liked the characters. I liked that the female lead was so strong, while also showing vulnerability. I also liked that River admitted his mistakes and made efforts to fix them. The humor of the story was not overdone. Fizzy was a great character and I would love another book focusing on her and her love story.

I absolutely loved this book, I think it may be my favorite Christina Lauren so far.
The Soulmate Equation follows Jess a single mom who finds that her genetic soulmate might just be a surly coffee shop regular River Pena . I felt like the chemistry and banter between our main character and the love interest was so realistic. The concept of a genetic matchmaking service was such a fun take. The one drawback I have for this is that I don’t feel like the relationship between Jess and her mom was handled very well, I feel like this aspect of the story could have been given more impact to the conflict between characters to the story instead of a few lines in the last chapter.

Single mom Jess Davis is a statistician who hears about GeneticAlly, a new DNA-based matchmaking company that’s predicted to change dating forever. She gets matched with the company's founder and is subsequently dragged into the spotlight of the company's launch.
Another feel-good Christina Lauren book! Lovers of rom-coms will enjoy.

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren follows Single mom Jess Davis who signs up for GeneticAlly, a buzzy new DNA-based matchmaking company that’s predicted to change dating forever. Then, her test shows an unheard-of 98% compatibility with another subject in the database: GeneticAlly’s founder, Dr. River Pena. This is one number she can’t wrap her head around, because she already knows Dr. Pena. The stuck-up, stubborn man is without a doubt not her soulmate. But GeneticAlly has a proposition: Get to know him and we’ll pay you. Jess—who is barely making ends meet—is in no position to turn it down, despite her skepticism about the project and her dislike for River. As the pair are dragged from one event to the next as the “Diamond” pairing that could make GeneticAlly a mint in stock prices, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to the scientist—and the science behind a soulmate—than she thought.

This book was so adorable! I just finished it in one sitting and can't stop smiling. While the premise of this story is reminiscent of The One by John Marrs, this is a way more romantic take on the story. I absolutely loved all the characters in this book from Jess to River and Jess's best friend Fizzy and Jess's daughter, Juno, who is just adorable. I especially loved the relationship between Jess and her grandparents who were her caretakers growing up and are still so involved in her and Juno's life. While Christina Lauren is a very hit or miss author for me this book was definitely a hit that I highly recommend!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh man, I was so relieved that C&L played out the twist the way they did-- creating just enough conflict without implicating River in something that he never would have done. What a delightful, romantic novel. This was one of those books that made me excited to get up early on a weekday because it meant I could stay in bed and read just a little bit longer.

When my full review is posted it will be on my instagram @slowburnbookclub!

"The Soulmate Equation" by Christina Lauren was just the book I needed to read. Following thriller after thriller, this story was a welcome escape. The premise of the story was interesting--imagine that you no longer had to go blindly into the dating world, but rather your DNA determined who your perfect match was. In some ways, wouldn't that be easier for everyone?

Enter Jess-- the protagonist of the story. She is nerdy in an endearing way, mother to a 7 year old, fantastic with numbers, and loyal to her grandparents. She definitely doesn't believe she has the time or effort in her for love. Then there is Dr. River Pena. Jess knows him as "Americano" the name her and her best friend nicknamed him because based on the drink he always orders at the local coffee shop.

Jess doesn't know what to make about GeneticAlly (the DNA Matchmaking Company) and certainly doesn't expect to match so highly with anyone, particularly with Dr. River Pena. Once they receive their results, they agree to hang out together. I appreciate the fact that the author didn't immediately make them fall head over heels in love with each other. Their love blossomed in an organic, interesting way. I also appreciated the parts of River bonding with Jess's daughter Juno.

I won't ruin the surprise for you, but leave you with this: maybe their results weren't exactly what they appeared, or then again, were they?

All in all, a great easy read! Sure to not disappoint!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What if you could find your soulmate using spit to determine whose DNA matches yours? Dr. River Pena created an app and has spent his whole adult life matching people. Those with extremely high matches have stayed together blissfully happy. He never expected to see someone matched to him. Jess is a consultant who crunches numbers for clients. She is barely getting by, supporting her 7-year-old daughter, and taking care of grandparents who raised her. Jess has a close friend, Fizzy, who writes romance novels and encourages both to enter the dating pool. After all, as a romance writer it offers more material. This book is a delight! Great writing with humor and warmth. Wonderful characters; a darling daughter, Juno, grandparents that are supportive, a best friend we all would love to have, and a boyfriend who is willing to break out of his work mode of 100 hours a week. I loved this book.

This book was funny, heartwarming, unique, sassy and nerdy - and what a combo it was!!

This novel takes a look at the concept of soulmates and what it even means to be and have one. Jess really wants to fall in love with the one, but with her sad family history, abandonment issues and general down-to-earthness, she doesn't know if it's possible. Because she's been down that road before, and as a single mom and a hardcore statistics prodigy, Jess can't afford to leave her life to chance.

So when she decides to give a DNA-based matchmaking company a chance, things go wrong when she is matched with the company's very founder - a stuck-up man Jess already knows and who is DEFINITELY not her soulmate....

Ah, this was a fantastic hate to love romance with steam, nerdiness, math and humor! I loved how different it was from anything I've read before. This much needed breath of fresh, nerdy air gets a 5-star rating from this girl for sure.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.