I had just fished The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren so I was so excited to be accepted to read this ARC and it was everything I wanted in a book!
I adored the writing and I love how vivid the characters of Jess, Fizzy and River are. It was such an enjoyable plot that was vert well developed and I was captivated when reading it which says a lot as I usually get distracted so easily and I managed to read it in a single afternoon!
I would really recommend it and will be telling all my friends so buy it as the perfect summer read!

I'm a massive Christina Lauren fan and was so excited about this release that I bought it before NetGalley sent it to me! And I wasn't disappointed. It's like a hug in book form – super sweet and comforting. I absolutely fell in love with Jess, Fizzy, Juno and especially River, who is a dream hero. I can totally see this one on screen.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5

Single mom Jess Davis is a data and statistics wizard, but no amount of number-crunching can convince her to step back into the dating world. Then she hears about GeneticAlly, a matchmaking company who pairs you up based on DNA-compatibility percentage.

This Jess understands. At least she thought she did, until her test shows an unheard-of 98% compatibility - with none other than the company’s founder, Dr. River Pena. The problem? Jess knows Dr. Pena: he’s cocky, he’s stubborn, he’s stuck-up; there’s no way he could ever be her soulmate.

When the company offers Jess a load of money to pay her to fake-date River to bring some publicity to them, Jess can’t refuse. But as the pair are dragged from one event to the next, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to the scientist - and the science behind a soulmate- than she thought.

Once again, Christina Lauren knocked it out of the park, you guys! This was a fun, charming, adorable read! This romance between River and Jess is the stuff of dreams. I loved their genome-related foreplay (because I’m a nerd this way) and all subsequent moments as they come closer to each other.

The only minor issue I had with the book was with Juno, Jess’ daughter, because she’s too perfect and that’s unrealistic - even more so, since Jess is a single-mom. But all in all, another great book from Christina Lauren. Don’t miss it!



QOTD: How far would you go to find your soulmate? Would you ever try an app that matched you based on your DNA?

This was a really lovely read! I thought the premise of a genetic-based dating company was really interesting. I did have my worries about how it would pan out, but I felt the plot was really steady and I loved the ending!

River and Jess were both such sweet characters, and I felt they were also really well-developed. I also loved all the supporting characters. I’ve never read anything by Christina Lauren before, but after this book I think I will! It was a perfect summer read.

🙋🏻‍♀️I loved the authors’ last book The Unhoneymooners so much that I requested for an ARC of their new release as soon as I saw it on Netgalley❤️ Thank you @netgalley and @littlebrownbpoogroup_uk for a copy in exchange of an honest review. 

💭Soulmates… what if you can find your soulmate through DNA?  Would you sign up for the matchmaking service? 🤔

📚This book is very different from The Unhoneymooners.  I loved the unique premise!  The main character, Jess, is a single mum and a statistitian.  With her best friend Fizzy she ended up signing up for a match by GeneticAlly and she was matched with 98% compatibility with a man Dr River Pena who is a co-founder of the company and didn’t make a good impression on her.  Both Jessie and River are scientists and very skeptical of the match result, but they are sort of forced to date for the sake of business…

It’s funny, adorable, sexy, nerdy… all in one😂  I loved reading this book.  What I really love about Christina Lauren books I’ve read so far is the diallgues are hilarious.  They make me laugh A LOT.  I just love the sense of humour!!  In this book, banters between the love interests are only ok.  But dialogues between Jess and her bestie Fizzy cracked me up🤣  I just love those girls so so much!

The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is I’m not sure how I feel about the ending.  I feel like I personally wanted more…? 

But honestly it doesn’t matter so much when it comes to this book.  I had a lot of fun reading this.  The ending isn’t going to change that!!

I hope many of you will pick this up and share your thoughts with me!! 😍

This was a fun enemies to lovers rom com with some science thrown in to make things interesting.
Jess is a single mother disillusioned with dating when her best friend encourages her to try out a new dating app which matches its users based on their dna. To everyone’s surprise Jess gets a near perfect match and it’s none other than the grumpy ceo of the dating app, River.
I liked both the main characters, they were both great but they lacked a little bit of the insane chemistry Christina Laurens usually manages to come up with. It was still very enjoyable and I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a good rom com to relax with.
Rating:3.5 stars

I adored this happy little rom-com with a sciencey twist. The pandemic has my reading all out of sorts and sometimes I just can't enjoy anything with notable tension, I want warm and happy, and this had me racing through and rooting for all the characters with a big smile on my face. So pleased I read it.

Christina Lauren are among my go-to authors (see: Sally Thorne, Emily Henry, Beth O’Leary). They’re usually a release day buy for me, but their last few books didn’t excite me so much (no shade - they are prolific authors so it’s natural some will resonate and some won’t). Thus, I didn’t rush out and buy this when it was released on kindle, despite the hype. It deserves the hype. This was a return to the gilded age of Josh & Hazel and Unhoneymooners for me. It had everything I love about their writing: crackling chemistry, interesting premise and swoony relationship building.

Jess is a single mum and statistician whose (scene-stealing) best pal, Fizzy, convinces her to submit her DNA to a dating app that matches you based on your genetics. River, dreamy geek and co-founder of said dating app is also the surly fellow cafe-goer who made a terrible first and second impression on Jess. Cue shenanigans when the two are highlighted as a diamond match with an unprecedented compatibility score.

I enjoyed this so much, I read it in a matter of hours. Jess and River were constantly readable and the cast of supporting characters were just as much fun to read. This book had so much heart and I was captivated with every turn of the page.

I can always rely on Christina Lauren to give me a cute story, a great friendship and a hot guy! A perfect summer read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another good story written. I like how an app is supposed to be good for dating. Like most apps it’s supposed to find your soulmate. You need to read to see how Jess and River are matched.

There’s something rather scary about the idea that a DNA sample could match you genetically with a prospective partner. Fascinating theory, and yet there’s so much about relationships that it’s hard to pin down. However, in this new romance from Christina Lauren that’s what we focus on.
Jess is a single mum, slowly starting to consider dating as her daughter grows up. Her best friend, Fizzy, writes romance novels and is desperate for Jess to get a little real passion in her life. When they overhear that the attractive but surly man they see regular as clockwork in their local coffee shop is involved in the creation of an innovative new dating app they are curious.
In a moment of madness Jess sends off her sample. What happens next is, understandably, a shock...Jess is matched at the highest percentage the company have ever had - and the other person...none other than Americano, Dr River Peno and one of the founders of the company producing the app.
Of course, this is something nobody could predict.
Both Jess and River are sceptical. They’ve met and rubbed each other up the wrong way...and are fairly sure they are not soulmates. Perhaps against their better judgment they agree to date for a period of three months and test whether the dating method works.
As you might expect, sparks eventually fly.
Both Jess and River are, at heart, adorable. Their superficial prickliness is explained, and as they spend time together we can see they are growing close. There’s a bit of a setback and you have to ask yourself to what extent data can be trusted...but, sometimes, you have to take a risk and see what happens.

Single mom Jess has decided to swear off men until her daughter, Juno, is older. Something her best friend Fizzy (Felicity) believes is wrong, of course as a romance novelist she would say that. Chatting about a grumpy fellow patron of Twiggs coffee shop whilst working one morning they discover that he is about to launch a matchmaking service. Which neither of them can believe but manage to stop him and find out more about it.

Although Fizzy is up for joining the service which matches your DNA profile against others. With over 3500 genes responsible for attraction, sexual appetite and love, River (grumpy coffee man) believe that he can match soulmates on different compatibility levels. Something Fizzy has a ball discovery. Purchasing a kit for Jess’s 30th birthday, Jess decides to complete and send it off after a particularly bad day.

Called into the office to discover she has been matched with a 98 score with River comes as a shock to both of them. However, they agree to see where things take them in order to help River’s business IPO and Jess out of a financial bind. Managing to see past his gruff exterior, Jess is attracted to River and they find themselves at ease with each other as they navigate interviews, events and photoshoots. River helping her out when she needs support (something she doesn’t like to ask for ) and making an impact on Juno as well as Jess. However, is all as it seems with his matchmaking company and DNA scoring? What happens when things come to light from River’s board of directors?

A Dollop Of Escapism…
Entertaining, enjoyable and rather sweet romcom with a well depicted cast of characters and an engaging storyline. A fun read and a guaranteed dollop of pure escapism.

An out-of-the-box romance that would make an exceptionally fun Netflix reality show!

Jess Davis is a single mom that is jaded about love. She got pregnant young and her boyfriend at the time never wanted to be a dad. Back then, she thought he was the one, but it became clear they really weren't meant to happen. A few years later, she has an awesome daughter, is a kickass freelance statistician, and has the most awesome BFF ever, but, her love life is pretty lacking.

Jess and Fizzy (the super cool best friend) use a local coffee shop as their office on a daily basis (always supporting local businesses of course) and observe the mysterious "Americano", a tall and handsome specimen that is as surly as he is hot.

One day, they manage to hear through the grapevine that his name is actually Dr. River Pena, and he is the lead scientist in a project/company called GeneticAlly, a new matchmaking dating service that predicts the possibility of love based on DNA.

They can pair users from base matches (low percentages) to extremely rare diamond matches (over 90%).

Although they are initially skeptical, both ladies (at different times) decide to participate. But, it's a shock for everyone involved that Jess and River are matched at a whopping 98%. That high of a match for one of the owners is something that can impact the whole launch campaign and ultimately decide if GeneticAlly will sink or swim.

I love the wild Sci-Fi concept. It's crazy, but also something that you can imagine in a not-so-distant future. The chemistry between Jess and River is crackling, and it's more enjoyable as it starts as a type of enemies to lovers.

Overall, this was sweet, fun, cute, and every bit of a good time that you come to expect from Christina Lauren.

It's just missing that extra something to make it THE romance book of the year. So, maybe The Soulmate Equation wasn't my diamond match, but we certainly had very high compatibility.

Single mum and Data Analyst, Jess Davis has given up on love, but an encounter in a coffee shop leads Jess into giving DNA samples to a new matchmaking startup, GeneticAlly, which promises to find the perfect soulmate for everyone-with an algorithm that uses just DNA.

When Jess makes an unheard of match of 98% with the Companies’ founder River Peña she’s dumbfounded. She and River have met before and they didn’t get off to a great start. With GeneticAlly set to launch in 3 month’s time and with such a high percentage of compatibility, they make Jess a Proposition- get to know him and they’ll pay her,$30k to be precise. Struggling to make ends meet and with such a tempting offer Jess agrees.

As they spend time together ( on the PR bandwagon as the perfect ‘Diamond pairing’) and her feelings start to deepen, Jess asks herself, can science really predict the perfect Soulmate?

This was such an incredibly enjoyable and heartwarming read, the romance was amazing and the tension between Jess and River was definitely swoon-worthy. I also absolutely loved Jess’s daughter Juno and best friend Fizzy (who most definitely needs her own book.)

Jess was an incredibly relatable character and it was nice seeing a romance from the perspective of a single mum and the dilemmas of juggling raising a child alongside a full time job, all whilst trying to find love. River was also great (I loved how shy and awkward he could be and how well he and Juno got on was really uplifting.)

There is some science-y and maths related jargon used in relation to the app which I didn’t wholly understand (but I sort of got the gist of it)— it didn’t really bother me all that much but, if it’s a pet peeve that might be a problem. Overall a really solid and satisfyingly enjoyable romance, I’d definitely recommend to Contemporary Romance and Rom-Com lovers—a great summer read for sure!

Also a massive thank you to Piatkus and NetGalley for the ARC.

Single mom Jess finds an unexpected match when she signs up for GeneticAlly, a cutting-edge app to find romance. Her match is Dr. River Pena, none other than the app’s founder. Agreeing to date him for PR and much needed financial compensation, can she find a true connection with the stubborn doctor?

This is a very sweet, heart-warming read. A gentle hate-to-love romance, the chemistry between the characters is charming and great to read. I loved the family dynamics just as much and there’s some truly emotional moments with Jess, her daughter and grandparents. After being underwhelmed by their latest books, I think The Soulmate Equation is Christina Lauren back on form.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review

The Soulmate Equation is a lovely read. Dr River Pena has devised a program that using their DNA can match people to their perfect partner, he is now CEO of his genetic match making company.
Jess a single mother of Juno her 7 year old daughter (who is a joy) is a statistician, struggling to make ends meet with a hectic day to day life. She is a strong loving person and her best friend Fizzy is always trying to take her out of her comfort zone.
With a push from Fizzy she takes the genetic test and then discovers her off the scale perfect match is non other than River, he too is shocked by this.
So begins a series of events as they try see if they are indeed a match.
The story develops well, with a cast of great characters, humour, excitement, depth and some angst.
Throughly enjoyable, if you’ve read The One which is on the same theme, this is much lighter and romantic.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Loved this book!
Jess is a single mother, who spends her time as a freelance statistician working in her favourite coffee shop.
Dr. River Pena is known as Americano by Jess and her best friend Fizzy, based on his daily coffee order.

When they actually speak to River, having found out about the DNA dating app that Fizzy, as a romance author, is particularly interested in. The app is supposed to find you your soulmate, and after a particularly difficult day, Jess signs up, only to then find out she has a really high match with River.

Convinced by his company to date each other, will they find that they really are soul mates?

Great characters, and you really hope everything works out for them.

Hope Fizzy gets her own book!

This is a really original storyline, and despite it not being 100% realistic, it does still come across as very believable, and I appreciated how unique the storyline was. The characters are all super likeable, and the book was so enjoyable that I'd finished it before I realized

The Christina Lauren duo were after my heart with this one. A mathematics / statistics based romance novel? Got to love it. This is only the second book I’ve read written by them and I absolutely adored this story. It had squeal-level cuteness throughout and my heart just melted at the romance. Sure, it’s a very romantic view of genetics and love, but I enjoyed it all the same. Jess and River had my heart right from the beginning!

Jess is a freelance statistician and single mother who doesn’t really spend time on herself in between looking after her 7-year old daughter Juno and her grandparents, and her job. She and her best friend Fizz have been frequenting the same coffee shop for years, along with another regular customer they’ve nicknamed Americano. When the two finally speak to him, they realise Americano is the creator of a dating app with a twist – it uses DNA of happy couples to predict whether a new couple are meant for a long-term relationship. In a moment of desperation, Jess sends off a sample only to find she has a 98% compatibility score with Americano himself, who’s actual name is River.

Where to even start with these two sweethearts. It’s obvious from the beginning that their two scientist brains are on the same wavelength. Both of them are curious about what 98% means though Jess is reluctant to bring River into Juno’s life. River convinces her to see what it’s all about. I absolutely adored Jess’ character, she was just such a strong, sensitive person who I ended up really respecting. Same goes for River, who was definitely socially awkward and made some errors but you could tell her really cared about Jess and her family.

I also really liked how the book talked about the compatibility app and how it would change approaches to dating. If a couple has a low match, are they already psychologically destined not to try? Like River explains, the app only features the data that is inputted, and can’t really take account of life experiences. If the app was a real thing I’d definitely be a sceptic but for romance novel purposes, this was gold.

Overall, this book made me so happy. I loved Jess’ relationship with her family, and it was so heart-warming to see River fit so naturally into their dynamic. Everything was just so cute and I honestly couldn’t put it down. I’d recommend this for anyone who likes romance really, it’s predictable but an absolute delight to read.