I loved Fizzy in The Soulmate Equation, so when I heard she was getting her own book, I was thrilled. And The True Love Experiment was just as fun and heart-warming as the first in this world.

What's great about this book?
- I loved Fizzy's character concept. Fizzy is a romance author who has stopped believing in love and romance. Watching her navigate who she was before her realisation point and who she is becoming was rewarding. She faces some hard truths about herself and the way she perceives love and the world around her, and I liked how that led to being vulnerable and open to the risk of falling: for herself, for someone else, taking the risks she hasn't tried before, and with the potential of getting hurt. At first, I wasn't fond of her character's incessant sexual banter, but as the book progressed, I came to adore her story a great deal.
- The storyline was cute. I wasn't sure what to expect from Fizzy entering a reality dating show, especially one produced by Connor, who previously was a conservation expert and focused on making films about important ecosystems and wildlife. But I liked the twists of this dating show to have romance book tropes and how it catered to Fizzy's personality. I think the dating show is just such a small portion of the storyline, and isn't the real focus, despite a lot of it being set on location of this show. The ability to create this setup, yet use it as a simple backdrop for a romance that's much more intimate and built before the show even starts is exceptionally clever.
- I believed in the romance from early on in the book and was rewarded by fantastic tension and decent spice in the steamier moments between Connor and Fizzy. They have great physical and emotional connections, and many scenes between them that show this and build something great between them.
- I liked the return of Jess and River as side characters, and I also like how Christina Lauren weaved Connor's home life into a connection between the children in this book. It didn't feel too convenient or cliché, which I was worried it would be when I guessed his daughter would be friends with Jess and River's. I also liked some of the friendships Fizzy created on the set of the dating show.
- I think the ending of the show and how it all panned out was well done. It was evident it would wrap up a little conveniently and happily ever after - which I was all for - and yet I wasn't mad by a convenient storyline to end this world off. It felt rewarding, all the same, to watch this loved-up couple get what they were looking for with each other.

Things I didn't quite enjoy
- I wasn't thrilled by the wedding night scene that led to the third-act breakup. I like how it was eventually resolved between them, but it felt so dramatic and stalled a bit of the pacing of this book. But it was a small dislike and didn't affect the star rating for me.

Final thoughts
Christina Lauren write such fun romances, and I'm thrilled with how enjoyable this one was. I 100% recommend this, especially if you've read The Soulmate Equation.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️

I’m gonna say it . . . THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I’VE READ THIS YEAR 🤩🥰

No words I say will ever hype this book up or do it justice enough. Imagine all your favourite romance books rolled into one. . . This tops that. It’s an ode to the romance genre. This is the cinnamon roll of romance books. It was refreshing to read. The undeniable chemistry between Fizzy & Connor 😍 the banter, and sweet tender moments. Ugh! I want to read it all over again for the first time! I’m not ashamed to say I cried.

Truly, an extraordinary book. That has been described as HORNY but @alihazelwood & she is SO right 😉

DADDY Prince is my new book boyfriend ❤️

If it’s not on your TBR, you’re seriously missing out.

A delightful rom com. A great read for the beach during the summer time. Christina Lauren have done it again.

This was a fun read and I really liked our main protagonists and their chemistry in this one. This is a follow on book from The Soulmate Equation, however you don't need to have read that one to be able to read this one - these books are both linked but they're not reliant upon each other.

Unlike the first book this one is dual perspective which I always love in books, as it helps us get more from both the characters.

I really loved the dating show aspect of this one and I found that whole dynamic really fun.

Even though we were reading about multiple different characters when our protagonist is dating, the authors do a good job at putting little reminders about their characters in so you know which guy is which. I also loved the different tropes of each guy they used which added a more unique twist and was some nicely added humour.

However, I wasn't a huge fan of the third act conflict in this one and it felt like it dragged out for too long before it was finally all resolved at the ending. The ending was everything though, and I loved how heartfelt it all felt. This wasn't my favourite Christina Lauren book but I still really enjoyed it.

I loved this book, so much. It was a while since I’ve read a Christina Lauren book, so it was refreshing to jump back into their world. Also, the soulmate equation cameo, loved it.

If there are two things that I love in this world it’s reality dating shows and a Christina Lauren romance and this book gave me the perfect combination.

I absolutely loved the concept of this book. The idea of all of these romance hero’s is enough to make any romance lover swoon, yet somehow Connor Prince managed to make himself the perfect hero. The idea of a competition created so much tension and it felt like I got to see the behind the scenes access that we don’t get to see about these shows in real life. If Connor Prince is good at one thing, it’s being a jealous male lead (and I am not mad about it!)

I have been so excited to read more about Fizzy since we first met her in The Soulmate Equation. I loved getting to see more of her character and explore more of her world. And I definitely loved getting to see Jess, River and Juno again.

Overall, this was such a fun read with outstanding tension! Make this your next rom-com read!

I'm not really sure how to feel about this. I did not gel with this story as much as I wanted to hut it wasn't a bad story.

Fizzy was a difficult character to relate to. I did not understand her arc or her personality at all. I did hate how she judged the hero based on nothing. It seems to be a trend in romance lately and it really annoys me. The hero did absolutely nothing wrong and right off the bat treats him like the villain for no good reason.

The reality show and her budding relationship with the hero felt like two separate stories almost. I don't feel enough attention was given to the reality show.

The back and forth between Fizzy and the hero did not feel justified and it did not feel forbidden either.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for allowing me to have an e-arc copy of this book! And thanks so much to Christina and Lauren for writing this together, it was amazing!

This book centres around Fizzy, a romantic author and massive fan of love, and her struggles to get herself out of a slump that she has fallen into. The book shows her becoming the new focus of a reality TV show to help her find love.

Fizzy was easily my favourite MC of any Christina Lauren books I have read. She was feisty, witty and so funny with her innuendos. Connor was also the perfect book boyfriend, he knows how to listen an came across as super mature. These MC’s had so much chemistry, even from the beginning, and you could predict that these two would end up together. These two are definitely some of the more older characters I have read about, so loved to see the maturity and growth from both of them as the book went on.

This book was super easy to read and could not put it down! It was well-paced and you were kept hanging on hoping to see the two MC’s get back to each other. I absolutely loved this book, and could think of nothing else I would change. Would 100% recommend this to any romance readers out there, you will love it!

The True Love Experiment by Christmas Lauren
I give this book 4.75 stars
They're crafting the perfect Hollywood romance for the screen.
But the chemistry behind the camera might be the real story.

This is a spin off to The Soulmate Equation (which I loved) giving Fizzy her chance to shine.
Introducing Fizzy and Connor,she’s a funny,smart writer and he’s a charming British producer (whose also a dad) Told from a dual perspective we get into both their heads in alternating chapters.
The reality tv aspect immediately appealed to me and the chemistry,banter and fun that is standard in a Christina Lauren book is so engaging . I loved Jess and Rivers cameo’s and the side characters add so much to the storyline.This book was a pure delight and the ode to romance novels was genius. Although predictable the ending for me was perfect!
With thanks to Netgalley,Christina Lauren and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Piatkus for my chance to read and review this book

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁: Fizzy isn't quite feeling herself. As a romance author she seems to be lacking the very things she writes about - butterflies low in her belly, goosebumps after accidental touches, lingering glances.. she feels broken.

When she's approached by handsome TV producer Connor Prince with the proposition of her starring in her own reality dating show, Fizzy wants to say no. Even going as far as tasking Connor with finding literary heroes - the hot nerd, the one that got away, the vampire! She doesn't expect him to pull it out the bag but when he does, she really can't say no. Plus, what does she have to lose? Using the technology, DNADuo, she's bound to find her one true love.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁: When I first started this book, I had no idea there was another one before this - The Soulmate Equation and that this was one of the side characters stories! This book completely stands on its own but if you've read The Soulmate Equation already, there are lots of the previous characters in this one so I'm sure you'll love it!

I adored Fizzy - her quick wit and humour had me chuckling to myself on several occasions. I felt sad at her self deprecation but it was also entirely relatable. Her banter with Connor was second to none and watching their relationship come to life was honestly wonderful.

"𝙄'𝙢 𝙖𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙄'𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙁𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚, 𝙨𝙤 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙄 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚."

Connor was the perfect book boyfriend. Single dad? Check. Tall? Check. Hot? Check. Says all the right things? Check. He really could do not wrong - even when he was wrong. I found myself mentally screaming at Fizzy to just give him a chance, let him explain.

I haven't read a romantic comedy in a while and this really was the perfect book for me to dive in to. It was an easy read, quick witted and completely sucked me in right from the beginning.

"𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣."

Even though the ending was entirely predictable, it was exactly what I wanted and more. Literally the perfect ending for Fizzy!

Definitely give it a read if you've already read The Soulmate Equation but even if you haven't, if you're looking for a clever, witty & steamy romcom, this is for you!

As always, huge thank you to Netgalley for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for a review. And to @christinalauren, my new go-to romcom authors!

Review will be posted to Instagram on 15th May

The True Love Experiment is the first book I’ve read by Christina Lauren, and I absolutely loved it. Honestly, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the writing, the humour, the secondary characters… everything. I can’t wait to read more by these authors!

I loved Connor Prince III and Fizzy Chen so much; they’re both so realistic and layered, perfect for each other and at times maddeningly infuriating. They’re quick-witted (especially Fizzy — she’s got a dirty mind like me), honest, and flawed, just like real people. Their interactions constantly made me smile, and they’re one of the best fictional couples I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.

The setting is also fantastic, being that of a brand new dating reality show. I’m not a fan of those in real life, but it really works here, and it allows for some brilliant scenes and scenarios. Connor is heading up the project, with Fizzy as his leading lady, and it all couldn’t be any better. The chemistry and jealousy jumps off the pages, and I did pretty well not to be a giggling mess while I was reading it. Well done me!

I’m obviously going to have to read The Soulmate Equation as soon as possible, which is the book that Fizzy first appears in. Reading this one first made no difference at all, and I’m happy I can go back and see where it all began.

The True Love Experiment is unbelievably good, and I can’t recommend it enough (how is it so good?! I’m still asking myself this). It’s top tier romance fiction, and I’ll be surprised if anyone betters it this year!

4.5/5.

Loved this! I loved how the relationship between Connor and Fizzy is explored in such depth (ER MY GAWD) at all the different stages - it felt like we really got to know them and to love them, and to love them together. My heart was fully invested every step of the way. Wonderfully written with so much heart and so entertaining as always, but one of Christina Lauren’s best!

I would let Fizzy run me over with a train. I would lay down my life for this book 😭😭 IT WAS PERFECTION!! Utter PERFECTION!! 💓🫶

CLO just keeps getting BETTER!! Black magic is at play here. There’s no other explanation.

This was truly a love letter to romance readers. AND it mentioned both Harry Styles AND Ted Lasso while we were still in the PROLOGUE! 🫨 get out!!

🏃🏻‍♀️RUN to preorder your copy NOW!! 🥹

After reading the soulmate equation by the same authors (which was a 4 star read for me), I was hoping for some kind of spin-off. The idea of matching people scientifically is amazing, not the first time it's been done in entertainment, but the way Christina and Lauren write it in such a sexy, fun, and hilariously realistic way hooked me. In this new novel, we follow the best friend's of our previous heroine, Fizzy (Felicity), who is not only charismatic but a romance writer struggling with her mojo. On top of that we have her starring in a dating show that would actually we so good in real life, especially with the added benefit of the smoking Connor who is also the off limits producer of the show. All romance readers know how this will turn out...

This was addictive, I loved both characters and the added benefits of side characters being from the first book. Oh, and I'm not one who likes kids in romance books, but they were so funny and added extra reasons for the characters to interact, and it was so cute and fun. This was easily a 5 star read for me, and I can't wait to see what Christina and Lauren come up with next.

3.5 stars.
The sidekick from The Soulmate Equation gets to take centre stage, as we watch Fiz participate in a reality tv show all about finding love. Fiz agrees to take part when she starts to question her own beliefs about love and relationships, but who could have predicted what will take place?
The answer…absolutely anyone with a pair of eyes!
From the moment Fiz meets producer Connor it’s clear she finds him attractive. Their interactions show a growing bond and their dalliances quickly move into unprofessional territory so it’s only a matter of time until things have to be engineered to make this work without anyone being sued for breach of contract.
There’s a lot of time spent soul searching, and some of the interactions with other characters feel a little forced on occasion. Fiz is a bit irritating (more so than I remember her being in the previous book) and it was frustrating that people such as River - who we know are incredibly successful/clever - are wheeled out at key moments to ensure something within the plot is developed.
It would be churlish to say that I did not enjoy Connor and Fiz’s relationship, but it was all blindingly obvious and I felt the machinations taking place to move them into the appropriate position were a little unlikely on too many occasions.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this before publication.

I didn’t realise this was a follow-up to The Love Equation which I loved, so when I saw the same characters, it was a nice surprise! I really enjoyed funny banter and perfect chemistry in this book! I definitely prefer this over Something Wilder. I found the reality TV show setting fun and interesting.

I just wish that the fun banter between the girls kept going throughout the book like it did in The LE. It felt a bit flat in the second half. However, it is still a great romcom that I know CL fans will adore!

3.5-4 ⭐️

Ever since I read The Soulmate Equation I wanted to read Fizzy's story so you can imagine how excited I was that the book is being published and I actually got to read it early.

Fizzy is the type of secondary character that makes you love her and you want to see her happy, which makes her the perfect heroine.

Fizzy is a successful romance author that is facing a writing block, everyone is expecting her next book but her life feels stalled. Her romance life has also taken a hit, no one excites her, so when she is asked to star in a dating reality show, she decides to have fun with it, she is sure that Connor, the serious documentary producers will never agree to her demands.

Connor is facing a work dilemma, he can either agree and find a new clever idea for a dating show or be out of a job and away from his daughter. He is highly motivated to make this show a success.

Fizzy didn't expect to actually have fun making this show, the problem is she is having more fun in between takes while she is spending time with Connor than with her actually dates. Sparks fly when the cameras are off which lead to them spending more intimate time together, this got wonderfully steamy, which I am not complaining about.

The relationship was full of swoony moments, they are both so open and honest everything, which I adored.

I also loved the fact that we got to see more Jess, River and Juno, that was a true joy.


* I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

In The Soulmate Equation, Felicity 'Fizzy' Chen's best friend Lauren found love using a DNA- matchmaking service GeneticAlly. Fizzy, a romance author with serious writer's block, tried the service herself but didn't find any lasting matches. Documentary maker Connor Prince is tasked by his boss to making a reality dating show, to help increase profit. Out of his depth, he turns to Fizzy with a preposition to be the lead in the dating show. She eventually agrees, as long as it's done to her demands, including all casting of Heroes (Fizzy's potential suitors) to be done as using romance hunk tropes. Connor agrees but before production starts, it appears there may be a thing between Fizzy and Connor. Will something secret blossom between them or will one of the Heroes win Fizzy's heart?

I loved the premise of this book, I liked how this book took tropes and stereotyping from both reality shows and romance book genre and used them positively for the plot (the Heroes being casted on tropes like (The Hot Nerd, The One Who Got Away, The Cinnamon Roll etc) but also to highlight the misconceptions (like how romance authors don't write 'proper' books). The reality show side was fun but it didn't get too bogged down in details either, which made the book flow better. Fizzy and Connor get to interact before the show starts, as well as certain points throughout the filming too and their chemistry was great! Lots of flirting and banter. While there are some miscommunication elements, it's minimal which I was very happy with as I find too much miscommunication is very frustrating.

I also appreciated that the authors highlighted in their acknowledgements that they never planned to write a follow up to The Soulmate Equation, they never anticipated Fizzy would be a main character, it happened as they had so many people ask for a story with Fizzy as the main character. The authors were very conscious about writing a story that had an Asian main character that felt genuine but didn't feel like they co-opted a culture they aren't part of. They had 5 Chinese American pre-readers who helped with answering questions and hope that in doing this, they gave Fizzy a balanced story that feels authentic but not co-opted

I love Christina Lauren’s books so this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 but unfortunately it was a bit of a miss for me.

I really liked both Fizzy and Connor; their chemistry was clear and once the pace picked up I quickly fell in love with their dynamic and their relationship. I didn’t remember her from The Soulmate Equation but I loved her and her sense of humour; Connor was also a great character and I loved the scenes where they focused on his character development, where he owned up to his mistakes and talked about the work he did on himself.

When I read the description of this book, I really liked it and I still think it had a lot of potential. In fact, once things started happening I was hooked. The problem is that that took so long and the book was so slow for almost its entire first half that by the time it got interesting it was almost too late. I didn't connect with the characters as much as I would have liked and though it eventually happened, I had a hard time getting into this book.

As a big fan of the single parent trope, I was excited when I read the synopsis but although Connor technically is a single dad, single dad is not a trope in this book, if that makes sense. And it felt like a missed opportunity because I loved his kid and the few scenes they had together and would have loved to see them interact more (and to see her interact more with Fizzy as well). Having said that, I appreciate the amazing coparenting dynamic he had with his daughter’s mother and how they were actual friends, something that I don’t see very often in romance novels.

Ultimately, this wasn’t my cup of tea but if you’re looking for a romcom with characters with amazing banter and chemistry, as well as some reality TV themes, definitely check this one out.

★ 3/5 Stars ★

The biggest thank you to Little, Brown Book Group, Piatkus and Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

Fizzy is a very modern woman, she tells you what she wants and what she thinks, which is great! Although, when all she can talk about is men, sex and dicks, it gets boring after a while. Where's her flaws and inner thoughts?
Connor tells her he loves her depth but where it is? Show us readers.

Connor is a more fleshed out character and that's good but still I can't get interested in the characters. The pace felt off, like their story started too early on and I was just waiting for the end.

My favorite book by CL is still The Unhoneymooners :)