The Soulmate Equation

Everybody loves a sexy, grumpy nerd - right? I certainly do! That made it easy to fall for this slow-burning, science-filled romance. I'd like to make a joke that this book has as much chemistry as a science textbook, but that seems like a step too far, lol. Our couple does have a definite connection though, and the chemistry builds along the way. It took about a quarter of the book before I was truly loving it (I partially blame the narrator), but by that point I was all in. It's different and interesting and gets progressively better. Our mysterious, moody hero is a secret cinnamon roll nerd who steals the show later on. The initial enemies to lovers vibes switch over to something much sweeter, and I loved the build in intimacy. The focus is on the emotional connection, but there are also some sexy moments to heat things up. The story follows Jess, a single mom who has reached the point where dating doesn't hold any appeal, and getting ready for the day involves throwing on whatever clothes are on top of the pile. She loves her daughter and gets the affection she needs from her, so why add someone else into the equation? When Jess discovers that the hot jerk who frequents her favorite coffee shop is one of the main scientists behind an up-and-coming genetics-based matchmaking service, she finds herself taking one of the tests. And soon gets paired up with the hot jerk himself. According to the data, Jess and River are a near-perfect match, and his company stands to benefit from the positive PR their pairing would garner. Though the two can barely tolerate each other, they agree to give a relationship a chance, and it's not long before these strangers are having a change of heart. I'm still pretty new to CL's work, but this blurb was too enticing to ignore. It's a little different than the typical romance, and I loved the focus on the emotional connection. The evolution of this relationship from start to finish is incredible, and the subtlety in the story is outstanding. There's an awkwardness to their interactions that is just so completely compelling, and the shifting dynamics were fascinating. River makes a mysterious hero (we don't get his perspective), and he feels like a completely different person by the end - though, looking back, it'd be easy to interpret scenes differently. I love it when I want to flip back to the meet cute to experience it with fresh eyes, and I did exactly that once I finished this book. It's stellar the whole way through, and I had no trouble devouring it in one sitting. Audio note: The audio is pretty average, honestly. Single narrator (female) with a sharp, nasal voice. It took awhile for me to settle into her style, and she's definitely not one of my favorites. That being said, it's well done. There were no obvious issues, and I had no trouble telling the characters apart. Once I got used to the narrator's voice, it was easy to tune out. The length of the book is perfect for the workday - just a bit longer than a day at the office, and no need to continue on to a second day. It's a slow burn romance with mild steam later in the story, nothing too scandalous. I do recommend the audio overall.

I’d give 5 stars but my only knock off was the way he ghosted her and although he said it wasn’t because of the score it still felt that way or that he didn’t at least put a lot more reassurance it wasn’t that or that because they were a true match it didn’t make him want to come back. But soooo cute! I love the ending and how it’s very much a family book, romance, and funny!!!! Such a good read. Demolished it in one day!

"I generally want to commit a felony when I see him. I'm not sure that's a sign of romantic compatibility." 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. After all, her father was never around, her hard-partying mother disappeared when she was six, and her ex decided he wasn’t “father material” before her daughter was even born. Jess holds her loved ones close but working constantly to stay afloat is hard...and lonely. But then Jess hears about GeneticAlly, a buzzy new DNA-based matchmaking company that’s predicted to change dating forever. Finding a soulmate through DNA? The reliability of numbers: This Jess understands. At least she thought she did, until her test shows an unheard-of 98 percent compatibility with another subject in the database: GeneticAlly’s founder, Dr. River Peña. This is one number she can’t wrap her head around, because she already knows Dr. Peña. 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, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to the scientist—and the science behind a soulmate—than she thought. "You have such a crush on Americano. Do you realize you watch him whenever he comes in here?" "Maybe I find his demeanor fascinating." "We're calling it his 'demeanor' now?" HALLELUJAH THE STREAK HAS BEEN BROKEN! I loved, loved, loved, loved, LOVED(!!!!) this book. 5 solid stars and boy am I happy that I bought the Illumicrate exclusive edition on a whim. There is literally so much to love about this book. Where do I start? "Did every mom feel like this? Jess worked too hard or didn't work enough. She was spoiling Juno or Juno wasn't getting everything she needed. Jess was a helicopter mom, or she was ignoring her kid. More often than not Jess was convinced that every decision she made was ruining Juno's childhood in some way." Jess is down to earth, a struggling single-mother that just wants the best for her kid, and surrounded by the best family anyone could ever ask for: her best friend Fizzy, her grandpa Pops, and her grandma Nana. It takes a village and this one is a bright, warm, and fuzzy one. Jess is a culmination of trauma (her father was never in her life, her mother is an addict that cared more for drugs than for her, her ex-boyfriend who never wanted to be a father and left her six months pregnant) and strong family bonds (the aforementioned Fizzy, Pops, Nana, and Juno). Even though her world is full of stress and struggle it is also full of life and love. "I may have mentioned that you and I would love to join them for dinner tomorrow night. You can always say no." Elated, Jess looked up at him. "Embarrassing stories?" "They have them all." "Dirt on your pre-hot days?" He laughed. "You have no idea. [...] I'm absolutely certain I'm going to regret this." And sassy. Sassy, too. "Think Mr. Darcy, but without the lovely proclamations. He called me average, didn't hold the elevator, speaks with less emotional fluency than the Alexa in your kitchen, and doesn't know a thing about parking lot etiquette." Jess' kid, Juno...what an incredibly bright and ridiculously amazing girl. The things she researches ("Mom, did you know the first roller coaster was built to keep people away from REMOVED?"), the science project she went all in for (see: roller coaster)...the all-seeing innocent eye of a child ("shorts" of River's)...even not having money doesn't lessen her enjoyment of life. She is an absolute DELIGHT. And as when circumstances happen when the child is quoting the parent...I completely MELTED when Jess was torn over a decision and Juno adorably recited what has been clearly been recited to her in the past: "Is it bad? Is someone going to get hurt? Do you feel unsafe? Will you be lying? Would you learn something?" You're doing amazing, Mama! Look at her go! The whole VILLAGE is amazing and supportive...and the friendship rep COULD NOT be any better in this book. This is why Fizzy is family. Despite Fizzy being the more carefree of the duo (she's a romance author that is constantly writing ideas down from her and Jess' conversations for future ideas), she takes her friendship duties seriously. And not just her friendship with Jess! She loves Juno just as much! "My inbox is terrifying, and I think I'll need to stay here so Pops can get some rest. Does that mean I get Juno today? Yesssssss! Thanks. I won't be late. I have nothing else going on. Rob is on a work trip, and I missed your kid. Thank you. I'm sorry--I swear I'll get home as early as I can. Shut up. I mean it." And...of course...our leading man, Dr. Rivers Peña. First a jerk (confirmed by his sisters) but later a total winner. "I want to be here to bring you coffee. I want to take you to dinner and order the same food and hear you recite the odds that we would have met. I want to hate-attend fancy social events together. I want you to call me for help--without an apology already on the tip of your tongue. I want to feel like I can kiss you again by your car at the end of the night. I want you in my bed." I don't care what you're doing I need you to put everything down and read this RIGHT THIS MINUTE. Excuse me while I go read Fizzy's follow-up in The True Love Experiment. Can't wait!

bom livro

Well written and fun to read

The Soulmate Equation is the latest standalone novel by Christina Lauren and it didn’t disappoint! I have read (and loved) most of their books and I think this is a return to some of their greats. Set in San Diego, the story follows single mum statistician Jess, and founder of a DNA based dating service River. I won’t go into too much detail synopsis-wise, but following a diamond match Jess and River end up fake dating in the lead up to the service’s release. I love fake dating and grumpy heroes so this one was perfect for me. I also really liked the side characters too and would love a further book about Jess’ best friend (and romance author) Fizzy! I will be honest and admit that I was disappointed in both In A Holidaze and The Honey Don’t List by CLo, so I was apprehensive when starting it. Fortunately my fears were unfounded and overall, the book was great. It is certainly up there vying for my favourite standalone. My only criticisms are that it was slightly too science-y for me and I would’ve liked more steam but they are certainly minor quibbles and a personal preference! I loved The Soulmate Equation and flew through it; and it certainly cemented my need to visit San Diego when I’m allowed to travel again! [Thank you to Little Brown Book Group for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review- I actually purchased the ebook before I received the ARC].

This was my first read by Christina and Lauren and I totally loved it! ❤️ The romance was a slow-burn, grumpy vs sunshine trope, and extremely well developed. I loved all the characters, as well as the character development of both Jess and River. The book also had a fair amount of probability, statistics etc weaved into the story, and I was super impressed by the way it all shaped the plotline so well. And I really, really loved the bff Fizzy 🥲 the authors have said that they're having discussions for a Fizzy spin-off and I'm so excited for that 😄 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The premise of this book is cool - the protagonist Jess Davis, is a single mom of a 7 year old, with her best friend Fizzy, her grandparents and her general community as her support system. Juggling her freelancing career in statistics along with taking care of her daughter takes up all her time.. so she's sworn off dating for the time being. But her bff Fizzy is determined to make her live her life to the fullest. Some shenanigans later, Jess and Fizzy sign up for this dating app which uses your DNA sample to suggest "soulmate" compatibility with other users in the app. And then Jess gets a previously unheard of 98% compatibility with the app's founder, River Pena. From her brief acquaintance with him, Jess knows that he's definitely not her soulmate. But as she starts spending more time with him to validate whether the app actually works, she starts to realize that there's more to the scientist - and the science behind a soulmate - than she thought. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a fabulous rom com; witty, funny, romantic, science and technology based, sweet and sexy. With that combination of attributes and two main characters with plenty of chemistry you have a great read, the first in the DNA duo series. I loved the character of Jess and her family unit but did initially find River not as appealing. It’s a credit to wonderful writing that made Jess and River a wonderfully romantic couple and the story very heartwarming.