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a_brnz's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
As usual I love Christina Lauren’s stuff. Such a joy to read and I am in love w River
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Drug use
teamoxfordcomma's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
🌶️🌶️🌶️
What a treat from Christina Lauren!
This book is very much the rom-com version of The One by John Marrs, and I'm not at all mad about it. (The initial premise is similar, but it diverges enough to stand on its own and not be shady, IMO.) I fell in love with these characters. Every single one. I thought CL did a fantastic job of fleshing out the entire cast – I was just as connected to Felicity, Juno, and the grandparents as I was to Jess (and River). That's a rare and wonderful thing to come across in a romance novel nowadays.
I read this book in a single day – almost in a single sitting. It's one of those stories that sweeps you into its heart and doesn't let go until you close the book... and perhaps not even then. Upon finishing this book, I immediately wanted to start over and read it again – the mark of a great story (with immensely lovable characters you don't want to leave!). Though I'm not a single mom, I think we can all find a bit of ourselves in Jess: a bit strung out, doing the best we can with what we have, and hoping our best efforts translate to good in the world for those we love. And as for her 98% match... Watching River's personality unfold from the "cardboard cutout" Jess pins him as to the kind, passionate geneticist we know and love was worth the price of admission alone.
I like the questions this raises about dating apps in general, but specifically, if we lived in a world where compatibility was quantifiable down to the percent, and that figure was how we made choices about our futures. Ethically, it's a slippery slope, and CL does a great job of navigating those waters and honoring those conflicts while still keeping the tone of the book decidedly rom-com.
The only teeny hangup I had when reading is a nitpicky thing. (And who knows? Maybe it will be different in the final published copy than it is in the ARC, so take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt.) This story is written in third-person from Jess' POV. Normally, I don't mind third-person POV romances whatsover, but CL got me into Jess' head so well that I was jolted out of the story a few times when it would read "she shook her head" (or fill in whatever blank) and would think to myself "wait, who is?!?" until I remembered "duh, genius – third-person POV." Could totally be just me, but that repeated trip-up is the only reason it wasn't a perfect glow-from-the-heavens-full-5-star for me.
Christina Lauren books are auto-reads for me. I laugh, I swoon, and I put off any and all responsibilities to JUST. KEEP. READING. What more could you want from a romance?
What a treat from Christina Lauren!
This book is very much the rom-com version of The One by John Marrs, and I'm not at all mad about it. (The initial premise is similar, but it diverges enough to stand on its own and not be shady, IMO.) I fell in love with these characters. Every single one. I thought CL did a fantastic job of fleshing out the entire cast – I was just as connected to Felicity, Juno, and the grandparents as I was to Jess (and River). That's a rare and wonderful thing to come across in a romance novel nowadays.
I read this book in a single day – almost in a single sitting. It's one of those stories that sweeps you into its heart and doesn't let go until you close the book... and perhaps not even then. Upon finishing this book, I immediately wanted to start over and read it again – the mark of a great story (with immensely lovable characters you don't want to leave!). Though I'm not a single mom, I think we can all find a bit of ourselves in Jess: a bit strung out, doing the best we can with what we have, and hoping our best efforts translate to good in the world for those we love. And as for her 98% match... Watching River's personality unfold from the "cardboard cutout" Jess pins him as to the kind, passionate geneticist we know and love was worth the price of admission alone.
I like the questions this raises about dating apps in general, but specifically, if we lived in a world where compatibility was quantifiable down to the percent, and that figure was how we made choices about our futures. Ethically, it's a slippery slope, and CL does a great job of navigating those waters and honoring those conflicts while still keeping the tone of the book decidedly rom-com.
The only teeny hangup I had when reading is a nitpicky thing. (And who knows? Maybe it will be different in the final published copy than it is in the ARC, so take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt.) This story is written in third-person from Jess' POV. Normally, I don't mind third-person POV romances whatsover, but CL got me into Jess' head so well that I was jolted out of the story a few times when it would read "she shook her head" (or fill in whatever blank) and would think to myself "wait, who is?!?" until I remembered "duh, genius – third-person POV." Could totally be just me, but that repeated trip-up is the only reason it wasn't a perfect glow-from-the-heavens-full-5-star for me.
Christina Lauren books are auto-reads for me. I laugh, I swoon, and I put off any and all responsibilities to JUST. KEEP. READING. What more could you want from a romance?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use
sebrittainclark's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is such a wonderfully sweet romance. Jess is not looking for romance and certainly not with the stand-offish man who gets coffee at the same coffee shop she frequents every single morning. But it turns out he's River Peña, the scientist behind a DNA based dating app, and she takes a DNA test on whim, intertwining their future together. I loved how Jess and River's romance slowly built throughout the course of the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Infidelity
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