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sami_leigh's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️/5
🌶️/5
“You've chosen your circumstances, Jess. I like that about you. You take what you want and leave the rest behind. You decide.”
🧬 Third person limited
🧬 Single mum
🧬 Dating app using genetics to pair couples
🧬 Forced proximity/dating
🧬 Enemies to lovers (briefly)
🧬 He falls first
🧬 MC growth; FMC setting boundaries with toxic parent
🧬 Well established secondary characters; Fizzy 😍
🧬 Data analysis/scientist
🧬 Wholesome !
⚠️ Alcohol and drug use (minor, on page), toxic relationship (parent).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Drug use
shevonnj's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Addiction
theespressoedition's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Now that I'm reflecting back on this book, I'm almost tempted to give it a full 5 stars! It was really that good. I think that I subconsciously gave it fewer stars originally because this author duo has never been my favorite - but that certainly shouldn't dictate how I felt about the book itself.
The story is so creative. The concept of a dating program that matches people based on their DNA is genius. There was some predictability at the beginning because you kind of know after the two MCs butt heads that they'll be paired together. It was the tiniest hint of "enemies to lovers" - actually, it was more like misunderstood feelings combined with fake dating for the sake of publicity and money. And it was fantastic.
There was so much excellent chemistry between our lovers. The grumpy, all-business CEO dating the single mother who has been hurt by several people she trusted. It made you root for them all the more throughout the story. Oh, and their sexual chemistry was equally fantastic (though I could've done without Jess picturing super-steamy scenarios about River all the time - imagined sex sequences are way more uncomfortable than actual spicy scenes).
This is officially one of my favorite romcoms! I'm definitely open to giving Christina Lauren more chances now after reading this book.
The story is so creative. The concept of a dating program that matches people based on their DNA is genius. There was some predictability at the beginning because you kind of know after the two MCs butt heads that they'll be paired together. It was the tiniest hint of "enemies to lovers" - actually, it was more like misunderstood feelings combined with fake dating for the sake of publicity and money. And it was fantastic.
There was so much excellent chemistry between our lovers. The grumpy, all-business CEO dating the single mother who has been hurt by several people she trusted. It made you root for them all the more throughout the story. Oh, and their sexual chemistry was equally fantastic (though I could've done without Jess picturing super-steamy scenarios about River all the time - imagined sex sequences are way more uncomfortable than actual spicy scenes).
This is officially one of my favorite romcoms! I'm definitely open to giving Christina Lauren more chances now after reading this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Toxic relationship
livelypsyche's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction and Toxic relationship
Character's mom has addiction issues and takes advantage of charactervictoria29's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Toxic relationship
kelly_e's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Title: The Soulmate Equation
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance
Rating: 2
Pub Date: May 18 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Predictable • Fluffy • Underwhelming
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Jess is a single mom and freelance statistician who's completely focused on raising her daughter with the help of her grandparents who raised her. From time to time she certainly wishes she had someone else, but dating is definitely not her priority. One night when feeling particularly vulnerable, on a whim Jess submits here DNA through a new dating app. When a 98% match comes back, she couldn't be more shocked. Enter River, a geneticist and one of the founders of GeneticAlly, who Jess already knows and thinks is rude and full of himself. The company has a proposition for Jess she cannot refuse; they'll pay her to get to know River and see if there is any chemistry between them.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I'll start about by saying that after reading the synopsis I thought this book had the potential to be a great read. And while there were aspects I did like, on the whole it didn't work for me. I know I'm in the minority here but the whole time I felt as though the synopsis gave away pretty much the entire story. I set it aside at 40%, eventually coming back to it, not because I really wanted to but because I felt I should give it another chance. For me the concept was there but the execution was not.
I enjoy STEM inclusion in books, but here I felt as though the scientific aspect of this one went a little too far. I didn't feel immersed in the story, probably because it was so predictable where it was going. Yes, it was a quick and easy read so I'll give it that, but the cast of characters and plot line are 100% forgettable. I did like the single mom with a wonderful support system aspect of the plot, and the secondary cast of characters, especially Fizzy. Maybe it's just me being tired of the enemies to lovers/fake dating trope, but this one certainly fell flat. It took me two tries to make it through, and to be honest I probably should have simply DNFed it because I didn't get a whole lot of satisfaction out of the reading experience. I keep giving this author duo another chance because I really did enjoy The Unhoneymooners, but I've yet to find another hit.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Christina Lauren fans
• Anyone looking for a fast, beachy read
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Destiny could also be a choice, she realized. To believe or not, to be vulnerable or not, to go all in or not."
"Statistics can't tell us what will happen, they can only tell us what might happen."
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance
Rating: 2
Pub Date: May 18 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Predictable • Fluffy • Underwhelming
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Jess is a single mom and freelance statistician who's completely focused on raising her daughter with the help of her grandparents who raised her. From time to time she certainly wishes she had someone else, but dating is definitely not her priority. One night when feeling particularly vulnerable, on a whim Jess submits here DNA through a new dating app. When a 98% match comes back, she couldn't be more shocked. Enter River, a geneticist and one of the founders of GeneticAlly, who Jess already knows and thinks is rude and full of himself. The company has a proposition for Jess she cannot refuse; they'll pay her to get to know River and see if there is any chemistry between them.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I'll start about by saying that after reading the synopsis I thought this book had the potential to be a great read. And while there were aspects I did like, on the whole it didn't work for me. I know I'm in the minority here but the whole time I felt as though the synopsis gave away pretty much the entire story. I set it aside at 40%, eventually coming back to it, not because I really wanted to but because I felt I should give it another chance. For me the concept was there but the execution was not.
I enjoy STEM inclusion in books, but here I felt as though the scientific aspect of this one went a little too far. I didn't feel immersed in the story, probably because it was so predictable where it was going. Yes, it was a quick and easy read so I'll give it that, but the cast of characters and plot line are 100% forgettable. I did like the single mom with a wonderful support system aspect of the plot, and the secondary cast of characters, especially Fizzy. Maybe it's just me being tired of the enemies to lovers/fake dating trope, but this one certainly fell flat. It took me two tries to make it through, and to be honest I probably should have simply DNFed it because I didn't get a whole lot of satisfaction out of the reading experience. I keep giving this author duo another chance because I really did enjoy The Unhoneymooners, but I've yet to find another hit.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Christina Lauren fans
• Anyone looking for a fast, beachy read
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Destiny could also be a choice, she realized. To believe or not, to be vulnerable or not, to go all in or not."
"Statistics can't tell us what will happen, they can only tell us what might happen."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Body shaming
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
substance misusesarahasyouwish's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was exactly what I was hoping for, a fun contemporary romance that was enjoyable and easy to breeze through. I loved that the heroine is a single mom and that both main characters are in STEM fields. I’m all here for a nerdy love story. This was a slower burn hate to love story with a very interesting premise thrown in. As for the steam factor, there is plenty of build up and attraction as well as one explicit sex scene which is easily bypassed if that’s not your thing.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Medical content, and Toxic relationship
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