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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I laughed and cried rom-com about a single mom and a DNA dating app founder.
With fake dating, plenty of laughs, soulmates trope, grumpy/sunshine pairing, some tearful moments, and enemies-to-friends-to-lovers. This book was a fabulous romantic comedy. My only complaint is not enough on the page spice!
I enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek things that Fizzi said about romance writing. I also loved that there weren't characters who really mattered to the story and who weren't given enough depth.
Overall, I loved it!
With fake dating, plenty of laughs, soulmates trope, grumpy/sunshine pairing, some tearful moments, and enemies-to-friends-to-lovers. This book was a fabulous romantic comedy. My only complaint is not enough on the page spice!
I enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek things that Fizzi said about romance writing. I also loved that there weren't characters who really mattered to the story and who weren't given enough depth.
Overall, I loved it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment and Alcoholism
Minor: Drug abuse
Emotional abuse and toxic relationships are between the MC and her mother.syazahaniss's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Came here from The Unhoneymooners and I’m sad to say this one didn’t live up to my expectations.
The buildup was very slow and I was this close to abandoning it altogether.
I suppose the initial portrayal of River was supposed to be that of the strong but silent brooding types (my favourites) but instead he gave off emotionless robot vibes. First impressions are so important to me so the fact that I already deemed him this way meant it was nearly impossible for me to accept that the more open and romantic River later on was the same person.
I know the whole premise of the book was surrounding Jess and River’s 98% compatibility match but it really did make it seem like they liked it each other only for the numbers. Like they knew they were soulmates and so they decided to try it out versus the relationship development happening organically. This difference is especially stark on River’s end, given his initial lack of reaction towards Jess at all. I thought it would be cuter if he had noticed and silently liked Jess throughout their 2-year long daily encounters at Twiggs, but instead it really seemed as though he only liked her for his career.
Don’t get me wrong, the relationship development gave me pangs here and there, but overall, I think there wasn’t enough chemistry. They were just characters in a book who get together in the end just because the authors said so.
Juno was also a disappointment in terms of character. I’m fond of kid fics and I had high expectations because they always turn out super cute, but Juno’s personality gave off the vibes of a person older than seven, so I couldn’t really see her as a kid. It overall made it difficult to be endeared by her.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse and Alcoholism
macykey's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This book was very cute and an easy read once you got past the first couple of chapters. There were a couple of inconsistencies that I noticed, but other than that, very cute! And I was living for Juno and River’s relationship!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Minor: Drug abuse
alclvdl's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Addiction
courtnoodles's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse
instalovewithbooks's review against another edition
lighthearted
tense
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? No
2.0
Cute read, but definitely not a fave of mine. It was still good to read and I am glad I did ❤️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol and Drug abuse
Minor: Child abuse
meganpbennett's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
I received an ARC of The True Love Experiment from the Simon & Schuster table at a library conference. The rep said it was a good starting place for Christina Lauren books. I didn't realize it was a sequel, so when I got back from the conference, I checked out this book. It was very interesting.
Like a lot of romance novels, it covers some really deep topics while also keeping it light. It has one of my favorite tropes in it - fake dating - and it pulls it off quite well.
Like a lot of romance novels, it covers some really deep topics while also keeping it light. It has one of my favorite tropes in it - fake dating - and it pulls it off quite well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
vj_thompson's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Medical content
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Minor: Cursing and Drug abuse
kaitlynnnng's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I love River Peña, I love Jess and Juno, I love their relationships, I love it all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Drug use, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
Minor: Medical content and Medical trauma
csully7's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
Did anyone else feel ~detached~ from the MMC? I had the hardest time getting a read on him or what he actually wanted. Where is the description on our FMC? Was it just that easily missed? I had no mental picture for what she looked like. I was also really confused about the casual mentioning of FMC enabling her drug abusive parent, I wish there was more if a wrap up with this aspect. My other complaint is, I feel like this would have been a lot better without the epilogue(s). They didn't seem to do much for me and probably could have just been in the 2 month or regular ending. Overall a cute read but I'm not sure I would recommend it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse