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eskublics's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Blood
Minor: Drug use
wackly93's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
Moderate: Drug use
nebraskanwriter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Sexual content
devilianty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Moderate: Sexual content, Drug use, and Addiction
Minor: Abandonment
kristyndcruz's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
“Destiny could also be a choice. 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.”
“I understand that you needed to see the data, but I hate that you needed to see it to choose me.”
“I haven’t been home in years, but I feel that way with you.”
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Minor: Drug use
risseandshine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Infidelity
spearly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Okay, Universe, Jessica thought. I get it. If Mrs. Brady could be a trailblazer, maybe it was time for Jess to try, too.
Take all the mystery and murder out of The One, add some rom-com shenanigans and a smouldering, tall, handsome nerd, and you get Christina Lauren's The Soulmate Equation.
I loved this! Another spectacular, fun, dreamy romance from my favourite writing pair. The characters were great, the writing was easy, and the chemistry was palpable. I do think this book should have been in first person (there's something about reading about that soul-deep burning love from 1st person POV that is much easier to connect to), but otherwise, I am a big, big fan of this one!
Juno was definitely the highlight. Kids can sometimes be really annoying in novels, but Juno was so clever and cute, and her relationship with River made my ovaries sing. Jess was also fantastic - a struggling single mother determined not to turn into her own mom. Her selflessness, loyalty, and compassion were so lovely to read (you know how sometimes these romance heroines can get!). She was so strong. She put up with no shit. She had her priorities in order and never let no man, no matter how studdly, tear her down. Fizzy, while brief, was also super fun. If the pair ever make a companion novel, I'd love to see her love story.
BLESS Christina and Lauren for not using the mIScOmmUNIcaTIOn trope (again, lol). The drama was believable, serious, but mature. Rightly so, since our main characters are 30 and 35. I loved the emotional intelligence of our characters, their banter, their story. This was truly a pleasure to read.
But Sofie! Why isn't this 5 stars then? Well, if I'm being honest... I didn't get that physical, heart warming, fingers buzzing feeling I do sometimes when I read a really, really good romance. And no, not necessarily smut, you pervs. I felt it with Twice Shy. I felt it with People We Meet on Vacation. As I mentioned, maybe it had something to do with the 3rd person POV...
Still. A sublime read. Can't believe I waited this long to dive in!
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Drug use and Alcoholism
lutheranjulia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Minor: Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Abandonment
a_brnz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Drug use
teamoxfordcomma's review against another edition
- 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?
Moderate: Drug use, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse