A review by syazahaniss
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

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.
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