Review: The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
About the Book
The New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners returns with a witty and effervescent novel about what happens when two people with everything on the line are thrown together by science—or is it fate? Perfect for fans of The Rosie Project and One Plus One.
Single mom Jess Davis is a data and statistics wizard, but no amount of number crunching can convince her to step back into the dating world. Raised by her grandparents—who now help raise her seven-year-old daughter, Juno—Jess has been left behind too often to feel comfortable letting anyone in. After all, her father’s never been around, her hard-partying mother disappeared when she was six, and her ex decided he wasn’t “father material” before Juno was even born. Jess holds her loved ones close, but working constantly to stay afloat is hard...and lonely.
But then Jess hears about GeneticAlly, a buzzy new DNA-based matchmaking company that’s predicted to change dating forever. Finding a soulmate through DNA? The reliability of numbers:This Jess understands.
At least she thought she did, until her test shows an unheard-of 98% compatibility with another subject in the database: GeneticAlly’s founder, Dr. River Pena. This is one number she can’t wrap her head around, because she already knows Dr. Pena. The stuck-up, stubborn man is without a doubt not her soulmate. But GeneticAlly has a proposition: Get to know him and we’ll pay you. Jess—who is barely making ends meet—is in no position to turn it down, despite her skepticism about the project and her dislike for River. As the pair are dragged from one event to the next as the “Diamond” pairing that could make GeneticAlly a mint in stock prices, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to the scientist—and the science behind a soulmate—than she thought.
Funny, warm, and full of heart, The Soulmate Equation proves that the delicate balance between fate and choice can never be calculated.
Review
The Soulmate Equation is author-duo Christina Lauren's latest rom-com and I'd file it under the enemies-to-lovers and sort-of-but-not-quite the fake-dating trope.
The way the tropes were developed worked well enough for me to show interest in the main characters' relationship, get on board with it, and root for it to succeed- though the chemistry and spark wasn't quite flaming hot!
However, while this was a quick read and overall cute story, it was also a fairly predictable reading experience. Everything sort of went in the direction I thought it would. Sometimes something familiar and predictable is just what you're looking for; is comforting. If you're looking for that, this one's for you. Other times you want that fresh, new, unique feel. The latter is what I was hoping for when I read The Soulmate Equation.
So did I like it? Yeah.
Was it memorable? No.
Would I recommend it? Sure.
But would I read it again? Not likely.
*TW/CW: Addiction; Alcoholism
**Complimentary copy for review provided by Simon and Schuster Canada. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.
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About the Author
Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the New York Times, USA TODAY, and #1 internationally bestselling authors of the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, Dating You / Hating You, Autoboyography, Love and Other Words, Roomies, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, My Favorite Half-Night Stand, The Unhoneymooners, Twice in a Blue Moon, and The Soulmate Equation. You can find them online at ChristinaLaurenBooks.com, @ChristinaLauren on Instagram, or @ChristinaLauren on Twitter.
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