The Soulmate Equation — Books, Beauty, & Buys

By: Christina Lauren
Published Year: 2021
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 368

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): 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.

First Impressions

I mean… do I even need to fill this part out at this point? It’s a Christina Lauren book. Obviously I’m going to read it.

What I thought

Love love LOVED this book. This was what I had been hoping for when I read The Love Proof.

Jess and her friend Fizzy meet River at their local coffee shop where they find out that he is creating a dating app that is based off of your DNA. He invites them to check it out and Fizzy jumps on it because she’s a romance novelist. Jess, a single mother and statistician is a bit more skeptical. When she finally decides to submit her sample, she ends up match with River with 98% compatibility. Problem is, neither of them have felt any type of compatibility with each other during their previous meetings.

How can I squeal about this book over writing? I just loved everything about this book and enjoyed every moment. I read it in just over three days, but mostly read it over the weekend because I couldn’t put it down. This is one of their less spicy romance novels, so if you’re wary of that, you will be safe with this one.

I loved the science aspect of this story. Does your DNA play a part in who you fall in love with? Does it predetermine who you will be attracted to? If you know that information, does it change how you view a person?

I’m also, as I’m sure many of you know by now, a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope in romance novels and this one definitely toes that line. Jess and River do not like one another at first which makes it all the sweeter when they find out that they’re meant to be. I also appreciated the point of conflict that was chosen. I don’t want to say much about it, but I didn’t see it coming and it didn’t make me angry.

River and Jess were also adorable. I loved their chemistry and was rooting for them the entire time. The side characters were great too! I loved Jess’s daughter Juno, her grandparents, and of course Fizzy. I know it’s not common for Christina Lauren to do sequels to these stories but I would love to see Fizzy get her own book.