July 28, 2021

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Release Date: May 18, 2021
Format: Audiobook (Library)
Publisher: Gallery Books


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When I heard the premise for The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren, I immediately knew that I had to read this book. Being a scientist (and already a fan of Christina Lauren’s books), I was very intrigued by how they would weave genetics into a romance book. They did not disappoint. 

Jess Davis is a single mom and a freelance statistician who is convinced that she has no time for dating in her already busy life. When she hears about GeneticAlly, and how it matches people based on science and numbers it sounds too good to be true. She submits her sample on a whim and sets her standards very high so she will only be notified of the strongest of matches. She eventually forgets about it but is later shocked when she is matched with the founder of GeneticAlly, Dr. River Pena. Their score is 98 -  the highest in the company’s history. Unnerved, Jess initially balks at the idea of actually giving River a chance but with a lot of convincing they agree to begin a relationship. After multiple dates with River, Jess begins to realize that numbers and first impressions might not be the only factors in love. 


I loved the relationship between Jess and River. They both are science and math people, so initially their interactions are kind of awkward. GeneticAlly pushes them together because they want the couple to be the face of the company and help build hype for their product. However, over the course of the story, they open themselves up to love and the idea that they might have actually found their soulmate. The numbers aspect of their relationship and how genes play a role in their pairing also makes them question how much of their relationship is built on fate and how much is built on freedom of choice. I appreciated how the authors included interactions between Juno, Jess’ daughter, and River. Being the child of a single mother myself, I know how important it is for any prospective match to get along well with the children in a relationship. If the boyfriend and the kid don’t get along, that’s usually grounds for a hard stop. You don’t just marry the person, you marry their kids too.  


Outside of the relationship between Jess and River, my favorite character in the book is Fizzy. Fizzy is the type of best friend that everyone needs, and a total fairy godmother type character in helping Jess and River’s relationship grow. Her day job is writing romance novels, and it was fun to see her get excited over Jess and River’s interactions. Seeing all of that work culminate in a novel based on Jess and River’s relationship at the end of the book was just icing on the cake. 


I highly recommend this book to any contemporary romance fans. It’s a perfect standalone novel, complete with lots of humorous and romantic elements! I loved how it ended. While I don’t necessarily need another novel based on River and Jess, it would be cool to have a novel based on Fizzy that gives us a peek into how Jess, River, and Juno are doing. 


About the Authors

Yes, there are two of us! Christina (on the left) and Lauren (on the right).

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The #1 international bestselling coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced eighteen New York Times bestselling novels. They are published in over 30 languages, have received multiple starred reviews, won both the Seal of Excellence and Book of the Year from RT Magazine, been inducted into the Library Reads Hall of Fame, named Amazon and Audible Romance of the Year, a Lambda Literary Award finalist and been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. They have been featured in publications such as ForbesThe Atlantic, The Washington PostTimeEntertainment WeeklyPeopleO Magazine and more. Their third YA novel, Autoboyography was released in 2017 to critical acclaim, followed by RoomiesLove and Other WordsJosh and Hazel’s Guide to Not DatingThe UnhoneymoonersIn a Holidaze, and The Soulmate Equation and Something Wilder.

Lauren Billings (but everyone calls her Lo) has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and before she made writing her full-time job, would spend her days doing nerdy research-type things wearing a lab coat and goggles. She is silly Mommy to two littles, wife to one mountain biking homebrewing scientist, and an unabashed lover of YA and romance.

Christina Hobbs (but you’ll always hear Lo call her PQ) used to spend her days in a junior high counseling office surrounded by teenagers. These days you can find her at her desk, writing, or watching BTS videos. She lives in Utah with her husband and daughter, thinks she’s the luckiest person in the world to write books with her best friend, and is an unapologetic lover of boy bands and glitter.

Credit Brystan Studios/Lori Brystan.





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