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Book Reviews

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

5/10/2021

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SYNOPSIS
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.
​Synopsis from Goodreads

PERSONAL REVIEW
Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for sending me this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Christina Lauren has done is again with their newest book about a dating app that uses DNA to find people’s perfect match. Well I may not totally understand some of the scientific or mathematical conversations that happen, I absolutely loved the relationships in this book and the romance of it all. Who knew DNA could be so cute?

Love Jess & Family
I like that Christina Lauren decided to have a parent looking for love in this book. Although Jess wasn’t necessarily looking for love, I mean that we had to see her juggle her love for her daughter with a growing relationship. Jess’s family in general is so lovely and I’m so happy they were included in this book. Her grandparents, her best friend, and her daughter are such great characters and they really help Jess’s character feel more real and more realistic. A lot of her hesitation in starting this romance with River is around how will it affect her daughter, and this felt so true to what any parent would worry about. It was also nice that this was a realistic barrier to the physical side of their relationship, and felt very true for what I’m sure many parents have to deal with when starting a new relationship.

Dating With Genes
This was such a fun take on online dating, playing with the idea of online dating we know today combines with our genetics! Honestly, I have no idea if the scientific and mathematical jargon was accurate (I’ve failed way too many math classes to know if the stats Jess figured out were true) but Lauren has done a great job of not making this seem like some fantastical idea, but making it very believable and something that we actually might see a company do in the future. I also liked that we had a taste of the potential negative side effects of using a statistical DNA standard to figure out who people should date. It made sense to me that Jess and River would be hesitant to start a relationship, because the pressure of scoring so high can taint the potential of their relationship if they’re always thinking that they have to be together because of that number. As much as I hate numbers, they can definitely play havoc with our lives and we see how that happens in this book.

Such a Fun Read!
I flew through this book! Like any good Christina Lauren novel, it was really easy to fall into the story and get excited about what was going to happen to these characters. I liked that the characters felt very genuine, that while the idea of DNA dating is seems very futuristic they make it very contemporary, and everything about this book was just very easy to enjoy. Christina Lauren have done a great job at creating characters that feel very realistic, and I love that they included a child this time, because she really added such a fun element to all the different relationships in the book. From giving Jess more depth as a mom and main character, to River and Fizzy‘s relationships with her, Juno is just the sweetest little girl and I love that she was such a big part of the story as well.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed any other Christina Lauren books in the past or two people looking for a fun romance to dive into. This is a light book, it feels very realistic while also romantic, and in general was just a really enjoyable book to read.

The Soulmate Equation comes out May 18th and I’d love to know what you think when you read it!

​FINAL RATING: 4.5/5

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    About Me

    Hi, I'm Alexandra! I love reading (largely YA fiction, but sometimes I'll read "adult" books), playing board games, Nutella, and binge-watching TV shows on Netflix with my husband. 

    I absolutely love to travel, but home will always be in Toronto. Books come with me everywhere and I can't wait to hear if you agree or disagree with my reviews. 


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