"She blinded me with science!" could be the tagline for these two Christina Lauren romcoms. Because The Soulmate Equation and The True Love Experiment ask the age-old question: "Is there a science to love?" As in, is romance all hearts and flowers? Or also why hearts beat and flowers grow?
In The Soulmate Equation, down-on-her-luck single mom and freelance statistician Jessica Davis is done with love. Her deadbeat baby daddy and absentee mom have convinced her that there are no happy endings, and all she wants is to give her daughter, Juno, the best life possible. So when she crosses paths with a gorgeous man at her local coffee shop, she doesn't pursue him. At least not until her bestie Fizzy insists. Because Americano, as Jess affectionately-not-so-affectionately calls him, isn't any old hottie. He's a brilliant scientist who created a dating app that matches people based on their DNA. Jess can't deny that the scientist in her isn't intrigued. In a moment of weakness, she signs up for the app only to discover that she and the good doctor are a Diamond Match, the highest the company's ever seen. What follows is a PR campaign designed to show the world that Jess and Dr. River Peña (that's his real name) are a soulmate success story. The gig pays Jess's bills, which is a huge relief, and ends up being surprisingly fun. But giving interviews and flirting with River is one thing. Giving her heart away is another.
In The True Love Experiment, Felicity "Fizzy" Chen gets her chance at love. The bestselling romance novelist has hit a slump in her own usually red-hot love life. After being burned by a relationship with an unbeknownst-to-her-married man, Fizzy's zest for life has, well, fizzled. So when she gets an offer to star in a reality show based on the DNA dating technology developed by her best friend's husband, she accepts. But not without first submitting a list of conditions, one of which is that the contestants, or "heroes" as she calls them, must be archetypes typically found in romcoms, e.g., the "Hot Nerd," the "Tattooed Bad Boy," and the "Cinnamon Roll." (That last one, by the way, is Mr. Sweet and Supportive, which I didn't know before reading this book.) After some heated back and forth, producer Conner Prince finally hires her. At first, vivacious Fizzy hates everything about the buttoned-up, romcom-averse Brit. But as she gets to know him, she realizes he isn't nearly as staid as he seems. It isn't long before she imagines riding off into the sunset with him. Still, Fizzy may not be ready to risk her heart.
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I enjoyed both of these books. The Soulmate Equation's Jess and River struck me as the stronger couple, but The True Love Experiment's Fizzy was a more compelling heroine. Neither novel answered the question about if there's a science to love, but that was okay.
Style over science, I say.
3 comments:
These do look like some fun one. I feel chemistry is always involved! But it is an experiment you have to watch carefully, after the initial connection can come the reality of the situation. Thanks for these delicious reviews!🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓Oh, I stayed in bed most of yesterday coughing.
These two are a duo on coupling! This looks like some fun summer reads. So great to see your reviews. I do like the name "Felicity Chen". Recently, I met a young Declan at the library. Oh, such a gallant blonde Goth teen!
Awesome reviews! Yes, these trendy romances these days. Great they are making an effort to push Science into our brains. It gives you a lot more to think about. Adoring your write up! All the best to your reading shelf!
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