The Soulmate Equation

Christina Lauren

May 2021 · Simon and Schuster · Narrated by Patti Murin

About this audiobook

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“Writing duo and reigning romance queens Christina Lauren are back with The Soulmate Equation, their most ambitious book to date.” —PopSugar

​“A sexy, science-filled, and surprising romance full of warmth and wit.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Chosen as a best pick by Bustle, Marie Claire, Entertainment Weekly, E! Online, PopSugar, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, Country Living, The Pioneer Woman, Woman’s World, Bookish, Bookreporter, Frolic, and more!

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. After all, her father was never around, her hard-partying mother disappeared when she was six, and her ex decided he wasn’t “father material” before her daughter 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 percent compatibility with another subject in the database: GeneticAlly’s founder, Dr. River Peña. This is one number she can’t wrap her head around, because she already knows Dr. Peña. 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 launch GeneticAlly’s valuation sky-high, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to the scientist—and the science behind a soulmate—than she thought.

“Laugh-out-loud, sweet, charming, and humorous” (Library Journal, starred review), The Soulmate Equation proves that the delicate balance between fate and choice can never be calculated.

Ratings and reviews

Jessica (Jess) Davis is a freelance statistician with a seven-year old daughter. She has a busy life but no time for or success in the romance arena. When she and her best friend, Felicity (Fizzy), learn that “Americana,” the cool, handsome but rudely aloof man who frequents their coffee shop, is launching a matchmaking app, they approach him and get an invite to his office. Dr. River Peña never figured they’d show up but they did. Fizzy was all in but it took Jess having a meltdown days later to give it a shot in that desperate moment. However, her results came back with the most surprising outcome. River Peña’s company, GeneticAlly, isn’t peddling your typical matchmaking service. Clients are linked based on DNA elements and scored in different ranges, the Platinum level yielding the best long term results. There are very few in that category so when Jess & River are paired in that range, the implications for both of them and the company are remarkable. The setup for these two was done so very well as I really didn’t like River, especially for Jess. Throughout the story I questioned whether his willingness to explore a relationship with her for the sake of his company or a genuine interest in her. I needed to be convinced as much as Jess that his personality change was authentic and he really stepped up to that demand. I enjoyed their journey and liked how their feelings grew slowly and rather organically. Jess’s friendship with Fizzy provided lots of comic relief as she was her “person,” loyal to a fault, and willing to be outrageous. Daughter Juno was a delight, full of personality and imagination, which was where Jess had her biggest imprint. There’s not a lot of drama, just normal life conflicts that create challenges in Jess’s world but they made the story stronger. River is an enigma but it was his connection with Juno that won me over. This was a lovely story that was wonderfully narrated. Patti Murin captured the essence of Jess, the most critical character, creating a vivid image of this woman, inside and out. Just another satisfying story from one of my favorite writing teams. (Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)

4.5 stars — I loved the sass. I loved the snark. I loved the emotions. I loved the LOVE. Patti Murin was fantastic. I enjoyed her narration even more than I did in In a Holidaze. I found her voices more distinct and easy to follow. And god…her emotions and comedic timing are just top notch. She made this book a delight to listen to. I don’t know how they do it, but these ladies always write book boyfriend characters for me. Which is not to say that River is perfect, by any means. I mean, he totally bumbles big time at the end. But he’s just so genuine and sincere and multi-faceted and shy and awkward and adorable and sensitive and…and… I just. SWOON. Big time. It’s not just the way he treats Jess, it’s how he treats her whole family, and particularly Juno. I just adored him, flaws and all. Everyone’s always clamouring for an alpha male, and meanwhile I’m over here just dying over the beta boys. Jess. Jess Jess Jess. These authors may always know how to make me swoon over a boy, but they also know how to make me frustrated and yet empathetic towards the heroine. She was so…aggravating at times! But the thing is that I got where it was coming from. I totally understood how her past had shaped her. And while it frustrated me, I think we did get to see growth in her as well. I was worried, but I was satisfied with how Jess navigated the relationship, especially at the end. As for the two of them together? They definitely had their challenges, but those moments when they connected were just fire. And when we finally got to the steam? Oh yeah, chemistry for days. The secondary characters, as always, absolutely made this book. Fizzy was freaking hilarious and odd and awesome. I loved the friendship they had with one another. Nana Jo and Pops were just perfect — they made me laugh so many times, but also brought the emotions. River’s sisters were hilarious and perfect! And then there’s Juno. Again — as I’m sure I’ve said in many a review — I’m not a kid person. I can take them or leave them in books usually, and sometimes I question how realistically they’re portrayed. But wow, Juno was a firecracker. She was smart and precocious, and so easy to love. She was also realistically 7 in her reactions. She added to the story, and it would not have been the same love story without her. The concept was entirely fascinating. I mean, I don’t know how much I believe it, or would even want it, but I loved considering that it was real and that this really did exist in the world. These ladies do an amazing job of making something fictional fit into the world so that it feels real. And man, the nerding out was top notch. I didn’t understand half the things they were talking about, but I love watching people nerd out on their passions. So yeah. I’m all about the characters and relationships and emotions and humour, and this one just worked for me.

Why oh why do your free books cause you to review to the point of not even needing t bother?? What is the point? It's rude and annoying!

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, Autoboyography, Love and Other Words, Roomies, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, The Unhoneymooners, The Soulmate Equation, Something Wilder, and The True Love Experiment. You can find them online at ChristinaLaurenBooks.com or @ChristinaLauren on Instagram.