Hi there! I’m here to talk about an exciting new romance release from a popular writing duo. **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**
I’ll be honest, I didn’t think I would actually be approved to review Christina Lauren’s 2023 romance release, The True Love Experiment. I read their 2021 release, The Soulmate Equation, a few years ago and, as a scientist and a lover of single-parent romances, I really liked Jess and River’s story. So when I heard that Fizzy, Jess’s best friend and romance author, was getting her own story, I was very much intrigued to read about her own happily ever after. I saw that The True Love Experiment was up to request on NetGalley, and after getting denied for a few titles a few days earlier (from a different publisher, but still), I wasn’t holding my breath – I’m a small blog here with not a lot reach, and most of the time it’s just me screaming into the void about books I loved (or maybe didn’t). So let me tell you, I was very surprised – and extremely grateful – to be approved for an early copy. I’m glad I get the chance to share my thoughts with you here!
Felicity “Fizzy” Chen may have an incredible career as a romance author with several bestselling books under her belt and an audience just itching for her next release, but she’s lost. It isn’t until she’s invited to give a commencement speech when she realizes that she hasn’t been practicing what she’s preached – she’s never been in love, never had that all-encompassing can’t-live-without-him moment with any guy that’s come her way. So when Connor Prince, a documentary filmmaker and single father, is forced to create a reality T.V. dating show to keep his job and stay close to his daughter, he approaches Fizzy with the chance to be its first contestant, because he knows that showing the queen of romance herself falling in love on his show is sure to bring in views. So what does Fizzy do? She turns him down – or, more accurately, says no unless he complies with her long list of demands she wrote to scare him off. Well, Connor is determined to keep his job and make the most of this situation so, surprising Fizzy, he agrees to everything. Thus, The True Love Experiment is born, and while Connor and Fizzy take chances on living life leading up to filming and the show’s debut, they start to wonder if true love can be in the cards for both of them.
**Before I begin my review, I would like to note that the character of Fizzy is Asian-American – her parents emigrated from Hong-Kong and moved to the United States before Fizzy was born. I do not share this identity, so while my view of this portrayal is not offensive I have to defer to own-voices reviewers for their opinion of this representation, so please seek out those reviewers before reading. It is also important to support marginalized authors writing about their own identities and experiences, as their voices and the stories being told are often overlooked**
While I wasn’t a reader who was itching for Fizzy’s story after finishing The Soulmate Equation, now that it’s written I’m glad to have picked it up. Something I definitely wanted more from The Soulmate Equation was River’s perspective – the entire thing is written in 3rd person from Jess’s point of view. But The True Love Experiment delivers with dual POV, so at all times we understand how Fizzy and Connor are feeling. Fizzy is such an interesting character to me because she is nothing like me yet I want to be her best friend – she understands that people may have perceptions about her because she’s a romance author, but that doesn’t stop her from living her life as truly as possible. She isn’t afraid to speak her mind, have a little fun, and try to go after exactly what she thinks she deserves. Then we have Connor, who moved across the country to be closer to his child (co-parenting with his ex wife) and will do anything in order to make sure he doesn’t lose his job, including making a reality dating show even though he knows nothing about, and doesn’t even like, reality television. And that’s clear to Fizzy from the offset, so she makes sure to put him in his place and only accept his offer to be on the show if he makes the effort to take things seriously, because that, being authentic to herself and to her audience, matters more to her than maybe finding her perfect match. I also loved how Connor’s ex wife, Natalie, definitely talks some sense into him after she senses him looking down on romance books and reality television – then later on in the book, when other people express unsavory opinions towards romance books, and Fizzy as an author of them, he comes to her defense almost instantly and understands how bad a take it is because he used to believe it himself. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the pacing, since the actual filming of The True Love Experiment doesn’t start until about half-way through, but that first half really built up the chemistry between Connor and Fizzy, and then we see how difficult it is for both of them on set – how Fizzy can’t stop looking towards Connor when on camera, and how strained Connor is to see Fizzy connecting with these men, even though he chose them. I loved Fizzy’s request to have all the guys fulfill their own romance hero trope (I’ll admit I laughed right alongside Fizzy when it came to the vampire), and I really appreciated how drama-free the set was – I’d say the only drama present was that Fizzy and Connor couldn’t be together during filming due to a contract. While not all of the guys clicked with Fizzy and some had more flaws than others, I was never hoping for someone to be eliminated. I just had so much fun getting to see Fizzy and Connor find love after feeling lost in their lives – I laughed, I cried, and had a great time.
*This next paragraph will have slight spoilers about Fizzy’s plot points in The Soulmate Equation, and a bit of her mental struggles towards the end of The True Love Experiment, so please read with caution* I would also like to discuss the aspect of cheating as it appears in these books. At the end of The Soulmate Equation, it is revealed that the man Fizzy had been dating, was actually married. Fizzy is, of course, heartbroken, breaks off their relationship, and has a hard time moving past it emotionally. I won’t explain in what capacity cheating plays into The True Love Experiment, but I am seeing some discussion about it through early reviews and I kind of wanted to say my piece too. I know some people are under the impression that “once a cheater, always a cheater,” and I think in some instances that’s true – if someone makes the choice to be unfaithful once, chances are they are likely to do it again. But I do want to note that, personally, I think there’s a difference between a man who actively chooses to conceal a “side-relationship” from his partner, then, when confronted with the fact he’s been caught, tries to deny it or show no remorse, and a man who, in one moment, is unfaithful, feels terrible about his decision, accepts the consequences of a broken relationship because of it, works out his feelings and emotions in years of therapy, steps up and works to receive forgiveness from the ones he’s hurt (which he has), and vows to be a better person in the future. I don’t think Fizzy is in the wrong for her immediate reactions – in fact I respect that she had to remove herself from the situation so that she could move past the initial thoughts and consider the whole picture. I am not someone who’s ever been in a relationship, so my opinions may not even matter to some people, but I just wanted to be able to note them here.
In conclusion, I’m sure fans of The Soulmate Equation are going to love seeing Fizzy find her man, just like in all her own romance novels. Jess and River, and a few other characters, are sure to make their presence known, so while this isn’t truly classified as a sequel, I would highly recommend reading their story first. Fizzy and Connor’s banter and chemistry lights up the page and their romance is sure to make any reader smile. The True Love Experiment is set to release on May 16th, 2023, which is the day this post goes live, so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday and consider picking up a copy for yourself if you’re interested! *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Gallery Books, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
Where to find The True Love Experiment:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Simon & Schuster
Christina Lauren’s site
Thoughts About Things 