The True Love Experiment

Fizzy Chen has always been super open to sex and romance, particularly as a prolific and popular romance author. But for the past year, she's been unable to write and her interest in sex, nevermind a relationship, has been non-existent. Then she meets Connor Prince, a producer of environmental documentaries whose been pushed by his employer to produce a reality dating show, and is offered the position as the lead in his new project. Fizzy isn't that interested in the idea and intends to scare off Connor by giving him a ridiculous list of criteria for the men she'd date on the show. But then he manages to fulfill her every demand and now Fizzy and Connor are spending a lot of time together. But as Fizzy tries to find a love match in show more front of the camera, the real sparks might just be flying behind the scenes.

I ADORED this romance, which is a sequel to The Soulmate Equation. Fizzy is a fantastic protagonist and her brash and open personality along with the dating show scenario offers plenty of opportunities for the humour I love about Christina Lauren's books. Connor is also a compelling a character and I thoroughly enjoyed watching these two fall for each other. Also the ending made me so happy I cried (yeah, I'm that sap). Highly recommended for romance fans. show less

I listened to this on a 15 hour flight while suffering very severe digestive tract issues and I loved it. I loved it despite the fact it has at its center a reality show, and I hate reality tv. That is how good this is. I loved Fizzy when I met her in The Soulmate Equation, and have been looking forward to her story ever since. CL did NOT disappoint. Fizzy is even fizzier here, and Connor is just a delight. And Jess and River from the last book are real characters here -- they are not reduced to cameo status but also are very much side characters so they do not distract from Fizzy's story.

I loved just about everything here, but I think what I loved most was that the characters never doubted each other. They never denied their love, but show more they had responsibilities, as adults do. Their attraction impacted their responsibilities to others which made their relationship potentially untenable.

Connor and Fizzy are smart and charming and ambitious and gorgeous. Connor has an adorable tween daughter and an ex he loves (but is not in love with) and Fizzy has a supportive and lovely and funny family with parents who expect a lot from her, but could not be further from the tiger parents cliché. (I guess I should mention that Fizzy is Chinese or this does not make sense.) Both Fizzy and Connor have a very close best friend whom they confide in and who support them. I really liked these conversations. Oh, and the sex is hot. My favorite Christina Lauren EVER. show less

I’m glad it wasn’t only me that fell in love with Fizzy, a romance novelist who will try anything once, in The Soulmate Equation. Thanks to fan feedback, Christina Lauren have brought back Fizzy for her own story and it’s just as wonderful as she is. It combines fun, a reality TV dating show and the serious side of Fizzy.

When the reader meets Fizzy again, she’s lost her mojo after giving a speech at a university graduation ceremony. All the things she’s told the graduates to feel and do…well, she herself hasn’t done that many of them. Her characters, sure. But Fizzy’s never been in love and she’s feeling guilty over a past relationship. This leads to writer’s block, complicated by her sister’s pregnancy and show more brother’s upcoming wedding. So when she is offered the chance to be the star of a reality TV show where the heroine tries to find her own romance hero, she should be delighted. But Connor, a documentary filmmaker who is being forced to do this, rubs her up the wrong way. Until he doesn’t. Fizzy and Connor become good friends during the planning and filming of the show. But Fizzy’s under a contract not to see anyone and Connor doesn’t do quick flings. Is it meant to be, or will it never happen?

The True Love Experiment is never not a fun read. Even though it brings up serious topics, these are carefully handled and have a realistic outcome. The dating show is fun, but it doesn’t take over the narrative entirely (good if you don’t like reality TV like myself, but I’m sure there are enough in jokes and references to the format to entertain fans of the genre). Fizzy becomes more than the sidekick who is always up for a good time in this novel. Her vulnerabilities are revealed, as well as a truly caring nature that the reader didn’t get to see in The Soulmate Equation. (You don’t need to read this book first to ‘get’ everything in The True Love Experiment, but Jess, River and Juno do get some page time which brings more warm fuzzies if you know them). It was kind of reaffirming that Fizzy who appeared to have everything she wanted to the outsider, didn’t quite have it all together. She was happy, but she was open to doing things differently, to failing, to trying again.

Connor was a great hero for Fizzy. He’s much more serious and perhaps shy, but becomes much warmer and open once Fizzy (and the reader) gets to the know him. He’s the type to go all in when he can trust someone and/or he cares for them. Knowing Connor much more completely is a nice juxtaposition against Fizzy’s heroes on the dating show, who are picked for their potential compatibility and how well they fix a particular romance stereotype (like ‘Hot Nerd’). You can’t help but go in to bat for Connor against them as he and Fizzy have chemistry that soars off the page. This is what makes the novel sizzle and spark in amongst a great story that includes fandom, pop culture and some hilarious moments. I really didn’t want to finish this book and it gave me some serious book hangover vibes. Now I just have to wait for the next CL novel…

Thank you to Hachette for the copy of this book (I also bought a copy for a friend). My review is honest.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com show less

The sequel to Soulmates surpassed my expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll read any Christina Lauren release, but The Soulmate Equation wasn’t my favorite of theirs. Also, pop-stars, celebritism, and reality shows aren’t anywhere near the top of my favorite trope list, leading me into The True Love Experiment with less than effusive enthusiasm. I love being wrong about books on this end of the spectrum. The True Love Experiment was utterly delightful (no wonder all those fangirls were asking for Fizzy’s story). This was pure entertainment captured completely in Fizzy’s fun personality—her unapologetic humor and lifestyle choices matched by her genuine warmth and endearing loyalty. Fizzy’s antics, the chemistry between show more her and proper-comportment-producer Connor, and the nod to romance readers and writers alike made this book so devourable. show less

For me, this book was like if Beautiful Bastard didn't have troubling dynamics and the authors had aged things up a bit. I used to like Beautiful Bastard, mind, so seeing something that refreshed that forbidden workplace thing to make it acceptable (under the heroine's power, still troubling at times but I never worried for Fizzy) and less consent-problematic.

I guess I am saying it had that hot forbidden vibe and the chemistry really worked for me-the conflict worked for me, the hero gave me all the feels with his grown up co-parenting divorcee vibe and what not.

I am not sure I liked the ending (tbh, I am not sure I ever am fond of those endings) but I could see it, you know? Completely binged this from beginning to end, one day meal, show more delicious, fun summery read. show less

I haven't read a romance book that was this joyful all the way through in awhile. At one point, I had to stand up from my desk at work, walk away, and silently squeal because of something that happened. Since I have the soul of Grumpy Cat, this was entirely unexpected.

Fizzy is a popular romance author with writer's block who wants to find some experiences of her own. Hot DILF aka Connor is the reluctant producer of a reality dating show and pitches it to Fizzy as the main. She agrees as long as it's not creepy and he finds her matches in certain book tropes that she likes to mess with him. All of a sudden she has candidates like the cinnamon roll, the vampire, the bad boy, etc and away we go.

The problem is that no one on the show quite show more gets her as much as this hot single dad does and just read the book guys.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own. show less

I had no idea this was a follow up book at first. The intro jogged my memory a little bit, and seemed slightly familiar. Needless to say you don't need to have read The Soulmate Equation to read this.

I really liked the characters in this book, though apart from how his past marriage ended, Connor is a little too perfect. Fizzy is a great character though. And I loved that she was a romance author, giving the authors of this book the chance to defend the genre. As well as put in things that happen to them, like being asked, "What does your dad think of you writing romance?"