Review: The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
Thank you Gallery Books for my early copy! All thoughts are my own.
I will always have a soft spot for Christina Lauren, since they are the author duo that really got me into reading Romance with their book, The Unhoneymooners. it’s a genre classic at this point and a book I recommend often. I’d heard some really good things about The True Love Experiment and I loved The Soulmate Equation, so I was ready!
This book did not disappoint. It’s C.Lo at their best, with witty banter and electric moments, but I feel like they’ve turned a corner in adding a more mature tone to their writing. I personally love it and I’m so excited for everyone to read this book.
Synopsis:
“Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is lost. Sure, she’s got an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with a slew of bestsellers under her belt, but when she’s asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn’t been practicing what she’s preached.
Fizzy hasn’t ever really been in love. Lust? Definitely. But that swoon-worthy, can’t-stop-thinking-about-him, all-encompassing feeling? Nope. Nothing. What happens when the optimism she’s spent her career encouraging in readers starts to feel like a lie?
Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and single father, loves his work in large part because it allows him to live near his daughter. But when his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show, putting his job on the line, Connor is out of his element. Desperate to find his romantic lead, a chance run-in with an exasperated Fizzy offers Connor the perfect solution. What if he could show the queen of romance herself falling head-over-heels for all the world to see? Fizzy gives him a hard pass—unless he agrees to her list of demands. When he says yes, and production on The True Love Experiment begins, Connor wonders if that perfect match will ever be in the cue cards for him, too.
The True Love Experiment is the book fans have been waiting for ever since Fizzy’s debut in the New York Times bestselling The Soulmate Equation. But when the lights come on and all eyes are on her, it turns out the happily ever after Fizzy had all but given up on might lie just behind the camera.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Concept Without Being Cheesy—Sometimes I get nervous about books that are a “love letter” to their genre. There’s a fine line between cheeky self-awareness and eye-rolling. This had the perfect balance!
The Characters—I am obsessed with Fizzy. She’s reminiscent of Hazel from Josh & Hazel but has her shit together more. I loved her. I LOVED Connor (bearded! grumpy! BRITISH!) and fell even more in love with River and Jess. The kids are incredible and we love to see healthy co-parenting. Please let us have Natalia’s book next.
The Dialogue—It SPARKLES. The banter? Chef’s kiss.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
Felt Like We Missed Out on Some Stuff—I feel like there could have been some more montage-y moments? I don’t know, sometimes I forgot there was even a reality show at the center.
Character Authenticity: 5/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 4.75/5
Content Warnings:
infidelity (past, discussed)