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. Raised by her grandparents--who now help raise her seven-year-old daughter, Juno--Jess has been left behind too often to feel comfortable letting anyone in. After all, her father's never been around, her hard-partying mother disappeared when she was six, and her ex decided he wasn't "father material" before Juno 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% compatibility with another subject in the database: GeneticAlly's founder, Dr. River Pena. This is one number she can't wrap her head around, because she already knows Dr. Pena. 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 make GeneticAlly a mint in stock prices, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to the scientist--and the science behind a soulmate--than she thought.
Funny, warm, and full of heart, The Soulmate Equation proves that the delicate balance between fate and choice can never be calculated.
REVIEW: This was our June 2021 romance pick for the Inked Pages Book Club. When I saw this book was coming out in May, I knew it had to be our June pick. After reading In a Holiday, Christina Lauren became a insta-buy in my book. I love a good single-mom romance, especially when it is clear that this mom always puts her child first above everything else. Dr. Pena is the epitome of what I imagine a scientist would be like, super awkward, and straight forward, never mincing words. Since Jess is a numbers gal and has had a rough past, she is always waiting for the other shoe to drop. The two of them together have incredible chemistry once they let their walls down, which makes for a couple of really great steamy moments. Juno is an absolute delight with a sharp wit and such a positive disposition which speaks volumes about Jess's parenting skills and her "village". Fizzy is the best friend we all wish we had and such a great addition to the story. This was an incredibly sweet and thoughtful infinity stars read and one I will definitely re-read over and over again.
Publication Date: March 18, 2021