Sparks fly when a romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the perfect Hollywood love story and take both of their careers to the next level—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script.
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 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.
Title : The True Love Experiment
Author : Christina Lauren
Format : eBook (overdrive)
Page Count : 416
Genre : contemporary romance
Publisher : Gallery Books
Release Date : May 16, 2023
Reviewer : Hollis
Rating : ★ ★ ★.5
Hollis' 3.5 star review
Whew, there's a reason there are fireworks on the cover of this one; CLo brought back the heat with The True Love Experiment. And I am not mad about it. This was one of the rare romances I've read lately where I was not skimming the sexy bits. Not for dirty reasons, you perv, but because they were actually well written and fit the mood. Sheesh.
But anyway, readers who loved The Soulmate Equation wanted more Fizzy and so this companion piece was born. And I'm not mad it exists. Was it perfect? No. Infact, I did like this less than the first, but it may have earned the distinction of being one of the few, if not the only, pieces of fiction with a reality TV show element that I didn't utterly loathe. The show was actually one of the best parts. Why? Because of how it was set up. Using romance tropes for bachelors was genius. Not just because it's a romance novel but because Fizzy, our star, was a romance author.
There's also the whole DNAMatch thing from book one that plays a role but that's less interesting to the whole gimmick.
As for the romance? I mean, I was mostly into it. I do think things got intense a little too fast between them; I would've liked the slow build towards that combustion -- which we did see as the filming went on -- but the initial vroom vroom was just too much vroom. And there was a conflict or two that was just a little too much drama (in the sense that their reactions created more drama). Also also you know I hate me a big grand gesture -- especially one that involves, like, being in public -- but this one.. this one didn't quite cross the line. So it gets a pass. But know there is something along those lines to contend with. That being said, I liked trying to imagine it all play out in my head; I would be into watching that. Much like I was into watching their interactions, their banter, their dynamic, their need to orbit each other. The chemistry was there and it was good (also see aforementioned sexy times, whew) it was just little bits here and there that kept me from falling headfirst right into love with them.
But the friendship groups, the family dynamics, all alongside the reality show, it made for a good time. And it was nice to unwind with a bit of fun on a friday night after a long streak of chonky fantasies. As always, even with a string of disappointments, I will always pick up a CLo. And I think you, too, would have a good time with this one.
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