That’s the one, Daniel said, nodding. You could be right that he needs to get laid, but I’m guessing he does just fine for himself.

Maybe not,” Jess said, “but Tinder isn’t going to help me find a quality guy to hold it up, either.” Can DNA determine your soulmate? This is the fascinating question behind Christina Lauren’s witty and highly original new novel, which follows a statistician and single mother who signs up for a dating company using DNA as its matchmaking model — only to find herself matched to the company’s unctuous, unappealing founder. A surprisingly romantic, science-based take on finding love and happily ever after. BookBubThis reading group guide for The Soulmate Equation includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book. Fizzy began peeling the paper off her muffin. “What I was going to say is that you can’t throw in the towel because of one bad date.”

Single mom Jess Davis is a data and statistics wizard, but she’s hasn’t been a whiz in the dating department. Raised by her grandparents—she’s been left behind too often to feel comfortable letting anyone in. The side gate opened with a tiny squeak, then latched closed behind her. Down a narrow path, Jess stepped into the courtyard that separated her apartment from Nana Jo and Pops’s bungalow. The space looked like a lush garden somewhere in Bali or Indonesia. A handful of stone fountains gurgled quietly, and the primary sensation was bright: magenta, coral, and brassy-purple bougainvillea dominated the walls and fences. When we first meet Jess in Chapter 1, what do we learn about her as a character through her moment of reflection in the restroom? How does Jess’s perception of herself differ from Fizzy’s, Juno’s, and River’s perceptions of her? Does her self-perception change over the course of the novel? JESSICA DAVIS USED to think it was an honest-to-God tragedy that only twenty-six percent of women believed in true love. Of course, that was nearly a decade ago, when she couldn’t imagine what it felt like to be anything but deeply and passionately obsessed with the man who would one day be her ex. Tonight, though, on her third first date in seven years, she was astounded the number was even that high. Although not a lot of time elapsed in the story, I felt like River and Jess’ romance had this sweet slow burn quality to it which kept me on the edge of my seat.But all that aside, at its heart, this is a terrific love story of enemies to lovers, and that's one of my favorite tropes. Everyone's so gruff and uptight in the beginning, but then they slowly thaw. I was positively gleeful, following along as this couple warmed up to each other and realized there is more between them than just hate and distrust. GeneticAlly’s test is capable of identifying genetic commonalities, not personality traits. However, many of the high-level couples seem to have similar senses of humor, life goals, and dispositions. What do you think this says about nature versus nurture? Lauren (Love and Other Words, 2018) has penned a hilariously zany and heartfelt novel... the story is sure to please readers looking for a fun-filled novel to escape everyday life with." Booklist Also, they eat their food whole, and their ears are only inside their heads. Guess where you can’t find snakes? Juno stared up at her, blue eyes unblinking. Guess. In Chapter 10, River says, “I’ll believe the test if it says we are biologically compatible, but I’m not a scientific zealot, Jess. I recognize the element of choice.” Discuss how the element of choice might affect soulmates. Do you think the effect of choice works differently for Base Matches than for Diamond Matches?

Christina Lauren’s latest romance is a must-read. I loved their look at modern dating with technology and what it might mean to connect with your soulmate. The Soulmate Equation Story

He straightened and gave her the smile that had made Fizzy write the hero of Destiny’s Devil with Daniel in mind, and do all manner of dirty things to him in the book that she hadn’t dared do in real life. A python? Jess set a pot of water on the stove to boil. Are you out of your mind, child? She pointed to the cat, Pigeon, asleep in the dying stretch of daylight streaming through the window. A python would eat that creature. Well, you can have him. Frowning, Jess watched him do his customary wipe of the condiment bar with a napkin. I was just thinking how I can’t fathom the idea that he’s starting a matchmaking company. That isn’t something an asshole like that does. God, I know,” Jess agreed with a g roan. “I’m talking to myself in a bathroom. Tells you exactly how my night is going.” At first, I thought the idea sounded really great but River and Jess made me see the pressure and doubt that could also come with that technology.