The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

Synopsis

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.

Audiobook review

4 very solid stars.

This book reconciled me with Christina Lauren’s writing.
I tried some of their early Bastards books but they just were meh for me.

The True Love Experiment was fizzling like champagne!
Mostly thanks to Fizzy’s buoyant and irreverent personality! She was brutally honest and open, mischievous, smart and had charisma in spades!
What happens when a romance writer loses her sex drive and her joy? She goes for a long dry spell and can’t find new words to put on paper.

“Last week I considered going jogging in flip-flops just to remind myself how sex sounds.”

And she also ends up accepting to be the star of a new dating reality show.
But of course, she first has to set some rules, like having for contestants: a vampire, a cinnamon roll, a hot nerd, the one that got away….

All to the reluctant producer, DILF Connor’s consternation and…intrigue.
Let’s talk about Connor now!
Tall, very tall Connor with a lean muscled body, green eyes and British accent. His passion is Stevie, his daughter, and making marine documentaries. But if he wants to keep making these documentaries, he’ll have to make that dating show first.
And he will have to watch Fizzy go on orchestrated dates, falling head over heel in love in the process…

That book was a delight. I loved Fizzy, the banter she had with Connor, her candor and outrageous comments. I loved all the side characters going from Juno and Stevie the little girls to Connor’s ex-wife Nathalie to Fizzy’s best friend. That was a ragtag family supporting the main characters. The idea of the dating show and the request for the casting was astute too.
The chemistry was potent and the not too slow burn perfect!

It’s a very good and uplifting romance, a sure way to bring you joy for a few hours. 

And both narrator of the audiobook did a very good job portraying these characters!

Thanks for reading!

Sophie