The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren

This novella is written mostly in emails. It starts when one high school student accidentally emails another instead of a teacher. The train of Valentine's emails continue for years with either one of the other of the two trying to be the first to say hello. They also start to learn more about each other and discover they might just be made for each other.

A really quick, enjoyable read.

The Improbable Meet-Cute #1

Four stars

This book came out January 23, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

I only vaguely remember Fizzy as being a side character in a previous book but, dang, is she hilarious. Thirty-seven years old and a romance writer who has known who she is for most of her life, she is in the middle of a bit of writer's block and some decisions about whether where she is in life is where she wants to be. When she's contacted by a producer who thinks she would be great as a "Bachelorette" type main character on a new show he's developing, her first thought is she doesn't want to do it. But when she overhears a conversation (and only gets the tail end), she decides that she will do the show but only under her terms. To start? She's going to parameters around the men she's going to date (the words cinnamon roll may or may not be included.)

Connor's life is changing whether he wants it to or not. He was happy producing documentaries for a small network but now they want a reality show. He happens to see a news story about the DNADuos and thinks that maybe he could do a dating-type show where the audience chooses the match but they see if they can figure out who among the contestants would have been picked by the algorithm.

The two actually saw each other across a crowded bar and were intrigued. But now they are contractually forbidden from fraternizing with each other. However, the more time they spend together, the more they want to stay together.

I really liked Fizzy. Connor was pretty good too but Fizzy is the kind of person who lives their lives authentically and is just a fun person to know. Maybe a touch too much drama for me but overall an enjoyable read.

Four stars

This book came out May 16, 2023

Follows Soulmate Equation

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

When they were young, Lily Wilder and Leo Grady had a grand romance. And they had plans. But those plans were gone in the blink of an eye when Leo had to go back to New York to take care of his family. A series of missed messages meant that each of them thought the other had moved on. A decade later, Leo's best friend has signed them up for a boys' trip that puts him right back in Lily's orbit. 

I was impressed that the two of them got together quickly and figured out the misunderstanding. They talked! But, there has to be more drama. And... I didn't like the way it all kicked off. It was so unexpected in a Christina Lauren book (I haven't read their whole backlist but I have read a bunch of them) that it took me out of it for the whole rest of the book. Which is too bad because I did like the treasure hunting and the codes were an interesting addition but it got old with Leo solving almost all of them even though the clues were left for Lily. This book reminded me a lot of some Elizabeth Lowell's from the nineties. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out May 17, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Gallery Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

Can romance be crunched by data? According to a new app, they can look at your DNA and calculate who in their database is going to be your soulmate. Jessica "Jess" Davis probably wouldn't have been interested if she hadn't been dragged along by her best friend, Felicity "Fizzy", to the headquarters. Even then, they probably wouldn't have even gone if the app hadn't been run by "Americano," the man who comes into their favorite coffee shop every morning at 8:24. Jess might be a statistician but that doesn't mean she's going to be playing by the numbers, even if she matches with none other than her coffee nemesis, Dr. River Pena. A 98% match though is not only going to be good for Jess's potential future but also for the company so she agrees to at least test the relationship waters with the man. Lord knows he's amazingly hot. But she's trying not to drag her daughter into the mess; Jess grew up with a mother like that and she doesn't want to do that to Juno.

This was a really fun book and I liked that the relationship took a bit of time. A little insta-lust but a lot of getting-to-know-you. I didn't love the Big Misunderstanding at the end nor how it was resolved but if you love Christina Lauren or even just contemporary romance, you will really enjoy this book.

Four stars

This book came out May 18th, 2021

Followed by The True Love Experiment

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

Is this book exactly like “Groundhog Day”? No. For one thing, Maelyn figures out how to navigate her own little time warp in about three days. Is it just as heart-warming? Yes. Will regular Christina Lauren readers love it just as much as other books? I’m not sure. This is a comfortable, cozy holiday romance without any of the edges or real life issues that the authors often explore in other books. And their sense of humor is somewhat muted.
Maelyn Jones has just ruined a life-long dream. And she didn’t even mean to. It was just one stupid, drunken night and now her whole world is crashing down around her. And finding out that her family friends are selling the cabin where they’ve had Christmases since she grew up isn’t helping. Nor is the car crash that seems like it’s going to end her life. But then she wakes up six days earlier with the chance to make things right.
I have to admit that I wish that there had been a few more days while she figured things out. And the Big Misunderstanding at the end felt sort of “meh.” Still, any book by Christina Lauren is worth reading.

Three stars
This book comes out October 6th
ARC kindly provided by Gallery Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren

Everyone (in general) is very aware that what is in front of the cameras on reality TV is often VERY different than what is happening behind the cameras. Carey Douglas, having worked for Melissa and Rusty Tripp, beloved renovation stars, since she was 16 knows their lives better than most. James McCann is newer to the team but he is beginning to understand that Melissa and Rusty may not actually be the characters that they play on TV. When Rusty and Melissa are going on a bus trip to promote their newest show, Carey and James are lassoed into helping make sure that no one sees the man behind the curtain. Neither especially likes the other but enforced time together might just make them see another side.
This wasn't exactly enemies-to-lovers, more indifference-to-lovers. And even the "lovers" part didn't really feel like there was enough time for me really to see how the two would work together. The rest of the story is, in general, fast, fun, and fluffy but I'm used to more relationship-building from the Christina Lauren team.

Three stars
This book comes out March 24th
ARC kindly provided by Gallery, Pocket Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

The first time Olive met her twin sister's boyfriend's brother, she was transfixed. Ethan is a very good looking guy. But he seemed so turned off by her curves and they have never been able to connect
after that. Mostly they just snark back and forth at each other when they're in the same room. And that's only if they can't avoid each other.
They're going to be stuck together for the next ten days though. After food poisoning rampages through her sister's wedding leaving Olive and Ethan the only people unscathed, they are encouraged to use The free trip that Olive's sister won as a honeymoon. It's a free trip and can't be rescheduled.
Ten days with someone she hates? But at least she'd be on Maui. Olive doesn't jump at the chance but she does ended up taking it. And it seems that both Ethan and Olive have been working under some misconceptions. Ones that can be cleared up when two people spend so much time together.
A good story though I didn't love the Big Gesture (to be fair, I rarely do.) But I liked the arc between Ethan and Olive and that each got to grow.

Four stars
This book comes out May 14
ARC provided by publisher and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren

Millie and Reid are part of a group of friends who mostly hang out and play board games. But they're also invited to a fancy soiree where Barack Obama will be showing up so they've all got to find dates. One of the friends suggests online dating. Millie ends up making a second profile and matching with Reid without him realizing it's her. Then the two end up in a physical relationship, all while talking to other people online. At least Reid is.
A pretty good book. The hidden aspect of the relationship went on a bit too long but overall very readable.

Four stars
This book came out December 4th
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

Josh and Hazel knew each other in college. Well, sort of. She puked on his shoes and he TA'd her anatomy class. She decides that they will be BFFs. But then they lost touch for seven years.

Hazel is trying to stay cool at a party full of teachers that she wants to work with when she announces that Josh has seen her boobs. To the entire party. Luckily, he rolls with it. And so do the teachers (though it doesn't hurt that her best friend (Josh's sister) is one of them and that the sister's husband is the principal).  

Told in alternating first person, this book walks us through the summer and to the end of the year as Josh and Hazel go from friends, to dating buddies, to dating, to love.

It was an okay book. I didn't love the ending and Hazel was a little too "too" for me but I think regular Lauren readers will not be too upset. And on a reread, I really liked this book. Yes, Hazel was still a manic-pixie-dream-girl but she is also really aware of herself and how she moves through life which was really refreshing. 

Three stars (bumped to three and a half on re-read)
This book came out September 4
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley