A review by onthesamepage
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Tropes:
Steam level: 🌶
Fizzy as a main character, and the premise of her being on a reality TV dating show where all the bachelors are based on romance tropes, combine to make this an incredibly fun read. I found myself laughing a couple of times, especially during the first part, when Connor and Fizzy are still sort of getting to know each other, and Connor makes some choices when casting the bachelors purely because he expected a reaction out of Fizzy. Their dynamic is fun to follow, and the trajectory of their relationship feels satisfying.
The conflict is a mix of internal and external, and I think the way it was done made sense for the story and the characters. Connor tells Fizzy something he expects she will deal with badly, and tries to make her acknowledge that she is acting weird because of it, and then tries to convince her to talk to him. I appreciated the maturity this showed, and I think the way Fizzy reacted to that made sense for where she was in her personal journey.
One gripe I do have is the way Fizzy constantly objectified/sexualized Connor. This is a romance, and part of that can be the physical attraction, but I lost track of how many times Fizzy mentions and admires his dick, even after they've both caught feelings. I get that she has always been a sex positive character, and I have absolutely no issues with that, it just felt over the top at some point. I got it the first few times she mentioned it. This is obviously personal preference, however, and probably not something most people will notice.Â
Spoiler
third act breakupSteam level: 🌶
Fizzy as a main character, and the premise of her being on a reality TV dating show where all the bachelors are based on romance tropes, combine to make this an incredibly fun read. I found myself laughing a couple of times, especially during the first part, when Connor and Fizzy are still sort of getting to know each other, and Connor makes some choices when casting the bachelors purely because he expected a reaction out of Fizzy. Their dynamic is fun to follow, and the trajectory of their relationship feels satisfying.
The conflict is a mix of internal and external, and I think the way it was done made sense for the story and the characters. Connor tells Fizzy something he expects she will deal with badly, and tries to make her acknowledge that she is acting weird because of it, and then tries to convince her to talk to him. I appreciated the maturity this showed, and I think the way Fizzy reacted to that made sense for where she was in her personal journey.
One gripe I do have is the way Fizzy constantly objectified/sexualized Connor. This is a romance, and part of that can be the physical attraction, but I lost track of how many times Fizzy mentions and admires his dick, even after they've both caught feelings. I get that she has always been a sex positive character, and I have absolutely no issues with that, it just felt over the top at some point. I got it the first few times she mentioned it. This is obviously personal preference, however, and probably not something most people will notice.Â
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity