Good as Gold & The True Love Experiment

Posted May 31, 2023 by Carole in Reviews / 10 Comments

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Good as Gold & The True Love ExperimentGood as Gold by Sarina Bowen
Narrator: Jason Clarke, Lessa Lamb
Published by Tuxbury Publishing LLC on June 1, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Length: 10 hours 43 minutes
Pages: 311
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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five-stars

A swoony, heart-wrenching small-town romance from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller Sarina Bowen!

Leila:
What I meant to do: quietly divorce my lout of a husband and then have a child all on my own.

What happens instead: my crush comes back to town when I’m at my most vulnerable. After too many cocktails, I ask him to be my baby’s father.

In my defense, it’s been a rough couple of months. Seeing Matteo Rossi again after fourteen years has done a number on my emotions. And my libido.

In the morning, I’m hoping he’s forgotten the whole thing. But no such luck. In fact, Matteo has a few clarifying questions. And a few naughty ideas, too…

Matteo:
What I meant to do: visit Vermont for my brother’s wedding. Make amends to my family, and mourn the loss of a friend.

What happens instead: a hot affair with the one who got away. But it can’t last. My life is two thousand miles away, and Leila deserves everything. She’s as good as gold.

I loved this book! I am a huge fan of all things Sarina Bowen but I have a soft spot in my heart for any of her books set in the True North world so I was thrilled to get my hands on this book featuring Matteo Rossi. I went into this book with high expectations and all of them were met. Once I started listening, I simply couldn’t stop until this awesome couple had found their happily ever after.

Matteo has had a rough year. He has stayed away from his family for a long time but decides that it is time to go home to attend his brother’s wedding. When he runs into his good friend, Leila, he has no idea that she is now divorced. Leila is finally trying to get what she wants out of life and is determined to have a child before it is too late. These two have always had eyes for each other so it is no surprise when they end up forming a plan to have a child together.

Leila and Matteo were perfect together. It was obvious that they were right for each other even when they were younger so I was thrilled to see them have this second chance together The chemistry between them was scorching hot and they just seemed to have a great time whenever they spent time together. Matteo was willing to give Leila anything she wanted including a child so I knew that he wouldn’t be able to walk away.

Jason Clarke and Lessa Lamb did a great job with the narration of this book. I thought that their voices complimented each other quite nicely. The voices that they used for their characters really helped to bring the story to life and I loved the way that they were able to show emotion in their reading. I am certain that their narration only added to my overall enjoyment of this story.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. I found this book to be an incredibly well-done romance featuring characters that were easy to fall for. I cannot wait to read more of this favorite author’s work!

I received a review copy of this book from Tuxbury Publishing LLC.

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Good as Gold & The True Love ExperimentThe True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
Published by Gallery Books on May 16, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy
Pages: 416
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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five-stars

The True Love Experiment, the next escapist romance from Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of TikTok favourite, The Unhoneymooners, is the book their fans have been waiting for, ever since Fizzy's debut in The Soulmate Equation!

'My favourite kind of book to devour: something that manages to be hot and intense, yet still the very best comfort food' JODI PICOULT
...............

They're crafting the perfect Hollywood romance for the screen.
But the chemistry behind the camera might be the real story.

Felicity 'Fizzy' Chen is lost. Sure, she has an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with numerous bestsellers to her name, but when she's asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn't been practising what she's preached.

She hasn't been in love. In lust? Sure. But that swoon-worthy, can't-stop-thinking-about-him, all-encompassing feeling? Nope. And suddenly the optimism she's encouraged in her readers starts to feel like a lie.

Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and single father, loves that his work allows him to live near his daughter. Then his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show, putting it all in jeopardy. 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? But when production on The True Love Experiment begins, Connor wonders if that perfect match will ever be in the cue cards for him too.
...................

'Sexy, swoony, heartfelt' Library Journal (starred review)

'Funny, angst-y, and extremely sexy' Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Find out why readers LOVE Christina Lauren . . .

'Pure, irresistible magic from start to finish' EMILY HENRY

'Witty and downright hilarious . . . a perfect feel-good romantic comedy' HELEN HOANG

'Pure joy' SALLY THORNE

'Writing duo Christina Lauren are my go-to when I'm feeling sad' BETH O'LEARY

'What a joyful, warm, touching book! This is the book to read if you want to smile so hard your face hurts' JASMINE GUILLORY

This was such a great book! I was a little worried about starting this one since I have not read The Soulmate Equation which features some of the same characters but I am happy to report that this book works well as a stand-alone. I fell in love with Fizzy and Conner almost immediately and couldn’t wait to see how things would work out. This was almost impossible to put down once I started reading.

Conner is producing a new reality dating show and he wants Fizzy to star. Fizzy is a romance author, currently dealing with a bit of writer’s block, and isn’t sure that this is the right move for her but decides to do it under certain conditions. She gives Conner the task of finding men that fulfill certain Hero characteristics. The show is an instant hit but Conner and Fizzy only seem to have eyes for each other.

Fizzy and Conner were fantastic characters. These two obviously belonged together but their roles on the reality show were a big obstacle that they needed to overcome. I loved the chemistry between this pair and the banter between them was top-notch. Anytime they had the opportunity to spend time together, sparks seems to fly between them and they always seemed to have a lot of fun.

I would highly recommend this book to others. This book was a whole lot of fun with an interesting reality show setting and characters that have left a lasting impression. I hope to read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a review copy of this book from Gallery Books.

10 responses to “Good as Gold & The True Love Experiment

  1. Maybe I should try another Christina Lauren book. I tried three years ago but it never was my cup of tea 😉

  2. great reviews Carole, the first author is new to me but I love the setting you described so yes please and it’s been a while but I’ve read and enjoyed Ms. Lauren Thank you for sharing

  3. I’m excited for Good as Gold. I adore Bowen’s True North series and getting to return to Vermont has me ready to dive right in. Glad to see this one get 5 stars from you!

  4. Christina Lauren is on my seemingly endless list of authors I want to read! I love that the main character is a romance author.

  5. I like Sarina Bowen, too! And I’m also excited to read Lauren’s True Love Experiment. 😀

  6. Yeah for The True Love Experiment! It also made me super happy. I had read the previous book and Fizzy was a standout. I loved getting to know her better. And Conor- he was wonderful! I really enjoyed the part about them finding their joy. It hit deep for me.