The Romance Revival

by Christina Lauren, Julia Whelan (Reading), Vas Eli (Reading)

Listening length: 10 hours

An unforgettable novel in which one fateful accident erases a troubled marriage from memory—and love gets one extraordinary do-over.

Three years ago, Emery Finch did something completely out of character: She got married. To Luca—the impossibly charming landscaper she met on one blistering night in Vegas who made her laugh, made her dance, made her feel.

But now, Emery is consumed by her top-secret job, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge research comes to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.

Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule to bring him back. And Luca would probably thank her for it, if only he could remember her. Their first kiss, their Sunny Sundays at the beach, the life they built together...all of it is gone.

It may be a miracle of science, but for Emery it’s her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it—because true love is always worth reviving.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Summer, Audiobook, Second Chance

10 pages, Audio CD

First published July 14, 2026

About the author

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced twenty New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 30+ languages. (Some of these books have kissing. Some of these books have A LOT of kissing.)


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Reviews

[Abby Jimenez]

Where is my early copyyyyy, I NEED this!!! 😭

[levi (speak tf up about 🇵🇸 and &#x1f1f1]

Pre read
I have the arc 😛😛

[Liana Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4 ⭐️ The STEM oriented gal in me absolutely loved the sci-fi resurrection plot line in this book. Talk about second chances for a marriage in crisis and give it some weirdly cool science-y spunkiness that in my opinion was risky, but it WORKED. My goodness, there is nothing like falling in love with your spouse all over again and Christina Lauren just made me fall in love with them (Emery & Lucas) too!

Emery Martin is a scientist at this really cool biomedical facility that focuses on 'laser therapy' but essentially actually has cool gadgets and works on projects that revive tissue, cells and apparently people and animals? Yes you heard that right! She's a 'mad-scientist' who gives it all her best--she is motivated, she's focused, sharp but a little emotionally distant form her husband. She has a tendency to forget dinners, anniversaries, important events...but Lucas doesn't mind. He loves her all the same and completely supports her. He's the most understanding, loving and supportive husband ever. They have a great marriage and some sort of an understanding. Nothing seems to be amiss in their relationship. But what do you say about something that is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

On the day of their anniversary, Emery completely forgets that Lucas made plans for them. She is running late but something unexpectedly traumatic happens and she's left with no choice but to do what she does best--to do something completely out of her character! (My mouth is sealed, I'm not spoiling anything here!) Emery gets a second chance at changing her life, a second chance to do things differently this time and perhaps do it 'right'. The question is--how hard will she try?

From the very first chapter, this felt much different from their usual romances. I knew right there and then that this story would be more 'serious' than their previous novels. Don't get me wrong, this still has a lot of lightness and comedic relief but the dash of science fiction added awesome thriller vibes and a little anxiety that made this a more memorable reading experience. I love when authors venture out of their comfort zones and try something different and it just worked well in this novel. The plot had me intrigued and kept it a little suspenseful and perfectly balanced. The sci-fi aspects never overshadowed the romance and 'revival' parts of the story. It's nothing like their other books and it was refreshing to read something different.

I am so happy to see this is featured as an add-on on BOTM for July! Grab your first copy for just $5 using this link: https://www.mybotm.com/bgnrjn6qk0o
Super easy to sign up and to cancel at any time!


Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books and the authors, Christina Lauren for an early ARC!

Publication date: July 14, 2026

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 2 out of 5]

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The Book Review Crew Blog


⭐⭐1/2
The Romance Revival
Christina Lauren
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Simon & Schuster Canada | Gallery Books
352 Pages
Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Romance | Women's Fiction

A romance this is not, not in the truest sense of the word. It's mislabelled, and its blurb does not do the book justice.

The story is about Emery; she's a smart scientist and a workaholic, and her research is very secretive. She is married to Luca, who is kind of her opposite—he's a landscaper and very laid-back. They met and fell in love during a weekend in Vegas, and their romance was a bit of a whirlwind. They've been married for a few years now, and it isn't going very well. Emery's job is the biggest problem in their relationship—she's working a lot and missing plans they've made.

When an accident harms Luca, she decides to use her scientific secret to bring him back to life, and it works—sort of. Luca doesn't have any memory of her, and what follows is a second-chance love story, kind of. I liked that the authors tried to think outside the box, and because of the science fiction aspect, it adds something different to the amnesia trope. It also gave the story an opportunity for character growth.

The story is told from both points of view, and this is where this duo shines the most. We get a look inside Emery's mind and all the guilt she feels, while at the same time living through Luca being so confused—there are a lot of people claiming to know him, and they're all strangers as far as he is concerned.

I think where the book lost me is in the pacing. It is VERY scientific with heavy themes, and that didn't balance well with the romance or even the humorous side of things. Adding to that, a thriller plot about a medical corporation just made things feel very jumbled. With everything that was going on, the ending ended up feeling rushed and not fully explained. Overall, while I admire the authors' willingness to write the unexpected, this book won't work for everyone, especially their romance fans. If I were the publisher, I would add Sci-Fi and Thriller to the genre list.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[aislinn ★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

─── ୨ৎ 5 stars
⤿ .ᐟ spoiler-free review

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎⤿ ‎⋮ ⟢ started: june 27, finished: july 7

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝜗ৎ — synopsis
Emery Martin and Luca Martin are polar opposites. Emery is consumed by her top-secret job that not even her husband knows the ins and outs of and Luca is a self-employed, extroverted man who has bigger priorities than his career. the two of them have always just made sense but lately, their differences have become more apparent than ever. after a life-altering accident happens to Luca, Emery Martin does the unthinkable and they are given the opportunity to start fresh. a second chance at love. is this what they needed all along, or will they only be torn apart further?

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝜗ৎ — tropes
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⚛︎ marriage in trouble
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⚛︎ women in STEM
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⚛︎ amnesia
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⚛︎ opposites attract
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⚛︎ second chance romance

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝜗ৎ — thoughts
I loved this so much, I could cry just thinking about it. this is how you write a marriage in trouble book. THIS is how the "amnesia" trope should be done! I actually didn't realize the amnesia trope was in this book before going in and I had not had a good experience with that trope up until this point but I'm so happy to say that Christina Lauren executed it wonderfully.

there is really no other book like this one, it's incredibly unique and that's one of the reasons for my 5 star rating. even though there is so much going on–on top of the romance there are hints of mystery, comedy and maybe even a little thriller depending on how you look at it–it flowed and meshed so well.

each of the characters' inner dialogues were beautifully written. I loved the way Emery and Luca would speak of each other, like I could really feel the undying love they shared for each other, even when things were rough. this couple honestly changed my perspective on love and relationships in some ways. I'm really and truly so obsessed with the two of them, both separately and together.

the pacing was perfect, I didn't feel that anything was dragged out or cut short and the ending chapters played out like a literal movie in my mind. I loved the little punch of action and thrill that was added towards the end.

my one and only warning is to not go into this book expecting it to feel like a summer romance, because it's really not summer-coded at all in my opinion despite it being advertised as such.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝜗ৎ — characters

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ˗ˏˋ ꒰ luca martin ꒱ ˎˊ˗
I am utterly obsessed with this Italian stallion of a man. what a gorgeous character he is. I don't know exactly what it is but I was drawn to his character immediately and I'm kind of in denial that this is likely the only book that will have him in it.

he screams "husband material" and I just know he would be the best dad if him and Emery had children. It was so clear to me how deeply he loved Emery and he would be willing to sacrifice his own happiness any day as long as she's happy and doing what she wants. + he's an amazing cook too so I mean, immediate 10/10 right?

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ˗ˏˋ ꒰ emery martin ꒱ ˎˊ˗
I loved emery so much as well. she is a passionate, loving and very hard-working woman and I admire her drive so much. she had beautiful character growth in this story and I understand her character a lot. It can be so easy in life to get caught up in the things we find most important and then end up neglecting what is actually the most important to us and that's exactly what Emery struggled with. I learnt a few lessons alongside her character and I also loved seeing her learn these lessons and then form this happier version of herself from them.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ˗ˏˋ ꒰ luca+emery ꒱ ˎˊ˗
I'm just obsessed with this goofy and beautiful couple. I fucking loved the way these two still acted so giddy with each other, even after years of being together. this is exactly how love should feel!! Even in the midst of their struggles, the respect never vanished, the deep-rooted love still remained. They balance each other out in the best ways and show you exactly why people say "opposites attract." one of my all-time favourite couples ever, hands down.


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝜗ৎ — quotes (will be added upon release)

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝜗ৎ — overall thoughts
I'm just so happy that I was given the opportunity to read this before the release, and I'm even more happy that it worked so well. I can't wait for more people to soon be able to have the chance to pick this book up. don't go into this book expecting the most realistic storyline, have an open mind and just enjoy the absurdity of plot and tropes and watch it somehow play out perfectly in front of you.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎⤿ thank you to netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎⤿ this book will be released July 14th, 2026

[bookluvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

my feelings about this are a little all over the place, much like the book itself. i started out feeling quite good about it, but somewhere along the way it lost its potency. i never got fully invested in the story and it read a bit too unrealistically for a contemporary romance, which also confused things a little bit for me.

i went into this somewhat blind. all i knew beforehand was that it was going to have an fmc in STEM and i was into that idea, given how much i love ali hazelwood books. the cover of this also gave me the same vibe as other books by christina lauren, like the unhoneymooners and the paradise problem, so i was subconsciously expecting a fun and breezy summer romance with tons of banter and chemistry alongside the STEM twist. this book was however…nothing like those and it’s certainly not a summer romance by any means. it may be good to know that upfront to manage your expectations.

admittedly, the premise of this is a bit wacky, which is probably the crux of why this didn’t fully work for me. i need to explain it (spoiler-free of course and probably what could easily be gleaned from the blurb that i didn’t read beforehand lmao):

— we follow emery and luca. in the prologue, we see them meeting at someone else’s wedding, instantly connecting and becoming enamoured with one another, and we learn that they themselves get married just a couple short months later after something of a whirlwind romance.

— from chapter one, we fast forward three years to find that these two have been “happily” married and are still very much in love with one another, but there’s a strain in their relationship. emery’s a workaholic and doesn’t spend nearly as much time with luca as she should…and he lets her get away with it as he’s someone who’s not confrontational by nature and very “go-with-the-flow”, so to speak. he’s feeling neglected though, but doesn’t want to rock the boat.

— emery happens to work for some top secret company, where she’s been developing this medical tech / treatment that can speculatively save people and bring them back to life from clinical death if administered in a certain time window, where modern medicine would normally fail at resuscitating a person. she also happens to have been lying to luca about her real job since they first met (because she’s under heavy NDA), which contributes to the strain in their marriage because she’s never been fully honest with him and carries a lot of guilt because of this.

— emery accidentally forgets their anniversary dinner reservations (because of work, duh) and rushes home to try and salvage the night, only to witness a dejected luca (who’d gone out on a run after giving up waiting for his wife to come home) get smacked by a car in a hit-and-run. she happens to have one half of the reviving treatment in her car with her (long story why) and even though it’s untested on humans, a desperate and distraught emery forgoes calling 911 and injects luca with it to bring him back from certain death. she’s able to revive him…buuuuuut he’s lost all his memories, including her and their entire relationship.

— the book then proceeds to be about emery’s come-to-jesus moment to do things differently and be more present, while the two of them find their way back to one another. there’s also the matter of emery avoiding work and trying to prevent ever being discovered for breaking a thousand laws and protocols for doing what she did, so there’s “danger”, subterfuge and something of a mystery in the mix as well.

now, while interesting at first, this all became ALOT — which i think is the book’s core issue. instead of being a fun romantic comedy, it started feeling like a romance confused with a sci-fi / speculative fiction piece confused with a weak and predictable mystery. the book was going through an identity crisis and this made the whole thing read unfocused. it also just became too unrealistic that i couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough. i may have been able to though if i was having more fun, but sadly, i was having a more lukewarm time than that so i couldn’t. i also don’t get on with amnesia tropes more often than not, so that may very well also be a part of why i didn’t fully lock in on this.

the premise made it so that the romance felt a bit too insta and underdeveloped on the page too because the mcs fall in love in the damn prologue and are in love for the entirety of the book, even when luca doesn’t have his memories. i felt a bit buzzy about their dynamic at first, but found myself not really connecting to their romance in full, nor them as people enough along the way. they were likable enough but unmemorable as individuals. their chemistry wasn’t palpable to me either if i’m being honest, and i didn’t feel the emotional depth to their relationship despite a lot of well-articulated phrasing trying to convince me of it over the course of the book.

something about the stakes didn’t feel high enough either, even though they should have felt so, given emery’s work dilemma (facing career suicide and possible jail time!) and just the whole supposed-to-be angsty concept of them having almost lost their marriage if something didn’t change between them soon enough. the last act attempted some intensity on this front (ratcheting up the stakes), but idk, i just couldn’t take it all very seriously.

i do think that this was a fresh take on second chances though. i liked the dissection of where the marriage was going awry before this shake-up, how they navigate things post-accident to try and do better by one another, and how their circumstances made them want to appreciate life and each other more…but it wasn’t enough for me to feel deeply hooked by their love.

the writing was pretty good and the humour definitely had its moments (particularly more so on the earlier side of the book), but like i said, things started losing potency as time went on. i felt like i was going through the motions for almost the entirety of the second half and just reading to read and finish, rather than savouring the experience.

also, the side characters were a bit too cliché and their interactions with the mcs were one-dimensional…so that annoyed me a bit (particularly when it came to luca’s best friend, emery’s work nemesis and the nosy old neighbour). i see that the authors wanted to drop some crumbs for a potential romance between the mcs’s respective besties as well, but it was all a bit too on the nose.

it sounds like i’m criticizing this a lot, but i don’t think it was bad per se. in fact, it was something different (which i could appreciate) and i did have some good moments with this read here and there (hence the 3 stars) — but it just didn’t hit the way i hoped it would overall. it had potential though, but i was expecting more from christina lauren on this one. that leaves me a touch disappointed in this.

[ahmeeka · Rating 1 out of 5]

[arc review] if you’re wanting to read this expecting a cute and fluffy summer romance—going solely off the cover(s) and blurb—then please know the actual book is a lot different.

I feel like there is slight false advertising, and when this gets published a lot of people will be confused, because the blurb is super vague and doesn’t highlight what the book, at its core, is really about—and the genre that the book is being published in doesn’t feel right.

I also want to preface that rating a book 1* is no small feat, and I don’t do so lightly.

this review will contain vague spoilers but not anything that ruins the story if you decide to read it.

‘the romance revival’ follows emery and luca in the first pov.

the first chapter is a flashback showing how emery and luca meet, fall in love, which then leads into the present.

present day emery and luca is classic marriage in crisis, as emery dedicates her whole time to work—this is highlighted in the first few chapters that she spends long hours working, neglecting her relationship and friendships, and the nature of her job is actually hidden from luca.

the second couple of chapters go into extreme detail about the nature of her mystery job, and it’s about ~40 pages of technical and STEM jargon that, if you weren’t aware this was the direction of the story, you might not understand—or particularly enjoy if it doesn’t interest you.

it’s also their anniversary and emery—because of work—forgets, doesn’t show up on time, and eventually misses the dinner. this then has a knock on effect that leads to the accident.

admittedly, if the story was advertised as described, it would sound very interesting. I just find myself confused because the cover and blurb—while loosely true—isn’t what the book actually is. I would also know going into it that it’s STEM, and that usually isn’t a book I pick up because it’s not something that I really understand, so I wouldn’t enjoy it.

the cover and description follow the same theme as christina lauren’s previous books, which led me to believe it would be a summer read with tropes like: marriage in crisis, second chance, etc.

the book reads like something ali hazelwood would write—STEM themes with romance elements. except with this, the romance really isn’t all there, and it’s more of something that’s tucked in the background.

there isn’t one main plot and it’s more subplots happening at the same time, which meant it wasn’t really easy to follow. by the end I was tapped out and just wanted to finish it.

if I was reading this blind—not knowing the genre, cover, or blurb—I would say it’s a thriller, there’s some sci-fi, and it has a mystery twist.

I understand christina lauren might want to pivot and try something new, and I’m not saying they shouldn’t. I just don’t think the way it’s being advertised that this book is going to reach the audience who will enjoy and appreciate it.

I know that there is a lot of people who will pick this up and they will really enjoy it. I also know that, like myself, there’s going to be people who pick it up and feel disappointed because this book is being misrepresented.

christina lauren is usually an auto-read author for me, and I will continue to read their future work. unfortunately, ‘the romance revival’ was not for me.

thank you little brown for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

[aira]

the tropes are 💋

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

❤ loved the "future" science'y stuff.

[emilybookedup · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4 ish for me so rounding up to 4 for GR! it’s always a good day when you have a new book from CLo to read!!!! i brought this beautiful book with me on a beach vaca and finished it in 2 sittings. it was easy to binge, cute and had a VERY creative plot.

for fans of THE SOULMATE EQUATION and TIME TRAVELERS WIFE! it felt similar to CLo’s TSE with the science-y plot. from a trope perspective this was a second chance romance which is my fave 💛

what was unexpected was it kinda felt like a suspense novel at the end!!! lots of action and chaos and i was not expecting that. and similar to THE PARADISE PROBLEM, things got a little steamy👀🔥

i think i needed like 40ish more pages at the end to have some more resolution between our MCs, especially with the bombshell in the back half (the letter). i felt like we glossed over that kinda quickly and was actually a big deal! besides one bed tropes, i really don’t enjoy miscommunication tropes in romance novels and wanted the characters to hash things out a bit more to ensure a solid foundation moving forward.

honestly their books are so hard to rate because i LOOOOVE so many of them. i enjoyed LOVE AND OTHER WORDS, THE UNHONEYMOONERS, THE PARADISE PROBLEM more than this one, but rest assured this will be a perfect beach/summer read when it’s out in July!

and the cover? obsessed!

thanks to Gallery Books for the gifted early copy!

[Dee (in the Desert) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars -very different, but I liked it - it's a rom-com, but it's also sci-fi and mystery genre mash-up, it worked for me! Loved married couple Luca & Emery and their relationship felt very real to me - a bit spicier 🌶️🌶️ than I care for, but just skipped those parts. Loved the secondary characters too (go Betty👵🏻) and easy & quick to read and quite fun.

[Janssen]

This book delighted me. Blew through it in less than 24 hours.

[rosie (jason todd's version)]

☆彡13 dec, pre-release:

i am BEYOND excited for this one. saw it pop up on my insta feed seconds after waking up and NOW I’M WIDE AWAKE. 🤭🫶🏻

[niki ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

౨ৎꨄ︎ 4 stars

not the best by christina lauren, but definitely not the worst!! still enjoyed it quite a lot <3

what’s done well is how interesting this book is and how easily it pulls you in. the beginning is strong and the pacing is done so well, you basically fly through the story without blinking. i just love their writing style, it’s so easy to follow.

as i mentioned, the story itself is interesting and i never expected to be so invested in it. whilst most of the things felt unrealistic, it still worked well. i mean… i love STEM romances yet i usually understand zero things lol.

this definitely isn’t the usual romance you’d expect from their book. it’s about a troubled marriage that gets its second chance (no matter how awfully emery and luca get the chance to change things in their lives!!). whilst they try to rebuild their marriage by helping luca to remember, there are the sad glimpses to the past and how they weren’t the greatest couple.

but honestly i love how they found a way to each other again. it’s evident that whilst they are both quite the opposites, they actually create a beautiful couple. of course, how emery took luca for granted is not the best, but this book is about her realizing all her wrongs and becoming a better wife, better friend, better person. not just for luca, but also for herself.

there are things that feel like they weren’t fully finished and i wish they were more discussed in the book. the ending is rushed in my opinion and i wouldn’t mind a better conclusion to things (e.g. the divorce papers).

i also got the idea that this was going to be a summer romance and whilst there are one, two chapters that have a bit of summer vibes, it definitely doesn’t fall into that category. i love both the covers yet they should have been different in my opinion.

overall, still very nice and quick read. definitely still enjoyed it despite some of its flaws!!

────୨ৎ────

౨ৎꨄ︎ pre-read: it’s sunday, it’s raining… perfect to start a HIGHLY anticipated read hehe <3

[Kailey (kmc_reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I LOVE C.Lo, but this was a miss for me. It started strong, but ultimately fell flat. This was a very different book for them IMO, and while I was intrigued, the overall execution didn't work. This was not a swoony, flirty romance typical of C.Lo - the stakes were higher, and towards the end this felt a bit.... over the top in a whodunit, campy popcorn thriller kind of way? It felt SO CHEESY. The bulk of the story (i.e. them trying to fall back in love) happened too quickly and honestly didn't seem realistic given all the issues they had prior to his death. I realize he had amnesia but it felt like he forgave too quickly, and just as quickly, she all of a sudden wasn't an enormous workaholic anymore?! I wasn't giddy reading this, like I normally am when I'm watching 2 main characters fall in love. Cool concept and the science stuff was interesting to read about, but this was not just what I was expecting from them. 2.5 Rounding up to 3 stars

[hailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. all opinions are my own.

3.5***

this was such a unique book & i had such a good time reading it!!!

first, i do need to say that the cover is a bit misleading. i thought this would be more summer-y and have similarish vibes to the paradise problem in terms of setting, but it did not. still a beautiful cover though!!

this was not a usual romance book. in fact, it was giving romance book x light sci-fi (kind of) x thriller/suspense book. i was honestly pleasantly surprised by this and had a great time with the entire science plot. i thought this was super interesting and a fun twist on the amnesia trope.

speaking of tropes, i’ve recently become a fan of second chance romance, so i was really looking forward to seeing the way luca and emery repaired their relationship. with that being said, i think the romance needed more. i wanted more emotional connection, more delving into difficult topics, just more.

however, this was very cute, very bingeable, and served as a good reminder that life is simply too short. as per usual christina lauren fashion, this was pretty funny and i’m always entertained by the characters (specifically the side characters) & their antics. i enjoyed this one a lot and, again, found the plot to be fresh.

also, i felt the end was a bit rushed. there’s one specific plot point that gets revealed towards the end, and i think the characters should have discussed that more. it felt glossed over and the big scene at the end also felt lacking.

[Jonetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

the setup…
Emery Finch met Luca Martín at a wedding and broke every rule about men from the moment she heard his glorious laugh. To the world they don’t make sense…she’s a scientist and he’s a landscaper, he’s a social magnet and she not so much, and they married less than three months later. But to each other, their love runs deep. Three years later, they’re still together living in San Diego but Emery is still consumed by her top secret job and counts on Luca’s understanding. But on the night of their anniversary, she forgets and gets home late, only to see him hit by a car following his run. In a split second, she uses her unauthorized research to save him. When he’s revived, he’s still Luca but has lost all memory of his life. Can she get a do-over to revive their relationship?

the heart of the story…
What worked for me was the genuine love between Emery and Luca, despite her taking him for granted. I just wondered why he let her off the hook so easily. Their second chance was lovely as Emery used it as an opportunity to come clean with him and saw herself more honestly. It was authentic, especially as Luca’s questioning forced tough acknowledgments.

the narration…
Julia Whelan is outstanding again as the nerdy Emery and voices for other critical characters. But it was Vas Eli who made me swoon every time he spoke. His Italian accent and that sultry tone made me adore Luca even more. This was audio heaven.

the bottom line…
I loved everything about this second chance within a marriage romance with its unique circumstances and a bit of suspense. Emery’s imperfections and Luca’s devotion to her was unbalanced and losing him certainly knocked her into reality. Her commitment to “win him back” offered what many of us would like to do with a clean slate. I inhaled this one.

Posted on Blue Mood Café

(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)

[Dallas Strawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE ROMANCE REVIVAL is basically a medical thriller masquerading as a romance novel… in the weirdest, best way possible. I freaking loved it. It’s wildly unique and nothing like anything you’ve read from Christina Lauren… yes, the ultimate rom-com queens, and yet it still had me swooning, giggling, and straight up laughing out loud.

This is a second chance romance unlike anything else. Go in blind. Trust me. Thank me later.

[mandie ੈ♡˳ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so imagine you pick up a cute Christina Lauren rom-com expecting beachy vibes, banter, and maybe one mildly inconvenient miscommunication, and instead you get:
💉 science experiments
💀 accidental death???
🧠 amnesia
🔬 secret lab chaos
❤️ and somehow… still romance??

That’s what this book was. And it was great from start to finish.

It was basically what would happen if a fluffy second-chance romance went on a wild night out with a medical thriller and woke up like, “so… we’re doing this now.” And I freakin' loved it.

The premise alone is already super intriguing: married couple having issues, tragic accident, wife brings husband back to life using forbidden science, but he remembers absolutely nothing about her. Cue emotional damage AND a very chaotic “falling back in love… but make it ethically questionable.”

What really worked for me:

It’s so dang bingeable. Definitely one of those "just one more chapter" type of books but you feel like you have to finish it because you need to know what happens at the end. The concept is pretty unique for the most part, I myself have not read a lot of books with this premise. It has this weird genre-blend energy where it’s romance but also suspense, maybe borderline thriller?? And somehow that tension keeps you hooked to the end.

It's got that classic romance feel that a lot of Christina Lauren's books have and that was great, but it really would have been icing on the cake if it had included a little bit more of the science stuff. For me, anyway. However, the plot absolutely requires you to suspend disbelief. Like, fully. Pack your logic in a suitcase and leave it at the door. The ending was predictable but I cannot be mad about that because HEA's are supposed to be, so I was pretty satisfied with how it all came together.

Overall vibe:
✨ “this is insane”
✨ “I cannot put this down”
✨ “wait is this a romance or a science experiment”
✨ “okay but I’m emotionally invested now”

If you go in expecting The Unhoneymooners 2.0, you might be confused. If you go in ready for a chaotic, slightly unhinged love story with STEM girlboss energy and high stakes? You’ll probably have a great time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books & Christina Lauren for this ARC!

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 4.5 stars. Narration 5 stars by Julia Whelan
I had some qualms going into this book after reading the blurb, but since this writing duo has been an auto buy/borrow books for years I of course went straight in when it became available. I shouldn’t have worried. Not even a little bit.

This is the story of two people that are exact opposites while
still being madly in love. Problems come to the forefront when Luca feels slighted once again when his wife is two hours late for their anniversary dinner. Emery has been keeping major secrets from him about the true nature of her top secret work. She’s literally not allowed by contract to tell.

This ended up being a science fiction type read while still
being a good romance. There’s some violence and suspense involved as well. I really loved Luca’s character In particular. He was originally from Italy and is very passionate about his wife and their relationship even as he ponders staying with a woman who is never home. Emery adores him but has made her job her priority. There’s so much more but due to spoilers I’m not telling.
The best narrator-Julia Whelan narrated.

[Jill (readinginpjs)]

I NEED THIS SO BAD!! 😭😭😭

CHRISTINA (&) LAUREN are one of the main reasons I’m so obsessed with the romance genre - the Unhoneymooners was pretty much the start of this journey! 🏝

[Afton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dare I say this book is my newest obsession. An instant 6 star read and unlike anything CL have written.

Fans of Catherine Cowles will DEVOUR it.

[britta ⋆˙⟡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Emery is a research scientist, workaholic and introvert who meets gorgeous warm sunshiney landscaper Luca at her cousins wedding and they fall in love. When he gets in an accident she uses her highly classified medicine to bring him back to life and finds he’s lost all his memories!

This was such a departure from the usual CL books. It’s starts with Emery recapping their relationship to the reader and in both their POVs they talk directly to you. (Like in Sex and the City when Carrie would break character and look at the camera and start talking) It was a bit uncanny. You are in her head a lot. There’s lots of sciencey and other info dumping. Two stars bc I usually LOVE these authors. Not sure what happened here. Is one of them not writing?

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC copy.

2⭐️ I’d pick up the Paradise Problem or one of their others before this one.

[Kayla W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed advance copy received from Netgalley.

I absolutely loved The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren! It is a beautifully written and highly engaging book that I did not want to put down. The story does an amazing job of showing how people find love again after a tragedy. It also dives deep into what you would do when someone you truly love is hurt and you want to do everything you can to bring them back to full health. The character development is excellent, and the way the plot is laid out is just very good and gripping. If you want a story with great characters and a wonderful plot that keeps you reading, you should definitely pick this up!

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advance copy to read and review

[Creya Casale | cc.shelflove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My initial thoughts: If we do not get a sequel, I will riot!!!!!! For some reason, it feels to me like way more than two years have gone by since Christina Lauren’s last release. My, oh my—this one was worth the wait! The two have dabbled in science before, but the resurrection of Luca was unlike anything they have ever written. This romance crossed into several other genres and kept this reader captivated the entire time. I was truly impressed. Some tags, to give you an idea: #amnesiaromance #secondchanceromance #womeninSTEM. CLo really did something different here and I was sat. 🫖

[MillennialMomReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this STEM-y romance from Christina Lauren! They have written some of my favorite romances, and this books feels very fresh from them. It’s a little science-fiction-y in the best way possible and has a central mystery I really enjoyed. It was so fun to read them taking their classic stellar romance writing and putting a new twist on it. Somehow, I wanted even more science? I would have loved to see the book a bit longer and for it to expand on some of the core struggles/relationship dynamics with side characters, but I was so satisfied with this book as is as well.

[mélody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merci à Simon & Schuster pour un ARC!
Je donne un bon 4.5☆. J’ai lu ce livre en moins de 24h (surtout pour un vlog lecture lol, mais aussi parce que c’était très bon). Je n’étais pas sûre si j’allais aimer la trope d’amnésie, mais finalement j’ai adoré voir le gars retomber en amour avec la fille. J’ai aimé comment les deux ont fait l’effort de changer pour améliorer leur relation. Le concept en général était peut-être un peu irréaliste (je ne vais pas dire c’est quoi parce que #spoiler), mais ça ne m’a pas dérangée.

[Christina C · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Romance Revival had such a strong and intriguing premise that immediately pulled me in. The introduction was engaging, and I found myself quickly invested in where the story was headed. Emery and Luca’s relationship was sweet and easy to root for, with plenty of cute moments that kept me turning the pages.

However, the scientific aspect of the story didn’t quite land for me. It felt unrealistic at times, which made it harder to fully immerse myself in the plot. While I appreciate the unique angle it brought, it ended up taking me out of the story more than adding to it.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read with a lovable romance at its core, but it didn’t fully live up to its potential.

[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read many Christina Lauren books and always look forward to reading their new books. This one was good but not a favorite for me. Emery and Luca are married, but Emery's work has been keeping her away from her husband and their marriage is on the rocks. After an accident, Luca has amnesia and they have a second chance to rebuild their relationship. This didn't have the rom-com feel that I usually love about their books. It had more of a mystery type vibe to it. There was also a lot of science talk that sometimes was interesting, but unexpected and just didn't bring much to the story. Overall, still a decent read, and I'll continue reading their books, but this won't be a fav.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emery Finch never planned to get married. Then she heard a laugh from across a wedding reception in Vegas, and a landscaper named Luca upended everything she thought she knew about herself. Three years into that marriage, the shine has dulled. Emery buries herself in a secret research job, forgets anniversaries, and keeps promising that Luca will understand once her work finally comes to light. When a sudden accident takes him, she breaks every rule she has sworn to protect and uses her own technology to bring him back.

He returns healthy. He also returns with no memory of her, their wedding, or the life they built.

That is the engine of The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren, and it runs on a wonderfully uncomfortable question: if you got the person back but lost the shared history, would they choose you all over again?

A Love Story That Gets to Happen Twice

The smartest move this book makes is refusing to treat amnesia as a cheap reset button. Luca is not a blank slate waiting to be reprogrammed into the perfect husband. He is a grown man meeting his own wife as a stranger, and he keeps his sweetness, his humor, and, importantly, his right to ask the hard questions Emery used to dodge.

Watching them fall for each other a second time gives the story its glow. The pool-hall flirting, the first shared bed, the careful rebuilding of trust: these read like a courtship, not a recovery. Because Emery already knows exactly how much she stands to lose, every small moment carries a weight a standard meet-cute never could.

The dual first-person point of view is what makes it land. The authors alternate between Emery, drowning in guilt and gratitude, and Luca, essentially auditing his own marriage from the outside. His chapters are the quiet marvel of the book. He notices things about their relationship that she was too busy to see, and his gentle, funny honesty becomes the mirror she needed all along.

The Science Is the Seasoning, Not the Meal

Readers coming for the usual sunny banter should know upfront that this one carries a stranger flavor. There is a secret lab, a resurrection protocol, a nosy neighbor with a notebook, and a low hum of danger threaded through the domestic scenes. One bookseller pitched it as Frankenstein crossed with a spy caper, and that is not far off.

The good news is simple: the speculative elements never swallow the love story. The lab plot works like salt. It sharpens the stakes and reminds you that Emery's ambition is both her gift and the thing that nearly cost her everything. The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren stays, at its core, a story about two people learning to actually see each other.

Where the Book Wobbles

A four-star read is a very good read with a few honest seams showing, and this one has them.

The thriller machinery is the weakest thread. How the technology works, and how the outside threat operates, both ask for a generous suspension of disbelief. If you need your science airtight, the hand-waving may pull you out.
The pacing runs uneven. The middle, where the couple simply exists together, is the strongest stretch, yet the plot occasionally remembers it needs a villain and lurches into gear.
Emery's earlier neglect of the marriage is told to us more than shown. We hear how absent she was, but we meet her already remorseful, which softens some of the reckoning the premise promises.
A handful of late reveals arrive a little too tidily for the mess these characters were in.

None of this sinks the book. It is the reason the story lands at a strong four rather than a flawless five.

The Feeling Underneath the Fun

Strip away the pod and the peril and you have a book about attention as a form of love. Emery kept Luca at the center of her heart and the back of her mind, forever promising to be present later. The story asks what it costs to treat the people we love as a task we will get to once the real work is done.

That idea gives the humor its ballast. When the authors let Emery and Luca talk honestly about why they never fought, why they avoided every difficult conversation, the book quietly becomes a study of how real couples fail each other in small, forgivable ways. It is the most grown-up thread this writing pair has folded into a rom-com in a while, and they handle it with obvious care.

Heat, Humor, and That Familiar Voice

Longtime fans will recognize the signatures right away. The banter crackles. The supporting cast, especially Emery's deadpan lab partner and the neighbor who misses nothing, walk off with entire scenes. The spice is open-door and generous, and it earns its place because the intimacy doubles as two people relearning each other from scratch.

If you have loved this duo's lighter titles, know that the comedy here shares space with grief and genuine fear. The laughs still land. They just sit beside a lump in your throat.

Who Should Read It

This one is a strong match if you like:

Second-chance and marriage-in-trouble stories built on a fresh hook
STEM heroines who are brilliant and a little bit of a disaster
Emotional, character-driven romance with real stakes
A pinch of speculative or suspense flavor in your love stories

It may frustrate you if you want strict realism, a plot that sprints from page one, or a heroine whose flaws stay sharp all the way through.

The Verdict

The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren takes a familiar trope and runs it through a machine no one else in the genre would dare build. It is funny, warm, sometimes far-fetched, and surprisingly moving once it settles into the space between two people trying to love each other correctly the second time around. The thriller scaffolding creaks, but the romance holds firm, and that is the part you will carry with you.

A brief note for your discretion: the story includes on-page grief, a graphic accident, moments of peril, and open-door intimate scenes.