Three years after a whirlwind Vegas wedding, Emery Finch loses the love of her life in a tragic hit and run. Desperate for another chance with Luca, she uses groundbreaking science to bring him back from the dead – but he no longer remembers their life or the woman he shared it with. Now, Emery must make him fall in love with her all over again, all while trying to keep his resurrection a secret from her colleagues…or face irreversible consequences.
Luca and Emery prove once again what this powerful author duo does best: creating characters that somehow feel like real people you’ve known forever.
From the very first chapter where we get to see how Luca and Emery meet and get together, I was head over heels in love with Luca (just like everyone else in that scene).
How Christina Lauren can make me root for a couple who gets married after an insanely short amount of time knowing each other is beyond me but man, was I rooting for them. Emery is incredibly confident, smart and sassy. Even though most of what she does on a daily basis she can’t talk about, you can tell as the reader how driven, passionate and altogether goal-oriented she is and that kind of translates to how she sees Luca and immediately decides yes, this one’s mine.
Meanwhile Luca is an absolute sweetheart, someone that oozes charisma and that could probably seduce a lawn mower. The man somehow manages to make everyone want to be around him and I can’t even be mad about it because the way he’s written made me want to crawl into the book and give him a hug. He’s so understanding and supportive of Emery and her career (even when he doesn’t know what she does exactly) and would move heaven and earth for her…even though he gets discarded and forgotten time and again when Emery’s work comes between their plans or their relationship.
I think the first few chapters truly shine here because you immediately get the feeling that this isn’t going to be a flirty summer romance and instead have a lot more meat to it. The more serious, sophisticated tone pairs well with the couple in question and makes you realise that something is afoot way before Luca’s accident.
Now, for the romance. I love me a good amnesia plot and am an absolute sucker for someone trying to make their partner fall in love with them again, but I admit, I thought this could have been handled better here. While the foundation is there, I wanted more tension, more focus on their relationship and finding their way back to each other. There was an emotional connection, yes, but sometimes the sci-fi plot did overpower the romance. And while we do get short glimpses at the reconnection between Emery and Luca and both deliver on the funny quips to lighten the somewhat heavier read, the story’s anxiety and tension was mostly driven by the external factor of Emery trying to hide the technology she invented – or the fact that she kind of illegally used it on her husband (and succeeded!).
The focus of the story was more so on the actual scientific revival and its implications than the romance, which isn’t bad, just not what I was hoping for. In the end this does come down to personal preferences I’d say.
While I’m not the biggest fan of romances that involve a lot of technical or science-y exposition (don’t get me wrong, we love women in STEM, I just don’t have the brain capacity to understand anything no matter how often I ask people to explain it to me like I’m 5, it’s a problem, I’m aware of it) and therefore found myself with my eyes glassing over during the more explanatory stuff especially once it started spanning more than three pages, when it comes to Luca’s revival, I still thought the concept was really unique. It also made me chuckle at the cheeky title and the double meaning. Talk about resurrecting a marriage in crisis, alright.
I also couldn’t help but think time and again that people who adore Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis would probably be frothing at the mouth over this and that alone made me persevere even when scientific things went over my head.
Something that I love about this author duo is that they’re not afraid to try out new formats or plots within the romance genre.
Yes, they have cornered the market and are firmly placed at the top of contemporary romances, yet many years later, they still stretch their creative muscles and shoot their shot at something out of the ordinary. And, as it is with all books, that might work for some readers and not for others – but it’s the way they combine this new set-up with their trademark funny banter and heartwarming characters that make you invested whether you dig the plot or not.
So, while this might have not been completely up my alley, it is and always will be a treat to dive into a new Christina Lauren book!
Putting an altogether new spin on the concept of reviving a marriage in crisis, Christina Lauren’s The Romance Revival is a second-chance romance with a heap of we love women in STEM vibes that’s perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood!
The Romance Revival is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of July 14th 2026.
Will you be picking up The Romance Revival? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis
New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren returns with an unforgettable romance in which a fateful accident erases a troubled marriage from memory—and a scientific breakthrough gives love one extraordinary do-over.
Three years ago, scientist 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 research, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge discoveries come to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.
Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule, using the classified technology she’s developed to bring him back to life. 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.
