The Soulmate Equation

As Jess falls in love with River after initially despising him, she demonstrates how unreliable first impressions can be. When Jess first meets River, she considers him “sullen,” “moody,” and “antisocial” (8-9). She calls him “an asshole” (45) to his face when he steals her parking spot, doesn’t hold the elevator for her, and fails to recognize her when they meet for a second time. When Jess finds out that they are a Diamond Match, she is in disbelief. She tells River that the match must be an “error” because “there’s no way” (69) they are a match. As River initially does little to convince Jess she’s wrong, she is hesitant to reconsider her judgment.

However, Jess slowly begins to see River in a different light. This change reinforces River’s statement that “we’re only programmed to think about first encounters on a very primitive level” (162). Although Jess is contractually obligated to spend time with River, she is surprised to find that, the more she gets to know him, the more she enjoys his company. On their first date, Jess concludes that it’s “the best date she’d had in seven years” (148). She reluctantly admits that River is charming and funny, even though “he wasn’t supposed to be” (152). She also becomes more attuned to her intense physical reactions to him (which she felt from the moment they met)—an early indication that her first impression will change. At the San Diego Union-Tribune photoshoot, Jess lusts for River as they are pressed against each other. She concedes that she’s attracted to him, marking a shift in her initial assessment of him as attractive, but not someone she’d be interested in.

Ultimately, Jess falls in love with River and realizes her first impression of him was incorrect. At the Grubers’ cocktail party, she realizes that the “shy” River is not the “callous, gruff asshole” she initially believed him to be (189). At Scripps Mercy Hospital, Jess judges him to be charitable and vulnerable. As for River himself, he initially considered Jess “entirely average” (30)—but later finds her beautiful and grows to respect, admire, and love her. Fizzy also incorrectly judges her love interest, a banker named Rob. She tells Jess that she likes him—until she finds out he’s married. Many of the characters’ first impressions turn out to be incorrect in regards to their true feelings (and those of others), and demonstrate that they can be misleading.