Interesting story of a woman who has a great career but failing in relationships, so she joins a unique service called the Arc which will help her find her person. She does meet someone, but will it last?

"Thirty-five-year-old Ursula Byrne, VP of Strategic Audacity at a branding agency in Manhattan, is successful, witty, whip-smart, and single. She’s tried all the dating apps, and let’s just say: she’s underwhelmed by her options." How many of us can relate? Dating is hard out here for ambitious women.

3.5 stars. This debut was entertaining, but I found myself more interested in Ursula's career journey than the arc of the relationship between Ursula and Rafael. There were lots of good moments in the book - skewering today's society, what it's like to be a professional woman, and the highs and lows of relationships. Both Ursula and Rafael are likeable characters. I'm going to be honest, I would've enjoyed this book more overall if I were still single.

"35-year-old Ursula Byrne, VP of Strategic Audacity at a branding agency in Manhattan, is successful, witty, whip-smart, and single. She's tried all the dating apps, and let's just say: she's underwhelmed by her options. You'd think that by now someone would have come up with something more bespoke; a way for users to be more tailored about who and what they want in a life partner--how hard could that be?

Enter The Arc: a highly secretive, super-sophisticated matchmaking service that uses a complex series of emotional, psychological and physiological assessments to architect partnerships that will go the distance. The price tag is high, the promise ambitious--a level of lifelong compatibility that would otherwise be unattainable. In other words, The Arc will find your ideal mate.

Ursula is paired with 42-year-old lawyer Rafael Banks. From moment one, this feels like the electric, lasting love they've each been seeking their whole adult lives. But as their relationship unfolds in unanticipated ways, the two begin to realize that true love is never a sure thing. And the arc of a relationship is never predictable...even when it's fully optimized."

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this read! The plot and characters were very different from my recent reads and I really appreciated it. Ursula was such a fun character and I loved her personality! The whole idea of The Arc was a bit weird but I found it interesting to read about. I really loved how the story pointed out the gender wage gap and pushed feminist ideas. I thought this was such a great read and listen. Definitely would recommend checking it out!

Detailed! Ursula spends her time at The Stake, a club for women. Rooms are described in details. Ursula goes to The Arc to find true love; her week there, including a 1,001 item questionnaire are detailed.

Unusual plot. Many descriptions. We learn about Ursula’s work in branding.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this unique rom.

I found this book to be average and I couldn't help but compare it to The Soulmate Equation, which I also listened to recently. I honestly found the main character, Ursula, to be quite annoying and this really took away from the experience. She seemed a bit immature for a 35-year old and definitely too old to still be so self-sabotaging in her relationship. She still didn't seem to have a handle on who she is (there was a lot of flip flopping on her stances on various issues) or on her career. I did really like the small twist at the end though - I felt like it really tied the storyline together.

3.75 ish stars

There is a lot going on in this book. It’s equal parts social commentary, romance, and comedy, but they all blend together nicely. I loved the first section, kind of hated some of the middle, and liked the ending, including the very last scene, which was both sweet and a bit eye-roll-inducing. I was happy when the main characters resolved their issues, but I didn’t love their relationship…or maybe I just wasn’t as invested in it as I would have liked for this kind of story. Either way, it was a fun read, and I’d be interested in checking out other books from the writer in the future.

This was a romance novel with interesting potential. I liked the premise of this super test that would find your perfect other half and all the psychological tests the protagonist went through. And there was decent banter between the two characters. But truthfully, it fell a little short for me. The protagonist had unrealistic expectations about love and her perfect mate and the main conflict of the story I thought was lacking.

I feel liked I've seen and read this sort of thing multiple times now--a mysterious techy matchmaking service. What are soulmates? Are there soulmates? I didn't feel like this added anything and seemed oddly dated.

All of the science is saying it's meant to be, but is it?

The Arc follows Ursula, a 35 year old VP of Strategic Audacity at a male-dominated branding agency and lawyer, Raphael as they get paired up by the Arc. The Arc is a super secretive matchmaking service that takes science and assessments to pair you up with your most suitable ‘mate.’ When Ursula receives an invitation by this mysterious Arc agency, she is reluctant but takes the opportunity. Paired up with Rapheal, this seems like everything she's ever wanted. But when they have their first argument, which cuts a lot deeper than either imagined, they are troubled with things they were never prepared for.

And then the Arc sends them a message saying the system messed it up and that they should never be paired up together to begin with.

This book is full of satire, especially when it comes to everything surrounding the heroine. Something I didn't expect when picking this book up was the point-of-view. It's written in 3rd ominesence, which I didn't love because of the flipping between character to character. I'm much more comfortable with something sticking to one character only.

My biggest struggle with the story was pacing, especially since I went in thinking this was everything I needed. I've read books that play with the concepts of soulmates and science working towards perfect matches (one of my favourite books is Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren) and it's a concept I really like. Especially when everything is not what it seems. The issue here is that the book feels too long and moves too slow. A lot of that was due to the point-of-view and how separated I felt from the characters.

I just kept hoping for more.

I think my own opinion on this book would vary greatly with someone who reads longer books with 3rd pov more often. In the end I enjoyed the commentary, but wouldn't read it again.

This was a great read, it was fast paced and lighthearted. I find it really unique and refreshing.I loved the romance a lot.

Ursula and Rafael have a great relationship.I loved their banter.All the characters were so well developed.

This book is a very intriguing from the beginning , I was captivating and I wanted to know more .I'm definitely going to read more books from this author in the future I liked her writing and the concept is new to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St.Martin's Press for the advanced copy of The Arc.

This was a rom-com that I dove headfirst into and didn't look back. The plot was very reminiscent of The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren, which likely aided in my love for this one.

Both Rafael and Ursula were characters that were easy to root for, while The Arc was a little sus, and for good reason.

I will say, I originally wanted to give this 5 stars, but have rounded it down to 4.5 because the ending was rather abrupt. That being said, I still loved it.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

I liked the concept, but the book dragged on at parts. I liked the characters and ideas, but figured out the ending.

I'm amazed with how much detail the author put into this book. The writing is spectacular. I thought this was going to be a 5 star book for me until the conflict hit, and it really started to drag. I did think the ending was done well, though, and it was a really unique concept.

The Arc is a light-hearted satire of 21st century dating and work culture. It was a pretty easy read, although it did drag a bit in a few places. Overall I enjoyed it. Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy.

This had some sci-fi elements to it with the two main characters going to a rather mysterious “relationship architecture” firm that purports to match clients up with their perfect match. It’s expensive and you have to spend a week at their HQ answering questionnaires while doing yoga and meditation and eating great food. Ursula and Rafael are both successful and can afford the expensive fee on the hope that they’ll meet their match. At first, they seem exactly perfect for each other until the agency throws some wrenches into their perfect relationship.

If you can buy the idea that there is such an agency out there with enough clients in NYC to cast a wide-enough net to match people up and can just sit back and enjoy the romance, you’ll enjoy this book. Add in the strange ladies-only club that Ursula and her best friend hang out at where they do angry yoga and imbibe weird drinks. This was fun and different from all the other modern romances I’ve read.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This book is hard to categorize. It's not a traditional romance, but it centers around the search for romance. It is thought provoking and interesting, but not a page turner, and not very relatable. I think it would make a good book club read, as it would prompt some interesting discussion about romantic expectations and society.

4.5/5 stars!

<b>The Arc </b> came quite close to being a DNF for me. The initial 25-30% of the novel is monotonous and slow-paced with really not much going on. We are getting to know Ursula - and she’s meant to be this sassy, strong-willed, and audacious woman, but eventually I was like “okay, I get it….can we skip to the good part?".

The remaining 70-75% is where all the magic happens. The plot really gave me <b>The Soulmate Equation</b> vibes, but slightly revamped. Definitely a cool concept that I can get behind in this society of dating apps. I was hooked once I got into the meat of the story. There are many bumps in the road but the ending really tied everything together!

This novel has a few quirks - one of the main ones being that it is told in the third person. This is something I wasn’t too keen on, because it gave a very impersonal feel and I think that prevented me from really connecting with the main characters, Ursula and Rafael.

All in all, quirks aside, I really enjoyed this read!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own. Upon publishing of this novel, I will also be posting my review to Amazon Canada.</i>

I had no idea what to expect when I started reading The Arc. I thought it was going to be a bit more literary like Sally Rooney's books, and seeing Taylor Jenkins Reid as a comparison (one of my faves), I had a feeling I would love it. I wasn't wrong. I couldn't put it down. It was a perfect mix of both Sally Rooney and TJR, and as such a fun read. ​The idea of there being a service that specializes in finding a person their perfect match isn't such a crazy concept and I'm sure that there are services like The Arc out there, and we just aren't hearing about them.

I absolutely loved this book. I love Ursula. I love Rafael. I loved their relationship. I loved that they are very similar, and yet wildly different. It was truly a fun book to read with a wonderful ending. I definitely recommend checking this one out.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.