I really enjoyed this book but I wonder if it suffers a little from a bit of a lack of marketing clarity. It's packaged like a rom-com but I can see that it might alienate rom-com readers as it veers off into a more satirical look at dating algorithms. That said, the quirky, unique characters and millennial tone to the writing made it a fun and interesting read. I hope it finds its readers!

Would you pay $40,000+ to be guaranteed to find your perfect match? That's exactly what Ursula and Rafael do after having terrible relationship experiences in the past. After being matched, they hit it off right away, but as time goes on what will happen? Will they actually last? Are they really the perfect couple?
I thought this book was unique and charming. It gives you a sense of what dating can be like in the future with all the new technology being invented. A quick and easy read for all romance lovers!
Thank you to NetGalley, Tory Henwood Hoen and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Looking forward to more books from the author.

This book was very future-istic. I do not know how the author came up with all the details in this book but its very impressive! There was also a huge plot twist at the end that as readers you do not see coming! This book also messes with the mind so if you like something that is a huge puzzle this is the book for you. Overall I thought this book was very good and would recommend it to a friend.

The Arc follows Ursula and Rafael as the engage in a journey to find love through a secretive match-making service called The Arc. The Arc promises to find someone's ideal partner and lifelong compatibility. When Ursula and Rafael are matched with each other they feel an electric love for each other. However, their relationship begins to unravel in ways they never expected and they learn that true love can not be constructed but must be chosen.

The Arc is one of the most unique books I have ever read. While the concept in itself has been done before in other ways the execution of it was nuanced and unexpected. Tory Henwood Hoen's writing style immediately immerses you into Ursula and Rafael's world as well as their individual mindsets. Hoen's ability to seamlessly flow between Ursula and Rafael's perspectives was unlike anything I have read before. The characters felt fully fleshed out, the time spent on working out their individual mental battles and struggles allowed readers to fully understand the way that Ursula and Rafael's relationship worked. This is not a novel or writing style that I will soon forget. I will definitely be reading from Hoen again.

My main criticism of this book lies in the pacing. While Hoen did an excellent job creating fully fleshed out characters I found that there were moments of unnecessary detail and drawn out narratives. So many other characters were introduced and then never heard from again which left me with an unsatisfied feeling at the end. Truthfully I think this book tried to do to much. Between Ursula's job, her college friends, her relationship with her mother, the detailed moments at the Stake, her job, her work with Mike, her struggle with past relationships and her relationship with Rafael the focus of the story was at times hard to find. While these details are important to provide to assert Ursula as someone who exists outside of just her relationship I found that at many times the story was veering off course and creating unnecessary tangents. This created a strange kind of pacing where I would be super invested in the story and then the focus would completely change for a few chapters which would tear me out of my interest.

Overall this is an incredibly unique book and I would highly recommend it to fans of romance, contemporary, or even science fiction. I truly can't wait to see how this book will be received when it is released in February because it is so nuanced and unique.

Relationship novel about a woman and man who use a matchmaking service, The Arc, that promises a perfect match. A lot of the first part of the book is spent building up to the female character signing up for The Arc. The relationship with the male character then unfolds quickly and then encounters difficulties. I just couldn’t really get into the relationship and the chemistry was not very strong for me. I like rom-coms but this one was unfortunately not for me.

What a delightful, unique romance! I love reading romance books, but have been getting tired of some of the overused romance cliches, characters and storylines. If you’re feeling the same or just looking for something different, The Arc is for you! I loved the quirky characters in this book and the concept was something familiar but went in a really different and interesting direction. Looking forward to reading more from this author!

3.5 stars - I *eventually* enjoyed this book, but more on that later.

Ursula is a motivated, successful, lively, quirky woman in a high level creative job, but deep down she is lonely. Her cat Mallory is a fine companion, but she wants to find her forever partner. Enter the Arc, the relationship architects, who promise a perfect match, forever. At over $40,000 to join, Ursula is wildly skeptical, but curiosity wins, so she secures the funds and begins the weeklong in depth process to find her perfect match.

This book started really slow. So slow that I considered not finishing it. Truly, it took me three weeks to read to 17% percent, and then 3 days to finish the rest of the book. The book really gets interesting as soon as Ursula starts the process at the Arc, and then it's just nonstop from there.

Her perfect match, Rafael is generous, calm, focused and thoughtful, and for both of them it is pretty much love at first sight. They believe they are destined for an easy relationship, since it's perfectly curated and matched, after all! But at the first sign of disagreement, things get murky. The rest of the book chronicles their highs, lows, insecurities and revelations.

I enjoyed the underlying theme of trusting your gut when it comes to love, work, and life. I think this book is going to be well received. Except I really don't like the cover :0

*I was given an advance copy by NetGalley, in exchange for a true and honest review!

This was a great read, not just about dating in the age of dating apps, but about the trajectories relationships take, and how we get in our own way.

The two main characters are matched by an elite, expensive dating service that pro oses to be the last Dati g hells they’ll ever need. But is love really able to be reduced to an algorithm?

I unfortunately just can't get into this book. I don't seem to be vibing with the story or concept and will have to DNF. I was really intrigued by it at first so I hope others will enjoy it more than me.

This book was so much fun! I was absolutely fascinated by the concept (paying top dollar to be matched perfectly by an elite organization) and was completely absorbed from page one. I found that despite the fact that all the characters were real, flawed people, I found them loveable in the way that real people are - sometimes irritating and prone to making poor decisions, but overall well meaning and kind. I also found the book incredibly funny, with a dry, sharp wit and some laugh out loud moments. I can't wait to see what else Tory Henwood Hoen writes - she will be on my radar now for sure!

I received a complimentary copy of The Arc from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I absolutely LOVED this book! There were some slow parts, and at first I did not see where it was going, but once I figured it out, I just enjoyed the ride. With so many facets, this novel was perfectly executed. The hopeful romantics, the soul-crushing lows, the "rebellion"--what a great book! (Worth sticking it out--even if the reader hits a slow spot or two.)

HOLD ON I JUST FINISHED AND HAVE THOUGHTS BUT I ALSO HAVE WORK IN THE MORNING. BRB

okay!!!!! hi i’m torn with this. i didn’t fall in love with it but i really didn’t hate it deeply or anything either. a 4.25!

Ursula is thriving in plenty parts of her life. She’s making solid money and is succeeding in her field at 35. Her romance life is the only thing not keeping up to speed with her. When she seeks out help from The Arc, they guarantee her a true match; one that’s forever lasting. She’s intrigued and pays their pricey fee in order to find the one thing she can’t seem to get right. She’s paired with Rafael, a 40-something lawyer who’s charming, ready to start a life with the perfect partner and who’s all sorts of in love with Ursula’s rather quirky characteristics. Though it seems like an immediate perfect match, their lives start to untangle and they must face reality: Are they actually perfect for one another or did they just want to believe some doctor because they were desperate enough to pay for love?

okay, lots of thoughts. Neither of these characters were all that lovable but I really didn’t mind that. It makes for a more interesting plot. The tension after they fell in love made me anxious which I love when a book can pull feelings out of me. I felt like I was tapping on a fishtank with a puffer fish in it waiting for it to blow. It was interesting to see it all unfold. I also am one who despises combined POV’s without a break to signify a change but I think because the author signified it, I was a little more prepared for it. I didn’t love it but I feel it was probably crucial to the story.

I think Ursula was just a little… too quirky for me. I also eye rolled at a lot of the rich-ness of everything. The whole idea of whatever The Stake (a place Ursula and her friend had memberships for) was so pretentious. It was just overall hard to connect with her as a character even if she loved her cat a lot.

A last note is that I was actually looking forward to an Author’s Note because I wanna get inside the head of the author. This book and the idea of The Stake and The Arc were just bonkers to me. I wanted to get in the author’s head a little and just get some insight but it wasn’t provided with that in this ARC which is okay.

Okay long story short, I liked this book! Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I enjoyed this read. It kept my attention and I really found myself connecting with the characters. Make sure you read this one!

I could not put this book down and stayed up way past my bedtime to see how the story ended. This is a book that stays with you, turning the ideas over in your mind long after the last page is turned.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were well written and given depth and back stories. Ursula and Rafael have such cute banter and touching moments.. The premise of the ARC sounds insane but would kinda be pretty cool to have in the real world. I couldn’t put this book down because I was wanting to see what would happen. Love that this book was different from most “romcom” type books. Only qualm was that Ursula was all about woman empowerment and how little funding they get from VC, but it’s even worse for anyone not white so wish they may have been touched on even in minor capacity. Overall loved the book and would recommend for anyone looking for a fun but roller coaster read.

What an interesting and unique premise The Arc has! The ARC is an app that guarantees you find your one true love - nothing can go wrong with that, right?! I loved the flawed, realistic way Ursula and Rafael, our main characters, were written. My issue with this book was that I didn’t click with, or even like, Ursula, so it was hard to really sit back and enjoy this book for everything that it was. Overall, it was a quick read that I’m glad I got to experience!

It took me a long time to get into this book, in fact skimmed through a lot of the beginning, So the main character pays a lot of money to be set up in the perfect relationship and then months later is told there was a mistake and it wasn't the right relationship for her, they then make that statement true and let their doubts break them up. this is a story about people owning their choices and making their own lives or is it?

I really enjoyed this book! Although it lacked real angst, the author still did a fantastic job roping me in and making me route for the couple.

What I liked:
- the dark sense of humor]
- AGE GAP *insert drool emoji*
- the authors writing style
- the ending!!

Overall, I would definitely give this book a go. A great debut novel!

This was one of those book that I still think about even weeks after having finished reading it. Optimizing our lives has become such a goal but optimizing our love matches to the extent The Arc presents really was interesting (and if I am being honest, a little scary). The storyline and love story at the core of this novel is built around likable characters and does lay out the pro/cons of this approach to love quite well. Would recommend this book to others!

This was an interesting read - the future of the dating world maybe!! I enjoyed reading this book! The story is relatable and realistic - I have heard about the dating scenario from friends and family and how frustrating it can be!!
**
I liked the author’s style of writing and sense of humour! The story flows through smoothly. Both Ursula and Rafael’s characters are well developed and true to the real world!! Their feelings and emotions are well described in line with the plot. And there are a few thought provoking situations as well! The friendship between Ursula and her friend from University is beautiful too!
**
This whole concept of matchmaking reminded me of how in the past in India - horoscopes were matched to find suitable partners.
**
Thank you to the Author, @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an Advance Reader Copy.