The main characters were insufferable.

The male MC was a huge dick. Upper-east side, rich dude that couldn’t give his support for shit (he kept telling the female MC to quit her job when she didn’t want to). He was funny, and caring, sometimes, but would literally argue with Ursula over the dumbest things.

The female MC was super annoying, would also argue over the dumbest shit, and even gave the male MC shit over him wanting to buy a dog from a breeder (does the author know that “adopt don’t shop” is…not actually a good phrase to use?). She went to this weird club/spa with her bestie all the time and it was just…odd. She was also funny, though, and sometimes caring, and definitely smart, which I suppose is how they got matched.

Ursula Byrne like many people has tried all the dating apps out there and as you can imagine has all the horror stories to go along with it. After another failed date she has decided to swear off dating all together and is throwing in the towel. During a rant to her best friend about all her failed dating adventures, she happens to be over heard by someone in the secret match making industry of The Arc.

$40,500 later for poor Ursula she's decided to see what it's all about. After all, for that price they have to know what they're talking about... Right?

She's matched with who she hopes is Mr. Right, Rafael and for awhile everything seems to be going great. The Arc got everything right. This match is a match made in heaven.... until well... they aren't.

This book was a quick and easy read and the characters were fun and quirky. I overall enjoyed the book but it didn't really stick with me. Ursula was supposed to be this normal character with everyday struggles but can somehow afford 40k for a dating service? It's a fun read but it's definitely not relatable.

The Arc is a modern day romance novel that is hard to put down. The story follows a woman named Ursula who is trying to find love in a time when meeting people in traditional ways proves to be a challenge. She decides to give the Arc a try, a company that claims to find you your perfect match. Ursula and Rafael meet and fall in love so easily, but what happens when they start to doubt their relationship? The story is told from both Ursula and Rafael's points of view at different times and explores the ins and outs of modern relationships and how relationships intermingle with work and personal identities. Tory Henwood Hoen makes you explore your own personal identity and struggles alongside the main characters.

I would highly recommend to anyone who loves a good romance novel. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

this was a good one from the start. must read and really enjoyed this from page one. I am loving this author more and more. Every book does it for me.

I know this book has gotten mixed reviews, but I really enjoyed it! The concept is different than anything else I had read before and I was fascinated.

Ursula is 35 and single. She knows she's quirky, but she just wants someone to love her like she is. Sure, she has abandonment issue and she likes to take care of people. She sometimes loses herself in the process. When she's at the spa (in a weird women-only facility called the Stake), a woman hears her talking about her dating woes. She offers her a card for The Arc. The Arc is a dating service, only much more in-depth than your stereotypical Match.com. With The Arc, you pay 50k (if you're male) and $40,500 (if you're female) to spend a week at their facility, where you are subjected to personality tests, meditation sessions and more. They gather information and match you with someone.

Ursula goes for it and is matched with Rafael. The pair have instant chemistry. They believe in The Arc's success story and success rate (100 percent success!) and when they start dating everything is perfect. Is it too perfect? What happens when there is a conflict? The pair is obligated to do check-ins with The Arc. At one of these after about four months, The Arc reveals something to them that changes everything.

I enjoyed this whole story. How it started, how it came together, and what it says about relationships. I think that it is interesting to see how the power of suggestion comes into play in life as well. There are feminist themes throughout but it wasn't in-your-face. Overall, this was really well done.

The ARC by Tory Henwood Hoen released yesterday. Thank you @stmartinspress for sharing a review copy.

I think this was a case of wrong writing style for my tastes rather than anything else. The concept was sound, the characters were interesting but something did not click for me. The writing was overly descriptive and the lives of the characters were all steeped in so much privilege that it was like a fantasy world. Both of those things took me out of the story so often that it lost it’s joy for me. But I do think there are some readers out there who would love this one. I hope it finds it way to them!

This was an interesting read with a novel concept - it certainly suggests that matchmaking can be more scientific. It took a while to get into the story but then I became fascinated by how the characters wee being manipulated.

This ended up for being a bit middle of the road for me. I thought I would like it more than I actually did.

DNF, didn’t grab me. Just too weird from the get-go and I wonder if I am not a part of a generation that gets this mash up of sci-fi and dating…

Tony Henwood Hoen pens a self-aware, witty romance novel with The Arc. It's about an elite, prestige, expensive dating service that uses science to help users find their match. Protagonist Ursula Byrne realizes that while tech might help her find a match, she probably cannot hack love.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

The Arc by Tory Henwood Horn is a book with an inventive concept -- a sort of extreme matchmaking service. Although I am not a rom com reader, I thought the book was OK.

Love is hard to find. How much would you pay for an algorithm to set you up with your perfect match? In the day and age of online dating, career women, and ghosting, I found the concept of The Arc to be absolutely fascinating. Two people drawn together by a company who guarantees a perfect match. But what happens when things aren't so perfect?

I really loved the concept of this book, and also appreciated the growth of the characters outside of their romance as well. It was a very interesting concept that took modern dating to a whole new level (well, for those who could afford it).

Tired of the endless dating apps, Ursula decides to engage the help of an elite matchmaking service. She is paired with someone who seems perfect on the surface but you really can't base everything on that. Interesting concept but a little two dimensional.

Great book and enjoyed the characters . loved the slight romance and the how well the group worked together. Overall a great book . I would read this author again.

Not for me. this was a DNF. Slow moving and the story line did not hook me, I need a rom com to be alittle more than this one gave.

Wow, this one was not what I expected. It had an interesting premise - this perfect dating app with 100% success rate of picking your perfect partner. If you've been bouncing around on dating apps, then this sounds really good! But I found the characters funny but odd. I never seemed to figure out what they were going to do next - the MC, the friends, anyone. The banter was witty and I liked the twists to keep the plot moving. I thought there were a few eye-rolling moments but for the most part, this one was highly entertaining!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Sorry. This one is a rare DNF. It had an interesting premise, but it didn't work out for me. It was a little out there for my taste. I'm not giving the book a rating on Goodreads, because I didn't finish it. Netgalley won't let pass this on to the publisher without a rating.

📖My Thoughts📖

How much would you pay to find the love of your life? I had some mixed feelings about this book for a bit. Was it cute? Absolutely! Funny? It definitely had its moments. Captivating? Here’s where I had some mixed feelings about it. There were times where I just thought “This is just too good to be true. I’m not even sure this would be completely realistic”, but I honestly couldn’t help myself. I just kept reading. I had to know how it ended. As I said, there were some parts that it just seemed to be stretching the truth just a smidge, however, it’s a book so, why not? Maybe there is a thing where two people are just that perfect for each other and hit it off right from the get go. This was a fun book. I’m not entirely convinced someone would pay as much as these two main characters did just to find someone they were meant to be with, but then again, who knows? Overall it was pretty heartwarming and sweet to read, and I rather enjoyed it. If you’re looking for a sweet happy ever after book, snatch this one up!
Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Tory Henwood Hoen for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Making your way through the complicated modern dating landscape, expecting to find the right partner can be downright overwhelming. In an area like NYC, with millions to chose from you may decide to stay single and focus on your career. Ursula has had a number of dysfunctional relationships that all ended in break ups. After an odd encounter with a woman at her exclusive health club (brilliantly ridiculous) she decides to try one more option...The Arc. Her match Rafael, is in the same boat dealing with previous rotten relationships. The Arc's very high tech process and steep price promises the "perfect match"...but is any relationship perfect?
We are taken through their hilarious budding relationship, crazy career conversations, friend get togethers and their first "fight". Will they recognize nothing is perfect or fall prey to the promises of this scientifically proven match?
Witty banter, amusing characters and some insight into making relationships work.

Throw yourself into the story, don't take it personally, keep the pages turning you will be glad you did!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own. Thank you St Martin's Press.

This book is definitely an odd one. The premise is a dating or match making service, There were moments I will remember but I'll be honest right up front and say this is not a book I enjoyed or would personally recommend. The characters are a bit wacky and have unusual interests, making it really hard for me to connect with them. I can tell the author wanted to spark discussions on themes of gender inequality and use satire when describing the idealistic world of matchmaking, but I think for the most part it missed its mark. I'm sad to say this one did not live up to its potential! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to try out this book.