I don't typically enjoy audiobooks, but this is one that I was able to get lost in. The concept behind The ARC is one that I think any perpetually single person would be in favor of its services (only with a much lower price tag). I was able to fully relate to the characters, but specifically Ursula. The things that she was struggling with as a women in her mid-30s were the same things that I and others around me face. I was excited to see how she grew as a character and how she was working to be a better person. But I have to say I was a bit shocked by the twist at the end. I didn't see that coming at all.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book - the comments on dating in your 30s, apps, and how some people would desperately sign up for a cult-like experience for so much money in order to find their perfect match, and the plight of strong women in business.

But that's about where my likes ended and the story kind of devolves. This became kitschy as Ursula is "the typical cat lady" and Rafael is "the typical guy.'"
Of course she has to have some rich man fund her entrance into the Arc, but Rafael funds it himself - male privilege? There's not a lot of character development between these two or with their friends. The relationships fall flat for the most part.

Overall, did not love, but appreciate the foray into 30s dating and its absurdities.

Ursula has had it with modern dating in NYC when she's slipped a card for the Arc: a service that (for tens of thousands of dollars) will give you the opportunity to meet the person with whom you'll have the greatest chance at lifelong happiness.

Naturally, it's "the person" ...selected from a pool of people who can afford their service and trusting (curious?) enough to give it a shot. While perhaps a non-starter for some, I was intrigued. There are highly expensive individualized (and often intrusive) services for seemingly everything these days, why not for "relationship architecture?"

This book is a bit of a genre mashup -- the first quarter or so is overwhelmingly satirical, poking fun at white feminist culture especially but also startup bros and the self-care industry. Then it transitions into more of a classic contemporary romance. Both these genres really work for me, so I was here for it! But around the halfway point I couldn't help but feel like there wasn't half a book of plot left, and I found the plot's pace slowed way down. I also was annoyed by some of Rafael's behavior and felt there was a greater focus on Ursula's shortcomings than his.

Still, this was a good read, and the audiobook was well done. ~3.5 stars, and I'll stay tuned for whatever Tory Henwood Hoen writes next. Now I'm off to go find the real-life version of Purple Rain (a steam room where bursts of lavender-scented mist alternate with warm downpours, set to a soundtrack of Prince's greatest hits)

What is The Arc? A highly secretive matchmaking service for people looking to meet their soulmate. They use emotional, psychological, and physiological tests to help you find your ideal partner. After failed relationships, Ursula decides this is the best option for her to find the one. She ends up paired with Rafael, and they immediately feel a connection. After a few months together, they realize that no relationship is perfect, and The Arc tests them to see if their relationship really is as great as they think.

I actually enjoyed the story of The Arc. I know there have been other books that came out with a similar premise, but I thought this had its own take on the trope. I don’t love insta-love normally, but it kind of worked in this book. Ursula and Rafael did seem right for each other, but it was strange that they basically were inseparable right away. I get they’re supposed to be soulmates, but I would take my time getting to know someone I was matched with.

I liked that the author decided not to give them a perfect relationship through the book. It made it more realistic. I did root for Ursula and Rafael to work out though.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator, Mary Elizabeth Kelly. This was the first audiobook I’ve read that she narrated, and I think she was the right choice for this story.

There is a bit of a shock ending which I enjoyed even though I saw it coming. The way it was written was perfect for this story.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun read and kept me interested throughout. While the idea of such an expensive and exclusive dating service is outlandish, it was fun and Ursula and Rafael’s relationship had real components that people deal with. At times Ursula was annoying, reminding the reader of how “weird” she was. Not graphic during “love scenes”. Overall, The Arc kept me hooked - 4 stars.

Quirky and weird Ursula is in a slump when it comes to love. Rafael, is heartbroken after his last relationship. They both sign up for an exclusive dating program, The Arc.

The Arc guarantees a match with what some would call your soulmate…for a steep price tag. Ursula and Rafael are matched and quickly hit it off, finding that The Arc lives up to its promise of a perfect match. That is until their first argument where things start to go awry, when Ursula and Rafael must decide if they should go through the ups and downs of a relationship together or call it quits, even if they are “fully optimized” to be together.

I listened to the audiobook and Mary Elizabeth Kelly did an amazing job with narrating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Arc
Wow. Usually I write a review as soon as I’m done with a book, but I needed to marinate on this one. It’s unlike so many other romance books I’ve read. It’s smart without being in your face, it’s funny in subtle ways, and it really makes you think about the arc of your own relationship.

I was initially inclined to dislike this book at the beginning, it was a slow start for sure. But once it picked up and got going, I was enthralled and very much emotionally invested in Ursula and Rafael. It was very straightforward with a slightly predictable twist thrown in at the end, along with a potential for a second book. It was a great set up for Skip and Rafael’s sister. Maybe I’m just hopeful.

Also, PS can we start a women’s club like The Stake, IRL? Because I would join in an instant.

I was already on board with this after reading the synopsis. The ARC is a company that has developed and algorithm to find two people that would make a perfect partnership. At 35 years old, Ursula uses the arc and is paired with Rafael. As promised, the two seem absolutely compatible.

I think one of the things I loved the most about this book was how it just oozed feminism. Not undertones, but in-your-face feminism. Like, right when it was too much...there was more! I'm not sure how the author pulled this off without being cringy but I'm blown away with how much girl power was packed in here!

As much as I loved this book, I couldn't help but have a issue with the Arc as a concept all together. It is made know early on in the book that the companybis very secretive and expensive. How can someone be sure that they are finding the match that is just right for them if only a select few people can afford it and even fewer have even heard of it? I just couldn't bring myself to get passed that.

Special thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for gifting me with this ARC (he he) in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely love stories about dating apps and this was no exception. Ursula and Rafael had a sweet and emotionally complex connection. This romance was super cute and super relatable at the same time. Explored emotions in psychology in relations to ourselves and the love we hope to find. I had this an audiobook and the narrator was wonderful. This was a step out of my usual comfort zone but I’m very glad I did. What a Mesmerizing and thought-provoking read

This is truly one of the weirdest books I have read in the best way possible. The ARC is a very Black Mirror romance and about Ursula and Rafael. They both sign up for a program called the ARC that promises to help you find your true perfect match. What makes Ursula and Rafael so perfect is that they embrace each other for who they are whether it be weird nicknames, fashion choices, or just their quirks. As this is a satire a lot of the book is not realistic but the deeper insights about what we look for in a relationship and the perfect partner are. Would you make a relationship work just cause they are told you are their perfect match? Is there really such a thing as a perfect match. You will leave this book with your jaw dropped but also happy cause this book is just fun.

I also want to call out the narration by Mary Elizabeth Kelly. Kelly has the absolutely perfect tone for this story. She makes you engaged in this relationship and has the perfect voice to deal with the more outlandish moments that she makes believable. I would honestly recommend the audiobook just as much as the physical book.

ALC provided by NetGalley for my honest review.

🌟🌟🌟💫 (3.5)

By: Tory Henwood Hoen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: 🎧
Publish Date: 02/08/2022

🏙 Sex in the City vibes, girl empowerment, quirkiness and boujee.

💭 No Trope, similar construct to "The Soulmate Equation" as a dating service that is science based and guarantees a perfect match. 

🔥 The chemistry between Ursula and Rafael was palpable and kept me turning the pages. 

😸 Ursula is an adorable cat mom

✊ Ursula and her best friend are a part of a feminist women's club (The Stake) that is very over-the-top and included bizarre classes and body treatments. I think it was meant to be satirical but was extremely weird. 

😕 Ursula was mildly annoying.. the quirkiness felt overdone in some moments and she frustratingly pushed Rafael away again and again. 

Overall, I enjoyed it. I was invested in what happened and I thought the ending was ironic and made me smile. Wouldn't re-read, not going to be for everyone but, I liked it!

Thanks to @Netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC of the audiobook! All opinions are my own.

That was an interesting read. Very imaginative and out there. I just sometimes thought it was a little too out there. Also she used a vibrator as a face massager so weird. Not for me.

This one just fell a little short for me. Overall a good enjoyable and entertaining story, but it just lacked real heart and humor for me, personally.

I liked the premise but this one was hard to get into. I feel it was overly descriptive to the point it seemed to drag on in parts.

I’ve read a good handful of reviews for The Arc by Tory Henwood Hoen, and must say that the overall feelings seem to be quite mixed. I guess I’m an outlier because I really enjoyed this quirky and entertaining story about dating in the modern world. Not only is it a great character study on the two main characters, Ursula and Rafael, it also takes things a step further and explores the ins-and-outs of their relationship. The couple’s connection is solid and immediate, and the fun banter between the two of them was extremely enjoyable. I also appreciated the cute concept of involving a highly-sophisticated matchmaking service to find your perfect life partner. The Arc is perfect for fans of The One by John Marrs or The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren. If you get the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, definitely go that route if you can. The narrator consistently held my attention for the duration of the entire novel, so that’s a win for me. I found myself smiling away as the novel flipped from Ursula’s perspective to Rafael’s. Overall, I thought this was a strong debut, and will definitely read whatever the author comes up with next. Be sure to grab a copy on release day - February 8th!

This book is about an extreme matchmaking service. The ARC is a crazy expensive service that matches couples and puts them through all kinds of scientific tests. Ursula and Rafael begin their ARC journey and it definitely gets messy.

I did like this book once the match happened, but almost gave up on it while the story was getting there. There was too much filler about Ursula at the beginning and it was just plain weird.

I ended up liking the characters later in the book, but they seemed way too kooky for me in the beginning. Overall the book was lighter, but far fetched. I was glad for the narrator in the audiobook version to get me through the beginning of the book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this Audiobook for my honest review.

Thank you so much to net galley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! I did really enjoy this book but I do feel like the author tried to make the characters too cool and quirky but it just didn’t translate well. But I do enjoy the humor of the characters

Our MC is VP of Strategic Audacity? She goes to a feminist health club with rooms such as the womb room, a room where you get your hair brushed while murmuring soothing messages to you (which to be fair actually sounds nice minus the talking), a room where you throw porcelain plates…etc, you get the idea of how ridiculous this is.

This could have been a cute spoof but it wasn’t cute, it was just plain weird. I’m most defintely not the right audience.

On a positive note, the narrator of the audiobook was excellent, and the MC had a cute cat.

What Matt Haig's "The Midnight Library" did for the individual journey, Tory Henwood Hoen's "The Arc" did for the journey of the lifelong relationship! This romance was not simply a sweet story of a couple finding the love they have been searching for and by the end all lived happily ever after, there is so much more to this book. The concept was unique and left me thinking. I loved being a part of Ursula and Rafael's journey. This is an auspicious debut for Tory Henwood Hoen, I can't wait to see what else comes from this new author!

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to review this advance audiobook of The Arc in exchange for an honest review.

First, I'd like to give kudos to the excellent audio narrator Mary Elizabeth Kelly. She changed her tone as the characters changed throughout the course of the novel and made listening to this book so much fun. Her pacing as she narrated was great, she's just everything an audio narrator should be.

Tory Henwood Hoen wrote such an interesting book, it gave me Vanilla Sky & Truman Show vibes with a dash of a Black Mirror quality to it (just not as dark). I know, I know...that's quite a fusion of things. It wasn't like any other book I've read in recent memory.

In this book, you'll go on a roller coaster ride through the cycle of The Arc and what they promise to do for their clients for the small sum of like $50K. Good news ladies, as a female, you get a little discount...ya know, to account for the wage gap.

Towards the beginning of the book, I was like geez, this perfection between the MCs is just starting to wear on me it was TOO perfect...until, it wasn't. Things change quickly and your heart will break for Ursula and Rafael.

I loved the little clue in the NPR interview when Rafael was in the car AND I thought the ending was very well done too.

It's more of a cerebral contemporary romance...a little bit sci-fi-ish. Honestly, I would've liked more of that in this book and less of the annoying animal names that Ursula and Rafael called each other...I cringed every time they used one.

I've seen a lot of DNF (y'all are missing out) and just "ok" reviews for this one, but I don't know, I really enjoyed it and the more I think about it, the more I like it.

The ARC is a highly elite, scientific matchmaking services that uses various assessments to match you with your perfect match! It's pricey but the payoff is a lifelong relationship with the person you are the most compatible one. When I read the description, I thought of The One with its DNA mate matching service.

But that is where the comparison ends. The synopsis was interesting, and I had high hopes for this. I didn't care for the beginning but hung in there and then it began to pique my interest. But unfortunately, that didn't last. I became disinterested again but hung in there hoping I would be won over again.

I didn't really feel a connection with the characters, I didn't feel for their plight. True, there were parts of the book which I found to be interesting, but there were too many parts that just didn't win me over and at the end of the day, this book just wasn't for me. I tend to enjoy lighter, happy go luck, romances, This one was a little more cerebral.

Others are enjoying this much more than I did, so please seek out their reviews as well.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.