Sadly DNF
Cheating is a no go area for me

Hopefully there are some who enjoy. Thanks for the ARC anyway

This book is a little all over the place. The main character and her love interest have very little chemistry and I found myself not caring about them. They were also both unbearable on their own and the side characters were annoying too. While this was unfortunate, things just got worse as I kept reading. We find out the male main character is MARRIED and so this becomes an entire story about cheating, which I was not a fan of. On top of that, towards the end of the story, the MMC, who is so insecure about money and his self worth, decides he’s going to stay with his wife he had spent so much time claiming not to love. I found this infuriating and it only was made more ridiculous by the fact that the FMC takes him back when he shows up back in London and they have a happily ever after. I’m sorry but none of this is what I expected from the synopsis and it just feels really problematic. Also, it definitely does not have any comedy and is way too technical about the coding/business aspects for what claims to be a lighthearted romcom.

Sadly this book is a DNF for me. Cheating in a book just isn't my thing. Our MMC is MARRIED!!! This is also not a rom com.

I was genuinely eager to enjoy this book, I swear. A fresh STEAM romance for Ali Hazelwood fans? I’m in! I'm all for these romance novels. Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the chance to read the book in exchange for an honest review.

The book kicks off well, presenting a clever and amusing idea set in the dynamic world of business and app development, which I found intriguing. It explores various themes like enemies to lovers and an age gap, leaving a solid first impression.

However, my enthusiasm took a hit in the second chapter when I found myself having a bad time trying to understand many technological concepts. Even now, I'm struggling to grasp the FMC’s job. I wished for a more detailed and accessible explanation of the app developer world, especially for readers like me who are not familiar with this world.

Despite acknowledging the positive aspects, such as the author's writing style, I couldn't warm up to the overall execution of the idea. The age gap theme felt underdeveloped, and the characters were consistently irksome. The initial interaction left me bewildered, questioning the realism of someone paying 500 euros for breakfast in Europe. The excuse provided was ludicrous, and Jack's reaction even more so. The lack of communication between the characters added to the confusion. The stepbrother-stepsister relationship was downright dreadful, and I struggled with the manipulation the FMC endured, considering she’s almost 40 y/o.

The book lacked any significant sex scenes, with only one that lacked explicitness. The connection between the FMC and MMC felt nonexistent, lacking the anticipated spice. The tension buildup between characters leading to an explosive moment was notably absent.

The first half of the book felt lackluster, and then, BOOM! The guy is married. I was torn between laughing my ass out or bursting into tears. Thankfully, it avoided the cheating trope, which was a relief. I must confess, though, that I enyojed this part.

In conclusion, regrettably, I cannot recommend this book. It pains me because I loved the initial idea, but the overall execution fell short of expectations.

I was looking for an easy going rom com read & Once Upon An Algorithm totally delivered. Solid plot, solid characters and I loved the Greek chorus of friends. I hope there are going to be more books in the future that tie in with this one, I’d love to read Stella’s story. Thank you so much for the ARC.

This was a nice read, there were a of things I liked about it.

It's the story of Leonie, a woman in her 40s who goes to Paris for the weekend with her friends. Which friends set her on an app and so she meets a guy and has an .. interesting night with. Turns out the next days he is her new co-worker, time will show he is more. And so starts a full length novel where family and expectations and agendas mingle for these two to become stronger, free-er and give love a chance.

I liked a lot of things about this book - right from the start how it approaches the pandemic. Many books just ignore it, but this one just acknowledges it and gets over it. Than, of course - the main characters. They were both nice, with a lot on their plates in terms of inner work, and I loved how strong of a character Jack is, and I loved reading's Leonie's thoughts and how she positions in various hard situations. Overall the book is more on the realistic side, as their relationship gets into many stages and things are not always pretty.

Despite the author's belief, i didn't feel Leone's friends were the bomb, they were nice and fun but I didn't feel much of their friendship's spark. I liked, however, how surprisingly nice her parents were, despite her reservations. And the app's team!

This was a book that kept me super engaged, I couldn't put it down and it's all due to the chemistry between Leonie and Jack and the constant sensual tension that makes you forget they don't get so well at times. Fans of enemies to lover will probably appreciate this book. And for this, and the world it creates and it immerses you on I thinks it's worth reading. I, also, loved this glimpse into the world of managing the building and selling of an app, it was so exciting!

A lovely story full of the will they won't they along with the family trials and tribulations. Enjoyable from start to finish.

In the modern world of dating apps, Leonie decides to give a new one a try: Opp/Att aka Opposites Attract. Insert a long weekend in Paris where she matches with her opposite and finds that same man at work the next week and you have a workplace, opposites attract, subterfuge, and miscommunication tale.

I was a bit put off my the male MC Jack, but I think he was written in such a way to reflect him being the victim of much of the miscommunication. All told, I like the concept of an algorithm trying to match you with someone you don't think makes sense, but the storytelling felt a bit forced.

Thank you to the publisher and author for giving me early access to this arc!
May contain spoilers!

I almost DNF but decided to push through till the end. I’m super confused on how this is considered a romance/erotica novel when it contains none of that imo??😭 The two characters didn’t have much chemistry, their intimate moments were very low on the spiciness scale and Jake literally wanted to stay married to the other woman towards the end??? Which I understand was for convenience rather than out of love, but regardless, I struggled to find the romance between the two characters within these pages.

Fun characters, and I enjoyed the writing style, but just really didn’t get into the story here. The secret marriage and problematic dialogue kept bothering me, as well. I’d love to read something else in this author’s voice, though.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Honestly, this just wasn't my cup of tea. The idea was nice, the execution not so much. By the end of this book I was annoyed with pretty much everyone and that's just not an enjoyable read for me. You have adults acting like teenagers, they had an horrible miscommunication and were constantly jumping to conclusions, grow up and try having a conversation about the things that bother you.

(+) The fact that he's married and never even mentions it until he's discovered????? disgusting

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced e-copy of Once Upon an Algorithm by Clara O'Connor in exchange of an honest review.

"Once upon an algorithm by Clara O'Connor offers a captivating blend of work and romance. The book follows the journey of Leonie and Jack, who initially meet under unconventional circumstances and later find themselves working together. While the romantic aspect between the characters may not resonate with everyone, the vivid portrayal of the STEM field and the intricacies of their work draw readers in. O'Connor's attention to detail in describing the process of building an app, pursuing a business sale, and navigating the challenges of the professional world adds depth and authenticity to the narrative. Although the chemistry between Leonie and Jack may at times feel unconvincing, the fascinating insight into the world of technology and innovation serves as a compelling foundation for their budding relationship. Overall, Once upon an algorithm offers a unique perspective on the intersection of love and work, making it a thought-provoking read for those with an interest in both fields."

I wanted today give this one the benefit of the doubt, despite what many reviews already say. Unfortunately I have to agree with many of those reviews.

From the start I found the FMC’s friends to be so annoying. They are loud and just keep taking. Then they force the FMC on a date with a stranger in Paris, and things keep getting weird from there.

The FMC makes a lot of references to movies, people, and other things that just don’t make sense to me or are so far out that I’ve never heard of them. Maybe it is just me, but it was hard to follow at times.

There was absolutely no chemistry between the FMC and MMC. In fact, they pretty much hate each other after they meet for the second time, and it’s all because of a stupid misunderstanding.

The FMC acted like she was better than other people, and the MMC said some really inappropriate and sexists things to the FMC while they were in a work environment. I was not okay with any of this.

*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review

“𝙉𝙤𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩, 𝙇𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙚. 𝙉𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙞𝙨. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙨.”

This book had all the making for a great romcom. The premise was good and the character development was great (even if I did hate some of the characters). I did get lost amongst the tech talk at times where things weren’t explained in layman’s terms but it didn’t take away from the overall feel of the book. Leonie went through an absolute roller coaster of emotions and it was nice to watch her grow so confident. The suspense in the relationship kept me intrigued throughout. A lovely rom-com and a potential five star for the tech minded readers out there.

*received and e-arc in exchange for an honest review*

Once Upon An Algorithm made me laugh, but not in the way I think this was intended to. It's supposed to be a rom-com, but I didn't really get that. I laughed at how immature the couple was, there was more of a love/hate thing going on and not love/laugh.

I was excited that the main character was not a young 20 something, but around 40...until I realized she was emotionally, at least to me, still very young. I didn't enjoy the way Leonie and Jack, at least to me, didn't really like each other at all! Antagonizing isn't flirty or fun, and that's who they came off to me.

I actually enjoyed the technical parts, but the romance fell flat.

This book was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun fast paced book. I love any enemies to lovers book and this one didn’t disappoint. I do think it was a bit techy but other than that i really enjoyed it and would highly recommend for all contemporary romance readers.

It seems to me that in all this effort to write contemporary romances with STEM topics, we have lost sight of the fact that plot remains a fundamental point for any book that is not an essay or is not written by a Nobel laureate in literature. The second fundamental point then with regard to romance books is of course the drama that results from misunderstanding of any genre. In both cases, this book fails rather miserably in my opinion, because the plot is rather flimsy and the drama comes from an inexplicable decision made by both characters not to talk to each other, period. That said it goes without saying that I did not like the book and I do not think I will read any more by this author.

Mi sembra che in tutto questo sforzo per scrivere dei contemporary romance con degli argomenti STEM, si sia perso di vista il fatto che la trama resta un punto fondamentale per ogni libro che non sia un saggio o non sia scritto da un premio nobel per la letteratura. IL secondo punto fondamentale poi per quanto riguarda i libri d'amore é ovviamente il dramma che deriva da un fraintendimento di qualsiasi genere. In entrambi i casi questo libro fallisce piuttosto miseramente secondo me, perché la trama é piuttosto raffazzonata e il dramma deriva da una decisione inspiegabile presa da entrambi i personaggi di non parlarsi, punto. Detto questo viene da sé che il libro non mi é piaciuto e non credo ne leggeró altri di questa autrice.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

I was so excited for this book after reading the blurb but it definitely fell flat. I think Leonie and Jack lacked chemistry. There was no angst or pining. There is way too much technical jargon and it's a huge turn-off when reading for anyone who isnt knowledgeable about coding/tech start ups. There is also some problematic stuff that didnt sit well with me (the FMC's friend is very bi-phobic in the opening sequence, and the MMC technically cheats on his wife). This book is also billed as a rom-com but I didnt find anything in this book to be funny. The author has the FMC call her mother both "mom" and her given name in the same paragraph for no discernable reason and it's really confusing. Lastly, the author allows the FMC's step brother just manipulate her from the beginning with no recourse. The ending felt entirely rushed for the disappointing HEA.

Thanks Netgalley for this opportunity.
I enjoyed this story, but probably for the wrong reason. Leonie and Jack end up meeting when she is looking for someone "completely opposite" of her desires, and have a wonderful but relatively PG-13 time. But they are forced to be around each other when they end up working for the same company, and chaos ensues while they deal with work, budding romance, desires, checklists, and ultimately what makes for a good match.
I won't lie to anyone: I did not love the romance here. I didn't really get the attraction between Leonie and Jack, and I didn't think their chemistry was believable. I think her interiority was a bit difficult to follow and while I LOVED the greek chorus that was her friend group, the detachment from her real life was a bit difficult.
BUT I did really love all of the work scenes! As a person in STEM, I really enjoyed hearing about their work, building an app, going after a buisness sale, etc. It wasn't the point of the heart of the story but I thought it was done really well! I think that helped counterbalance some of hte issues in their love story and was the better basis for how they grew to like each other.
So I gave this three stars because I enjoyed part of the story, but its probably more of a solid 2.5

I really enjoyed 'Once Upon an Algoritim' and ended up reading it in one night. It leaps straight into the chemistry between Jack and Leonie very early on and at first I thought it was a bit much too fast, but it set up the story between them both perfectly. There are lots of mishaps and funny moments, plus the stress of working in a tech start up that all comes together to make it an entertaining read. I would recommend it to others who enjoy a romance novel with a 'will they/won't they' trope.