This book is marketed a spicy, STEM romance and it just felt way off mark for me.

LA-born, London-based Leonie Durant is in her late thirties and painfully single. One of her best friends is recently engaged and her group of girl friends all head to Paris to celebrate. Leonie is a planner and a list girl but her friends urge her to try something different. They sign her up to a dating app called OPP/ATT where you input what you like and the algorithm recommends opposites that would suit you. Leonie reluctantly agrees to meet Jack.

When she gets back to London and is helping her stepbrother with his app/tech start-up, who is there too? Yep, Jack.

When I first started this book, I got all the romcom vibes, I LOVED the set up but it quickly went downhill for me. It was very work-based and I found myself losing interest. The biggest disappointment for me was that Jack (spoiler alert) was married. When reading a romance, I am looking for the perfect book boyfriend so having a "cheater" of sorts instantly puts me off. I know the relationship is described as them not being properly together but I couldn't get past it.

The spice was also non-existent and any scenes that did happen were closed door.

I did love Leonie's friend group and it was an easy read. I flew through it in a day(!) but unfortunately, it just missed the mark for me personally.

The beginning was a bit hazy and confusing. There was so much information and names to keep up with that I somehow got lost trying to figure it out.

It took more than a quarter in before the plot started to make sense. Even then, the morality of the characters is a big question for concern.

Written in the first person, the continuous monologue of the FMC was nerve grating and did not help the monotonous plot.

Also, it featured a lot of coding and tech/geeky stuff which was both good and bad. Good in the sense that you can learn a bit from them. Bad in that it was a lot of jargon not needed in a rom com.

Despite the above, it was entertaining and I was really curious to see what would happen with both main characters.

If you are into the nitty gritty of the tech industry mixed in with some drama and ‘romance’ then you will enjoy this.

I got an advance copy via Netgalley and the review is mine and voluntary.

I really wanted to like this book. But it's pretty bad.
I'm giving it two stars because I think the concepts are really interesting, and novel and had a lot of potential. So I think the author came up with an interesting idea but the execution was prettyyyy msierable. Honestly, where was the editor on this book???
First, unless you're in tech, the book working plot is incredibly hard to follow and brings nothing to the reader.
Second, there's a lot of plot points and subplots that make absolutely no sense in the real world and detract from the book.
Third, the main character is made pretty unlikeable. She's pretty classist, misanthropic, reallyyyy cares about age (and her tone and age didn't match...) and just made no sense to me. The first chapter I thought oh my gosh, she's so relatable but by the third, I was more 'I hope I'm nothing like her'
Fourth, a good editor would have helped clean the objective mess that is making the MMC married and a cheater. This brings down the book's potential to be a seller for sure. No one will be recommending this book because of that I think.
There's a lot of raw potential but it wasn't shaped well. Is it too late to go back to editing and not publish yet?

I was very much due an easy going rom com read and this book came along at the perfect time for me. I needed something to read that didn't require me to think and just sweep me away in a story and Once Upon an Algorithm delivered.

One of the big reasons I got so lost in this book was because I could relate to so much of it; not the romance part though. The work setting and all of the references to software development were basically my day to day life. Leonie stood at a board with post it's trying to prioritise an MVP produce was me. Leonie trying to get engineers to estimate their work was me. Some of it I cringed at, but only because it was so close to home.

The enemies to lovers storyline had me hooked but my word was I frustrated with these characters. It was classic enemies to lovers in that if they just communicated like normal human beings, their story would have been so different. But that would make for a very boring book. So I guess I just enjoy being frustrated at people.

I devoured this book, reading it in pretty much two sittings. It was straight forward rom com with lots of angst and the personal familiarity with the professional setting was the icing on the cake for me. Very much enjoyed!

I am so ready for this one. *cracks knuckles*

I really want to have a conversation with the person that decided this book should be marketed as a romance, without warning people that the man is a cheater. There is no excuse, he is a cheater. While at the same time this book takes the time to compare weak knees at meeting him with "Supermarket Romance". How can you use derogatory reference to romance and want to market this trash of a book as romance and expect positive reviews? Please, explain it to me.

I understand 100% why this book has mostly 3-1 star reviews. I read some of them before picking up the book and thought I should give it a try. I still hated it.

I think the romance aspect was barely there, since the backstabbing was the main plot line. I understand family dynamics and I can understand being in an uncomfortable situation with your wife as your going through a divorce/separation, I just won't forgive it.

I also think I could've like this book more if when it came down to it he chose his wife over FMC when shit went down, cause at least the wife "picked him". I thought it was so gross. I guess you can't pick who you fall in love with, but that man needed to grovel more.

If you like romance, don't read it. if you like general fiction, read it.

I thought this was a cute romance. I really enjoyed the mmc, and I really, really enjoy tech romances but this just wasn't rom-com-y enough for me.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6148278289

This is a fairly typical romance novel - girl meets boy, various obstacles come between them via a fairly flimsy/preposterous plot etc etc. As a result it falls into the usual three star category for this sort of thing - a reasonably fun, light read but not one that will stick in the mind for long when you put it down. That said, it did earn an extra star for a protagonist in her late thirties with a bit more about her than your average romantic heroine, and for not going too overboard on the smultz.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I was really interested in the book summary, but in practice struggled to get into and finish the story. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review

First, thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Okay, so honestly, it wasn't a book for me and maybe because of the cheating trope, I ended not liking it at all.
The supposed hero is just garbage he had shitty decisons like all the time...
And the heroine simply accepts it because she likes him?

So yeah, this plot was not really for me, I found it too dramatic and with little love (if you know what I mean).

About the writing... it was also a no for me. Since I started reading the book, I felt like it was reallyyyyy slow and the writing wasn't helping because it wasn't fluid and that easy to read.

I had a lot of expectations since I read the synopses but unfortunatly I ended not liking it.

I enjoyed this book! Leonie and Jack have a definite chemistry despite the age gap. Their no sex one-night stand in Paris was unforgettable. They were strangers, but there was a level of intimacy between them when the met and as their night moved along. Ngl though, there were some parts that got me confused. As someone with a limited tech knowledge, I got lost in the technicalities. I felt like there were also so much going on at the same time between the secrets and misunderstandings between the MCs.

Other things:
> Not a fan of Leonie's stepbrother
> I liked the NorCal setting
> Supportive female friends
> Hollywood/ pop culture references

Even though I was getting lost in some parts, I still highly enjoyed this read!

Leonie uses an app to meet someone whilst visiting Paris, which results in a one night stand with Jack. Expecting to never see him again she is therfore stunned when she finds him working at the start up company she has been asked to help project manage. Cue an opposite attracts / one night stand trope.
This book gives an insight into the world of app development and the struggles associated with it, although the techie stuff is difficult to understand I did enjoy that part of it. I have worked with many project managers in the past and the good ones are worth their weight in gold, and she certainly sounds like one of those. There are some quite spicy moments whilst the two explore their mutual attraction, but both blow hot and cold at times in their relationship - but it would be a much shorter book if this didn't happen. Leonie's group of friends sound a bit wild, but are very supportive. In summary a book to try if you fancy something different, but won't be to everyone's taste.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Sadly, this book was my first "not for me" of 2024.

I haven't read this author before and I always reading something new by an unknown author as you can find some gems. Unfortunately, whilst the book had a great premise - I was left feeling a bit icky.

Leonie is just such a passive voice. She neither wants to get out of her own rut or accept the help of her friends to do so. The friends she surrounds herself with are not friends I'd want or myself. Whilst they come from all walks of life and around the world, they all felt really pushy and "I know best". I really struggled to like any of them if I'm brutally honest.

Our MMC Jack was also a hard sell. I tried to love him but again his character just grated against all my nerves. He seemed both uber-confident and riddled with insecurities - sometimes at the same time. And the big reveal at about 75% was a big no no for me.

I thought the concept and storyline were great just the characters were not for me. The secondary characters such as Leonie's family were lacklustre and her step-brother I'd never tire of punching in the face!

As usual this is only my opinion and I'd never dissuade anyone from reading what they want but I'd have rather read this as a love-story with no HEA than as a RomCom.

An opposites attract rom com with ample angst and chemistry! Both of our main characters are carrying chips the size of the Grand Canyon on their shoulders and that makes it hard to see what is right in front of them. This book is also a grand example of how lack of communication and assumptions create massive havoc on relationships of all kinds. It was a fun read and even though I don't understand code speak or tech speak, I was able to follow along well enough to enjoy the read. If tech is your jam, you will probably enjoy the book even more than I did. Overall, it is a fun rom com with humor, angst, chemistry galore and lots of banter. Good friends make a supportive foundation for our intelligent and successful female lead, so it is a well-rounded story.

A fun and light hearted romance, I loved every second.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

As a STEM girly, I was excited about this one and how the female main character worked in STEM. And I really do appreciate the author for choosing that! Although I do not work in tech, I still enjoyed hearing some of the app/coding talk-that gave the book a little more umph and dynamic to it. I thought the romance was fine-there was cute banter but some of the fighting seemed a little immature. I also didn't think it was that steamy which isn't good or bad in my opinion. I had no problem with the cheating/married man trope, but I know that bothers a lot of people. Overall, it was a fine book. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting due to the reviews, I have already seen but it wasn't my favorite romance book.

I tried very much to get into this book but it just wasn't for me.
I'd been drawn in by the blurb and the premise of a one-night stand turned workplace romance with comedy elements.
In my opinion, this was not a rom-com. My first hurdle was the 'humour' from the MC's friend group, specifically the borderline homophobic jokes made towards Kristin who just got engaged to her girlfriend.
I did not like the love interest, Jack, at all. I didn't feel any chemistry between them and then to find out he has been married the whole time was the nail in the proverbial coffin. It wasn't even that he's been separated he was still living with his wife! The 'happy ending' felt like she was settling because the women in her life, including her 'friends' and mother, all suggested she stop being picky.
I'd personally have ran from Jack as soon as I found out the truth.
This wasn't for me. I know some people like messy relationships and the initial premise was good but I couldn't connect with the story.

I’m sorry, but I really struggled to find any redeeming factors. The romance & chemistry between the two main characters were non-existent, the secondary characters were extremely irritating and we didn’t even find out that the MMC was married until 74% of the way in.

There was way too much coding & technical language included to be effective in what is marketed as a rom-com, and I was pretty bored the entire way through. This was my first ARC of 2024, and I’m sorely disappointed with it.

----I was kindly given an early copy of this book via Netgally in exchange for an honest review----

In this story, we follow Leonie and Jack, two very different characters who experience a one time only encounter in Paris thinking they won't be seeing each other again but find themselves in a difficult situation when they have to work together in a very demanding project. I won't lie, sometimes I didn't see how these people were meant to be together but the chemistry developed throughout the story and made it believable.

I really enjoyed this book. At the begging the characters didn't feel very authentic, especially the main character's friends, I guess it took me one chapter to finally immerse myself into the story and find all characters lovable. I specially enjoyed the age gap dynamic in this story, it added a touch of novelty and it was a nice twist that made the romance stand out from the age gap stories I've read recently.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC. I enjoyed this book very much. Our two main characters met and instant chemistry. They are brought together by an opposite attract dating app and only supposed to have one date. Turns out fate has other plans. At times the app making language tripped me up but the romance was awesome. A must read.

A delightful opposites attract romance. to be honest I found it hard to follow in some places because of all the analytical language. However, I just skipped over these and got right back to the romance! A very interesting read with some new concepts but it was an amazing romcom and I will definitely be reading more from Clara O'Connor