In today's NYC, everything is optimized. From your toilet paper purchasing to booking travel, there's a startup looking to use data to perfect the process and make your life easier. The Arc aims to do the same thing for your love life. For the hefty price tag of $40-50k, the Arc intensely studies everything about you for seven full days, from your blood type to your sleeping positions to how you react to and remember the last full moon, to find your exact perfect match. They've never had a failed relationship.

Ursula Byrne is a 35-year-old "Head of Strategic Audacity" at branding company that serves startups. She's almost given up on love after going through too many stops and starts in her dating life. She decides to sign up for the Arc. Rafael Banks is a 42-year-old lawyer who's experienced intense heartbreak in his past relationships. He also decides to sign up for the Arc.

Ursula and Rafael are matched with each other, and their relationship begins to blossom beautifully - the two are perfect for each other in many ways. But every relationship has its ups and downs, even one that's been optimized for success, happiness, and long-term outcomes. When natural discord arises in their relationship, Ursula and Rafael feel almost betrayed by the Arc and the promise that their coupling would be conflict-free. Both of them, especially Ursula, begin to have doubts about other certainties in their lives, like Ursula's career and ultimate purpose in life, which sows additional doubts and anxieties for the couple to deal with.

The book primarily tracks Ursula and Rafael's "relationship arc" over the course of about a year. It's not dystopian or alternate-tech fiction at all - it takes place in today's modern-day NYC, where a service like this could very well already exist. It's hard to call it a romance, because I didn't fall in love with the characters or their love story as I would in a typical romance book. It's also somewhat of a drama, because although the couple has a lot of happy moments, there are a lot of fights and discord between them too. Unfortunately, I just wasn't rooting for them as a couple - a lot of their chemistry felt manufactured, and I just didn't get that "spark" that the author probably intended.

My main gripe with the writing style is that it did a lot more "telling" rather than "showing." At the beginning of the book, you learn about Ursula simply through her telling her life story over the course of a chapter. She tells the reader about her likes and dislikes, her weirdness, and her relationship history. It just seemed like a shortcut to the reader getting to know Ursula via watching her live for a while - instead, you just get all of her background dumped on you. I will say that some of Ursula and Rafael's fights were really well written - they felt like real conflict, real arguments between a couple, with both sides thinking one thing and saying another, showing their past trauma and insecurities, and arguing about fundamental issues that threaten their structure.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this book - I thought the premise was fascinating and the execution was good, but at the end of the day, it felt unmemorable. What was it really trying to say? It doesn't seem like the kind of book that will stick with me or have a lasting impression, and I didn't love the characters enough for this to be a strong romance in my mind. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC via Netgalley.

4⭐
Would you pay $5000 for a matchmaking service that could guarantee to find your soulmate? Ursula Byrne, burnt out from dating apps, is given information about The Arc, “a sophisticated matchmaking service that uses a complex series of emotional, psychological and physiological assessments to architect partnerships that will go the distance.” Wow. Perfect, right?

Ursula is matched with Rafael Banks, and their relationship takes off instantly. But not everything about relationships is predictable, and Ursula and Rafael face not only relationship challenges, but a decision that will affect their futures.

I was fascinated by this story, and I was rooting for Ursula and Rafael. There always seems to be that quest for a “soulmate,” but can someone still be a soulmate even when there’s conflict? Does removing conflict take away something at the core of relationships? This is a story that will get you thinking about your relationships and your views on relationships.

I really enjoyed this debut novel by @toryhenwoodhoen. Thank you to @Netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I didn’t really enjoy this book. I felt like it took forever to get started and when it finally stared with the main storyline it wasn’t even that interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Ursula is a super driven and successful mid-30s, single lady. She's tried dating apps and nothing has been successful. She finds out about a service called The Arc that is stated to match you with your ideal person. So Ursula decides to give it a try since it's guaranteed and all.

I'm not going to lie. I was so close to DNFing this book early on. Some of the filler pages were very highbrow and honestly turned me off from wanting to continue. I pushed through though and I'm so glad that I did.

Hoen writes romantic chemistry so beautifully that I felt like I was falling in love with Raphael and Ursula. And I mean, I did. When they felt joy, I felt joy. When they felt pain, I felt it, too. I just love them both so much.

I highly recommend this story if you can fight through all the parts that were weighing me down. Maybe they won't weigh you down. By the end though, I felt lighter than air. Such a good story.

Would you pay 40k for a fail-proof match-making service? That’s exactly what Ursula decides to do in The Arc. And yes that’s a lot of money. But Ursula has tried everything – all the dating apps, set-ups, blind dates, you name it. She’s 35 and she’s sick of being single.

So she decides to take a chance. And she’s set up with Raphael, an attractive lawyer who seems just perfect. As they start to settle into domesticated life, things aren’t quite as easy as they’d hoped they would be after making such a significant investment. And they start to wonder, is The Arc as foolproof as they claim?

Now, let me just say, The Arc isn’t my typical read, but something about it appealed to me. Still, when I have a book in my TBR stack that isn’t my normal jam, I tend to put it off. And you guys, I should not have. I loved The Arc! Yes, it’s more like light women’s fiction (but NOT chick-lit), but it was just so well written and the plot was so unique I loved it.

Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out now. Grab a copy. It’s the perfect read for a spring day when you can feel love in the air.

Sorry, it was just not for me. The plot was engaging but overall a little annoying at certain moments. I didn’t connected with the protagonist. I was very excited to read this but at the end, I was just so tired and ready to move on. I am so so so sorry for this bad review.

This was not what I was expecting at all, but I ended up liking it anyway. For some reason the blurb made me think this was going to be much more sinister and possibly a lot more speculative. What I got was a well-written modern romance, that happily lampoons dating in today’s world, fourth-wave feminism and start-up and branding culture, whilst still thoughtfully examining what happily ever after really looks like. Plus a neat little twist at the end.

I received this book in exchange for an honest from review NetGalley.

My overall description of this book is "smart." The author is very witty in the millions of things she invents in this novel - not only the premise of the Arc, but also the marketing firm where Ursula works and all the insane startup companies she hears pitches from. as well as all the wellness treatments Ursula participates in. It's very clever and she just sneaks them in.

I love the world the author created of a smart feminist woman like Ursula living in New York City, on the cusp of financial stability and true wealth. I even liked the dynamic she created in Ursula's friendships and relationships. There's lot of witty banter and really complicated emotions being expressed.

While I did enjoy the book a lot, it's not perfect. Because the author bites off so much, there is a lot of telling rather than showing how characters feel and the realizations they've come to. Maybe it's this, or maybe something else, but the book felt a bit long and slow-paced to me. I could see where things were heading and I was intrigued, but a lot of melodrama happens in between.

If you like a smart, atypical study of romance and a sort of mid 30's coming of age story, this is a good pick.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The premise is so interesting and I couldn't wait to read it but sadly, it just didn't hold up. I felt the characters were showed as being one way but then described as being completely different. Someone would describe Ursula and I would think "THIS Ursula?!" I don't usually mind unlikable characters but in a romance type book, I do want to root for the characters and sadly I did not root for these two to be together. Just because this book wasn't for me, though, doesn't mean others won't enjoy - even just for the premise alone!

I found this to be really interesting and thought provoking? a great way to visualize the futur (?) of dating apps lmao. It did take me quite a while to get through this book, but i am still really glad i received an arc. sorry for my late review!

Actual Rating: 3.5

The Arc is romance based on a scientific matchmaking service that promises to find a person's ultimate romantic partner. The story follows Ursula Byrne and Rafael Banks as they go through the process of The Arc, get matched, and live their lives as an ideal mates.

The concept of The Arc as a matchmaking service intrigued me. At the start of the story I was worried it might be a little gimmicky, but as I finished the novel I really appreciated the complexity and depth the author put into writing about the concept of soulmates.This book obviously focuses on the romance between Ursula and Rafael, but the story also explores Ursula and Rafael’s careers and what they want from their lives in general.
The Arc is a smart and interesting romance that explores soulmates or finding the “perfect” person. I was surprised by how deep these ideas really get and that is what really made this novel stand out.

While I did enjoy this book, I did have a few gripes. First, there were a lot of cultural/class references that flew right over my head. These characters are well off and while I think the author explored this in a way that made it almost feel like satire at times, it did get annoying. Another thing I couldn't help but think about was how expensive it was to participate in The Arc (45-50k) and how it meant that rich people were essentially being paired with rich people. Little things like this made me question the whole concept of The Arc, as the author created it. Also, this book had a very prominent white feminist lens that makes it seem “woke” but in extremely surface level way. The only other thing that bothered me a little is that paragraphs would switch between Ursula and Rafael quite suddenly and I didn’t feel as though they were written differently enough for this to be successful. I’d have to reread paragraphs to figure out whose point of view I was reading from often. These are all just small pet peeves that stuck out to me, but this book is really great in terms of concept and story. I feel like this is one of the most unique romance books I have read and it’s marketing as a “high concept love story” really explains it well.

I would recommend this to anyone who is intrigued by a scientific matchmaking service, or anyone who likes their romance to explore big topics like soulmates or what one ultimately wants out of their life.

Ursula Byrne is successful in her career but maybe not so successful with the guys she's been dating courtesy of her dating app. When she hears about the secret program that matches you with a life mate called The Arc, she's all in. It costs a fortune and you can't talk about it, but when she is matched with Rafael she thinks its all a win.
Until it's not.
This book was somewhat predictable, following it's own arc of sorts to the final conclusion. Was The ARC correct in pairing them together? Or not? You'll have to read to find out. But it didn't surprise this reader in the least. Also, I didn't care for the voice and style of the writing of this book. It just wasn't for me.
I almost threw in the towel on this one in the first pages because of it, but I did like the humor and wit in a good part of The ARC.
Overall, some hits, some misses with The ARC for this reader.

Solid romance with a modern spin. You root for the main characters, even if they are all upper middle class with Ivy League educations. At least they weren't all white? Would be an enjoyable vacation read.

ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, but the opinions are my own.

Romance continues to be the bestselling genre in fiction, ranging from Victorian-era stories about Lords and Ladies to contemporary tracts featuring multiracial and gender-fluid protagonists. But every romance asks the same question: What does it take to get to happily-ever-after? Over the years, the answers have varied dramatically.

In her debut novel The Arc, author Tory Henwood Hoen merges the worlds of dating apps, New Age culture, and 23andMe-type testing into a matchmaking service that is guaranteed (although not monetarily) to find someone their perfect match. Costing only $40,500 for women and $50,000 for men (the difference is to account for the wage gap), The Arc’s proprietary methods will finally deliver that Prince Charming or Cinderella. Does the promise of perfection make the relationship easier or harder?

Read the rest of the review by clicking on the link.

This book is absolutely fantastic. Set in a slightly heightened version of the modern world. it tells the story fo two people who meet through a very unorthodox and sophisticated (and expensive) dating service. Not an app, but a highly curated and researched service which requires the absolute commitment of the people who sign up, and $50,000. Each person has one match. That's it. But with a self proclaimed 100% success rate, what could possibly go wrong?

A romantic comedy with the slightest bit of absurdity and science fiction thrown in, I devoured this book. Highly recommend.

A matchmaking service guarantees they'll find your soulmate for the (incredibly high) cost of $50,000.

I really enjoyed THE ARC by Tory Henwood Hoen and would enthusiastically recommend this title for fans of Black Mirror and/or romantic comedies. While I thought the cover and pitch read more as science fiction, this literary fiction title is very well-written, engaging, relatable, and really funny.

The Arc by Tory Henwood Hoen is about a new high-tech matchmaking service that matches Ursula and Rafael. This service is extremely thorough--it tests the emotional, psychological, and physiological aspects of all of its clients. Ursula and Rafael seem very happy together, until they find out that the dating service may have made a mistake. Can they make it together even though they may not technically be compatible? This story was a little crazy at times, but I found it to be fascinating. And the ending was very well done. I would definitely recommend this book if you want a different spin on the dating app/romance story. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I was expecting a romance and The Arc gave me something else! The Arc blends some of the more eye roll-y parts of tech — “VP of strategic Audacity,” Tech bro founders being obnoxious as hell, the whole idea of The Arc a center that finds you your absolute perfect match without fail for the low price of $50,000 ($40,500 for women because of the gender pay gap) screams tech pseudo-cult!! But I kinda love satirical call out of some of the more cringe aspects of tech “girl-boss” energy the books atmosphere provides.

What really shines about the story is how despite all the frills, Ursula & Rafael’s relationship rings surprisingly true for me. I felt the cringy ways they were obsessed with each other…well cringy but not untrue. The ways they were both uniquely bad at communication tugged at my heart strings a bit, especially when these miscommunications or inability to expose the more vulnerable parts of themselves cause conflict for them.
.
I can’t decide if I love or hate the ending, leaning towards hate but it’s was deliciously devious!

When I saw this title I thought it had something to do with a book Arc, but instead it is about an
interesting premise to match making.
Cute, quirky rom-com of a read. Bonus star for the main character being a Cat & book club lover and a Long Island mention.
Debut novel from this Author and will definitely be on the lookout for more.
Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins press and the Author, Tory Henwood Hoen for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting story for sure. I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I really enjoyed the writing, the characters and the element of humour throughout. Glad I picked this up.