The Arc is a sophisticated matchmaking service that uses a variety of assessments. It costs $50,000 dollars but when you complete the program, you’ll find your ideal mate. Ursula and Rafael are paired together and we follow their relationship over the next year.

I thought the premise of The Arc was interesting, and I was curious to see if the matchmaking service was going to work. I also really liked both Ursula and Rafael’s characters. Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. I thought it was too slow and barely anything was happening. There were multiple chapters that I just skimmed over because I Iost interest – specifically chapters about Ursula’s job. I enjoyed the beginning and the ending, but the middle was too drawn out.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Ursula is a career focused woman in her mid-30's intent on finding her perfect life partner. She has tried all the dating apps and is tired of failing. In comes The Arc, a super secret, scientific method of matchmaking, and Ursula decides this is her last shot at love.

Rafael and Ursula start dating, buoyed by the knowledge they are perfectly matched for each other, nothing can go wrong! Until a seed of doubt is planted. What if it's not real?

I have mixed feelings about this book. Overall I think the themes were really strong and something I generally don't see much in romcoms. I LOVED exploring what happens in a relationship after the glow of the honeymoon phase wears off. This is without a doubt a relationship character study.

However, it was a little too long and meandered for almost a third of the book before getting to the main plot. The Arc--the matchmaking service--felt a little too much like science fiction. I would still give this a read if you enjoy a good feminist romance with some snarky banter and a character driven plot.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this ARC, Getting His Game Back is out now, make sure to grab your copy!

Why you should read:
✨Sex and the City vibes
✨Post 30's dating
✨Science-y matchmaking
✨Post-honeymoon phase dating
✨Career focused women
✨Hilarious pet names

Have you ever watched the reality show Married at First Sight, where experts match up two strangers and they meet for the first time at the altar and then have 8 weeks to try and make it work? My husband and I might be addicted to it and have watched all eleven seasons. This book reminded me of that show only the research that goes behind The ARC’s match is much more extensive than MAFS and comes with a hefty fee of 40-50k! The couple meets on a date with the understanding that they will stay together for eighteen months and do regular check-ins with The ARC. Ursula, 35 and Rafael 40 are both professionals with well established careers that have been too busy to find their partner for life. At first their match seems to good to be true, because they have such great chemistry and compliment each other well. After settling into their relationship they discover there has been a mistake in The Arc’s data and they are not a compatible match. Now they must decide if they should stay together or try for another match that is correct.
I really enjoyed Rafeal and Urusla’s love story in The ARC. With all of the dating apps out there today, I could see why this would be something enticing for those looking for a serious partner.

i might try this book another day but i do not think i am the targeted age group for this book. i loved the concept of it, but i do not want to read about 40 year olds!! again, might revisit another day- dnf

I was not sure what to expect from this story but I definitely wasn't expecting to loudly snort laugh in a dentist waiting room at 9am. The Arc is funny in a very specific sarcastic millennial way that I love stumbling upon. The characters are right around my age and while our lives are very different their humour and perspective felt familiar and very relatable. I was immediately pulled in by the friendship of Issa and Ursula and wanted to sit around in The Stake with them gossiping and getting the weirdest treatments imaginable. The Arc is obviously modern in it's take on dating but it also feels like it's meant for a very specific and modern audience. This is a book for women who grew up hearing that if they just stopped spending so much money on leggings and avocado toast everything would work out fine and I love that so much.

This book has been frequently compared to The Soulmate Equation because of the similarity in premise, but I think that's an overly favorable comparison. This book is more similar to books like A Special Place for Women or The Hunting Wives--neither of which I particularly cared for, with just a dash of algorithmic romance thrown in. The writing style is a bit tedious, with LOTS of unnecessary detail, making the book drag and overly long. It could have done with a good trimming of the frills (do we really need another description of a side character's childhood and what they're wearing?) and more focus on the love story, which often takes a backseat. It also has a pretty slow start, taking a while to introduce our male lead to us, and to our female lead.

If you like the style of books like A Special Place for Women or The Hunting Wives (which are popular), then perhaps you will enjoy the style of this book. It's not ad per se, and the premise is interesting if not already been done, but it just wasn't my favorite.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3 stars - 6/10

This book is so good. As someone who has had experience with dating apps, the premise is very appealing. I really liked the way this book appeals more to modern day dating reality. This couple doesn't meet cute in a coffee shop and aren't friends or rivals. They just don't know each other at all, until they do. While it is a romance novel, there is a lot more to it. It discusses being a woman in coropate america and how to find your self without someone else.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy of this. I ended up listening to a ALC I had of this one.

This was an interesting premise about a program that sets up people to meet their soulmate for a high price. Ursula is the main character, a quirky girl in NYC who has had bad luck with dating. She is paired with Rafael and they forge ahead with their relationship, speeding through the stages of the relationship. I won't spoil the story but they encounter some trouble and must figure out how to navigate.

This was a fun story and I enjoyed listening to it.

Follow @literaturewithalatte for more book reviews!

✨The ARC by Tory Henwood Hoen✨

Genre: Romance
Pages: 352

📚 Can you curate your soulmate? Thirty-five-year-old Ursula Byrne, VP of Strategic Audacity at a branding agency in Manhattan, is successful, witty, whip-smart, and single. She’s tried all the dating apps, and let’s just say: she’s underwhelmed by her options. You’d think that by now someone would have come up with something more bespoke; a way for users to be more tailored about who and what they want in a life partner––how hard could that be?

Enter The Arc: a highly secretive, super-sophisticated matchmaking service that uses a complex series of emotional, psychological and physiological assessments to architect partnerships that will go the distance. The price tag is high, the promise ambitious––a level of lifelong compatibility that would otherwise be unattainable. In other words, The Arc will find your ideal mate.

Ursula is paired with forty-two-year-old lawyer Rafael Banks. From moment one, this feels like the electric, lasting love they’ve each been seeking their whole adult lives. But as their relationship unfolds in unanticipated ways, the two begin to realize that true love is never a sure thing. And the arc of a relationship is never predictable...even when it's fully optimized.

📝 The concept of the ARC was what had interested me in this book. I thought the plot would be a sci-fi meets romance story which is something I know I would love. However, that’s not really what this turned out to be. The ARC was a romance book with the sci-fi concept in the background.

As for the characters, they just didn’t resonate with me🤷🏻‍♀️

💫Thanks to @netgalley for my ARC💫

3.5/5 stars


The Arc is sort of a combination between women's fiction and romance. However it's quite different from most other contemporary romance reads.

The book is set in New York City. We get both the male and female 3rd person POVs. But at times we are getting both POVs and their thoughts (as well as others' thoughts).

The main female character is 35 year old Ursula. She is amazing. She's very highly motivated and a very successful brand strategist VP.

Rafael is the main male character. He is a lawyer in his early 40s.

The book felt slightly futuristic to me. Ursula and her best friend Issa belong to a wellness club called The Stake. This place was amazing. But the things that they offered were unlike anything that I've ever heard of.

I wondered what the title meant. The Arc is an advanced match-making service. It was really fascinating. And I absolutely loved everything about this.

I really enjoyed the beginning. I loved meeting Ursula and learning about her life and job. The middle fell a bit flat for me as I wanted more.

It's a bit hard to explain why this book is so different from other romance or women's fiction books. It seems like the book is part satire. And the author uses a lot of fancy words. Parts felt a bit highbrow and maybe more like general or literary fiction.

This book was quite interesting and very different. There was something that I wish had been shocking (but it will definitely be surprising to many). Overall I really enjoyed the parts that felt futuristic, I loved Ursula and I thought that the concept of this book was amazing! I just wish that I had been more invested in the middle.

“The Arc” by Tory Henwood Hoen
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Release Date:2/8/22
Genre: Contemporary Romance

While I ended up enjoying the book it took me longer to read it than expected. I struggled to get into some of the book. The last 40% drew me in and I wanted to find out what would happen.

Ursula is a 35 year old independent woman working at a branding marketing agency. She has a good job, great friends, and the perfect cat. She’s missing love.
Rafael is a 42 year old lawyer that loves his life, but is ready to settle down.
Both decide to pay for a relationship solution through a company called ARC. The ARC’s strategy is to have their clients go through a series of text and find their perfect match.
They claim Ursula and Rafael are the perfect match.
When they meet they have instant chemistry, but they also have a sense of pressure to make their relationship work. It seems it should be foulproof with the ARC pairing them, but the ARC’s tactics are never that simple.

This is SUCH a good read! The premise is intriguing - a super-secret company that promises to match clients with the perfect romantic match through an expensive, proprietary, incredibly invasive (and at times creepy) week long process. But this story is so much more than the concept. I was surprised by how richly drawn these characters are - nuanced, conflicted, entirely human - and how quickly they drew me in. The love story matters, but somehow the author also makes their individual lives just as interesting. I don’t want to give anything away because the twists and turns are a huge part of the fun here. I’ll just say: this book is definitely worth your time.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.

DNF at 11% I really pushed to try to keep going, but the pacing got to me. And I wasn't really getting into the story at all. Thank you for the opportunity to read the book and I apologize for the inconvenience.

I'm not sure how I felt about this book. On the one hand, I was intrigued by the matchmaking concept presented. On the other hand, Ursula kinda drove me crazy. At times, I loved her quirky self and other times I wanted her to just communicate!!!!

Normally, I read a book pretty quickly but this one took me several days. I didn't find myself getting lost in it and was fine reading a chapter or two at a time.

Overall, I liked it. 3 1/5 stars

The Arc tells an interesting story of a very modern and "scientific" spin on matchmaking/dating algorithms.
Our heroine, Ursula, is a 30-something who works as the VP of Audacity at a branding agency in NYC. She is hyper focused on her job, so the effort she puts into finding a love match is minimal. Ursula frequently spends time with her best friend, Issa, at <i> The Stake</i>, a feminist club with an array of interesting services. One day in the steam room talking about the lack of a dating life that Ursula has, they approached by a stranger who hands Ursula a card. It is for a match making service called The Arc. Through her participation with The Arc, we meet Rafael, a successful attorney who is also looking for love. There is an instant attraction and they are perfect together...initially. There are some trials and tribulations with the two of them and Ursula's job. There are two different parts of Ursula at war in this story--the hard worker and the one who wants to fall in love. We watch her climb the mountain top to attain her goal and we watch her fall down again until she realizes what is truly important to her. I struggled a bit to get through and the ending wasn't much of a twist, but it ended with a nice and neat bow. It's worth a read.

4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-arc for honest review.

A compelling novel and truly inventive in content and situations. Imagine and entity that promotes finding you your particular person for a lasting relationship. That is what Ursula and Rafael fork over thousands of dollars to do and are matched. As you read, you are drawn into their relationship and all that happens in it. A really different and captivating story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a debut novel by Tory Henwood Hoen. I was sure how I was going to feel about this one, but I was hopeful it was going to be great. The beginning was a jumping off point for the main characters. We have to see who they are right? Well I started it and it felt like I was getting to much info but I was compelled to continue. So the beginning felt like a 2 star. But having said that I arrived at the actual meeting up and fell in love with the characters. They were interesting and different. It was a pleasure watching all of it unfold and I couldn’t get enough. They had wonderful silly moments and I loved the chemistry. I have to say that I really fell for this book!
Quirky, unconventional and very entertaining. If you love a great romance then I highly recommend this.

Thanks St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

Ursula wants to find love.

She signs up for The Arc: a modern, science-backed, secretive matching making service with a 100% success rate. She’s paired with Rafael and immediately, it’s everything they could have possibly hoped for. Love explodes and it seems perfect; absolutely blissful. But when the going gets tough, is The Arc’s certainty in success enough to keep the relationship alive? And what happens when that certainty disappears?

———— ————
I absolutely loved this. More than I thought I would. It absolutely WOWed me - it was a breathtakingly beautiful love story.

I felt everything so deeply. I felt such a deep sense of warmth watching Ursula and Rafael fall in love. It was such a magical - yet still realistic? - expression of finding “the one”.

But completely separately I felt a deep echoing with Ursula and her life-reckoning. It felt so raw to discuss the pressures of career success.

This book made me feel so deeply and expressively - it was amazing.

*thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts*

I really enjoyed this romcom with its fun and outgoing characters (Ursula and Rafael), current storyline and general writing style. The topic area is one that brings into question the science behind matchmaking services. The thought of paying top dollar for your ideal match could potentially be very appealing for those who are searching for their “soulmate”. The author did a great job with the storyline and bringing this couple through the process; shining a light on the potential that it may not be as accurate as once thought.

I loved this book and am thankful for the opportunity to review the advanced reader copy.

Ursula Byrne is thirty-five, single, and lives with her cat. Her life revolves around her career (and the cat), and she's starting to wonder if it will always be that way. Most of her dates are disasters (reminder the time she threw up on the first date?) and she's underwhelmed by the men she comes across on the dating apps. But then discovers The Arc: a very selective matchmaking service that uses a week-long, immersive assessment to architect lifelong love. It's expensive, but they promise 100% success. Ursula is paired with Rafael Banks, a lawyer. Their connection is immediate, but as their relationship continues, they begin to wonder about The Arc and its role in their life. Can lifelong love truly can be guaranteed?

"'My fertile years are waning, my chance at love has passed, my cat is my greatest asset,' she thought."

This was one of the weirdest books I've read in quite some yet I found it oddly mesmerizing, even when Ursula and Rafael were at their most annoying moments. Probably I'm not smart enough for a book like this (I find this happens a lot with books set in NYC and featuring single thirty-somethings). Even now, I'm not sure if THE ARC was a true romance, satire, or something in between.

For instance, Ursula and her best friend belong to The Stake, billed as a nouveau feminist wellness club. What would be a private club or gym for the rest of us is some sort of strange immersive experience for them, where they can participate in things like the Scream Den, Smash Center (literally smashing things), Swaddle Station, Sobbing Pods, and more. Massages are intense and emotional experiences. I never could quite figure out if it was all for real.

As for The Arc, they charge Ursula the cool price of $40,500 to match her for life (adjusted down from $50,000 for Rafael, what with the gender wage gap and all). But, since she's a VP for strategic audacity, she can consider this ridiculous sum. Why, yes, this is her real title. I believe most of us would consider it marketing or advertising. Again, mocking? Again, I'm not sure. Throughout the book Ursula struggled with her place in her career, and I found it very easy to identify with her and the struggles of females in corporate America. Honestly, it was one of the things that endeared her to me. Some of the pieces of the book may have been exaggerated, but the sexism Ursula faced was not. Same with her trying to find a balance between happiness and a career.

As for Ursula and Rafael, this probably would have been a 4+-star read for me (even with all the weirdness!) if I liked them more as a couple. I need to be fully invested in my couple for a romance, and while I liked them both, I wasn't able to completely root for them together. (I did, however, love Ursula's Russian Blue cat, Mallory.) The book slowed the most when they were together.

THE ARC offers a nearly sociological look at relationships and society. It's humorous at times and serious at others. The book is more character driven and deep than a regular contemporary romance--expect pondering, delving into societal customs and the meaning of love. Honestly, I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would based on other reviews. It's different and often witty, and some of the messaging is really interesting. It's definitely not for everyone, but if you're willing to get out of your comfort zone, it's worth a try.