First i would like to thank netgalley for providing me this copy of the wonderfull book. I enjoyed it very much. If you like light hearted romantic comedies you would love this book. It was hillarious, romantic and the hero and the heroine was equally funny and lovable characters. I loved their banter and can't get enough of it. Definately recommend you all to try this one if you are a fan of sophia kinsella and jane costello.

This book was predictable and sometimes I had a hard time reading. It’s a great idea and at some points it fell flat. It’s a nice summer fluffy read because you can pick up where you left off. Thanks Netgalley for the advanced read.

When Polly Met Olly was wonderfully written heartwarming and thought-provoking chick- lit and a lovely romance. Book was about not just love, romance but importance of compatibility, having substance in relationship; Following passion and not just following it but enjoying it; Being genuine and compassionate in profession; not letting down your own worth and not to let people disrespect you and your work.

Characters-

This book had wonderful characters and character development.

Polly reminded me what it is like to have dream and putting efforts in achieving them, and how it can be disappointing sometime. She was compassionate, genuine and beautiful soul. She was smart, witty and good as a matchmaker and photographer and yet she learned something new in both of her work. She lacked confidence and she didn’t know her own worth until she met a person she was trying set her client up with. I liked her development, the way she finally achieved her dream. She was overall relatable and lovable person.

Olly was 20 years older than Polly. He and his life appeared all perfect and shiny on outside. He looked haughty, disrespectful and soulless who just understood business. But as I read more I could see how different he was inside. He didn’t know what love was and how phony his agency was until he met Polly. His development was mind-blowing. Not all can accept their fault so smoothly like Olly and I loved him for that.

Gabe, Polly’s roommate, was amazing friend. He worked as HR consultant during week and on Friday night he performed as Gabriella at a gay bar. I liked him from very beginning. He was fun to be around. I liked his views on his job and colleagues and loved what he said about enjoying our dream. Even his development was affecting.

Derek was amazing. I wish we all can get the boss like him- Compassionate, lively, warm and gentle, giving opportunities to staff and giving treats on small and big achievements. He had only Polly as staff but you know it’s just great to have boss like him even though wages are low.

What I liked-

Book started with Polly Wood, being interviewed as matchmaker at ‘To the Moon & Back’ dating agency by the founder of agency, Derek. A dream to be photographer with a degree was not working as she anticipated. And I could see why! Single for 3 years and apparently not good at dating, yet it didn’t affect in getting the job. Texting women on behalf of client and set a date for them was not what you call ‘honest and ethical’ but Polly had to pay bills. And that’s how fates worked on bringing Olly and Polly together. When Polly met Olly, competitor of Derek, the founder of The Elite Love Match agency, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. Everything about him seemed so perfect but was it really? Is this love or just the attraction she had with her previous dates?

Writing was remarkable. The plot was filled with wit, humor, romance and insight. It was narrated from Polly’s POV in her strong voice that touched the heart and made me brood over her experience and what she learned in the story. Setting was also great. I loved to read about dating agency, how it worked and how some can be phony and some real and genuine.

Polly’s dream of New York and photography, her dad and mother’ love story was lovely to read. Her disastrous previous dates were funny. What I loved most was I loved her relation with Derek, Gabe, and her friends.

I also loved the middle 20% of the book about Polly setting her clients up, chatting with them, having fun with friends and working on her photography dream. Another favorite thing was both Polly and Olly’s insightful thoughts, experience and development.

Both Polly and Olly were a matchmaker who were single and didn’t know what love is. As Polly started working as matchmaker she saw how people and love has turned categorical. There was no romance, no fun that she saw between her parents. She learned that two people didn’t have to have similar interest or look good together. They could be starkly opposite and still can be happy as a couple. She met some good and bad people during her job and got to know the real people behind their perfect appearance.

Some were so strict about their checklist that they miss out so many good and compatible match and true love. Olly was among those checklist type who made his own list and followed it as it worked best for him. But on meeting Polly, he realized love doesn’t happen that way. You need just have spark, it need to click right and need to have magical alchemy.

Turns in the story and climax was surprising. I had my suspicion as he looked too perfect to be true but I couldn’t guess Olly’s flaw. I loved the way story took turn that turned out best for everyone. It was lovely happily-ever-after end.

Why 4 Stars-

Thing that made me hesitate from giving full star was, the actual Polly and Olly story or the real conversation between them started almost after 45% of the book. They met early in the book alright but it took time for them to actually come in touch. Oh and I wanted little more story before end or epilogue would have been great. I just didn’t want it to end there.

Overall, it was intriguing, lovely, witty chick-lit and romantic story of Polly and Olly that fan of this genre wouldn’t want to miss. I really enjoyed this and would love to read more books by Zoe May.

Interesting premise, but the execution left a lot to be desired. I just couldn't get into it, unfortunately..

The cover is darling and the main character's names are too cute but this title left a lot to be desired. Polly came off a little extra to say the least and I just couldn't' imagine Olly in my head. Some side characters like Polly's boss were more endearing than our main stars. If you're in the mood for a quick, fun romance that you'll like but not love, than pick up 'When Polly Met Olly'.

I had never heard of Zoe May before I stumbled on this book. I enjoyed this book so much, I have been looking for other books by this author. Such a charming book, a little predictable on occasions but I really enjoyed it.

A cute and funny novel! My first by this author. This was an unforgettable read but was a perfect cute rainy day read.

First, this book's concept is really relatable. It speaks to the modern reader, around my age with references to the struggles of leaving university and finding a job, and trying out online dating as it's getting harder to meet new people face to face.
It was a cute romance that reminded me a little of Austen's Emma,... It showed that people can't help who they are attracted to, and it doesn't matter what background or situation you're in but everyone deserves to find love. It showed a type of love that was less fairytale and more realist and I liked that, (although reading about people falling in love is always magical in some way, right?!).
But the thing I loved most about this book was the fact that it was all about following your dreams. It had an important message telling you that no matter what goal you are going for, or what setbacks you've experienced, you can't give up on your dreams because one day they might just come true.

Fantastic content from a wonderful author. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a rather fun romance, an easy to read bit of entertainment that I enjoyed. The hidden identity aspect was entertaining, as was the slightly preposterous-sounding dating agency. The main characters were well-written and clashed nicely, creating a good bit of atmosphere. It wasn't especially hard to figure out where the story was going, but I don't mind that sometimes. An easy read can be just as satisfying as a complex one, as long as you know what to expect. When Polly Met Olly makes no attempt to pass itself off as a complex novel, which makes it an enjoyable bit of fluff.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I even start with this book? When Polly met Olly is the cutest rom-com book I’ve read in quite a while; everything from its title to how unknowingly well-suited the main characters were for each other.

They say opposites attract but when it comes to Polly and Olly, you would have never thought that these two characters could make it as a successful couple. Polly, a struggling photographer takes on a job as a matchmaker for a company specializing in helping people find their one true match, meets Olly the owner of the competing matchmaking company where Polly began working is a trendy older man whose become more than quite a bit cynical about love.

In a weird twist of events, these two characters end up falling for one another and both realize that love isn’t all about ticking off boxes but about a true connection. This one is a definite must read if you’re looking for a lighthearted and funny read!

When Polly Met Olly is not only a modern day story of using internet dating sites/agencies to find love, but it’s also a book about following your dreams. Set in NYC, the author does a good job in exemplifying the challenges of dating in a large city. Polly, educated as a photographer but unable to make a living, accepts a position in a dating agency and soon learns that not everyone or everything is what she believes them to be.

I enjoyed the storyline of the book, but felt there could have been a bit more character development in order to feel more connected to the story. Furthermore, the story seemed to jump to the next part of the story before I was satisfied with knowing everything I was looking for in the former. As result, the cohesiveness of the story has been impacted.

Overall, I found the book entertaining and would recommend it for a YA audience.

Please note: I received an ARC ifrom Netgalley in exchange for a fair review which I have provided here.

I wanted to love this one, but I could not get into it. The plot sounded so good, but was not well executed in my opinion. This is touted as a rom-com, for me it just wasn’t funny enough for that label. The chemistry between Polly and Olly is lacking, I tried but just had no interest in their relationship. I sadly DNFed this one,

An ok read. Started off well, but like many others I couldn’t feel the chemistry between Polly and Olly. I also felt Olly seemed rather immature and childish for his age. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this copy to review.

This is a modern story of Polly, who ends up working for a Dating Site called To The Moon and Back. She has some success at pairing up people who she thinks will get on well together. A rival dating site called Elite Matches and Polly's boss is curious as to what they are doing. So she is sent on a spying mission. The only drawback is she finds a spark of interest in Olly who runs the website.
Polly's boss, Derek decides to hold a Valentine's Day party, and lots of people, clients, and others turn up, including Olly. They end up spending the weekend together, but Derek then tells her about one of Olly's customer's who was very disappointed in the way her date was handled, but what he didn't know was the woman was a bit of a pest.
Then Olly announces the site is to be closed. Polly tries to ignore him, but finds herself drawn back to him, and they decide to start dating in the traditional way, and taking it all very slowly.
This is a feel good novel, which makes you laugh out loud, and wince at some of the cringy things people do. The characterization is good, and the resolution is very well portrayed.

I liked the premise of this book, but the execution was so poor. I'm sorry, but I just do not understand this book at all. Why would an author choose to set a book in a place they know absolutely nothing about? This is written not only as if the author has never been to NYC, but as if she didn't do a basic Google search about NYC. If you're going to set a book in a location like that, you need to do the research. Like, no one would call Staten Island an "unfashionable part of town" and it is absolutely nowhere close to being "nearby" what I'm assuming is supposed to be Midtown Manhattan? I don't even know. You can probably figure this out by opening Google Maps. I've read a lot of books set in NYC, and I'm by no means an expert in the city, but this felt entirely inauthentic even to someone like me who has only visited parts of it before. I can't imagine how much worse it was for someone from NYC reading this.

The book is written by an English author who has no idea how to write a character who does not sound English. I don't mind that Polly, who is English, obviously sounded English. And it's written in the first person, so I didn't think it was odd that the "voice" of the novel was mostly English. But the problem is that all of the secondary characters are American and not a single one sounded American AT ANY POINT. Like, even BASIC things were missed. Americans do not use centimeters, kilograms, the word "mum" for mom, the word "dodgy," etc. I can't even list all of them. How did someone, either the author or the editor, not catch this? Polly goes undercover to spy on a rival dating agency and her fictional profession is chartered surveyor. Like, what? Congratulations, you could've given her 1000 professions that exist in both the UK and the US, and you managed to give her a job title that literally does not even exist in the US? HOW? This was so poorly written that it actually made me upset.

Not to mention the love interest, Olly--who, by the way, is called by the wrong last name 3(!) times, as if "Find & Replace" does not exist in Word--had no personality whatsoever. (By the way, Oliver/Olly are not common names in the US at all. The only Olivers I know are English from when I lived in England. So even the title felt off.) He and Polly barely interact until halfway through the book. They have zero chemistry. None. Maybe they would have if the book spent less time with Polly's inner monologues and more time with actual dialogue. Except, wait, none of the dialogue sounded remotely American, so maybe the reader was better off after all.

We can even add fatphobia to the list of the book's sins, since all of the attractive characters are slim and her boss's potbelly is described over and over again and god forbid one of the dating agency's clients have a double chin in a photo. And I suppose having a secondary character, her roommate, be a gay man was some attempt to add diversity of some sort to this book, but even that felt lazy.

I hate to rant about a book so much but I was so disappointed by this book. It had promise, but I felt so let down as a reader that it missed the mark MAJORLY on so many things.

4.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to read and review When Polly Met Olly.

I really enjoyed this book. Despite the fact that the title pretty much gives away which direction this story is going to go in, I still loved it.

I will forever find books set in New York endearing and I will forever pick them up solely based on NYC. However, I loved the combination of English girl away from home trying to find her feet in the Big Apple.

I also really enjoyed that, as a single woman in her late 20's who has used dating sites before, I could relate to a lot of what was being said. Not only from the single people's POV but also from the matchmakers POV. There was quite a bit that I hadn't thought about as well that really struck a chord with me.

I haven't read anything from Zoe Many before but I really liked her writing style and I shall definately keep my eyes open for her books from here on out.

I'd recommend this book for fans of Lindsey Kelk (specifically The Single Girls To Do List), Veronica Henry and Mhairi McFarlane.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was hooked by “modern telling of You’ve got mail,” because who doesn’t love that movie! What I found instead didn’t exactly meet my expectations, but I was still interested by the story! My favorite part of the book was the valentines party. I throughly enjoyed reading about Polly and Olly’s oddball tendencies, but I enjoyed the growth Polly went through the most!

my blurb!
A girl with british-isms and job insecurities tries to find her footing in New York.

Thank you Netgalley for the copy of this book to review. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

2 out of 5 stars

what i didn't like
The main character in this book was British and living in America. There were so many words throughout the book that I didn’t understand. Or if I did understand them, didn’t flow with my American thought process when reading. Managing to stay “schtum” is a great example. Don’t know what that means? I didn’t either.
I missed out on dialogue. I know the whole book can’t be dialogue, but I wanted more in each chapter. There was a lot of Polly’s thought process or different back stories. There’s a character named Brandon and he is described 7000 times in detail. Okay I’m exaggerating, but Polly’s sense of drama has rubbed off on me.
I didn’t mesh well with our main character, Polly. She was very timid. Very dramatic and just wasn’t very likable for me. She didn’t have huge character flaws that made her unlikable – if that makes any sense- but she wasn’t a character that I would be friends with.
The title is a bit misleading- it’s about Polly and Olly. But in execution- the book didn’t feature a lot of their interactions. 50% of the way through the book, they had interacted 3 times – none of which were extremely notable scenes, and the duration of which were all quite short. (Look, I just used quite in a sentence. The british lingo in the book is rubbing off on me!)
I requested the book for the cover, and the concept – it just sounded good! In the end, it didn’t deliver what I was expecting.

what i liked
I mentioned that I submitted a request to read this book. I that because (other than having a super cute cover) it had a cute premise. I loved the idea of the plot!
The good part about this book is that it is a light and easy read, no trigger warnings and no commitments!
There was some funny dialogue in this book! Polly’s roommate was particularly funny and I really enjoyed some of his lines! Here's a great example:
"You're so horny you probably go to Starbucks just hear someone cry out your name."
Funny right?! It was lines like these that kept me reading the book even if I didn't understand most of the british-isms throughout it.

3.5 Stars!

Despite Polly spending her days searching for eligible matches for her elite list of clients at her New York dating agency, her own love life is becoming a mess.

And what's even worse, she can’t stop thinking about the very person she’s meant to be setting her latest client up with, but then Polly bumps into gorgeous Olly, who is a lead at a rival agency, and realises that perhaps all really is fair in love and dating war.

I was so excited to receive an arc for this book! The plot seemed so interesting and unique and exactly the kind of rom-com I've been in the mood for lately!

While this was a fun read, I didn't really feel connected to Polly and Olly very much, and that's why I scored it below a 4. I really wanted to be more invested but I found myself breezing through this one without really getting anything from it emotionally and I wished there has been a little more passion and a little less predictability.

That being said, I would recommend it to someone wanting something light and breezy, and I do think this would be a great read for a holiday but I probably won't read this again.

This review is based on the ARC provided by the author and/or the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.