Thank you to NetGalley and W.F. Howes Ltd for the advance reader copy.

I enjoyed this book a lot, but it didn't strike me as being anything special. I didn't really gel with the humour but I'd definitely be interested in seeing what this author has planned for the future.

This was a brilliant storyline. I just loved it. I just loved the very unique story and found it rather funny aswell as interesting. I listened to the audiobook and really liked the narrator. I definitely recommend this book to those who love those lighthearted romance novels with unique twists to the story. I found I connected with the characters right away and really loved the progression of them as the book developed. I just had to mention how much I loved the end without giving anything away. I found it both funny and one of the best one line ending to a book.
Many thanks to the author and publishers for producing this amazing story that I thought was brilliant for breaking up your usual reading books. As I have been reading a lot of non fiction books recently and this was a very welcome break from those heavy books. I am looking forward to reading more from this wonderful author.

I started this book because I was very intrigued by the premise and the synopsis of it. I had read a similiar book prior to listening to this audiobook, which again centred into being matched by a new high-tech innovative service. So, going into it, I was a tad sceptical if this would actually match my previous read.

For reference the previous read was 'The Soulate Equation' by Christina Lauren.

Albeit the writing was very witty and funny a lot of the times, I did find the chemistry between the two main characters lacking and the plot took on a turn I wasn't expecting. This made me feel a little disappointed and what started at an interesting journey, sadly it left me indifferent by the end.

I did however love the narration and would be recommending the narrator and watch out for any other books she will be narrating in the future.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me early access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Ursula has always wanted to find love but, for some reason, her relationships never worked out. When she finds out about The Arc, a very secretive matchmaking service that promises to find her soulmate in exchange for a huge amount of money, Ursula accepts the challenge. And The Arc seems to work well, because after a while she gets matched with Rafael and their love seems to bloom immediately. Nevertheless, the “arc” of their relationship will not be entirely smooth, and Ursula will start to regret her choice…

To be honest, I hated the first few chapters of this book. I found Ursula insufferable and weird, and I couldn’t care less about her finding the love of her life. After a while, though, she grew on me and I even started to like her. The story is original and it makes sense from beginning to end. There is a lot of food for thought about how millennials deal with relationships, what changed in the way we approach our significant other, how much are we prepared to compromise for the sake of the relationship itself. In the end, I liked the book and I would recommend it. I would have preferred if the first few chapters were less weird, though. And by weird I mean even disgusting, in a few instances. I’m glad I went on reading, though, because it was worth it in the end.

I had higher hopes for this book that sadly weren't met.

I felt Ursula and Raphael acted much younger than they were written to be, which was a huge turn off for me. It didn't entice me to keep reading and I DNF'd at 15 percent.

Thank you to Netgalley, W.F. Howes Ltd and Tory Henwood Hoen for an audio-ARC in return for an honest review.

This is a great novel debut. A very enjoyable read which I will recommend to all my friends.
The narrator, Mary Elizabeth Kelly really brings this book to life.

The Arc -
I thought this book might be a bit of a romantic comic look at romance in the modern world..with all the advances in technology and dating initiatives!
Sadly within the first few pages I felt so far out of my comfort zone. This is such a niche modern day portrayal - where characters use beauty products with snake venom, live a life of self indulgent narcissism and love is as much a commodity as the brands they are promoting.
This is the story of a couple who meet on a dating app ..well it’s more than an app it’s a whole concept where partners are uniquely matched to their ideal partners. They pay astronomical sums for this experience- and even try and get their employer to pay for it!
I think this is an extremely niche read which will be enjoyed by readers who enjoy this oh so very modern world where the word ‘vagina’ is bandied around as often as latte and you talk about face massages with vibrators and a partner’s ‘ding dang’. I’m sad to say I could not relate to the characters or the story.
I think there is an interesting discussion in here about matching perfect partners and how much that could ever be artificially contrived but it’s lost by a rather frivolous story.
With thanks to Netgalley and WF Howes for my digital copy of this audiobook. Some times you read a book that you cannot relate to on any level and sadly this was the case for me with this one.

The narrator was great in this audiobook and really did help bring the story to life. It was such an easy lesson and I’m sure it would be a really enjoyable read. I haven’t stopped telling people about this book and how much they need to read or listen to it. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more from this author.

Ursula is smart and ambitious, beautiful and funny. Her career is soaring but she wants someone by her side to experience her life with. She wants love without compromising who she is. Having recently landed a rise in a new role, she follows another woman’s recommendation to join the The Arc who promise to find the perfect partner for her. Can they? Why is she being sworn to secrecy for 18 months?

I was in the mood for a light hearted rom com audiobook in the run up to Valentine’s Day and to some extent, that is what I got with “The Arc”. I enjoyed learning about the company and the selection process at the Arc. I loved the chemistry that Ursula and her match had. I wanted a membership to The Stake. However after the first half of the book, the pace dropped for me. Much like in a failing relationship, I fell out of love with the characters and their traits which I used to enjoy became irritating.

I read to the end and thought the conclusion was clever with some interesting ambiguity.
Overall it is an okay read but needs to be shorter and more to the point.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I hate leaving bad reviews but to be completely honest this bored me.

I found Ursula and Rafael absolutely insufferable and immature for people in their late-30s and 40s. Their ‘problems’ were so minor and caused such drama that I honestly couldn’t care less how their relationship turned out.

I also really didn’t get on with the narrator sadly. I thought the accents were pretty bad and the tone just wasn’t fitting. It was too cheesy and just made me so disinterested.

Some of the chapters were around an hour long, which is FAR too long for a romance. There were several points where I honestly thought I could tear my hair out, one example being the list of questions they had to answer to join The Arc. This went on for nearly 10 minutes for crying out loud.

I do really enjoy romance as a genre but this was too cheesy, too overly dramatic despite there being almost no plot, and quite frankly very boring.

I do think if you’re a fan of a more cheesy romantic story with a predictable storyline though this could be more suited to you. But for me, sadly, it was a miss.

Narrator 5 stars
Great voice

Story 3.5 stars
I would be really into this story but then Ursula would go on one of her rants and I would start to feel mentally and emotionally drained and need to take a break. So while overall I really enjoyed the book the character was exhausting.

The Arc by Tory Henwood Hoen

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and W.F. Howes Ltd and I am leaving this review voluntarily

35-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.

I have seen many mixed reviews for this book and I can see both sides of the argument but for me it wasn't bad. I don't want to give away too much information because I feel that some of the enjoyment from this book came from learning about The Arc. The characters are all likeable and it was quite fun to be an outsider looking in on their dilemmas.

Overall an interesting read and a nice debut novel from the author.

Rating 4/5

"I don't even want to engage anymore, I just want to project something onto them and never find out what they're actually like."

The Arc is an indulgently sweet romance with the added bonus of a strong female lead who never diminishes herself in the face of love. It showcases the highs and lows of falling in love, and the reality of long-term commitment.

Ursula was everything - she's a bit of divisive character as she's just so beautifully weird but that made me just love her more. She was strong, sassy and a bit silly - but she felt so viscerally real. She embodied the desire for love but also independence, the want for creative freedom but also structure, a mistrust of those with wealth and power while wanting it for yourself. Her relationship with Rafael was beautiful - I found myself constantly smiling when they were together and couldn't help but wonder how I would react on a first date with someone I'd been told was my soulmate.

This story just flowed seamlessly from one distinct voice to another easily, the events moved slowly but there was never a lull in the excitement and suspense.

Of course, if you've read The One or The Soulmate Equation there will be some similarities, but this story has its own unique blend of brilliance, and if you liked the interesting, thought provoking stories they gave, you will love this one.

Romance with a little mystery and a good dose of silliness, the Arc is definitely one to watch.

Concept? Amazing. Execution? Comme ci, comme ca.

'The Arc' follows Ursula and Raphael, two people so unlucky in love, they pay fifty grand for a unique dating service that promises them their soulmate.

I don't know if this book knows what it is. At times, it's a sharp-ish satire that often jumps over the line of 'look how ridiculous the world is, isn't that funny?' and just become cringey. At other times, it's a love story showing us all how love can transcend algorithms. The whole novel feels a little disjointed, with chapters that are overly long and rambling whilst adding absolutely nothing to the overall plot. Some are the literary equivalent of 'this could've been an email'.

Ursula and Raphael aren't the best characters in the world. They often feel under-developed and bland and I didn't often feel drawn towards their love story or them as characters. Arguably, the person I wanted to know more about was the woman who created The Arc in the first place - she seemed far more interesting than these two people arguing over a dog. I think it was just missing sparkle of some kind. A charm, an excitement, a passion that keeps you coming back for more.

There were parts I liked - the time spent in the Arc offices were particularly cool and the amount of detail and research the author put in is evident. But I think this novel is clumsy in its execution, overwritten in places and has a few pacing issues. Nevertheless, a unique, somewhat entertaining book to add to the canon.

Fans of women's fiction and light-hearted romances are sure to enjoy this modern rom-com with quirky characters.

But let me start by saying that this is not my genre at all (I was sent a proof thinking it was by a different author as the details of the book were kept a secret, so it was definitely a surprise!). And The Arc has a few qualities that I really don't get on with, so it wouldn't be fair for me to judge too harshly when I am definitely not the intended audience.

I often don't get on with quirky characters so I personally found Ursula very weird and annoying. Even more so because shes' a high-powered feminist, working in a demanding powered job, and able to spend £40,000 on a dating app, so I had absolutely nothing to relate to.

However, I really liked the idea of this dating app and how the story comes to an end, so I think readers who are more likely to enjoy these characters will definitely be impressed with the modern twist and original ideas.

I don't typically like American narrators when I'm listening to audiobooks as I find that they tend to have too much personality, if that makes sense. But the characters and very Americanised and over-enthusiastic so Mary Elizabeth Kelly's narration worked really well, and she definitely helped me to enjoy this story more than I normally would.

I loved this audiobook. I enjoyed the narrator. The concept of the story was fascinating. We are so busy that finding love in these modern times can be challenging, we move in and out of relationships faster and have higher expectations. Dating apps are all good and well but tend to be limited to a few questions. So what if there was a new way that dug deeper in a person to find them, no, guaranteed to find the right person. That is what The Arc promises.

Its a modern, romantic comedy and it was a fun, lighthearted read. I liked the main characters Ursula and Rafael, even if they are quirk. I was intrigued with The Stake it sounds like everybody needs one of these places. Loved the cat which brought an added bonus to the book. Lots of laugh out loud moments, a vibrater for a facial tool! But also some serious issues as they go through the ARC program. The storyline is good as it dips into a slightly dystopian scenario with a great twist.