I DNF....TW cheating MMC. FMC 'friends' were awful, not likeable, the plot far fetched and too much STEM technical jargon.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF at 46%…

I really tried giving this book a chance.
Sometimes you need to read a few chapters before you really get into the story. But with this one, it was the reverse… the more I read, the more I wanted this to be over.

The main couple had zero chemistry, Jack has a weird “vibe” going on, there were many parts where it was so “coding” related that I just zoned out, and so on…

I wasn’t aware of the many other negative reviews, but in some way I’m glad I wasn’t the only one experiencing the same feelings. And from what I could read, I’m glad I didn’t get to the part where the “mystery” aspect of Jack is revealed (I would be so mad tbh).

So quite disappointed on how this book turned out! 🤷🏻‍♀️

I didn’t enjoy this book to be honest. I liked the fact that it showed a woman could work and be highly successful in app development and I liked the fact Leonie had a group of girlfriends although they seemed pretty pushy! For me there was too much technical jargon. This put me off the book because it bored me, unfortunately. I didn’t really warm to the characters either. They were one dimensional and the story seemed to jump all over the place, why would no one, especially the co-owner of the company not question this random woman coming in to the workplace, even if they have spent the night together! Sorry a no for me on this one.

I rarely check the reviews on Goodreads before reading a book because I want to stay unbiased. However for this one, I had to stop in the middle just to make sure I was not alone feeling annoyed with few elements.
1) Leonie’s group of “friends” are horrible. They just keep pushing her and maybe she needed a bit of help to get out of her comfort zone but the way they do it did not feel ok.
2) Leonie seems so clueless about everything like she is supposed to be in her late 30s, but she just acts like nothing is ever her fault. She is so immature and passive about everything… “Should I tell Jack?” “It does not feel right to do this BEHIND HIS BACK”… ok well just tell him?
3) Jack seems to either be a hot golden retriever nerd with insecurities OR a really inappropriate tech bro cheating on his wife. Nothing is ever black or white but just pick one personality

I am still giving it 3 stars ⭐️ because it was entertaining and you just want to know how the stories and the lies will unfold. The story was cute and the setting (tech start up) original 💕

I was really excited for this book because I love women in STEM books. However, this book was just so confusing. It does fall within the realm of tech - however I’m not sure how much the FMC does tech work. This seems more focused on being an age gap romance and figuring out where each character belongs. It’s fine, but was so hard to follow. There were time jumps, way too much tech-speak (I think?), and I just didn’t like the characters. They were kinda flat and just had the same repeating plot points. I think it could have been good, but it was several heavy edits away from it. 2.75⭐️, 2🌶

One of my favourite things about contemporary romance is when the characters are believable as real people. Yes there is always going to be a bit of artistic license but I think it brings so much to a story when you feel like you could bump into one of the characters on the street.

Once upon an algorithm is a journey of self discovery for our leading lady with miscommunication, second chances and a couple of leaps of faith.

I really enjoyed how easily I fell into this story. I was invested in the characters and whilst I usually find the miscommunication trope frustrating Jacks humour was a fantastic device to cut through those moments.

A well paced story with charismatic and loveable characters, well worth a read ♥️

This book was so cute! I absolutely love a good work place romance and I love it even more when the guy you have a one night stand with just randomly shows up and works with you.
Once I had started this book I had a really hard time putting it down. Reading a book about a woman in STEM has always been a really good niche market and it's always nice to read books that make the FMC strong and smart without making her extremely socially awkward. The chemistry between Jack and Leonie was so swoon worthy. You could cut the tension with a knife throughout most of the book while they were trying to stay away from each other.
Leonie's step brother is awful but a very well written out character for you to not like. Her group of friends is exactly the group of friends that you want around in your life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more books by Clara.

This was a really weird book. The FMC’s ‘friends’ are WAY too overbearing and pressuring someone to go on a date when they seem uncomfortable with the idea was just cruel. The miscommunication in this was so irritating. The characters are supposed to be grown up yet they just spend most of the time refusing to talk to each other and acknowledge the problems coming up. Eric was also an extremely irritating character. Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me at all however I am still grateful for the opportunity to read it as an ARC.

Sadly DNF
Cheating is a no go area for me

Hopefully there are some who enjoy. Thanks for the ARC anyway

This book is a little all over the place. The main character and her love interest have very little chemistry and I found myself not caring about them. They were also both unbearable on their own and the side characters were annoying too. While this was unfortunate, things just got worse as I kept reading. We find out the male main character is MARRIED and so this becomes an entire story about cheating, which I was not a fan of. On top of that, towards the end of the story, the MMC, who is so insecure about money and his self worth, decides he’s going to stay with his wife he had spent so much time claiming not to love. I found this infuriating and it only was made more ridiculous by the fact that the FMC takes him back when he shows up back in London and they have a happily ever after. I’m sorry but none of this is what I expected from the synopsis and it just feels really problematic. Also, it definitely does not have any comedy and is way too technical about the coding/business aspects for what claims to be a lighthearted romcom.

Sadly this book is a DNF for me. Cheating in a book just isn't my thing. Our MMC is MARRIED!!! This is also not a rom com.

I was genuinely eager to enjoy this book, I swear. A fresh STEAM romance for Ali Hazelwood fans? I’m in! I'm all for these romance novels. Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the chance to read the book in exchange for an honest review.

The book kicks off well, presenting a clever and amusing idea set in the dynamic world of business and app development, which I found intriguing. It explores various themes like enemies to lovers and an age gap, leaving a solid first impression.

However, my enthusiasm took a hit in the second chapter when I found myself having a bad time trying to understand many technological concepts. Even now, I'm struggling to grasp the FMC’s job. I wished for a more detailed and accessible explanation of the app developer world, especially for readers like me who are not familiar with this world.

Despite acknowledging the positive aspects, such as the author's writing style, I couldn't warm up to the overall execution of the idea. The age gap theme felt underdeveloped, and the characters were consistently irksome. The initial interaction left me bewildered, questioning the realism of someone paying 500 euros for breakfast in Europe. The excuse provided was ludicrous, and Jack's reaction even more so. The lack of communication between the characters added to the confusion. The stepbrother-stepsister relationship was downright dreadful, and I struggled with the manipulation the FMC endured, considering she’s almost 40 y/o.

The book lacked any significant sex scenes, with only one that lacked explicitness. The connection between the FMC and MMC felt nonexistent, lacking the anticipated spice. The tension buildup between characters leading to an explosive moment was notably absent.

The first half of the book felt lackluster, and then, BOOM! The guy is married. I was torn between laughing my ass out or bursting into tears. Thankfully, it avoided the cheating trope, which was a relief. I must confess, though, that I enyojed this part.

In conclusion, regrettably, I cannot recommend this book. It pains me because I loved the initial idea, but the overall execution fell short of expectations.

I was looking for an easy going rom com read & Once Upon An Algorithm totally delivered. Solid plot, solid characters and I loved the Greek chorus of friends. I hope there are going to be more books in the future that tie in with this one, I’d love to read Stella’s story. Thank you so much for the ARC.

This was a nice read, there were a of things I liked about it.

It's the story of Leonie, a woman in her 40s who goes to Paris for the weekend with her friends. Which friends set her on an app and so she meets a guy and has an .. interesting night with. Turns out the next days he is her new co-worker, time will show he is more. And so starts a full length novel where family and expectations and agendas mingle for these two to become stronger, free-er and give love a chance.

I liked a lot of things about this book - right from the start how it approaches the pandemic. Many books just ignore it, but this one just acknowledges it and gets over it. Than, of course - the main characters. They were both nice, with a lot on their plates in terms of inner work, and I loved how strong of a character Jack is, and I loved reading's Leonie's thoughts and how she positions in various hard situations. Overall the book is more on the realistic side, as their relationship gets into many stages and things are not always pretty.

Despite the author's belief, i didn't feel Leone's friends were the bomb, they were nice and fun but I didn't feel much of their friendship's spark. I liked, however, how surprisingly nice her parents were, despite her reservations. And the app's team!

This was a book that kept me super engaged, I couldn't put it down and it's all due to the chemistry between Leonie and Jack and the constant sensual tension that makes you forget they don't get so well at times. Fans of enemies to lover will probably appreciate this book. And for this, and the world it creates and it immerses you on I thinks it's worth reading. I, also, loved this glimpse into the world of managing the building and selling of an app, it was so exciting!

A lovely story full of the will they won't they along with the family trials and tribulations. Enjoyable from start to finish.

In the modern world of dating apps, Leonie decides to give a new one a try: Opp/Att aka Opposites Attract. Insert a long weekend in Paris where she matches with her opposite and finds that same man at work the next week and you have a workplace, opposites attract, subterfuge, and miscommunication tale.

I was a bit put off my the male MC Jack, but I think he was written in such a way to reflect him being the victim of much of the miscommunication. All told, I like the concept of an algorithm trying to match you with someone you don't think makes sense, but the storytelling felt a bit forced.

Thank you to the publisher and author for giving me early access to this arc!
May contain spoilers!

I almost DNF but decided to push through till the end. I’m super confused on how this is considered a romance/erotica novel when it contains none of that imo??😭 The two characters didn’t have much chemistry, their intimate moments were very low on the spiciness scale and Jake literally wanted to stay married to the other woman towards the end??? Which I understand was for convenience rather than out of love, but regardless, I struggled to find the romance between the two characters within these pages.

Fun characters, and I enjoyed the writing style, but just really didn’t get into the story here. The secret marriage and problematic dialogue kept bothering me, as well. I’d love to read something else in this author’s voice, though.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Honestly, this just wasn't my cup of tea. The idea was nice, the execution not so much. By the end of this book I was annoyed with pretty much everyone and that's just not an enjoyable read for me. You have adults acting like teenagers, they had an horrible miscommunication and were constantly jumping to conclusions, grow up and try having a conversation about the things that bother you.

(+) The fact that he's married and never even mentions it until he's discovered????? disgusting

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced e-copy of Once Upon an Algorithm by Clara O'Connor in exchange of an honest review.

"Once upon an algorithm by Clara O'Connor offers a captivating blend of work and romance. The book follows the journey of Leonie and Jack, who initially meet under unconventional circumstances and later find themselves working together. While the romantic aspect between the characters may not resonate with everyone, the vivid portrayal of the STEM field and the intricacies of their work draw readers in. O'Connor's attention to detail in describing the process of building an app, pursuing a business sale, and navigating the challenges of the professional world adds depth and authenticity to the narrative. Although the chemistry between Leonie and Jack may at times feel unconvincing, the fascinating insight into the world of technology and innovation serves as a compelling foundation for their budding relationship. Overall, Once upon an algorithm offers a unique perspective on the intersection of love and work, making it a thought-provoking read for those with an interest in both fields."