I liked this book but it has one major fault. I didn't understand a lot of the computer speak, I know more than the average reader as I used to work in a university alongside some geeks, and had heard of some of the vocabulary and how developments work, but most readers I suspect won't. This limits the audience who would be prepared to read through what is a longer book by current standards.
That said, I appreciated the style and storyline. However, I never quite saw the heroine in my mind. Other than she was 'older ' and could wear a small bikini it was difficult to visualise her.
As a first book it shows promise for this author.

3.5 stars rounded down

Nice little romance book. Easy to read and the characters are likeable enough (although it took me a chapter or two before I liked our heroine). I enjoyed the tech angle, but I think the banter and steam could have been dialled up. Nevertheless, would still recommend for a bit of brain candy.

I read this book really quickly, but more because I was skipping the tech world descriptions and wanted to know if the characters would become likeable. They didn't. The FMC is completely naive and allows her stepbrother to tell her what to do without even questioning it? The MMC was just unlikable. I would've preferred more romance and less app development. I also thought the book would mention more about the app the MCs met on, and go more into the algorithm, but that was largely brushed over. Thank you to One More Chapter, Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy in return for an honest review.

1.5 ⭐️TW: CHEATING MMC!

The fact that this could be considered, under any scope of the imagination, a rom-com is ridiculous. This is no romantic comedy: the romance is barely there, and the comedy? I spent three days trying to finish this book. I feel like the joke's on me.

This is a sad story about a woman who, horrified of her single status as an almost 40-year-old gets peer pressured into a one-off with the opposite person she would ever choose for herself. She meets Jack and after a strange night together, they part ways on less than amicable terms. Horror ensues when the fmc encounters Jack, once again, when she goes in as an external consultant to help out on her step-brother's latest business venture.

This book was hard to read for several reasons. First, the writing and narrative tone aren't my favourites. There were multiple moments where the fmc's internal monologue kept going on for half a chapter -even in the middle of a conversation, making it impossible to find the rhythm of any interaction believable or synergetic at all.

Then there's the issue of the fmc's friends being complete lunatics. I get that being 'quirky' is the biggest personality trait in a lot of 30/40-something-people, but if you're friends talk to you the way these women did to the fmc, you deserve better friends. If I told any friend that the guy I was starting something romantic with had done what Jack does in this book, and their first and only response was to excuse his behaviour and lies, I would drop them so f***ing fast, it wouldn't even be funny. EVEN THE FMC'S MOM IS TRYING TO FIND EXCUSES FOR HIM!? IN WHAT WORLD WOULD A MOTHER EXCUSE HER DAUGHTER BEING TREATED LIKE THAT!!

Jack's past/present is a whole other thing that, not only didn't sit right with me but left me raging. How's that an ok thing to do? In what world is it just "fine"? Not everyone's perfect, but you could at least try to be honest with the person you're with!!! This felt like a dark romance by the end.

Also, her stepbrother deserves to be punched in the nuts repeatedly with a metal bat. I said what I said. I was so extremely disappointed every time she was steamrolled and belittled by him and she just rolled over and turned the other cheek, pasting on a smile and moving on. Girl, what? I just couldn't take his treatment of her. With zero f***ing consecuences too!

I could keep going, really, but this is a project that someone has spent time and effort into releasing, and I don't want to hate things that people love. I could consider this a decent women's fiction/ anti-romance tale about how women are pressured into settling for absurd situationships with men who don't even offer a modicum of respect or the bare minimum, and eventually then make it the woman's problem.

Also, I don't know who said this is like Ali Hazelwood's books. It's soooo not. Whoever said this first, girl, you've been lied to several times. Sorry.

⭐️.5 / 5
🌶 / 5 - The book is mostly closed-door, except for a couple of scenes, but they're not very detailed or spicy.

*Thank you so much NetGalley for offering me this eARC. As always, my opinions are my own.* This review has already been uploaded to Goodreads :)

Leonie is a forever single American living in London having moved away from home to escape the feeling of never quite fitting in with her rich stepfamily. Jack is an Irishman travelling for business and feeling down in the dumps, When Leonie's friends decide to take a trip to Paris to celebrate an engagement, they jokingly set her up with her a person opposite to her requirements of what she's looking for in a partner using an opposites attract app. That person is Jack.

Once Upon an Algorithm has some seriously geeky tech speak along with some steamy romance, making it a perfect read if you like your chick lit with a side of both tech and spice. If you're not into tech, you might find it gets a little bit heavy on the details at times as the author clearly either did her research or has worked in the world of product development!

I really enjoyed the story, despite both characters constantly jumping to the wrong conclusions and having massive chips on their shoulders about their upbringings. The step brother was as irritating as he should be but I did find myself wanting Leonie to put him in his place.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy in return for an honest review.

For once I was disappointed by the hero Jack. He was rude, mean and malicious, it made it hard to want the couple to sort themselves out. Getting together with married men, plus step brothers getting away with things, unpleasant wives, all of whom pay nothing for their transgressions made me irritated rather than enthralled.

A romance that has more depth to it about their lives rather than just their love life. In fact this book may defer to the tech drama a little too much in that the tech speak and geek out on the roll out of this new app is probably a little on the heavy side unless you work or are familiar with the industry.

Jack clearly has a huge chip on his shoulder about rich people and specifically rich women and plays into the relationship woes for him and Leonie. To be fair Leonie has her own baggage when it comes to money and men and their falling out is understandable and yet they didn’t seem to actually spend all that much time getting to know each other and building up to a relationship for romance but definitely a great working partnership.
Both characters were likeable and I definitely wanted to see them succeed romantically and career wise. I even liked that it wasn’t a light and fluffy romance but there was just a bit too much tech and not enough love, their chemistry was sizzling and came through on the page in their physical attraction.
This is a 3.5 stars, maybe a 4.

I received this book as an ARC and provided an honest review