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bookswithmaddi's review against another edition
3.0
The Arc follows Ursula and Rafael as the engage in a journey to find love through a secretive match-making service called The Arc. The Arc promises to find someone's ideal partner and lifelong compatibility. When Ursula and Rafael are matched with each other they feel an electric love for each other. However, their relationship begins to unravel in ways they never expected and they learn that true love can not be constructed but must be chosen.
The Arc is one of the most unique books I have ever read. While the concept in itself has been done before in other ways the execution of it was nuanced and unexpected. Tory Henwood Hoen's writing style immediately immerses you into Ursula and Rafael's world as well as their individual mindsets. Hoen's ability to seamlessly flow between Ursula and Rafael's perspectives was unlike anything I have read before. The characters felt fully fleshed out, the time spent on working out their individual mental battles and struggles allowed readers to fully understand the way that Ursula and Rafael's relationship worked. This is not a novel or writing style that I will soon forget. I will definitely be reading from Hoen again.
My main criticism of this book lies in the pacing. While Hoen did an excellent job creating fully fleshed out characters I found that there were moments of unnecessary detail and drawn out narratives. So many other characters were introduced and then never heard from again which left me with an unsatisfied feeling at the end. Truthfully I think this book tried to do to much. Between Ursula's job, her college friends, her relationship with her mother, the detailed moments at the Stake, her job, her work with Mike, her struggle with past relationships and her relationship with Rafael the focus of the story was at times hard to find. While these details are important to provide to assert Ursula as someone who exists outside of just her relationship I found that at many times the story was veering off course and creating unnecessary tangents. This created a strange kind of pacing where I would be super invested in the story and then the focus would completely change for a few chapters which would tear me out of my interest.
Overall this is an incredibly unique book and I would highly recommend it to fans of romance, contemporary, or even science fiction. I truly can't wait to see how this book will be received when it is released in February because it is so nuanced and unique.
The Arc is one of the most unique books I have ever read. While the concept in itself has been done before in other ways the execution of it was nuanced and unexpected. Tory Henwood Hoen's writing style immediately immerses you into Ursula and Rafael's world as well as their individual mindsets. Hoen's ability to seamlessly flow between Ursula and Rafael's perspectives was unlike anything I have read before. The characters felt fully fleshed out, the time spent on working out their individual mental battles and struggles allowed readers to fully understand the way that Ursula and Rafael's relationship worked. This is not a novel or writing style that I will soon forget. I will definitely be reading from Hoen again.
My main criticism of this book lies in the pacing. While Hoen did an excellent job creating fully fleshed out characters I found that there were moments of unnecessary detail and drawn out narratives. So many other characters were introduced and then never heard from again which left me with an unsatisfied feeling at the end. Truthfully I think this book tried to do to much. Between Ursula's job, her college friends, her relationship with her mother, the detailed moments at the Stake, her job, her work with Mike, her struggle with past relationships and her relationship with Rafael the focus of the story was at times hard to find. While these details are important to provide to assert Ursula as someone who exists outside of just her relationship I found that at many times the story was veering off course and creating unnecessary tangents. This created a strange kind of pacing where I would be super invested in the story and then the focus would completely change for a few chapters which would tear me out of my interest.
Overall this is an incredibly unique book and I would highly recommend it to fans of romance, contemporary, or even science fiction. I truly can't wait to see how this book will be received when it is released in February because it is so nuanced and unique.
lillimoore's review against another edition
5.0
35-year-old Ursula Byrne has, like many of us, exhausted the dating opportunities available to her. She's tried a slew of dating apps, has a full resumé of failed relationships, and is starting to fear that despite her shining, charming, unique personality, there may not be a suitable match for her out there after all. After throwing up on a first date (I did this too on my first date with my current partner! I knew right away Ursula was a character I would never forget!), she hungover-edly laments to her best friend Issa while they are enjoying a meet-up at their ultra-feminist, ultra-trendy club The Stake that she fears she will never find her perfect match. Talk about being in the right place at the right time, because in that moment, she is overheard by a woman in the same sauna as the two friends and learns from her about The Arc, a super-secretive matchmaking service that turns its clients inside out in the process of getting to know them to make a superior match, one that is meant to withstand all time, all for the low low cost of $50,000 for men and $40,500 for women. To count for the gender wage gap, of course. This is an elite service we're talking about here.
When Ursula meets her match, 42-year-old lawyer Rafael Banks, she can't believe just how right The Arc got it. She's never felt this way for anyone, and neither has he. They love each other for all their little quirks. The chemistry is strong and instantaneous. The connection is unfathomable. This service really knows what they're doing! Unless of course, they don't. But for $40,500 they certainly do. Right?
I don't want to summarize any more than that because I want some of the surprises of the book to remain for anyone reading this review, but I will just say, HOLY COW, this book blew me away. It was absolutely brilliant. I love all of the characters so much. Ursula is a girl after my own heart. Yes, she is quirky, and I could see some people being annoyed with her seemingly manic-pixie qualities, but when you get to know her on a deeper level, there is so much more than that to love. When the book was delving into her family background and psychology, I couldn't believe how similar her family history is to my own. The characters in this book are all so carefully and thoughtfully constructed and real—not just the two main characters involved in the central romance, but also the friends and side characters that appear throughout. Rafael is also a great character and I just haven't yet read a romance that made so much SENSE to me. I love their relationship. I love how they overcame their obstacles. The last 10 minutes or so of the book had me just crying with love for these two people and with hope for my own love life. Never have I read a romance where I so fully felt I knew and understood the characters. They are so complex and vivid and we are offered so many minor details about them that bring them to life.
Yes, this is a romance, but it is so, so, so much more than that. It is some of the most biting, wittiest social commentary of this moment in society and culture that I have read in contemporary literature. Everything from the over-the-top descriptions of The Stake to the end goal of The Arc to the commentary on tech bros in the industry was spot-on and hilarious. I loved the self-aware, satirical tone of this book, and I loved that it didn't take away from the meaningful romance at the center of it all. I loved what it had to say about relationships and compatibility. I loved the carefully constructed conversations between friends and lovers in this book that reveal so much about the characters and provide a serious opportunity for the reader to reflect on themselves and the relationships in their own lives. The dialogue in this book is so clever. Not just the dialogue, but the setting, the descriptions of individuals, interactions, all of it. SO CLEVER! And I especially loved that twist at the very end. Conflict truly is a part of all our relationship arcs and it makes us stronger.
This book was sharp as hell and really made me think. I absolutely loved it. If you loved Nina Hill, Eleanor Oliphant, or are a fan of Holly Bourne's work, you will love this. It's definitely not for everyone, but for the right reader, this will make a big impact, and there is a lot of fun to be had along the way! An easy 5 stars from me!
When Ursula meets her match, 42-year-old lawyer Rafael Banks, she can't believe just how right The Arc got it. She's never felt this way for anyone, and neither has he. They love each other for all their little quirks. The chemistry is strong and instantaneous. The connection is unfathomable. This service really knows what they're doing! Unless of course, they don't. But for $40,500 they certainly do. Right?
I don't want to summarize any more than that because I want some of the surprises of the book to remain for anyone reading this review, but I will just say, HOLY COW, this book blew me away. It was absolutely brilliant. I love all of the characters so much. Ursula is a girl after my own heart. Yes, she is quirky, and I could see some people being annoyed with her seemingly manic-pixie qualities, but when you get to know her on a deeper level, there is so much more than that to love. When the book was delving into her family background and psychology, I couldn't believe how similar her family history is to my own. The characters in this book are all so carefully and thoughtfully constructed and real—not just the two main characters involved in the central romance, but also the friends and side characters that appear throughout. Rafael is also a great character and I just haven't yet read a romance that made so much SENSE to me. I love their relationship. I love how they overcame their obstacles. The last 10 minutes or so of the book had me just crying with love for these two people and with hope for my own love life. Never have I read a romance where I so fully felt I knew and understood the characters. They are so complex and vivid and we are offered so many minor details about them that bring them to life.
Yes, this is a romance, but it is so, so, so much more than that. It is some of the most biting, wittiest social commentary of this moment in society and culture that I have read in contemporary literature. Everything from the over-the-top descriptions of The Stake to the end goal of The Arc to the commentary on tech bros in the industry was spot-on and hilarious. I loved the self-aware, satirical tone of this book, and I loved that it didn't take away from the meaningful romance at the center of it all. I loved what it had to say about relationships and compatibility. I loved the carefully constructed conversations between friends and lovers in this book that reveal so much about the characters and provide a serious opportunity for the reader to reflect on themselves and the relationships in their own lives. The dialogue in this book is so clever. Not just the dialogue, but the setting, the descriptions of individuals, interactions, all of it. SO CLEVER! And I especially loved that twist at the very end. Conflict truly is a part of all our relationship arcs and it makes us stronger.
This book was sharp as hell and really made me think. I absolutely loved it. If you loved Nina Hill, Eleanor Oliphant, or are a fan of Holly Bourne's work, you will love this. It's definitely not for everyone, but for the right reader, this will make a big impact, and there is a lot of fun to be had along the way! An easy 5 stars from me!
swe_m's review against another edition
This is the most boring book ever..guhh.. Even the steamy parts are not steamy at all. How is that possible? At the beginning, it was kind of fun because I really want to know what that process would be like ..but it’s just sort of blend; it’s not in details. Sometimes, the author would describe something so boring in minute details and then when the real deal like that optimizing process comes, she or he just sorts of skips over and I think it should be provided with more details because I thought that’s the focus of the book. Then after that process is done, I wonder “ ok..so she or he sorts of skips over many details about that process..maybe the focus is on the romance”. Well, if that’s the case, man..this is the most boring, cringy romance book of all time. I don’t even find any chemistry between them. Please, those nicknames they call each other, please it cringe s the f out of me. I’m sorry, I am supposed to find them cute but I can’t even stand them. Why did I read this far of I hate it that much? Well, you know there’s a thing called “hate-watching” which is when you continue watch the bad movie to see how far it can get worse. Yep, I’m doing the same here. But, at 58%, I will now let go. Moving on to a book I’ve always wanted to read, A man called Ove.
annaks17's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I was hooked! Beyond the exploration of modern dating, I loved the focus on career and sense of self, especially the experiences of women in those two areas. Definitely a unique read.
emilyreadstoomuch's review against another edition
such an interesting premise but so fucking boring
kaylakrystek's review against another edition
4.5
I did not expect to like this so much! Lent to me by Ally Young.
Ursula and Rafael were both flawed and came to the relationship with baggage. Ursula wanted Rafael to love and accept her "mess", chaos, quirkiness. This is something that resonated deeply. I loved these two together (even when they were fighting).
My one minor complaint is some elements were too over-the-top and drew me out of the story a bit: example, the feminist spa.
Ursula and Rafael were both flawed and came to the relationship with baggage. Ursula wanted Rafael to love and accept her "mess", chaos, quirkiness. This is something that resonated deeply. I loved these two together (even when they were fighting).
My one minor complaint is some elements were too over-the-top and drew me out of the story a bit: example, the feminist spa.
katieniegos's review against another edition
4.0
This book had a similar plot as The One by John Marrs - this idea that two people are perfectly matched for each other and there’s a third party (the Arc) who can help you find that person. I actually enjoyed this story more than The One. It felt more engaging with more flawed, but real, characters. I enjoyed watching their relationship from the beginning. Despite the outlandish premise of this organization who can help match you to your person, the relationship ups and downs felt really real and relatable. If goodreads let you do 1/2 stars, I would have given this 4.5 stars.
readingissosexy's review against another edition
3.0
People on Goodreads be acting surprised at how weird this book was as if there weren't warning signs.
The protagonist's name is literally Ursula... idk what they were expecting.
Ya, it's weird. Ursula & Rafael use cringe pet names, Ursula aggressively asserts "not like other girls" energy through the entire thing AND spends time at an over-the-top feminist wellness club with a "Womb Room" for bathing in placenta, PLUS she GROWLS unprompted. (She's also selfish af & unrealistic.)
For me, the writing (sorta) made up for the bizareness. The author is obviously talented, although a few more rounds of revisions could've served the story well. (It felt LONG, with LONG tangents, & a few chapters that added nothing to the story.)
Overall, it was fine. The story arc (no pun intended) intrigued me enough so I stuck around for the end. Naturally, I resent the fictional characters for existing in NYC while I'm stuck in LA.
The protagonist's name is literally Ursula... idk what they were expecting.
Ya, it's weird. Ursula & Rafael use cringe pet names, Ursula aggressively asserts "not like other girls" energy through the entire thing AND spends time at an over-the-top feminist wellness club with a "Womb Room" for bathing in placenta, PLUS she GROWLS unprompted. (She's also selfish af & unrealistic.)
For me, the writing (sorta) made up for the bizareness. The author is obviously talented, although a few more rounds of revisions could've served the story well. (It felt LONG, with LONG tangents, & a few chapters that added nothing to the story.)
Overall, it was fine. The story arc (no pun intended) intrigued me enough so I stuck around for the end. Naturally, I resent the fictional characters for existing in NYC while I'm stuck in LA.
jillmlong's review against another edition
2.0
The plot of this book sounded interesting, people that pay a very high price for unconventional matchmaking service. I had a few problems with the story. I never really connected with the characters, so I found myself not caring what happens. Also, the book felt very long even though it wasn't.