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A review by ashleykritzer
The Arc by Tory Henwood Hoen
4.0
Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for my gifted eARC of “The Arc” by Tory Henwood Hoen.
You know that TikTok audio that’s like “the girls that get it, get it …” That’s what I think of when I think of this book. It is, I guess, a love story — but not really. There’s a lot of satire; our protagonist, 35-year-old Ursula, is “VP of strategic audacity” at a marketing firm in New York.
Tired of the dating cesspool, Ursula pays The Arc an exorbitant sum to find her perfect match. The Arc is peak startup, with its own jargon and certain its matchmaking service that costs five figures is going to change the world. Through The Arc, Ursula is matched with 42-year-old Rafael Banks (who also paid a crazy amount of money for the process).
The couple has an immediate connection, but as life unfolds, it becomes less and less certain just how much they can depend on the data behind their “fully optimized” relationship.
I really enjoyed this one; I loved the writing, and the subtle humor was perfect. But I think it’s probably going to resonate the most with people — especially women — who have some exposure to startups, VC and corporate life. The book spends as much time on Ursula’s career as it does their relationship — that’s kind of the point.
You know that TikTok audio that’s like “the girls that get it, get it …” That’s what I think of when I think of this book. It is, I guess, a love story — but not really. There’s a lot of satire; our protagonist, 35-year-old Ursula, is “VP of strategic audacity” at a marketing firm in New York.
Tired of the dating cesspool, Ursula pays The Arc an exorbitant sum to find her perfect match. The Arc is peak startup, with its own jargon and certain its matchmaking service that costs five figures is going to change the world. Through The Arc, Ursula is matched with 42-year-old Rafael Banks (who also paid a crazy amount of money for the process).
The couple has an immediate connection, but as life unfolds, it becomes less and less certain just how much they can depend on the data behind their “fully optimized” relationship.
I really enjoyed this one; I loved the writing, and the subtle humor was perfect. But I think it’s probably going to resonate the most with people — especially women — who have some exposure to startups, VC and corporate life. The book spends as much time on Ursula’s career as it does their relationship — that’s kind of the point.