Audiobook Review: The Arc by Tory Henwood Hoen

“Is this a date with destiny? Or with data?”

Set to be released on 10th February, The ARC by Tory Henwood Hoen follows 35-year-old Ursula Byrne. She’s successful, witty, smart, and single. She’s tried all the dating apps, and let’s just say: she’s underwhelmed by her options. Enter The Arc…

The Arc is a mysterious, super-sophisticated matchmaking service that relies on a complex series of emotional, psychological and physiological assessments. The price tag is high, the promise ambitious- you get one match, and one match only. Because one is all you need for a partnership that will go the distance. Ursula is paired with 42-year-old lawyer Rafael Banks, and from the start, this feels like the electric, lasting love they’ve each been seeking their whole adult lives. But as their relationship unfolds in unanticipated ways, the two begin to question The Arc’s legitimacy. After all, the arc of a relationship is never predictable … even when it’s fully optimized.

Rating:

Thank you to Corvus and WF Howes Ltd for a free audiobook version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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 she’s 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.

Audiobook Review:

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.