Skip to main content

The Arc - Tory Henwood Hoen



Genre: Romance | Fiction | Science Fiction

Release Date: Expected 8th February 2022

Publisher: St Martins Press 


"Be more particular ... on the back were just two words - The Arc."

When Ursula is handed a a business card by a beautiful woman in a steam room, she doesn't know what to think. It claims to be The Arc - the most sophisticated, elite matching service that claims one match with their methods is all you'll ever need. 

At 35, Ursula has been thinking about retiring from romance - she's successful, has loving friends, and knows herself inside out but every time she's tried the dating world, she's found herself completely underwhelmed. She wants someone to evolve with, who loves and hates the things she does, who understands that cats are magical beings and has liberal, feminist values without being performative. Some might say she's too particular, but not the Arc. They say that know 'relationship architecture' - and through science, psychology and spirituality they can create real lasting love … if you can afford it. 

So when she gets paired with Rafael, a stunning 42-year old lawyer, it seems her list might finally be all checked off and sparks begin to fly - but sparks can become a fire, and as they move forward together they can't help but start to question if the Arc is exactly as it seems, and if they're about to get burned. 

"I don't even want to engage anymore, I just want to project something onto them and never find out what they're actually like."

The Arc is an indulgently sweet romance with the added bonus of a strong female lead who never diminishes herself in the face of love. It showcases the highs and lows of falling in love, and the reality of long-term commitment. 

Ursula was everything - she's a bit of divisive character as she's just so beautifully weird but that made me just love her more. She was strong, sassy and a bit silly - but she felt so viscerally real. She embodied the desire for love but also independence, the want for creative freedom but also structure, a mistrust of those with wealth and power while wanting it for yourself. Her relationship with Rafael was beautiful - I found myself constantly smiling when they were together and couldn't help but wonder how I would react on a first date with someone I'd been told was my soulmate. 

This story just flowed seamlessly from one distinct voice to another easily, the events moved slowly but there was never a lull in the excitement and suspense.

Of course, if you've read The One or The Soulmate Equation there will be some similarities, but this story has its own unique blend of brilliance, and if you liked the interesting, thought provoking stories they gave, you will love this one. 

Romance with a little mystery and a good dose of silliness, the Arc is definitely one to watch. 

"It was one thing to go through life wondering if this kind of love was really achievable, but now that he knew it was, he couldn't help but wonder: What would it be like to lose it?"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review in association with Readers First. For more information about them, please visit readersfirst.co.uk



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

REVIEW: This Could Be Us by Clare McGowan

Genre: Fiction | Literary Fiction Release Date: Expected 1st June 2023 Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group | Corsair  Kate has done the unthinkable. She'd worked hard to build a perfect life for herself, while ignoring her growing unhappiness. But when her second child was born profoundly disabled, reality hit. Unable to cope, Kate left - disappearing without a trace. She ends up in LA, with a glittering career and a new family of sorts, but the guilt is still suffocating. Husband Andrew was left to pick up the pieces and care for their disabled daughter and angry, confused son. Bereft and broken, he leaned on Olivia, Kate's best friend. She's been by his side ever since, ignoring her own needs to meet his. Years later, Andrew has written a memoir about his daughter learning to communicate against all odds. But when Kate's new producer husband decides he wants to make a film of it, their worlds collide once again. Now, Kate must return to the life she abandoned and reck...
Post a Comment
Read more

REVIEW: Live, Laugh, Lesbian by Helen Scott

Genre: Non-Fiction | Memoir | LGTBQ+  Release Date: 19th October 2023 Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Part memoir, part guide, part conversation and all queer joy — Live, Laugh, Lesbian is a brilliantly warm and friendly journey into the queer experience, not only from the author but from plenty of other lesbian, queer, bisexual and pansexual contributors who bring a unique viewpoint and voice and also show a beautiful diverse, intersectional scope of the queer spectrum and welcomes in queer people and allies of any kind to come feel the love. The book is very conversational, talking to the reader in a fun, friendly way — at times I rolled my eyes as the use of “famalam” but as a previous patron of Colours and Chicagos I’m not in a position to judge the Essex-isms. It’s full of anecdotes and observations that were witty and relatable as well as talking is through the more difficult side of queerness like dealing with workplace discrimination, religious trauma and coming out to family...
Post a Comment
Read more

BOOK TOUR STOP x RANDOM THINGS TOURS: Thirty Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen

  " This town has secrets that are best left alone." Author Hannah is a success, on paper at least. She's receiving critical acclaim and praise worldwide and her work is regarded as some of the best. She writes literature, not just books. But the reality is, outside of the literary circles nobody actually reads her work. But when she finally snaps at a book event and publicly criticises the genre fiction books that outsell hers, claiming they're easy and mindless she's challenged to write her own crime fiction novel in just thirty days by an author she loathes. Desperate not to lose to him, her editor arranges for her to spend a month in a quiet, cold village in Iceland hoping that the solitude will spark inspiration.  But instead of writing a murder story - she's in one . Just before she arrives, the body of a young man is pulled from the icy waters and her search for ideas soon becomes a search for a killer. And if she's not careful, she might end up the...
Post a Comment
Read more