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Once Upon an Algorithm
A brand new spicy STEM romance for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Sally Thorne!
Leonie’s personal dating algorithm:
1. Over 6 ft Tall
2. Funny and carefree
3. Well-travelled
But when a dating app leads Leonie to one night in Paris with brooding stranger Jack – the total opposite of what she’s looking for – she realises her list is missing out the most important thing: chemistry. And the chemistry between Leonie and Jack is off the charts!
Could the algorithm be on to something? When Leonie starts her new job at a tech start up the last person she expects to see is Jack. But there he is, sitting in the boss’s office, the man behind the code and the best night of sex of her life…
Leonie’s personal dating algorithm:
1. Over 6 ft Tall
2. Funny and carefree
3. Well-travelled
But when a dating app leads Leonie to one night in Paris with brooding stranger Jack – the total opposite of what she’s looking for – she realises her list is missing out the most important thing: chemistry. And the chemistry between Leonie and Jack is off the charts!
Could the algorithm be on to something? When Leonie starts her new job at a tech start up the last person she expects to see is Jack. But there he is, sitting in the boss’s office, the man behind the code and the best night of sex of her life…
385 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 8, 2024
55 people are currently reading
676 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
November 21, 2023
I originally stopped reading at 76% and then got questions on the book that I couldn't answer (see comments below)... so I sped through the rest of the book so I could spoil the crap out of this book. This review is FULL OF SPOILERS.
At 76%, we (and the heroine) learn that the "hero" (afterwards called dude in my review) has been married the whole time and didn't tell the heroine before he had sex with her.
"Yes, [my wife and I] still live together but for the past year I've poured everything I have into this business. I've worked sixteen-hour days; on Saturdays I go for a twenty-four-hour break and then I come back and do it all again."
----
Yes, you heard that right. The "hero" is married. And didn't tell the heroine. They have slept together. They have had sex. And she found out because her step brother told her the dude was still married.
I already was having a hard time with this book for many reasons I won't go into because they don't matter compared to the fact that he not only is married, but he still lives with his wife.
What garbage.
---
For the sake of curiosity (Esther's, not mine)... had to open this book again to find the answers!
Quotes (and my reactions):
The dude says about his wife, "She got busy elsewhere" - the heroine assumes that the wife started cheating first. If so, then why wouldn't the dude just say that?
"I can't afford to get divorced yet" - ya, I've heard that before... and guess what!? I think it's a garbage thing to say to a new partner. If you can't prioritize moving on from your old relationship, you have no business getting into a new one. You can't afford to get in a new relationship until you can afford to get divorced! Especially if you haven't told the new partner you're still married.
"She's staying with you until you earn enough to divorce?"..."Oh no, she doesn't care about the money, that's my thing." - uh... so YOU'RE the reason you are not divorced. Once again, this makes no sense to me!
"I think her current boyfriend is a..." - so, his wife supposedly has a boyfriend. But does she know about the dude's partner? Have they TALKED? I don't know, but I would run away if this were a man trying to date me.
When she tells her friends "he's married", they have the GALL to say "the list never said he had to be single." and "We're halfway through life. You've got to roll with a little baggage". WTAF!!! Just because you are in your midlife doesn't mean you have to compromise what you want in life. Definitely when it doesn't go with your morals/ethics. NOT GOOD FRIENDS!
Oh... and then he walks in to dinner with the heroine and others with his "arm around a woman who can only be Lacy". If they are barely married, he does not need to be holding her like that!
WTAF!? Seriously... this is at 84% and we're supposed to believe in this as a romance!?
I HATE the advice from everyone in the book. She tells her mom, "He asked me to trust him and then I get back and he's selling the business and is staying married."
Her mom asks "What did you ask of him?...To give up everything. What did you offer in return?"
WTF!? A mom telling her daughter that offering HERSELF is NOT ENOUGH!!!!????
-----
The main characters have another convo at 91% where the heroine says "Married to a woman who picked you to piss off her dad."
And the dude says "But she picked me" (as if the heroine didn't TRY TO PICK HIM AND THEN LEARNED HE WAS MARRIED)
The heroine says "I do pick you"... and the dude replies "I know." (REALLY!? THIS IS A ROMANTIC CONVO!?)
And then HE DOES NOTHING AND GOES WITH HIS WIFE.
----
And then, he shows up at a friend's wedding and lets her know he filed for divorce a month ago... and she's "cool. I'm in".
Does she have NO SELF RESPECT!?
He says his wife moved on years ago... but he "expected it. She was a princess, too far above me. I was never going to hold onto her." (uh... and this is the romantic climax where he says his wife was too far above him... and he thought the heroine was above him... but no, wait! They can get together after all even though he lied, cheated, and left her... awesome, exactly what I want to hear.)
"We both made mistakes. I've lived my life waiting for the perfect man to walk into my life... But Jack is mortal, and so am I..." (uh... I want more for your girlie. You aren't worth less because you're almost 40. What a crock of SH*T)
HIS WIFE TOLD HIM TO NOT LET THE HEROINE GO! So... this man needs HIS WIFE to give him permission to actually be with the heroine!? He's a coward as well as a liar and cheater!?
- Okay... finished the book and definitely DON'T LIKE THE HERO!
At 76%, we (and the heroine) learn that the "hero" (afterwards called dude in my review) has been married the whole time and didn't tell the heroine before he had sex with her.
"Yes, [my wife and I] still live together but for the past year I've poured everything I have into this business. I've worked sixteen-hour days; on Saturdays I go for a twenty-four-hour break and then I come back and do it all again."
----
Yes, you heard that right. The "hero" is married. And didn't tell the heroine. They have slept together. They have had sex. And she found out because her step brother told her the dude was still married.
I already was having a hard time with this book for many reasons I won't go into because they don't matter compared to the fact that he not only is married, but he still lives with his wife.
What garbage.
---
For the sake of curiosity (Esther's, not mine)... had to open this book again to find the answers!
Quotes (and my reactions):
The dude says about his wife, "She got busy elsewhere" - the heroine assumes that the wife started cheating first. If so, then why wouldn't the dude just say that?
"I can't afford to get divorced yet" - ya, I've heard that before... and guess what!? I think it's a garbage thing to say to a new partner. If you can't prioritize moving on from your old relationship, you have no business getting into a new one. You can't afford to get in a new relationship until you can afford to get divorced! Especially if you haven't told the new partner you're still married.
"She's staying with you until you earn enough to divorce?"..."Oh no, she doesn't care about the money, that's my thing." - uh... so YOU'RE the reason you are not divorced. Once again, this makes no sense to me!
"I think her current boyfriend is a..." - so, his wife supposedly has a boyfriend. But does she know about the dude's partner? Have they TALKED? I don't know, but I would run away if this were a man trying to date me.
"What if I didn't divorce Lacy?"
"Seriously?" Is he really standing her proposing that he stay married, get me, and I guess sabotage the deal...
When she tells her friends "he's married", they have the GALL to say "the list never said he had to be single." and "We're halfway through life. You've got to roll with a little baggage". WTAF!!! Just because you are in your midlife doesn't mean you have to compromise what you want in life. Definitely when it doesn't go with your morals/ethics. NOT GOOD FRIENDS!
Oh... and then he walks in to dinner with the heroine and others with his "arm around a woman who can only be Lacy". If they are barely married, he does not need to be holding her like that!
"I have plenty of cash to start again with Lacy." (yes, he just said he's getting back with his wife)
"What about..." Me, I want to ask but can't quite finish the sentence. I want to cry. But I am not that girl."
"What did you want me to do? Turn my life upside down for a woman who would never pick me?"
WTAF!? Seriously... this is at 84% and we're supposed to believe in this as a romance!?
I HATE the advice from everyone in the book. She tells her mom, "He asked me to trust him and then I get back and he's selling the business and is staying married."
Her mom asks "What did you ask of him?...To give up everything. What did you offer in return?"
WTF!? A mom telling her daughter that offering HERSELF is NOT ENOUGH!!!!????
-----
The main characters have another convo at 91% where the heroine says "Married to a woman who picked you to piss off her dad."
And the dude says "But she picked me" (as if the heroine didn't TRY TO PICK HIM AND THEN LEARNED HE WAS MARRIED)
The heroine says "I do pick you"... and the dude replies "I know." (REALLY!? THIS IS A ROMANTIC CONVO!?)
And then HE DOES NOTHING AND GOES WITH HIS WIFE.
----
And then, he shows up at a friend's wedding and lets her know he filed for divorce a month ago... and she's "cool. I'm in".
Does she have NO SELF RESPECT!?
He says his wife moved on years ago... but he "expected it. She was a princess, too far above me. I was never going to hold onto her." (uh... and this is the romantic climax where he says his wife was too far above him... and he thought the heroine was above him... but no, wait! They can get together after all even though he lied, cheated, and left her... awesome, exactly what I want to hear.)
"We both made mistakes. I've lived my life waiting for the perfect man to walk into my life... But Jack is mortal, and so am I..." (uh... I want more for your girlie. You aren't worth less because you're almost 40. What a crock of SH*T)
HIS WIFE TOLD HIM TO NOT LET THE HEROINE GO! So... this man needs HIS WIFE to give him permission to actually be with the heroine!? He's a coward as well as a liar and cheater!?
- Okay... finished the book and definitely DON'T LIKE THE HERO!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2023
1.5 ⭐️TW:
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.*
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.*
November 26, 2023
DNF at 46%…
I really tried giving this book a chance.
Sometimes you need to read a few chapters before you really get into the story. But with this one, it was the reverse… the more I read, the more I wanted this to be over.
The main couple had zero chemistry, Jack has a weird “vibe” going on, there were many parts where it was so “coding” related that I just zoned out, and so on…
I wasn’t aware of the many other negative reviews, but in some way I’m glad I wasn’t the only one experiencing the same feelings. And from what I could read, I’m glad I didn’t get to the part where the “mystery” aspect of Jack is revealed (I would be so mad tbh).
So quite disappointed on how this book turned out! 🤷🏻♀️
*Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*
I really tried giving this book a chance.
Sometimes you need to read a few chapters before you really get into the story. But with this one, it was the reverse… the more I read, the more I wanted this to be over.
The main couple had zero chemistry, Jack has a weird “vibe” going on, there were many parts where it was so “coding” related that I just zoned out, and so on…
I wasn’t aware of the many other negative reviews, but in some way I’m glad I wasn’t the only one experiencing the same feelings. And from what I could read, I’m glad I didn’t get to the part where the “mystery” aspect of Jack is revealed (I would be so mad tbh).
So quite disappointed on how this book turned out! 🤷🏻♀️
*Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*
November 20, 2023
I wanted today give this one the benefit of the doubt, despite what many reviews already say. Unfortunately I have to agree with many of those reviews.
From the start I found the FMC’s friends to be so annoying. They are loud and just keep taking. Then they force the FMC on a date with a stranger in Paris, and things keep getting weird from there.
The FMC makes a lot of references to movies, people, and other things that just don’t make sense to me or are so far out that I’ve never heard of them. Maybe it is just me, but it was hard to follow at times.
There was absolutely no chemistry between the FMC and MMC. In fact, they pretty much hate each other after they meet for the second time, and it’s all because of a stupid misunderstanding.
The FMC acted like she was better than other people, and the MMC said some really inappropriate and sexists things to the FMC while they were in a work environment. I was not okay with any of this.
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
From the start I found the FMC’s friends to be so annoying. They are loud and just keep taking. Then they force the FMC on a date with a stranger in Paris, and things keep getting weird from there.
The FMC makes a lot of references to movies, people, and other things that just don’t make sense to me or are so far out that I’ve never heard of them. Maybe it is just me, but it was hard to follow at times.
There was absolutely no chemistry between the FMC and MMC. In fact, they pretty much hate each other after they meet for the second time, and it’s all because of a stupid misunderstanding.
The FMC acted like she was better than other people, and the MMC said some really inappropriate and sexists things to the FMC while they were in a work environment. I was not okay with any of this.
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
December 22, 2023
Wow! This book was definitely not good
I tried giving it a million chances and it did not meet any of my expectations or excitement that were given by the cover.
The characters were all over the place and I don’t think I understood anything that was supposed to be written in this story
Thank you netgalley for the arc tho
I tried giving it a million chances and it did not meet any of my expectations or excitement that were given by the cover.
The characters were all over the place and I don’t think I understood anything that was supposed to be written in this story
Thank you netgalley for the arc tho
January 9, 2024
it wasn’t as bad as the reviews were making it seem but it wasn’t great 😂
March 6, 2024
Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is officially the book that has made me swear off applying to read romance ARCs. 💀
I’m sorry, but I really struggled to find any redeeming factors. The romance & chemistry between the two main characters were non-existent, the secondary characters were extremely irritating and we didn’t even find out that the MMC was married until 74% of the way in!? 🫠
There was WAY too much coding & technical language included to be effective in what is marketed as a rom-com, and I was pretty bored the entire way through. This was my first ARC of 2024, and I’m sorely disappointed with it.
This is officially the book that has made me swear off applying to read romance ARCs. 💀
I’m sorry, but I really struggled to find any redeeming factors. The romance & chemistry between the two main characters were non-existent, the secondary characters were extremely irritating and we didn’t even find out that the MMC was married until 74% of the way in!? 🫠
There was WAY too much coding & technical language included to be effective in what is marketed as a rom-com, and I was pretty bored the entire way through. This was my first ARC of 2024, and I’m sorely disappointed with it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2024
2⭐️s
I was promised a book for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Sally Thorne. Yes, it is STEM themed and is an office enemies to lovers situ a la the Hating Game. But it’s nothing like either writer’s work. I don’t know why I finished it when I literally skipped the first 3 chapters to get somewhere in the book. Neither character is particularly likable and so much of the focus is on the app launch. The whole algorithm focus promise is a passing reference that comes up a couple of time but hardly the focus of the book. Instead we learn more than we need to about app development and launches. I thought more would be made of the fact that our FMC is almost 40 and still single, but we get no backstory as to why that is the case (maybe it was in the chapters i skipped?). I just didn’t get it. And then there’s the MC and his “past” which was kind of problematic.
The writing does get better but not enough to save this one. I think editors and book publisher did a disservice to the author their promotion of this book in the way they did. This would have been better developed as women’s fiction.
I was promised a book for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Sally Thorne. Yes, it is STEM themed and is an office enemies to lovers situ a la the Hating Game. But it’s nothing like either writer’s work. I don’t know why I finished it when I literally skipped the first 3 chapters to get somewhere in the book. Neither character is particularly likable and so much of the focus is on the app launch. The whole algorithm focus promise is a passing reference that comes up a couple of time but hardly the focus of the book. Instead we learn more than we need to about app development and launches. I thought more would be made of the fact that our FMC is almost 40 and still single, but we get no backstory as to why that is the case (maybe it was in the chapters i skipped?). I just didn’t get it. And then there’s the MC and his “past” which was kind of problematic.
The writing does get better but not enough to save this one. I think editors and book publisher did a disservice to the author their promotion of this book in the way they did. This would have been better developed as women’s fiction.
November 16, 2023
I'm between 2-3 stars. This book called my attention because it has a beautiful cover and women in STEM vibes however it was a bit disappointing.
The beginning of the story was good, interesting base but as it progressed a few things through me off! First Leonie at the beginning portrays herself as a self assured woman with high walls so it was super disappointing how Eric walks over her an manipulates her feeling while well aware of how wrong he is behaving. Then we have Jack who is married and does not disclose that fact, sure he never said he was divorced but when he talk about it it implied that was a thing of the past. It does not matter his marriage was just for appearances he still did not say anything.
Finally the cherry on top was their goodbye when Leonie offer him a solution (sure it was not fully well thought) but he rejected it and her, only for a while later take that solution and ask for forgives with only a "I won't walk away again" Please!
The beginning of the story was good, interesting base but as it progressed a few things through me off! First Leonie at the beginning portrays herself as a self assured woman with high walls so it was super disappointing how Eric walks over her an manipulates her feeling while well aware of how wrong he is behaving. Then we have Jack who is married and does not disclose that fact, sure he never said he was divorced but when he talk about it it implied that was a thing of the past. It does not matter his marriage was just for appearances he still did not say anything.
Finally the cherry on top was their goodbye when Leonie offer him a solution (sure it was not fully well thought) but he rejected it and her, only for a while later take that solution and ask for forgives with only a "I won't walk away again" Please!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2024
I wanted to like this one and I really struggled with finishing it. The premise sounded cute but alas the execution was, umm, not great. There was a lot of coding references. I mean a lot. Which is all fine and dandy but when there’s pages of it and then the two main characters have zero chemistry it makes for a challenging read. Then the fact that they are workplace rivals that turn to lovers but again, they have no chemistry between them, added another challenge to get through it. I can usually read a book in a day but this took me almost a week to get through because it wasn’t too much fun to read. The FMC was kinda annoying and then we find out the MMC is married like 75% of the way in!?! Nope. Not cool.
Anyway, there may be some that will enjoy this story. I just wasn’t one of them.
Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.
Anyway, there may be some that will enjoy this story. I just wasn’t one of them.
Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.
January 24, 2024
I M SO PISSED OFF
they put the label that it’s stem romance, but product management and management is NOT STEM
SO READ PLS BEFORE PUTTING STUFF
and thanks that do stem more less
they put the label that it’s stem romance, but product management and management is NOT STEM
SO READ PLS BEFORE PUTTING STUFF
and thanks that do stem more less
November 22, 2023
TW Cheating. He's a married man.
Not for me.
Not for me.
February 14, 2024
I'm not typically a huge critic of books, because I like to support authors for creating something, even if it's imperfect - writing novels is hard work! But woof, I could not go higher than 2 stars for this one. The beginning hooked me and was so promising, but then there was the whole rest of the book to muddle through, filled with inconsistent characterizations, a zero-chemistry romance, & a plot twist that felt cheap and gritty.
November 26, 2023
I rarely check the reviews on Goodreads before reading a book because I want to stay unbiased. However for this one, I had to stop in the middle just to make sure I was not alone feeling annoyed with few elements.
1) Leonie’s group of “friends” are horrible. They just keep pushing her and maybe she needed a bit of help to get out of her comfort zone but the way they do it did not feel ok.
2) Leonie seems so clueless about everything like she is supposed to be in her late 30s, but she just acts like nothing is ever her fault. She is so immature and passive about everything… “Should I tell Jack?” “It does not feel right to do this BEHIND HIS BACK”… ok well just tell him?
3) Jack seems to either be a hot golden retriever nerd with insecurities OR a really inappropriate tech bro cheating on his wife. Nothing is ever black or white but just pick one personality
I am still giving it 3 stars ⭐️ because it was entertaining and you just want to know how the stories and the lies will unfold. The story was cute and the setting (tech start up) original 💕
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange of an honest review 🫶
1) Leonie’s group of “friends” are horrible. They just keep pushing her and maybe she needed a bit of help to get out of her comfort zone but the way they do it did not feel ok.
2) Leonie seems so clueless about everything like she is supposed to be in her late 30s, but she just acts like nothing is ever her fault. She is so immature and passive about everything… “Should I tell Jack?” “It does not feel right to do this BEHIND HIS BACK”… ok well just tell him?
3) Jack seems to either be a hot golden retriever nerd with insecurities OR a really inappropriate tech bro cheating on his wife. Nothing is ever black or white but just pick one personality
I am still giving it 3 stars ⭐️ because it was entertaining and you just want to know how the stories and the lies will unfold. The story was cute and the setting (tech start up) original 💕
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange of an honest review 🫶
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2023
This book has a fun premise and I did enjoy it but it definitely could have been better. I want to piggyback on what another reviewer stated in that this is way too techie for the normal person to read and understand in parts. My husband works for a big techie firm and has for many years, and we have had many conversations around coding, apps, etc. and I still didn't understand half of what the author was trying to portray. It will definitely put some readers off and I did find myself skipping those parts.
The romance was just ok. I felt Jack was acting like a baby and getting pissy for little to no reason. He way over-reacted to a couple of situations. I did like their chemistry when they were together but then like a light switch it just shuts off. Also, if you are going to do open door, then do open door. I felt like the author wanted to make it spicy but skipped some of the good parts lol.
Solid start for a debut author and with a bit of fine-tuning future works will be even better.
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Clara O'Connor for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The romance was just ok. I felt Jack was acting like a baby and getting pissy for little to no reason. He way over-reacted to a couple of situations. I did like their chemistry when they were together but then like a light switch it just shuts off. Also, if you are going to do open door, then do open door. I felt like the author wanted to make it spicy but skipped some of the good parts lol.
Solid start for a debut author and with a bit of fine-tuning future works will be even better.
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Clara O'Connor for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2024
Nope! No! Absolutely not!
I didn't like the writing style - too much inner monologue. I didn't find the book funny either.
But the real clencher was a revelation about the male MC at about 75% in the book that should have been mentioned within the first 20%.
I didn't like the writing style - too much inner monologue. I didn't find the book funny either.
But the real clencher was a revelation about the male MC at about 75% in the book that should have been mentioned within the first 20%.
December 20, 2023
I don't know how to deal with this review, because this book is simply the worst thing I've read in a long time. I'm not going to say of my whole life, because I have read bad books and as time goes by I forget about them, but in the last years I have always been able to get something good out of books I didn't like, but I just can't get anything good out of this one. My feeling was bad when I was reading it and when I finished it, and it's bad now that I'm writing the review.
There is one thing that happens that for me makes the book horrible, but it's true that I wasn't liking it before that thing I tell you. In order not to make spoilers, I am not going to say it without putting the spoiler warning afterwards, but I want to emphasize that I was already not liking the reading and it is not that thing that makes me not like the book. A certain thing what makes it is that the book instead of being a 2 is a 0.
In general it is a book that I found quite boring, I think it doesn't have an agile pace and it was very heavy for me. And I think that's a big mistake when you're reading a "romantic comedy" because the theme itself invites you to be a fresher and more entertaining book, but here I found the opposite. However, I think that this point is something very character and that it can really be due to me and my personal taste.
I also think it is a book that sins of being overly technical or to put too many things of technology. It's not something that usually bothers me, in fact there are books that I love and these things have a lot of weight, but if you take this and add that it's a book without rhythm, I think it's the perfect cocktail to get bored. And, honestly, I kept reading out of responsibility to say "they sent me the ARC, I want to finish it".
---
Reseña en español
No sé cómo afrontar esta reseña, porque este libro es simplemente lo peor que he leído en mucho tiempo. No voy a decir de toda mi vida, porque he leído libros malos y con el paso del tiempo me olvido de ellos, pero en los últimos años siempre he podido sacar algo bueno de libros que no me han gustado, pero es que de este no puedo. Mi sensación fue mala cuando estaba leyendo y cuando lo terminé, y es mala ahora que me pongo a escribir la reseña.
Hay una cosa que sucede que para mí hace que el libro sea horrible, pero es cierto que tampoco me estaba gustando antes de esa cosa que os digo. Por no hacer spoilers, no la voy a decir sin poner el aviso de spoiler después, pero quiero recalcar que a mí ya no me estaba gustando la lectura y no es esa cosa que hace que a mí no me guste el libro. Cierta cosa lo que hace es que el libro en vez de ser un 2 sea un 0.
En general es un libro que me ha parecido bastante aburrido, creo que no tiene un ritmo ágil y se me hacía muy pesado. Y creo que eso ya es un gran error cuando estas leyendo una “comedia romántica” porque la propia temática te invita a que sea un libro más fresco y entretenido, pero es que aquí me ha parecido lo contrario. Sin embargo, creo que este punto es algo muy personajes y que realmente se puede deber a mí y a mí gusto personal.
También creo que es un libro que peca de ser excesivamente técnico o de meter demasiadas cosas de tecnología. A mí normalmente no es algo que me moleste, de hecho hay libros que adoro y tienen mucho peso estas cosas, pero es que si coges esto y le sumas que es un libro sin ritmo, pues creo que es el coctel perfecto para que te aburras. Y, sinceramente, yo seguí leyendo por responsabilidad de decir “me han enviado el ARC, quiero terminarlo”.
There is one thing that happens that for me makes the book horrible, but it's true that I wasn't liking it before that thing I tell you. In order not to make spoilers, I am not going to say it without putting the spoiler warning afterwards, but I want to emphasize that I was already not liking the reading and it is not that thing that makes me not like the book. A certain thing what makes it is that the book instead of being a 2 is a 0.
In general it is a book that I found quite boring, I think it doesn't have an agile pace and it was very heavy for me. And I think that's a big mistake when you're reading a "romantic comedy" because the theme itself invites you to be a fresher and more entertaining book, but here I found the opposite. However, I think that this point is something very character and that it can really be due to me and my personal taste.
I also think it is a book that sins of being overly technical or to put too many things of technology. It's not something that usually bothers me, in fact there are books that I love and these things have a lot of weight, but if you take this and add that it's a book without rhythm, I think it's the perfect cocktail to get bored. And, honestly, I kept reading out of responsibility to say "they sent me the ARC, I want to finish it".
---
Reseña en español
No sé cómo afrontar esta reseña, porque este libro es simplemente lo peor que he leído en mucho tiempo. No voy a decir de toda mi vida, porque he leído libros malos y con el paso del tiempo me olvido de ellos, pero en los últimos años siempre he podido sacar algo bueno de libros que no me han gustado, pero es que de este no puedo. Mi sensación fue mala cuando estaba leyendo y cuando lo terminé, y es mala ahora que me pongo a escribir la reseña.
Hay una cosa que sucede que para mí hace que el libro sea horrible, pero es cierto que tampoco me estaba gustando antes de esa cosa que os digo. Por no hacer spoilers, no la voy a decir sin poner el aviso de spoiler después, pero quiero recalcar que a mí ya no me estaba gustando la lectura y no es esa cosa que hace que a mí no me guste el libro. Cierta cosa lo que hace es que el libro en vez de ser un 2 sea un 0.
En general es un libro que me ha parecido bastante aburrido, creo que no tiene un ritmo ágil y se me hacía muy pesado. Y creo que eso ya es un gran error cuando estas leyendo una “comedia romántica” porque la propia temática te invita a que sea un libro más fresco y entretenido, pero es que aquí me ha parecido lo contrario. Sin embargo, creo que este punto es algo muy personajes y que realmente se puede deber a mí y a mí gusto personal.
También creo que es un libro que peca de ser excesivamente técnico o de meter demasiadas cosas de tecnología. A mí normalmente no es algo que me moleste, de hecho hay libros que adoro y tienen mucho peso estas cosas, pero es que si coges esto y le sumas que es un libro sin ritmo, pues creo que es el coctel perfecto para que te aburras. Y, sinceramente, yo seguí leyendo por responsabilidad de decir “me han enviado el ARC, quiero terminarlo”.
April 8, 2024
Once Upon an Algorithm
⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Clara O’Connor
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Harper Collins and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Leonie’s personal dating algorithm:
1. Over 6 ft Tall
2. Funny and carefree
3. Well-travelled
But when a dating app leads Leonie to one night in Paris with brooding stranger Jack – the total opposite of what she’s looking for – she realises her list is missing out the most important thing: chemistry. And the chemistry between Leonie and Jack is off the charts!
Could the algorithm be on to something? When Leonie starts her new job at a tech start up the last person she expects to see is Jack. But there he is, sitting in the boss’s office, the man behind the code and the best night of sex of her life…
My Thoughts: Normally I put my trigger warnings within the body of my review, but is going here: cheating MMC. I really struggled with this book. The fact that he is married when he initially met with and had sex with our heroine just rings all kinds of bells for me. I could look past a married but long separated issue, but our hero lives with his wife, he then has no business trying to pin our heroine down. Onto the what the story is actually about. Our heroine, Leonie, has a dating algorithm of a few items. She meets a charming man while in Paris, has a one night stand, and looks to add “chemistry” to the algorithm. After she starts a new job with a tech start up, she runs into Jack again. Where will their path’s cross now? Can true love be found beyond the algorithm? Or is the damage already done and it is time to move on?
There were a lot of coding references with no explanations, making it very difficult to follow. I think having tech language in a book is fine, as long as there is an explanation somewhere behind it. In any other STEM I have read, if there is tech language, there was an explanation on why x was. Then we find out that the MMC is married three quarters of the way through? Not cool. Let’s talk about the friend group, who were not supportive of our FMC. Friends are supposed to uplift you, give you guidance that will allow you to be a successful person, not give you very misguided advice. The MCs chemistry was not solid, it was fluid, sometimes there and sometimes not. Lastly, the spice was one foot in the door and one foot out of the door. I enjoy both closed door and spice books, but this was neither, which made it difficult. The ending was not what I would like to have seen.
It has been a really long time since I have given such a low rating and it pains me to do so. While I liked the premise (expect for the married part), I think it could have been done differently and it would have been stellar. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this to other readers as presented. I will be on the lookout for the next work from this author since this was her debut novel.
⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Clara O’Connor
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Harper Collins and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Leonie’s personal dating algorithm:
1. Over 6 ft Tall
2. Funny and carefree
3. Well-travelled
But when a dating app leads Leonie to one night in Paris with brooding stranger Jack – the total opposite of what she’s looking for – she realises her list is missing out the most important thing: chemistry. And the chemistry between Leonie and Jack is off the charts!
Could the algorithm be on to something? When Leonie starts her new job at a tech start up the last person she expects to see is Jack. But there he is, sitting in the boss’s office, the man behind the code and the best night of sex of her life…
My Thoughts: Normally I put my trigger warnings within the body of my review, but is going here: cheating MMC. I really struggled with this book. The fact that he is married when he initially met with and had sex with our heroine just rings all kinds of bells for me. I could look past a married but long separated issue, but our hero lives with his wife, he then has no business trying to pin our heroine down. Onto the what the story is actually about. Our heroine, Leonie, has a dating algorithm of a few items. She meets a charming man while in Paris, has a one night stand, and looks to add “chemistry” to the algorithm. After she starts a new job with a tech start up, she runs into Jack again. Where will their path’s cross now? Can true love be found beyond the algorithm? Or is the damage already done and it is time to move on?
There were a lot of coding references with no explanations, making it very difficult to follow. I think having tech language in a book is fine, as long as there is an explanation somewhere behind it. In any other STEM I have read, if there is tech language, there was an explanation on why x was. Then we find out that the MMC is married three quarters of the way through? Not cool. Let’s talk about the friend group, who were not supportive of our FMC. Friends are supposed to uplift you, give you guidance that will allow you to be a successful person, not give you very misguided advice. The MCs chemistry was not solid, it was fluid, sometimes there and sometimes not. Lastly, the spice was one foot in the door and one foot out of the door. I enjoy both closed door and spice books, but this was neither, which made it difficult. The ending was not what I would like to have seen.
It has been a really long time since I have given such a low rating and it pains me to do so. While I liked the premise (expect for the married part), I think it could have been done differently and it would have been stellar. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this to other readers as presented. I will be on the lookout for the next work from this author since this was her debut novel.
December 13, 2023
* This is an honest review written in exchange for the eARC provided by Netgalley*
Sorry in advance, but this review is FULL of spoilers. You deserve a warning before jumping into what is marketed as a STEM romance.
Once Upon An Algorithm starts out feeling like a romance with a one night stand between our FMC and a man from an opposites attract type of dating app. Turns out she has to work with him! Classic romcom.
Well. DO NOT BE FOOLED. There is cheating. There are horribly toxic friends and manipulative family members. There is workplace sexual harassment. And we are expected to laugh it all off? No. This is a stort of the absolute TRASH that woman are handed in life, it is not a romance.
This seriously could have been a fantastic time if the characters weren't so terrible to our FMC. If it was just her family being terrible, this would have been great. But a married love interest is a hard pass.
I finished it in hopes that there would be some little redemption to bring it back to a romcom, but that did not happen. So, here goes my review.
Let me start with the lesser offenses. If you are not well educated in programming or UX, you will get lost. There is too much writing about coding, usability, and user design for a romance. Even as someone with some programming and UX experience from college, I was getting lost.
Next up, the family and friends. Eric, FMC's stepbrother, is literally terrible. He is abusive and manipulative. Over 80% into the book, FMC's MOTHER excuses his behavior as FMC "let him" make her feel like she didn't belong in the family. WHAT??? Then her "Greek chorus". They force her into going on the date that ends up being a one night stand. Then continue to give FMC the literal worst advice ever. At 90%, everyone has fully convinced FMC that everything is her fault.
And honestly, I could have forgiven a lot of those smaller offenses. BUT: the love interest is married. We do not get confirmation of this until >75% of the way in. They have had sex. They have had SO MANY intimate interactions. Hell, on their first date FMC asks if he is married and that's why he doesn't want to have sex!!!! AND HE SAYS NO. So over half of this book we are under the impression that this is at least kind of okay. And then this man decides to pull some MAJOR BS, saying how maybe he won't get divorced, which obviously doesn't make FMC feel good that he just wants her to what, be a side piece? He also villainizes his WIFE repeatedly for their "loveless" marriage. He went multiple years working 12+ hour days, 6 days a week not spending any time with his wife, but it's her fault?
We end with some totally romantic dialogue, such as "I told you, my new requirements aren't that hard to meet." Um honey, please raise your standards from a man that was cheating on his wife with you and sexually harassed you in the workplace.
Sorry in advance, but this review is FULL of spoilers. You deserve a warning before jumping into what is marketed as a STEM romance.
Once Upon An Algorithm starts out feeling like a romance with a one night stand between our FMC and a man from an opposites attract type of dating app. Turns out she has to work with him! Classic romcom.
Well. DO NOT BE FOOLED. There is cheating. There are horribly toxic friends and manipulative family members. There is workplace sexual harassment. And we are expected to laugh it all off? No. This is a stort of the absolute TRASH that woman are handed in life, it is not a romance.
This seriously could have been a fantastic time if the characters weren't so terrible to our FMC. If it was just her family being terrible, this would have been great. But a married love interest is a hard pass.
I finished it in hopes that there would be some little redemption to bring it back to a romcom, but that did not happen. So, here goes my review.
Let me start with the lesser offenses. If you are not well educated in programming or UX, you will get lost. There is too much writing about coding, usability, and user design for a romance. Even as someone with some programming and UX experience from college, I was getting lost.
Next up, the family and friends. Eric, FMC's stepbrother, is literally terrible. He is abusive and manipulative. Over 80% into the book, FMC's MOTHER excuses his behavior as FMC "let him" make her feel like she didn't belong in the family. WHAT??? Then her "Greek chorus". They force her into going on the date that ends up being a one night stand. Then continue to give FMC the literal worst advice ever. At 90%, everyone has fully convinced FMC that everything is her fault.
And honestly, I could have forgiven a lot of those smaller offenses. BUT: the love interest is married. We do not get confirmation of this until >75% of the way in. They have had sex. They have had SO MANY intimate interactions. Hell, on their first date FMC asks if he is married and that's why he doesn't want to have sex!!!! AND HE SAYS NO. So over half of this book we are under the impression that this is at least kind of okay. And then this man decides to pull some MAJOR BS, saying how maybe he won't get divorced, which obviously doesn't make FMC feel good that he just wants her to what, be a side piece? He also villainizes his WIFE repeatedly for their "loveless" marriage. He went multiple years working 12+ hour days, 6 days a week not spending any time with his wife, but it's her fault?
We end with some totally romantic dialogue, such as "I told you, my new requirements aren't that hard to meet." Um honey, please raise your standards from a man that was cheating on his wife with you and sexually harassed you in the workplace.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2024
Firstly, a huge thanks to NetGalley UK and One More Chapter for providing me with the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It took me a while to start this book because I had the chance to read some reviews beforehand (which also unfortunately spoiled a significant part of the plot - a quick reminder to everyone: please use the spoiler option here on Goodreads if your review contains massive spoilers!). The initial feedback wasn't positive, and it's rare for me to witness such a unanimous opinion. However, despite the general ratings, I try not to let reviews influence me entirely, as my experience with other books has shown me that my opinion can sometimes be the complete opposite.
I have to admit that this book initially gave off positive vibes: the cover is adorable, and I expected a cute, funny rom-com with a bit of spice. However, it didn't quite live up to expectations. The first few chapters were decent, as they were giving off the impression of a romance with great potential. However, it slowly started to become SO boring. While I usually enjoy the workplace setting in books, this one didn't kept me interested at all (I also skipped a few pages ngl).
In a rare occurrence for me, I found the MMC to be odd and disrespectful throughout almost the entire book. I don’t know if it was solely due to my knowledge of the awful plot twist regarding him, but I don’t think so: that made me hate him even more for sure, but I think I wouldn’t have liked him since the beginning even if I didn’t know anything. He just gave off an uncomfortable vibe, so I really couldn’t connect with him at all.
The FMC was definitely better than the MMC, but the potential that the couple showed - especially in the beginning - failed to ignite that spark I seek in romance book pairings.
I really didn’t want to agree with the many negative reviews I’ve read, but unfortunately I can't bring myself to rate this book higher than 1 star.
It took me a while to start this book because I had the chance to read some reviews beforehand (which also unfortunately spoiled a significant part of the plot - a quick reminder to everyone: please use the spoiler option here on Goodreads if your review contains massive spoilers!). The initial feedback wasn't positive, and it's rare for me to witness such a unanimous opinion. However, despite the general ratings, I try not to let reviews influence me entirely, as my experience with other books has shown me that my opinion can sometimes be the complete opposite.
I have to admit that this book initially gave off positive vibes: the cover is adorable, and I expected a cute, funny rom-com with a bit of spice. However, it didn't quite live up to expectations. The first few chapters were decent, as they were giving off the impression of a romance with great potential. However, it slowly started to become SO boring. While I usually enjoy the workplace setting in books, this one didn't kept me interested at all (I also skipped a few pages ngl).
In a rare occurrence for me, I found the MMC to be odd and disrespectful throughout almost the entire book. I don’t know if it was solely due to my knowledge of the awful plot twist regarding him, but I don’t think so: that made me hate him even more for sure, but I think I wouldn’t have liked him since the beginning even if I didn’t know anything. He just gave off an uncomfortable vibe, so I really couldn’t connect with him at all.
The FMC was definitely better than the MMC, but the potential that the couple showed - especially in the beginning - failed to ignite that spark I seek in romance book pairings.
I really didn’t want to agree with the many negative reviews I’ve read, but unfortunately I can't bring myself to rate this book higher than 1 star.
February 18, 2024
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book! My opinions are my own.
I don't read a lot of romance novels, but I do like to read something a little lighter every once in a while. So I was quite happy to pick this one up!
This book is about a woman who has been single for a while. Her friends convince/force her to go out with a tall handsome stranger (called Jack) when they are away for the weekend in Paris. After an interesting night out, Leonora gets back to London to work on a project for her stepbrother. Guess who works there, too?
I loved how this isn't a typical romance book where the woman is more of a 'damsel in distress' and the love interest is an alpha male type, being extremely protective and controlling. In this book, Leonora is successful in her job, has a group of friends who support her and she knows what she's worth. She doesn't need anyone to save her - she just needs to learn to lower those walls she built around herself.
I thought this book was well written and I enjoyed it a lot! There may be some more negative reviews here on Goodreads but I don't think this book deserves that. It really isn't that black and white. If anything, Leonora tells Jack exactly what she thinks of his behaviour and honestly, to me that feels a lot less red flag than the extreme protectiveness that is so often part of romance novels.
If you like a romance novel with lots of tension, some technical app-building management language and not too much spice, I certainly recommend this book!
I don't read a lot of romance novels, but I do like to read something a little lighter every once in a while. So I was quite happy to pick this one up!
This book is about a woman who has been single for a while. Her friends convince/force her to go out with a tall handsome stranger (called Jack) when they are away for the weekend in Paris. After an interesting night out, Leonora gets back to London to work on a project for her stepbrother. Guess who works there, too?
I loved how this isn't a typical romance book where the woman is more of a 'damsel in distress' and the love interest is an alpha male type, being extremely protective and controlling. In this book, Leonora is successful in her job, has a group of friends who support her and she knows what she's worth. She doesn't need anyone to save her - she just needs to learn to lower those walls she built around herself.
I thought this book was well written and I enjoyed it a lot! There may be some more negative reviews here on Goodreads but I don't think this book deserves that. It really isn't that black and white. If anything, Leonora tells Jack exactly what she thinks of his behaviour and honestly, to me that feels a lot less red flag than the extreme protectiveness that is so often part of romance novels.
If you like a romance novel with lots of tension, some technical app-building management language and not too much spice, I certainly recommend this book!
January 25, 2025
STEM FMC and MMC, app developers. I'm always looking for books with women in STEM, and this one sort of has it. The FMC isn't a programmer, she's more of a project/product manager in the coding world. I think if you don't know anything about dev ops, the lingo in the middle of the book probably gets a little bulky to follow what's going on. The author is obviously very familiar with this line of work or has friends in this line of work. The book starts out where you meet a ton of friends, like way too many friends, to the point where I had to look up if this was like the third book in a series and I am missing some context, but no, we are just thrust into meeting a ton of people all of a sudden. The entire book is only from the FMC's perspective, which I guess is by design so that we are constantly as confused as she is and never hear the MMC's side of the story. Huge spoiler twist that made me super angry: the MMC is married throughout the entire book until the last chapter... the marriage is loveless at this point, but it's still a hidden fact and he's still cheating on his wife. This is considered an open door romance I think, but to be clear, there is very little spice at all, and what spice we get is written about on such a high level that you might miss that there is any action happening at all until condom removal is happening. Overall super disappointed in this book: almost zero spice and the plot was frustrating as hell.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2023
TW: Cheating MMC
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I picked up "Once Upon an Algorithm" with high hopes for a spicy STEM romance drawn in by the promise of a unique love story set against the backdrop of tech innovation. However, my initial enthusiasm waned as the story unfolded.
The premise of a dating algorithm leading to unexpected chemistry had potential, but the execution left much to be desired. The protagonist, Leonie, starts as a strong, self-assured woman, only to be disappointingly manipulated by a character who takes advantage of her vulnerability.
Moreover, the revelation about Jack's marital status felt like a betrayal of the reader's trust. While the author hints at his past, the lack of clarity regarding his current relationship status is misleading. The handling of this aspect diminishes the authenticity of the characters and their connection.
The narrative's climax, where Leonie extends a thoughtful solution only to face rejection, adds another layer of frustration. Jack's eventual turnaround lacks the depth readers need to invest in their reconciliation fully.
Despite a promising start and the potential for a compelling tech-infused romance, "Once Upon an Algorithm" ultimately falls short, leaving readers with a sense of missed opportunities and unfulfilled potential.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I picked up "Once Upon an Algorithm" with high hopes for a spicy STEM romance drawn in by the promise of a unique love story set against the backdrop of tech innovation. However, my initial enthusiasm waned as the story unfolded.
The premise of a dating algorithm leading to unexpected chemistry had potential, but the execution left much to be desired. The protagonist, Leonie, starts as a strong, self-assured woman, only to be disappointingly manipulated by a character who takes advantage of her vulnerability.
Moreover, the revelation about Jack's marital status felt like a betrayal of the reader's trust. While the author hints at his past, the lack of clarity regarding his current relationship status is misleading. The handling of this aspect diminishes the authenticity of the characters and their connection.
The narrative's climax, where Leonie extends a thoughtful solution only to face rejection, adds another layer of frustration. Jack's eventual turnaround lacks the depth readers need to invest in their reconciliation fully.
Despite a promising start and the potential for a compelling tech-infused romance, "Once Upon an Algorithm" ultimately falls short, leaving readers with a sense of missed opportunities and unfulfilled potential.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2024
This book is marketed a spicy, STEM romance and it just felt way off mark for me.
LA-born, London-based Leonie Durant is in her late thirties and painfully single. One of her best friends is recently engaged and her group of girl friends all head to Paris to celebrate. Leonie is a planner and a list girl but her friends urge her to try something different. They sign her up to a dating app called OPP/ATT where you input what you like and the algorithm recommends opposites that would suit you. Leonie reluctantly agrees to meet Jack.
When she gets back to London and is helping her stepbrother with his app/tech start-up, who is there too? Yep, Jack.
When I first started this book, I got all the romcom vibes, I LOVED the set up but it quickly went downhill for me. It was very work-based and I found myself losing interest. The biggest disappointment for me was that Jack (spoiler alert) was married. When reading a romance, I am looking for the perfect book boyfriend so having a "cheater" of sorts instantly puts me off. I know the relationship is described as them not being properly together but I couldn't get past it.
The spice was also non-existent and any scenes that did happen were closed door.
I did love Leonie's friend group and it was an easy read. I flew through it in a day(!) but unfortunately, it just missed the mark for me personally.
LA-born, London-based Leonie Durant is in her late thirties and painfully single. One of her best friends is recently engaged and her group of girl friends all head to Paris to celebrate. Leonie is a planner and a list girl but her friends urge her to try something different. They sign her up to a dating app called OPP/ATT where you input what you like and the algorithm recommends opposites that would suit you. Leonie reluctantly agrees to meet Jack.
When she gets back to London and is helping her stepbrother with his app/tech start-up, who is there too? Yep, Jack.
When I first started this book, I got all the romcom vibes, I LOVED the set up but it quickly went downhill for me. It was very work-based and I found myself losing interest. The biggest disappointment for me was that Jack (spoiler alert) was married. When reading a romance, I am looking for the perfect book boyfriend so having a "cheater" of sorts instantly puts me off. I know the relationship is described as them not being properly together but I couldn't get past it.
The spice was also non-existent and any scenes that did happen were closed door.
I did love Leonie's friend group and it was an easy read. I flew through it in a day(!) but unfortunately, it just missed the mark for me personally.
December 30, 2023
Thank you #Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book which contains spoilers.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The main theme of the book is around people judging others based on appearance/perceived social and monetary status etc and the incorrect assumptions these can lead to.
The thing is the characters do unforgivable things to each other which are seemingly allowed/brushed off by others in the story, because of this theme and each character feeling so hard done by that they allow bad behaviour by others because somehow it just continues to cement the sentiment.
For spoilers the hero is married till the last chapter and goes back and forth about perhaps trying to make things work with his wife again. The heroine somehow doesn’t know the organisational structure of the company she is working for and so doesn’t realise the hero is equal owner and keeps him out of big decisions for the company.
In retrospect the hero’s attitude is completely immature and stuck in how he was treated as a kid and I think he will continue to make bad choices because he is so stuck in this narrative that he is determined to perpetuate it.
The heroine seems as lost at the end as she was at the beginning.
One thing I did like about the book was her descriptions of the work process of developing an app. I actually found that quite interesting. I like romance stories where we learn about something and I get ann insight into other careers/life paths.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The main theme of the book is around people judging others based on appearance/perceived social and monetary status etc and the incorrect assumptions these can lead to.
The thing is the characters do unforgivable things to each other which are seemingly allowed/brushed off by others in the story, because of this theme and each character feeling so hard done by that they allow bad behaviour by others because somehow it just continues to cement the sentiment.
For spoilers the hero is married till the last chapter and goes back and forth about perhaps trying to make things work with his wife again. The heroine somehow doesn’t know the organisational structure of the company she is working for and so doesn’t realise the hero is equal owner and keeps him out of big decisions for the company.
In retrospect the hero’s attitude is completely immature and stuck in how he was treated as a kid and I think he will continue to make bad choices because he is so stuck in this narrative that he is determined to perpetuate it.
The heroine seems as lost at the end as she was at the beginning.
One thing I did like about the book was her descriptions of the work process of developing an app. I actually found that quite interesting. I like romance stories where we learn about something and I get ann insight into other careers/life paths.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2024
I saw this recommended on Libby and decided to give it a shot. It’s not often I find a romance book rec that doesn’t come from booktok or the book store. I personally like to go into books blind, so I didn’t read what it was about or look at reviews- I think that’s a thing I might change.
I listened to the audiobook, and only finished it because I was at work and didn’t have to spend too much mental energy paying attention. I wish I had not finished it, because the book was trash (imo) from start to finish, and had no redeeming qualities. I didn’t even care if the hero or heroine got together in the end, because they both sucked.
The heroine really never connected that her asshole brother was selling the app without Jack’s permission? She really thought lying and going behind someone’s back was ethically okay, even if they weren’t partner? She didn’t see how much Jack cared about the app he was developing and maybe thought, hmmm maybe I should tell him? She dragged the lie out chapter after chapter, with multiple instances where she could have confessed, and in the end it didn’t even really matter because
Jack was married the entire time. And his wife was dating the heroine’s brother. And in a convoluted plot point, the wife could sign over shares or Jack could stay married and sell the app and blah blah blah. But Jack was MARRIED and willing to stay with his wife, completely lying and deceiving the heroine the entire time- even after having sex with her.
They both were awful people, and both made awful choices, and they both lied. I’ve never not cared about a couples relationship more.
I listened to the audiobook, and only finished it because I was at work and didn’t have to spend too much mental energy paying attention. I wish I had not finished it, because the book was trash (imo) from start to finish, and had no redeeming qualities. I didn’t even care if the hero or heroine got together in the end, because they both sucked.
The heroine really never connected that her asshole brother was selling the app without Jack’s permission? She really thought lying and going behind someone’s back was ethically okay, even if they weren’t partner? She didn’t see how much Jack cared about the app he was developing and maybe thought, hmmm maybe I should tell him? She dragged the lie out chapter after chapter, with multiple instances where she could have confessed, and in the end it didn’t even really matter because
Jack was married the entire time. And his wife was dating the heroine’s brother. And in a convoluted plot point, the wife could sign over shares or Jack could stay married and sell the app and blah blah blah. But Jack was MARRIED and willing to stay with his wife, completely lying and deceiving the heroine the entire time- even after having sex with her.
They both were awful people, and both made awful choices, and they both lied. I’ve never not cared about a couples relationship more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2023
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.
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.
December 6, 2023
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollinsUK
It started very well. In her late 30s woman, with high standards and confidence. She went to Paris with her friends and she met through dating app with Jack. They spent the night together and the next day there was a lot of miscommunication. Which irritated me all the time.
It was also too tech for me. I skipped a lot, I understand some stuff, but not much.
I was promised a romance rom-com. But I got a sad story. And I was so angry. Gosh, what a dick Jack was. I wanted to punch him all the time. In the end, I would punch in the nuts and walk away. I would have been happier if this wasn't HEA. If it had a dramatic end.
But I still wanted to read it, it was entertaining and kept me on hook. I was so angry all the time. At Eric, at Jack at Leonie. You were supposed to be strong and smart woman and you let some rich stepbrother walk over you, wtf.
The writing style was good and the story was fast-paced. I think I gave it 3 stars because I was angry with the characters. But anger is better than no emotion, right?
It started very well. In her late 30s woman, with high standards and confidence. She went to Paris with her friends and she met through dating app with Jack. They spent the night together and the next day there was a lot of miscommunication. Which irritated me all the time.
It was also too tech for me. I skipped a lot, I understand some stuff, but not much.
I was promised a romance rom-com. But I got a sad story. And I was so angry. Gosh, what a dick Jack was. I wanted to punch him all the time. In the end, I would punch in the nuts and walk away. I would have been happier if this wasn't HEA. If it had a dramatic end.
But I still wanted to read it, it was entertaining and kept me on hook. I was so angry all the time. At Eric, at Jack at Leonie. You were supposed to be strong and smart woman and you let some rich stepbrother walk over you, wtf.
The writing style was good and the story was fast-paced. I think I gave it 3 stars because I was angry with the characters. But anger is better than no emotion, right?
January 5, 2024
I love the premise, but the writing leaned heavily into tech project management speak that made me think I was at work.
I like that this story had an older (mid-thirties) FMC and a younger MMC. I love that our FMC had her own 'Greek Chorus' of best friends who were always available and supportive. I also like that our FMC was capable and the story wasn't about her 'finding herself', but instead allowing herself to be vulnerable. Bonus points for referencing The Princess Bride.
I didn't like that there were many miscommunication tropes happening here between the FMC and the MMC, the FMC and her brother, and the FMC and her parents.
I work in Agile/Project Management, so maybe this book hits a little different for me than for others, but there's a lot of jargon that took me out of the story. We have MVP (minimum viable product), Sprint, Ts and Cs and even a casual reference to the EU GDPR regarding privacy and information sharing laws. Perhaps it's because of my work background, but I felt like I was working while reading this book, instead of relaxing with a contemporary romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter HC for providing me an advanced reader copy.
This book is best read while sitting in economy on a transatlantic flight, pressed up against your workplace crush.
I like that this story had an older (mid-thirties) FMC and a younger MMC. I love that our FMC had her own 'Greek Chorus' of best friends who were always available and supportive. I also like that our FMC was capable and the story wasn't about her 'finding herself', but instead allowing herself to be vulnerable. Bonus points for referencing The Princess Bride.
I didn't like that there were many miscommunication tropes happening here between the FMC and the MMC, the FMC and her brother, and the FMC and her parents.
I work in Agile/Project Management, so maybe this book hits a little different for me than for others, but there's a lot of jargon that took me out of the story. We have MVP (minimum viable product), Sprint, Ts and Cs and even a casual reference to the EU GDPR regarding privacy and information sharing laws. Perhaps it's because of my work background, but I felt like I was working while reading this book, instead of relaxing with a contemporary romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter HC for providing me an advanced reader copy.
This book is best read while sitting in economy on a transatlantic flight, pressed up against your workplace crush.
November 21, 2023
Thank you to the publisher and author for giving me early access to this arc!
May contain spoilers!
I almost DNF but decided to push through till the end. I’m super confused on how this is considered a romance/erotica novel when it contains none of that imo??😭 The two characters didn’t have much chemistry, their intimate moments were very low on the spiciness scale and Jake literally wanted to stay married to the other woman towards the end??? Which I understand was for convenience rather than out of love, but regardless, I struggled to find the romance between the two characters within these pages.
May contain spoilers!
I almost DNF but decided to push through till the end. I’m super confused on how this is considered a romance/erotica novel when it contains none of that imo??😭 The two characters didn’t have much chemistry, their intimate moments were very low on the spiciness scale and Jake literally wanted to stay married to the other woman towards the end??? Which I understand was for convenience rather than out of love, but regardless, I struggled to find the romance between the two characters within these pages.
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