Iris is good with numbers. In fact, she's great at numbers. Educated, cultured and career-driven, she's got it all. Well, nearly. The only thing missing from her perfectly calibrated life is a partner - and not for lack of trying. After almost 30 years of searching, Iris has tried it all. Now, she approaches disappointing dates like research, gathering statistical evidence and formulating hypotheses on why she just cannot seem to find 'the one'. But something still eludes her - that unquantifiable spark.
Kim is too busy being the life and soul of the party to be looking for love. Her terrible dates make great stories for her friends and co-workers as long as she's not caught by her strict boss, Iris.
Recently widowed Connie is single for the first time since the 1970s. Her daughter, Kim, is determined to get her to try online dating. But suffice to say, a lot has changed.
When Iris decides to take matters into her own hands - using her extensive research to create the most scientifically accurate algorithm for love. She decides to launch Analyse, a dating app like no other. But she can't do it alone, roping in Kim and Connie as guinea pigs, setting them up with their scientifically-approved soulmates.
Because, after all, love is just a numbers game . . . isn't it?
Claudia was born in Dublin and is a graduate of UCD, the College of Music and of the Gaiety School of Acting. Since then she has worked extensively as an actress on the Irish stage, but is probably best known for her role as TV’s Nicola Prendergast in the long running Dublin soap opera, ‘Fair City.’
I have to be honest. I thought that I wouldn't like this book, but boy, was I wrong. This book had 3 main characters Iris, Kim, and Connie. The chapters leapt from one to the other but flowed so well together. Very light and airy read. It was very well written, in my opinion. I was pleasantly surprised with this book, and now I'm so very happy I read it.
“Somewhere out there, after so many false starts and disappointments, there really, truly is someone for you.”
————about the book————
Age: NA/A Genres: contemporary, contemporary romance, Type of ending: Writing: 2/10 Quotes: 1/10 (grand total of one, possibly two quotes ffs) World building: n/a Characters: 3/10 Romance: 3/10 My rating: 3/10
‼️SPOILERS BELOW‼️
———my thoughts———
Three women, all disappointed with the online dating apps already out there, decide to make their own. But when you’re so busy giving everyone else a happy ever after, you forget about yourself...
IKEA was mentioned four times. FOUR. FUCKING. TIMES. Yes, that doesn’t sound like a lot, but my poor nerves were in shreds after all these IKEA jumpscares! Add that to the frankly atrocious writing and we have our 1.5 stars! The writing...maybe it’s just because I’m a pretty-writing girl, but what the actual fuck was this?!? I actually started highlighting examples, because I was so annoyed!!! So we have “he said sexily”. Sir, there is NOTHING sexy about you talking! SHUT UP!!! And, “givvus a break” please. No. IF YOU TALK LIKE THAT, FINE. BUT DON’T WRITE LIKE THAT. And then we had this. “WTF is going on here?” Excuse me, WHAT? People actually speaking text-speak is one of my pet peeves...and that is a PRIME example! And then we have the plot—or, more exactly—we do NOT have a plot! Yes, rom-coms tend not to have plots...but this is a new winner. I NEVER THOUGHT I’D BE MISSING THE THIRD ACT BREAK UP FFS. Literally, the entire plot is about a dating app. and I hate dating apps so we were off to a good start So, you would assume there was more love story that the three chapters at the end? I certainly did—and *spoiler* there wasn’t really. Most of the characters I either hate or dislike, but A SPECIAL ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THE THREE AND A HALF CHARACTERS I LIKE. (The half is for iris, because I only like her half the time) SIMON—he deserves everything that man istg. HAROLD—a national treasure...this man is the cutest gentleman! HANNAH—I love you for how sweet you are, and how you actually stood up against everyone’s internalised misogyny! And HALF-OF-IRIS—because she’s annoying but vaguely good sometimes. Did I like anyone else? No. And possibly the worst thing—how the women in this described each other. Iris is constantly getting shit for being a firm, confident leader—something a man would be praised for. Connie tells her own daughter that she looks terrible, and wants her to wear different clothes. And the cherry on top of the misogyny cupcake is this little description: “Tarty looking, covered in fake tan and wears jeans with rips in them. Forty, trying to look twenty, but all she ends up looking is ridiculous.” What the actual fuck. So women aren’t allowed to wear what they want, at whatever age they are? And, mind you—these horrible words were said BY A WOMAN. Possibly it’s me, not the the book but I think it’s the book.
———characters ———
Iris: she’s ok I guess...she gets better towards the end!
Kim: she’s kind of irritating...especially how she talks...but at least she does what she wants so good for her.
Connie: I don’t know if it’s an older generation thing (because she’s like 70ish) but her misogyny and JUST HER BEING HERSELF. I hate dislike her a lot...
————quotes————
“Supposing it’s not a boyfriend or girlfriend some of us need? Supposing it’s just friends, full stop?”
———random extra thoughts———
I swear I’m not actually as mean as this review makes me look🥺
What a heartwarming book from the wonderful Irish author Claudia Carroll. This book is so relatable, funny, and wonderfully frank regarding the world of online dating. I found myself connecting with so many conversations that Kim had with her co-workers about hilarious dating stories and horrors. Even with her mother Connie, I found myself saying “yep, I’ve been naive too and tried to see the best in someone when I shouldn’t have”. And then with Iris, feeling lonely sometimes too and wondering where a cultured gentleman is. What made me love the book even more, though, was the fact that when I read about the author, she spoke of her own experience of being single, and it didn’t feel like I was reading actual fiction that was written by someone for entertainment at the expense of real people’s experiences. I actually felt like I was seen and understood in the journey that is being single and in the world of online dating. I would say this is definitely a must-read for all ages and all people who have dabbled in the world of online dating! I had a tear in my eye and a smile on my face at the end of the book and was really pleasantly surprised.
This was so much fun to read! I really enjoy romance books that revolve around online dating, and this was right up my street. Hilarious funny and well written. I light hearted, quick and gripping read.
3 ⭐ Está novela no es de romance, porque el único romance está en el último capítulo, es más de crecimiento personal de las protagonistas al tratar de encontrar su lugar en el mundo y replantearse sus decisiones hechas hasta ahora.
Almost a month after having started it, I finally finished it. The book wasn’t interesting; it only got interesting by the end but then there was a jump in time.💀 The only thing I liked about it was that it’s written by an Irish author and so there was irish references and slang that I understood.
Unfortunately, out of the many variations on the "love algorithm" theme that I have read in the past two years, this one is definitely the worst. Maybe it's because of the three characters I didn't like a single one of them or because somehow, this seems like a story more catalogable as women fiction, and that's where my second problem comes in, but at least I reviewed it on March 8.
Purtroppo sulle tante variazioni sul tema "algoritmo dell'amore" che ho letto negli ultimi due anni, questa é sicuramente la peggiore. Magari perché dei tre personaggi non me ne piaceva nemmeno uno o perché in qualche modo, questa sembra una storia piú catalogabile come women fiction, ed é qui che arriva il mio secondo problema, peró almeno l'ho recensito l'8 marzo.
Online dating is one of the marvels of the modern world. Hundreds, if not thousands of potential partners one simple swipe away. I spent four years in London using a plethora of dating apps having a wonderful time; of course, there were some nightmare dates and I even wrote a musical about it. I would actually say that most of my friends met their spouse online!
Although The Love Algorithm starts with a series of dating fiascos, at its heart is a story of three women who are looking for meaning in their lives. Ultimately, this may not be a partner, but something they didn’t realise they wanted. But, in their quest for love, they stumble upon an idea and as a result, change their lives in unexpected ways…
And this is what makes this book different. It’s not actually a romance novel, but more a contemporary story about friendship, determination and unconscious bias told through three very different women.
Kim is me ten years ago – working in a city, partying hard and dating more for a good story to share with colleagues, than true love. Her dating mishaps were very relatable and brought back a few memories, that’s for sure! At first appearance, Kim’s feisty, determined and smart (although her lifestyle didn’t seem to suit living at home – her mam is very tolerant of her late nights and drunken behaviour), but something about her isn’t believable.
Connie (her mum) is perhaps the most believable character, down to earth and motherly. Seeing her try her luck at dating in her 70s and thoroughly enjoying herself was a joy and her moments with her friend Betty were heartfelt and genuine. Kim’s colleagues are also well-written, although I did feel there was a lack of diversity in the characters and their sexuality.
Iris isn’t likeable and seems to feel very sorry for herself, despite her lifestyle being entirely of her own making; while she does evolve and develop as a character, her transformation was minor and I still didn’t really warm to her at the end. The insight into the world of online dating from a developer perspective is fascinating and this process was my favourite part of the book.
The plot is a bit slow to start with, but the second half is much faster and more interesting. It’s not particularly funny, although some of it did make me smile and I liked that the characters didn’t have the endings you might expect.
Overall it’s an enjoyable, relatable read, but there’s something missing and it doesn’t seem entirely sure what it’s trying to be.
No es un libro para mi lo siento. Además de que casi me da un bloqueo lector, no me llego a gustar, la historia empieza entretenida pero se vuelve molesta según pasan las hojas y aunque me gusto mucho Iris y como termino su historia, odie a los demás personajes.
A real feel good fun read. I loved Connie and Kim and really enjoyed seeing Iris find confidence as she realised what was missing in her life. She’s such a interesting character with her fondness for the truth in numbers. Although this is based on a dating app premise I really enjoyed seeing how the characters actually found friendship as a result of the app and thought the love elements were almost incidental.
Review for 'The Love Algorithm' by Claudia Carroll.
Read and reviewed via Zaffre Books for Claudia Carroll, NetGalley and Zaffre Books.
Publication dates: Kindle 4th August 2022. Paperback:30th March 2023
This is the first book I have read by this author. It most certainly wont be my last!!!
I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Zaffre. I have yet to read a book published by Zaffre that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 39 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Ireland 🇮🇪 UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. The fact that this book is based in Ireland is even better as I have been on holiday in Ireland many times so may even recognise some places Emma has set the book around.
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Iris Simpson, Kim Bailey and Connie Bailey. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book has fantastic descriptions that set you straight in the scenes. The cover, title and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly. This book is very well written with vivid descriptions setting the picture perfectly in the readers mind. The title, description and cover works perfectly with the storyline.
Love, LOVE, LOVED this absolutely gorgeous, laugh a minute, page turner!! An absolute must read!!!
This has got to be one of the best feel good reads I have read this year!! I have never read any books by this amazing author but I have already hunted all her previous books down on Amazon and added them to my wish list and cannot wait to get stuck into another one by her!! If you are feeling down or just looking for a book to life you up then pick up your copy og 'The Love Algorithm' today and you wont regret it!!! It is one of those books that are very easy to read and perfect for any reading situations whether you are laying on a beach or curled up in front of a fire. Iris is fed up of going on dates that are complete let downs and decides to do something about it!! She is a senior manager at Sloan Curtis She is known as Dreadnought Iris by the rest of the employees at Sloan Curtis including Kim. Iris ropes Kim in to help her with creating their own dating app which will help match people up using more specific questions that you really need to think about plus using her analytical skills. Kim then ropes her mother Connie in to help them to test the app out for the older generations. This book is absolutely ram packed with laughs, friendships, romance, alcohol, dates, disasters, family and so so much more!!! It is one of those books that I genuinely could not put down and I was walking around with it glued to my hands. I ended up devouring it in a few hours!! Claudia's evocative writing skills brought the characters and atmosphere to life ensuring I felt, seen and heard everything going around. I loved the Irish dialogue used, especially with Connie, which helped to make it even more realistic. Most of the dating disaster stories throughout the book are absolutely hilarious although my heart did go out to Iris in the first one and I think what he did was absolutely disgusting and it was one of the ones that was so sadly realistic I was shocked to my core. The fact that it was inspired by an online story that Claudia had read makes it even sadder. Which reminds me to let you know to make sure you read right until the end of the book to read a letter from Claudia which tells you more about how this book came about!! The rest of the dating disasters throughout the books had me laughing out loud so this is your warning not to read this in a public place, especially not while drinking anything!! I made the mistake of having a cuppa while reading it and ended up with it all over me on several occasions as I just couldn't stop myself laughing so much!! I really cannot wait to get hooked into more of Claudia's books so I hope she is busy writing her next one!! This is definitely one of those books that will turn a frown upside down and make life seem a lot brighter. I absolutely loved the ending and I would absolutely LOVE to see this turned into a movie. I would definitely be the first in the queue to see it along with her next success!!
Clear your schedules and get the tissues ready for the tears of laughter, this is one book you will be hooked on until you finish!!! This may be the first book I have read by Claudia but I cannot wait to get hold of more books by this extremely talented author!!!
This is one of those books that is absolutely full of characters that will stay with you for a very long time!!!The characters were all an eclectic mix and each one of them were realistic and strong. I was completely invested in them all. The first character we meet is Iris on her absolute disaster of a date!! My heart completely went out to her for what that absolute **** did to her!! As I previously mentioned she is known as Dreadnought Iris by her colleagues and, to be fair and although I am completely against bullying, she does not help herself!! iris is extremely uptight and is all about work and numbers. She struggles socially and is one of the first to arrive at work and the last to leave, work and numbers are literally her life. She does make time to go on dates but every one has ended in disaster. I found it really sad how she lived her life and although she is extremely strict in the workplace and everything has to be done in a certain way you can tell that she would like to have friends but genuinely does not know how. I was really invested in her and I loved watching her character development throughout the book. It is amazing to see how much she changes once she starts socialising and people start speaking to her more. We then meet Kim during one of her dating disaster stories and I absolutely LOVED her from the moment we 'met'!! Kim is one of those women who can walk into a quiet room and have everyone laughing and talking in minutes. She is most definitely the work clown and takes her dating disasters in her stride!! She is full of life, spends from the end of the work day until just before it starts again out partying with her friends and coming into work a couple of hours later. She is always the centre of attention with a great personality. It was intriguing to see how her life changed throughout the book as Iris and her app Analyzed goes out in the world. It was not in the way io was expecting that's all I am saying!! Kim has a great relationship with her mother Connie who gets roped into Analyzed as a dating 'guinea pig'. I absolutely adored Connie who is definitely not the little old lady you may expect!! You can see where Kim gets her larger than life personality from and she is another character I loved 'meeting;' throughout the book. Connie's relationship with her best friend Betty had me in stitches. They are constantly insulting and trying to one up each other. However, after Connie's dating experiences with Ronnie who she meets on Analyzed Bettie and Connie find out many home truths about each other. Iris, Kim and Connie are the main characters but other characters that we meet throughout include Kim's friends Greg, Kim and Hannah. I adored Hannah who was a really sweet genuine woman. There is fantastic character development throughout the storyline and I loved watching each if the characters personalities grow along with their relationships changing and developing. It was lovely to see how many of them were so different from when we first meet them until we sadly have to say goodbye. An amazing group of characters that I would absolutely love to meet again in any of Claudia's future page turners!! Pick up your copy today and get to know them all yourselves!!!
Congratulations Claudia on an absolutely hilarious, fun and addictive romcom!!! I am looking forward to reading more of your previous and future books. I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! Welcome to my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂
Overall an unputdownable, hilarious, gorgeous book filled with romance, disasters dates, fun, friendship and so much more!!
Genres covered in this novel include Parenting & Relationships, Contemporary Romance, Clean & Wholesome Romance, Love, Dating & Attraction, Romance Fiction, Algorithmic Programming, Social Sciences & Research, Romantic Relationships, New Adult Romance, Parenting &Families, Humour, Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Women's Fiction, Women's Literary Fiction, Women's Contemporary Fiction, Women's Romance Fiction, Romance Novel, Contemporary Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Women's Domestic Life Fiction and Literary Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of ReaAnne Thayne, Debbie Macomber, Sarah Morgan, Milly Johnson, Jenny Colgan, Robyn Carr, Cecilia Ahern and anyone needing a gorgeous break away.
416 pages.
This book is just £6.64 to purchase on kindle and £8.99 in paperback via Amazon, My blog at time of review, which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Nii mõnelegi on kindlasti tuttav olukord, kus kohting uue kutiga on täiesti fail ning justkui kohtud ainult veidrikega. Kaks täiesti erinevat naist Iris ja Kim leiavad end tihti olukordades, kus proovivad õnne appi kaudu leida endale armastust, kuid satuvad järjekordselt kummalise tüübi otsa. Irisel saab aga ühel hetkel villand ning loob täiesti uue appi, mille läbi töötatud algoritm peaks leidma ideaalse kaaslase. Ta kutsub endale appi Kimi ning kaks naist asuvad üheskoos tööle uue appi nimel. Ja armastuse leidmine nimel. Hea ja armas lugemine, kuigi ootasin rohkem sellist kärstu ja mürtsu, eriti päris armastuse leidmise ümber. Küll aga positiivseks lugu sellest, et armastus võib tulla sealt, kus kõige vähem ootad.
The writing in this book was so informal and could be misunderstood so quickly if you didn’t know what some words meant.
The author used a lot of slang and tried to push an accent that fits her characters by changing the spelling of some words. If your character has an accent just tell us that.
At one point there was text speak. LITERAL TEXT SPEAK IN A BOOK?!?!?!
You really need to take a hike for this one because it unexpectedly knocked me out of the park- to say I didn't buy it at first was an understatement. I had to bear through Iris in the beginning, feel bad for Kim, and then wonder about what will happen to Connie (aka Kim's mum). Honestly I was going to give it a 3 or 4 ⭐ but no, the more I read it... The more I actually grew with them. Like this is actually a book that makes you understand the troubles and takes you through the whole journey and shebang altogether with the vibes of a slow burn romance with the book instead of a character. You feel happy for the characters and although I expect in the end that they'll find partners,
1) it's def not what I expected 2) Surprisingly enough, it wasn't romantic love that was the main focus but love that was more genuine.
To elaborate, it's the love between friends and families that never really faded despite the distant conversations. Those were the components that really got me and trust me when it all fully sunk in midway while working and reading, my mind was not only blown but my heart felt full. Because it's one thing to write a cliche romance about dating apps and all that jazz with the end goal being "familial love and friends are more important", but it's another to not only be able to talk about the importance of all different forms of love this profoundly while also talking about the challenges and all that comes with daring to choose and love someone.
In the beginning I was wondering who would be insane enough to do this irl (as a person who had been forced into apps before and didn't really vibe with it) but... even though this book didn't exactly inspire me about my love life again, it gave me a new profound view about it to which I say thank you Ms Claudia for writing such a masterpiece (I need this on a screenplay asap and possibly for Analyze to exist too for my other single mates 😉) all in all a amazing read and a well deserved 5 star. If you love modern day romances or if you just don't//can't believe love exists anymore. Read this. Trust me
¿Quién no ha probado las aplicaciones de citas alguna vez? Sin duda, en el siglo XXI es algo totalmente normalizado, no tenemos tiempo de conocernos en la calle y esperar a que el destino haga de las suyas... O más bien, eso es lo que cree Iris, nuestra prota. Una mujer triunfadora, buena estudiante, con un buen puesto de trabajo, pero más sola que la una... 🙈🙈
Iris se queja de que sus citas a través de apps son patéticas, nos da muestra de ello relatando varios sucesos 😅, por lo que como buena mujer emprendedora, decide crear su propia app de citas teniendo en cuenta factores que a otras aplicaciones se les han ido escapando hasta ahora.
Para conseguir el éxito en su nuevo proyecto le pide ayuda a Kim, una compañera de trabajo con la que no tiene demasiado feeling, pero que parece ser una experta en citas... aunque todas acaben siendo anécdotas para contar en el trabajo 😂.
A su vez, Iris se plantea expandir la franja de edad para que las personas encuentren a su alma gemela, así que no solo conoceremos el amor de juventud, Connie, la madre de Kim, nos mostrará la cara de una viuda en busca de una nueva oportunidad para enamorarse.
Por supuesto, Iris y Kim también deben probar su propia invención... ¿Les dará buenos resultado? ¿Obtendrán el éxito deseado con dicha aplicación?
¿Recomendamos?
Esta comedia romántica centra su trama en ese debate sobre conocer a tu pareja a través de una app o de si el amor no puede ceñirse a la compatibilidad que un programa de ordenador pueda llegar a realizar por ti.
Además, nos habla de todo lo que se puede llegar a conseguir solo con buenas intenciones y propósitos 😊, que uno puede cambiar el rumbo de su vida sin necesidad de agentes externos, solo con ganas y empatía 🤪
¿Os habéis enamorado a través de una app? Contadnos vuestra experiencia 🥰
El algoritmo del amor es una historia que nos adentra de lleno en el mundo de las citas online escrita por Claudia Carroll.
Iris es una mujer dedicada a su carrera. Los números son lo que mejor sabe hacer, aunque secretamente ansía encontrar a su compañero de vida. Ha probado todas las aplicaciones de citas sin éxito hasta que un día decide crear su propia aplicación.
Kim es lo opuesto a Iris: el alma de la fiesta; aunque tienen algo en comun y es que también ha probado todas las aplicaciones de citas que existen sin exito.
Connie enviudó recientemente y está soltera por primera vez desde los años 70, pero ante la insistencia de Kim, ella también se está sumergiendo en el mundo de las citas en línea. ¿Qué les sucederá a estas mujeres que deciden probar la aplicación de citas de Iris? ¿Les brindará la felicidad que buscan?
Aunque El algoritmo del amor comienza con una serie de fiascos en las citas, en el fondo hay una historia de tres mujeres que buscan dar significado a sus vidas. En última instancia, puede que no se trate de una pareja, sino de algo que no sabían qué querían. Pero, en su búsqueda del amor, se topan con una idea y, como resultado, cambian sus vidas de maneras inesperadas…
Y esto es lo que hace que este libro sea diferente. En realidad, no es una novela romántica, sino más bien una historia contemporánea sobre la amistad, la determinación y los prejuicios inconscientes contada a través de tres mujeres muy diferentes.
La trama es un poco lenta al principio, pero la segunda mitad es mucho más rápida e interesante. No es particularmente divertido, aunque me entretuvo y me gustó que los personajes no tuvieran los finales que cabría esperar.
En general, es una lectura agradable y con la que se puede identificar, pero me faltó algo y no estoy segura del qué.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. I love rom-coms and am a sucker for books with words like "algorithm" in the title, even with the full knowledge of how often I am let down by this. This one did actually live up to what I thought I might be getting from the title and blurb, I got right into it from the first chapter and loved all 3 of our protagonists.
I liked the concept of Analysed (and actually replayed the list of questions several times!), and how it catered for people of all ages. I had , though I did like how this storyline was played out - usually I get a bit impatient if I suspect something that the characters aren't seem to be catching on, but here I was happy enough to go with the flow and let the truth come out in its own time.
I thought it was . Just misses full score because I thought it lacked that little bit of extra, but a very very solid 4*.
A story of the world of online dating from Claudia Carroll. Iris is cold, distant and devoted to her career. Numbers are what she does best - however secretly she wants a partner to come home to and share the ups and downs of every day life. She has tried all the dating apps with no success until one day she decides to create her own app. Kim is the opposite of Iris - the life and soul of the party and the office comedian - if there was a disastrous date out there - Kim's been on it - she has also tried all the dating apps there are and wonders if her Mr. Right is out there. Connie is recently widowed and hasn't been on a date since 1970 but at Kin's insistence she too is diving into the world of online dating. What happens to these women and they decide to test out Iris' dating app - will it bring them the happiness they are looking for - or is the answer to their problems closer to home.
Romanci mám ráda, ale tato kniha mě upřímně nudila od začátku až do konce. Nápad to byl sice zajímavý, ale provedení se mi moc nelíbilo. Čekala jsem romanci, dostala jsem především vztah Connie s Ronniem, který nakonec ani nevyšel, jedno konstatování v epilogu, že je Kim se Simonem, a náznak, že je Iris s Haroldem. Ani jeden (finální) pár spolu přitom neměl více než jednu-dvě konverzace v celé knize. Ne že bych neoceňovala větší zaměření se na přátelství, ale kvůli tomu bych knihu nečetla. Ačkoliv vztah Kim se Simonem se mi přitom líbil (a mrzelo mě, že jsem toho s nimi nemohla přečíst více), naopak Harold se mi k Iris vůbec nehodil, tím spíš mě upřímně moc nezajímalo, jestli jsou/nejsou spolu. Opravdu hodně mě zarazila i jiná věc: Iris na začátku říká, že je vegetariánka, a pak je v knize zmíněno, že si dává kuřecí stripsy, nebo že je v rybí restauraci. Tak jak teda? Aspoň tyto základy by autorka měla být schopná logicky následovat.
This was nothing like I expected but I think it was even better because of that!
From the name of the book you might assume this is going to be all about the romance, but it turns out that is the smallest part of this story - the true love story in this book is female friendship. Whilst Iris starts the dating app to find love, she finds something far more important along the way and I loved watching the relationship between Iris and her colleagues blossom. And it was also lovely to see a novel touch on the realities of loneliness in a sensitive and warm way - this one has plenty of laughs too! It reminded me a little bit of Love & Other Human Errors with the tech angle and Iris’s behaviour, so if you enjoyed that but want more of a friendship focus definitely give this a go - it’s a real heartwarming and addictive read and I loved it!
Another super page turner from one of my fave Irish authors Claudia Carroll. Kim is an actuary working in a big firm in Dublin's Financial District. She's the life & soul of the office regaling her work colleagues with stories of failed dates she's met on dating apps. Her boss Iris appears to be a workaholic, stays late in the office and doesn't appear to have much of a life outside work. Iris is lonely & has also tried multiple dating apps but to no avail. She wonders why so many of these apps don't match up people correctly. Through deep research she devises a new dating App called Analyzed which asks probing questions that require some thought before answering. One lunchtime she overhears Kim recounting a strange experience she had with a new date & recruits Kim to help her fine tune Analyzed.
Analyzed takes the world by storm. Does it work for Kim & Iris though?
I had just started reading this book when on saw on a national TV news program .. a discussion about legislation relating to the activities of dating website companies in my country. So of course it's absolutely on topic at this time.
The two main characters have each experienced major issues with the selection of dates offered to them on popular dating websites, so they decide to use the same analytic skills that they use in their day-to-day jobs and develop a dating app that's actually based on what they call a love algorithm.
"Did people in loving relationships realise how fortunate they were, Iris often wondered? One thing was for certain, though: after all these decades alone, someone like her would never not appreciate such a rare blessing." . This was a very light hearted, quick read, full of funny moments - the story revolves around three characters, Iris, Kim and Connie who all go through disastrous romantic experiences and eventually start questioning their loneliness. Is it a romantic partner or a friend who we need at the end of the day? . Thank you @zaffrebooks and @bonnierbooks for including me in the blog tour for The Love Algorithm, the book is officially out!
2.75/5 stars! The premise for this book read like a Love Hypothesis, Kiss Quotient, and True-Love Experiment mash-up, so I was really excited to read it. I would put this book in the category of palette cleanser. The lows don't feel that low, but the highs also don't feel that high. It's one of those 'just there' books. I think the hardest thing for me was that I found Iris unlikable, which I think was the point, but it made finishing the story challenging.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
This is a four-star read that almost added up to a five. I enjoyed this story, but I didn’t like the main characters for the first third of the story at least. I really had to push myself to keep going as it was a chore to read Kim and Iris, but then they started to really show themselves and you realised there were hidden depths, and it flourished into a better story, I stated to care for them both and then when you threw Connie in the mix, and her storyline that just pushed my limit in ways you will understand when you read this. Pick it up and enjoy it once you get there.