When Polly Met Olly

by Zoe May

[Lynn]

At her time of need, British implant in New York, Polly, acknowledges having the means of paying her rent is more important than struggling to make ends meet as a photographer. The result, she lands a job at To The Moon and Back, a dating agency. When her new boss Derek asks her to check out their main rival, Polly masquerades as a chartered surveyor looking for love. On arrival at Elite Love Match, she's greeted by the charismatic owner Olly and realises she might be in the market to find love too.

The hilarious narrative is set against the competitive dating scene in Manhattan. The secondary characters shone brighter than the protagonists for the most of the story where they support Polly in and around her new job...one she's surprisingly good at. I only felt the connection to her and Olly around three-quarters of the way into the book. Once I passed this mark, I began to feel the attraction between them as I became invested in them as a couple.

I like how the author challenges the reader by making this a May to December romance. Polly and Olly at their point of meeting don't seem like a good match for a potential long term relationship. Yet, as we get to know more about their backgrounds, it becomes clear their differing ages are not an issue as both are at a point in their lives where they are re-assessing what is important to them including the tentative attraction to each another.

Overall, this is a fun and flirty novel full of laugh-out-loud playful banter. If you're looking for a novel with fascinating characters set in an imaginative, yet realistic story, you'll love this. It's a perfect beach read.

***review copy generously received courtesy of HQ Digital via NetGalley***