Prior to reading this book the concept appealed to me. However I was so disappointed in the execution of it.
It just seemed so unrealistic and forced. I couldn’t warm to the characters either.
A huge disappointment

I received a free ecopy of this book via netgalley.

I don't read much contemporary fiction but this sounded interesting so I thought I'd give it a try.  It started off okay but then as the story progressed it became very predictable and I started disliking the main characters.

Polly is a young Brit with a photography degree who is living in NYC for a more adventurous life. Unfortunately, her career hasn't processed as well as she would have liked so she ends up working for a dating agency where she essentially sets people up by talking to prospective others on tinder and then handing the profile back to them. I don't know if this is a real practice out there but that is very creepy. Almost catfish.

The story was long, predictable and just didn't have the depth to keep me wanting to know more. I just wanted it to finish already so I could start on my next read!

I found the use of exclamation points throughout the story extremely distracting. It also takes place in New York but the majority of the dialogue uses British colloquialisms that make the supporting characters and their interactions unbelievable. I like the storyline but I just struggled to fully engage through the excessive writing and grammar.

I requested this book because I absolutely loved the premise and thought it would make a cute and enjoyable story. The story was definitely cute, but that's about all it was to me. I liked the idea of two competing matchmaking companies and while the concept was cute I didn't think the execution was very good.

I liked Polly a lot and found her relatable, but I was not a huge fan of Olly. Since this is a romance novel (and you see in the title) you know that the two main characters will get together. I really didn't feel like rooting for Polly and Olly to get together for a few reasons. The main reasons being I didn't really think they had chemistry and the age gap was a bit much for me,

Overall this was a cute read. It was pretty quick as well. If given the choice I would not read it again. (2.5 stars)

Polly and Olly really were able to let me see that sometimes the very thing that can bring you back down to earth is what you need the most! This novel was so enchanting with its show of sheer passion, emotion, drama, and even a lot of intrigue.

Really don't know how to express in words the charisma, compassion, and healing one can receive from such an amazingly funny novel! I gave an honest review in exchange for This Magnificent novel! This is definitely a Solid 5 stars!

This was my first Zoe May book and I loved it, so much that I automatically one clicked her other books.
The story is about Polly who starts work at dating agency and when she goes to suss out the competition thats when she met Olly. What then follows is a witty, light light hearted romance as Polly try to not only sort out others romance but also her own. This is well written with a good pace and I read it fairly quickly. Overall a great read for fans of rom com reads.

Formulaic and pretty non eventful romance. The one redeeming scene is the Valentines party which bought some magic and sparkle to the book. It wasn’t a bad story or the telling of it but nothing to cling too or miss when it’s gone. Polly can be pretty irritating at times which does not endear her to readers. Derek however is a triumph although I found myself wondering throughout if his sick wife story was a sham as it was referred to constantly. I think by the time I got into the story it was pretty much ending.

Thank you NetGalley

I’ve not read a Zoe May book before. And When Polly Met Olly is a quirky read that is light and refreshing, an easy way to pass a few hours if you’re a reader. The books is classified as a romance but it’s a little different than what you’d expect.

Polly our h, is a matchmaker of sorts. It’s when you follow her during her interactions with the company’s clients that we see her learning that there is more to love than what she thinks and what’s on the surface. Our H, Olly, doesn’t really seemed to be around a lot until over halfway through the book because it’s more about Polly’s self journey than their romance.

I loved the writing style because each character has their own incisive personality and voice. The storyline maneuvers at a good pace. There was some drama which, I’m not sure if it complemented or hindered. There were childish acts, when Polly was beyond those actions at this point.

At best When Polly Met Olly is a enjoyable with a slightly different romance added.

I received this ARC for my unbiased opinion. Thank you to the authors, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity.

It’s safe to say that Zoe has become one of my favourite authors ever since I was introduced to her previous books ‘How (NOT) To Date A Prince' and ‘Perfect Match’ last year. Her stories are always so fun and light-hearted, leaving you feeling all warm and happy inside afterwards. Like all of Zoe’s female leads, I felt that Polly was an extremely relatable character trying to make it in the world and catch her big break. She is an extremely likeable character that you will root for from start to finish, whether that be with her photography career, her love life or both. I loved seeing the inside of a dating agency, where Polly sort of 'catfished' her clients in order to find the right match for them. I think that would be a pretty fun job to get involved with, mix and matching people until you find the perfect partner for them - I could totally do that! What I loved the most though, is one of the plot twists was part of Polly talking to someone as her client and I kind of saw it coming before it happened, but that didn't stop me from getting really giddy when I finally got to that moment!

Polly and Olly have an adoring type of chemistry between the two of them, and I would love to think the big age gap has something to do with that. Sure they aren't exactly two people I would immediately put together, but the more you read, the more you realise how perfect they are for each other. Olly is a very typical ladies man, who doesn't have much originality when it comes to taking them out on a date, it's always the same same - literally. However, there is something about Polly that makes him want a change away from the dating world and in the end his gesture is forgiving.

I loved the fact that the book was based in New York, as it is one of my most favourite places in the entire world and I can finally say that I'm going for the first time ever this year, eek!! Reading all about Polly's time there and walking the streets with her has gotten me even more excited for my holiday there and I felt again, she was relatable in which it is her dream to live there permanently, as that had been my dream since about eight years old.

If you're looking for a light and fun read filled with love and some slight twists, 'When Polly Met Olly' is the perfect read and I highly recommend you also read all of Zoe's other books while you're at it!

I felt like this was quite a bland book.

Don't get me wrong, Polly was a lovely protagonist, a photographer working a series of jobs before she really makes it. The matchmaking business plot line was actually the part of the story that interested me most: while the concept of a rivals-to-lovers romance really appealed, the execution just fell a bit flat for me.

Olly seemed really fake and, although he owned up to being soulless, I never felt like there was enough character development for him to be likeable. I didn't buy into the romance for this reason, probably, because the lead-up and early banter were okay.

Not terrible but didn't really grab me.

When Polly Met Olly is a brilliant modern love story. Not mushy or soppy at all. This is real and fun and fresh! I think Zoe May will be a name to watch for.

When Polly Met Olly is the second book I’ve read from Zoe May. This lighthearted romance read follows how New York matchmakers, Polly and Olly, working for competing firms meet and fall for each other. Overall, it was a decent read. I loved the concept of the story. However, I found myself a bit surprised with the amount of British terms used for someone who was supposedly living in New York for several years and the dialogue from other characters used British term as well. Aside from that, I do like Zoe’s writing style as it kept it me interested throughout the story. I wasn’t a big fan of the chemistry between the two main characters. It seemed a bit too far fetched, but the story came together and had a cute ending. Overall, I’d recommend reading Zoe’s other book, Perfect Match, over this one, but I am looking forward to more of her future work.

This was a very cute contemporary read. I love the relationship between Olly and Polly. They had me rooting for them through the whole book. It made me laugh so often and sigh because of all the cute!
This is a feel good romance with a great bunch of characters. The fact that it takes place in New York adds to its charm.

I really liked the concept of this book, the reason why I requested it, but the execution disappointed me. It's boring leaving the good story concept a waste. I don't like the romance, it's lacking too much and I didn't feel even a bit of a spark between the main characters. The characters themselves are not that interesting which really made me sad coz they sound amazing in the description. The dialogues are forced. So unrealistic and I couldn't feel the characters speaking them. They're just lines written on the page, and not spoken. Also, I think the characters are trying to be funny and witty and smart and cool, but they're not.

I was provided a copy by the publisher/author thru Netgalley. Thank you.

A fun book!

Polly moved from Cornwall to the States at 18. Trying to build a life. The book is from her POV. She was relatable. Her struggles were relatable! She finds a job, not her dream job, at a dating agency. I found it a bit disheartening, dating agencies sending messages to women pretending to be their male clients: men who can’t be bothered to invest a bit of time themselves. And there was a very formulaic approach to matchmaking, to love! Having said that, don’t think this is criticism about the book, because I loved it. She has a flatmate, Gabe, and his struggle with false eyelashes was hilarious! Light-hearted, fun! And for a long time I didn’t know where the story was going. You could interpret that as a lack of direction, but I mean it more as a good thing; a romantic comedy that can surprise! Although the first three-quarters of the book were NOT romantic for Polly WHATSOEVER, and although it’s all about other people finding love at first, the book was highly entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable. For a long while I was rooting for someone else. I didn’t take to Olly that much, at first. Too old for her. Too fickle. Turns out I was wrong. I like that. UK spelling, do take that into account!

This is such a fun and engaging novel with unexpected twists, a little office to office spying and several cute anecdotes relating to the people in the story that try match maker dating. There is a ton of soul searching that the characters engage in that add to the plot and to the relationships.
It is a thoroughly enjoyable novel!

Zoe’s last novel is an uplifting romantic comedy that it wil keep you on reading avidly from the first page to the last one.

Polly Wood is an intrepid girl who decides to leave her quiet village in England to head straight to New York so that her dream of being a prestigious photographer comes true. However, until this moment arrives she has to accept unpaid jobs like photographer in order to make a list of contacts and her portfolio grows. But her money runs out and she decides to take the job like a matchmaker in the dating agency “To the moon and back”. At first she has mouthful of doubts about this kind of job, since she doesn’t have a boyfriend and her last date was months ago and it was not successful , so she thinks she doesn’t be able to find the truly love for somebody when she doesn’t have even a date. On the other hand, she thinks that flirting with another women by online it can be something immoral, but like Polly says: the money is the money, and she decides to become in the new Cupid of New York. The story gets more complicated when she met Olly, the hottest man of New York, owner the prestigious dating agency : Love Elite Match. Will be there fair play between both dating agencies?

I enjoyed it and from now and on I will pay more attention to the future Zoe’s books

When Polly Met Olly is a decent story line with some major plot holes and inconsistencies that should have been better handled. Oftentimes, Americans were shown in NYC using British phrases (and once, the word 'ramshackle' is mentioned as an only British word, which isn't the case at all). Many different plot points are mentioned, but never brought to conclusion. Characters such as her roommate Gabe and her bosses' wife are mentioned multiple times but never actually move the story forward. However, if you can look past these problems, the romance between Polly and Olly is quite endearing.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

It was pleasant read, easy to follow, with an interesting plot, quite original, about that girl, Polly who get hired as a matchmaker, when she herself really successful in this department.

Polly was a dreamer, who had big dreams of living of her passion, until she clearly didn’t. She kinda revealed herself by helping people who were looking for love. I really appreciated the first part, when she met Olly, who seemed to confuse her. A.Lot!
As her boss’ rival, he sounded like a womanizer, so much older, cocky and too sexy for his own good but when she should have stayed away, she was attracted like a moth to a flame, flirting with trouble, for a man she should have no contact with, because business.

I liked their chemistry and the first part of the book was really good, Polly trying to learn the ropes about the rules of matchmaking, meeting a lot Olly unwittingly. A mix of cute, intense and really awkward moments that made me smile.

There’s no trifling with love and both were going to learn the hard way that being a matchmaker wasn’t an easy job for sure. Speaking about online dating, high expectations between men and women who were relying on their agencies to find their match, more than something meaningless, or one night stands. No pressure, right?

In the second part, some momentum has been lost in the story, a clean cut and which was unfortunate. The spark was really missing and the ending left me rather unsatisfied and rushed
Olly was pretty absent to me in this second part, and I wished they had more moments together.
It was a good idea in theory but it needed some development to strengthen the story.

I loved this. Easy to read but still riveting, and Polly’s a very likeable heroine. Recommended for anyone who loves a happy ending, love stories and New York City, which features prominently. Opened my eyes to the world of online dating, and I’d love to know how some of the sub-stories played out with Derek’s wife and Brandon & Eve.