A fun, lighthearted read. There is nothing twisty or surprising here, but it’s such an enjoyable journey that it doesn’t matter.

Recommended.

Such a funny, sweet romance with the most lovable characters. This was reminiscent of Rainbow Rowell’s “Attachments,” one of my favorite romantic comedies. Hope to see more of Zoe May’s work in the future!

A huge thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is more of a 3,5 than a 4 stars, but since I really quite enjoyed it I gave it a 4 star rating on here. It has its issues, and it's incredibly predictable, but not enough to dampen my enjoyment. The predictability is something you expect when picking up a romance novel; you expect a happy ending, you expect cozy and fluffy, and that is exactly what WHEN POLLY MET OLLY gives you. It leaves you with a smile so wide your cheeks hurt, and feeling warm and fuzzy.

Polly is a realistic character, which makes you dislike her at points, and love her at others. You laugh with her, worry with her, cry with her, be angry with her. Her only fault, which is one of my problems with this book, is the focus on the looks of men. There are attempts at making up for it, but it's so present, it truly becomes annoying. Brandon is the most obvious example, Olly a close second. Her "he'll never go for me" got old fast as well, but I'm glad she got more confident as the book went on.

Which brings me to the other annoyance I had with this book. The title already gives the ending away, so you know where it's heading, but the road to get there seems... off. It's based on looks (honestly, the word hot is very present, way too present) and dislike/contempt, until suddenly- it's love. Would have loved to see that be more explored and change gradually over the course of the story. Not to mention <spoiler>how Olly throws his entire life around after just one weekend with Polly. I mean. Really?</spoiler>.

As for the dating agency where Polly works at, and Olly's dating agency, it seems a very unrealistic way of running them, but I have to admit I have no clue whatsoever on how it works, so I'm not counting that for my review. It was very convenient for the story anyways, and as cliched and expected as it was, it still left me grinning wide and flailing.

Two characters that definitely deserve mentions are Gabe and Derek. Gabe is Polly's best friend and roommate. He's queer, has a longterm boyfriend, does drag shows on Friday night, and works in HR. I love him. He's there as a side character to Polly of course, but I felt that his own story was well rounded enough and I would read a book on his continuing story in a heartbeat.
Derek is the owner of To The Moon and Back, the dating agency Polly works at. He's kind, and warm, and loves his job so much, you can't help but feel warm and fuzzy towards him. When he lights up when a client finds love, you light up right beside him. He truly is a feel good character!

I really enjoyed it, and plan to read more of Zoe May's work in the future.

I really tried to finish this book but it just fell flat to me. It lacked a certain passion and intensity that I would expect. It was cute but not good enough to keep my attention.

I did not finish this book. I did not enjoy the writing style of this author, there were too many British terms that a NYer wouldn't use. The story fell flat and nothing really happened.

This was a cute romance. The first half was great, the second half was so-so, mostly because I didn’t really care if they had a happily ever after betweeen Polly and Olly. Still a cute read though and I might recommend to some of my friends with more vanilla tastes.

When Polly met Olly was a charming book! Just what I needed during the dark and gloomy winter. Polly was a wonderful character I wanted to see happy. Her side kicks were pretty fun also. The storyline may be a little predictable but I still enjoyed it very much.

'This rom-com was a joy to read. A quick lightheared read with drama, romance, and so many laugh out loud moments. This is a light read that while I did enjoy it, the characters did not seem fully developed and engaged with one another . Still an enjoyable read if your looking for a nice light read.

Polly and Olly work for opposing matchmaker services in New York City. He's twenty years older than her and wildly successful. She's a recent New York transplant from England who can't seem to catch a break. By all standards they shouldn't work together, but in When Polly Met Olly they do.

If you can ignore the fact that this was written by an extremely British person despite most of the characters being American (and believe me...that's a challenge) then When Polly Met Olly is a light-hearted, fun read.

I've really enjoyed the last two books I read from Zoe May: Perfect Match and How (Not) To Date A Prince, so I was very excited about this one. I have to admit to it being one huge roller-coaster of emotions and sometimes I wasn't quite sure how to feel, however one thing was for certain - I couldn't put it down. Literally! I was reading it five minutes before leaving the house to go to work, I read it at work and I took it out with me. It had this way of making me feel like I had to know what was next; I needed to know what was next.
My mixed feelings came from sometimes feeling like Polly judged people a lot and could be a little woe is me, however at the same time, she did often tell herself that she was being judgy and learnt lessons from her behaviour. The other thing and this is me being judgy now, but I couldn't quite get my head round the age gap between Polly and Olly. But maybe that's just me. Saying that though, I did think Olly was very cool and I could imagine him being incredibly sexy and intriguing even if I often pictured him younger in my head. *Updated thoughts* I may have changed my mind on this after watching movies over the weekend because...Paul Rudd!!! ;)

However, I did really enjoy the story and how I never knew what was going to happen. I laughed because the twist at the end I completely didn't see coming. I kept wondering what the deal with Olly and Polly was going to be and it totally surprised me. That's what Zoe did amazingly well; she kept the story entertaining throughout, hence me not being able to put it down.

Having been to New York twice and often picturing what life would be like working in the Big Apple it was fun being on Polly's journey and nipping out for lunch at cafe's, or grabbing cupcakes. It was exciting exploring the streets of New York with her and definitely made me want to visit again. I also loved that it was her dream to live there and the fact that she had put a poster on her bedroom wall when she was younger, so that she would never forget her dream. Even when life got tough for her there she never became disgruntled about New York because it was always her goal. I liked that about her and actually found myself wanting to do the same poster/picture idea with my goals! :) It was very inspiring.

If you're looking for a fun read that will have you: laughing out loud at the craziness of online dating, daydreaming about New York and learning a lesson in love then 'When Polly Met Olly,' is just what you're looking for! :)

This was a fun, charming chick lit book, diminished (for me) by only by a few quirks. Some of the characters and plots felt incomplete. I never found out anything about Derek's wife who deserved to be a character in her own right (rather than a minor plot point). Also, we are led to believe that Polly's room mate is going to develop a singing career, but nothing develops with that plot point either. Finally, the final confrontation with the woman who took advantage of Polly (by stealing her work) is ultimately unsatisfactory. I need more. One pet peeve: British writers and editors, please ask an American to read over the dialog for American characters. It's way off for New Yorkers to speak like Brits. This is actually discussed once on Polly and Olly's date in a weird way....we know the work ramshackle and use it all the time. But we would never describe someone's height using the metric system or say that a restaurant "does" a type of food, etc. Please make the effort to keep the voices authentic.

Zoe May is my new Queen of dating romcoms! Perfect Match was such a great read last year that took the world of online dating and exposed it for all its hilarious, shallow and perilous glory in a witty, intelligent and refreshing debut. This latest book has swapped London for a swanky New York setting, but looks again at the online dating singles game and I utterly loved it.

Polly is a struggling photographer who, whilst trying to build up her portfolio, takes on a "day job" working for the quirky but loveable Derek, helping him run an online dating agency by doing the hard work in secret on behalf of their clients to matchmake. Despite her own love life being pretty lacklustre she finds surprising success for her clients, and yet frustratingly the one person she shouldn't be getting involved with seems to be getting under her skin.

It features a very valid and current element of the plot that explored how creatives are often exploited, expected to give their time and skills for nothing but "exposure" and I loved how that prevailing (& very wrong) practice was took down!

There's chemistry by the bucket load between Polly and Olly, a wonderful supporting cast of friends, and the sights and sounds of New York are just pure escapism. This book definitely has all the required elements of an uplifting, funny read.



Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this copy to review, opinions all my own.

A quirky and amusing romance from Zoe May; When Polly met Olly is a humorous look at the world of dating agencies and a reminder that if you dig beneath the surface you never know what you might find.

Overall this is a light breezy read but my biggest gripe with it was that it was a British story trying to pass off as being set in NYC. The main character Polly is your typical heroine, a little unsure, but likable and grows through the story slowly gaining her confidence. I enjoyed the other characters though some of their stories seemed slightly contrived. The only thing I was disappointed in was that I could never come to like Olly or feel like he was the right match, and there was no real reason for him to finally fall in love and change his ways. Read if you don't want to think too hard about it.

An ok read. Started off well, but like many others I couldn’t feel the chemistry between Polly and Olly. I also felt Olly seemed rather immature and childish for his age.

Olly didn’t strike me as an attractive character either - lots of signet rings? Eugh. Who finds that a good look?! And flirting and chasing after a woman 20 years younger seems rather tacky.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

I was drawn to the cover and the story and was dying to read this book.

What an enjoyable read. We follow Polly's adventures in New York, she wants to be a photographer but, you know, we rarely get what we want in life straightaway, so she takes a job at a dating agency and this is where the fun begins. Her love life is failure but that doesn't stop her matchmaking for others. She does seem to fall for people quite quickly but I think we can forgive her when they all eligible bachelors.

I really liked the characters, all quite distinct and interesting in their own way. It's not a love story in the traditional sense but more of a finding yourself kind story.

It's a light read and would be perfect to read at the beach or on your hols.

2.5 - "If I can’t find you love… no one can." Stars.

I really enjoyed the last book I read by this author, so was really looking forward to getting stuck into When Polly Met Olly unfortunately the same cannot be said on this occasion.

"Love isn’t a checklist…"

The main issue I had with the book was that although it was pretty easy to read. The actual Polly and Olly element is extremely sparse, for the first 70% of the book they knowingly interact a grand total of five times, and three of those instances more in passing than in any real meaningful way. Things are clarified a little more in the latter stages of the book, but not in enough detail to make any difference. I didn’t buy their relationship, I didn’t feel any spark between them, and I didn’t really see them as a compatible couple, because the only thing they seemed to have in common was their immaturity in spite of a twenty year age gap between them.

"I like the magic of fancying someone, when you first meet someone new and they just seem like the best person in the world. I love flirting, going on dates and building up to the first kiss…"

Follow up with the fact that the whole book lacked any real depth or development in character, storyline or emotional development and I finished it feeling a little short-changed. All the aspects were there to make it a really great read, with likeable secondary characters, quirky twists and such but it just lacked any real spark for me.

If you are looking for an easy-going, inoffensive read, then this one fits the bill, it unfortunately also fits in the unmemorable and underwhelming category’s with great ease as well.

I’ve read Zoe May since her first novel, Perfect Match, and with When Polly Met Olly she has certainly found her stride. When Polly Met Olly is a quirky read that is light and refreshing, an easy way to pass a few hours.
When Polly Met Olly was just a lot of fun to read. We follow Polly’s ‘awakening’ during her interactions with the dating company’s clients, where she learns that there is a lot more to love than what she thinks.
This book is classed as a romance, and it is, but not really how you would expect it. Our romantic lead, Olly, really only makes cameo appearances until about 65% through the book (on a Kindle). The romance is really a sub-plot with the main focus being the character growth of Polly. That is not to say that it isn’t enjoyable, but I would not describe it as a romance.
Zoe May has a lovely writing style. Each character has their own distinct tone, and their personality shines through. The story moved along at a good pace, and it was lovely to see Polly develop as a person. The romance, when it happened, was very sweet (and clean) without too much drama. The drama that was there was of the rumour/misunderstanding type and honestly, it wasn’t really needed, all it did was give Polly an opportunity to be childish, and by that stage of the book she was starting to move beyond that. That said though, it wasn’t a big thing and it was resolved quickly.
Overall, I enjoyed When Polly Met Olly and if you are looking for a light and funny read to pass away a bleary afternoon, this may be a good choice!

A fun and really enjoyable read. For me, anything set in NY is a winner.
Loved a glimpse into the world of online dating/matching.
A good read with some wonderful laugh out loud moments, I was rooting for the main characters which I think is a sign of a good book.
I’ve not read anything by this author before but I definitely will do so again.

I really loved this book! The story was so sweet and funny, it was exactly the read I needed! By the end of the book I genuinely felt like I’d known Polly forever and was left wanting a real life Polly as a friend! I loved how cutesy the romance was and I will definitely be checking out more of the authors books - yay for a fantastic read!