Sophie Cousens (This Time Next Year; Is She Really Going Out with Him?) has a gift for writing crisp, nuanced romances with authentically awkward main characters. And Then There Was You includes all of those elements plus a strong dash of science fiction, thanks to some astoundingly futuristic technology.
Chloe Fairway is feeling fairly tragic about moving back to her parents' house after a bad breakup. She doesn't like her job either, and she is dreading her 10-year reunion at Oxford University, where she'll see her ex-best friend--now a famous movie director. But when a former co-worker connects Chloe with a mysterious dating service, she ends up having one of the best dates of her life with a man named Rob Dempsey.
Then to her horror, Chloe discovers that Rob Dempsey is not human. He's a walking, talking android programmed to be her match, and she's both appalled and intrigued. Desperate not to appear pathetic at her reunion, Chloe decides to bring Rob along to Oxford, where she reconnects with old friends and old flames. Rob turns out to be even better than Chloe at socializing--until his batteries start running low.
Clever and thought-provoking, And Then There Was You blends debates about the future of artificial intelligence with laugh-out-loud romantic moments. Cousens has a knack for witty repartee, and this novel is no exception. Perfect for fans of Holly Gramazio's The Husbands or Matt Haig's The Midnight Library, And Then There Was You is sure to appeal to romance and sci-fi readers alike. --Jessica Howard, former bookseller, freelance book reviewer