Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Amen Maxine by Faith Gardner.

Rowena loves her daughter and her husband Jacob, but she is not happy in her life. Suburban life is nothing like the glittery and exciting days of being an artist in NYC. Now life is celebrating quarter birthdays and going to silly bookclubs.

In order to help Rowena adjust to her new life, her husband brings home a new model that Silicone Valley has been working on, named Maxine. Maxine is a much more advanced version of who we know Alexa to be, with very humanistic traits. But she has one huge ability that has changed Rowena's life. Maxine can make predictions of future events. Like an upcoming earthquake, or something much more sinister. But how accurate is Maxine's ability to predict the future, and is she really helping, or just creating more problems for Rowena?

Do you remember Minority Report with Tom Cruise? Where they could arrest people for committing crimes before they were committed? I got smacks of that while reading this, or it at least raised some of those questions for me.

I thought that this was a fascinating new take on a domestic thriller/suspense. It's got tons of tension and foreboding. I never felt confident in anyone's motives, and there were a lot of lines of ethics and morality that were definitely crossed. And without giving away spoilers, I have thoughts about the ending!

I kind of was obsessed with this one. I wanted to read and not stop. The perfect pacing, the perfect length the the most effect domestic suspense book I’ve read all summer!! This is a good one. Fresh take on a well worn trope. So much fun!!

Ok Faith Gardner is one of my faves and her writing skills are unmatched. Her characters are so real and well developed; I felt like I knew Rowena in real life. I love how she articulated her struggles with mental health and I had trouble putting this book down. However, the ending got a little bonkers for me, even for a sci-fi book.

Baby’s first ARC! Thank you to NetGalley & Mirror House Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Synopse
Rowena changed her whole NYC editors life to move to California with her new husband and baby to live close to his family and his new job. After feeling distant and with a decaying mental health, noticed by all of those around her, her husband gifts Rowena a beta device that’s supposed to befriend her. Maxine is like an echo dot machine, but with a personality. As it’s relationship with Rowena grows, her marriage and personal life seem to become more and more dysfunctional. Does Rowena knows about what’s happening to her, at all? And who can she trust, but Maxine?

I do admit to have a big bias for Technology and mystery novels. Both bring the unexpected, and this novel did just that. Rowena is an unpredictable character, easily influenced by actions and thoughts of people around her. It’s also painful to feel how alone she is, and that made me take some breaks from the book, because it put all my feelings on the edge. That’s my favorite part about it. I got angry, sad, happy, nervous and so so many different emotions would come up to me that I really felt like living Rowena’s life. To feel her despair, to trust Maxine, to keep an eye out for her husband.

The writing is easy going and also focused, when you can know what needs to be know enough to put you in the scene. I devoured this book and can’t recommend enough for my fellow mystery lovers. Amem, Maxine.

Thank you @netgalley for giving me a copy of this book!

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨
I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK.

Holy hell. This book was 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻

TLDR plot: Rowena is newly married and a new mom when she gets a beta of new AI her husband's company is developing. But what does Rowena do when Maxine, the AI, insists that her perfect life is a lie?

Guys this novel had me pulled in within the first 20 pages. Being a new mom myself (lol ok my toddler is 2 in 5 months 😂) I just could relate to Rowena so much.

Also not gonna lie, I loved the subtle fourth wall breaking ("Dear reader..." was one part I remember). This book had me captivated until the end. AMEN MAXINE was full of complex characters and honestly...the plot of the book could happen now in 2022. SO good y'all.

AMEN MAXINE might just be in my top 10 for 2022 👏🏻 Check it out!

Original and Twisty

"Fate is constantly rerouted."

Amen Maxine is a domestic suspense novel about a digital assistant that is brought into a marriage on the edge.

Rowena and Jacob moved from NYC to Silicon Valley to raise their newborn, Michelle. Rowena hates her new life in California. She is depressed, anxious, and lonely, which is having an impact on her marriage. When Jacob brings home a beta model of Maxine, a digital personal assistant, who can offer advice and use predictive behavior technology to "see the future," Rowena reluctantly invites the machine into her life. Soon Maxine shares dire predictions with Rowena, resulting in the implosion of her life as she knew it.

Told through Rowena’s eyes, I enjoyed her voice. She is sharp, snarky, and a hot mess. Maxine is the only other voice added to the story, and I am still not sure if Maxine is innocent or sinister, which are interesting elements to consider since Maxine is a computer.

This is a fast-paced, tension packed read with some surprising twists and turns. I enjoyed several aspects of this book, including the doubt Maxine casts on all characters. The ending still has me pondering who was the true villain.

This is a thought-provoking read, and it deserves all of the hype its been receiving. Thank you to all of my GR friends who put this book on my radar!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.

Loved this one! Such a fast paced and unique story, totally fresh concept! A new mother suffering postpartum is given a beta AI assistant and then the fun begins. Don’t let the science fiction part of that stop you, there is very little science to trip the reader up. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for a thriller with a brand new twist!

Thank you Netgalley, Mirror House Press and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: July 23, 2022 so AVAILABLE NOW!

I almost didn't read this book because I thought the AI theme would make it too sci-fi-ish. Boy was I wrong! This is about a machine called Maxine, sort of an Alexa on steroids.

Rowena has an almost 1-year old, a mostly absent husband, and Maxine. Skeptical at first, Rowena comes to rely on Maxine as her machine learning becomes all encompassing. As her husband works late, or comes to bed with his AI goggles on, Rowena begins to trust Maxine more and more. She gives the little glowing machine access to most of her life - emails, phone, bank accounts....and comes to think of Maxine as a sentient being.

Maxine gives Rowena insights about her marriage, with advice and predictions. If Maxine is right 9 out of 10 times, can Rowena trust her? What if she's right 3 out of 5 times?

There are all the tropes we are used to with recent books - possibly unreliable narrator, gaslighting, mental illness, cold mother-in-law and more - but Gardner has handled them brilliantly.

I wish the ending had gone a different way, but despite that, I give this book 5 stars for it's unique storyline, fast paced narrative, and excellent writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mirror House Press for an advance reader's copy that I read in a day!

Alexa and Siri have nothing on Maxine! Set a little in the future, but not too far to feel sci-fi, Maxine sits on the table pulsing different colors as she befriends Rowena, the anxious (probably suffering from post partum depression) wife of one of its creators. Rowena comes to rely on the help Maxine offers through directions, book summaries, and other random things that help Rowena cope with her anxiety. Of course it all isn't that simple and the writing gave me my own anxiety following the ups and downs of Rowena's mental state along with the twists and turns of the plot. It's great when a book can pull you in like this one does! It also reinforces my choice to not have something like Alexa or Siri listening.

The premise of this one may seem super unrealistic, a machine similar to Alexa can predict your future or more so give you a heads up if something bad may happen to you. We can all roll our eyes at that but how many times have I had a conversation with my husband about a trip I'd like to take or product I may like to buy without ever touching a device only to the next time I look at it to have it promoting that. This is real!

Rowena has just had a child and dealing with all things that come with that, new baby, birthday parties, sleepless nights but on top of that she has a severe anxiety disorder. Her Silicon Valley tech husband thinks trying "Maxine" may help her get through it all. Win/Win for both of them. Until Maxine starts predicting the future if Rowena gives the ok to unlock this special feature. Which of course she does. Why not?

All in all this was a super fast read and while I wasn't blown away by it , it had a very interesting concept and couldn't put it down. As an aside - I thought the author did an awesome job relating to Rowena's anxiety. I also have an anxiety disorder and could totally relate to everything Rowena was anxious about. Thought how the author did that was very well articulated..

I will certainly read more by this author. I started seeing this pop up everywhere on GR and was completely caught out of left field that I had no idea this book was trending so highly. So glad I got a copy.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher/author for granting me an advanced copy.

One of the most original thrillers I've ever read! I meant to just try one or two chapters before bed but before I knew it, I'd binged the whole book and it was 5.30am. No regrets though 😂

What a creative, tense and addictive page-turner! I enjoyed the brilliant social commentary on how deeply ingrained technology is in our lives, made all the more impactful by through the book depicting scenarios/features that already exist or which you can totally picture happening.

Rowena's perspective as a mum grappling with a rocky marriage, a difficult mother-in-law and isolation in a new city was very well-written. Also, I love Maxine! How cool is it to have someone tell me if I would enjoy a book and how many stars I would have given it before actually I actually dive into it?!

I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending but overall, this was a gripping read that will keep you on the edge of your seat (or bed, in my case).

"Amen Maxine" by Faith Gardner is a Domestic Thriller set in the near future!

Rowena is a new wife, a new mom, and a New York transplant to California's Silicon Valley. She also suffers from anxiety and depression. Currently she feels anxious about her new surroundings and depressed about not knowing anyone. Her prescription med's don't seem to be working and she's missing her old life in New York!

Her new hubby, Jacob, works for a high tech company and being concerned about his wife's mental health, brings home a new AI product currently being beta tested by his employer. "Maxine, a digital friend" functions as a digital assistant by bonding with an individual, offering advice and predictions that have shown positive result for patients with mental health issues.

Rowena is reluctant, but as the new marriage begins to show signs of wear, she turns to Maxine and their bonding develops and intensifies. Maxine's advice is supportive and her predictions are accurate.

Then Maxine's predictions become disturbingly closer to home and Rowena is tempted to pull the plug on Maxine...

I don't normally read this genre but I just had to find out what all the hype was about and I'm so glad I did. Every time I started reading it, I couldn't get enough and every time I set it down, I kept thinking about it and couldn't wait to pick it back up!

This story is set in the near future with AI digital devices that do everything from dusting and vacuuming your home, to mowing your lawn and driving your car. So Maxine's presence in the mix seems quite the 'everyday norm'. It's both creative and feels believable.

The author has created a great mix of characterizations and the characters are well developed making it easy to get to know them. The pace never slows down and the writing style is easy to read yet held my attention through the entire book.

This is a fun book that I loved reading and I look forward to more from this author. I highly recommend this to all readers of all genres!

Thank you to NetGalley, Mirror House Press, and Faith Gardner for an ARC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

Wow! Who can I trust, the husband, the wife, or the AI?

Rowena is a new mom who left her friends, family, and career to be an at-home mom in Silicon Valley where her husband, Jacob lives and works. This unfamiliar lifestyle has taken a toll on her so Jacob brought home a digital assistant from his company that is still in the beta testing phase. The little box shows promising results in helping those with anxiety and depression. Rowena is uncomfortable having it in the house considering it a spying device used for collecting personal data for marketing. It even has advice and a prediction function which confirms to be shockingly accurate. Rowena finds herself dependable on her new "friend" more and more.

"Amen Maxine" is a terrific combo of domestic suspense - psych thriller with a mild sci-fi vibe. The story moves along at a relatively fast pace and keeps me guessing and doubting. It's definitely a page-turner. My small complaint is Rowena is hard to like and is another "pill-popping" unreliable narrator.

Welcome to Silicon Valley. Where smart devices reign supreme. Everything is copasetic- at least on the surface.

Wowza, this was such an original and captivating novel! This book lives up to the hype and then some!

While everyone else seems to love living in Silicon Valley, it is not Rowena Snyder's cup of tea. She is from the east coast (New York) and misses it. Rowena moved to the west coast after meeting, falling in love and marrying Jacob. They have a beautiful daughter and yet, Rowena is miserable. Her anxiety and depression are constant companions in her life.

Take a Pill!

Anyone else want to take that pill and shove it right down someone's big mouth?

Jacob says he is worried about Rowena and bring home a 'Maxine' who will be Rowena's digital friend. Maxine is programed to make predictions and interact with Rowena. Who wouldn't be skeptical, but this is the age of smart devices. Rowena is initially concerned but soon finds that Maxine has been helpful, caring and appears to be looking out for her. But then, Maxine makes a prediction that changes everything....

Amen Maxine


Loved it!!! As I mentioned, this book is original, unique, and compelling. I was captivated from page one and did not want to put this book down. This book was full of interesting characters who ran the gambit from being caring to manipulative and all things in between. I loved the who-or what-can-be-trusted aspect of the book. I knew from the beginning who I didn't like but I wasn't sure how things were going to play out. What a ride this book was!

Again, this book lives up to the hype! I loved its originality and felt it was very well thought out and after a few twists and turns, this book left me extremely satisfied.

Clever, well thought out, well written and riveting!

#AmenMaxine #NetGalley

Thank you to Mirror House Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Mirror House Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this one! This one was such a fast paced little sci-fi thriller set in a dystopian near-future where everything is feasible. This book made me feel all the feels and I finished it in almost one sitting!

This book had an interesting premise but the book was overly simplified and a bit dramatic, it was both a fast read and it lagged in parts. A woman in a troubled marriage is given an AI machine as a friend and one that can predict the future. Can she trust the machine, can she trust her husband. Can she trust herself.

Well, this book was definitely different, and definitely difficult to put down. Rowena, who is our main character, has just moved to NY about a year ago with her new husband, Jacob. They have a one year old daughter, Michelle. Rowena struggles with anxiety and paranoia. She cannot even drive up the highway without having a panic attack. She is also lonely, misses her life in NY, and wonders what would have been if she only had stayed there. She begins learning secrets about Jacob, realizing he may not be who he says he is, and starts questioning if he is even a dangerous, or in fact a murderer. Jacob works for a state of the art tech company, and brings a small boxed device called Maxine, who is like a companion/assistant. Soon, Rowena, with the aid of Maxine, starts to improve her anxiety habits and even makes new friends, but Maxine also warns her that she is not safe with Jacob. I give this book 3 stars, only because of the whole unrealistic plot of Maxine predicting the future. I enjoyed this quick read, but I must admit, some may find it a bit silly. Nevertheless, it was a refreshing read for me while in the middle of a reading rut.

In a Nutshell: Contains the usual psych/domestic thriller ingredients of gaslighting, mental health issues and an unreliable narrator. What makes it different is the outstanding role that AI plays in the proceedings. Works pretty well because of the intelligent and twisty writing. However, requires a fair bit of suspension of disbelief at the end.

Story Synopsis:
Rowena Snyder is a newly-married young mum who has left her job as an editor and moved from NY to her husband Jacob’s childhood home in California. Not only does Rowena miss her old lifestyle and friends, but her anxiety and depression are exacerbated in the new location. To help Rowena, Jacob gets home a new product that is still in beta testing at the tech company he works with. Enter “Maxine”, the digital AI who bonds with any one individual and can “do anything to help”. In addition to the usual assistance, Maxine also has ‘advice’ and ‘prediction’ modes that promise to help patients with mental health issues. Rowena unwillingly tries Maxine, is amazed at how accurate she/it is, and trusts her entire life to her new artificial friend. Then Maxine begins making some chilling predictions and Rowena isn’t sure whom to trust anymore.
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Rowena.


Where the book worked for me:
😍 Not once did I feel that I was reading an indie work. Such polished language, such smart plotting, and such complicated character development! All without a single typo. Take a bow, author!
😍 It is quite fast-paced, though it drags for a couple of chapters in the second half. I completed this within a day. That’s always a bonus.
😍 This is a strange mix of genres that usually don’t work well for me but this time, the combo delivered. The content begins as a contemporary drama, goes into suspense and upgrades to a medley of psychological thriller and domestic thriller. All this accompanied by dashes of sci-fi. Just be prepared for more of dramatic than thrilling content in the initial half.
😍 I loved how the intrusion of AI in our lives is depicted so accurately, even though some of the tech in the book is set in the future. The data collecting with or without your permission is scarily accurate. At the same time, I yearned for some of the gadgets that Rowena has in her house. If anyone manufactures those robotic feather dusters, consider me a willing customer.
😍 Though a lot of the story is guessable, there were enough twists to keep me hooked.
😍 I adored Sam’s character. I wish she had an even greater role in the story. She enlivened the proceedings.
😍 While not a typical unreliable narrator, Rowena casts enough of doubt on the occurrences to keep me questioning even her motives. Most of the characters aren’t trustworthy and this kept me on my toes while reading. I liked how Rowena wasn’t just presented as the typical new mother with postpartum depression but her issues went much beyond that.
😍 😍 😍 Everything to do with books that is sprinkled so generously in the content. Rowena’s attempt to concentrate on her e-reader while her mind is disturbed. Her longing for her old hard copies. Her desire to shun parties in favour of books. Her habit of quoting from her favourite books quite casually during her narration. (The geek in me relished those Easter eggs in the writing. But I confess, I wasn’t a fan of the Jane Eyre-esque “Dear Reader” – that breaking of the fourth wall didn’t make sense.) Rowena’s remarks about line-editing (not just in the books she reads but also in the assumed book of her life.) The one who doesn’t get the idea of book clubs. (One of my absolute favourite lines in the book was, “Book clubs have never made sense to me. Books are where I go to escape people.” Heck yeah, baby!) The book lover in me loved the book lover in her.

Where the book could have worked better for me:
😒 I am kinda tired of the portrayal of male characters in contemporary thrillers because their only role seems to be to gaslight the women in their lives under a façade of care and concern. This trope is getting boring, though it is handled fairly well in this story.
😒 Rowena’s grudge against Jacob is based mainly on all the lies he tells her. But she too doesn’t refrain from lying to the people in her life. Pot calling the kettle black.
😒 Some of the secondary characters’ behaviour didn’t make sense at times. Can’t reveal more without going into spoilers.
😒 The ending is too farfetched, too rushed, and too neat. I would have forgiven all other shortcomings but an OTT ending is never my favourite. It also left me a curious cat because it didn’t tell me some things I really wanted to know! 👀

Overall, the pace, the AI angle, the layered characters and the twisty plot definitely have an edge over the exaggerated ending and the hackneyed portrayal of the main characters. Definitely worth a shot – it is one of the better dramatic thrillers I have read this year. Amen, Maxine – indeed!

3.75 stars.

My thanks to Mirror House Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “Amen Maxine”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Wow! Move over Alexa there is a new girl on the block ..meet Maxine .What an original psychological thriller.Set in a dystopian type of world.It kept my attention throughout.At times the main character got on my nerves with how paranoid she was but you will have to read to understand why. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from the author in the future.Thanks to the author ,Mirror House ,the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is fantastic in so many ways. @faith.gardner has created a domestic suspense set in a near-future dystopia that is unique and memorable. The main character struggles with severe social and situational anxiety and this book shines a bright light on issues many of us feel are distinctively our own. The characters are relatable and the writing is impeccable! I flew through this book in 2 days not because I was at the edge of my seat but because I was invested in the people and the story itself. The ending is intense and I felt the story was wrapped up nicely. I highly recommend this book and hope you pick it up on the 23rd!

▫️ 𝕊𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤 ▫️

Rowena Snyder is miserable with her new life. Michelle, her baby daughter, is the only bright light in her life. The last year has been a whirlwind; she met and married Jacob and moved from New York to his childhood home in Silicon Valley. Everything she knows is different and she’s not a fan. Already struggling with depression and anxiety before the move, she is spiralling more than ever. Jacob tries to help her by bringing home from work a new “digital assistant” still in beta testing. It is supposed to be extremely helpful, especially for those who deal with anxieties much like Rowena’s. After much hesitation, Rowena has surprisingly created a bond with her new “friend”, Maxine. She allows Maxine to utilize her advice and predition modes which prove to be helpful on many occassions…until they become increasingly terrifying. She’s been right before so does Rowena trust her now even though her predictions could change her life forever?