MOVE OVER MAXINE!
JANUARY is now the latest model of Companion BOTS!

TIS THE SEASON!

Two years ago, the four Jagger children (Josiah, Julianna, Jesse, and Jada) were summoned to sunny Santa Barbara to meet their father’s new companion, January. It was going to be hard to spend Christmas in the family home, with a woman who wasn’t their Mother, but it has been 10 years since she took her own life, and with all of them grown and gone, Dad must be lonely.

They had no idea that January, was the latest Jolvix creation, a companion robot SO life-like that she could even drive the family car to run errands.

To say that the Jagger clan found it disturbing, that “January” was wearing their mother’s clothes, and living in their mother’s house, would be an understatement.

In fact, Jesse found it to be unacceptable, and the holiday ended in the “murder” of January.

“HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS”

Fast forward, two years.

Each of the Jagger siblings have been asked to come home for the holidays again, after receiving an identical sinister note-“Your Mother Was Murdered”.

Each has wondered if their Mom had really committed Suicide, and each had wondered if something that they had said or done, had been a contributing factor…

Reluctantly, they return home again, to the scene of the crime(s)?, confident in the knowledge that January has been repaired, and her memory of what happened two holidays ago, has been erased-eager to solve this mystery.

But, why does it seem like January still remembers? And, is she the one who sent the note that brought them all together again?

“JOY TO THE WORLD”

I didn’t think that Faith Gardner could top “Amen Maxine” but she has managed to do just that, with this holiday story set with the backdrop of chapter headings of all of our favorite holiday songs!

If you can relate more to dysfunctional family holiday stories, than the Sappy, Hallmark kind, then THIS is the book for you this holiday season. (Smuggle it in your suitcase home! 🧳)

Told primarily from Julianna’s first person POV, with occasional chapters from all of the other Jaggers, INCLUDING JANUARY, this latest Jolvix episode is one that you will NOT want to put down!!

So, make yourself a hot toddy, and settle in when you won’t be interrupted, because the author is delivering this domestic suspense story with a sci-fi twist, on November 1, 2022!

Each of the Jolvix episodes are set in the same, near Dystopian future, and have their own stories and characters, but reading Amen Maxine FIRST really helps to set up the others-so although you can read each as a stand-alone, I recommend you start there!

Thank You to Indie author Faith Gardner and Mirror House Press for allowing me to read a gifted ARC, provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

What January Remembers by Faith Gardner was an explosive story!

I knew off rip by reading the synopsis WJR was going to be a great story.
I didn't know this was book three in The Jolvix Episodes.... So now I must buy the first two.

What January Remembers was so cleverly written. Faith Gardner is now on my list of authors to buy because this story hooked me and dragged me under!
I don't know how she did it but she did the damn thing and did it very well.
A domestic suspense novel with a sci-fi twist! Freaking loved it!
A fast paced novel with brilliant, fascinating characters.
I can't express enough just how much I loved this book!
I will definitely be getting the first two books now!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Mirror House Press,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you so much for the ARC, again. I have been so blessed to get these three books in this series (but can be standalone) via ARC. They are literal masterpieces. I would marry these books if they were human people.
These books really make me think about AI and how we humanize non human things, I know I do. I talk to plants, tree, and my car all the time. I loved my Roomba like a pet.
I cannot imagine having a robot companion and not loving it like a person. It is a bizarre thing to think about.
In this lovely book we meet January and her family the Jaggers. January is a companion bot. She is developing her own personality as she encounters the world (literally socialization) and making friends.
Her programming traps her but there are always loopholes.
I felt bad for her but worse for her bestie.
The Jaggers are dysfunctional family with a dead matriarch. January serves as the dad, Jeremy's companion.
Jesse misses his mother (she was his favorite) and Josiah is a little bit glad she is dead (she was so humiliating) The girls were not something their mom paid attention to so they have some mixed feelings.
Everyone in this story is complex and we get a little of each perspective.
You find yourself worrying about all of them.
Maybe we should not make companion bots. It is like having another kind of human to care for and we are failing at that now.

Thank you Mirror House Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are ALWAYS honest.

🚨SOUND THE ALARM!!!! IT'S A BANGER ALERT!!!!!!!🚨

One sentence review: A wonderfully written family drama and exploration of human behaviours and right vs. wrong

SYNOPSIS

Two Christmases ago, Jesse tried to kill January, his father's humanlike "companionship bot." For the first time since The Incident, the Jagger gang is back together for Christmas ... including January, who allegedly had her memory wiped and doesn't remember Jesse's attack. Or does she?????

MY OPINION

OKKKURRRTTTTTTTT!!!!!! Faith Gardner is back again with another banger. And I'm not just saying that because she gave me a shoutout in Violet Is Nowhere 💅 #notsohumblebrag. On the real though... three books in one yr??? The devil works hard, but Gardner works harder LOL.

Ya'll KNOW I love Amen Maxine but I think this is my new fave. Like Amen Maxine, it prominently features near-future-fi aka companionship bots. We already have sex bots so I don't consider a companionship bot far off in the future – and tbh, some ppl are just using sex bots for companionship so just throw in a lil AI and ta-da! But heed my warning thrillerheadz, this isn't your typical twist on twist on twist thriller – this is a family drama with a lil suspense.

IMO What January Remembers is better because it goes deeper than Amen Maxine – it has layerz. It tackles complex family relationships centred around a mentally unwell (to put it lightly) mother AND the malleability of someone's (or somethings) moral compass. My brain was ✨activated✨ in the second half as we see January transcend her original programming. Many thoughts and opinnis were formed, but I don't want to give away too much.

We spend a lot of time exploring the different relationships between the Jagger siblings and their mother... and each other. Gardner pens unique and dynamic characters – each Jagger had its own personality and voice. I loved the humour Jada brought with her whole true crime obsession. And btw I would totally read a book about The Freezer Man LOL.

All in all, a solid addition to the Jolvix Episodes. I can't wait to see what Gardner comes up with next. Usually I'm a greedy hoe who DEMANDS a new book right after, but GURL you've been working too hard. Step away from the laptop LOL. Go to the Maldives and come back in a year or so with three more books 🤪

PROS AND CONS

Pros: writing gets you caught up in the story – flows beautifully, jokey jokes, thought-provoking, great use of companionship bots as a literary device to explore morality, distinct characters (none of them annoyed me!!!!!!!), great ending ... not OTT at all

Cons: nada