Let's get this out of the way first...that cover is FIRE.

This book was a bit hard for me to get into but really paid off in the end, so I'm glad I stuck with it.

The story is told in alternating timelines "Then" (when Julia "went live" and immediately went on a reality dating show to meet Josh, for whom she was designed -- an "ew" concept that is explored in depth) and "Now" after Josh has mysteriously disappeared, leaving Julia alone with their newborn.

At first these two storylines felt VERY different and the book read a bit choppy. You're kind of set up for the dating show exploits, but the book focuses more on the current mystery. However, as the book progresses, these two halves start to run more seamlessly together and you become more invested in both storylines. In particular, the last quarter of this book really soars.

I liked the premise, though I would have liked it to lean heavier on the sci-fi side. Julia is a "Synth," but she operated much like a human woman, even developing mastitis from breastfeeding. (HOW exactly does she manufacture breastmilk? Why exactly would a synth be designed to develop blocked ducts while breastfeeding just like us humans? No idea.)

There are some passing references to Julia's "Dampers" that keep her from being extraordinary, but we don't get too heavily into the science of how she's designed and "why," which felt like a missed opportunity. (To that end, this reads more like a conventional mystery than a sci-fi story.)

However I liked the characters (particularly Bob, Eden, and Deborah) and I enjoyed how everything played out. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book turned out better than I expected since it’s my first time reading this type of story! Still had the suspense that I love! This is totally a must read!

Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy!!!

🦾Made For You by Jenna Satterthwaite🦿

Thank you @htpbooks for this ARC! @jenna.satterthwhite.author nailed this debut novel! Made For You has a release day of July 2nd, so you can enjoy your 4th of July by reading a new book!

Pages: 400
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5️⃣
Book Goal 2024: 67/100

✨Would you consider dating a robot?✨

AI meets the bachelor… need I say more? 😂

The cover was what drew me into this novel, and I’ll be honest that I went in having no idea what it really was about but the cover was so stunning and well… I read and buy books based off looks… 😂

But Made For You was more than a beautiful, eye catching cover. The writing was captivating and thought out. It takes place in a multi timeline storyline from the point of view of the main female character. Julia is a synth who was made for the bachelor, Josh on the show called “The Proposal.” We learn that Julia was designed specifically for Josh’s desires, likes and needs. The timeline goes through Julia and Josh’s “getting to know you phase” but it also goes through the timeline of Julia discovering Josh is missing in present day!

I honestly loved the pacing and the discovery of who was responsible for certain areas in this book. I was shocked how the author was able to wrap everything up in a nice little bow because there were many story points that occurred and I wasn’t sure how they were going to tie back in. It was a beautiful job once completed.

The only thing that caught me off guard was the love bombing that Julia experienced for Josh but I had to remind myself that she was being told from her “birth” that she was designed to meet all of his needs and love him. So it only made sense that she would be obsessed with who he presented himself to be. After I thought of this,it was easier to see why she desired so much from their relationship and why she couldn’t stop going gaga for this random man.

Overall one of my most enjoyable reads for 2024!

Please check your TW before diving into this book!

#htpbooks #thehive #madeforyou

(My review will be posted to SM closer to pub day.)

To start off- this book was WILDLY different than what I was anticipating. I’m not sure if the description changed or I somehow just missed a major part of it but I definitely went into this thinking this was going to be a romance novel mostly focused on the bachelor-like reality show. However, I’m actually kind of happy that I went into it blind because it made everything feel even more intense from the start. I may have been expecting a more fluffy reality show drama type of book but this story turned dark quickly and it absolutely hooked me. With so many players in the game it felt like there were many options of where the story could go- and some of the “clues” as to who may be responsible for Josh’s disappearance come into play in ways you wouldn’t expect. I love that it has a slight sci-if feel to it regarding the synthetic people, making it a unique read. I’m not always a huge fan of dual timelines because I think it can very easily be done in a way that’s confusing or doesn’t move the plot along enough but Satterwaite expertly weaves the past with the present into a story you won’t be able to put down. I felt like everything tied together really well in a way that maybe feels slightly out there (however we are also dealing with a synthetic woman, so the book reality is slightly different from our own- making it feel much more plausible) but ties everything together leaving no questions as to the who or why.

ARC review
Publishing date- 7/2/2024
My Rating 4.85 ⭐️

Did I finish this book in less than 24 hours? Yes. Ahh I love when I find a book that I’m completely immersed into that world. That book high is a different feeling that I’m constantly searching for 😂😂😂😂

What To Expect/Warnings
🧬Synth
🧬Fast Paced Thriller
🧬Dual Timelines
🧬Plot Twist
🧬Reality TV
🧬Murder
🧬Suicide
🧬Domestic Violence

Julia a synth finds herself in some hot water when she becomes the prime suspect in her husbands murder. Told in dual timelines you follow Julia from when she first wakes up to becoming a contestant in dating reality show and ultimately you’re in for a ride as you try to figure out who killed Julia’s husband.

This novel was written in such a unique way that as soon as I started the first sentence, I was completely captivated. The plot was plotting the twist was twisting 😂 when I tell you my jaw was constantly unhinged when I got to about 85% and everything was coming together.

S H O O K.

I really enjoyed all the characters they were written well. Kinda love Bob????? so random but he’s the real MVP.

As we enter, the new age of rapidly advanced technology, something like this could happen. Syth people living amongst us. With anything new and controversial there are going to be people that are afraid/against synth people. And with fear comes hate. How do you distinguish laws for something/someone that was essentially created in the lab? Are they really people? These are some questions that are touched upon in this gripping novel.

I can’t believe this is the authors debut book. I can’t wait to check out her future work. I’m recommend this book to any who like SC-FI thrillers.

🤖Thanks to NetGalley, Jenna Satterthwaite, & Harlequin Trade Publishing, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 🤖

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel. This is a wholly original concept about a Synth woman who is cast on a Bachelor type show (it's not a spoiler to say she "wins"). It is not really sci fi because there are no differences between our world and the book's except for the bot technology. And Julie, the Synth, does not spend much time musing over her differences from humans except to compare herself to the other contestants in winning the Bachelor's heart. So I think there were missed opportunities there. The plot itself had some mixed messaging about violence that I won't get into, but the programming that forms the basis for the plot twist fundamentally makes little sense. The book slid into camp on more than one occasion but it was very readable. I think with stronger sci fi elements, less of the reality TV and a cleaner explanation for the twist, this would have worked a little better. An author to watch.

Julia is the 3rd synth to be created and the first by the company WekTech. She was created with one person in mind, Jason, the newest bachelor looking for love on the reality television series, The Proposal. Despite how unlikely and unorthodox it may seem, Julia somehow wins the show and marries Jason. But after he goes missing, she becomes the prime suspect. She doesn't have the same rights as a human, so she can't trust the law to be on her side. This means it is up to her to clear her own name and find out what happened to Jason.

Despite this book being true to its description, I was so pleasantly surprised by it. The chapters alternated between present day and the past (her first day of sentience all the way to the present again).

I was continually guessing and changing my mind on what I thought would happen, and while you may be able to predict some things, most should hopefully be a surprise.

This was a strong debut novel by Satterthwaite, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future!

There was just something about the blurb of Made For You that made it impossible to resist. I was completely intrigued by that AI angle combined with a reality TV show and a murder mystery; it sounded like a bookish cocktail with a LOT of potential! I'm happy to announce that this story without doubt exceeded expectations for me, and it was impossible to put down. This was the genre mashup I never knew I needed, and this debut blew me away.

Like I already mentioned, Made For You doesn't fit inside a neat little genre box, but is instead a very successful blend of of different genres. Romance, science fiction, drama, crime, psychological thriller... This story has it all and more. There is a heavy focus on reality TV with The Proposal, which is basically a show similar to The Bachelor and something I would NEVER watch, but somehow it is very much entertaining to read about. Sure, there is drama and bitchiness, but with Julia being a Synth and basically made for Josh the whole show is put in a new perspective.

Made For Me uses a dual timeline structure where the story switches between the past and the reality TV show and the present where Julia's hushband goes missing. The Then chapters are set in 2022 and start at the moment Julia is 'activated' and her new purpose is explained. I was SO intrigued by this whole AI/Synth idea and it's definitely what made the story stand out. I was also surprised just how easy it was to start rooting for Julia despite the fact that she isn't really human, and her development from 'I was made for Josh' into something more was intriguing to follow. The reality TV chapters were over the top and there was insta-love involved, but somehow it didn't really bother me since Julia was basically made to fall in love with Josh in the first place.

Dual timelines can go both ways for me, but in this case I found both timelines very much engaging. The chapters set in the past helped balancing out the more serious present situation, and it helped explaining Julia's journey. The present timeline focuses on Julia when her husband goes missing. Living in small-town Indiana where they never accepted a Synth living among them, she is an immediate suspect and has to start investigating the disappearance herself if she ever wants to know what happened to Josh... There are multiple suspects along the way, and there was a certain dog food that I was totally right about, but I never did guess the full truth and that is always a bonus.

Made For You isn't just a murder mystery, a story focused on reality TV or AI; it is so much more. It includes a wide range of topics and makes you wonder about morally grey areas and what the world would be like if Synths really existed... Can they be considered humans? Do they have the same rights? It sure makes for an interesting debate on more than one level. There is also the question of why Andy really created her, and it is another reason to keep turning those pages.

If you enjoy well written, engaging and unique mashup thrillers and don't mind a little (light) sci-fi thrown in, I can highly recommend Made For You. I'm already looking forward to discover whatever Jenna Satterthwaite will come up next after this brilliant debut!

Okay, so this was definitely a different but super original storyline.

This story is told via dual timelines by our main character Julia, the 3rd ever westworld-esque synth who was created solely to be the perfect match for Josh in a bachelor-esque reality show (the same Josh who also happens to go missing 15 months after they get married leaving her as the prime suspect in his murder 🫠)

I literally binged this in a day because I had to finish. Go in blind and expect the unexpected. This was a fun one!

I read an Advanced Reader’s Copy courtesy of Harlequin Publishing, Netgalley, and the author. This was a highly anticipated novel for me as I was very curious as to how this novel would play out. This is definitely for fans of shows similar to the Bachelor, and those who like an odd/different approach to a thriller and or romance novel. I wouldn’t put this into the romance genre but there was a touch of it.

This book centers around Julia, who is a Synth and was the third one created. She was created for the show, and has the ability to have a child. As the reader learns throughout the course of the novel Julia has experienced some pain, has some of senses including smell, and did go through with the show. She ultimately moves on with her life with her love interest.

One day Josh disappears and Julia becomes the number one suspect. Yet is she capable of murder? This novel goes between dual timelines of Then and Now. I thought the novel was very well written and easy to follow. This novel was not something that I would generally pick up however it was something that I could not put down once I began. Definitely a good book and would recommend anyone curious to read it!

This is a difficult one to rate. Julia is a Synth, an artificial woman designed specifically to compete on the newest Bachelor-esque reality show, The Proposal and to win the heart of its star, Josh. Julia wins, but married life is not the fairy tale she imagined, especially once her husband goes missing. Told in past and present timelines, we see Julia and Josh meet and fall in love on the show and also months later, Julia searching for her missing husband in a small town that hates artificial people. I did think the mystery itself was very interesting. I did not guess the ending and it absolutely surprised me. I also thought the book brought up some great conversations about body autonomy, AI and the power of choices. However, the book gets into a very serious topic later on and I felt like it was handled extremely poorly. I won’t go into details because spoilers, but I was hoping at the end, there would be that moment of clarity and understanding and when it didn’t come, I was very disappointed. Overall, an interesting story, but I couldn’t get over how a certain topic was handled and that kind of ruined my experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to receive this book. The idea behind this was so interesting and the execution was perfect. I absolutely could not put this down. This almost reads to me like a goth Barbie type story. Very enjoyable.

Julia is a Synth competing for Josh’s heart on The Proposal, a Bachelor-esque reality tv show. Told in dual timelines, we see Julia’s journey to finding love with Josh in the past while simultaneously searching for his killer in the present as he has gone missing and Julia is the prime suspect.

I came for the pop culture dating reality tv and stayed for the murder mystery suspense thriller.

It’s a unique look into a world where synthetic humans are being introduced and the fallout of such technological advancement within society. We’re posed several questions: What makes someone a Person? What power does a Creator have over said Person? Can a Person who was Made truly be free? Does a Person who was Made have ownership of themselves? Do they have rights?

This book was entertaining; it was thought provoking; it was twisty and thrilling. And everything came together so perfectly. Even if you have it all figured out, you don’t know the full story.

What You’ll Find:
✌🏻 dual timeline
🎥 reality tv show
🔪 murder mystery
🤖 synthetic woman

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and MIRA for the advance copy!!

Wow, this was not at all when I thought it was going to be and honestly, I was a little skeptical getting into it but once it took off, it really took off. It was really very good. Very suspenseful and a new twist on the AI/synth story

4.5 Stars

What are the chances I read two books around The Bachelor like shows in a month span and love them both when I avoid that show in real life? In the case of Made for You, throw in AI and murder and I’ll devour it in a day.

Told between past and present, we follow Julia, a Synth (synthetic woman), who was designed to compete on The Proposal to win Josh’s heart. Fifteen months later, Julia and Josh are married with a baby when Josh goes missing and Julia races against time to find out the truth as the local sheriff hone in on her as the main suspect.

There’s twists, red-herrings, oddball characters, and a few moments that make you think, but all of this combines in a way that makes you turn the pages and keeps you guessing. I did feel the ending and ultimate reveals were a little rushed, but overall an amazing sci-fi mystery.

Oh wow, I wasn’t expecting any of these punches. Oddly satisfying. Now I need to go watch the bachelor.
Though I had a few issues with the plot and really disliked the backstory of Indiana land, I had a blast reading this book. I could NOT put it down.
There were moments that didn’t make sense but it was such a fun read that I will definitely be recommending it!

Science Fiction Mystery Thriller about a synthetic woman's world's shattered when the husband she met on a reality TV show goes missing and she becomes the prime suspect.

1/5 stars: This is Satterthwaite's Science Fiction Mystery Thriller and features a synthetic woman and new mother who's rocky life is shattered when the husband she met on reality TV disappears and she's forced to find out what happened after she becomes the main suspect. Told in dual timelines, Satterthwaite's writing and character work are nicely done. Unfortunately, this just wasn't a book for me; leading me to DNF it at 22%.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Bachelor meets AI, one of the best compelling and riveting books I read in 2024.

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ 3.8 Sensational Synthetic Stars

If you’re looking for an entertaining romance mystery with a unique storyline that is thought provoking and unique then look no further Made For You is your next read !!

“Hi, my name is Julia. I’m a Synth . And I’m here to find love …❤️”

Read this if you like :
🤖 First person narrative
🤖 Dual Timeline
🤖 Reality TV
🤖 AI
🤖 Thought provoking reads

Ok where are all my Bachelor Reality TV lovers at ?? Made For You is literally written for you !!

Julia is the first Synth to be able to have babies and is a guest contestant on the show The Proposal and she was designed to attract Bachelor Josh with hopes she would end up as his wife .

This twisty far fetched novel explores the AI world and often has a creepy factor with neighbour Bob and just the fact that even though this is fiction , with all the new AI technology today it seems at times it could be possible 🤷🏻‍♀️😳

In present time we find Julia with a baby and Josh is now missing ….and Julia has been accused of murder 🔪!!

This is a fast read that will take you on a crazy ride so buckle up tight for this one and you won’t believe the ending !!

Thank you NetGalley ,Harlequin Trade Publishing and Jenna Satterthwaite for this unique fun digital ARC!

Respectfully Another Read by Angie

This is without a doubt going to be in my top 5 books of 2024. Even just 20% into Made for You, I knew it would be a five star read, and I haven't been this excited to recommend a book in so long! I loved the way this story was told- with the "then" vs "now" flashbacks, which, by the end, have an even starker contrast. All of the reveals had me gasping and reeling in shock! The last 30% especially was gripping. I think the reality dating show premise in the beginning of the book is perfect for inviting the reader into the fun, juicy world of TV romance, but things change very quickly. I also loved how the author presented so many interesting questions in this book. When you're literally invented for a purpose regarding a man, what does that make you as a woman? Just knowing what Julia's true programming was for is enough to make the title mean so much more now. What I thought was especially brilliant was how "then" Julia and "now" Julia are so wildly different towards the end. I can barely articulate how engrossed I was in this story; it's truly all-consuming. By the end, there's almost a parallel universe aspect to the "then" and "now" storylines. The final moments are so satisfying and I was really content with where everything ended up. I just think this book was completely incredible. I read it in basically two sittings, and just thinking about it during the day made me giddy. I paused for a few days around the 50% mark, and I loved it so much then, but I had NO IDEA how much better it would get, which is insane to me. I am absolutely going to be raving about this everywhere! Thank you so much for the e-ARC.