Thank you for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed the characters and their arcs, and found the plot interesting. I look forward to reading more from this author.

“What was I made for, really? Love, or heartbreak? Josh, or entertainment?”

I thought this was a really interesting and unique story - a thriller/murder mystery meets The Bachelor all with a dash of Sci Fi! I was definitely getting West World vibes! There are some great twists and turns and this story kept me guessing - there is one twist in particular that left my jaw on the floor!

Made For You is told in both present tense and in the past. I really liked how the author slowly gave us these little nuggets of information about who these characters truly are and what they were doing.

It was so easy to forget that Julia wasn’t a human! I really felt for her and what she was going through. This book was more emotional than I expected. It touches on several ethical questions about rights and AI. What is it that truly makes people…well people?

No spoilers but there is a scene that involves Lars that gave me chills! It really left me thinking about the line between human and machine and intentions.

A world where synthetic humans or synths are becoming part of society. The entire story is told by the main character a synth named Julia. Julia was created with the current bachelor in mind so she can compete with real women for his affection. It begins as a love story and quickly takes a dark turn into a mystery. So many twists and turns. A science fiction, thriller, mystery, romance, this book truly has something for everyone.

I loved the premise of this! I could have read a whole story just about Julia being made for and competing on the Bachelor in the “then” timeline. Both timelines in the story were incredible though with the suspense really taking place in the “now” timeline.

Meet Julia, a brand new synth. The third synth ever created. Julia was created for a special purpose, to compete on the new season of The Bachelor. The bachelor is Josh LaSala. A charming and handsome man in his 30’s. Everyone wants Josh.

As Julia wins, they move to the country and play house. She even has a baby. At first I thought how in the heck is a robot going to create a baby. It worked for me after they explained how the process was done.

Then, Josh disappears, leaving Julia as the number one suspect. Where is Josh? Is a synth capable of murder? If not Julia, then who?

Here’s the deal. Julia explains how she loves Josh. She mentions sensations of pain sensors. She can smell. She actually has human feelings. At first, this was really bothering me. Driving me nuts, honestly. Then, as more of the story unfolds, everything is explained in a way I could understand. In fact, I really enjoyed how everything came together.

This book is about something much more deeper than a synth. Why was Julia made specifically for Josh? Your job is to find out!

I couldn’t put this down once it got going. Suspenseful and a great new spin on the whole AI/ Synth trope!
Thank you HTP, NetGalley and Jenna Satterthwaite for this amazing opportunity! All opinions are my own!

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wasn't a fan of this book. I didn't like how forced it felt, if that makes sense. Maybe it just wasn't the book for me?

Made For You by Jenna Satterwhite is a very original storyline, unlike any other I have read. I will say this one has a little bit of everything - thrills, romance, murder, suspense, mystery. I felt a roller coaster of emotions reading this - in a very good kind of way. The twists throughout this book are very unpredictable and satisfying as well. If you want something different, this is it. You will not be disappointed!

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, & MIRA for the ARC copy of this book.

I've always believed that the best books are ones that both deliver on the "promise of the premise" (h/t to the late Blake Snyder) but also move beyond that promise in exciting or daring ways. In MADE FOR YOU, Jenna Satterthwaite delivers on the promise of a thrilling sci-fi murder mystery / The Bachelor mashup. . . but this book is so much more than that. This is a book about bodily autonomy, equality, and the unifying forces that make humans . . . well . . . human. It is also a compelling mystery told at a whip-crack pace--and the narrative leads to a satisfying, unexpected conclusion. This is such an accomplished debut, and Satterthwaite is no doubt an author to watch. Pick this one up and let the author deftly guide you through the twists and turns. It's a wild ride, and you won't want to get off.

I thought this was a good whodunit and mixed with the topic of ai robots it kept me interested. The dating reality show flashbacks was a good element butt didn't quite connect to the present day plot. Some chapters left to absolutely nothing towards the end but i felt the novel ended on a good note.

This book wasn't what I expected. I was waiting for a jaw-dropping twist to come at the end but was disappointed. This is just one reader's opinion, others may think it's great. I would read future books the author puts out. Hopefully they'll be better.

Thank you Netgalley for the free arc! My honest opinion was that the novel had a clever storyline. 3/4’s of the story was entertaining and intriguing, the lady 1/4 was lackluster and left me skimming to finish. The bot rights reminded me of lgbtq rights, so it seemed reasonable and realistic. I didn’t like the way she treated her dog like he was an afterthought; she wasn’t a very good dog owner.

Thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eARC. 4.5 stars. Thoroughly enjoyed this. Certainly poses a lot of questions about what makes us human. Looking forward to reading more from this author!
If you could alter your ability to feel things, would you want to? Throughout this book, despite being reminded of Julia being a synth, it is still easy to accept her as a human. The author paid attention to details of what separates humans and technology, including physical & emotional responses to regularly occurring events. The mystery remained intriguing throughout most of the book and the twist caught me by surprise. Containing elements of romance and all the drama that we love in a reality TV show, this novel also manages to keep the reader turning the pages, desperate to discover the mystery behind the murder and Julia's true purpose. Highly recommend!

The Bachelor meets Black Mirror in this story about a Synth woman who is literally made for the man starring in a Bachelor-style reality tv show.

The story is told in 'then' and 'now' segments which I really enjoyed and felt that it allowed the story to play out in a suspenseful way. Honestly this was a great sci-fi twist on a domestic thriller! I loved the character of Julia and found her emotions really relatable, yet still believable as a synthetic woman.

#ad I received a gifted advance copy of this book - many thanks to the author and publisher.

Fiercely feminine and genius in every sense. This book has it all: thrills, reality TV, love, murder, mystery, suspense, AI synths, and nonstop action.

Although the main female character isn’t human, exactly, every woman can relate to her. Going off her instincts alone, she falls in love on reality TV and has a baby shortly after. She doesn’t think about really doing anything else - much like us, this is what she was programmed to do.

Since the moment I saw this book I knew I had to read it and it did not disappoint. This book keeps you engaged the entire time, while also throwing in a few plot twists. THE DOG FOOD … I knew it, but didn’t know the involvement of which characters.

You won’t be able to put this book down. As we flip between then and now, we follow Julia from her inception to her experience on a reality dating show to her life after the show has ended. Both timelines are timely, interesting, and pull you deeper into the story.

Ms Jenna Satterthwaite, you are so very talented and a genius when it comes to storytelling. I cannot wait for you to write your next book and I can’t wait to be able to read it.

This book comes out July 2, 2024 - and TRUST me if you love thrillers that involve some AI - you will love this book. This needs to be either a movie or a limited series. For real. I’d watch that.

This novel is so original and so compelling.

Julia is a synth, without human rights, and when she stands accused of her husband’s murder she needs to find out what really happened to save her baby daughter.

It’s a perfect mix of fun and suspense and I love the Bachelor flashbacks too. The twists are excellent and the ending so satisfying.

Highly recommend.

I like the concept of this book (a Westworld-style "Synth" competing on a show like the Bachelor) but I didn't love the execution of it, or the ending. In some ways, this book is a bit like the movie Momento, where we see things in reverse, events that happen at the end where clues in the beginning make sense - I liked that a lot (like the significance of the brass figure in the house). But this book felt very long and I think it was overly so given the various plot points (and way too much of Julia's courtship with Josh, we know they end up together, I didn't need all the other stuff). I stalled out about halfway through and then picked it up a week later and powered through the rest of it. I had issues with the ending but I don't want to say too much and give anything away. I'll just say - it didn't seem very empowering to women with how Julia ends the story. Also what was the deal with Deborah and the four dead babies? That felt weird to me. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read. I think Ms Satterthrwaite has potential, I just had some mixed thoughts about the resolution of her debut.

Julis is one of the contestants on the reality show the proposal. Josh finds that Julia was made for him. She should be she is a synthetic. Now they are married and have a small child living in Indiana. But Josh turns up missing and Julia is the suspect

Wow, what a great book! Hard to believe it’s a debut. Made For You is like the Bachelor mixed with Ex Machina. It’s a slow burn mystery which means we have time to get to know the characters really well. They feel so realistic. I also have to mention, our main character Julia is a nursing mother of an infant and I just appreciate how this was handled and not forgotten! Nursing, pumping, clogged ducts and mastitis.. all very real and all very relatable.
Made For You is told in dual time lines “then” and “now”. There’s plenty of twists and turns as the past gets closer to the present and we learn more and more what happened the night Julia’s husband goes missing.
I was impressed by the writing. The dialogue is realistic and not annoying. The writing wasn’t too flowery or over the top and it made me feel the right amount of creepy! There’s some suspense and action, and once you start finding out answers, the twists are unexpected and surprising.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy. I recommend this one! Be sure to look for it when it’s out in July!

Full disclosure, this was a total NetGalley cover grab…😍 I went in blind having not read the synopsis so imagine my surprise when I—someone who doesn't typically read books with any elements of suspended reality—started reading and came across the word synth. Umm…the eff is that?

Turns out, it’s a synthetic human. 😳 That’s right, an artificial woman. Vert da ferk! 𝑂ℎ, 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑟, 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝐼 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒? The good news? I liked it. 🫣 What a fun surprise that was!

It took me a hot minute to get into it but once I did, I couldn't put it down and the ending was SO good! I'm glad I picked this one up. Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for the opportunity to read and review!

"Do I have a soul? Will it rise?"

This is a really a 4.5 for me, but I'm rounding up because I feel the ending was so well done.

Woo, okay! I didn't expect this book to sneak up on me like that after opening with those melodramatic reality TV scenes. It says "The Bachelor meets Black Mirror" on the cover, and I would definitely agree with that. This book has the storyline and all the elements of a mashup of the two: Over-the-top romance reality TV, hyperrealistic AI "synthetic human", mystery, thrills, some darkness and violence, big epiphanies about the human condition and how tech is what humans make it, etc. For me, personally, I am much more a sci-fi/Black Mirror lover vs. contemporary romance/reality TV lover, but I still found myself mostly engaged throughout the book (especially the last 30% or so) and enjoyed it a lot by the end.

One thing I really came to enjoy was the narrative style of this book. It's all in first person from the perspective of the Synth (Julia), and it also alternates between "Then" and "Now", with the "Then" eventually catching up to where the "Now" started. At first, I thought this might be overly ambitious or unnecessary, but by the halfway point I was really into it and saw exactly what the author was doing – creating that stark contrast and feeling of, "How the heck did the Then lead to Now?" And I would say this book truly kept me guessing at that – I predicted a couple of the twists, but definitely not all of them.

Now, for the reason I took 0.5 off: I thought the beginning 70% of the book dragged a bit and could have been condensed a little more. I remember I got about 40% in and then didn't pick it up again for a day or two (which doesn't happen often), because it hadn't "grabbed" me yet – and like I said, I lean much more to the Black Mirror side than The Bachelor. So, if that sounds like you, too, just know that there are a bunch of cringe-worthy, cheesy, reality TV romance scenes in the first half that you may roll your eyes at a little. Although I'm pretty sure the author did this on purpose and part of the reason was satire, I did find myself feeling like it was taking too long and looking forward for it to be over so we could get to the exciting stuff that moved the plot forward. And by the end, I even wondered if the incorporation of the Reality TV show was necessary. I think the book could have still worked really well, or potentially better, without it. (HOWEVER, I didn't take off more than 0.5 because I know there is a target audience that would totally eat up the reality TV stuff – and no judgement there!)

Just be warned though, once you get to 70%-ish in, you won't be able to stop. And I was furiously highlighting quotes from that point on as well, because the author did an amazing job bringing up such thought-provoking topics, and what did Julia really deserve? The characters all feel really deep and developed by the end as well, with some completely surprising you.

Overall, you can probably tell by my rating that I would totally recommend this book!