Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I really enjoyed reading RomanticFriction was a super cute read. I entirely used to want to be an author until I realized how difficult it is to make a buck off the work that authors pour their entire lives into. This book helped solidify my decision to just stick to the reading 😂

Sophie Wilde did in fact make it in the writing world but worked her ass off for it. Then, a super fan basically shows how AI can take anything published and write it better. Similar…but better and who organized the AI work rose to instant popularity!

Throughout, Sophie reacts and takes action. That was the fun part. Very interesting read and I recommend!

Let me set the scene: a bestselling romantasy author, a suspiciously similar book, and an AI scandal that has the entire publishing industry clutching its pearls. Toss in a possible murder, a kidnapping, frenemies, and... alien worms... and you have Romantic Friction, a novel that reads like a publishing tell-all wrapped in a whodunit, with a dash of satire and a wink at the very industry it dissects. Lori Gold has written something truly original - equal parts mystery, satire, and industry roast.

The literary world is intrigued when Hartley says that her book, eerily similar to Sofie's, was AI-generated (also... how depressing). This forces Sofie into a reluctant battle not just for her career, but for the soul of publishing itself. What I found most disturbing what the terrifying possibility that readers might not actually care if their favorite books are written by a machine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

The book offers an interesting premise as Sophie fights against the rise of AI-generated fiction, and more and more people accept AI’s presence in our lives. A lot of humor, suspense, and insight into the publishing world make this book a fun read. I really enjoyed the debate the novel tackles about creativity, originality, and the impact of technology on art. Sofie’s desperation and rage seem relatable, even as her actions veer into the over-the-top category. Hartley is an intriguing foil to Sofie as she argues that AI is just another artistic tool in our evolving societal toolkit. However, her character seems underdeveloped and more like a symbol of change than a lifelike character.

The novel is engaging, but I wasn’t as invested in it as I hoped. The pacing drags in places, and the side characters blur together without identifying features or attitudes. The humor is sharp but feels forced at times. The conflict plays out predictably but in a way that doesn’t show any character evolution. And while the book discusses a timely debate, it doesn’t dive deep enough into the ethical dilemmas of AI. Instead, it relies on an overdramatized, sensationalized approach.

Overall, Romantic Friction is well-written and discusses a very relevant issue in the publishing world, but the over-the-topness of it all wasn’t my cup of tea. If you like books about discussions on AI with a bit of a thriller vibe, this book might be for you.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun romp that used commentary about the publishing process. For readers who feel strongly about the adoption of machine constructs in the creation of art, and the learning process of such constructs, this book will be a big hit. It's fun, has a few ridiculously entertaining and at the same time crazy plot points. Combine this with a protagonist who has many shades to her personality (which I did not figure out, which was good for a change), it kept me reading just another chapter. A nice adventure that is based on some timely discourse.

Full review to come.

What a unique story, and I mean that in the best way!!

Can you use AI to write a story based on someone else’s work and call it your own? This was an absolute blast to read. I truly found myself unable to put it down, with the little twists along the way!

Romantic Friction - follows THE Sophie Wilde, and the up and coming Hartley West. The novel poses the interesting question - can you use AI to write a novel, based on someone else's writing style and call it your own (art)?

The novel follows Sophie Wilde and her group of fellow authors as they navigate this new path. What is really writing? What is truly a person's art? How important are editors? Will AI change the entire publishing world forever? Could AI in the future just write novels (even without the assistance of a person prompting them)?

The convention was unique, and I could see that being something that authors strive to be (the keynote, especially over a new up and coming author who used AI). However, the story did take a turn after that, which made it interesting, and added more friction to the story.

Thank you NetGalley and MIRA publishing for my ARC.

This read made me appreciate authors/writers more🫶🏽 I had fun experiencing the emotions of the characters and reading the backstage work Authors do to give us readers these amazing reads. Sofie is so relatable and funny, and a bit anti-social (which I can relate to😂)

With AI being such a big topic in the book world, I really was interested in this element of the book! It gave this story a great added layer and I enjoyed it.

I love this! The author skewing modern day authors and the Current controversy about using AI to write their novels like cowards. Absolutely loved it and the message Lori was sending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Romantic Friction was a mix of different genres and ideas coming together, giving the reader a mystery to work through but also posing questions about authors and AI in writing as well as tearing down the publishing industry as much as possible. It’s unlike any other book I’ve read recently and I found it both fascinating and like I was eavesdropping on a savage gossip session.

Sofie Wilde is our guide through the story, a bestselling romantasy author of a highly popular series, she’s about to reach some career milestones with the release of her last book in a series and is eager to start crossing into other genres. All that is shot when a newcomer author, Hartley West, is given a platform inadvertently by Sofie herself, claiming her novel which is eerily similar to Sofie’s series was written by AI. I’d like to think in the ‘real world’ this would be summarily torn down, but in this fictional one Hartley is disproving that readers would care all that much about an AI takeover. That means Sofie, her frenemies, and indeed all other authors have a lot to worry about if Hartley continues her rise to the top - at their expense. Initially this is how the story starts but we have plenty of twists, with kidnapping and maybe even murder on the horizon, eccentric characters and alien worms, and plenty of behind the scene savage takes on the publishing industry as a whole - and the state of AI.

I enjoyed this for its differences and for the questions it posed as well as the frankly fun adventure it was all wrapped up in. If you’re a bookworm and are curious about an inside take on the book world, I think you’d find this endlessly fascinating. And if you’re not especially but like unique stories, this should be a good time.

The premise is compelling and thought provoking! A bestselling author feels her livelihood is threatened by a new self-published author whose writing feels eerily similar to her own.

Ultimately, I found this to be a bit too frantic and found the romantic subplot to be confusing and potentially detracting from the interesting central storyline and face-off between two authors. Still, I appreciated the conversations the story raises about the evolving technology, artificial intelligence, and future of publishing.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

This was such an interesting concept and I think it was executed really well as well! Definitely brought up some interesting conversation starters as it relates to AI and would make a really good pick for a book club! I really enjoyed the writing, story and characters! Bravo! Will definitely be reading more by this author in the future!

Ohhh, loved this book about writers and the challenges that AI brings to them in the publishing world. The author is very insightful and the book entertained me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This story follows an author who used AI to write a book in the style of another author (and the backlash of that).

As an artist and human being with basic human decency, I am incredibly anti-AI. This book is a massive discussion on AI, the ethics of it and what it means to the creative fields to use AI. If that interests you at all, I would recommend you check this book out.

I did wish that the characters gave me a bit more, they weren't that interesting or engaging to me.

And this definitely reads very literary fiction, so keep that in mind if that's not a tone you particularly enjoy.

I can definitely see there being a big audience for this book, even if it's not exactly my thing.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Dnf 51% in. This was a really fascinating concept but about 40% in the story goes in a direction I just found so silly.

Also, this is a story of a debut author using AI to write a book and readers seem ok with it and from being in the book community, I know for a fact most if not all readers are just ok with it. A book site like Goodreads just got roasted and toasted for using AI and it was all collectively looked upon as bad.

One of many quotes I highlighted while reading Romantic Friction says, “Readers are ravenous and loyal. If they like you, they’ll tear through everything you’ve ever written down to your grocery list. Especially romance readers.” This could not be more true. Lori Gold, you’ve got yourself a loyal reader. Where’s that grocery list?

This book is everything that I love. Snarky, sassy, the perfect amount of unhinged… but also emotional, informative, and thought provoking. I spent the majority of the story cracking up thanks to the witty writing style, but there were also plenty of gasps and goosebumps. Maybe by the end my eyes even welled up once or twice, who’s to say?

In the acknowledgements, Lori Gold says Romantic Friction is “an open love letter” to the publishing industry, and I really felt that while reading. I loved all of the behind the scenes anecdotes and information about the publishing world and all of the incredible work (and teamwork) that goes into making it as an author. It was interesting, because even though some of Sophie and the other characters’ stories about the insane lengths they went to to get to where they were seemed discouraging or even downright impossible, the book still leaves the reader with a feeling of love, respect and admiration for the art of writing and publishing.

Special shout out to Queen Lake. I loved every second of her. I wish I could read her books.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read this arc!

This book is an absolute firecracker of satire and suspense, taking on the literary world with biting wit and a plot that’s as bold as its protagonist. It’s sharp, irreverent, and packed with tension, but also sneaks in some poignant truths about the fragility of creativity and the desperation to stay relevant in an ever-changing industry. A must-read for anyone who loves books, authors, and a little chaos.

ROMANTIC FRICTION invites you into the world of a bestselling author Sofie Wilde; she's at the epitome of her career, releasing the final book in her long awaited romantasy series, scheduled to deliver the keynote address at a romance writers convention; when suddenly she's thrust into scandal when it is revealed at her launch event that new buzzy debut author she's in conversation with has used AI to create her book in the voice of Sofie... and the chaos DOES NOT stop there my friends, that's just the setup.

Full of fascinating insight into not only the art of AI, but the publishing world as a whole; and honey, I mean the tea is *piping hot* in this novel... The author drops in so many little fun nuggets in the story line and dialogue that those familiar to the ins and outs of publishing are going to have a field day with...

I really have a *thing* for books written with writers as the main characters and this pushed all the right buttons for me; I was unable to put it down, I blew through it in a day!

ROMANTIC FRICTION will leave your head spinning as you wonder just how close AI could be to running our lives and taking over our beloved book industry. Come for the fascinating plot; stay for the juicy insights to the world of writing you know and love...

4.5 ⭐️

“Romantic Friction,” by Lori Gold, asks an interesting question - if an author uses AI to write books in another author’s style, is the first author actually writing? I found that question to be a fascinating (and timely) one and I wondered how Ms. Gold was going to tackle it. In some cases, I think Ms. Gold addressed the question in a thoughtful manner. What’s important in the publishing world - readers or sales? Is churning out more books more important that fine crafting? How important are editors? Is correcting AI generated text really work? I also found the stories about the publishing world (and fans and conventions) to be well researched and explained. But I cannot say that I really liked this book. There were a number of characters and I kept getting some of them confused. The kidnapping (forceful abduction?) started off as an “okay, odd but I can go with it” (and mentioning filing a police report was appreciated, as I kept wondering if it was going to be mentioned) but somewhere along the way it morphed into just this side of ridiculous. The whole Brad-Cooper bit I found a bit difficult to swallow - interesting character, but I’m not sure what his purpose was in the long run. I can understand why some readers would enjoy this book, but since I was more interested in the main AI question, the resolution (and discovery by the main character toward the end) I felt wasn’t satisfying.