Meredith Katz

This is a lighthearted ace (asexual) romance between a human and an AI. I found it to be simple and sweet, though maybe a little less cozy than I imagined. I could have done with a few more tea shop vibes to really set the mood. I felt the ace rep was done well without having to overstate every detail. I think maybe I just expected a bigger impact, or a bit more detail (I don't think I knew it was a novella going in), so I was left a little underwhelmed. But if you're looking for something short and generally cheerful, I'd recommend this. If this became a series of novellas about the characters, I would certainly read more.… (mere)

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I bought a copy of this book for my Kindle.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this short, yet fun, story about an AI repair technician, Clara, and a robot who runs a tea shop, Sal. This took place in an intriguing world and was a fun story about finding purpose, a place to belong, and companionship.

Clara moves around a lot; her upbringing just left her uncomfortable with staying in one place too long. Sal is a fully autonomous robot who hasn't gone anyplace for centuries; her owner had a dream that the tea shop would still be around 300 years later and Sal wants to make that dream come true even though her owner has been dead for a very long time. The two end up crossing paths and find out they can support and help each other.

This was a quick and fun read. I loved the futuristic cyberpunk setting, which was softer than most cyberpunk books out there. AI is around and humans use something called Raises to help them through everyday life. However, fully sentient robots stopped being built long ago because of the implications and pushback from humanity. Sal, as a sentient robot who is "leftover", faces some challenging day to day issues around her continued existence.

This definitely falls in the cozy fantasy (sci-fi?) genre. Sal's tea shop is cozy and wonderful but she herself is sad. Clara is alone and doesn't feel like she belongs but loves her work. The two together find that they can support each other emotionally (and mechanically) and find a new purpose in life. I wish it was a longer story and would have loved to read more about Sal and Clara's adventures.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed this a lot. This is a fun and cozy, feel good read. It has a unique futuristic setting and the characters are instantly engaging. I read this in one sitting and it took me about an hour to read. I really enjoyed it and plan on checking to see what else Katz has written. I would recommend if you enjoy cozy reads and enjoy stories about AI.… (mere)