For this being a debut novel, I was very impressed and thought it was really well written. I was truly riveted by this book and had a hard time putting it down. I literally got mad the first night I was reading it when I couldn't keep my eyes open to keep reading. I guessed the ending pretty early on but I was still hooked until the very end. There were plenty of twists and turns and surprises that kept me going and I thought they were all wrapped up nicely. I was also very intrigued by the overall plot of and AI being made specifically to compete in a reality romance show similar to The Bachelor.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of the eBook in exchange for an honest review.

Made for You by Jenna Satterthwaite – 3 stars

Made for You is an intriguing mix of sci-fi, reality TV, and mystery. Julia, a synthetic woman, was designed to compete on The Proposal and win the heart of Josh LaSala. Fast forward to their small-town life, and things take a dark turn when Josh goes missing, leaving Julia as the prime suspect.

Told through dual timelines, this story kept me engaged with its unique concept and twists. If you enjoy thrillers with a sci-fi twist, this one will keep you guessing until the end!

Made For You had an interesting concept, but the execution left a lot to be desired. The plot felt like a patchwork of disconnected themes and ideas, with the central message—why is God playing games with my life?—getting lost in the noise. The book jumped from one idea to the next without tying them together, like the serial killer subplot that was heavily referenced but then completely dropped. The characters were flat, and there were too many unanswered questions about the world-building, making it hard to suspend disbelief. While the concept of a human-Synthe relationship was intriguing, it lacked depth, and the handling of serious topics like domestic violence felt surface-level at best. Overall, the book seemed to be trying too hard to be philosophical but ended up being “just vibes” with no real substance. Despite a promising start, it couldn’t maintain momentum, and I was left feeling disappointed.

What an absolutely unique read! Told from the perspective of a synthetic human – it made me think of what makes a person A PERSON. What does it mean to be human at all? Although that was not the point of the book though, it made me think of it a lot.
It was a very well-told mystery thriller, but I think my own favorite part was the other things that it made me think of a lot!

I enjoyed Made for You, even as it also left me wanting a bit more than what it provided. Told from the perspective of a synthetic woman, I hoped it would delve more into the moral and ethical questions around AI, but it ended up somewhere closer to a straight mystery thriller. Still quite entertaining, just not with the same level of depth I’d desired.

Thank you Jenna Satterthwaite, Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a really well written and engaging near future sci-fi/mystery mash-up. I've seen it characterized as "romance," but I think that's kind of misleading, and based on maybe the "Bachelor" aspect of the plot. I've read romance, I know romance, and this is not a romance. Told in Now/Then vignettes by the most unreliable narrator ever, this is a thoughtful and entertaining exploration of the blurry line between "reality" and fantasy in media and in "real life," in an age where everything is scripted and crafted until suddenly it isn't. Julia is a deeply charming character, and the author really "brings her to life." To say the plot is twisty is an understatement. It's more like the twists are plotted, lol, and the successive layers of revelation are startling, fun and not always predictable, at least to this dumb old reader. I enjoyed this fresh, relatable and well crafted take on classic sf themes of identify, reality, and of course, love. (Hey, maybe that's where the romance comes in after all?) It will call to mind "The Truman Show," [book:Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?|36402034], "Blade Runner" and maybe even [book:The Book of Job|82241]. Not bad company to be in, for sure. Thanks to NetGalley for the e-Arc.

The story follows a protagonist who receives mysterious messages from a stalker, setting off a chain of events that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Satterthwaite's carefully crafted characters and intricate plot twists ensure that the reader is constantly guessing and eager to uncover the truth behind the chilling messages. With a compelling narrative and unexpected twists, "Made for You" is a must-read for fans of suspenseful and atmospheric storytelling.

There’s drama. There’s suspense. There’s Bachelor-sequel reality television references. There’s wetting your feet into sci-fi without being over the top. Julia is a synth-created to woo and love Josh and have his children. However, Josh goes missing and suspected to be murdered and the journey to find out what happens is a twisty one that is told in a now and then format from Julia’s single point-of-view. The ending was a shocker and tied up many loose ends.

Just fifteen months ago, Julia Walden was the standout on the show The Proposal. As the only synthetic woman on the show, her appearance scandalized some and delighted others. Her fairy-tale ending is far from complete when Josh disappears in small-town Indiana, leaving Julia to raise their child and desperately try to find her husband.  While the police begin to circle Julia, believing her to be responsible, she finds herself reflecting on her existence and whether or not she is really a person. 

Jenna Satterthwaite combines existential questions and a murder-mystery in the book Made for You. Even as a "Synth", Julia often feels far more real and human than the flesh and blood versions of the other characters that surround her. It is very easy to feel her desperation and confusion, while also contemplating what in the world it really is that makes us human. 

Made for You is now available.

A book that will keep you from putting it down is Jenna Satterthwaite's thrilling sci-fi, Made For You. The story follows Julia Walden, a synth (super evolved feeling robot), who was created to compete in The Proposal, a reality show that mirrors The Bachelor, to win Josh Sala's heart. She was built with Josh's interests in mind. And after stealing his heart, all Julia wants is to live her happily ever after. Though only months after filming the show, things take a turn and Josh has disappeared leaving Julia as the prime suspect for his disappearance. The story is told back and forth between moments of the past and present. We see Julia and Josh's time on the show to present Julia trying to find the person who has possibly murdered her husband.

This story is intense and I'm reeling from the way Julia is written with such sensitivity that leaves me rooting for her the entire time. I just want her to get that happy ending she longs for. As common for stories about robots, she questions her own being constantly and weather or not she can have full agency of herself including getting what she truly wants and not just settling for what she was made for. There were some aspects of the story that felt rushed and could have been flushed out more but, the story as a whole is still a thrill to read.

I absolutely loved this book! How fun. It was different and thought provoking. The twists were crazy and unpredictable.

The main character Julia is a synthetic person. More than AI but not human. Julia learns to navigate life as close to a real person as she can be. Julia can feel, bare children and has independent thought. Made specifically for one man- Josh, Julia awakens and finds out that she is in competition for Josh on a game show. When Josh ends up dead secrets start spilling and this book gets wild. I think it was a good choice to not go too in depth with the details about Julia's making as it would detract from the story. The ending was fantastic and wrapped up nicely. There was only one detail I thought was extraneous and I wasn't sure where the author was going with that angle. I was a bit confused by the serial killer aspect as it didn't play out as I'd thought.

All in all I cannot wait to read more from this author!

The premise of the book is unique and a definite selling-point. The author succeeds in weaving the “Now” and “Then” scenes so that vital information is trickled in, while also withholding details to keep us guessing. There are some large themes encountered here. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by how these themes took a backseat to the plot instead of being explored beyond surface-level. There are times the pacing dragged, especially in the beginning, but there are multiple twists and turns you will not see coming. Not a quick read, but would definitely recommend for lighter thriller readers or readers new to the genre.

Julia is the third Synth-human ever created. A fully synthetic humanoid run by AI and tech mimicking the human experience. To create buzz and acceptance around a Synth-future, Julia is booted up day one of a Bachelor-esque show. She's got a leg up on the other girls by being created to mesh with the Bachelor's personality but being a "bot" is still a far cry from being accepted. ... Interspersed with the Bachelor love story, Julia is in present day with her husband missing and she is the number one suspect.


This was an amazing exploration of a very possible near-future of synthetic-biology and AI - what is 'real,' who has power, what is it to be human?

"Less fuckbots and better vaccines, please! We’re in a pandemic and THIS is what science is doing?? What a joke. Welcome to America Julia where the 1% is making robot sex toys while the 99% are on food stamps. It’s great here!!" - Made for You.

This reminded me of Annie Bot but wasn’t nearly as good. This was so chaotic and disappointing. The writing was …. Something else, and even though this had so much potential I feel like it just seriously missed the mark. So many other AI focused books have been released recently that did this type of story better. Very surface level analysis of humans vs bots.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC.

This was a good story, definitely different from what I have read in the past. It kept your interest the entire time as you learned more about the characters and how they were all connected. The story of the Synths in this book are very intriguing for sure, especially in the world we live in right now with AI becoming a thing….for sure makes you think how that could evolve in the future.

The premise of this book sounded very interesting. An AI psychological thriller based around a reality television show? Uh...yes please! I love the reality tv trope and I love psychological thrillers but sprinkling in the sci-fi component is not something I read often so I was ready to give it a whirl.

The storyline was captivating enough. Julia is a Synth whose purpose was created to fall in love with Josh on a reality tv show "The Proposal" (emulated after The Bachelor). Once she is the chosen one at the end, they begin a life together. Unfortunately, a life away from the cameras is different than one in front of it. Josh has disappeared and the local Sherrif, a synth-hater, has Julia identifed as the prime suspect.

The book is told in a "now and then" fashion from Julia's POV. While the story is unique, the flow is not an evenflow. It is a slow burn and introduces a lot of characters. The ending picked up in pace but honestly, I was just so confused at times and wondered if I had missed parts and the signficance of some characters. For me, overall, this was just okay. Didn't love it, didn't hate it and appreciated the unique storyline.

This was one twisty story. Well written and filled with suspense, you'll find yourself reading this the entire day. I can't wait to read more books by this author.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

I thought this book was rather frivolous at first but it rapidly became a philosophical discussion on spousal violence, how it is perceived and what you have do to protect yourself and your children. The author is very thoughtful with her points on hatred, violence and AI Robotics. Definitely something to think about.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. As soon as I read the premise, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I will be reading whatever Jenna writes (including her tweets and substack).

Thank you NetGalley, HTP/Mira and The Hive for the gifted eARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars rounded up)

Apparently I’m in my AI era, having just read Anniebot recently and now this. This was a really solid debut novel!

Sci-Fi and AI meet the bachelor meets murder mystery/thriller? A wild mashup of genres that worked really perfectly together.

We alternate timelines between Then and Now. Then — we see Julia, who is the world’s third synthetic human (Synth) and Josh, the bachelor, fall in love reality TV show style. Now — Josh is dead and Julia is now a single mother and the main suspect and she needs to do what she can to clear her name.

I was hooked from the start with this one. The pacing was really even, and was slow enough to keep the suspense building but fast enough to keep me engaged. I was really invested in Julia, her story, and her innocence. Josh 😒… that’s all I’ll say about that to avoid any spoilers. The side characters were not deeply explored but provided just enough to make you interested in them and have them add to the story in just the right way. And the very end made me smirk 😏. I would definitely check out this authors future work!