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!

A ton of different plot lines that just didn’t connect, I DNFed this one. I really wanted to enjoy this but man this was rough to read

This wasn’t overly sciencey which I appreciated. I was intrigued by the concept of essentially a AI falling in love and becoming pregnant. There also were past flashbacks of how Julia and Josh met on a reality tv show like The Bachelor.

This was very slow, and I wanted the pace to pick up. At times I was more into the past chapters over the present because I wanted the story to move along. This was an interesting concept, and I had this on my list of anticipated reads, but I felt this was all over the place, and I expected a different plot reveal. Overall, this was just okay to me, I think I had different expectations.

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝐸-𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝟐.𝟓 ⭐️ 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭.

𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧, 𝐚 “𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐭𝐡” (𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧—𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧) 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐕 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥 (𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐫). 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝐋𝐚𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐚. 𝐈𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 (𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝟏𝟓 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲). 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲-𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐮𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠.

𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒥𝑒𝓃𝓃𝒶 𝒮𝒶𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓉𝒽𝓌𝒶𝒾𝓉𝑒, 𝐻𝒶𝓇𝓁𝑒𝓆𝓊𝒾𝓃 𝒯𝓇𝒶𝒹𝑒 𝒫𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

This was a solid thriller-with a twist! Julia ia a "synth"-a synthetic woman-created to win the heart of the latest bachelor on a reality TV show. The story is told in alternating time periods: the "then" time as Julie starts on the show and starts to fall in love with handsome, sweet Josh. And the "now" time, where Julia is faced with tragedy after her now husband Josh is missing. Where did he go? Is Julia to blame? Who would want to hurt her beloved husband? So many twists and turns, I just knew I was missing information and I was. Satisfying ending.