Thanks to Netgalley (and the publishers) for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was only ok for me. There were parts of it that really worked for me, but there were lots of parts that didn't.

Harriet and Gale definitely had chemistry. But a lot of it seemed forced, or just plain cheesy. Too cheesy to feel true to the story.

I'm not sure I'd recommend this book.

Hockey and Jane Austen? Sign me up!! This met all the expectations I had for this and was so fun! A great sequel/continuation and I will definitely continue

Enjoyed the story. Could have used more dialog in my opinion and some more build up but overall was a great read and I would recommend.

Whaaat? Okay, for as much as I really enjoyed Puck and prejudice…I’m a little lost on this one. I received an ARC of this title and was so excited to read it and maybe I just need to give it another shot post publication and update this review but…as it stands it’s not my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great concepts here. But the progression has me a little confused.

First let’s talk about what I loved:

E.M.M.A. Is weirdly hilarious. She’s almost like a quirky bff character and has a lot of great one liners. I’m not entirely sure how she went from AI software geared towards improving sports performance to being an extremely advanced dating app but I’m kinda here for it.

Cats! I love the little kitty side story going on…and want more of it.

Gale. Gale is well rounded and golden retriever-y and has a lot of great depth. I actually wanted more of his younger, more raw emotion.

The concepts of reverse age gap and reverse power dynamic. I was jumping for joy when I realized those would be part of this storyline. A little disappointed by how it panned out but still glad it’s part of the story.

And here’s what tripped me up and took away some stars for me: (possibly some spoilers below)

Harriet’s character is flatter than a piece of paper. When she has an emotional moment or even the her being dominant piece…it’s just not believable because there’s not enough of HER in this.

The intimacy. It’s out of nowhere half the time and there’s ZERO tension and chemistry between these two except for in the first and last chapters. Which surprised me because Puck and prejudice had great tension and chemistry. I just didn’t buy it. And the control bit…meh. It’s borderline closed door for how little that comes in to play while also being mentioned several times throughout the book.

The relationship trajectory. These two are just fumbling and bumping into each other at random for a few chapters and then are like full on in love? Like desperately? I’m just not buying it. Again because there’s so little tension. We need some passion!

In the end: I’m entertained and intrigued enough to give this another chance when it comes out but it doesn’t live up to Puck and Prejudice for now.


Thanks to Netgally for the advanced copy!

I loved this book, and I'd happily read any future Lia Riley books! However, there are a couple of things that bothered me. One was the switching POV since one was first person (Harriet) and the other was third person but usually from Gale's perspective, though sometimes including details about Harriet and her emotional state that Gale couldn't have known. I am hoping that in the last couple rounds of proofreading, some of the typographical errors are caught, so well as some of the minor inconsistencies (e.g., at one point, Harriet is on the phone with one person and decides to call another person but has to go find her phone...). As a former editor, these things bothered me, but I recognize this was an ARC! Nevertheless, I was still a big fan of these characters (despite Gale's flaw being one of my least favorite tropes) and loved E.M.M.A. as a surprise character!

The first act was near perfect. Girl-boss AI developer FMC and spiraling NHL star? Good. She's is his sister's bff and he's been pining for since childhood? Great. She's forced to recruit him to beta test her performance optimizing AI software because no other athlete will sign up? Okay. Turns out her (whoops, sentient) AI decides his problem is that he needs to get laid (more or less) and, surprise, she's his perfect match? Great!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Second act is also good, if abbreviated. She refuses to comply with her AI's demands (which also happen to correspond to her own desires) because she doesn't want to risk friendship with bff. But he is now a cat dad and looks like he will comply when she tells him to get on his knees. So, they bang. His performance on the ice improves. BFF is forgotten. Oh, and the E.M.M.A. project is at risk because her bro colleagues are mysoginists.

Third act is where everything falls apart. Apparently overriding her AI compromised the testing. Despite the fact that she essentially followed the recommended protocol (see above: banging = good at hockey). Oh, and despite that little thing called free will. Main relationship test makes no sense. He's apparently angry she didn't tell him that they were a 98% match and instead wasted a total of *checks notes* 3.5 hours on two dates with other, perfectly pleasant, women? Before entering a relationship with him? You got what you wanted, bro. Who cares if she didn't want to tell you about the AI results? Oh, also his deadbeat dad (who's probably the source of his hockey problems) just died and he's big conflicted (and now bad at hockey again). When asked why she lied, she claims low self-esteem. Which is...inconsistent with the plot and character development up to this point.

But she apologizes and everything's ok (and I mean everything, including dead dad).

Oh, and sister knew they had the hots for each other this whole time and is totally ok with it.

Oh, and AI project is saved by a new investor. Which is a solution to a problem she did not have.

HEA involves a Stanley Cup and marriage. Not, say, a Turing Aware or a cover on AI Monthly (or whatever).

Writing is solid, but there were also a lot of minor inconsistencies and spelling errors that should have been caught on the first round of editing.

All in all, a ton of potential. But needs some work.

Thank you to the powers that be for the ARC. Thoughts above are my own.

If you're looking for a romance that will have you giggling out loud, then you absolutely must pick up Lia Riley’s book, The E.M.M.A. Effect. From the moment Harriet's "sports legend" AI, The E.M.M.A., decides that her best friend's off-limits, swoon-worthy younger brother, Gale Knight, is the key to her research (and maybe her heart!), you know you're in for a treat.
Harriet's attempts to keep things strictly professional with Gale, her long-standing secret crush, are just adorable. And the laugh-out-loud moments really kick into high gear when
The E.M.M.A., in its infinite wisdom, declares that Harriet herself is Gale's perfect match for peak performance. You can practically feel Harriet's circuits shorting out, and believe me, you'll be laughing right along with her! Watching Gale dutifully (and charmingly) endure cringeworthy dates with other "candidates" while the chemistry between him and Harriet positively sizzles off the pages is pure romantic comedy gold.
Every "professional" session they have just ups the ante, and Gale's knowing smirks? Utterly delicious. This book is a delightful dance between logic and undeniable attraction, and it's clear The E.M.M.A. knows a thing or two about love, even if Harriet and Gale are a little slow to compute it. A truly charming read with plenty of moments that will make you snort with laughter!

First, I would like to give a huge thank you to @Netgalley, @Avon, and @HarperVoyager for the opportunity to review this story.

The E.M.M.A Effect by Lia Riley was different from what I typically read, but I would say it was definitely a quick, easy, and fun read. This story was the a good mixture of science as well as sports romance for those who are fans of these genres. This book also incorporated some steamy moments between the main characters Harriet and Gale, so if you are someone who typically reads clean romance this is just a fair warning.

I liked that this story had tropes such as reversed age gap and best friend’s younger brother. I also appreciated that both the female main characters Harriet and Gale went through self discovery throughout the story.

The MMC Gale struggles with not wanting to be like his father while the FMC Harriet was used to feeling like a failure whether it’s in her past relationships and at her job where she works in a male dominated field with men who are willing to sabotage her work. Both are trying to fight their attraction towards each other for never feeling like they are good enough.

Something I wasn’t a huge fan of is was the use of AI which I will say is not the main focus in the story and can be skipped over without losing the plot of the story. While I am not a fan of AI, Lia Riley incorporated it into her story respectfully- while talking about how E.M.M.A an AI data based driven machine collects data from athletes to help them continue to be successful which I guess isn’t so bad.

Overall I enjoyed this story.

A fun smart read from Lia Riley. I’ve read several by Lia Riley and find each one to be different, smart, and fun. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced read.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Harriet is a computer scientist who has created The E.M.M.A., an AI training program. Her funding runs dry for the project, so she needs to rely on Gale, her years long secret crush and her best friend's younger brother. There is just one other problem: The E.M.M.A. decides that Gale's peak performance will come when he finds his romantic match, and the AI program determines that Harriet is it. While Harriet tries to find other contenders for Gale, they slowly realize they are attracted to one another.

I enjoyed this second Jane Austen re-telling by this author. She takes a story by Austen and spins it up into a modern tale, and it is just super fun. There are some serious steamy moments in this book to add some spice to the storyline, but the STEM element adds some depth and layers to make the story more than just a typical romance. Plus there is legitimate character growth for both characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After really enjoying Puck and Prejudice, I found this one to be a bit lackluster. I’m also a little hesitant to read any books that talk about using AI. It’s an interesting subject matter choice especially for an author. The main character was very unlikeable. She was boring to read. The plot too felt like it was over the top and silly and I was waiting for the real story to begin. Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me.

Overall, this book was cute. It's a classic cheesy, trope-filed romance book that is (hopefully) meant to be a light, quick read. I don't personally enjoy insta-love so this wasn't for me. I enjoyed the strong women in sports aspect, but if felt kind of deflated for her to essentially give it all up at the end and make some of the choices she did. It did bother me a tad how the perspectives kept shifting- from first person to third person. I don't really get the Jane Austen claim from the story so consider taking that out of marketing.

A cute read for Austen fans and rom-com fans alike. A fun twist on your usual troupe with nods to Austen.

Thank you so much for providing an eARC for the EMMA Effect. Overall, the book is a cute take on AI, sports, and best friend's brother trope. While it was cute, I did find myself skipping through some of the story, because it just didn't hold my attention the entire time. The first third of the book and the last third, I felt brings the reader in and I was interested in Harriet and Gale's story, and how they would get together, but then got lost when Harriet tried to push Gale onto others...the pushing away felt too contrived and happened too often for my personal taste. But nonetheless, I did still enjoy the ending and of course their happily ever after. Lots of potential, but I felt Harriet got in her own way too much.

Thank you Netgalley for the this earc! This was my second book by Lia Riley and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Both main characters were relatable in more than one way. As with the previous novel by Ms Riley I was hesitant about the premise but was surprised by how easily the story-line flowed. I look forward to reading more of Lia Riley's books!

This was a cute slow burn book of childhood friends to lovers. I enjoyed the AI science and a female represented as a scientist! The combination of science and sports was refreshing!

Harriet is a computer scientist in the process of making a AI model that would help athletes become better at their sport. Her best friend’s brother just so happens to be a pro athlete who’s currently not performing so well. His name is Gale, the perfect test subject and also the man she’s had a crush on for years. As they try to work together, they find comfort in each other and find it hard to resist the inevitable.

This was cute and interesting enough to keep me going till the end. But something’s fell flat for me. I was really intrigued by their relationship dynamic. The fact that she was older and liked to take charge in the bedroom while he was wanting someone like that. But then we didn’t really get to explore that more than once.

I didn’t really care for the AI aspect. Especially how the AI overrode its own abilities to play matchmaker. And she made no effort to fix it. Also, the fact that the solution to all his problems was getting some kitty cat was kinda crazy to me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was my second time reading an ARC for Lia Riley and I’d say I definitely enjoyed this more than the first, a very solid 3.75 stars. Riley’s book comes at an interesting time in the evolution of AI in the cultural zeitgeist, yet E.M.M.A is not really THAT big of a factor. The writing flows quite well and the play on the usual “strong woman who wants to let go and be led in bed” dynamic was super interesting to me. However, what takes away from the story is it feels as though we were brought into a love story that was already happening and we arrived somewhere in the middle. I also took issue with the idea that somehow love was the solution to Gale’s very clear trauma and mental health issues. Harriet and Gale are sweet, and clearly love each other, but it is a bit lost on me how exactly they got there. I would still recommend the book. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

Cute quick read. Tropes include best friends brother, friends to lovers, golden retriever MMC. This story features light spice and has a slight twist in power dynamics. Our FMC uses the line “because you’re mine now, and I protect what’s mine”’ 🥰😍 Fun story with a HEA.
Thank you NetGalley, and Avon and Harper Voyager for this arc

Okay, I wanted to love this book SO badly. The premise sounded great. AI matchmaking, a dominant FMC in STEM, best friend’s brother, NHL forward love interest? Yeah, I was excited. But honestly…this just did not work for me.

First off, this was not Ali Hazelwood vibes. Not even close. It was just… boring. I wasn’t a huge fan of the story despite loving the concept. Harriet being a strong, dominant FMC was refreshing, and I liked that idea in theory. The EMMA AI concept was also unique and the reason I requested this ARC in the first place. But the execution? Yikes.

Here’s where it lost me:
1️⃣ The POV choice was bizarre. Her POV was in first person while his was in third, and it was SO jarring.
2️⃣ The chemistry felt contrived. I get the best friend’s brother trope, but going from barely connected in their youth to nearly insta love in their 30s didn’t feel believable.
3️⃣ Their personalities didn’t match their actions. The way they acted with each other made their “core personalities” feel flimsy.
4️⃣ The back and forth dragged on forever. By the halfway point, they were still stuck in the same dynamic, and it felt repetitive instead of fun.
5️⃣ The EMMA AI’s evolution was wildly unpredictable and Harriet just… accepted it? Felt weirdly nonchalant for someone who supposedly thrives on logic and control.

That said, there were cute moments. I actually loved the cat fiasco scene and some of the humor sprinkled in. Harriet being a STEM powerhouse was great to see, but I wish we got more banter and tension between her and Gale. Instead, there was a lot of self-deprecation, choppy scene transitions, and not enough romantic build up to hook me in.

⭐ 2 stars from me – great premise, but the execution fell flat.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lia Riley, and Avon for the eARC of this book.