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Stuck in a dead-end job and living at home with her parents after a painful breakup, 31-year-old Chloe Fairway isn’t where she wants to be in life. The last thing she needs is to face her successful classmates at her upcoming 10-year college reunion. Desperate to make a splash—and to save face in front of the man who might be the one that got away—she turns to a mysterious dating service.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Looking for a book with a mysteriously perfect new boyfriend, a dog that’s brought along everywhere, and a 10-year class reunion at Oxford? And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens has all of the above (and more)!

I have really enjoyed the Sophie Cousens books I’ve read, with a blend of magical realism and cozy romance, and was extremely excited to read her new book. And I was definitely surprised to find out there was a sci-fi twist instead of a magic one! Surprised, a little uncomfortable, but ready to give it a shot. And overall, I did really enjoy this book. Unfortunately, this book did not match her last few books for me, and the sci-fi twist is definitely what limited my interest.

I really enjoyed the main character, Chloe, and her foibles as a 30-year-old trying to instill some confidence in herself before her university 10-year reunion. Chloe was relatable, with a self-depreciating sense of humor and growing sense of gumption. Her university classmates were charming and flawed, just like Chloe, and added to the overall coziness of the book. The flashbacks from the reunion to their university lives were fun and made the plot more intriguing.

The sci-fi twist truly threw me for a loop. Chloe has acquired an unbelievably perfect boyfriend to showcase at her reunion. The boyfriend, Rob, is actually a humanoid AI BoiBot. While Rob has some comically robotic moments, overall, his contribution is purely to prolong the overall plot. Cousens’s author’s note explained the concept of Rob and while the concept was intriguing, I would’ve enjoyed the overall plot without Rob’s existence just as much, if not more.  

If any of this book’s wildly specific traits caught your eye, you should definitely give it a shot! I’d also recommend it if you’re looking for a romance with a sci-fi twist!

Thanks to Netgalley and GP Putnam & Sons for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!