This was a rough one. I’ve enjoyed this author previously, so I stuck it out to see how it would end. I’m not going to put a great deal in my thoughts below, so I do apologize if it feels airy or discombobulated.!! Is it a love story? An espionage thriller? A sci-fi tale? Yes and No. It is a mixture of the three, but it is just a loose compilation and there really isn’t any substance to the tale; less the conclusion and philosophical diatribe by the evil genius. And that, too, is standard fare in the robot v human world and goal of evolved, everlasting human consciousness. The love story – not really. I mean you have a dude and a chick. And they like each other, but as a reader I didn’t feel the connection and really didn’t care about how they would end. In fact, all the characters are cold. And we are introduced to loads of characters for really no understandable reason. I felt they were there to flesh out the page count and I suppose offer some backstory. But, it, and they, weren’t really needed. The business espionage – cold, calculated fight for market gain. This is the premise in which the two main characters (Zelda and Clovis) become entwined. But aside from a little action on the setup, there isn’t much along this story line aside from the long arc. I may have missed what exactly the goal was – what exact tech and trade secrets were the impetus for the invasion. Or, it was just a general – let’s steal and capitalize. I don’t know even after reading cover to cover.
Sci-fi – well, yes. Future. Abundant water and napkins. Hover cars. But the rest could be any city at some point in the future. As the blurb informs you : Zelda is a hot, smarty scientist. Outside of that – no real traits of interest are discovered. Clovis is not human – a clone of many, and is ‘created and commanded by Dr. Futuersmith, a diabolical mastermind with ambitious ideas for the world.” So, Clone Clovis tries to get close to Zelda – be her ‘beau” and infiltrate her work to steal trade secrets. Not much action on that front. Some sneakery – some small theft, and that sums up the action for the bulk of the book (save the near-end). I’d rate this higher if the story was an actual love story or a thriller. To me, it was neither. And it was slow-going. I almost would bet a dollar the author had Futuresmith’s diatribe and view of humanity as the loadstone of the book idea, then tried to work backward to that conclusion. In the end, I got the overall message. I also didn’t care about any of the characters. You may have a different experience! 2 of 5 Stars. Author provided ARC.
She doesn't know who her boyfriend really is…or what he really is…
Welcome to a high-tech future full of old-fashioned problems like greed, lies, and boyfriend trouble. Zelda Sibelius is a superstar scientist for a solar energy company, just the right job for a warm-hearted woman with hair the color of sunlight. Like the sun, Zelda is hot stuff, but her good looks fail to bring her happiness. Expecting an airhead with her mind on earthly pleasures, Zelda's boyfriends instead find an awkwardly funny nerd who owns two pet rats and who set the world record in a pumpkin-launching contest. Serial break-ups leave Zelda worried about who she is and where she's going.
An unlikely Casanova gives her a new chance at love. No one would call security consultant Clovis Faylwell handsome, and for such a young man, his hair is pure white everywhere from head to knuckles. But when Zelda's company hires him, he quickly subjects her to his slick charm. Little does she know that her new boyfriend is a series of superhuman clones, created and commanded by Dr. Futuresmith, a diabolical mastermind with ambitious ideas for the world.
Their mission: use Zelda to get closer to her company and steal its secrets.But missions don't always go according to plan. A superhuman clone has weak points--both physical and emotional. Is the clones' phony romance turning into the real thing? Can Futuresmith keep his cloned henchmen under control? Will these stone cold criminals be Zelda's ruin, or will they get Touched by the Fire of the Sun?