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What Members Thought
At its heart, Press Heart to Join is a touching Sci-Fi novel with a prominent love story between Hale and Maude. I really enjoyed the story for the most part. The characters are what I'd consider the highlight of the book and although Hale comes across as a bit too perfect on the most part, Maude is clearly flawed and it's interesting to see her begin to open up to Hale as the story progresses.
The main set piece of the story was a unique bike ride through the city as Hale takes Maude on a date. ...more
The main set piece of the story was a unique bike ride through the city as Hale takes Maude on a date. ...more
I picked this up because I like romcoms and I like scifi. This one was a bargain at 99c so I snapped it up.
Good dialog (really snappy and natural), great pacing, funny and lighthearted. Recommended. If I had any complaints about the book it’d be that it’s a little light on character, more on the cinematic end and less on the immersive end. The emotions are there, but underdeveloped, and the characters are a little more sexy than is believable, lots of emphasis on looks. But since the author’s g ...more
Good dialog (really snappy and natural), great pacing, funny and lighthearted. Recommended. If I had any complaints about the book it’d be that it’s a little light on character, more on the cinematic end and less on the immersive end. The emotions are there, but underdeveloped, and the characters are a little more sexy than is believable, lots of emphasis on looks. But since the author’s g ...more
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started Press Heart to Join, but I ended up staying up late to finish it. What I appreciated most was how human the story felt. The characters weren’t perfect—and that made them feel honest. The way the story balanced emotion, humor, and real-life messiness reminded me of why I love indie books: they’re not trying to fit a mold.
There’s a certain vulnerability in the writing that made me pause more than once. It’s the kind of book that makes you think about you ...more
There’s a certain vulnerability in the writing that made me pause more than once. It’s the kind of book that makes you think about you ...more
‘Press Heart to Join’ is a futurist urban fantasy that features gamers living their lives mostly in a virtual reality where the outside world is beyond their reach. The story centers around Hale and beautiful Maude, the air-taxi driver he obsesses about after she transports him to the hospital following an accident. First only knowing her picture from her ID, Hale gets to meet Maude after her room-mate Vivian tries to distract Hale from researching more about the accident that injured him. The r
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Hale gets into a vehicular accident, and Maude transports him to the hospital in her taxi. It’s a chance meeting, and they go their separate ways. When they finally meet again, they do the dating thing to the chagrin of their friends, his pal Radney and her pal Vivian, who just happen to be dating themselves.
I love that this story is set in a futuristic world with gamers, drones, high-tech gadgets, and flying automated vehicles. Virtual reality is more real than it should be. There’s mass gentri ...more
I love that this story is set in a futuristic world with gamers, drones, high-tech gadgets, and flying automated vehicles. Virtual reality is more real than it should be. There’s mass gentri ...more
This isn't my usual read, but the story is kind of a blend of sci-fi and romance, with a quick pace and decent writing style. It is kind of humorous also, when you think of how far the world has fallen in this universe. People no longer know much about cooking or preparing food, and drone pilots and food preparation and delivery have become extremely important. I could see some of these things happening though, in our own future, as people become so dependent on technology and distracted by game
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Hale delivers food via bicycle in a future where the populace is too consumed with gaming and VR to learn how to cook. Maude is a drone pilot who picks up Hale after he crashes into a truck while on a delivery. There's a mystery about the cause of the accident and some intrigue to accompany Hale and Maude's budding romance. It's a fun read that's a little choppy in places, but is an entertaining romance that isn't such a wild extrapolation of our current day.
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I was in for a surprise — I initially thought the book was a rom-com, but the love story turned out to be far from ordinary. Things became more complicated when someone started trying to kill the protagonist. The author intentionally shifted genres, taking readers into a futuristic sci-fi world, where the tension was masterfully built and thoroughly engaging.
Mar 16, 2025
Brittany A Tilley
marked it as to-read
