Friendship | Book Chatter

Valet
By J.P. Lacrampe
Simon & Schuster / Saga Press, June 2, 2026, 272pp.

The Short of It:

Entertaining and at times, sweet.

The Rest of It:

Cy is a techbot and artificial companion to his thirty-something owner, Grayson. His primary mission is simple in theory: find Grayson a girlfriend and motivate him to do something productive with his life. In practice, it turns out to be far more challenging, and often hilarious.

Grayson is a genuinely likable guy, but he drifts from one interest to the next without any real desire to settle down or commit to a direction. His wealthy mother believes Cy is the solution to that problem. Adding to the pressure, Cy is required to report Grayson’s progress back to her. Success matters because Cy’s utility score depends on it, and one major mistake could leave him headed for the junk pile.

The real strength of this story is the relationship between Cy and Grayson. Their conversations about dating, ambition, and life in general are funny, charming, and surprisingly heartfelt. Despite being a robot, Cy comes across as genuinely invested in his master’s happiness and well-being, which gives the story a lot of warmth.

My main issue is that not much actually happens. There is a subplot involving some shady business that adds a welcome dose of excitement, but I found myself wishing there was more of it. The characters are strong enough to carry much of the book, but a more substantial plot would have made the story even more compelling.

Overall, I enjoyed this one largely because of the characters. Grayson and Cy make a memorable duo, and I ended up caring about Cy far more than I expected, which is impressive considering he’s essentially a robot.

I’d read this author again.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

Writers & Lovers
By Lily King
Grove Press, February 2021, 336 pp.

The Short of It:

When it comes to love, do you go with the guy that feels right or the one that you can’t stop thinking about?

The Rest of It:

Blindsided by her mother’s sudden death, and wrecked by a recent love affair, Casey Peabody has arrived in Massachusetts in the summer of 1997 without a plan. Her mail consists of wedding invitations and final notices from debt collectors. A former child golf prodigy, she now waits tables in Harvard Square and rents a tiny, moldy room at the side of a garage where she works on the novel she’s been writing for six years. ~ the publisher

Lily King has a knack for writing characters who are quite messy, but also extremely likable. Casey is a mess. She’s a “creative” working on a novel. A novel that is going nowhere because every time she sits down to write, she’s overcome with doubt. She’s just not good enough. She will be living in her old, moldy apartment forever and will always be that server at the restaurant who does things in a half-assed way and kind of gets away with it. Kind of.

The one thing Casey has going for her is that people tend to want to help her. Whether it’s bringing meals to a table she’s neglected or introducing her to something she’s never really had of her own—a family. After the death of her mother, she just drifts from place to place until she falls in love with two men, at the same time.

One man, a widowed dad with two adorable boys. The other, a writer like her, good but needing the motivation to get out there and in turn, someone who understands her hesitation when it comes to her own work. One seems like a guarantee for a happy life, the other less so but more tempting.

What do you do? She grows close to the single dad and yes, his kids but she sees the writing on the wall and he’s very clear that he wants her there. All of her. How do you balance your desire for a normal family life over what you believe you were meant to be?

The other guy, is elusive. The chemistry is there but there’s a push-pull thing that confuses her. Sometimes he’s fully present and then he’s not. She goes along, making both relationships work for a little bit, but eventually she has to make a choice.

This book has everything. An endearing protagonist, inner-conflict, messy and wonderful bits about being in love, and the art of writing. It’s a perfect package.

I am becoming a huge Lily King fan. I adored her most recent book, Heart the Lover so as soon as I finished it, I found this one and I re-read passages over and over again, took screenshots and just lingered in the writing. If you want a book to make you feel things, I highly recommend King’s work.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

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