First published 2026
Eve writes songs powered by raw emotion and trusts her instincts over technology. Danny built a dating app but suffers from constant anxiety about his father, his love life, and why coffee costs twelve dollars. When they start dating, Danny thinks his worries are over. But doubt creeps in. Is Eve truly happy? Should he do more or back off? These questions drive Danny to build Pattern, a new version of his app that measures relationship health and predicts romantic success. Pattern explodes in popularity with its AI assistant Bug, and users start letting Danny's algorithms make their biggest life choices. Eve watches this unfold with growing alarm. Her songwriting depends on authentic emotional experience, and she sees Pattern destroying genuine human connection. Their romance becomes a test case for love in the smartphone era. Can two people stay together when one creates technology that quantifies feelings and the other believes feelings cannot be measured?
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, social-issues, technology, contemporary-romance
Vibes: emotionally-complex, intimate, introspective, modern, thought-provoking
Tropes: opposites-attract, philosophical-divide, relationship-conflict
Period: contemporary
400 pages · Hardcover · Park Row
Content warnings: anxiety