In Novo, the people in charge want to grow the population, so they create a mandatory dating program — imagine Tinder mixed with The_Bachelor. Every seventeen‑year‑old has to participate. After several rounds of dates with assigned suitors, the system picks your match. Ariana, our heroine, wants nothing to do with it. Her dream is a military career, not a government‑approved romance.
Then she gets paired with Cal — the boy she used to “hate” because he was cocky and too friendly. Except she slowly realizes she didn’t hate him at all. She just didn’t like that other girls liked him too. Their chemistry is sweet, messy, and very teenage, and the program does not appreciate them going off‑script.
And then there’s Zane — the boy who appears in her dreams every single night. She feels like he’s real, maybe from her past, but she can’t place him. That mystery adds a whole other layer to the story.
From there, the adventure kicks off. Think Hunger Games vibes, but instead of survival arenas, it’s Dating Games: spas, stylists, cooking classes, all designed to mold you into the perfect spouse. I found it all highly entertaining.
Because this is a whole new world, the author spends time describing how Novo works and what’s left of Earth. Honestly, some of it feels prophetic — like a warning about what happens if we don’t take care of our environment. And the political climate? Uncomfortably familiar, minus all the futuristic techy stuff.
The story is exciting and suspenseful. There’s cloak‑and‑dagger tension, young infatuation, family drama, possible betrayals, and plenty of heroism. The pace is a little slow at times, but it works because the world‑building needs space. Ariana and Cal kiss a lot — as hormonal teens do — but they don’t cross the line (thank you, Siobhan). I hurt for Ariana and everything she endures, and I admired her bravery and sense of justice.
Of course, it ends on a cliffhanger. World domination doesn’t wrap up in one book. I felt it coming — like a train speeding toward a collision — but it was still exciting and satisfying. Now I’m dying to know what happens next.
And now the big question: Zane or Cal?
I’m Team Zane, so let’s see where this goes.
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About the author
Siobhan Davis™ is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Top 5 bestselling romance author. Siobhan writes emotionally intense stories with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She has sold millions of books and her titles are translated into several languages.
Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management.
Originally from Ireland, she now lives in Cyprus with her husband.
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