THE E.M.M.A. EFFECT

A tech genius and a professional hockey player test their compatibility in this heartfelt romance.

Twenty-nine-year-old Harriet Smythe has created the next big thing in AI—a hopeless robot romantic. The Empirical Machine for Maximizing Athletics, E.M.M.A. for short, is expected to help coaches make informed training decisions and optimize an athlete’s performance...if only it would stop playing matchmaker. When Harriet’s boss at TrainTech, a Texas-based AI startup, asks her to find a real-life guinea pig to test E.M.M.A.’s capabilities, she knows that sooner or later she’ll have to contact Gale Knight. Gale is a struggling member of the Austin Regals starting lineup, and he’s also the kid brother of Harriet’s best friend, Brooke. Though at 25, he isn’t so little anymore, with muscles even a STEM geek like Harriet can’t help but appreciate. Out of respect for Brooke, Gale has always been off limits to Harriet, even if she’s always harbored a crush on him. Enter the AI! E.M.M.A. predicts that Harriet is the perfect match for Gale, the solution to his problems on and off the ice. Unluckily for Harriet, Gale is all too willing to work with her, making it harder and harder for her to keep things strictly professional. Can Harriet continue to deny the scientific proof in front of her, or will she finally accept that the algorithm doesn’t lie? Riley’s romance is a treat for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Elle Kennedy, and readers will appreciate the modern nod to Jane Austen’s beloved matchmaking heroine. Harriet and Gale’s friendship evolves throughout the story in a vulnerable, heartfelt way, with the just the right amount of spice to make the ice melt. Eerily sentient E.M.M.A. is a standout character, offering plenty of sass in her aptly named “Duchess mode” voice.

A charming story about logic, love, and labs.