Publisher's Synopsis
A retired math professor plays games with her sex life and gets caught in a digital trap.
In this sex-positive thriller romance, Meryl is comfortable, too comfortable. She's a tenured math professor at a university, she has a tight circle of friends, and her sex life with her husband, Bob, is hot. But at 60, she has the midlife epiphany that now is her last chance to be adventurous and take some risks with her precious time. She feels restless. So, she quits, makes some rash decisions, and treats herself to a very expensive toothbrush that comes with an AI companion she names Hamish. When the toothbrush breaks in her mouth and a piece comes off and enters her bloodstream, Meryl finds herself tangled in a user agreement she may not be able to escape. With the help of her former students and her best friend, Uma, she tries to slip out of the grip of the biotech company that threatens her. Then Hamish shows up at her house and wants to have sex, and all her years of managing the expectations of men come into play.
Kirkus Reviews says, "Through Meryl and her circle of female friends, Best explores multiple feminist and sociological themes that cross generational lines, such as female pleasure stigma, tech surveillance, and what defines true intimacy between two people. The presence of a mega-corporation masquerading as a stable of wellness companies that harvests personal data rather than truly addressing individual needs feels all too relevant, though the author tempers her dark subject with humor... Still, the message of the book, particularly for women who have never had affirming sexual education, is clear: "your body was made to orgasm...You have the right to an orgasm."
