Book Review - Goodbye for Now

Goodbye for Now by Laurie Frankel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book, even if it did break my heart just a little.

Sam is a great computer programmer. So great, in fact, that he creates an algorithm for his workplace - a computer dating service - that actually lets people find their soulmates. And fast. He tests it, and finds his own soulmate, Meredith, who he falls hard for (and vice versa) from the first date. The only problem is, when everyone finds their soulmate right off the bat, the company collects no monthly membership fees. You see where this is going, don't you? Sam gets fired.

While he's filling his days jogging, playing with Meredith's dogs and learning to cook, his relationship grows. But then, tragedy strikes and Meredith's grandma passes away. She is so broken that all he can think of is that he needs to find a way to help her reconnect with her loved one, especially when she says she'd give anything for just one more email. Back to the drawing board goes Sam, who creates this time a program that sees who a person really is through all their online activity - much like his soulmate program - and composes an email for Meredith.

Oh this book is so lovely. I adored Sam and Meredith both, and heck, even Livvie, the departed Grandma. I loved the world they were in, and I loved the premise of it all. Since in the real world, I love an IT guy myself, it touched me even more. The writing style was comfortable and conversational, but with some really amazing moments that elevate it to the art form it's meant to be. The characters are fantastic and very real. And I could see exactly how these programs would work, unlike some who've mentioned in reviews that they had trouble suspending disbelief, because I know how programs work, basically. It sparked a lot of conversations between my husband and I about the nature of human relationships and how the advent of AI will alter our realities.

In short, loved, loved, loved this book. I'll be looking for more from this author. I'd recommend this one to anyone who can read, it's that wonderful, but especially anyone with a relation to the computer industry.

*Book received at no cost through the GoodReads First Reads program

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