This is a quirky and entertaining workplace comedy with a surprising amount of heart. The story centers on Maeve, who is assigned to help a robot named Kobi assimilate into her office. Kobi quickly becomes the heart of the novel—his awkward attempts to fit in are both hilarious and touching, and his evolving bond with Maeve is a joy to watch. The alternating chapters between Maeve and Kobi add another layer of charm, offering unique insight into Kobi’s perspective and making their dynamic even more engaging.

Where the novel doesn’t quite succeed is in its romance. Maeve’s primary love interest feels underdeveloped, reading more like a casual fling than a meaningful connection. Their lack of chemistry makes the sudden leap toward love unconvincing, especially compared to Maeve’s natural spark with another potential love interest. Maeve’s reaction to Josh at the end also feels uneven, as her unwillingness to forgive him comes across as hypocritical given her own choices.

Despite these flaws, Chaos Theory shines in its humor and heart. Maeve and Kobi’s relationship carries the book, making it a fun, lighthearted, and worthwhile read.

This was such a charming read. The story follows Maeve, who’s assigned to help assimilate a robot named Kobi into the workplace. My favorite part of the book was Maeve’s interactions with Kobi. Their dynamic was funny and heartfelt. Kobi’s attempts to fit in and find his role at the company were both hilarious and endearing, and watching Maeve and Kobi’s relationship grow closer over the course of the book was fun to see. Maeve's coworkers didn't know what to think about him, which made their interactions all the more comical.

There are some chapters broken up between Maeve and Kobi, which made it that much more interesting to read and gave us a better understanding of what Kobi was thinking.

Where the book fell short for me was in the romance, or lack thereof. Honestly, the love interest felt more like a “friends with benefits” situation than an actual romantic connection. Maeve often complained about him, and the things she said didn’t come across as affectionate. Their lack of chemistry made it hard to buy into the sudden shift toward love—especially after the whole underwear incident, which was brushed off a little too casually. In contrast, I felt she had much stronger chemistry with the other potential love interest.

Another sticking point for me was Maeve’s reaction to Josh at the end. She struggled to forgive him, but it came across as somewhat hypocritical since she was willing to make a similar choice herself just “differently.” Given how much both of them cared for Kobi, I expected her to understand his motives more, especially since his lie wasn’t malicious.

I also noticed that some chapters ended very abruptly. Often, the last sentence felt unfinished, as if the thought should have continued, which disrupted the flow slightly.

All that said, I really enjoyed the comedic aspect of the story and especially the bond between Maeve and Kobi. Their relationship is what kept me wanting to continue reading. For what it is, this was a cute and fun read, and I’d definitely recommend it, especially if you enjoy workplace humor with a touch of heart.

DNF at 20%.

First of all, I really tried pushing through finishing the book but unfortunately, it just doesn't speak to me that much. The premise is very interesting which is why I wanted to read it but it was not what I expected it to be.

I love Maeve. In a way, I resonate with her and her desire to switch jobs every now and then in hopes to find what she really wants. I liked Kobi, he's an adorable robot despite his "awkward" quirks. I appreciate how it was showcased from the start how uncomfortable it is for us humans to work with AI because of the thought of them possibly taking our jobs in the future. I should know this as someone who works on an industry where they're prevalent now.

I think what just put me off is that I was initially expecting this to be a romantic comedy, as what it was initially showcased, with the robot being a supportive character or catalyst on the development but until the part where I stopped reading, I didn't feel it happening.

While this book didn't work out for me, I feel like other readers who are more into science fiction with less romance will find this very interesting!

I will still look forward to Sylvia's future works because this showed me she has so much potential!

Thank you NetGalley for the e-copy of this ARC!

#ChaosTheory #NetGalley

Oh, how I'd love to have a robot like Kobi! I think the premise of the story was great: Maeve handles a new assignment at her tourism board job (integrating a robot helper, Kobi, into the office workplace) while juggling two love interests (situationship Shane and Kobi's programmer Josh). But I don't think the story fully delivered on the premise. There was less overall focus on the romance than I expected, and more focus on Kobi and his successes and failures in interacting with humans, as well as on Maeve's journey about letting others in and coming to understand what she wanted in life. (Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the focus on Kobi, I just went into this book thinking it was going to be slightly different than what I got.) I also thought the pacing was a little uneven, especially in the first half of the book, but the question of why Kobi malfunctioned at the previous company definitely kept me reading. I really liked Kobi, and I loved that he got a POV! (I would have liked more from his viewpoint in the first half of the book, though.) Although I wouldn't call this laugh-out-loud, there was a nice amount of humor without being slapstick. I got the sense that the author didn't fully know what she wanted this book to be and so she combined a lot of themes all together and actually kind of made them work (part romance/part fish-out-of-water workplace comedy/part corporate conspiracy mystery/part lit-fic self-exploration novel). But for my reading experience, it felt a bit too disjointed to be fully cohesive. Even though this wasn't quite my cup of tea, I'd read this author again. I like how she handled Kobi and his growing pains, and his personality grew to be very endearing over the course of the story. (I honestly think I would have enjoyed this book more if the romance aspect was cut out almost completely, which feels almost sacrilegious to write as a hardcore romance reader but that's how much I enjoyed Kobi and his assimilation into a human workplace.) 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. Publishes September 5, 2025. This review is based on a complimentary eARC of the book, all opinions are my own.

ive got to admit my first thought about this book was to stay away. anything AI has me wanting to up root to the moon. ive had just about enough of the problematic side of it. but i was intrigued by a human having to babysit one and where that might lead and it DID seem to be taking it lightly. but i have to wish an hope that it doesn't start to become a norm to include but i firstly think i might not be supported in this and secondly i think we are going to see it more and more. i need to get on board? give me time.
this also became apparent to me and i got a bit icky when they really did start humanising this robot...
i do like though, how we are getting a broader subject matter to our book and the characters within. we've seen more techy and science based people. some people who would have been old school "nerds" are now championed and that is always brilliant to see.
the plot was super cute and fun. Mauve in this was such a sparkly character to read. she is in this book given the task to work with and alongside and train a Ai Robot in her current workplace. she needs to give him some human scenarios and experiences. this is all so complex and new to her and add to that in her own life shes got some very human relation issues.
Sylvia has a really nice way of writing. its so smooth, flowing and easy. the topics are relevant and balance the ups and down with life without becoming to much nor too light in tone.
i was rooting for our characters and wanted to follow right until the end to see how this would all work out. and yes, i even wanted to know what would come to the bot.

Loved this Irish sci fi workplace comedy that explores what it means to be human in a world that is increasingly relying on machine learning (ie AI) and robots. It was funny, thought-provoking and just the sort of escapist fun I was needing.

While there is a dash of romance in this book for the cherry on the top, the book centres on Maeve, a woman used to flirting from job to job now in charge of a teaching Kobi, a robot to become more human while she also nurses a big crush on his creator Josh. But what is about another ‘never again’ colleague Shane? I also loved the supporting characters including David, Julia, Sharon and even Trish. I absolutely cackled at the art class.

I also appreciated that the author addresses that while all this new technology has benefits it also threatens livelihoods and can be used for harm.

I can’t wait for this author’s next book.

Thanks to Storm and NetGalley for the ARC.

I found Maeve very relatable as a fmc with how she feels like she’s not sure what she wants to do with her life and her career. I enjoyed reading the office dynamics and banter - there is a great set of characters throughout. I thought it was so interesting to have the POVs of Maeve and Kobi the robot as he is determined to be a success and achieve his mission of fitting in with the humans but it is difficult to understand their language or reading between the lines. I did find myself rooting for Maeve and Kobi to get their happy endings but I did think it was a bit extreme that Maeve was willing to end her relationship for a robot. The ending was nice and sweet.
A fun techy twist on a modern romance I would recommend 🤖💚

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chaos Theory is a chaotic, witty, and utterly heartwarming rom-com that had me laughing one moment and clutching my heart the next. Sylvia Leatham delivers a fresh, clever story full of sharp banter, quirky mishaps, and just the right touch of chaos to keep you hooked.

Maeve is a delightfully messy heroine—relatable, hilarious, and impossible not to root for as she stumbles through life, love, and the curveball of being saddled with a robot sidekick who steals every scene. The love triangle between her long-time, frustrating flame Shane and the sweet, nerdy-in-the-best-way Josh adds plenty of swoon and tension, making the emotional payoff that much sweeter.

Smart, modern, and packed with both comedy and heart, Chaos Theory is a rom-com with brains and soul. Fans of Sophie Kinsella and Christina Lauren will adore this zany yet heartfelt journey about finding love, friendship, and your place in the middle of the madness.

I am not one to be in love with AI-anything, but this book sounded like something I wanted to give a try. It was very heartfelt, and I found myself laughing quite often at the funny situations. This book has made me want to find more similar to it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm publishing for an advanced copy of this book.

This book description made this book sound like a romantic comedy with a robot side plot.
However, this book although had laugh out loud moment seemed to explore other strong bonds not just romance as the romance side felt a little under developed. The bond that Maeve formed with Kobi was very sweet and was summarised nicely towards the end when Kobi was likened to Maeve's child.
The human love triangle between Maeve, Shane and Josh seemed little odd. It seemed that she was falling for Josh with Shane being a back up obviously until the third act issue. Throughout the book Shane was painted as a joker and someone that just annoyed Maeve more than anything for the majority of the book. Although that being said she seemed to get more frustrated at Shane (understandably) the more time she spent with Josh. I was truly rooting for Maeve and Josh to end up together.
The chapters from Kobi's POV showed how he was starting to develop emotions and although pulled away from the plot slightly gave nice character development to the robot and his emotional capacity. I believe that these chapters were needed to be able to understand the ending and for it to have the desired impact.

Funny, endearing and very on trend with AI. A fun read which brightens up your day. Very light-hearted and perfect to read on the beach in one sitting. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

What a fun book to read, with several points of view, including AI ! Definitely different and definitely makes you question some of the possibilities to come in the future. Are they all really that far fetched? Funny, fascinating and futuristic.

Chaos Theory is a witty, warm and inventive romantic comedy that blends workplace chaos, technology and matters of the heart in a refreshingly original way. Maeve McGettigan has always been someone who avoids commitment, but when she finds herself assigned to manage Kobi, a well-meaning but socially disastrous robot assistant, she is suddenly forced into a role she is hilariously unprepared for.

As Maeve struggles to integrate Kobi into her workplace, she also becomes tangled in a complicated love triangle. There is Shane, her unreliable on-again off-again fling, and Josh, Kobi’s charmingly nerdy creator, who makes Maeve question her assumptions about love and life.

Just as she starts to untangle her feelings, a shocking twist changes everything, pushing her to confront not only who she wants but who she truly is.

Sylvia Leatham balances laugh-out-loud moments with heartfelt emotional beats. Kobi provides comic mishaps and awkward brilliance, while Maeve’s journey is both relatable and uplifting. The Dublin setting and the mix of workplace humour, modern romance and a dash of science give the story a fresh and contemporary feel.

This is a fun, light and original romantic comedy with plenty of heart, perfect for readers who enjoy quirky characters, laugh-inducing situations and a heroine learning to embrace the unexpected.

3.5/5.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I was really excited for this one since romance is usually a total chef's kiss and I am a sucker for when the main character works in STEM, after reading Lessons in Chemistry, I sought it out actually. It sounded like the perfect book, but it ended up falling flat for me.

The extra POV didn’t add much and actually pulled me out of the story. The humor also felt forced, and while it tried to mix in some heavier themes, the balance just didn’t work. By the time I got to the ending, it wrapped up so quickly that I didn’t feel connected to the characters anymore.

Overall, not terrible, but definitely not what I was hoping for.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 stars. Cute but very corny. I wanted deeper character development. The premise was very unique, though!

2.5 ⭐️
I was sent this arc and decided to read it after seeing the description of the book. It sounded like it was going to be a cute and funny rom com that had a unique twist with a robot. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s really the genre of this book. The romance is very much secondary to the robot plot, and while the book was somewhat interesting (it brings up a lot of questions about ethics in AI, how technology should be used in the workplace, etc), I felt that it didn’t fully reach its potential. I liked the chapters from Kobi’s perspective, they reminded me a lot of Marcel’s perspective in Remarkably Bright Creatures. It was just hard for me to actually care about this robot’s feelings and what happens to him (which is kind of the point of the book I think. Trying to decide if robots matter like people do). I expected more of a rom com with funny situations the robot got the characters into, so it was not necessarily a genre I would pick. I think it was well written and could be a book someone would really enjoy if they know what it is going in. It just wasn’t for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an interesting theme. It was a little too slow moving for me so I struggled some to get through the first 3/4. The robot chapters were an odd but not bad thing to set this book apart. The ending definitely started to pick up once you start getting into the robots actions and the lies/scheming come out. I didn’t really understand how a girl working at a random tourist place all the sudden is able to do all this work on a specially engineered robot but who am I to judge! The ending was very sad but also I respected it. Overal not my typical book to read but not one I’ve completely regretted.

I loved, loved, loved this book. What a fabulous and original read. Excellent from beginning to end!

If you’ve ever seen and enjoyed the 1980s film Short Circuit (about a robot that gains human qualities and tries to escape his creators) then you might enjoy this book! It’s more about the robot (Kobi) than the romance, so much so that I would say that the romance is a barely there subplot. The main plot centres around Kobi joining the Go Ireland team to gain work experience and Maeve, the main female character, is in charge of him. His creator, Josh, is one of the male characters who is interested in Maeve but their scenes were quite limited and mostly about Kobi. The other male character, Shane, is Maeve’s work colleague and she has a bit of a friends with benefits situation going on but he’s not a main focus and his scenes were tied in with Kobi as well. The romance at the end seemed to be quite sudden in that we didn’t have any real lead up to it. If there had been some tension filled scenes throughout the book featuring these characters then it would’ve made more sense and seemed more than a quick wrap-up. Maeve had more of an emotional connection with Kobi than her love interest! Saying that, there are some good discussions/thoughts on the ethics behind robotics and AI and attaching human qualities to robots so that was interesting. But, where was the romance?!

3 stars for the robot.
2 stars for the romance.

Books have always been my “happy place.” I’ve been a romance reader for as long as I can remember, and if you throw in a main character working in STEM, I’m immediately interested. That combination just feels like it adds something extra to the story. So when I came across this book, I was instantly excited, and let me tell you, it did not let me down.

I went into this one thinking I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting, but wow, I was wrong in the best way possible. The first surprise is that in addition to the FMC, you also get a POV from someone I was not expecting at all. I won’t spoil who, but it made the book so much more entertaining and gave me a whole new perspective on the story. Another big plus is the humor. There are so many books labeled as “romantic comedies” that don’t really make me laugh, but this one? It had me cracking up more times than I can count. I actually had to put the book down a couple of times just to laugh it out.

But here’s what I loved most: even though it’s packed with humor, the book doesn’t shy away from more serious themes. Without giving too much away, there are moments that catch you off guard with their weight and depth. That balance between laugh-out-loud funny and heartfelt emotion made the story really stick with me. It wasn’t just fluff; it had some real substance underneath all the fun.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book. The ending wasn’t my favorite, but it made sense for the story and wrapped things up in a way that worked. I would have loved a little more detail in those final pages, but that’s just because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters. If you like a romance that can make you laugh, surprise you, and tug at your heart a little, this one is definitely worth the read.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**