Love & Other Human Errors by Bethany Clift BLOG TOUR @Beth_Clift @HodderBooks @Stevie_Coops #LoveAndOtherHumanErrors #BookReview

 

An unforgettable story about love in all its chaotic glory from the author of Last One At The Party

A book synopsis is fundamentally ridiculous. How can I possibly convey, in only 100 words, the events of the past year and their impact on my perfectly ordered existence?

It is insufficient space to accurately detail how I was blackmailed into demonstrating my flawless algorithm to find a soulmate, despite having no desire for one.

In my former life I avoided trivial human connections. I was alone, accomplished and brilliant.

Unfortunately, that solitary and driven woman no longer exists.

My name is Indiana Dylan and this is the extraordinary account of how I fell in love.

There: 100 words exactly.

Love & Other Human Errors by Bethany Clift was published on 4 August 2022 by Hodder. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour.

Back in February 2021 I read and reviewed Bethany Clift's debut novel; Last One At The Party. I was utterly blown away by the originality of her ideas and her writing style. I did wonder just how she was going to follow it. 

I have not been disappointed. Love & Other Human Errors is another unique and quirky novel that has delighted me, I think, if I'm brutally honest, that I loved this one more than her first, and that's a huge compliment. 

This is a love story, but it's not a romantic love story, nor does it just deal with affairs of the heart. We have characters here who need to be loved, although some of them would deny that. They need the close warm feeling of love given by friends, just as much as they need the love that they could get from a life partner. 

The story is set in the not too distant future, I'd guess it's around 2030, and the technology that drives the world has advanced to almost outrageous proportions. 

Indiana lives an isolated life, her only companions are Peggy and Spider, and she controls both of them. She's a woman who is structured in her life, planning out exactly what she will do, when she will eat, run and even when she will have sex. Indiana is also incredibly intelligent, surrounding herself with technology, developing new, complicated systems and she's discovered a way to ensure that the old style of love affairs can be discarded. Her invention will ensure that everyone finds their ideal and perfect soul mate. No more broken hearts or messy divorces.

When Indiana showcases her design to the JaneDoe company, headed up by Dr Cameron Gardener, she's on to a winner. JaneDoe want her design, but Gardener is well known for her devious and quite frankly, despicable behaviours. Indiana will not tolerate those terms, she walks away, but not for long. 

Bethany Clift excels in character creation. We learn about Lina and Jack who both work for JaneDoe, we get to know their innermost thoughts, we come to care about them. Cameron and her wannabe side kick Emily are deliciously vile, showing human nature at its lowest. 

It is Indiana and those who are closest to her; Peggy, Spider, Frank and Alan  who really steal the show though. Perfectly formed, with characteristics that Indiana learns from, although reluctantly at first.

This is a story that proves that the human heart can never be replaced. That we are all designed differently, and that the power of real love, be it romantic, or through friendship can fix us and make us whole again. 

Unforgettable, joyous, funny, warm and heart rending. Bethany Clift's style is unique and really quite amazing. I loved it.

Bethany Clift is a graduate of the Northern Film School, the producer of low-budget British horror
film Heretic, and the Director of her own production company, Saber Productions. Last One At The Party is her debut novel.

Bethany suffers from itchy feet. She travelled extensively when she was younger and once drove round America for a year, camping and living in her car because she couldn’t afford motels. Her itchy feet mean that, since leaving her childhood home, she has moved house a lot. She once moved house four times in a year. Bethany has now settled in Milton Keynes with her husband and two children and, luckily, she is a big fan of roundabouts.

Bethany has enjoyed many different careers including hairdresser, florist, karaoke bar singer, pork pie maker, barman, jeweller, fruit and veg seller, librarian and a season as an Elf. Bethany has spent the last eleven years working for the NHS and is a huge advocate for the organisation and the world-renowned service it provides.

Bethany is the producer of the low-budget horror movie, Heretic. Bethany produced the entire movie for less than £18k and secured it a UK cinema and DVD release earning the movie the number 3 spot in the DVD charts on the weekend of its release. Bethany was also the Production Manager for the 16-day film shoot for the movie and she did this six-weeks after giving birth to her first child and whilst still breast-feeding and surviving on about three hours sleep a night. She credits watching the Great British Bake Off as the reason for keeping her sanity, and her marriage, during those sixteen days.

Bethany loves reading and watching sci-fi; listening to American country and blues music; dancing to Northern Soul or old-school Hip-Hop and eating, well, pretty much anything. The movie WALL-E makes her cry, and her family and friends make her happy.

Twitter @Beth_Clift

Instagram @beth_writes_stuff