Life Derailed

by Beth Merlin, Danielle Modafferi

A visionary AI program upends a woman’s love life and career in a moving, funny, and thought-provoking novel about connection, friendship and family, and the resilience of the human heart.

Remi Russell knows this playbook all too well. She’s seen it unfold five times over her six years at The Sophisticate, a once prominent but now struggling women’s magazine. So when the publication needs rescuing yet again, an intriguing new chief digital officer, Jason Ashbloome, arrives with a revolutionary plan beyond the usual workforce cuts. He proposes integrating MAUDE, an innovative AI software, to make the magazine more efficient. Remi fears she could lose her job to a machine, and worse, the magazine she loves might lose its humanity altogether.

As a recent widow whose heart has been as empty as her dating-app inbox, Remi takes MAUDE for a test drive and asks it to revamp her profile in the hopes of healing from the loss of her college sweetheart, who died three years earlier. Fueled by wine and bittersweet memories, she makes a plea to MAUDE (and the universe!) to help her find someone just like him. The AI-assisted update pays off big-time when she receives a message from Noah the next day. He embodies everything she’s been seeking—intelligence, humor, adventure, and altruism—and he’s ruggedly handsome to boot.

While her connection with Noah deepens, tensions at work escalate to a boiling point. Jason is determined to prove that AI can be as genuine as real people, while Remi strives to protect the very soul of The Sophisticate. But when a discovery about Noah’s true identity forces her to question everything she once believed, she must finally confront her own grief, embrace the unexpected bond she’s forming with the last person she ever expected, and find the courage to set a life derailed back on course.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Ebooks, Chick Lit

285 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2025

About the author

Beth is a native New Yorker who loves rom-coms, Broadway, and a good maxi dress. She was introduced to her husband through a friend she met at sleepaway camp and considers the eight summers she spent there to be the most formative of her life. One S’more Summer is Beth's debut novel.

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book because it seemed like an interesting romance involving AI — and it was. But it was more than that.

In the book, a magazine editor is stuck and then unexpectedly finds a path forward. She resurrects a book project that became “a quieter novel about grief and healing, acceptance and forgiveness, that explored the nuanced relationships that shape who we are. No heroes or villains. No monsters or dragons. No perfectly scripted happily ever afters. Just life. Painful, messy, complicated, wonderful, beautiful real life.” And, really, that’s what this novel is.

Yes, it’s romance, but it’s also about grief, technology that threatens to replace people, and authenticity even when scared. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of this novel that I just happened upon among Amazon Prime’s First Reads.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this is such a timely book in the topics it handles— grief, love and AI. As a cancer survivor myself I’m always intrigued by cancer storylines (though I didn’t know that going into it) and how family members deal with it.

The slow burn kept my attention throughout as the character deals with grief and I was all for it. I do think the AI portion did need to be fleshed out more. It also had a great twist. Overall, I did enjoy the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake and the authors Beth Merlin and Danielle Modafferi for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Chantelle Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3 stars (Kindle First Reads). A book about processing grief, overbearing but well intentioned mothers, female support groups, + AI in the workplace. How do these all come together? Very well, I have to say!

[Sarah]

I heard some advice on when to dnf a book: if it hasn't grabbed you by 50 pages, do not continue. I'm on page 52 and am bored outta my skull. Dnf, baby. 💀

[Zaron · Rating 1 out of 5]

how do I put this nicely? it read like it was written by AI: soulless and predictable. A huge shame, considering the themes it was trying to cover.

[Nanette Littlestone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching scenes about grief and a great meddling Jewish mother

Just finished this rom-com and LOVED it! This is an enemy to lovers romance that features a woman’s magazine, an editor (the heroine), the evil disruptor aka hunky man that wants to introduce AI, some great gal pals, a meddling Jewish mother, and an adorable dog. Grief takes a large role here, but it’s offset by some precious lighthearted scenes and good doses of humor. And . . . this beauty is on the Amazon First Reads list for April, so grab your copy and get Derailed. ❤️

[Kimberly Bauder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, magical vet services

Enjoyable, if predictable, except for that one glaring error. Minor spoiler: I think the authors might have dipped into the fantasy genre by having the hit-by-a-car dog go through a surgery and treatment for other injuries and be released home a few hours after the surgery. Really? Must be a fantastic and magical vet. So, as my first read by this duo, I'm not too inclined to try them again. I think they need Maude's assistance.

[Rochelle Hamel · Rating 5 out of 5]

AI? Who knew?

First, let me say I neither like nor trust AI, and this novel verified my mistrust. But I loved Jason and Remi, and you will too! It's a new world, folks, and I know AI is here to stay. But so are people- thank goodness! Also,(possible spoiler?) I wish Celeste Romero were real- I'd vote for her! Seriously, read this book. It's so great, well worth the time!

[susanprosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quiet, emotionally resonant novel about grief, healing, and love, centred on a magazine editor rediscovering purpose through an old book project. The romance is slow-burn and sincere, with touching themes of loss and family. While the AI angle and some plot points felt underdeveloped or unrealistic, the story still delivers heartfelt moments and complex, relatable characters. Flawed but worthy.

[Amanda Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remi.. The love I have for you, the tears I wept. The dog! I absolutely loved every single thing about Life Derailed and I am going to go back and read every single book by these authors. Thanks to Netgally, the authors and the publishers the the eARC!

[Megan » Hello Book Bird! · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amazon first read fail. I'm surprised that I was so disappointed with this when everyone else is rating it so highly.

While the premise is interesting, the execution falls a little flat. She's on a dating app...but they communicate through email? Her mom is supposed to be a comedic element but the gross negligence of personal boundaries just makes me cringe. Jason, who is portrayed as someone super uptight, was a super insulting choice because he's clearly neurodivergent and not a priss. The romance was...flat. The declaration even more so.

[Kate Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I need to be invested in a story is the threat of AI and its potentially devastating effects on humanity! This book has its fair share of doom-and-gloom, especially if you're a writer or creative or anyone who values creative work of real humans. When Remi is forced to use an AI program because of a new executive in the digital arena at her beloved magazine, she has to reckon with its frustratingly high level of abilities. In hopes of getting her mother off her back about dating (both she and her mom have been widows for about three years now), she uses Maude, the AI program her nemesis Jason created, to bring some sparkle to her dating app profile. In the meantime, she's trying desperately to prove to Jason that no AI program could ever replace the creative, hardworking journalists she works with.

There's romance in this book, for sure, but more than that, it's about Remi's journey to fully move on from the heartbreak of her beloved husband's death. It's got plenty of humor alongside grief and ultimately left me with a sense of hope.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lea Michelle may not be able to read, but I can! (But really how many times can they bring up Lea Michelle starring in Funny Girl 😭) Jokes aside, I loved reading this book! So much of the writing felt like how my internal monologue sounds, which really helped me relate to the main character and care more about her struggles with work, grief, and the looming AI takeover. I was really curious how the story would handle the AI elements, especially with the main love interest being so entrenched in AI as a career.
The only times I felt yanked out of the immersion were the very specific references to modern pop culture (e.g. Lea Michelle, season 3 of Bridgerton) which reminded me that I’m reading a book and exactly when it was written.
If we had half stars I’d give this 4.5 ⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun second chance NYC romance between two widows forced to work together as a magazine investigates the benefits of implementing AI tech. I liked this one a lot. It was good on audio and had tons of Nora Ephron vibes. It was also very timely, exploring the pros and cons of AI. Would recommend for fans of books like What if it's you by Jilly Gagnon or authors like Ali Hazelwood. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book is so unique that I was extremely excited to dig into this book, expecting something exciting and different from other office romances/enemies to lovers I'd read before. And despite my lower rating, I think this book had really great potential. I believe restructuring how the story was told and adding some length to give the characters some more depth would've drastically improved this book. See my more focused notes below:

- Starting this book as a flashback to either the day David died or the day he left for Ukraine would've helped start this book on a stronger note. Creating that instant connection and sympathy for Remi would've made her a more compelling character from the beginning. A three years later being where the story beings would've been much stronger and made the first scene we saw with Remi in the office more compelling.
- Remi's lifestyle did not make sense to me. Being able to afford an Upper West Side flat (also should've been apartment as NYC does not refer to them as flats) and a dogwalker and doormen while working at a dying magazine did not make sense considering her and David's professions.
- Remi had the makings of being a likable character as a widow, working hard for a good cause in a dying/struggling industry and recovering from the grief of losing her dad and husband in a short span of years. However her unprofessionalism in multiple instances, poor care of her dog and immature attitude made me not root and rally behind her the way I wanted to be. While this made her multi-dimensional (because grief does that to you) I would've loved to see growth more well-rounded than these short epiphany like moments at the end.
- Remi using the AI software for her dating profile made me go, oh you must not be a good writer? Why are you at a magazine? in my experience with those in a writing focused profession, they're usually the ones you turn to help with a dating profile? It didn't make sense if she was struggling with it to turn to AI software rather than her friends who actively wanted her to date and both write as well?
- Remi gave Jason such will they/won't they whiplash and it became very intense very fast. I would've loved to see more of a slow burn where they learn more about each other at work and that is what leads to discoveries outside of work.
- Jason's personality was very inconsistent, he'd be a hardass one minute and then joking or asking if it was a joke or being very gentle in the next. I never knew what Jason was going to show up on the next page, I just don't think her character was as well thought out and paced well throughout the book.
- The Noah/AI angle was too obvious. I wish Noah had maybe been someone she was messaging from the beginning or the twist could've been less obvious.

Smaller notes to think about:
- David as her husband and Daniel as her nephew were too similar of names I got them confused at times and thought at one point that Daniel was named after David.
- Molly's dismissiveness of David in pages 8/9 in relation to The Hobbit made her an unlikable friend from the beginning that I never recovered from.
- I mention the unprofessionalism earlier but having an HR jar as a senior editor and referring to Jason as 'assbloome' by page 11 when he asks her to come to meetings on time? That made her come off as a bully more than anything and I don't know why the author thought it would come off as anything otherwise? Then one page later Remi's thinking she's getting fired because her performance 'vacillated over the past three years'? Like yeah, I think you should've been fired by now too?
- Jason saying he watched the Devil Wears Prada as part of his homework (page 17) to starting at the Sophisticate is so wildly off character. Who watches dramatized movies to get a sense of the industry they're about to be in?
- I wish Remi had after three years of grief, gone into therapy and made some of her discoveries and had her growth be fueled by finally dealing with grief. I think that would've been both a positive message and been a way for Remi to have had homework to better herself slowly but surely throughout the book.

And because so much of this was negative, which I don't love, I'd like to focus on the things I liked:
- The premise was strong, I was hooked and very intrigued about this book. Talked about it to friends in advance which I don't usually do because I was excited about it.
- Would've loved a flash forward to how everything turned out a few years from now, just to have a really satisfying conclusion and wrap up. Maybe a hint at who won the Presidential election, how Remi's book is doing, where Jason and the kids are at with Remi, how her mom is doing, etc.
- Jason being a widow too was the twist I didn't see coming that I love, love, loved. Made him a much more compelling character.
- Remi's relationship and love for her nephews was heart-warming and one in which I wish she had loved her dog as much!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and authors for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book that makes me cry automatically gets 5 stars. This was so so sweet and lovely and handled grief with great care and compassion. I enjoyed meeting these characters, and while I think Jason could have had MUCH more character development (his POV would have been stellar), it was still a great story!

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this as my Amazon first read because I was intrigued by the AI idea, but it disappointed. This is really just a Mills and Boon story with a very predictable plot. It was interesting to read about the New York lifestyle of an obviously affluent young woman. I felt bad for the dog.

[Kaitertot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this was a pretty standard 0-spice romance with an HEA. I do have some gripes about some of the themes in the book though. Story spoilers in the "Weaknesses" section.

Strengths
- I think it's well written. Sometimes it can be hard to tell if books with more than one author will feel cohesive, but this one generally does. I couldn't pinpoint specific shifts where it would be obvious that some parts were written by one author and other parts written by the other. The language felt appropriate for the genre, and descriptively this was definitely a love letter to NYC.
- This book tackles grief in a really thoughtful and realistic way. There is no timeline for when you're supposed to "move on", and the way multiple characters come to understand and process their grief together is actually really lovely.

Weaknesses (in my opinion as a reader)
- While ultimately the decision to use AI at The Sophisticate was scrapped, the novel itself did feel like it was leaning toward a receptive view of AI in general. The novel mentions that an AI program built by the MMC was very successfully adopted at another publication, and to be honest I was surprised to see ANY positive light being shed on the use of AI in creative pursuits. Even thought Jason decided to pull the plug on the project, overall the general feeling toward AI and it's applications remained pretty positive. In my opinion, AI has extremely limited applications that align with my personal ethics, and to see AI given ANY sort of positive platform (but expecially in a work of fiction aka ART) was a little off-putting.
- There is a republican politician that is centered as the antagonist that is responsible for the death of the FMC's husband. She is initially described as a fairly progressive republican, but a republican nonetheless. A significant obstacle for the FMC in the story is to overcome her own anger toward this person and produce an article that shines a light on the senator as a PERSON and not just a politician, specifically with the intent to clean up her image before making a bid for the presidency. Personally, in 2025, this left a bad taste in my mouth. To suggest that a politician voting against the moral/ethical interest of the people they serve can somehow be redeemed by sharing their origin story felt like something cooked up by the republican party themselves. I don't care how small-town you grew up, if you are in a position of power and abuse that power to serve your own agenda, there is no instance where I am going to believe that person is worthy of a vote for president, whether in reality OR in fiction. To reference a current American political party in 2025 means you're invoking the tone of that party in 2025 - there is no argument in my mind that this is some "fake" or "made up" political system in which republicans aren't as bad as they are in reality. The fact that the FMC offers her presidential vote to this person after hearing her backstory for literally an hour was short sighted and honestly a little scary, because I'm sure there are many real life voters who would absolutely do the same. To not take into account the platform and track record of this senator before offering her vote felt like it was leading readers down a worrysome path, suggesting that a sob story is enough to cancel out horrible policy.

Notes on the audiobook - Narrator Caroline Hewitt was FANTASTIC. I listen at 1.5-2x speed, and sometimes the voices can be oddly distorted, which didn't happen with this production. The different characters had subtle differences to distinguish who was speaking, and overall it was easy to follow along in conversations with multiple characters. I would definitely seek out this narrator to listen to other books she's recorded!

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a roller coaster of emotions. Such a powerful story of love, grief and moving on after you’ve lost someone. I laughed, I cried and the ending was *chef’s kiss. Super fast read.

[Allen Salkin · Rating 1 out of 5]

a book about AI that seems partly written by AI

Unfortunately, this repetitive and predictable book has long pointless passages full of details that do nothing to advance the story such as ridiculously detailed list and ingredients of what foods the character is eating at a Food Festival in Brooklyn, and many other details that smack of asking AI to write some passages. If it was written without AI help, then there's just some bad, cliché writing.

[Shellie Contos · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 16%. Woke red flags early on but the kicker was that her friend Carrie is a dude. Nope. Too fantasy for my taste. Didn’t really find the whole dating app, NY magazine editor storyline interesting anyways.

[Christina Lashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review: Life Derailed

Life Derailed is a charming and clever novel that blends heart, humor, and a dash of tech-savvy imagination to explore love, loss, and self-discovery. From the first chapter, I was drawn in by its quirky tone and relatable characters—each with their own endearing flaws and heartfelt stories.

The book follows the story of a woman whose life and career have taken unexpected turns, and just when things feel like they’re slipping off track, she’s introduced to an AI designed to revive the fading success of a once-popular magazine. The AI isn’t just a tool for editorial efficiency—it quickly becomes a narrative catalyst. From rewriting a dating profile to inventing the protagonist’s “perfect partner,” the AI adds a fun twist that raises deeper questions about identity, connection, and what we think we want versus what we actually need.

The idea of using technology—something often portrayed as cold or impersonal—as a means to spark growth and reflection felt fresh and timely. I appreciated how the author didn’t overcomplicate the plot but instead used the AI concept to drive a very human story. The emotional layers of love, grief, reinvention, and friendship are handled with care, and there’s a grounded realism under all the wit and whimsy.

Overall, Life Derailed was an enjoyable read that surprised me with its originality. It’s a sweet, uplifting story with depth, a few laughs, and just enough quirk to make it stand out. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for something light yet meaningful—with characters that feel like they could be your own friends navigating life’s beautiful mess.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were aspects I enjoyed about this story, such as the exploration of life and love after loss and genuine face-to-face interaction versus virtual interaction. However, some moments really might have benefited from more depth and emotional expression. I don't entirely wish there had been dual perspectives, but I wouldn't have been disappointed by a few passages from Jason's perspective to really experience his feelings developing for Remi.

Happy Reading!

[Ida Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well rounded book.

About several types of relationships.

Loved it

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story

Cute Story! I enjoyed all the characters but Jason is my favorite. The story talks about AI and told how much it does and how it can be helpful.

[Gracelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a cute story.

[Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely lovely book, an Amazon First Read. Couldn't put it down and finished it at 2:15 this morning..

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

AI trying to help / take over a magazine. Can it replace human emotion? I really likes this! AI is super useful, but maybe not for everything. 4.5 stars