The Glitching: An Illustrated Dark Romance Sci-fi Novella

by Gigi Zarbi

A romantic tale of a not-so-happy couple's second chance at love, starring a malfunctioning home robot.
Welcome to Yasmin's nightmare.

Please note, The Glitching is intended for 18+ audiences.

Genres: Science Fiction

110 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2025

About the author

Gigi Zarbi writes spicy romances that are packed with laughs–although, proceed with caution and check the content warnings, as faer stories can sometimes be dark too. Being a visually driven libra, all of faer works are illustrated in-text by insanely talented human artists. When fae aren't writing, Gigi is typically hanging out with faer three dogs or snapping photos.

Reviews

[Erika]

Removed

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humphrey wants a second chance with his wife even though he keeps making mistakes. This one is the biggest of them all.

It’s pretty obvious who the CEO is supposed to be. And I wouldn’t put it past him to do something like this.

Not getting a hotel was pretty wild. I mean. Thst thing was clearly a problem. I’d have never stayed there.
And why didn’t he wake up right away?!

I had too many “WHY?!”s going on in my head to enjoy this one.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to arc read this novella

[Letsreadagoodbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! This was a pretty great read! Robots!!! Second chances! And finally some people later in life! And it was really good to see The FMC have some medical condition! I was like Hey I have that too!!!!

Hump gotta save his wife while trying to win her back! This book was really good and packed a punch in the pages! It was an honor being picked to read this book! I will be reading more from this author!

I really wanted to know who the CEO was but hey atleast they put him down!! with his psycho Robots!

[Chantal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gigi wrote some wildly well rounded characters, a damn good plot with twists, and some good spice, in 110 pages.
I felt the pull between these two instantly! The strife they’ve endured in their long relationship, and the NEED Humphrey had to make it work. I’m craving more !

Creepy! Robots scare the heck out of me. And this one is going to live in my nightmares. New fears unlocked!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gigi does it again, this novella was amazing. It’s a quick fun read that had me guessing what comes next. It’s a change from her other books but just as great. It gives thriller/horror vibes that made me feel like I was watching a Black Mirror episode. I highly recommend it

[Coco · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loveeeee a novella to switch things up & gigi’s writing (& illustrated chapter headers) so this was perfect! i would call it a fun read, at no point did i know where it was going but i loved the insane ride! the main characters had such complex chemistry and honestly a lot of depth put into such a short story. the ending was great! if you’re a sci-fi fan you should definitely check this out. F billionaires & scary sexist life sized robots 😂

[Rid · Rating 5 out of 5]

At no point in this story did I have any idea where it was going next. It was really intense and gave me the serious creeps!!! The character development was really strong despite being such a short read. I do think this story has the potential to be turned into something more with another book or even multiple books. I really enjoyed the characters and would love to see more of them. I would also love to see more of Jamaal and Riku since this story was really focused on Yasmine and Humphrey.

[LaTosha Webber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a wild read. Gigi truly comes up with some off the wall stuff sometimes lol. This was entertaining and enjoyable. Hump was kinda of swoony in an obsessive unhinged that’s how I like my toxic love kind of way. But Yaz was…a little all over the place. While I enjoyed the read I personally could have used a few more details on the who, the how, the way on a few things. Also I would sort of love the full story on how Yaz and Humphrey got together and then to the situationship they were in. So basically my greedy ass just wanted more lol

[Sara Cayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read by this author and let me say she didn’t disappoint. I couldn’t put my kindle down.

[BookNhooks666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy cannoli, if I didn’t already hate robots this book will be the tipping point.


I love Gigi as a writer and being able to write so it’s like YOU ARE THERE!

I wasn’t sure about Humphrey at first but at the end he redeemed himself.

Honestly was a great (and fast) read 🖤

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can Gigi write anything I won't enjoy?
(The answer is no. Shake your head with me.)

This was the perfect quick read filled with romance, spice and all of the sci-fi action I know and love. Especially from Gigi. You'll get roped in quickly, gasping once you're enthralled and then left wanting more.

If you hated the idea of life-size creepy robots before - you're sure to (probably) throw your tablet once you get into this novella. I absolutely was obsessed with Yasmin as well as the complex character developments and relationships - which is crazy to me considering this is a NOVELLA. Like how can she sit there and take this short story and create such depth???

Insane. Regardless - READ THIS. Please. (Commanding you, okay)

[Sunyoung Peony · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a sci-fi romance fan, this was my first time reading this author. I'm so grateful I got an ARC! The story explores second chances and proves that love isn't always perfect. Things aren't always sunshine and roses. This is a romance about how people or a marriage couple handle tricky parts of being together.

TROPES:
- Second Chance Romance
- Troubled Relationship/Marriage
- Malicious AI
- Technological Threat (Primus' violence)
- Mystery?

This story is short, but the author's writing style left me with many questions! I still have many questions about some parts of the story:

- Yasmin and Humphrey's marriage
- Riku and Jamaal roles
- Is this a reverse harem or is it mainly about M/F pairing?
- And what's the deal with Primus? How was this intelligent robot created? Why is he so violent, what's his true purpose, and why has he become Yasmin's nightmare?

Yes, I still had questions, but I really enjoyed the book especially the steamy parts!

😭 But Maam, my main concern here is Primus. 😭 Primus is a character I can't quite pin down. You might call me weird, but I felt a little bad for Primus. I felt a pang of sympathy for him when I read about him being sent back to the factory after what he did to Yasmin. He's clearly glitched, but I wished he could be FIXED and find a BETTER PURPOSE beyond being Yasmin's tormentor. Perhaps even a REDEMPTION ARC similar to Yasmin and Humphrey's marriage journey. Right? 💔 I don't know why... but I felt really, REALLY bad for him 😭

Gigi Zarbi is a genius for writing such a beautiful story. I absolutely adore sci-fi romance authors like them!

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NOTE: This is my personal opinion about the book. My goal is to share my experience, not to change anyone's perspective. Thank you to Gigi Zarbi for giving me the opportunity to read this early.

[Booksnliftsdiary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4⭐️/5

“Pushing forty and you’re still fucked.”

Yasmin “Yaz” Fariba Alcira Wistleroy lives in a postcard-perfect house in the quiet town of Nikko, just outside Tokyo—a dream she shares with her super-emotional boyfriend, Jamaal. But she’s also legally married to Humphrey Charles Wistleroy IV, a jet-setting tech lord who’s more devoted to his career and high-society family than to her. Their marriage? Basically a three-year-long arrangement with the occasional awkward reunion. For her birthday, he gifted her a towering beta home bot named Primus, trained to obey every command—because, of course, he did. The story follows two messy, middle-aged, morally grey millionaires who are equally bougie and flawed—on purpose. There’s also a subtle sprinkle of poly rep woven into the chaos.

The author’s imagination is out of this world—in a good way, lol! Mixing messy relationships with futuristic elements is just brilliant. The Glitching is a wild, emotional ride—a sci-fi dark romance with a sprinkle of robotic horror. It blends spice, tension, and futuristic chaos in under 100 pages. The characters are delightfully messy, the plot is packed with drama, and the visuals are seriously cool. The robot? An absolute glitch in the worst (and creepiest) way—its repeated failed attempts to inseminate Yaz are disturbing and definitely stick in your mind. Through all the chaos—murder and malfunctioning—there’s still love, laughter, and a well-earned happily ever after. What a twisted glitchfest of a story!

A big thanks to Gigi Zarbi for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!

Releasing 06/01/25 on Amazon, KU, and paperback.
E-book pre-orders are available NOW.
—
#AdvancedReaderCopy

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting concept and well-delivered.

I appreciated (and sympathised with) the portrayal of the health issues of Yasmin and understood Humphrey's excess of care (though got just as frustrated with his behaviour at times as Yasmin and the others did).

It lost points due to slight plot gaps but gained them for humour and good use of steam.

Strangely, it felt more like a book 2 of a series than a book 0 (prequel) but that might be due to it being a spin-off / extension of a previous series [which I haven't read].

Still enjoyable though!


(I was fortunate to receive an ARC however the above is, as ever, my own opinion.)

[Angelbelle Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, creepy, and shocking

When tech nerd Humphrey Whistleroy brings home a robot to test, he and his wife Yasmin get more than they bargained for.

Talk about a jump scare! The Glitching had me in a constant state of “what the hell?”Primus had me side-eyeing him from the beginning and I went from cautions to absolutely not! This was definitely a wild ride

One things for sure I won’t be getting any life size robots anytime soon

[Kay - kayreads_romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Gigi Zarbi for this E-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

This was so interesting and unexpected!! I’m really excited to read more from Gigi!

Find more on my IG @kayreads_romance

⚠️ !! Please be sure to check any TWs before diving in !! ⚠️

What to expect:
* Dark romance novella
* Sci-fi home robot
* Second chance
* Revenge plot
* K!nky & Murd3ry
* Middle aged MCs

[Bookish Venturess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I get so much crap for not liking the idea of robots in the home and here is a book that just proves my points that much more. This was an insane read. I don't blame Yasmin's instant dislike for the robot. This is a spicy romance with a twist. Their second chance at rekindling their marriage definitely did not go the way they thought it would. This is a great short story that has spice and a very big robot twist.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for a quick read, I accepted a copy of this book.

Glitching is right! What the heck was that nonsense?! I enjoyed Humphrey and Yasmin. He was maybe a little obsessive and that's not healthy, but… It is what it is, I suppose. They both had to make some hard choices, but I think that they ultimately ended up being very happy with them.

Very steamy. Very scary. Very creepy. And there was a bunch of action. All around good read.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gigi does it again. Perfect combination of sci-fi, spice, romance. This is another page-turner, having you racing to see what’s going to happen. (Maybe because you’re a tiny bit scared, it’s ok.) Loved having two mature MCs here, realistic body representations, support of each other. The robot will creep you out - as it should.

[Tanisha May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took a complete twist I didn’t expect at all! Very well written and so much conveyed so quickly! I went into this expected them to have been having fun with a bot, and I’ll give you a quick warning that’s not what occurs! Definitely read this story! It will make your blood boil a bit but justice gets served beautifully

[Miralis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great novella, with a literal F-you to Elon & I love that so much. This does touch on some heavy topics so please check your triggers.

There’s lupus & rheumatoid arthritis rep as well.

What happens when billionaire n@z! with a “have more babies” mentality creates robots read this book to find out. 👀

[thoseofusinbetween · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book (like everything she writes) was a ride.

This is a spicyyyyy novella complete with a down bad MMC, a goddess of a FMC, and a robot with their own plans. This is a quick read, BUT you won’t see the twist coming 😈

If Gigi writes it, I read it.

🖤 Older main characters
🖤 Iranian FMC
🖤 Dual POV
🖤 Plot twistttt
🖤 Second chance (he’s always been obsessed)
🖤 Bit of stalking 👀

[Vulgxr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so fun! I received a copy of this book as an ARC for an honest review. But omg this was such a great fun quick read. That one certain alien shaped Nazi tech CEO getting exactly what he deserved was *chefs kiss*

I’m immediately starting Vampires in Paris thanks to this book! This was my first time reading anything by Gigi but now I’m hooked.

[Tamra · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I thought it was gonna be a fun quick pallet cleanser but it left me wanting more. I need to see what and how these characters continue. It has it all. The funny out there moments, the spicy 🌶️ moments and a little bit of drama to bring it all together. Amazing read. I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone.

[Jessica Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting… I read this in about an hour and a half and couldn’t look away. Kind of like a car wreck, but in a good way. I’ve never explored the sci-fi genre, but I think I may give it a go! The spicy scenes were on point as were the gross scenes.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Michelle Pizarro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to be an ARC reviewer in exchange for my honest review.

I am new to this author but I was very entertained, and disturbed by this short story. Maybe it was too close to a real life scenario 😬

Polyamory, SciFi, thriller

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read by this author and I was NOT disappointed at all. The Glitching was an awesome novella that I couldn't help but devour. I recommend this novella especially if you love a good sci-fi story with all the twists, turns and more. I can't wait to dive into more of Gigi's work.

[Chong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting short story! The whole glitchy/creepy robot storyline was definitely unhinged. 😂🤖 I really liked how realistic Yazmin & Humphrey’s marriage felt — messy & full of imperfections. Even through all the chaos, they came out stronger togther. 🫶🏽

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Arc review***

I loved reading this. In just a short book Gigi has managed to put a husband, why choose, badass woman with a psychotic robot. Definitely a fun story when you’re in the mood for a short read.

[Tiffany (areyoutellingstories) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy hell that was terrifying! And yet incredibly romantic!