Isaac: A Cozy Ace Android Relationship

by Allee Mead

When Eleanor Lane, estranged from her family, makes the drive to her deceased father’s house to arrange his funeral, she discovers Isaac, a care-bot. Isaac had been caring for her father ever since the incident six years ago, when her father, confused, accidentally cut her with a kitchen knife.

Eleanor convinces her sister to let her take the care-bot home, beginning a new relationship with him despite herself. As she learns more about Isaac, she also discovers a caring, sensitive person in the android. He fills the void in her life created from her fear of connecting with others, and starts to reconnect Eleanor to how her fathers, John and Javi, met and fell in love.

But is Isaac a replacement for human contact? For that matter, what is Isaac? A simple programmed construct, or a person who can grow and learn? Explore love, community, and what it means to be human in Allee Mead’s debut book, Isaac.

Science Fiction / Contemporary / Ace / Cozy Romance / LGBT

Adult and New Adult

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2025

Reviews

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer]

Isaac; a cozy AI android relationship by Allee Mead, after learning her dad passed away Evelyn rush home to help her sister finalize all the details of her dad John’s life. When she walks in her childhood home she is surprised to hear someone call her name only to remember her sister bought a care bot name Isaac to be with John and his final days. which is ironic because only days before Evelyn was contemplating getting one as a companion. after everything is set and done Evelyn gets her sister to agree that she can take Isaac home with her but the more they hang out the more he doesn’t act like a care bot he acts more like a boyfriend but then there’s other times where she finds him staring off into space in this brings her to contemplate their relationship. there’s a second POV of how her dad John and Papa’s Javier met and it is a sweet meet cute and an even sweeter story of them coming together although it has a sad ending I still really liked that part of the book but then again I liked both pOV’s. I didn’t want to give too much away because this isn’t a long book but it’s very cute makes you think it was a very enjoyable read. I think just like having cameras around all the time when you hang out with the care bot that acts like a human you can easily believe that they are I really enjoyed this book indefinitely recommended. #BookSprout, #TheBlindreviewer, #MyHonestReview, #AlleeMead, #Isaac,

[Ariana Weldon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is available on Grimoire Ink Reviews

Strangely enough, I chose this book out of our SFINC allocation because of the content warnings. Allee submitted Isaac with the warning of dementia and death. Now, here’s my TV-show competition sob story, dementia is something very relevant to my life these days, so woo-hoo relevant content warnings!

On that note, I think the depiction was excellently done. It was done with care and it’s a hard topic to navigate at times, so these things should be loudly applauded. The whole concept of a care-bot enabling older people to be able to stay in their homes and safely looked after, very sweet. The mentions of the later stages of dementia, when the body forgets how to do basic things to stay alive, heartbreaking and, like I said, well done.

There was also ace rep and a garlic bread joke. Both of which I appreciate.

Something I’ve spoken about in other reviews and in a few different conversations is I don’t love a pop culture reference smacking me in the face in books. Especially when there is some expectation of having a background on the reference. “Not a Firefly companion, a Doctor Who companion. Like, someone to go to movies and concerts with.” Having seen Doctor Who (Ten is the best, I will die on this hill), I understand what kind of companion relationship the narrator, Eleanor, is referring to. Having not seen Firefly, I can only assume there is a bow-chicka-wow-wow component to their relationship.

Mentions of High School Musical, NSync, Backstreet Boys, My Chemical Romance, just had me scrunching my face. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just a personal preference and something I think makes books become dated very quickly. But as one of my friends says, “to each, their peach.” So peach away, peeps!

There were also a few instances of unnecessarily detailed. One scene with a door lock in particular. I can see why it was there, but it just didn’t add to anything really.

These aren’t major critiques so I hope they don’t discourage Allee. Considering Isaac is her debut novella, there are some major strengths and, as with any piece of work, room to grow and improve. Also, imagine taking your debut work and putting forward to a competition! I know plenty of people that still wouldn’t do that several books and short stories into their careers. Big cheers to Allee on that front!

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an interesting science-fiction novel with deeper layers than is visible at first glance. I like how the book focuses on the relationship between Isaac and Eleanor and how it's different as Isaac is just a bot. I feel sorry for Eleanor in a way; I feel like she's struggling with connection and needed Isaac more than either of them realized. At the same time I also wonder if Isaac in her life like this was healthy for her. The book does pose these questions and it doesn't have an easy answer to either of them, which is to the book's strength. All in all, I had fun.

[William Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful cozy read with an ace relationship. There's a certain creeping sense of peril with the interchange of the two viewpoints in the story, one in the present and one in the past. This just serves to bolster the feeling of the unusual behind the relationship and what it means for the human vs. the android participants.

[Andi Downs · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title suggest, a cozy read. I liked Issac and Eleanor. Though the sad moments did affect me having gone through the loss of my mother, recently. Still this was a lovely short read and did enjoy. :)
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story about connection and change.

[Miss Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

not quite what i expected but i think better for it. reading 'relationship' as 'romance' was on me -- i liked that this was more complex then what i envisioned

3.5 stars