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Fire Up My Heart
London bartender Fane thinks he’s hit the jackpot when he finds a rare and expensive service Bot discarded in a dumpster, and he takes it home to get it working again. The Jo-E brings some much-needed companionship to Fane’s lonely life, but there’s something different about this Bot, as indicated by its odd behavior. Fane’s developing feelings toward Jo-E trouble him, and things go from bad to worse when a robotics engineer arrives on Fane’s doorstep, demanding the return of his property. Fane is forced to choose between a hefty reward and following his heart. Giving in to his forbidden desires might get him killed—or change his life forever.
67 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2016
2 people are currently reading
156 people want to read
About the author
Asta Idonea
54 books49 followersAsta Idonea is the M/M pen name of author Nicki J. Markus.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 1, 2016
FOUR HEARTS--Well this was a fun little ride...
New to me author Asta Idonea delivered a cool little tale about a lonely bartender and a service Bot, named Jo-E in the not too distant future in a little town you might've heard of called London.
Fane, a bartender at a seedy gay bar named Spunk. An orphan just barely scraping by sees what he thinks is a body in a dumpster and ends up winning a jackpot in the bot lottery. An expensive prototype called Joe-E that was damaged by able to be fixed by Fane. Fane fixes the Bot, but something is different. Bots are made to serve humans, not in the sexy way because it's illegal. But he can't help his attraction no matter how hard he fights it. And what's more curiouser is Jo-E reacts and feels like a human. The lines are beginning to blur.
Now, I'll admit. I read the blurb and I jumped to read this because robot sex.
Don't judge.
Well maybe not this image exactly...
This story does deliver one erotic scene but what's more important is the sexual tension and budding desire between Bot and human. The author thankfully wrote alternating POV. Fane is a good guy who just didn't win the life lottery. The struggle is totally real in his case. But Jo-E was the one who clinched it for me. Reading Jo-E's thoughts and processes were a delight.
Like this:
I actually looked it up on the Color Hexa (color encyclopedia) and it was accurate! How cool was it to describe time changes in code. (BTW, #F5BCA9 is a fave color of mine) Reading him become human like (well as close as the AI could do), reacting to Fane and being the pursuer in their relationship was pretty damn cool.
Sadly, the story wasn't just about man and Bot falling in love. There was a little suspense too. Jo-E's original owner wanted him back and did a few shady things to get Jo-E back in his greedy clutches. Eh...the villain and that plot point, the main idea of it was needed but it could have been a little sharper for me in some aspects.
The villain, an evil, overweight professor who doesn't like to get his hands dirty but loves the food. *sigh* The fat jeering: eats so much cake, looks like a "doughnut", etc...it got old pretty quick. Thankfully, it wasn't a major part of the story, but it stuck out for me. I think the villain could've been a little more detailed. He's a genius, right? He's worried more about eating and ordering others around instead of handling the retrieval himself. Or at least in charge more instead of being so lazy.
Even with the lamer villain, the story and the romance was a nice one. I really enjoyed the concept and the main theme. The HEA was tied up in a neat bow. I'd definitely read more from this author.
Recommended for readers who like light, no angst Bot/human romance that doesn't have a squicky feel to it.
Unicorn meets robots.
A copy provided for an honest review.
New to me author Asta Idonea delivered a cool little tale about a lonely bartender and a service Bot, named Jo-E in the not too distant future in a little town you might've heard of called London.
"You make me feel so many things, Fane. When I think of you, my cogs clench and my gears grind. Electricity sparks inside of me, and power pools in my chest and groin, pulsing there, desperate for release. Do you not experience the same?"
Fane, a bartender at a seedy gay bar named Spunk. An orphan just barely scraping by sees what he thinks is a body in a dumpster and ends up winning a jackpot in the bot lottery. An expensive prototype called Joe-E that was damaged by able to be fixed by Fane. Fane fixes the Bot, but something is different. Bots are made to serve humans, not in the sexy way because it's illegal. But he can't help his attraction no matter how hard he fights it. And what's more curiouser is Jo-E reacts and feels like a human. The lines are beginning to blur.
Now, I'll admit. I read the blurb and I jumped to read this because robot sex.
Don't judge.
Well maybe not this image exactly...
"Uh, Jo-E, probably best not to tell the guy you were making love to that you were thinking of other things while he was jerking you off."
"I do not understand, Fane. Only 15 percent of my capacity was assigned to the problem. The remaining 85 percent was focused on you."
This story does deliver one erotic scene but what's more important is the sexual tension and budding desire between Bot and human. The author thankfully wrote alternating POV. Fane is a good guy who just didn't win the life lottery. The struggle is totally real in his case. But Jo-E was the one who clinched it for me. Reading Jo-E's thoughts and processes were a delight.
Like this:
"Hours passed as Jo-E pondered. Outside, the sky turned from #58D3F7 to #F5BCA9 to #0B0B3B."
I actually looked it up on the Color Hexa (color encyclopedia) and it was accurate! How cool was it to describe time changes in code. (BTW, #F5BCA9 is a fave color of mine) Reading him become human like (well as close as the AI could do), reacting to Fane and being the pursuer in their relationship was pretty damn cool.
Sadly, the story wasn't just about man and Bot falling in love. There was a little suspense too. Jo-E's original owner wanted him back and did a few shady things to get Jo-E back in his greedy clutches. Eh...the villain and that plot point, the main idea of it was needed but it could have been a little sharper for me in some aspects.
The villain, an evil, overweight professor who doesn't like to get his hands dirty but loves the food. *sigh* The fat jeering: eats so much cake, looks like a "doughnut", etc...it got old pretty quick. Thankfully, it wasn't a major part of the story, but it stuck out for me. I think the villain could've been a little more detailed. He's a genius, right? He's worried more about eating and ordering others around instead of handling the retrieval himself. Or at least in charge more instead of being so lazy.
Even with the lamer villain, the story and the romance was a nice one. I really enjoyed the concept and the main theme. The HEA was tied up in a neat bow. I'd definitely read more from this author.
Recommended for readers who like light, no angst Bot/human romance that doesn't have a squicky feel to it.
Unicorn meets robots.
A copy provided for an honest review.
December 4, 2024
Amusing.
“Just milk is good. Too much sugar is bad for you.” Fane spluttered, choking down a mouthful of eggs.
“Remind me not to let you in the room when I’m on one of my crisps and Coke binges.”
To his surprise, the Bot detected the humor behind his words and laughed. “I will close my eyes.” 🤭
The plot is focused on how the bot performs its first independent actions. Something like a romance develops between him and his savior. But this is rather tentatively hinted at even though there is a tiny sexual scene, it is not the core of the story.
The book unfortunately lacks depth. But it has something. Maybe it's just the atmosphere Jo-E creates, analyzing how he's different and those little things that made me laugh.
“You make me feel so many things, Fane. When I think of you, my cogs clench and my gears grind. Electricity sparks inside me, and power pools in my chest and groin, pulsing there, desperate for release. Do you not experience the same?” 🤭
“Just milk is good. Too much sugar is bad for you.” Fane spluttered, choking down a mouthful of eggs.
“Remind me not to let you in the room when I’m on one of my crisps and Coke binges.”
To his surprise, the Bot detected the humor behind his words and laughed. “I will close my eyes.” 🤭
The plot is focused on how the bot performs its first independent actions. Something like a romance develops between him and his savior. But this is rather tentatively hinted at even though there is a tiny sexual scene, it is not the core of the story.
The book unfortunately lacks depth. But it has something. Maybe it's just the atmosphere Jo-E creates, analyzing how he's different and those little things that made me laugh.
“You make me feel so many things, Fane. When I think of you, my cogs clench and my gears grind. Electricity sparks inside me, and power pools in my chest and groin, pulsing there, desperate for release. Do you not experience the same?” 🤭
November 29, 2020
I love android romances, sigh.
London bartender Fane returns home late at night (in the rather distant future) and finds a body disposed in a side alley's dumpster. The 'corpse' turns out to be a humanoid service robot that - even broken - might be worth a fortune.
Fane carries the bot home and manages to reactivate it.
Jo-E as the bot introduces himself, is a state of the art household bot that looks like a hot young guy (because of course he does ;-).
And like a picture-perfect 1950s housewife, he starts cooking for Fane, cleans his apartment and does his laundry.
However, Jo-E's former owner desperately wants him back, because there is something decidedly different about this particular Jo-E bot.
He is self-aware.
And doesn't want to return to his first owner, knowing he would be taken apart again to find out the secret of his human-like intelligence.
It's a pretty sweet, straightforward story.
Not everything makes a ton of sense. Like, if they produce anatomically correct robots who look like hot dudes, why would having sex with a bot be illegal? Wouldn't that be the MAIN criterion why they would sell? I imagine for doing the laundry and scrubbing the toilet ONLY, these superbots would be way overqualified.
Still, I have a very soft spot for android stories, so of course I liked it and definitely recommend it as one of the rare android pieces in m/m.
4.5 stars!
London bartender Fane returns home late at night (in the rather distant future) and finds a body disposed in a side alley's dumpster. The 'corpse' turns out to be a humanoid service robot that - even broken - might be worth a fortune.
Fane carries the bot home and manages to reactivate it.
Jo-E as the bot introduces himself, is a state of the art household bot that looks like a hot young guy (because of course he does ;-).
And like a picture-perfect 1950s housewife, he starts cooking for Fane, cleans his apartment and does his laundry.
However, Jo-E's former owner desperately wants him back, because there is something decidedly different about this particular Jo-E bot.
He is self-aware.
And doesn't want to return to his first owner, knowing he would be taken apart again to find out the secret of his human-like intelligence.
It's a pretty sweet, straightforward story.
Not everything makes a ton of sense. Like, if they produce anatomically correct robots who look like hot dudes, why would having sex with a bot be illegal? Wouldn't that be the MAIN criterion why they would sell? I imagine for doing the laundry and scrubbing the toilet ONLY, these superbots would be way overqualified.
Still, I have a very soft spot for android stories, so of course I liked it and definitely recommend it as one of the rare android pieces in m/m.
4.5 stars!
January 14, 2021
3.5 Stars
When Fane fortuitously finds a discarded life-like robot in the dumpster, he can hardly believe his fortune. What he doesn’t realize is that Jo-E is very very special, as he can actually think for himself and have feelings of his own.
Fane and Jo-E’s new found happiness is cut short when Jo-E’s maker comes looking for him, and they must put their heads together to carve out their freedom.
A super sweet AI story with an equally satisfying win!
When Fane fortuitously finds a discarded life-like robot in the dumpster, he can hardly believe his fortune. What he doesn’t realize is that Jo-E is very very special, as he can actually think for himself and have feelings of his own.
Fane and Jo-E’s new found happiness is cut short when Jo-E’s maker comes looking for him, and they must put their heads together to carve out their freedom.
A super sweet AI story with an equally satisfying win!
May 31, 2016
3.75 stars rounded up
I took a chance in this new-to-me author because the blurb intrigued me. Well, my gambling paid off. I LOVED this!! I think what made me loving it so, was the fact that it was not my usual read, but not too different. It still had urban flair to it (I don't do so well with high fantasy or sci-fi genre, trust me) although it was set in the near future of London
This was a novella (23k) which could be read quickly. Did I wish that it was longer? Sure. It would be nice to read more about Fane and Jo-E on their day-to-day activities. HOWEVER, despite the practically short time span, this time, I thought the length was perfect to cover everything. From Fane finding Jo-E on a dumpster, Fane and Jo-E establishing relationship/friendship, Jo-E discovering his human feels, up to the threat to Jo-E's existence.
The plot was tight, the future-world well-established, and the characters engaging. Being a bot, Jo-E's parts felt different, and I could easily felt his changes; as he learned about himself and Fane, as well as understanding feeling. I fell in love with Jo-E right off the bat; the way he asked Fane whether he could help tidying up Fane's apartment was so endearing!! I loved Fane too, but it was as extension to my loving Jo-E, you know?
All in all, this was a great novella for me. The ending was so sweet!! Totally worth spending less an hour for.
I took a chance in this new-to-me author because the blurb intrigued me. Well, my gambling paid off. I LOVED this!! I think what made me loving it so, was the fact that it was not my usual read, but not too different. It still had urban flair to it (I don't do so well with high fantasy or sci-fi genre, trust me) although it was set in the near future of London
This was a novella (23k) which could be read quickly. Did I wish that it was longer? Sure. It would be nice to read more about Fane and Jo-E on their day-to-day activities. HOWEVER, despite the practically short time span, this time, I thought the length was perfect to cover everything. From Fane finding Jo-E on a dumpster, Fane and Jo-E establishing relationship/friendship, Jo-E discovering his human feels, up to the threat to Jo-E's existence.
The plot was tight, the future-world well-established, and the characters engaging. Being a bot, Jo-E's parts felt different, and I could easily felt his changes; as he learned about himself and Fane, as well as understanding feeling. I fell in love with Jo-E right off the bat; the way he asked Fane whether he could help tidying up Fane's apartment was so endearing!! I loved Fane too, but it was as extension to my loving Jo-E, you know?
All in all, this was a great novella for me. The ending was so sweet!! Totally worth spending less an hour for.
May 28, 2016
BR with Elsbeth
“I may not draw breath as you do, my outer shell may not grow and change as yours does, but I am alive, Fane. I fear, I hurt, I love, and I desire. You are I are not so different. Not in the things that matter.”
What a cute story about Fane and his bot Jo-E.
Fane finds a discarded robot in the trash one day. He cannot believe his luck, because this bot can do his housekeeping for him! But it’s clear Jo-E is more than just another human looking robot. Jo–E has emotions..
The writing in this was really good. Not a lot of writers have the talent to build an entire futuristic world and give us a romance in 76 pages. Yes, it was a bit short and the romance was not extremely developed, but it was cute nonetheless.
And Jo-E was simply adorable. I want a Jo-E of my own.
“I may not draw breath as you do, my outer shell may not grow and change as yours does, but I am alive, Fane. I fear, I hurt, I love, and I desire. You are I are not so different. Not in the things that matter.”
What a cute story about Fane and his bot Jo-E.
Fane finds a discarded robot in the trash one day. He cannot believe his luck, because this bot can do his housekeeping for him! But it’s clear Jo-E is more than just another human looking robot. Jo–E has emotions..
The writing in this was really good. Not a lot of writers have the talent to build an entire futuristic world and give us a romance in 76 pages. Yes, it was a bit short and the romance was not extremely developed, but it was cute nonetheless.
And Jo-E was simply adorable. I want a Jo-E of my own.
May 10, 2016
“You make me feel so many things, Fane. When I think of you, my cogs clench and my gears grind. Electricity sparks inside me, and power pools in my chest and groin, pulsing there, desperate for release. Do you not experience the same?”
Loved this! Funny and quirky and definitely original, this is a book that will stay with me for a long time. I'm not sure exactly what made such an impression, maybe it was a combination of clever and original characters, a well-executed and well-written plot, or maybe the fact that for a short story, this certainly packs a punch. I was definitely impressed!
It is now the year of 2045; humans live with the help of menagerie bots, who do the cleaning, cooking and all other household duties for them. Fane is a bartender in a gay bar but Fane is not one of those rich people who can afford their own bot. Imagine his surprise and delight when he finds an abandoned bot in a dumpster on his way home from work. Fane takes the bot home and fixes the shorted wire that cause the bot to malfunction. Jo-E comes to life and Fane's life as he knew it is about to change forever.
Jo-E isn't like all the other bots; his old owner ran a series of experiments on him to try to create the world's first strong AI, experiments which resulted in a short-circuit. Jo-E finds himself able to experience things like a human's does: he can feel, love, and appreciate beauty in a whole new way. Jo-E is also anatomically correct (read as hung as a horse) and Fane finds himself unable to resist the attraction and chemistry that sparks between them.
When Jo-E's owner wants him back, Fane and Jo-E have to find a way to escape and be together, away from the danger they are currently in. This book delivered; it was funny, charming, fascinating, packed with action and charm. I loved it and even though it was short, I didn't feel like anything was missing, nor did I feel like it needed to be any longer! Fantastic short story!
Loved this! Funny and quirky and definitely original, this is a book that will stay with me for a long time. I'm not sure exactly what made such an impression, maybe it was a combination of clever and original characters, a well-executed and well-written plot, or maybe the fact that for a short story, this certainly packs a punch. I was definitely impressed!
It is now the year of 2045; humans live with the help of menagerie bots, who do the cleaning, cooking and all other household duties for them. Fane is a bartender in a gay bar but Fane is not one of those rich people who can afford their own bot. Imagine his surprise and delight when he finds an abandoned bot in a dumpster on his way home from work. Fane takes the bot home and fixes the shorted wire that cause the bot to malfunction. Jo-E comes to life and Fane's life as he knew it is about to change forever.
Jo-E isn't like all the other bots; his old owner ran a series of experiments on him to try to create the world's first strong AI, experiments which resulted in a short-circuit. Jo-E finds himself able to experience things like a human's does: he can feel, love, and appreciate beauty in a whole new way. Jo-E is also anatomically correct (read as hung as a horse) and Fane finds himself unable to resist the attraction and chemistry that sparks between them.
When Jo-E's owner wants him back, Fane and Jo-E have to find a way to escape and be together, away from the danger they are currently in. This book delivered; it was funny, charming, fascinating, packed with action and charm. I loved it and even though it was short, I didn't feel like anything was missing, nor did I feel like it needed to be any longer! Fantastic short story!
March 2, 2018
3.5 stars rounded up.
It was a nice little read. I think the "relationship" between Fane, a barman, and his "scavenged" Bot, Jo-E, was rather sweet :)
Unfortunately, the 2nd half of the story felt rushed and too simple, too easy, considering Fane and Jo-E's problems with Yapp.
My personal opinion about the book?
I've recently read two other human-robot MM stories: the not-really-memorable-apart-from-being-full-of-sex Manbot and the beautiful and absolutely soul-stirring The Clockwork Heart and for me Fire Up My Heart fits in right in the middle between them... ;)
It was a nice little read. I think the "relationship" between Fane, a barman, and his "scavenged" Bot, Jo-E, was rather sweet :)
Unfortunately, the 2nd half of the story felt rushed and too simple, too easy, considering Fane and Jo-E's problems with Yapp.
My personal opinion about the book?
I've recently read two other human-robot MM stories: the not-really-memorable-apart-from-being-full-of-sex Manbot and the beautiful and absolutely soul-stirring The Clockwork Heart and for me Fire Up My Heart fits in right in the middle between them... ;)
June 6, 2017
4 Stars
A futuristic sci-fi tale set in the year 2045, featuring a man and his not so ordinary robot.
Fane is a down on his luck bartender who stumbles across a discarded Jo-E bot on his way home from work one evening. He can’t quite believe that someone would toss away such a prime piece of artificial intelligence, however broken it seems. So Fane takes the Jo-E bot home and restores him to life. Although, Jo-E turns out to be not quite what Fane was expecting. This brand of bot is simply designed to perform menial tasks around ones household, such as cooking and cleaning, but this Jo-E seems to be much more than a domestic helper. He exhibits emotional responses that suggest he is more advanced than the average bot, and soon enough Jo-E’s original owner comes a knocking, demanding Fane return what is his. It is up to Fane to protect Jo-E at all costs, not only for Jo-E’s happiness, but also his own.
This story was well-written and remarkably well-developed considering it was a mere 67 pages long. I really liked Fane and I absolutely adored the character of Jo-E. Jo-E was so open-hearted and innocent, and his train of thought and dialogue were often extremely honest and highly amusing. He was one of those characters that are completely memorable and a joy to read.
“You make me feel so many things, Fane. When I think of you, my cogs clench and my gears grind. Electricity sparks inside me, and power pools in my chest and groin, pulsing there, desperate for release. Do you not experience the same?”
The romance between Fane and Jo-E, although quite light, was so very sweet and so very natural. Fane knows it’s wrong to have feelings for a bot, but he also knows that Jo-E is unlike any bot to ever exist; he can’t help but fall for him. And Jo-E is so guileless. His feelings toward Fane are strong and his growing desires are intense – he can’t see the bad in them wanting each other, he simply loves Fane and wants Fane to love him.
“I may not draw breath as you do, my outer shell may not grow and change as yours does, but I am alive, Fane. I fear, I hurt, I love, and I desire. You and I are not so different. Not in the things that matter.”
This was a delightful story with a solid HFN. Even though I wish these two could have a HEA, I understand that it simply wouldn’t be realistic in this situation. Either way, it was a fantastic little futuristic romance read!
A futuristic sci-fi tale set in the year 2045, featuring a man and his not so ordinary robot.
Fane is a down on his luck bartender who stumbles across a discarded Jo-E bot on his way home from work one evening. He can’t quite believe that someone would toss away such a prime piece of artificial intelligence, however broken it seems. So Fane takes the Jo-E bot home and restores him to life. Although, Jo-E turns out to be not quite what Fane was expecting. This brand of bot is simply designed to perform menial tasks around ones household, such as cooking and cleaning, but this Jo-E seems to be much more than a domestic helper. He exhibits emotional responses that suggest he is more advanced than the average bot, and soon enough Jo-E’s original owner comes a knocking, demanding Fane return what is his. It is up to Fane to protect Jo-E at all costs, not only for Jo-E’s happiness, but also his own.
This story was well-written and remarkably well-developed considering it was a mere 67 pages long. I really liked Fane and I absolutely adored the character of Jo-E. Jo-E was so open-hearted and innocent, and his train of thought and dialogue were often extremely honest and highly amusing. He was one of those characters that are completely memorable and a joy to read.
“You make me feel so many things, Fane. When I think of you, my cogs clench and my gears grind. Electricity sparks inside me, and power pools in my chest and groin, pulsing there, desperate for release. Do you not experience the same?”
The romance between Fane and Jo-E, although quite light, was so very sweet and so very natural. Fane knows it’s wrong to have feelings for a bot, but he also knows that Jo-E is unlike any bot to ever exist; he can’t help but fall for him. And Jo-E is so guileless. His feelings toward Fane are strong and his growing desires are intense – he can’t see the bad in them wanting each other, he simply loves Fane and wants Fane to love him.
“I may not draw breath as you do, my outer shell may not grow and change as yours does, but I am alive, Fane. I fear, I hurt, I love, and I desire. You and I are not so different. Not in the things that matter.”
This was a delightful story with a solid HFN. Even though I wish these two could have a HEA, I understand that it simply wouldn’t be realistic in this situation. Either way, it was a fantastic little futuristic romance read!
June 28, 2016
I really enjoyed this novella from Asta Idonea. London barman Fane finds a discarded 'bot' in a skip, takes him home and repairs him. But Jo-E is something special and soon the bad guys come calling.
"I said I would love you." Jo-E paused and frowned. "Would that make you happy, Fane? I thought humans liked to be loved."
"I said I would love you." Jo-E paused and frowned. "Would that make you happy, Fane? I thought humans liked to be loved."
January 30, 2018
Ahhh well this was just sweet and lovely! I'm on this android/human relationship kick because A) NR Walker has a story with this premise coming out in a couple months that she keeps giving teasers for on FB and I literally can't one click that thing quick enough when it comes out, and B) Have you NOT seen the articles about the male sex robots in the last few weeks?!
Anyway, this was a nice novella about a human, Fane, who finds a discarded service/housework bot, the Jo-E, and discovers that he is more than your basic cleaning robot.
I enjoyed the pace of this and the writing - it was definitely set in the future, but it still felt recent enough and a very contemporary feel to it. And although this was light on the sex, I loved the chemistry between the two and the descriptions that Jo-E gave about his feelings. And I loved that he saw things in HTML colors!
Really enjoyed it, recommended!
Anyway, this was a nice novella about a human, Fane, who finds a discarded service/housework bot, the Jo-E, and discovers that he is more than your basic cleaning robot.
I enjoyed the pace of this and the writing - it was definitely set in the future, but it still felt recent enough and a very contemporary feel to it. And although this was light on the sex, I loved the chemistry between the two and the descriptions that Jo-E gave about his feelings. And I loved that he saw things in HTML colors!
Really enjoyed it, recommended!
May 26, 2016
Set in London of 2045, this is a fascinating story about two men who face fundamental decisions about the direction their lives will take. One is a financially struggling, lonely bartender named Fane, who needs to decide if money or love is more important. The other is a service Bot named Jo-E who becomes sentient and is faced with a choice of following his original programming versus using free will to do what he wants. The development of the relationship between Fane and Jo-E is interesting, the realization of what is going on with Jo-E had me spellbound, and the final solution is not just ingenious, but made my inner romantic very happy.
Fane has no idea what he is in for when he finds Jo-E in a dumpster. He knows he’d never be able to afford such a recent model on the little money he is making as a bartender in a gay bar, so the temptation to take the Jo-E model home is huge. Fane also has just enough understanding of robotics to think he can fix the only fault he discovers in a quick examination. So, of course, he takes the Bot home. Much to his surprise – he has not been the luckiest man on the planet so far – he not only manages to repair the Bot, but also discovers he likes Jo-E’s company a lot more than expected. But then, Jo-E doesn’t seem to be quite what Fane expected.
Jo-E is a very advanced model housing an AI that comes close to human in terms of intelligence. But there is more to him than his original programming from the moment Fane switches him back on. It was fascinating to watch him explore his new home and determine that he wants to serve Fane as best he can – but underlying that was not some directive embedded in his software, but the fact that he “likes” Fane. None of the self-diagnostics he runs can explain it, and he sets out to convince Fane to keep him rather than send him back to the cold, power-hungry robotics engineer who experimented on him before discarding him due to a minor short-circuit.
This is one of the more unconventional relationships that appear in romance novels, but it was very touching. Both Fane and Jo-E discover new things about themselves and each other, have to face obstacles, and end up fighting for their right to stay together. There is lots of humor, a touch of suspense provided by the evil robotics engineer, and some very hot physical explorations.
If you like stories about robots coming to life and all the consequences that can entail, if you believe that all sentient beings - no matter their origin - have a right to freedom and love, and if you’re looking for a read that manages to entertain while delivering a serious message about equal rights of the unusual kind, then you will probably like this story as much as I did.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Fane has no idea what he is in for when he finds Jo-E in a dumpster. He knows he’d never be able to afford such a recent model on the little money he is making as a bartender in a gay bar, so the temptation to take the Jo-E model home is huge. Fane also has just enough understanding of robotics to think he can fix the only fault he discovers in a quick examination. So, of course, he takes the Bot home. Much to his surprise – he has not been the luckiest man on the planet so far – he not only manages to repair the Bot, but also discovers he likes Jo-E’s company a lot more than expected. But then, Jo-E doesn’t seem to be quite what Fane expected.
Jo-E is a very advanced model housing an AI that comes close to human in terms of intelligence. But there is more to him than his original programming from the moment Fane switches him back on. It was fascinating to watch him explore his new home and determine that he wants to serve Fane as best he can – but underlying that was not some directive embedded in his software, but the fact that he “likes” Fane. None of the self-diagnostics he runs can explain it, and he sets out to convince Fane to keep him rather than send him back to the cold, power-hungry robotics engineer who experimented on him before discarding him due to a minor short-circuit.
This is one of the more unconventional relationships that appear in romance novels, but it was very touching. Both Fane and Jo-E discover new things about themselves and each other, have to face obstacles, and end up fighting for their right to stay together. There is lots of humor, a touch of suspense provided by the evil robotics engineer, and some very hot physical explorations.
If you like stories about robots coming to life and all the consequences that can entail, if you believe that all sentient beings - no matter their origin - have a right to freedom and love, and if you’re looking for a read that manages to entertain while delivering a serious message about equal rights of the unusual kind, then you will probably like this story as much as I did.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
March 31, 2017
“One kiss turned into another, then another, and another…”
This book might be short but it had an interesting little story. Set in the future, “Fire Up My Heart” describes a world full of technology so evolved that a robot’s exterior appearance is very human-like.
The main characters were a unique couple, we have Fane, who was living a boring and lonely life, just going through the motions, hoping that one day he will meet someone like him. Jo-E on the other hand until now was an emotionless robot working for his cruel master, but after his encounter with Fane, he starts developing more and more emotions until his thoughts and feelings start matching his human appearance.
This story was full of emotional scenes, the moments were Jo-E was so distressed by the possibility of not seeing Fane again were heartbreaking and I loved all the funny moments where it was obvious how different Fane and Jo-E experienced their love for each other.
“You make me feel so many things, Fane. When I think of you, my cogs clench and my gears grind. Electricity sparks inside me, and power pools in my chest.”
I just wish we had more world building and the story was a lot longer, I would have liked to read more about Fane and Jo-E.
I voluntarily reviewed the free copy that I received.
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January 28, 2018
Gorgeous cover art by AngstyG! The blurb had me intrigued and the beginning of the story was everything my Sci-Fi heart had hoped for. But then insta-love reared its ugly head. I mean, surely falling in love with a robot would be something so unexpected it would take time for feelings to develop, at least for the human? Not so much in this book. Since I'm a lover of romance, I didn't really need the evil scientist backstory either. A bit too much of a cartoonish character for my liking. Overall a decent romantic sci-fi novella.
June 1, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
Fire Up My Heart is a fun, cute story with some nice world building. Idonea does a nice job with the setup here, giving us a good sense of this futuristic world without bogging down the short novella in too much exposition. Things flowed well and all my questions were answered. I liked the conflict here and how the clever way things resolve. The bad guys are a little over the top in the mustache-twirling, evil bad guy sense, so I would have liked a touch more realism here. But overall the set up and the world building side of things worked nicely.
Where I ran into trouble was in the relationship end of things. I just didn’t feel the romantic connection between these two, and at times it made me somewhat uncomfortable. On one hand the book makes it clear that Jo-E is incredibly human in his appearance, emotions, and behavior. In fact, this is a key facet of the story, and Jo-E makes it known he has feelings for Fane. But at the same time, Fane is very uncomfortable with his attraction to Jo-E and feels like it is wrong, that Jo-E is a bot and there shouldn’t be any kind of sexual or romantic relationship between them. So even though we as readers know how Jo-E feels, Fane’s discomfort transferred over to me. There is also a power dynamic here that added to my concern, given that Jo-E’s sole programming focus is taking care of Fane, and later he is dedicated to pleasing Fane so that Fane won’t send him back. So these two are on pretty uneven footing right from the start.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
Fire Up My Heart is a fun, cute story with some nice world building. Idonea does a nice job with the setup here, giving us a good sense of this futuristic world without bogging down the short novella in too much exposition. Things flowed well and all my questions were answered. I liked the conflict here and how the clever way things resolve. The bad guys are a little over the top in the mustache-twirling, evil bad guy sense, so I would have liked a touch more realism here. But overall the set up and the world building side of things worked nicely.
Where I ran into trouble was in the relationship end of things. I just didn’t feel the romantic connection between these two, and at times it made me somewhat uncomfortable. On one hand the book makes it clear that Jo-E is incredibly human in his appearance, emotions, and behavior. In fact, this is a key facet of the story, and Jo-E makes it known he has feelings for Fane. But at the same time, Fane is very uncomfortable with his attraction to Jo-E and feels like it is wrong, that Jo-E is a bot and there shouldn’t be any kind of sexual or romantic relationship between them. So even though we as readers know how Jo-E feels, Fane’s discomfort transferred over to me. There is also a power dynamic here that added to my concern, given that Jo-E’s sole programming focus is taking care of Fane, and later he is dedicated to pleasing Fane so that Fane won’t send him back. So these two are on pretty uneven footing right from the start.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
May 28, 2016
Imagine a world with robots. Robots to help us do everything in life. I secretly would've loved one for taking care of my household.
Now one step further; what if these robots are able to develop human emotions?
Jo-E is such a robot. Jo-E looks human too.
"I like you. And I want you to like me. I want to make you happy, Fane.”
“And how will you make me happy?”
“I will cook and clean for you. I will wash your clothes and keep your home tidy.”
“And I would love you.”
Sounds like a dream come true, right?
May 26, 2016
This was refreshing! I never thought I would read a science fiction or a futuristic romance, but I'm glad I did. This was my first Asta Idonea book and it was excellent!
After finding Jo-E in a dumpster, he realizes this robot is different than the others. The two fall in love, which is not the norm. I loved that this short story had an epilogue! This was a sweet, funny, clever story!
After finding Jo-E in a dumpster, he realizes this robot is different than the others. The two fall in love, which is not the norm. I loved that this short story had an epilogue! This was a sweet, funny, clever story!
April 6, 2017
I was given Fire Up My Heart through the Goodreads Don’t Buy My Love program. This story is about Fane, a London bartender, and Jo-E, a discarded Bot that Fane finds in a dumpster. The povs are through the eyes of Fane, Jo-E and Samuel, Jo-E’s original owner.
May 26, 2016
A fun and offbeat story that I found to be delightful! And the cover is pretty darn awesome. A quick and enjoyable read for lovers of M/M sci-fi.
August 1, 2016
This was really sweet!
November 24, 2017
3.4 Stars
January 2, 2022
This was a cute short story about a man just trying to get by who discovers and fixes a discarded android, which turns out to be more than it seems. Though I felt the story could have used another edit before publishing (I encountered a few typos and some missing words), it provided some neat commentary on the potential of AI and robot-human connection.
November 20, 2017
A tolerable, if flawed and distressingly simplistic, not to say: naïve, tale. I embarked on this short novella expecting a fun ride that would give me the type of feelings I experienced while watching the TV shows Real Humans and Almost Human; I ended up with an Harlequin romance that was not by any means unpleasant, for all that it lacks depth (the unpolished writing did not help; to think that the android is called at first "the bot" without any further ado...) and unpredictability, but stood to these shows in the same relation as water soda compares to champagne. What detracted the most from my enjoyment of Fire Up My Heart, on top of the absence of world building and the claustrophobic feeling created by the fact that the entire book takes place inside of Fane's tiny flat but for two or three short ventures outside, was the low level of threat embodied by the owner (was it necessary to picture him as the caricature of the evil doctor, all slimy, greasy and abusing of his staffers ?) and far too easy resolution in the course of a few pages. As my fellow people are used to saying, à vaincre sans péril, on triomphe sans gloire; without strong adversity, or at the very least plausibly competent foes, the barely sketched characters of Fane and Jo-E could not be expected to make a big impression on the readers.
March 20, 2017
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
The moment I saw the blurb I knew this story was something special.
Normally I am not a fan of sci-fi or robots, but I LOVED every single moment with Fane and Jo-E. They are GREAT characters and it was a pure pleasure to watch them develop feelings toward each other.
This is a story about a Bot becoming AI with feeling, emotions and its own thoughts, making its own choices, but it is also a story of an unusual friendship that became sth more.
67 pages is not much and I'd love to read the full book, but even such a short story is enough to get sucked into the world created by the author. Everything feels real, it is easy to imagine Fane at job ("Spunk - retro gay club"), Fane finding Jo-E and getting used to him, Yapp's evil plans and finally Jo-E. If I had to choose what was my favorite thing here I'd say Jo-E. He is BRILLIANT and ADORABLE! The way he describes colors, talks about sex, counts probability of a success and gets scared of Fane's age (btw, seriously??) made me laugh hard.
I loved the story for it's characters, writing style and jokes. I can recommend it to everyone, not only sci-fi and mm romance lovers.
The moment I saw the blurb I knew this story was something special.
Normally I am not a fan of sci-fi or robots, but I LOVED every single moment with Fane and Jo-E. They are GREAT characters and it was a pure pleasure to watch them develop feelings toward each other.
This is a story about a Bot becoming AI with feeling, emotions and its own thoughts, making its own choices, but it is also a story of an unusual friendship that became sth more.
67 pages is not much and I'd love to read the full book, but even such a short story is enough to get sucked into the world created by the author. Everything feels real, it is easy to imagine Fane at job ("Spunk - retro gay club"), Fane finding Jo-E and getting used to him, Yapp's evil plans and finally Jo-E. If I had to choose what was my favorite thing here I'd say Jo-E. He is BRILLIANT and ADORABLE! The way he describes colors, talks about sex, counts probability of a success and gets scared of Fane's age (btw, seriously??) made me laugh hard.
I loved the story for it's characters, writing style and jokes. I can recommend it to everyone, not only sci-fi and mm romance lovers.
April 4, 2017
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great story. Fane has been alone for a long time and hopes finding and fixing Jo-E is somethind that will make his life better. And it does just not how he expected.
Seeing both Jo-E and Fane come to terms with their desires, no matter how forbidden was wonderful. They both find the one person that is perfect for them and start a new life together away from the evil roboticist that wants to take Jo-E away. This is a great story of love and finding happiness in different forms.
This was a great story. Fane has been alone for a long time and hopes finding and fixing Jo-E is somethind that will make his life better. And it does just not how he expected.
Seeing both Jo-E and Fane come to terms with their desires, no matter how forbidden was wonderful. They both find the one person that is perfect for them and start a new life together away from the evil roboticist that wants to take Jo-E away. This is a great story of love and finding happiness in different forms.
October 5, 2024
This wasn't so bad as to piss me off like most of my 2-star reviews, but it just wasn't fleshed out enough to be satisfying. It just skims the surface with a cartoon villain and not much to justify the feelings between the MCs. Check out Ginn Hale's Feral Machines instead.
July 17, 2024
Okay I'm gonna be very harsh on this one even though there are so very few human/android books out there because it was really bad.
It's a short story so of course I was prepared to endure some insta-love but Fane and Jo-E had absolutely no chemistry. Also what completely took me out of the story was the ridiculous technological world building. Sex with robots/androids is strictly prohibited by the law but factories are allowed to produce androids with biologically (well mechanically) accurate genitals that are FUNCTIONAL??? I would have bought the idea that Jo-E's former owner was a crooked guy who put actual genitals on his androids to run an illegal sex bots business but no.
Fane has never been sexually attracted to an android before even though there are very much integrated into society but because he gets one, after a couple days he suddenly becomes attracted to one? Even though by this point, Jo-E hadn't acted any differently than any other service androids? Oh wait, that's because Jo-E is a brown haired android! Not like the blonde, more popular ones. Fane is not like other guys, I guess.
I can't even begin to talk about the cartoony villain and his underling that he harasses and undermines all the time. Hmmm...but this story is still missing something, right? How about some FREE FATPHOBIA on the side? If I wasn't a freak who can't DNF a book, I would have been done with this one as soon as I read about how Jo-E likes his new owner Fane because he's slim and attractive, not like his previous owner who was overweight and old! Jo-E only likes Fane because he's young and slim and handsome even though he has access to the Internet and has access to images of billions of men so why is he acting like it's the first time he sees a pretty boy?
The worst part is that his previous owner was physically and verbally abusive towards him but the most offensive thing about him was his weight. The author literally reminds you every time the villain is on the page that yes, he's evil and unethical but look how much he eats! And he doesn't walk, he waddles! Ugh! If only he was slimmer, maybe he'd be less evil!
At this point, I was out of forks to give when it came to the deus ex-machina resolution and all the tell and no show mess.
Anyway. I'm more disappointed than pissed despite what this review makes it seem because there are so few human/android MM books out there and I'm sad to have to cross this one out of my short list with such bitterness.
It's a short story so of course I was prepared to endure some insta-love but Fane and Jo-E had absolutely no chemistry. Also what completely took me out of the story was the ridiculous technological world building. Sex with robots/androids is strictly prohibited by the law but factories are allowed to produce androids with biologically (well mechanically) accurate genitals that are FUNCTIONAL??? I would have bought the idea that Jo-E's former owner was a crooked guy who put actual genitals on his androids to run an illegal sex bots business but no.
Fane has never been sexually attracted to an android before even though there are very much integrated into society but because he gets one, after a couple days he suddenly becomes attracted to one? Even though by this point, Jo-E hadn't acted any differently than any other service androids? Oh wait, that's because Jo-E is a brown haired android! Not like the blonde, more popular ones. Fane is not like other guys, I guess.
I can't even begin to talk about the cartoony villain and his underling that he harasses and undermines all the time. Hmmm...but this story is still missing something, right? How about some FREE FATPHOBIA on the side? If I wasn't a freak who can't DNF a book, I would have been done with this one as soon as I read about how Jo-E likes his new owner Fane because he's slim and attractive, not like his previous owner who was overweight and old! Jo-E only likes Fane because he's young and slim and handsome even though he has access to the Internet and has access to images of billions of men so why is he acting like it's the first time he sees a pretty boy?
The worst part is that his previous owner was physically and verbally abusive towards him but the most offensive thing about him was his weight. The author literally reminds you every time the villain is on the page that yes, he's evil and unethical but look how much he eats! And he doesn't walk, he waddles! Ugh! If only he was slimmer, maybe he'd be less evil!
At this point, I was out of forks to give when it came to the deus ex-machina resolution and all the tell and no show mess.
Anyway. I'm more disappointed than pissed despite what this review makes it seem because there are so few human/android MM books out there and I'm sad to have to cross this one out of my short list with such bitterness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2017
3.5
Delightful read, I enjoyed it. It is a bit simplistic, especially the ''bad'' character is a caricature (and did he have to be a fat, compulsive eater on top a being an abusing employer?) and spoiled a bit my enjoyment. I liked the reflections about AIs, I could relate to them and I can easily imagine such a future having just seen Ex Machina which I warmly recommend.
I've read a similar story in a steampunk environment: a poor and lonely inventor finds an automaton in a dumpster, repairs it and... nature takes its course ;-). I can't remember the title though.
Delightful read, I enjoyed it. It is a bit simplistic, especially the ''bad'' character is a caricature (and did he have to be a fat, compulsive eater on top a being an abusing employer?) and spoiled a bit my enjoyment. I liked the reflections about AIs, I could relate to them and I can easily imagine such a future having just seen Ex Machina which I warmly recommend.
I've read a similar story in a steampunk environment: a poor and lonely inventor finds an automaton in a dumpster, repairs it and... nature takes its course ;-). I can't remember the title though.
December 25, 2020
The only reason I finished this book was out of sheer force of will. I'm sorry but the story has more holes than a cheese cloth and I never really understood the attraction between Fane and the Jo-e; it's insta love through and through, and not a very good one at that. Both the character and plot development was very poor, which I understand must've been because of the length but I'm not sure that's a valid excuse since this had the potential to be a very sweet and entertaining story.
January 12, 2019
A pretty good read that just slightly missed being terrific. I think it was the bad guy, just too much of a stereotypical villain, and the ending that felt a bit contrived -- at least to me -- that's to blame. 3 and a half stars.
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