Artificial Love

by R.J. Conte

Deep in the heart of the wild west, rebel marauders are drawing out a bloody civil war that no side can win. Many ranchers, including Lisbeth's father die trying to save their farms, leaving their women to fight to keep their land and stay alive.

When Lisbeth and her mousy younger sister Ruth come face to face with the uncouth land pirates who seize their farm as a scouting base, they only have one plan to protect their virtue: pretend to be commonplace, advanced domestic robots. Suppressing their fears, enslaved to the ruffians, the two young women are determined to convince the men they're not human.

Their plan hits a snag when they meet Dane: a gorgeous prisoner-of-war who has a secret belief that robots can become sentient and develop emotions on their own... and he's determined to use Lisbeth as proof.

Can the sisters keep up their ruse and survive?

For fans of The Twilight Zone meets Gone with the Wind and Magnificent Seven

40 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 5, 2019

About the author

RJ Conte has kissed only one boy in her entire life - and she married him - inspiring her to write about sweet or powerful love stories ever since. She writes issue-driven fiction that explores human nature and the depths of the soul while pointing readers to their Creator.

She writes a blog on parenting, publishing, painting, and perorating at http://blonderj.wordpress.com/

Reviews

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/fgWy0tMcFxg

Great short story! It gave me some big smiles and few giggles because I LOVED the way Lisbeth talked. Really sets the tone of Wild West.

Dane was soooooo incredibly sweet!

That ending was a jaw-dropper. And I do mean literally. My jaw straight dropped and just stared at my Kindle for a moment so my brain could process it.

Is it bad I want to ask the author for more of this story to know what happens next?

Fun and quick read that I would totally recommend!

[Angie Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, okay...I did *not* expect that ending! O.O I enjoyed the unique steampunk/western setting, felt for the girls' plight, and loved the sweet unfolding love story...but now I'm not entirely sure what to think or how to feel about it. (:

Warning that there is mention of rape and mention of "artificials" not having male or female "parts" in a quick explanation of the danger the girls face from the marauders

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and oddly curious tale.

Two girls stranded on their family farm, forced to pretend they are robots to survive the onslaught of marauders. An odd twist of fate causes love to bloom under these strange circumstances.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artificial Love was great! It was a short read, taking me probably 30 minutes, but it packed a big punch. It was so unique, so original. And that ending! What a shocker! I'd love more stories set in this fascinating western steampunk world.

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Artificial Love, despite its name, features a lot of genuine love. At its heart, the story is about a big sister trying to save her little story and protect what's left of their family, all while falling in love. This was a sweet, interesting, and fun read, and it's also the kind of story that might leave you reeling a little!

[Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this thrilling, gripping, and entertaining story of two sisters with the world pitted against them. Lisbeth’s bravery and cunning ideas were fun to read about. I enjoyed the entire story and didn’t want it to end! Maybe the author will consider a sequel?

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute!

Lisbeth and Dane are so cute! I liked the premise of western setting and robots, and it was such a sweet story. That ending though! I laughed out loud!

[Jacqueline Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow the author managed to break my heart in just a few pages. 😭😭😭 And I can’t even say anything because SPOILERS.
Just...read this book.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this original, gripping, wildly entertaining story in one enjoyable sitting. I felt instantly transported to this magical western, where robots tend farms and pirates have taken over the country. Lisbeth was a smart and spunky heroine, and I immediately loved her relationship with Dane, the handsome, lonely servant of the pirates who have taken over her father’s farm. Their secret meetings while Lisbeth struggled to masquerade as a robot, despite growing feelings for Dane, were so precious. The romance shot sparks (pun?) and I felt like I could root for these two from the first page. There was even a fun twist at the end, and I wish I could read what happened next, but my imagination is running wild! Overall, a quick read with tons of creativity and originality. I felt like I was right there in a proper western with a cattle punk twist!

[J.M. Jablowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Cattlepunk Story

Well gosh, that ending took me by surprise there. I'm honestly not sure what I think of it, I have a few mixed feelings about it.

I am a little bit concerned too about the younger sister. I feel like her story wasn't resolved.

[Rachel Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

Very unexpected and a great read! I highly recommend to people that are wanting to read something that isn’t cliche! 😊

[Bethany Jennings]

Loved this startling little story! It's gripping, gritty, emotional, and sweet - everything you expect from an RJ Conte book, but in a really unexpected Western sci-fi setting, and with an ending that'll make you laugh, or gasp, or cry, or all three. :D