There was so much that I loved about this book but I was really frustrated with the fact that the prose doesn't evolve to mirror the character development.
There is a lovely evocative feeling; the nostalgics and the references to popular films, along with the gentle humour that runs throughout.
I'm hoping that there's a film made from this, I think it's got a lot of potential.

Very, very clever heartwarming and heartbreaking story. I loved the premise of robots taking over certain jobs in the future. The humour and catchphrases ‘I cannot’ and ‘set to five’ are so memorable. The descriptions of places visited bring them vividly to life too. The characters are wonderful and anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant will immediately understand the hierarchy! I loved it!!!

A well written, entertaining and thought provoking story that made me smile and think.
The plot flows and kept me hooked, the characters are well written.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Jared is a bot, a dentist, not supposed to have human feelings. A totally different theme, funny and thought provoking.

I am not sure where to start with my review for this book other than to say that I 10/10 loved it!
Jared is a dentist but he is also a bot. He has to explain this to people as it isn't obvious. Bots don't have feelings but Jared starts to. He has a friend he confides in and his friend tells him to go watch old films. He rates film in volumes of tears. He is really getting this feelings thing. He now feels he wants - no needs - more from life. But he fears the robotic corporation shutting him down cos bots don't have feelings... but, piqued by the films he watched, he wants to be a screenwriter. But screenwriters are mostly found in LA and he is in Michigan. So... armed with his feelings-wheel he does the only thing he can... ROAD TRIP!
This is the start of a very big adventure, none of which I am going to spoil here but it's all the emotions and then some, with some reveals along the way... all the time following the basic rules of scriptwriting...
I still don't know what it was about this book that made me love it so much. Maybe it was the sheer escapism that it gave me away from what my life in lockdown is at the moment. Maybe it was the message of hope that was underlying all the way through. Maybe it was the occasional parts that were written as stage directions / dialogue which kept popping in every so often, mixing things up. Maybe the little references to things I equate with, films and that, peppered throughout the narrative. Maybe cos I really loved Jared right from the start. I guess his little dig at Tom Brady also really helped me with that #flyeaglesfly...
All that and a really cracking story to boot...
Whatever it was, it made me very reluctant to put the book down. I even gave up the TV to my brother and had to suffer baseball re-runs all day and evening on in the background so much I needed to finish it, find out what happened at the end... which, by the way, was not as predictable as I thought it was going to be.
All in all, a breath of fresh, quirky, air that lifted my life, even just for a little while. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
PS I wanna go see the tridge!

Set My Heart to Five by Simon Stephenson
This book was very different from my usual reading material but despite this I was immediately drawn into the ‘life’ of Jared a bot who is a dental operative in a future where humans no longer want to carry out the role of being a dentist. He is a bot programmed to complete tasks but not to experience any human feelings.
Through his unusual perspective on humans he gives us an insight into the strange quirks of human behaviour and his statement “Humans, I cannot!” is very apt. There are genuine laugh out loud moments as Jared struggles to come to terms with the strange feelings which he has inexplicably begun to experience. His use of the feeling wheel to interpret how he is responding to different events is fascinating and his viewing of old movies, usually only watched by nostalgics, to try to understand emotion is brilliant. His first visit to the cinema is accompanied by leaking from his eyes and he tries to suggest that this is due to some irritant in the air. As his doctor friend is able to point out; he has been crying.
I would thoroughly recommend this novel and thank Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this novel in return for an honest review.

Sorry to say that I found this to be too twee by far. Couldn't get into Jared as a character and the whole society he lived in was far too unfeasible to work. I can see how it is enjoyable to a specific audience who enjoyed The Humans by Matt Haig for example but it didn't work for me at all

Set my heart to five by Simon Stephenson

Quite a nice book it’s world with robots and one that start to have human traces. It’s good I just lost interest as it wasn’t my type of book but ok.

Dreadful. I don’t often give up on a book but this one is too short to waste my time on. Could have been written by the robotic main character. Avoid.

“Try to imagine your heart is brand new and still only learning to feel.”

Scatterings of poignant, mindful moments create a new vision of the not too distant future, where humanoid ‘bots’ provide a subservient workforce for the unkind population they walk among.

They obligingly provide essential services, yet are considered the lowliest of society and are treated accordingly.

Jared’s affable nature and stilted attempts to not to cause offence are utterly endearing. His actions are a reminder to us all to strive and grow and just BE, even when your back is against the wall.

Kindness, consideration and empathy are the order of the day (perfect timing to coincide with recent events). But these rare traits often travel down a one way street to nowhere. As Jared discovers the exit is occasionally illuminated by the smallest chink of light that is just powerful enough to mark the way, wherever it may lead.

I adored the concept of this one. Its delivery, not so much I’m afraid. I truly appreciate Jared is an entity who accepts he’s just “a toaster with a heart” but his narrative style became a little grating, as did his attempts at ‘humour’ and his observance of humans with their illogical and peculiar nature. (Sorry, mate)

Ultimately Jared gently holds up a mirror to our existence as he strives to make a difference with his selfless aspiration, drinking in life to quench his curious emotional need and feeling hugely grateful for the opportunity to savour every last, precious drop.

I am sorry, I really tried with this book but it just wasn't for me and I was unable to finish it. i haven't left a review on Goodreads because I struggle to leave a bad review.

4.5 stars.

“A story of loneliness, love and loose connections...” - that first sentence of the blurb was enough for me, I was already hooked.
And thank goodness I didn't read any more of the synopsis because had I also discovered the main character was a ‘bot’, I might have thought twice about reading Set My Heart To Five, as it's not my usual cup of tea.
How sad that I would have missed out on this heart-warming, original novel which explores humanity through gentle humour and razor sharp insight.
After I had finished reading, I Googled Simon Stephenson. While he has written an award-winning memoir about the loss of his brother in the Indian ocean tsunami, entitled, Let Not the Waves of the Sea, this is his debut novel. Amazing!
This quirky book is so well written with many genuine laugh out loud moments as well as some scenes that made me well up.
Even though there are clues to the ending throughout the book, I still thought it was perfect and it left me with a smile on my face.
I might start just reading the first few lines of any synopsis from now on to broaden my horizons - especially if novels like this are the result.

My thanks to 4th Estate (via NetGalley) for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you like films, I think you'll really enjoy this book. 
It tells the story of Jared. An android in America who should not have emotions. Unfortunately, after watching some old films, this is exactly what starts to happen. If this is discovered though, Jared will be reprogrammed or destroyed. Due to this, Jared goes on the run. The way that Jared describes the films is brilliant. He doesn't mention them by name, therefore, if you're a movie buff, it's a great way to see if you can recognise the films mentioned.
Such a thought provoking book that left me with plenty to think about.
I'm not sure that it will appeal to everyone but that's the great thing about books.

Set in the future when Bots (androids who appear human)do most of the work , Jared ,who is programmed to work as a dentist begins to have feelings . If the Bureau of Robotics find out about this they will send him to be wiped and reprogrammed . Fearing this he decides to run away and manages to get a fake barcode (ID) to stop him being discovered . He manages to get a job as a washer up at a cafe, in the meantime working on a screenplay , where he meets and falls in love with a shy girl , Amber, who it turns out is also a Bot that is having feelings . They have fun together but she disappears . She is spotted working in Santa Barbara by Jared's friend so Jared ( who has changed his name to Brad ) goes to find her but it appears her memory has been wiped as she does not remember him . However her memory slowly returns . Not my normal genre of book but it made a change from the usual , but it did not grab me fully .

The year is 2053, and we’re in the delightful company of a very pleasant bot, Jared. Jared is an android who loves his ‘mother’, and seems to be feeling human emotions...”I cannot!”
The story gets darker and more tangled, with Jared’s innocence and good nature being taken for granted.
A rather odd book, and I found it a bit of a chore to read, from time to time, but a good insight into human nature.

Thank you to Netgalley and 4th Estate for this advanced reader's copy. It took me a while to get into this book but I'm so glad that I stuck with it. Charming and endearing, Jared is a character that will stay with me for a long while.

I loved this book. Jared’s story is wonderfully told and is so sad in places. Jared is a bot that evolves and finds love. I laughed a lot reading this book and got totally caught up in the emotional rollercoaster. I will remember Jared and Amber.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Funny and charming with a character that will stay with you. Jared, Set my heart to five, I Cannot forget you. I was a little unsure at first but definitely worth persevering. I really liked puzzling out the film references also.

The story of a robot discovering his feelings, against all odds, this is distinctive and hilarious. The writing style is refreshingly original, and incredibly funning and revealing about the human condition. Stephenson's power of observing humanity is considerable and the characters positively sing from the page.

It's like a grown up version of a pixar movie and is all the better for it.

I’m still in two minds whether I enjoyed this book or not! It certainly made me think about what it means to be human and have feelings, but I have to admit, I found Jared a little grating. I did find myself routing for him though and would really like to read this with my book group so that we could discuss all the points it raised.