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Coming March 2025 from

G.P. Putnam’s Sons

...

The fifth novel from award-winning author Amy Shearn

...

Fleishman Is in Trouble meets Big Swiss in this darkly humorous and tantalizing pandemic-era portrait of sex, divorce, and midlife, about a Brooklynite who frankensteins the perfect lover.

 

It’s spring of 2020 and Rachel Bloomstein—mother of three, recent divorcée, and Brooklynite—is stuck inside. But her newly awakened sexual desire and lust for a new life refuse to be contained. Rachel dips a toe in the online dating world, leading to park dates with younger men, flirtations with beautiful women, and actual, in-person sex. None of them, individually, are perfect . . . hence her rotation.

Frustrated with the existing options, Rachel creates Frankie, the AI chatbot she programs with all the good parts of dating in middle age . . . and some of the bad. But perhaps real life has more in store for Rachel than she could ever program for herself.

The cover of the novel Animal Instinct; a languid woman lying on a staircase.

Praise for Amy Shearn's writing

"Shearn is gifted, crafting quirky and charming prose."

 -Publishers Weekly​

"Shearn’s narrative is delightfully manic and extremely witty.…"

 -Kirkus Reviews​

“She has a glorious way of description, conjuring vivid images with brevity and wit…This is an author to read now and definitely watch in the future.”

 -Dallas Morning News

“Shearn has written an absorbing, energetically offbeat novel that merits attention.”

 -Kansas City Star

"An excellent read. You won’t be disappointed." 

 -Shelf Media

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