CROSSTALK

Briddey is a high-powered exec in the mobile phone industry, overseeing new products from concept to delivery. And she works with her wonderful partner, Trent. They've been together for six magical weeks, in a whirlwind of flowers, dinners, and laughter. And now comes the icing on the cake: not a weekend away or a proposal but something even better. An EED. A procedure which will let them sense each other's feelings. Trent doesn't just want to tell her how much he loves her - he wants her to feel it. Everything is perfect.

The trouble is, Briddey hasn't told her family yet, while the whole office is guessing and drilling her with questions. The family, however, are hounding her about the latest family drama, but when they find out about the EED - which they will - they'll drop everything to interrogate her. And it might just be easier to have the procedure now and explain later. At the same time, Apple are poised to deliver an amazing new product, and she has to be one step ahead ...if she can only persuade their tech genius, C. B., to drop his crazy ideas about a 'privacy phone' with its 'do not disturb' settings, and focus on what people really want: more efficient, instinctive and immediate ways to communicate. The race is on: not just for new, cutting-edge technology, but also for a shred of privacy in a public world and - for Briddey - a chance for love at the heart of it all.

This is a brilliant, heart-warming romantic comedy from one of the wittiest and wisest of our authors. Written with a light touch and a smile, we're swept up in Briddey's romance - and into the difficulties of a world just one technological step away from our own, as technology and social media blur (or indeed remove) the line between personal and public.

Connie Willis is the award-winning author of Doomsday Book, Passage, To Say Nothing of the Dog and Bellwether. Connie has been awarded 10 Hugo Awards, 11 Locus Poll Awards and 6 Nebula Awards.