Valet by J.P. Lacrampe

Author : J.P. Lacrampe

Book : Valet

/ Science Fiction/

Publication date : June 2, 2026

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Blurb:

Cy wants nothing more than to be useful, raise his utility score, and receive the next update for his operating system. But that’s easier said than done when he's tasked with helping his owner’s 35-year-old son “get out of his funk.” Grayson is nothing like his go-getter, CEO sister Charlotte. He didn’t inherit the family robotics company when their dad passed last year, he doesn’t have a master’s degree, and he just can’t seem to figure out the San Francisco dating scene. He’d rather eat synthesized mozzarella sticks and make pottery at his studio, Kilning Time.

When Grayson learns of Charlotte’s plan to sell the company to a tech conglomerate, he panics. It’s not just the family business at stake, it’s all the technology—like Cy—their dad invented over the years. So he does what anyone would he steals the flash drive with his father’s most important work stored on it and plans a corporate takeover. If only he knew what that meant.

To make matters worse, a fellow VALET deserts his owner and asks Cy to help him hightail it out of town, Grayson’s first real date—and her dog—keeping showing up at inopportune times, and the behemoth tech company wants this deal closed yesterday. Grayson, Cy, and their trusty golden retriever, Sasha III, must go on the lam until they figure out exactly what to do, and whom to trust.

A hilarious, mad-cap adventure that is as tender as it is insightful, Valet asks not just what it means to be human, but what it means to be family.

My thoughts:

Safe to say that this book is one of the hidden gems for me this year.A hilarious and thought-provoking mad dash filled with soul between the pages. Its unique vibe reminds me a lot of Fredrik Backman's works that I love, using humour with a subtle nudge to explore such serious topics and emotions.

Cy is an Android valet given to Grason after his father's death to watch over him and the more recent task given to him by Grayson's mother....to find her good-for-nothing son a life partner. After Grayson and Cy learned that his father's company will be swallowed up after his sister is willing to sell it they find themselves in a race with time to untangle some secrets and figure out a way to prevent his father's legacy from going for scraps.

An absolute balm for the soul, full of laughter and such a wonderful cast of characters! Larry was the low-key MVP if you ask me😂😂😂 And you can't help but fall in love with Cy and how well he was written, perfectly capturing the android/butler vibe. Not to mention how much I loved how the relationships were portrayed - especially the heartwarming one between him and Grayson and the hilarious rivalry with Elsa😂 Just brilliant!

How much I laughed when Cronkite appeared on the scene is a whole other topic😂😂😂

Full shining 5 stars from me and the way it made me laugh but also feel lighter and good after closing the last page.