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After a painful breakup, Perth native Ana seeks a fresh start in a new city, only to find that the past dies hard in the age of social media.

Leaving behind her closest friend and her passive-aggressive mother, Ana hardly looks back as she sprints toward a new job and a musty but cozy one-bedroom apartment in Melbourne. Slowly, she adapts to living alone, makes friends, and even begins to fall for someone new. Ana enjoys Evan’s sense of humor, his “roguish smile,” and his confident texts, not to mention their sexual chemistry. But with the click of a mouse and scroll of a page, her excitement about their budding connection morphs into anxiety. Even though Ana had resolved not to look him up on social media, she just couldn't resist peeking behind the digital curtain of Evan’s life. But now she knows that Evan’s last girlfriend, a beautiful, popular yoga instructor named Emily, was tragically killed in a hit-and-run, and the news sends her tumbling down a path of obsession and self-loathing. While anyone who has ever Facebook-stalked a crush will likely relate to the novel, debut author Taylor makes the story about more than just technology. Ana’s first-person narration illuminates the adversity she faced growing up, as well as this past's impact on her approach to both social media and romantic relationships. Still, sitting with Ana’s thoughts, which are singularly focused on Emily and Evan, is exhausting and distancing. Ana might be slipping into a social media spiral, but readers can only watch her fall. It's easy to relate to Ana, but harder to inhabit her mindset and become as obsessed as she is, in part because Evan and Emily are not particularly complex characters. Sexy scenes, amusing one-liners, and a playful critique of corporate wellness culture offer only small respites from Ana’s iffy social media analysis, baseless assumptions, and self-flagellation.

Taylor’s image of dating in the digital age is up-close and honest, but her protagonist's obsession is frustrating.