Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Earth, 2050. Pregnant, unemployed, and living back home with her father, climate scientist Quinn Buyers wonders how she got to this point in her life. Her famous scientist mother is mysteriously missing, the planet is at risk from a massive solar storm, the Transhumans want to take a colony to Titan, and her assisted living companion, a robotic meerkat, is showing clear signs of anxiety and depression. But her biggest challenge is her partner. How can she reconcile her long-distance relationship with this reserved, enigmatic cyborg?

The sequel to Sarah Lahey's debut novel and the second book in the Heartless Series, Nostalgia is Heartless delves into the world of the near future, exploring a society on the brink of climate catastrophe. This time, Quinn's adventures take her across the globe to Antarctica . . . where it rains all day, every day. Readers will delight in following Quinn's journey as she races to save her family, her planet, and — hopefully — her love life.

Review:

I was fortunate enough to read the first book in this series, Gravity is Heartless, last year.  I highly recommend that you read that book first.  Nostalgia is Heartless starts out several months after the first book ends.  Set about thirty years in the future, the world is in disarray.   The polar ice caps have mostly melted.  As a result, the atmosphere has changed, and there are food shortages, wars and environmental refugees.  In other words, the world is in chaos.

And the characters are also in chaos.  Quinn is facing lots of change.  Pregnant by a man she barely knows, she is suddenly unemployed and living with her father, a survivalist who Quinn finds to be super annoying.  Mori the AI meerkat is having an existential crisis.  Tig, the transhuman who impregnated Quinn, is hiding a big secret, and Quinn's mother is still missing.  Oh, and several Terminator-types are trying to kidnap Quinn and the meerkat.  

This book was so much fun to read.  The characters are written with much humor and humanity.  And the adventure and excitement kept me reading well beyond bedtime!  I highly recommend this book.

What I Liked:

Setting:

Although this is a science fiction novel, the setting shows a very realistic scenario for what Earth would look like if climate change remains unchecked.  The Earth is getting hotter and hotter.  The wealth inequities are stark.  There are cities for the wealthy where people live in climate-controlled comfort.  And other places where people are scraping by.  Food sources have changed.  Instead of eating potato chips, Quinn nibbles on dried insects, and other food grown in labs.  Humans have adapted by integrating technology into their bodies.  When they have more tech in them then flesh, they are known as transhumans.  It's a really stark picture of our future.

Characters:

Quinn is now heavily pregnant with Tig's baby.  And while the baby is well on its way, their relationship is still sputtering.  They barely know each other.  It doesn't help that Tig is so mysterious.  He is a transhuman who is hiding some significant secrets. And, strangely, he seems to know a lot of small things about Quinn (like what her favorite meal is) even though they are still new to the relationship...

I loved Matt, Quinn's hippy dad.  He is a former musician who has amassed a fortune over his career.  And what did he do with his money? He used it to build a glass house in a forest, complete with a doomsday bunker.  He has been prepping for Armageddon, which comes in handy when a bunch of transhumans decide to go after Quinn.

There are also some amazing side characters with a sister and brother named Anvil and Stratus.  They have certain abilities which come in handy in the story.  But they are also just wonderful people.  Anvil tries to look after her little brother, but he keeps getting kidnapped!  Stratus seems to have a very special blood type that others want to harvest.  But he still maintains a sense of wonder with all the gadgets he can find.  And Anvil has the ability to harness electricity and zap people.  But both of them are exhausted from the struggle of survival.  Quinn finds them and takes them under her wing (a little maternal practice, perhaps?).

Story:

As Quinn's due date nears, she has to cut back on how active she wants to be.  She is used to being independent, and it's hard for her to acknowledge that she might need help to stay safe.  Her need to be self-sufficient is put to the test when several transhumans affiliated with a shadowy organization try to abduct Quinn and Mori the meerkat.  What follows is a rollicking adventure as Quinn, Matt, and her friends have to navigate an underground labyrinth to get to a secure bunker.  This takes a large portion of the book.  But I loved it

Even when this part of the book is over, there are more adventures to come.  Tig and Quinn start to unravel the mystery of the Shun Mantra organization.  And Quinn is still looking for her mom.  Could she have time-travelled?  

Sarah Lahey has created a dystopian world that still has people with an intense desire to affect positive change.  This hope in the future is what makes this series so compelling.  There will be a final book in the series.  And I can't wait! 

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  October 26th, 2021

Author:  Sarah Lahey

Publisher:  She Writes Press

Genre:  Science Fiction

Page Length:  314 pages

Source:  Publisher

Format:  E-book

Recommendation:  With a Science Fiction backdrop, this book is all about relationships.  It's fun, and full of adventure!  I loved it.