I tried, I really did. Even after I didn't really enjoy the first book, I still grabbed the second book when I saw it sitting on the shelves at the library. 
 The human vs. android story is always going to be an interesting one, but unfortunately, the author just doesn't do it justice here. The so-called love story veers toward the ridiculous and the plot and pacing just don't work well. I found it a huge struggle to make myself get through this book, which is really saying something considering how many books I read. I think one of the major problems is that Mila herself isn't particularly likeable or memorable, it would have been better if the author had established some kind of identity to the readers BEFORE the android reveal, because after that point, she consistently defines herself by that one aspect of herself, that she's an android. In a sense, that's what books about androids are supposed to counter and make us, the readers, struggle with - that the character we like is still human in spirit/mind, regardless of her artificial body. That's what The Ghost in the Shell, referenced several times by the author, does so well. But I never got that sense with Mila, partly because her emotions (basically just her "love" story) swing so wildly, they aren't very believable. To me, she didn't even really grieve for her mom and her sudden bursts of anger don't make her sympathetic...when you break into a stranger's house with a gun and get knifed, I'm not sure you can blame the person, you know? 
 The second part of all this is that the plot/pacing was pushing the character, rather than the other way around. You never get the sense that Mila really has any agency, it feels like things just happen to her, rather than her really doing anything. 
 In fact, there's just too much wrong with this book for me to even go into it point by point, so I'll just summarize: this book is a mess. There were glimpses of potential, but ultimately it's a generic story not done well. I'm sure I will be in the small minority here because most people who disliked the first book wouldn't be reading or reviewing the second one; usually I like to give the benefit of the doubt on first books, but even going into this with low expectations, I can now say for sure that I won't be reading any more. 
 For people really interested in the subject, I would recommend Robin Wasserman's Skinned trilogy instead. That series is by no means amazing and I would recommend reading only the first book if anything, but it delivers more on the science fiction front at least. 
 I mean, these aren't terrible and I can see why someone would like them. You can see what the author is trying to do, but it just doesn't quite work that well. I guess this is one of those books where it's better if you HAVEN'T read a lot of other similar books, because then it's hard to avoid thinking that well, ____ does the spy story better, ____ deals with the romance better, and _____ explores the philosophical questions of human identity more. (Plus, there are some that happen to do all three better.)