diff --git a/internal/ai/reflection.go b/internal/ai/reflection.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e5239d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/ai/reflection.go
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+package ai
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// Reflection is the reviewer's output: two short, single-line fields.
+type Reflection struct {
+	Recap        string // backward-looking: how the session went (shown on Review)
+	CarryForward string // forward-looking: one takeaway for the next session
+}
+
+// Reviewer reflects on a just-finished session, read against recent history. It
+// takes primitives, not domain/store types, so ai stays a leaf package.
+//
+//	finished: a compact description of the session that just ended.
+//	history:  a compact description of the last few prior sessions ("" if none).
+type Reviewer interface {
+	Review(ctx context.Context, finished, history string) (Reflection, error)
+}
+
+// ErrInvalidReflection marks output that parsed as JSON but lacked a usable
+// recap, so callers can distinguish "no attempt" from "bad attempt".
+var ErrInvalidReflection = errors.New("ai: invalid reflection")
+
+// Review makes Service satisfy Reviewer over the same backend as Coach.
+func (s *Service) Review(ctx context.Context, finished, history string) (Reflection, error) {
+	out, err := s.backend.Run(ctx, buildReviewPrompt(finished, history))
+	if err != nil {
+		return Reflection{}, err
+	}
+	return parseReflection(out)
+}
+
+func buildReviewPrompt(finished, history string) string {
+	preamble := `You are a focus reviewer. A work session just ended. Reflect on it in two short lines.
+
+Respond with ONLY a JSON object, no prose and no code fences, exactly this shape:
+{"recap": "<one sentence: how this session went>", "carry_forward": "<one sentence: the single most useful thing to do differently next session>"}
+
+Rules:
+- recap: one short sentence, backward-looking, grounded in the session below.
+- carry_forward: one short, actionable sentence for the next session. It may reference patterns across the recent sessions if any are given.
+- Keep each field to a single short sentence.`
+
+	hist := ""
+	if strings.TrimSpace(history) != "" {
+		hist = "\n\n## Recent sessions (oldest first)\n" + history
+	}
+	return preamble + "\n\n## Session that just ended\n" + finished + hist
+}
+
+type rawReflection struct {
+	Recap        string `json:"recap"`
+	CarryForward string `json:"carry_forward"`
+}
+
+// parseReflection extracts a Reflection from raw CLI output. A blank recap is
+// rejected (ErrInvalidReflection); an empty carry_forward is allowed.
+func parseReflection(s string) (Reflection, error) {
+	if strings.TrimSpace(s) == "" {
+		return Reflection{}, ErrEmptyResponse
+	}
+	if strings.IndexByte(s, '{') < 0 {
+		return Reflection{}, ErrNoJSON
+	}
+	jsonStr, err := extractJSON(s)
+	if err != nil {
+		return Reflection{}, fmt.Errorf("%w: %v", ErrInvalidReflection, err)
+	}
+	var raw rawReflection
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(jsonStr), &raw); err != nil {
+		return Reflection{}, fmt.Errorf("%w: %v", ErrInvalidReflection, err)
+	}
+	recap := strings.TrimSpace(raw.Recap)
+	if recap == "" {
+		return Reflection{}, ErrInvalidReflection
+	}
+	return Reflection{Recap: recap, CarryForward: strings.TrimSpace(raw.CarryForward)}, nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/ai/reflection_test.go b/internal/ai/reflection_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec454b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/ai/reflection_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+package ai
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestReviewPromptIncludesSessionAndHistory(t *testing.T) {
+	fb := &fakeBackend{out: `{"recap":"r","carry_forward":"c"}`}
+	if _, err := NewService(fb).Review(context.Background(), "FINISHED-BLOCK", "HISTORY-BLOCK"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("review: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(fb.gotPrompt, "FINISHED-BLOCK") {
+		t.Fatalf("prompt missing finished session: %s", fb.gotPrompt)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(fb.gotPrompt, "HISTORY-BLOCK") || !strings.Contains(fb.gotPrompt, "Recent sessions") {
+		t.Fatalf("prompt missing history block: %s", fb.gotPrompt)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReviewPromptOmitsEmptyHistory(t *testing.T) {
+	fb := &fakeBackend{out: `{"recap":"r","carry_forward":"c"}`}
+	if _, err := NewService(fb).Review(context.Background(), "FINISHED-BLOCK", ""); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("review: %v", err)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(fb.gotPrompt, "Recent sessions") {
+		t.Fatalf("empty history must not add a history header: %s", fb.gotPrompt)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReviewServiceParsesReflection(t *testing.T) {
+	fb := &fakeBackend{out: `sure: {"recap":"held focus on the port","carry_forward":"start in the editor next time"}`}
+	refl, err := NewService(fb).Review(context.Background(), "f", "h")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("review: %v", err)
+	}
+	if refl.Recap != "held focus on the port" || refl.CarryForward != "start in the editor next time" {
+		t.Fatalf("bad reflection: %+v", refl)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReviewServiceBackendError(t *testing.T) {
+	fb := &fakeBackend{err: errors.New("boom")}
+	if _, err := NewService(fb).Review(context.Background(), "f", "h"); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("want backend error")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseReflectionEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	if _, err := parseReflection(""); !errors.Is(err, ErrEmptyResponse) {
+		t.Fatalf("want ErrEmptyResponse, got %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseReflectionNoJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	if _, err := parseReflection("I cannot help."); !errors.Is(err, ErrNoJSON) {
+		t.Fatalf("want ErrNoJSON, got %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseReflectionRequiresRecap(t *testing.T) {
+	if _, err := parseReflection(`{"recap":"  ","carry_forward":"x"}`); !errors.Is(err, ErrInvalidReflection) {
+		t.Fatalf("blank recap should be invalid, got %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseReflectionAllowsEmptyCarryForward(t *testing.T) {
+	refl, err := parseReflection(`{"recap":"did the thing","carry_forward":""}`)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("carry_forward may be empty: %v", err)
+	}
+	if refl.Recap != "did the thing" || refl.CarryForward != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("bad reflection: %+v", refl)
+	}
+}