diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index c3da98d..d7d3491 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -14,5 +14,7 @@ RoxygenNote: 7.3.2
 URL: https://github.com/tadascience/valentine, https://valentine.tada.science/
 BugReports: https://github.com/tadascience/valentine/issues
 Imports: 
+    cli,
     ellmer,
-    glue
+    glue,
+    rlang
diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index cd35af1..97e423a 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -2,5 +2,7 @@
 
 export(prompt)
 export(roses)
+importFrom(cli,cli_abort)
 importFrom(ellmer,chat_openai)
 importFrom(glue,glue)
+importFrom(rlang,current_env)
diff --git a/R/roses.R b/R/roses.R
index 02db719..9557a07 100644
--- a/R/roses.R
+++ b/R/roses.R
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@
 #' @param pkg A package
 #' @param hint extra information to add to the prompt
 #' @param emoji Should the poem include emojis ?
-#' @param chat A Chat object, e.g. [ellmer::chat_openai()]. The default uses
+#' @param chat A [ellmer::Chat] object, e.g. [ellmer::chat_openai()]. The default uses
 #'   the 'gpt-3.5-turbo' model from OpenAI.
+#' @inheritParams rlang::args_error_context
 #'
 #' @return A lovely poem for your package crush
 #'
-#' @importFrom glue glue
 #' @examples
 #' prompt("dplyr")
 #'
@@ -21,11 +21,31 @@
 #'   roses("dplyr")
 #' }
 #'
+#' @importFrom glue glue
 #' @importFrom ellmer chat_openai
+#' @importFrom cli cli_abort
+#' @importFrom rlang current_env
 #' @export
-roses <- function(pkg, hint = "", emoji = TRUE, chat = chat_openai(model = "gpt-3.5-turbo")) {
+roses <- function(pkg, hint = "", emoji = TRUE, chat = chat_openai(model = "gpt-3.5-turbo"), error_call = current_env()) {
+  error_handler <- function(e) {
+    cli_abort(c(
+      "Problem creating or communicating with the LLM.",
+      i = "See {.fn ellmer::chat_openai} and friends for details on how to create a {.cls Chat} object.}"
+    ), parent = e, call = error_call)
+  }
+
   prompt <- prompt(pkg, hint = hint, emoji = emoji)
-  chat$chat(prompt, echo = "text")
+
+  chat <- withCallingHandlers(force(chat), error = error_handler)
+
+  if (!inherits(chat, "Chat")) {
+    cli_abort(
+      c("The {.arg chat} argument must be a {.cls Chat} object, not {.obj_type_friendly {chat}}."),
+      call = error_call
+    )
+  }
+
+  withCallingHandlers(chat$chat(prompt, echo = "text"), error = error_handler)
 }
 
 #' @rdname roses
diff --git a/man/roses.Rd b/man/roses.Rd
index 27fc1fd..54def81 100644
--- a/man/roses.Rd
+++ b/man/roses.Rd
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ roses(
   pkg,
   hint = "",
   emoji = TRUE,
-  chat = chat_openai(model = "gpt-3.5-turbo")
+  chat = chat_openai(model = "gpt-3.5-turbo"),
+  error_call = current_env()
 )
 
 prompt(pkg, hint = "", emoji = TRUE)
@@ -21,8 +22,13 @@ prompt(pkg, hint = "", emoji = TRUE)
 
 \item{emoji}{Should the poem include emojis ?}
 
-\item{chat}{A Chat object, e.g. \code{\link[ellmer:chat_openai]{ellmer::chat_openai()}}. The default uses
+\item{chat}{A \link[ellmer:Chat]{ellmer::Chat} object, e.g. \code{\link[ellmer:chat_openai]{ellmer::chat_openai()}}. The default uses
 the 'gpt-3.5-turbo' model from OpenAI.}
+
+\item{error_call}{The execution environment of a currently
+running function, e.g. \code{caller_env()}. The function will be
+mentioned in error messages as the source of the error. See the
+\code{call} argument of \code{\link[rlang:abort]{abort()}} for more information.}
 }
 \value{
 A lovely poem for your package crush