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Text Appeal
As the only woman programmer at her firm, Lark is thrilled to land an account for a huge client. But her dream job quickly becomes a nightmare when she accidentally projects a scandalous (and completely unsolicited) picture from her phone onto the screen during a presentation. Before she can recover, her coworkers jump in to steal the account, leaving Lark jobless and broke.
When a friend suggests text message-based sex work as a stopgap between jobs, Lark is dubious. She's all about sex positivity, but carrying out sexual fantasies—even digitally and anonymously—with complete strangers is daunting. How will she explain how she’s earning a living—especially to Toby, her good friend and longtime hopeless crush?
Still, she needs the money, and after a few (embarrassing and hilarious) she actually starts to like sexting—especially with one particularly charming and nerdy client who keeps popping up in her DMs. But as Lark and Toby grow closer, she finds herself with a decision to make: tell Toby she’s a sex worker—and try to forget the anonymous client who has her struggling to separate work from real feelings—or keep the secrets that are piling up in her inbox.
Sure to appeal to readers of Helen Hoang and Jen DeLuca, Amber Roberts’s Text Appeal celebrates women in STEM, friends becoming lovers, and finding lasting love in the digital age.
When a friend suggests text message-based sex work as a stopgap between jobs, Lark is dubious. She's all about sex positivity, but carrying out sexual fantasies—even digitally and anonymously—with complete strangers is daunting. How will she explain how she’s earning a living—especially to Toby, her good friend and longtime hopeless crush?
Still, she needs the money, and after a few (embarrassing and hilarious) she actually starts to like sexting—especially with one particularly charming and nerdy client who keeps popping up in her DMs. But as Lark and Toby grow closer, she finds herself with a decision to make: tell Toby she’s a sex worker—and try to forget the anonymous client who has her struggling to separate work from real feelings—or keep the secrets that are piling up in her inbox.
Sure to appeal to readers of Helen Hoang and Jen DeLuca, Amber Roberts’s Text Appeal celebrates women in STEM, friends becoming lovers, and finding lasting love in the digital age.
336 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2023
62 people are currently reading
10118 people want to read
About the author
Amber Roberts
3 books153 followersAmber Roberts writes contemporary romance about unabashedly nerdy characters in ridiculous situations. She lives with her husband, two children, and formerly feral cats in the Vermont woods, where eating maple creemees is a year-round activity. She spends her time copywriting, forgetting to water her plants, and awkwardly replying “you too” at inappropriate moments. Follow her on Twitter @ARobertsWrites and Instagram @AmberRobertsWrites.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 403 reviews
March 9, 2024
I was somewhat disappointed with the book, although the premise of a woman in STEM turning to sex work due to unfair mansplaining at her job and anonymously fulfilling her clients' desires online was intriguing. The plot promised personal growth and the exploration of the main character's sexuality, but the execution left me underwhelmed.
The romantic relationship between Lara and Toby was also unsatisfying, lacking the chemistry and spark that is typically present in the friends-to-lovers trope. And when it comes to the supporting characters, Teagan, a toxic friend, contributed nothing positive to the story, and it remained unclear why Lara continued to forgive her.
The story had potential, but unfortunately, it ended on a rather flat note. However, the thought-provoking exploration of mansplaining and the main character's journey of sexual awakening and self-growth did earn the book a solid three-star rating.
I extend my sincere thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing a digital reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review.
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The romantic relationship between Lara and Toby was also unsatisfying, lacking the chemistry and spark that is typically present in the friends-to-lovers trope. And when it comes to the supporting characters, Teagan, a toxic friend, contributed nothing positive to the story, and it remained unclear why Lara continued to forgive her.
The story had potential, but unfortunately, it ended on a rather flat note. However, the thought-provoking exploration of mansplaining and the main character's journey of sexual awakening and self-growth did earn the book a solid three-star rating.
I extend my sincere thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing a digital reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review.
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February 4, 2023
My love for all things epistolary and FOMO did me wrong here.
This one had all the elements to be a hit book for me but sadly most of those boxes will remain starkly unticked.
My first issue with the book is the formatting choice to include pictures/screenshots of texting dialogues instead of stylized text blocks. The photos were a real pain to read on kindle (especially on a night setting) and I don't think I'd even want to have them on a physical copy. It made me pause the book not even 2% in, making me wonder if I should bother with it. I decided to soldier on the next day for fear on missing out some amazing friends to lover romance and sexting. The blurb held so many promises!
On account of the friends to lovers arc solely, that FOMO was entirely unnecessary.
That part really lacked the appeal—no pun intended, of friends edging the lovers relationship. No chemistry on page whatsoever between Lark and Toby as friends and even less as lovers. It's been said that the heroine has had a crush on the guy for years but nowhere on page we can actually witness it. At least I didn't. I don't know how to explain but Lark and Toby didn't really make sense together, even the idea of them was a stretch. At best they were awkward as friends and plain cringe as lovers. You know how those moments between friends to lovers —or even strangers, give you secondhand embarrassment because they're awkward as hell but the good kind of awkward? This was not it. This was more cringe than awkwardly cute.
Attempts at creating tension were made but completely missed that mark for me. Even that scene where Toby walks in on Lark enjoying some solo time on the couch didn't spark a thing for them, for the story or me. How's that for boring? The romance and sex on page were of the same brand, fumbling and ambiguous at most, and a long shot from passionate.
The pace was off and the entire story dragged. Some awful amount of time is set to establish any kind of connection between the main couple. The sex worker plot was introduced after what I felt was a much convoluted narrative around Lark's toxic place of employment.
I liked some of the sexting aspect as Lark was trying to navigate her newfound sex worker skills but most it felt pretty random and added nothing to the story. All the while nothing was really happening with Toby.
The over the top secondary character, Teagan, which I believe was meant to further along the plot and infuse humor was such a disservice to this story. I couldn't stand her. There's your extroverted bestie and then there's Teagan : obnoxious, overbearing and plain rude at times. It didn't make any sense that Lark would forgive her reckless behavior so many times. Toxic friendship at best.
What I enjoyed the most was Lark conversations on the app with Toby's alter ego, they were truly making sense there, it was disappointing their chemistry on the app wasn't translating anywhere else in the book.
In conclusion, excited by the premise but the lack of chemistry, the odd pacing and lack of of cohesion between key elements were a real let down.
I've been told I can be extremely picky, also expectations and mood can ruin a book, so if you feel the blurb promising, do give this one a try, you could enjoy it.
Advanced Review Copy received by Alcove Press via Netgalley.
This one had all the elements to be a hit book for me but sadly most of those boxes will remain starkly unticked.
My first issue with the book is the formatting choice to include pictures/screenshots of texting dialogues instead of stylized text blocks. The photos were a real pain to read on kindle (especially on a night setting) and I don't think I'd even want to have them on a physical copy. It made me pause the book not even 2% in, making me wonder if I should bother with it. I decided to soldier on the next day for fear on missing out some amazing friends to lover romance and sexting. The blurb held so many promises!
On account of the friends to lovers arc solely, that FOMO was entirely unnecessary.
That part really lacked the appeal—no pun intended, of friends edging the lovers relationship. No chemistry on page whatsoever between Lark and Toby as friends and even less as lovers. It's been said that the heroine has had a crush on the guy for years but nowhere on page we can actually witness it. At least I didn't. I don't know how to explain but Lark and Toby didn't really make sense together, even the idea of them was a stretch. At best they were awkward as friends and plain cringe as lovers. You know how those moments between friends to lovers —or even strangers, give you secondhand embarrassment because they're awkward as hell but the good kind of awkward? This was not it. This was more cringe than awkwardly cute.
Attempts at creating tension were made but completely missed that mark for me. Even that scene where Toby walks in on Lark enjoying some solo time on the couch didn't spark a thing for them, for the story or me. How's that for boring? The romance and sex on page were of the same brand, fumbling and ambiguous at most, and a long shot from passionate.
The pace was off and the entire story dragged. Some awful amount of time is set to establish any kind of connection between the main couple. The sex worker plot was introduced after what I felt was a much convoluted narrative around Lark's toxic place of employment.
I liked some of the sexting aspect as Lark was trying to navigate her newfound sex worker skills but most it felt pretty random and added nothing to the story. All the while nothing was really happening with Toby.
The over the top secondary character, Teagan, which I believe was meant to further along the plot and infuse humor was such a disservice to this story. I couldn't stand her. There's your extroverted bestie and then there's Teagan : obnoxious, overbearing and plain rude at times. It didn't make any sense that Lark would forgive her reckless behavior so many times. Toxic friendship at best.
What I enjoyed the most was Lark conversations on the app with Toby's alter ego, they were truly making sense there, it was disappointing their chemistry on the app wasn't translating anywhere else in the book.
In conclusion, excited by the premise but the lack of chemistry, the odd pacing and lack of of cohesion between key elements were a real let down.
I've been told I can be extremely picky, also expectations and mood can ruin a book, so if you feel the blurb promising, do give this one a try, you could enjoy it.
Advanced Review Copy received by Alcove Press via Netgalley.
February 13, 2023
3 ⭐️ This book started so strong, but by the 50% mark I was underwhelmed and hoping it would end already.
Lark is working in tech, and as many women in STEM, she’s underappreciated, passed up for promotions and barely listened to during meetings. Her friends are supportive enough and although they have very different lives, they all find time to be there for each other, especially her bffs: Teagan and Toby. Toby’s just broke up with his girlfriend, who made him abandon his friendship with Lark. Now that they’re trying to get their friendship back to what it used to be, old feelings and curiosity are coming back up. When an incident at work gets Lark fired, Teagan suggest that Lark could get into sex work -and most specifically, into an app where people can sext for money.
The book’s premise was great. The feminist, pro LGBT+, sex-positive messages made it easy for me to immediately immerse myself into this book, the story and its protagonists. But soon the plot became stale and the progressive, forward-thinking protagonist got old and boring when she couldn’t do anything but complain. And don’t get me wrong, I think complaining is healthy and essential to understand one’s frustrations with life – sometimes it’s necessary to put into words what is wrong in order to make things right. Still, Lark was in constant need of reassurance from everyone but herself, and the spicy moments and themes here, especially taking into account that the book's title is “Text Appeal”, left a lot to be desired. The ending, too, was rushed and the third act conflict problems were resolved and forgiven entirely too easily.
To be honest, I would've given this book a 2.5, but I think a bisexual heroine w/ a lesbian, aro bff deserves the extra 0.5 stars. Still, the pros don’t really outweigh the cons in this one and, in my opinion, I don’t know if I’d recommend this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
🌶️.5 /5
*Thank you so much Net Galley for the eARC!*
Lark is working in tech, and as many women in STEM, she’s underappreciated, passed up for promotions and barely listened to during meetings. Her friends are supportive enough and although they have very different lives, they all find time to be there for each other, especially her bffs: Teagan and Toby. Toby’s just broke up with his girlfriend, who made him abandon his friendship with Lark. Now that they’re trying to get their friendship back to what it used to be, old feelings and curiosity are coming back up. When an incident at work gets Lark fired, Teagan suggest that Lark could get into sex work -and most specifically, into an app where people can sext for money.
The book’s premise was great. The feminist, pro LGBT+, sex-positive messages made it easy for me to immediately immerse myself into this book, the story and its protagonists. But soon the plot became stale and the progressive, forward-thinking protagonist got old and boring when she couldn’t do anything but complain. And don’t get me wrong, I think complaining is healthy and essential to understand one’s frustrations with life – sometimes it’s necessary to put into words what is wrong in order to make things right. Still, Lark was in constant need of reassurance from everyone but herself, and the spicy moments and themes here, especially taking into account that the book's title is “Text Appeal”, left a lot to be desired. The ending, too, was rushed and the third act conflict problems were resolved and forgiven entirely too easily.
To be honest, I would've given this book a 2.5, but I think a bisexual heroine w/ a lesbian, aro bff deserves the extra 0.5 stars. Still, the pros don’t really outweigh the cons in this one and, in my opinion, I don’t know if I’d recommend this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
🌶️.5 /5
*Thank you so much Net Galley for the eARC!*
February 2, 2023
Friends with benefits or something far more scandalous?!
A hot mess in a good way! Secrets! Texting/Sexting! Numerous balls are up for grabs!
No, seriously! This has everything from good humor to equality to some serious relationship issues.
Lark brings her quirky yet fun self into the mix going from zero to HERO! You must know that she's been filling gaps between jobs with sexting. Unfortunately, she accidentally placed a pic up on the screen at the first job so it's on to the second. It's been a way to secure funds however, it turns into some inside reveals.
Toby is Lark's bestie. A good friend with a great head on his shoulders. Secretly, these two might have more than friendship on the minds but the cautious ways prevent anything further until....
Enter Teagan a gal with a plan for them all! A leader if you will of all things sex related from porn, to sexting, to ghosting relationships.
Will Toby and Lark ever seal this deal? Can two stars collide on screen or off?
I never expected those twisters to come hurdling down upon us which created a new dynamic for readers to explore. This is a great chick-lit, romance, fictional work that is both humorous yet romantic all wrapped into one.
This is a debut novel for Amber Roberts via Alcove Press and I couldn't be happier to provide this early review.
I think this was a great introduction to the writer's style and I look forward to more from Amber and Alcove Press.
Thank you for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.
What about these jobs that are left up in the air? Will anyone ever find themselves at the helm of job happiness and equal pay for women?
A hot mess in a good way! Secrets! Texting/Sexting! Numerous balls are up for grabs!
No, seriously! This has everything from good humor to equality to some serious relationship issues.
Lark brings her quirky yet fun self into the mix going from zero to HERO! You must know that she's been filling gaps between jobs with sexting. Unfortunately, she accidentally placed a pic up on the screen at the first job so it's on to the second. It's been a way to secure funds however, it turns into some inside reveals.
Toby is Lark's bestie. A good friend with a great head on his shoulders. Secretly, these two might have more than friendship on the minds but the cautious ways prevent anything further until....
Enter Teagan a gal with a plan for them all! A leader if you will of all things sex related from porn, to sexting, to ghosting relationships.
Will Toby and Lark ever seal this deal? Can two stars collide on screen or off?
I never expected those twisters to come hurdling down upon us which created a new dynamic for readers to explore. This is a great chick-lit, romance, fictional work that is both humorous yet romantic all wrapped into one.
This is a debut novel for Amber Roberts via Alcove Press and I couldn't be happier to provide this early review.
I think this was a great introduction to the writer's style and I look forward to more from Amber and Alcove Press.
Thank you for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.
What about these jobs that are left up in the air? Will anyone ever find themselves at the helm of job happiness and equal pay for women?
February 18, 2023
A lead heroine in STEM, an artist hero, friends to lovers, and a slow burn??? The premise of this book sounded amazing but unfortunately it missed the mark for me in the romance department.
I feel like this would’ve been better categorized as women’s fiction rather than a romance. I was so much more invested in Lark’s journey and her friendship dynamics than I was in her relationship with Toby. Lark and Toby as a couple fell completely flat to me. There was no tension or pining that I love to see in the friends to lovers trope. Overall, this wasn’t a total miss for me but it’s not what I was looking for in a romance book.
Thank you to Alcove Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars
I feel like this would’ve been better categorized as women’s fiction rather than a romance. I was so much more invested in Lark’s journey and her friendship dynamics than I was in her relationship with Toby. Lark and Toby as a couple fell completely flat to me. There was no tension or pining that I love to see in the friends to lovers trope. Overall, this wasn’t a total miss for me but it’s not what I was looking for in a romance book.
Thank you to Alcove Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars
December 29, 2023
i cannot, in good conscience, give this book higher than a 1.5.... but even then that feels a little too generous! this might actually be the worst book i've read this year!
let me explain:
lark, our main character, is one of the most unlikable main characters i've ever read who isn't actively supposed to be unlikable. i knew she and i would not be getting along a few chapters in when she refers to her boobs as "meager breast tissue." she definitely walks the Not Like Other Girls road, thinks that liking star wars and lord of the rings in the year 2023 makes you an unrelatable nerd, and blames misogynism for every thing that goes wrong in her work life (which is part of it for sure!! but girly pop played a role in her own demise too, i fear). none of our other characters were particularly likable, or even interesting for that matter, and the two bonus bffs could honestly lift right out and the book would probably be better for it.
this book also tried so hard to be woke it was asleep...... so many asides and throwaway lines that were just meant to show how Good and Aware lark was and for what??? for what!!!! i won't even get into the different sexuality reps here because that's a whole different convo because i think it would be soooo much better if they actually touched on.... hmmmm i don't know...... the ace spectrum?? rather than what we actually got??? BUT ANYWAY!!!
this book claims to be sex positive but lark as a character definitely isn't..... she never even has a change of heart or perspective either, just remains judgmental about her own chosen path of being a professional sexter the entire time.... which then makes her ending so laughable in my opinion!! additionally, she is so judgmental of her best friend, teagan, the SEX COACH!! she also REPEATEDLY implies that every partner she's ever had has cheated on her because of how bad at sex she is and it was honestly wild..... [jennifer lawrence on hot ones voice] what do you mean......
the whole third act fight was really stupid and lark should have apologized at some point but of COURSE she never did!!! her calling toby her hero for wearing a batman shirt under a blazer at a professional event was in a way my last straw of last straws.... the bar is in hell!!!
and finally, a personal issue that most other people probably won't care about: ms. roberts, be honest, did you watch korean drama business proposal at any point in this writing process? because i have been watching business proposal recently, so i didn't appreciate how toby and lark's mountain date that ended with him carrying her down the mountain after she twisted her ankle.... is EXACTLY what happened with sunghoon and youngseo on business proposal.... and unfortunately for this book, at that point i already didn't care about toby and lark, while sunghoon and youngseo are my favorite couple from any media this year, so.... the possible comparison was not appreciated!!!! business proposal came out in 2022 and this book came out in august so i see what could have happened!! (on a different note, watch business proposal, my favorite new to me show of 2023.)
i could talk about how bonkers this book was for 100 years.... but i should stop now. i have ranted here, and i have ranted via many audio messages to my best friend, so now i will cease and decist. while this wasn't good, i did have fun dunking on it, i will admit! but i will be so happy to forget about lark and toby and teagan forever in a few days....
let me explain:
lark, our main character, is one of the most unlikable main characters i've ever read who isn't actively supposed to be unlikable. i knew she and i would not be getting along a few chapters in when she refers to her boobs as "meager breast tissue." she definitely walks the Not Like Other Girls road, thinks that liking star wars and lord of the rings in the year 2023 makes you an unrelatable nerd, and blames misogynism for every thing that goes wrong in her work life (which is part of it for sure!! but girly pop played a role in her own demise too, i fear). none of our other characters were particularly likable, or even interesting for that matter, and the two bonus bffs could honestly lift right out and the book would probably be better for it.
this book also tried so hard to be woke it was asleep...... so many asides and throwaway lines that were just meant to show how Good and Aware lark was and for what??? for what!!!! i won't even get into the different sexuality reps here because that's a whole different convo because i think it would be soooo much better if they actually touched on.... hmmmm i don't know...... the ace spectrum?? rather than what we actually got??? BUT ANYWAY!!!
this book claims to be sex positive but lark as a character definitely isn't..... she never even has a change of heart or perspective either, just remains judgmental about her own chosen path of being a professional sexter the entire time.... which then makes her ending so laughable in my opinion!! additionally, she is so judgmental of her best friend, teagan, the SEX COACH!! she also REPEATEDLY implies that every partner she's ever had has cheated on her because of how bad at sex she is and it was honestly wild..... [jennifer lawrence on hot ones voice] what do you mean......
the whole third act fight was really stupid and lark should have apologized at some point but of COURSE she never did!!! her calling toby her hero for wearing a batman shirt under a blazer at a professional event was in a way my last straw of last straws.... the bar is in hell!!!
and finally, a personal issue that most other people probably won't care about: ms. roberts, be honest, did you watch korean drama business proposal at any point in this writing process? because i have been watching business proposal recently, so i didn't appreciate how toby and lark's mountain date that ended with him carrying her down the mountain after she twisted her ankle.... is EXACTLY what happened with sunghoon and youngseo on business proposal.... and unfortunately for this book, at that point i already didn't care about toby and lark, while sunghoon and youngseo are my favorite couple from any media this year, so.... the possible comparison was not appreciated!!!! business proposal came out in 2022 and this book came out in august so i see what could have happened!! (on a different note, watch business proposal, my favorite new to me show of 2023.)
i could talk about how bonkers this book was for 100 years.... but i should stop now. i have ranted here, and i have ranted via many audio messages to my best friend, so now i will cease and decist. while this wasn't good, i did have fun dunking on it, i will admit! but i will be so happy to forget about lark and toby and teagan forever in a few days....
April 6, 2023
A friends to lovers slow burn where the female lead is in STEM? Give it to me. I really liked the concept. But sadly, I was here for romance and this book did not give me that. The romance was just dull and forced. I felt like everything that was happening between Toby and Lark was just for the heck of it. I did not feel the connection between them.
Sadly, this did not work for me. But I am still giving it a 3 stars because I liked the characters individually. Maybe in future I will give this another try. Because I won't lie and say that the concept wasn't interesting.
Sadly, this did not work for me. But I am still giving it a 3 stars because I liked the characters individually. Maybe in future I will give this another try. Because I won't lie and say that the concept wasn't interesting.
September 3, 2023
When Harry met Sally for the digital age!! This friends to lovers, secret identity sexting romance sees two besties falling in love when one starts an online sex work job and the other slides into her DMs anonymously.
Full of heart, humor and all sorts of millennial angst, this was perfect for fans of You've got mail with great bisexual rep, and aspec side character rep. It was also good on audio read by CJ Bloom - a fav narrator! I love how strong the romance debuts have been this year! Amber Roberts' Text Appeal will definitely be a standout for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! I will be first in line for whatever this author writes next. Recommended for anyone who loved You, again by Kate Goldbeck.
Full of heart, humor and all sorts of millennial angst, this was perfect for fans of You've got mail with great bisexual rep, and aspec side character rep. It was also good on audio read by CJ Bloom - a fav narrator! I love how strong the romance debuts have been this year! Amber Roberts' Text Appeal will definitely be a standout for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! I will be first in line for whatever this author writes next. Recommended for anyone who loved You, again by Kate Goldbeck.
Want to read
February 9, 2023Netgalley didn’t accept my request for an arc ☹️
September 15, 2024
Był jakiś pomysł, ale realizacyjnie to poległo
February 13, 2023
I was really intrigued by the premise and cute cover, but unfortunately this book was a total miss for me. I honestly feel like I could write a 5-page essay of the things I disliked about this book, but first of all I wanna say that from reading other reviews it’s clear that lots of other people like this one so even though it wasn’t my cup of tea it might be yours! Idk, I just didn’t wanna drag this book without saying that first.
I went into this book excited to read a sex worker-positive fluffy and steamy romcom and what I got was… not that. Most of the issues I had with the book centre around the MC, Lark, and her immaturity and inability to make decisions for herself - so much so that she ends up becoming a sex worker at the insistence of her (very irritating) best friend Teagan whilst not wanting this for herself at all. This weird dynamic of her almost being coerced into sexting as a job felt very icky to me and like a poor representation of sex work. I also found it totally implausible that Lark would’ve been able to continue with this job with her seeming total lack of understanding of sex, and her unwillingness to learn. For example, by the mid point of the book when she is supposedly earning a good deal of money from her sexting, she is totally shocked at the suggestion from her friends that she watch porn to get some ideas for her sexts. There are numerous incidences in which Lark is overly bashful or embarrassed about even talking about sex stuff which make it impossible for me to believe she is simultaneously earning a living engaging with that very same sex stuff. She is judgemental and whiny and I really did not enjoy reading her POV for the entire book.
I found the love interest, Toby, to be about as interesting as a plank of wood, and I didn’t think that he and Lark had any chemistry whatsoever. I even found their sex scenes boring. Toby and Lark supposedly have harboured this long-term connection since college but this was entirely told not shown. We are fed this narrative of them having had all these cute moments in the past (all-nighters in college etc.) but NONE of this cute energy comes through in their in-book interactions. I felt this was a big issue with the book as a whole, in that we as a reader are told that two characters have a long standing friendship but this is never shown to us on the page. This made it really hard for me to feel invested in either the love story between Toby and Lark or the friendship between Lark and Teagan. And don’t even get me started on the two other female friends - they are totally interchangeable and forgettable and could easily have been made into one character without making a difference to the book.
I’m aware I haven’t even touched on the bloated deception story arc which is the main third-act conflict of the book, but honestly by the time it was all being played out I was already totally over this book and was just waiting for it to end. It was all very obvious (which can be fine! I was excited to read a You’ve-Got-Mail sort of set up!) and so in my opinion it needed to be played out much earlier in the story to make up for this.
I was also really not a fan of the way in which the book sets up Lark’s firing at the start. For one, this whole debacle goes on way too long for what should just be a quick couple of scenes and then we can get into the real story. I found that it seemed like the author wanted to tackle some really serious issues like workplace sexism and harassment but this did not fit the tone of the book and I feel like in her attempt to cover such a complex topic in a short plot point the author ends up painting these issues in a really reductive light and making all the characters in Lark’s workplace into caricatures. None of this seems like a real scenario and so any point which could have been made about workplace sexism fell flat for me.
There were a number of punctuation and grammar issues throughout the book but hopefully these will be fixed by publication. Also, the text bubbles showed up incredibly small on e-reader and so were very difficult to read, hopefully this will also be fixed by the publisher.
Honestly, I could go on but I’ll stop here because I really don’t want to have to think about this story any longer. I really need to stop being fooled by cute covers.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this book excited to read a sex worker-positive fluffy and steamy romcom and what I got was… not that. Most of the issues I had with the book centre around the MC, Lark, and her immaturity and inability to make decisions for herself - so much so that she ends up becoming a sex worker at the insistence of her (very irritating) best friend Teagan whilst not wanting this for herself at all. This weird dynamic of her almost being coerced into sexting as a job felt very icky to me and like a poor representation of sex work. I also found it totally implausible that Lark would’ve been able to continue with this job with her seeming total lack of understanding of sex, and her unwillingness to learn. For example, by the mid point of the book when she is supposedly earning a good deal of money from her sexting, she is totally shocked at the suggestion from her friends that she watch porn to get some ideas for her sexts. There are numerous incidences in which Lark is overly bashful or embarrassed about even talking about sex stuff which make it impossible for me to believe she is simultaneously earning a living engaging with that very same sex stuff. She is judgemental and whiny and I really did not enjoy reading her POV for the entire book.
I found the love interest, Toby, to be about as interesting as a plank of wood, and I didn’t think that he and Lark had any chemistry whatsoever. I even found their sex scenes boring. Toby and Lark supposedly have harboured this long-term connection since college but this was entirely told not shown. We are fed this narrative of them having had all these cute moments in the past (all-nighters in college etc.) but NONE of this cute energy comes through in their in-book interactions. I felt this was a big issue with the book as a whole, in that we as a reader are told that two characters have a long standing friendship but this is never shown to us on the page. This made it really hard for me to feel invested in either the love story between Toby and Lark or the friendship between Lark and Teagan. And don’t even get me started on the two other female friends - they are totally interchangeable and forgettable and could easily have been made into one character without making a difference to the book.
I’m aware I haven’t even touched on the bloated deception story arc which is the main third-act conflict of the book, but honestly by the time it was all being played out I was already totally over this book and was just waiting for it to end. It was all very obvious (which can be fine! I was excited to read a You’ve-Got-Mail sort of set up!) and so in my opinion it needed to be played out much earlier in the story to make up for this.
I was also really not a fan of the way in which the book sets up Lark’s firing at the start. For one, this whole debacle goes on way too long for what should just be a quick couple of scenes and then we can get into the real story. I found that it seemed like the author wanted to tackle some really serious issues like workplace sexism and harassment but this did not fit the tone of the book and I feel like in her attempt to cover such a complex topic in a short plot point the author ends up painting these issues in a really reductive light and making all the characters in Lark’s workplace into caricatures. None of this seems like a real scenario and so any point which could have been made about workplace sexism fell flat for me.
There were a number of punctuation and grammar issues throughout the book but hopefully these will be fixed by publication. Also, the text bubbles showed up incredibly small on e-reader and so were very difficult to read, hopefully this will also be fixed by the publisher.
Honestly, I could go on but I’ll stop here because I really don’t want to have to think about this story any longer. I really need to stop being fooled by cute covers.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 28, 2023
I enjoyed reading this, it was a bit slow missing the tension that comes with a slow burn. But it had a great friends to lovers vibe. I liked the characters and the plot. I haven't read a book with someone who starts sexting after losing their job so it peaked my curiosity to read more.
March 1, 2023
A delightful, voicey, sex positive romp about an out of work programmer who begins a sexting side hustle to make the ends meet and ends up finding the connection of her life!
Fans of friends to lovers and You’ve Got Mail will enjoy Lark’s journey as she juggles her feelings for the screen name she can’t wait to text back and her BFF she’s suddenly seeing in a new light.
I really enjoyed how Robert’s stayed true to the kinds of messages people receive online. They felt authentic and real (even the scummy ones). I’m glad she didn’t gloss over that dark part of the internet.
This definitely felt like a rom meets women’s fic/commercial crossover so fans of stories that straddle the line will love it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.
Fans of friends to lovers and You’ve Got Mail will enjoy Lark’s journey as she juggles her feelings for the screen name she can’t wait to text back and her BFF she’s suddenly seeing in a new light.
I really enjoyed how Robert’s stayed true to the kinds of messages people receive online. They felt authentic and real (even the scummy ones). I’m glad she didn’t gloss over that dark part of the internet.
This definitely felt like a rom meets women’s fic/commercial crossover so fans of stories that straddle the line will love it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.
May 17, 2023
What this book did well was the overall sex-positive message and the Women in STEM representation in our protagonist Lark.
I also really liked the authentic feel of the text messages.
The romance in this book falls short of expectations, at times it feels more like a side plot, and I overall couldn’t bring myself to root for Lark and Toby or see their chemistry.
I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I also really liked the authentic feel of the text messages.
The romance in this book falls short of expectations, at times it feels more like a side plot, and I overall couldn’t bring myself to root for Lark and Toby or see their chemistry.
I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 10, 2023
First off, thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for this honest review.
Unfortunately, this book, was a miss for me. I found the main character to be very grating and the set up to be very cringe. I work in tech, and I know that it is hard for women (I am one) but the way this was written, it seemed apparent that the author had no real world experience. My husband also works in tech and more closely with developers, and while yes sexism is real its not the norm, I don’t want to downplay that, just the way this MC was treated is very old mindset and outdated. I’m sure there are one off cases, but this story was just cringe to me. Also the self taught poor me female character. Gross.
Once the MC got fired (for something she was sexually harassed for) she decides to become an online sex worker. Way to just bring cringe to everything. To think that being a sex worker if hitting rock bottom – again with the old school mindset. Oh and her best friend who is a sex therapist, telling married people to sleep around? Okay again, what is happening here.
I did DNF this book because, I just couldn’t bring myself to read another word. It was just too cringey for me and I hope that in the year 2023 we can stop degrading women this way. Strong women in tech exist, and yes there are barriers, it is possible. Yes, sex workers are people, and they haven’t all hit rock bottom.
And the "chemistry" between the characters felt non existent.
Unfortunately, this book, was a miss for me. I found the main character to be very grating and the set up to be very cringe. I work in tech, and I know that it is hard for women (I am one) but the way this was written, it seemed apparent that the author had no real world experience. My husband also works in tech and more closely with developers, and while yes sexism is real its not the norm, I don’t want to downplay that, just the way this MC was treated is very old mindset and outdated. I’m sure there are one off cases, but this story was just cringe to me. Also the self taught poor me female character. Gross.
Once the MC got fired (for something she was sexually harassed for) she decides to become an online sex worker. Way to just bring cringe to everything. To think that being a sex worker if hitting rock bottom – again with the old school mindset. Oh and her best friend who is a sex therapist, telling married people to sleep around? Okay again, what is happening here.
I did DNF this book because, I just couldn’t bring myself to read another word. It was just too cringey for me and I hope that in the year 2023 we can stop degrading women this way. Strong women in tech exist, and yes there are barriers, it is possible. Yes, sex workers are people, and they haven’t all hit rock bottom.
And the "chemistry" between the characters felt non existent.
February 17, 2023
Thank You, Alcove Press and NetGalley, for this arc for an honest review!
Text appeal is about Lark (fmc), who isn't happy with her job. She is qualified but works in tech with all these men that think that she's below them because she's a woman. She ends up losing her job because of a picture and turns to 'sexting' to make money at the suggestion of her best friend Teagan. Her other best friend, Toby (mmc), just broke up with his girlfriend, who didn't allow Lark and Toby to be friends when they were together.
This book had some ups and a lot of downs. It started out okay but became very tedious to read after the 30 percent mark. My main issue has that I didn't feel like the characters had much chemistry, and at times I didn't know why they liked each other. The will they won't, they tension was grating, and the third act breakup after a long slow burn didn't help.
Overall I don't think this was for me, but if you like best friends to lovers, women in tech, romcoms, 'will they won't they' tension, then this may just be for you!
Rating: 2.5/5⭐
Text appeal is about Lark (fmc), who isn't happy with her job. She is qualified but works in tech with all these men that think that she's below them because she's a woman. She ends up losing her job because of a picture and turns to 'sexting' to make money at the suggestion of her best friend Teagan. Her other best friend, Toby (mmc), just broke up with his girlfriend, who didn't allow Lark and Toby to be friends when they were together.
This book had some ups and a lot of downs. It started out okay but became very tedious to read after the 30 percent mark. My main issue has that I didn't feel like the characters had much chemistry, and at times I didn't know why they liked each other. The will they won't, they tension was grating, and the third act breakup after a long slow burn didn't help.
Overall I don't think this was for me, but if you like best friends to lovers, women in tech, romcoms, 'will they won't they' tension, then this may just be for you!
Rating: 2.5/5⭐
March 7, 2023
Thank you you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me the opportunity to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very interesting premise and I have to say the cute cover really drew me in.
This was really fun, it’s a sex-positive debut with a romance that treats sex work with respect, you see the MC, Lark really come into her own- she learns to love her new side hustle and really begin to own her own sexuality, which is such a refreshing thing to see.
Obviously texting is a huge part of this story and for the most part and Amber Roberts absolutely nailed it- sometimes I find text threads to be a little cringe inducing but these were pretty good! This story is probably most relatable to women in their 20s or 30s, experiencing toxic workplace culture, dating apps, unsolicited pictures and most importantly: finding yourself. There’s lots of representation here too which is wonderful: women in stem, LGBTQ+, female friendships. Just to name a few.
I didn’t vibe as well with Lark as I’d hoped, I found her to be mildly infuriating at times and she did cause a lot of secondhand embarrassment for me. I also didn’t buy into her romance with Toby as much as I’d wished for either, it was cute but honestly, it felt a little strange that a friend had orchestrated an online sexual exchange between Lark and Toby without Lark knowing. But aside from that, this is a fun, amusing, quick read and it does pretty much what it sets out to do.
This was a very interesting premise and I have to say the cute cover really drew me in.
This was really fun, it’s a sex-positive debut with a romance that treats sex work with respect, you see the MC, Lark really come into her own- she learns to love her new side hustle and really begin to own her own sexuality, which is such a refreshing thing to see.
Obviously texting is a huge part of this story and for the most part and Amber Roberts absolutely nailed it- sometimes I find text threads to be a little cringe inducing but these were pretty good! This story is probably most relatable to women in their 20s or 30s, experiencing toxic workplace culture, dating apps, unsolicited pictures and most importantly: finding yourself. There’s lots of representation here too which is wonderful: women in stem, LGBTQ+, female friendships. Just to name a few.
I didn’t vibe as well with Lark as I’d hoped, I found her to be mildly infuriating at times and she did cause a lot of secondhand embarrassment for me. I also didn’t buy into her romance with Toby as much as I’d wished for either, it was cute but honestly, it felt a little strange that a friend had orchestrated an online sexual exchange between Lark and Toby without Lark knowing. But aside from that, this is a fun, amusing, quick read and it does pretty much what it sets out to do.
August 10, 2023
3.75⭐️ | 2 🌶️
When I saw the adorable cover and read the blurb for this one, I was really intrigued so when NetGalley accepted my ARC request I was obviously thrilled!
It’s a quick read but not quite fast paced. It started off quite slow but ended perfectly! I did however wish I could love it more than I did.
I instantly fell in love with the FMC, Lark (such a cute and unique name btw!) and I really liked her character arc, she’s quirky and fun. The romance between the two MCs did feel a bit disconnected and disappointing, however their sexting interactions were quite fun.
This slow-burn, friends to lovers is a feel-good and LOL read. Overall it’s fun, flirty and mildly spicy.
While the premises of this book were amazing, it unfortunately missed the mark for me.
Read if you enjoy:
•Slow burn
•Friends to lovers
•Women in STEM
•Sex positive
When I saw the adorable cover and read the blurb for this one, I was really intrigued so when NetGalley accepted my ARC request I was obviously thrilled!
It’s a quick read but not quite fast paced. It started off quite slow but ended perfectly! I did however wish I could love it more than I did.
I instantly fell in love with the FMC, Lark (such a cute and unique name btw!) and I really liked her character arc, she’s quirky and fun. The romance between the two MCs did feel a bit disconnected and disappointing, however their sexting interactions were quite fun.
This slow-burn, friends to lovers is a feel-good and LOL read. Overall it’s fun, flirty and mildly spicy.
While the premises of this book were amazing, it unfortunately missed the mark for me.
Read if you enjoy:
•Slow burn
•Friends to lovers
•Women in STEM
•Sex positive
October 18, 2023
Trying too hard to be sex positive through the lens of a prudish, judgmental, and implausibly virginal protagonist. Lark has never watched porn or used a sex toy, seemingly never masturbates, and is horrified by the concept of casual sex. Somehow she's absolutely fantastic at being a sex worker.
Too many pop culture references. Too many "ah, I'm so nerdy and socially exiled for my strange interests" moments, except the characters' "strange" interests are HUGELY POPULAR media franchises such as... *checks notes* Star Wars.
Entire book feels like wish fulfillment. Nerdy virgin girl is magically proficient at sex. The storytelling and romantic arc are themselves poorly written as well.
📌 . Blog | Review Database | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
Too many pop culture references. Too many "ah, I'm so nerdy and socially exiled for my strange interests" moments, except the characters' "strange" interests are HUGELY POPULAR media franchises such as... *checks notes* Star Wars.
Entire book feels like wish fulfillment. Nerdy virgin girl is magically proficient at sex. The storytelling and romantic arc are themselves poorly written as well.
📌 . Blog | Review Database | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
February 19, 2023
What a cute read!! I really enjoyed lark and Toby’s relationship, seeing it grow in two different ways.
Tbh for a very long while I thought cosmic kismet was really someone else because wouldn’t Toby figure out it was lark right away? But Oh My Gosh the twist was so unexpected and so amazing. It did make me dislike Teagan though.
Anyway 10/10 recommend!! Can’t wait to read more from Amber Roberts!
Tbh for a very long while I thought cosmic kismet was really someone else because wouldn’t Toby figure out it was lark right away? But Oh My Gosh the twist was so unexpected and so amazing. It did make me dislike Teagan though.
Anyway 10/10 recommend!! Can’t wait to read more from Amber Roberts!
April 14, 2024
MC was annoying, beyond annoying.
March 17, 2023
i don't like giving low rates to debut authors but this one has lots of awkward moments and weird texts and that's all. the main characters have zero chemistry and friends to lovers once again was a total disappoinment
thanks to netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
thanks to netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
February 2, 2023
Absolutely incredible! Must read!!
October 30, 2023
DNF at 65%.
Honestly this one started off pretty strong for me, at least in terms of the concept. A woman struggling to have her skills and expertise valued in a workplace that is deeply entrenched in social politics (and the inherent biases and double standards that entails) promised to be a really interesting premise.
But it was a promise that never delivered.
Unfortunately Lark, our protagonist, is honestly just kind of incompetent and extremely immature, in multiple facets of her life. I work in tech, and absolutely no one with the background she's supposed to have would ever share the screen of a personal device to a room full of professionals without making sure to lock down any incoming messages first. That whole scene invalidated a lot of her supposed backstory and, worse, made Lark look stupid instead of wronged.
Throughout the book, Lark repeatedly demonstrates that she can't make decisions for herself and ends up just going along with whatever her bestie Teagan wants her to do instead, even when Lark doesn't want to, and that lands her in hot water multiple times - their "frenemies" dynamic is actually the driving force behind multiple major plot points. Despite this, she gets angry when people insinuate she can't take care of herself or that she needs someone to protect her.
One of my biggest frustrations, though, is that Lark admits regularly throughout the book that she is awful and/or inexperienced with sex, thinks cishet PIV sex with the woman on top is outlandish, gets grossed out by the idea of watching porn, finds Teagan's job selling sex toys embarrassing, apparently doesn't even masturbate and just generally comes off as quite prudish and sex negative——and we're supposed to buy the idea that she's successful enough at sexting that she can pay all her bills with this as her only income——and supposed to believe that she's bi and has had multiple relationships with women despite the heteronormativity she keeps touting and exhibiting. Not only does it feel unrealistic, it's just disappointing that a book with this premise features a protagonist who apparently doesn't even like sex and doesn't want to be doing sex work. What kind of message does that send?
Outside of this, Lark is just not very likeable because she's constantly being negative, rude and sarcastic to everyone about everything—even to her friends and her love interest when they're trying to help her. Through her POV, the entire novel is dripping with unnecessary cynicism. That's actually what made me finally decide to DNF, when I came across this line:
"With the velvet darkness of night coming in for the kill, the frisbee and hacky sack players retreated to overpriced, under-furnished apartments to get high and sleep off the crushing realization that their parents might have been right about everything after all."
This is literally just a passing comment as she's setting the scene at the lake - we know nothing about these people and the next sentence just moves on describing the rest of the scenery. Was this "young punks, get off my lawn" energy necessary? Is Roberts trying to paint Lark as some grouchy, elderly Karen?
That's just one example among the hordes within this book though. With the exception of the boring vanilla love interest Toby, literally every single male character introduced in the novel is a complete asshole. This is that watered-down, post-capitalist brand of "feminism" that just equates to casual misandry. (Intersectionality? We don't know her, apparently.)
Toby himself (the love interest) is a snooze-fest and there's literally no chemistry between him and Lark, he's just the only Nice Guy around, and women aren't really treated as a valid option despite Lark supposedly being bi—so Toby it is, I guess.
Also—I just have to say it—a big plot point is Toby walking in on her masturbating for the first time. How would that ever happen? Why was she masturbating in front of her front door? Why was her front door not locked? Why was Toby's first impulse to try the handle instead of knocking? Why, upon finding the door unlocked and not knocking, would Toby just walk in?? 💀 Bruh.
There was so much undelivered potential here. 1.5 cheugy stars.
Honestly this one started off pretty strong for me, at least in terms of the concept. A woman struggling to have her skills and expertise valued in a workplace that is deeply entrenched in social politics (and the inherent biases and double standards that entails) promised to be a really interesting premise.
But it was a promise that never delivered.
Unfortunately Lark, our protagonist, is honestly just kind of incompetent and extremely immature, in multiple facets of her life. I work in tech, and absolutely no one with the background she's supposed to have would ever share the screen of a personal device to a room full of professionals without making sure to lock down any incoming messages first. That whole scene invalidated a lot of her supposed backstory and, worse, made Lark look stupid instead of wronged.
Throughout the book, Lark repeatedly demonstrates that she can't make decisions for herself and ends up just going along with whatever her bestie Teagan wants her to do instead, even when Lark doesn't want to, and that lands her in hot water multiple times - their "frenemies" dynamic is actually the driving force behind multiple major plot points. Despite this, she gets angry when people insinuate she can't take care of herself or that she needs someone to protect her.
One of my biggest frustrations, though, is that Lark admits regularly throughout the book that she is awful and/or inexperienced with sex, thinks cishet PIV sex with the woman on top is outlandish, gets grossed out by the idea of watching porn, finds Teagan's job selling sex toys embarrassing, apparently doesn't even masturbate and just generally comes off as quite prudish and sex negative——and we're supposed to buy the idea that she's successful enough at sexting that she can pay all her bills with this as her only income——and supposed to believe that she's bi and has had multiple relationships with women despite the heteronormativity she keeps touting and exhibiting. Not only does it feel unrealistic, it's just disappointing that a book with this premise features a protagonist who apparently doesn't even like sex and doesn't want to be doing sex work. What kind of message does that send?
Outside of this, Lark is just not very likeable because she's constantly being negative, rude and sarcastic to everyone about everything—even to her friends and her love interest when they're trying to help her. Through her POV, the entire novel is dripping with unnecessary cynicism. That's actually what made me finally decide to DNF, when I came across this line:
"With the velvet darkness of night coming in for the kill, the frisbee and hacky sack players retreated to overpriced, under-furnished apartments to get high and sleep off the crushing realization that their parents might have been right about everything after all."
This is literally just a passing comment as she's setting the scene at the lake - we know nothing about these people and the next sentence just moves on describing the rest of the scenery. Was this "young punks, get off my lawn" energy necessary? Is Roberts trying to paint Lark as some grouchy, elderly Karen?
That's just one example among the hordes within this book though. With the exception of the boring vanilla love interest Toby, literally every single male character introduced in the novel is a complete asshole. This is that watered-down, post-capitalist brand of "feminism" that just equates to casual misandry. (Intersectionality? We don't know her, apparently.)
Toby himself (the love interest) is a snooze-fest and there's literally no chemistry between him and Lark, he's just the only Nice Guy around, and women aren't really treated as a valid option despite Lark supposedly being bi—so Toby it is, I guess.
Also—I just have to say it—a big plot point is Toby walking in on her masturbating for the first time. How would that ever happen? Why was she masturbating in front of her front door? Why was her front door not locked? Why was Toby's first impulse to try the handle instead of knocking? Why, upon finding the door unlocked and not knocking, would Toby just walk in?? 💀 Bruh.
There was so much undelivered potential here. 1.5 cheugy stars.
December 31, 2023
3.5 Stars ⭐️
I think the premise of this book was super unique and I thought it had a ton of potential. The characters unfortunately landed a bit flat for me and I couldn't ever truly ever connect with them.
Lark a young coder loses her job after a terribly timed "eggplant" picture shows up on her work computer during a presentation. She then decides to take on a sexting job after her friend Tiegan suggests it. During this experience she randomly strikes a friendship with one of her clients. But she has feelings for her bff Toby who is newly single and is afraid of what he will think.
The things I liked about this book was the mixed media. I really liked how text and instant messaging is mixed in. That was really well done. I also really liked the sex work positivity in this book.
I believe there needed to be more buildup and time spent on Lark and Toby's friendship. It all felt very rushed and the majority of the book is focused on Larks sexting interactions. Overall the pacing of this book was just all over the place,
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
I think the premise of this book was super unique and I thought it had a ton of potential. The characters unfortunately landed a bit flat for me and I couldn't ever truly ever connect with them.
Lark a young coder loses her job after a terribly timed "eggplant" picture shows up on her work computer during a presentation. She then decides to take on a sexting job after her friend Tiegan suggests it. During this experience she randomly strikes a friendship with one of her clients. But she has feelings for her bff Toby who is newly single and is afraid of what he will think.
The things I liked about this book was the mixed media. I really liked how text and instant messaging is mixed in. That was really well done. I also really liked the sex work positivity in this book.
I believe there needed to be more buildup and time spent on Lark and Toby's friendship. It all felt very rushed and the majority of the book is focused on Larks sexting interactions. Overall the pacing of this book was just all over the place,
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
August 29, 2023
i can’t tell how i feel about this book…
the reason i picked this up was because the cover seemed so cute and the premise was fun. sadly the execution just wasn’t there. i didn’t hate the story i just didn’t connect with any of the characters. i feel like they were all very one dimensional and we barely learned anything about them throughout the story. the sexting plot line was funny but it just felt like it took too long to get to. then the whole secret identity thing wasn’t as angsty as it needed to be.
overall this book was fine, kinda boring. i wanted so much more from it but i feel like i can’t rate it lower than three so obviously something worked for me i just can’t pin point it. i also may have not loved it because i really can’t stand friends to lovers…
the reason i picked this up was because the cover seemed so cute and the premise was fun. sadly the execution just wasn’t there. i didn’t hate the story i just didn’t connect with any of the characters. i feel like they were all very one dimensional and we barely learned anything about them throughout the story. the sexting plot line was funny but it just felt like it took too long to get to. then the whole secret identity thing wasn’t as angsty as it needed to be.
overall this book was fine, kinda boring. i wanted so much more from it but i feel like i can’t rate it lower than three so obviously something worked for me i just can’t pin point it. i also may have not loved it because i really can’t stand friends to lovers…
December 30, 2023
all of these characters should go to hell
August 14, 2023
2 stars.
I really wanted to like Amber Roberts' "Text Appeal." Unfortunately, I found myself wanting so much more from this book. I was annoyed by what we got in this final product. Readers were promised a sex-positive story, but it didn't feel like it was. Lark, the main female character, is fired from her STEM job because she was sexually harassed by a man online and accidentally cast an inappropriate photo of him in front of everybody during a business meeting. Ummmmm, what???!!! While she flounders trying to find a new job, and just before she hits "rock bottom," she decides to take up a side gig sending sexy texts for money. This transition doesn't feel natural at all. It also implies that people only turn to s3x work as a last resort or when they are desperate for cash (which isn't always the case and is a huge misconception about that line of work!). Even though I fully support her decision to do this work, she doesn't actually WANT to do this job, which is not empowering, it's conversion! Her choice to do this felt icky to me under the guise of being "sex-positive." No no no. I wouldn't say I liked any of the characters, especially Teagan. With friends like her, ehh? What a horrible "best friend." If you identified with her in any way, RUN. Lark and the main male character, Toby, also got on my nerves. Neither of them will make a move! It's like, let's get a move on here! It is supposed to be a friends-to-lovers story, but I saw almost no chemistry between Lark and Toby. They hem and haw for most of the book until they hook up. Booooring. This book is painfully slow to unfold. I will read whatever this writer writers next, but this was a disappointing, grating bust for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Amber Roberts, and Alcove for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
I really wanted to like Amber Roberts' "Text Appeal." Unfortunately, I found myself wanting so much more from this book. I was annoyed by what we got in this final product. Readers were promised a sex-positive story, but it didn't feel like it was. Lark, the main female character, is fired from her STEM job because she was sexually harassed by a man online and accidentally cast an inappropriate photo of him in front of everybody during a business meeting. Ummmmm, what???!!! While she flounders trying to find a new job, and just before she hits "rock bottom," she decides to take up a side gig sending sexy texts for money. This transition doesn't feel natural at all. It also implies that people only turn to s3x work as a last resort or when they are desperate for cash (which isn't always the case and is a huge misconception about that line of work!). Even though I fully support her decision to do this work, she doesn't actually WANT to do this job, which is not empowering, it's conversion! Her choice to do this felt icky to me under the guise of being "sex-positive." No no no. I wouldn't say I liked any of the characters, especially Teagan. With friends like her, ehh? What a horrible "best friend." If you identified with her in any way, RUN. Lark and the main male character, Toby, also got on my nerves. Neither of them will make a move! It's like, let's get a move on here! It is supposed to be a friends-to-lovers story, but I saw almost no chemistry between Lark and Toby. They hem and haw for most of the book until they hook up. Booooring. This book is painfully slow to unfold. I will read whatever this writer writers next, but this was a disappointing, grating bust for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Amber Roberts, and Alcove for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
February 3, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book. I wanted to like this story so much but the characters were so incredibly unlikeable that I couldn't root for literally anyone. Teegan crossed every single boundary and honestly, did not deserve to be forgiven so easily. Toby started off great but once everything was revealed I just couldn't see how he could justify his actions. There are two other best friends who have little to no personality and I couldn't tell you much about them if I wanted to. Then finally we have our main character, Lark who is so judgemental that I wished the author had at least given me dual POV so I could have gotten a break from her whining. There is some spice here that was written fine but I will say I wish instead of writing "he whispered things in my ear" Roberts would have written the actual dialogue.
August 26, 2023
My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read about insufferable characters sexting in a book that isn’t sexy and doesn’t have a single healthy relationship in it?
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
I love a cartoon cover.
Thick of it:
She’s not like other girls. She can’t do makeup. (My rom-com pet peeve strikes again.)
Red Sox-is she a local because New England rom-com superiority?
Bi rep!
Girl, just take the money and block him.
Burlington VT or MA? (VT)
That’s a terrible app name.
You’re a coding tech guru and can’t get a projector to work?
I mean misogyny sucks, but also you can’t behave like that.
This has too much millennial man hate. It’s not nuanced. It’s just kind of eyerolly.
It is Vermont. But like Burlington, VT is one of the most aggressively woke, earthy-crunchy bullshit places on earth. Your company is not acting like that there.
How is she just immediately chill with sending pics? Also, you’re trying to sue the company for wrongful dismissal, but then you’re going into sex work. Like girl, you have no case.
She's unbelievably naive and repressed. I can't get on board. How old is she supposed to be again?
Ew, bowling.
Oh, so this cosmic guy is def her bestie.
I just don’t buy that modern women are this clueless. I don’t. Not in the city.
It's not even good sexting. This book is so annoying.
This book is bad. It's not sexy.
I’ve hit the point where I actively don’t want to read this.
A minty boy
Literally, why would you have to quit it or hide it in order to date him? You can tell him what your job is, and if he doesn’t like your job, then hey Bestie, he’s not your person.
Rom-com mentions serial killers sin.
Girl, if you’re struggling for cash, cancel the gym membership.
All of this author’s metaphors are so awkward.
Also, he continues to claim to be struggling for cash, but he rented a boat and pays to sext with her. Math ain’t mathin.
Well, they also can’t hire you if you don’t apply. This girl has such a victim mindset. It’s unreal.
She’s so fucking annoying.
There’s absolutely a reason to bring a phone with you when you go hiking. What do you mean? What if she dies on the trail? They can like ping your phone if y’all get lost or something, no?
Does this count as a piney boy joke?
She has no sex life, but she’s had chlamydia. She’s too embarrassed to watch porn or say dirty words, but she’ll talk about chlamydia with a random bar stranger. OK.
They have no chemistry. I genuinely can’t figure out why they’re friends because she is not nice to him.
She would be a theater kid.
I don’t buy for a second that she’s earning a living off of sexting.
That’s clearly I’m coming. Like she’s so stupid.
You asked him out and didn’t plan anything. God, you’re so stupid.
This sex scene is AWFUL.
Oh my god, they’re talking about bedhogs. I was thinking of another hog. This book is so bad.
She still sounds like that.
Ew, karaoke.
This book is only cringe.
Using his online persona to suggest that she sleep with him is very wrong, but also both of these people are shitty, and I don’t like either of them, so I don’t really give a shit.
What do you mean? You literally called her for help!
Lark is a shitty, shitty person.
Except you don’t like communication. Like you avoid communication at all costs.
What do you mean? She’s been pining after him for years!
This author isn’t even aware of her own characters.
This friend group is so disloyal and dysfunctional.
You dumb fuck, make sure you’re getting paid for this? Don’t just help them? Don’t let people treat you like that?
I want her to apologize. She shows up to apologize. I don’t want her to apologize. I haven’t hated a main character this much in a long time.
I know Teagan is doing well for herself, but how does she just have thousands of dollars lying around?
Oh, by all means, make his debut art show about you.
Post-reading:
Yeah, I hated every second of this.
The characters are insufferable. It’s very cringey. The romance is unhealthy. The friendships are unhealthy. The plot is completely unbelievable and not in a fun, rom-com way. Most egregiously, the sex scenes and sexting in this book are bad and not sexy.
This is going on my do not read list.
Who should read this:
No one
Miscommunication trope rom-com fans
Do I want to reread this:
No
Similar books:
* Lingus by Mariana Zapata-sex worker romance that isn’t actually sex positive
* Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy-sex worker romance, miscommunication trope
* Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter-hidden identity romance, immature characters
* How to Kiss Your Best Friend by Jenny Proctor-friends to lovers romance
* Not That Kind of Ever After by Luci Adams-rom-com, fairytale retellings, friend drama
* People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry-friends to lovers, unhealthy relationship that pretends to be healthy
* A Guide to Just Being Friends by Sophie Sullivan-friends to lovers romance, unhealthy relationship that pretends to be healthy
* The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe-second chance romance, unhealthy relationship that pretends to be healthy
* The Love Experiment by Kitty Wilson-sex therapist that isn’t actually sex positive and is an actively harmful book
Do you want to read about insufferable characters sexting in a book that isn’t sexy and doesn’t have a single healthy relationship in it?
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
I love a cartoon cover.
Thick of it:
She’s not like other girls. She can’t do makeup. (My rom-com pet peeve strikes again.)
Red Sox-is she a local because New England rom-com superiority?
Bi rep!
Girl, just take the money and block him.
Burlington VT or MA? (VT)
That’s a terrible app name.
You’re a coding tech guru and can’t get a projector to work?
I mean misogyny sucks, but also you can’t behave like that.
This has too much millennial man hate. It’s not nuanced. It’s just kind of eyerolly.
It is Vermont. But like Burlington, VT is one of the most aggressively woke, earthy-crunchy bullshit places on earth. Your company is not acting like that there.
How is she just immediately chill with sending pics? Also, you’re trying to sue the company for wrongful dismissal, but then you’re going into sex work. Like girl, you have no case.
She's unbelievably naive and repressed. I can't get on board. How old is she supposed to be again?
Ew, bowling.
Oh, so this cosmic guy is def her bestie.
I just don’t buy that modern women are this clueless. I don’t. Not in the city.
It's not even good sexting. This book is so annoying.
This book is bad. It's not sexy.
I’ve hit the point where I actively don’t want to read this.
A minty boy
Literally, why would you have to quit it or hide it in order to date him? You can tell him what your job is, and if he doesn’t like your job, then hey Bestie, he’s not your person.
Rom-com mentions serial killers sin.
Girl, if you’re struggling for cash, cancel the gym membership.
All of this author’s metaphors are so awkward.
Also, he continues to claim to be struggling for cash, but he rented a boat and pays to sext with her. Math ain’t mathin.
Well, they also can’t hire you if you don’t apply. This girl has such a victim mindset. It’s unreal.
She’s so fucking annoying.
There’s absolutely a reason to bring a phone with you when you go hiking. What do you mean? What if she dies on the trail? They can like ping your phone if y’all get lost or something, no?
Does this count as a piney boy joke?
She has no sex life, but she’s had chlamydia. She’s too embarrassed to watch porn or say dirty words, but she’ll talk about chlamydia with a random bar stranger. OK.
They have no chemistry. I genuinely can’t figure out why they’re friends because she is not nice to him.
She would be a theater kid.
I don’t buy for a second that she’s earning a living off of sexting.
That’s clearly I’m coming. Like she’s so stupid.
You asked him out and didn’t plan anything. God, you’re so stupid.
This sex scene is AWFUL.
Oh my god, they’re talking about bedhogs. I was thinking of another hog. This book is so bad.
She still sounds like that.
Ew, karaoke.
This book is only cringe.
Using his online persona to suggest that she sleep with him is very wrong, but also both of these people are shitty, and I don’t like either of them, so I don’t really give a shit.
What do you mean? You literally called her for help!
Lark is a shitty, shitty person.
Except you don’t like communication. Like you avoid communication at all costs.
What do you mean? She’s been pining after him for years!
This author isn’t even aware of her own characters.
This friend group is so disloyal and dysfunctional.
You dumb fuck, make sure you’re getting paid for this? Don’t just help them? Don’t let people treat you like that?
I want her to apologize. She shows up to apologize. I don’t want her to apologize. I haven’t hated a main character this much in a long time.
I know Teagan is doing well for herself, but how does she just have thousands of dollars lying around?
Oh, by all means, make his debut art show about you.
Post-reading:
Yeah, I hated every second of this.
The characters are insufferable. It’s very cringey. The romance is unhealthy. The friendships are unhealthy. The plot is completely unbelievable and not in a fun, rom-com way. Most egregiously, the sex scenes and sexting in this book are bad and not sexy.
This is going on my do not read list.
Who should read this:
No one
Miscommunication trope rom-com fans
Do I want to reread this:
No
Similar books:
* Lingus by Mariana Zapata-sex worker romance that isn’t actually sex positive
* Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy-sex worker romance, miscommunication trope
* Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter-hidden identity romance, immature characters
* How to Kiss Your Best Friend by Jenny Proctor-friends to lovers romance
* Not That Kind of Ever After by Luci Adams-rom-com, fairytale retellings, friend drama
* People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry-friends to lovers, unhealthy relationship that pretends to be healthy
* A Guide to Just Being Friends by Sophie Sullivan-friends to lovers romance, unhealthy relationship that pretends to be healthy
* The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe-second chance romance, unhealthy relationship that pretends to be healthy
* The Love Experiment by Kitty Wilson-sex therapist that isn’t actually sex positive and is an actively harmful book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 403 reviews