i tried my hand at reading this book twice. But both times DNFed it. I somehow did not like the way the story was progressing.

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

When I read the blurb for this, I was really excited. I loved the women in STEM aspect and the sex positivity was excellent but unfortunately the rest fell a bit short for me. I am a big character-focused reader so I always find it hard when I don’t connect with the characters and this was the case for me with Lark. I found myself getting annoyed with everyone and the repetitive story. I would be willing to give this author another go in the hopes that having characters I could connect with better would change my experience.

I was determined to finish reading this finally - I've been chipping away at it since August. I did read a majority of this book in the last week or two. It is very slow to get to the meat of what this story was about, in my opinion. I really didn't like the main character, Lark, very much. She definitely seems to blame everyone in her life for why her life is the way it is, except her. She seemed so immature the entirety of the book. I can't get over her response to the big conflict. I really think I would have rated this lower had it not been for some of the supporting characters, Toby and Teagen, and how her job situation resolved itself towards the end.

This was a cute romance with cute characters, but I just found it to be too low stakes for me. I thought the chemistry was lacking and nothing to make up for that lack of chemistry between the characters.

I tried so hard to finish this book and I just couldn’t do it. It didn’t hold my interest at all unfortunately

It doesn’t happen all too often that I become so enamoured with a book that I feel utterly drunk on it, but this radiant gem of a story stole my heart and fed my soul in ways I didn’t even know it had needed it. So loved and enjoyed it.

The way that the author describes their connection, the way that they’re able to feel and sense each other and their emotion like their two parts of a whole, was the most romantic thing I’ve ever read. It truly made me believe in love! And, I’m obsessed.

Lark is the only woman programmer at her firm and finds herself struggling to break into the boy’s club. When she finally lands a big client her big break becomes a nightmare when an unsolicited picture accidentally pops up during a presentation. When her best friend suggests message based sex work Lark is apprehensive. Although it’s so far out of her comfort zone she needs the money and decides to give it a try.

The premise of this story and the message it was trying to get across definitely got my attention, I was so excited to read this. However it didn’t seem to live up to the potential for me. Toby and Lark did have a compelling friendship and backstory but I was hoping for a bit more chemistry. I think it’s important to mention the author has a note on Goodreads saying this book is heavy on the com part rather than full rom com so that definitely helps with expectations coming in so definitely keep that in mind if you give this book a chance!

By far my favorite part of the story was Lark, I just loved her. Her and her inner monologue were major highlights. Overall an interesting concept with some strong points that just didn’t reach the peak it could have. This was a solid debut and I’m excited to see what this author does next!

I thought this sounded like an interesting premise for a romcom. As you can imagine, the text conversations Lark has in her new sexting position left little to the imagination. Oddly enough though, there’s very little spice when it comes to her IRL crush. Lucky for me that I don’t need a ton of spice in my romcoms or I would’ve been majorly disappointed.

Overall, this one was just okay. I did find parts of it funny and I could relate a bit to Lark’s character, but it was missing something to make it truly memorable.

3.5/5

"Text Appeal" by Amber Roberts is a daring and contemporary debut novel that explores themes of work, relationships, and self-discovery in the digital age. While it has moments of humor and charm, it also faces challenges that might not appeal to all readers.

The story follows Lark, a talented programmer who, after a workplace mishap, finds herself unemployed and in need of money. She turns to text message-based sex work as a way to make ends meet. The premise is unique and sets the stage for a modern and relevant narrative that touches on important themes such as sex positivity and women in STEM.

One of the strengths of the book is its portrayal of Lark's character. She is relatable, and her journey of self-discovery and empowerment is compelling. The story also tackles issues of gender dynamics and the challenges women face in male-dominated fields, shedding light on the importance of representation.

The novel's exploration of the evolving nature of relationships in the digital age, including online connections and friendships that turn romantic, is timely and engaging. Lark's interactions with her charming and nerdy anonymous client add depth to the story, and their chemistry is well-crafted.

However, there are aspects of the book that may not resonate with all readers. The premise of Lark engaging in sexting for income may be a bit uncomfortable for some, and the explicit content might not be everyone's cup of tea. Additionally, some readers may find the story's pacing uneven, with moments of humor and charm sometimes overshadowed by the more explicit scenes.

The relationship between Lark and Toby, her longtime friend and crush, is central to the story. While their dynamic is endearing, there are moments when their interactions feel overly dramatic or forced, which may affect the overall enjoyment of the romance aspect of the novel.

In conclusion, "Text Appeal" by Amber Roberts is a daring and contemporary novel that explores important themes within the context of modern technology and relationships. It offers a unique perspective on women in STEM and celebrates self-discovery and empowerment. While the book has moments of charm and humor, it may not be suitable for all readers due to its explicit content and uneven pacing. Ultimately, it's a novel that will appeal to those who appreciate stories that push boundaries and explore themes of love, work, and identity in the digital age.

This book was really cute, and certainly unique! I liked that it was different, but felt very relevant.
I have to say that I did not like the main characters best friend, Teagan. As a character she was great, but I would never be her friend if she was an actual person. I thought she was a bit toxic and manipulative, and everyone just kept making excuses for her. It seemed a lot like she was trying to force Lark to do the things she wanted her to do, and not necessarily the things that Lark wanted. It helped the plot along and I understood where Teagan was coming from, but I really liked Lark as a character so I didn't like seeing her being treated that way.
I LOVED Lark's journey to discover her confidence and sexuality, and Toby was adorable and wonderfully nerdy. I would absolutely recommend the book, especially if you're looking for a cute romcom that calls out some misogynistic bullshit.

While the premise of this book originally appealed to me, I found it lacking in the execution. I couldn't connect with the characters, the story was too repetitive, and I found myself getting annoyed with everyone more than rooting for them. While I appreciate the bi representation, women in STEM, and the sex positivity of it all, Text Appeal just wasn't for me.

Very sex positive. The best part of this were the online chats with Kismet. I was invested in who it was. The rest of the chemistry in person lacked and the crush felt unbelievable. I also didn’t understand all of the anger if it’s supposedly someone she’s been pining after for years.

I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book drew me in due to the female STEM representation in it. I didn’t really do a deep dive into what it’s about and I was unpleasantly surprised to find out that the FMC ends up fired from her tech job rather quickly for something that wasn’t her fault and then takes on a job “late night texting”, if you get my drift.

The book is supposed to be about female empowerment and embracing sexuality but it just fell a little short for me. I loved the idea, and it even reminded me a little bit of a show on the CW, but I think it could have been better written.

I found the blurb interesting but the entirety of the story was quite boring and paced very slowly. This kind of ruined my favorite trope as the main characters' romance felt forced and lacked chemistry.

This was a DNF for me. I really liked the overall message of pro LGBT, sex positivity, and feminism, but unfortunately for me it was just really boring otherwise. I didn’t connect well with the characters and didn’t care for what happened with them.

I DNFed this one around 20%. I gave it an honest attempt but I feel like as a person in my 40's, I'm just not the intended target audience. I could not relate to the characters and found myself wanting to skim through. Perhaps if you are in your 20's or so this may appeal more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I hate writing negative reviews, but this book just didn’t do it for my. DNF about halfway through. The plot was weak, the MC was difficulty to enjoy, and the overall premise didn’t hook me. It’s a pass. :(

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.