First I want to start off with how much I loved this book. I mean the first sentence in the blurb got me instantly hooked: It’s officially booty o’clock. This is a wrong number back and forth text exchange between two insomniacs. The main character is basically a badass, and Elliot is a neat nerd, lol. What could two people that are basically opposites talk about? Read the book and you'll find out. It'll be worth it, I promise.

I must also say, I have never listened to an audiobook, but after reading this, I may just download this one.

Sweet Talk by Cara Bastone

MY RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

This is the second title in a series of standalone rom-coms. It was really cute. I read this before reading the first in the series and I liked it so much i read the first. Will definitely be checking out more by this author. Easy and fun rom-com

Check out Sweet Talk by Cara Bastone wherever you buy books!

✦ Goodreads ➜ https://bit.ly/3BKGRbo
✦ Amazon ➜ https://amzn.to/3BP3HOS
✦ Apple ➜ https://apple.co/3k6havX
✦ Google ➜ https://bit.ly/3mK1b8n
✦ Kobo ➜ https://bit.ly/3wghH36
✦ Nook ➜ https://bit.ly/3we9gW5

TAGS: fiction, romance, contemporary romance, rom-com, women's fiction, chick-lit

*Thanks to NetGalley, the Headline Eternal & Cara Bastone for providing a free eARC in exchange for my honest review #SweetTalk #SweetTalkBook #NetGalley #HeadlineEternal #CaraBastone @NetGalley @headlineeternal @carabastone

Talk about a modern day romance!

It's interesting seeing the shift in romance books, slowly becoming this more modern storytelling method, and they're definitely really interesting to read about, how two people can fall in love without even knowing the other person on the other end of the line, but just by how they make them feel and by the sound of their voice, isn't that cool?

This book is slow burn to the max! Slowest burn, but in a good way. A good majority, I'll say about 80% of this book is dialogue and that was one of my favourtie parts, just Jessie and Eliot having phone conversations for the most part.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the earc in return for an honest review.

Incredibly entertaining! This was my first book by Cara Bastone and I'm now going through her backlist to catch up on her other brilliance. After reading the first 11 chapters on my Kindle, I switched to listen to Sweet Talk on Audible and it takes their conversations to a whole new level of entertainment.

Quirky characters, unfiltered humor and tender moments had me not able to put this book down. I love that you're kept guessing through most of the story about who the main character is, but after it's revealed, the rest unfolds with only minimal drama and no angst. This is a book that I'll definitely pick up again in the future!

I didn't realize this was the second book in a series but it read perfectly as a stand alone.
These characters from Cara Bastone in Sweet Talk are just so perfectly imperfect. I loved how Elliott avoided so many issues of your usual male lead, and the addition of an epilogue made the ending more satisfying.

This was a really enjoyable story, written mostly in alternating chapters between Jessie and Eliot. The interactions between them both made me smile. The author covered some quite difficult topics with a really sympathetic touch. It is not a long story and as quite a large amount is phone conversations I raced through it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read a new author and a copy of this story. I would definitely recommend.

When you receive a ‘are you still awake?’ message at 2 am it can only ever be taken as a booty call. So, when Jesse received a voice message from Eliot Hoffman, she is surprised, to say the least, but assumes it is a drunken mistake. Replying to him leads them into a funny, insomnia-fuelled chat where it becomes obvious that Eliot texts the wrong person and that he has no idea who he has messaged.

Usually, Eliot has no problems getting his eight or nine hours of sleep, however, for the past two months, he has suffered from insomnia. Thinking that he was messaging his sister Vera he ends up voice chatting to JD (nicknamed from the random jumble of letters saved in his phone). Recognising the sound of her voice but unable to place her they fall into a comfortable rhythm of keeping each other company whilst they each can’t sleep.

Sharing their personality traits, geeky side, and things about their real lives becomes something of a friendship between them. Jesse is reluctant to tell Eliot who she really is for several reasons, not wanting to let go of this thing that she has found with him. But as feelings grow and the chances of them bumping into each other increase – what will happen when Eliot works out who Jesse is?

Quick, easy read! I requested to read this book on netgalley and read the whole thing without knowing it was part of a series! It definitely can be read as a standalone, but Vera was one of my favorite characters in this book, so I might go back and read the first one. I'm obsessed with books that are in any way a You've Got Mail retelling, so I enjoyed this a lot but it wasn't my favorite. I'd definitely recommend it to anybody like me who loves when there's texting and phone calls involved in books, or anybody looking for a fun quick read.

Real Rating: 3.5 Stars

Going into reading this book, the first thought I had was, “It must have been difficult to transfer what was conceived and initially published as an audiobook into a written book”. The issue is, I continued to think that as I read the whole book. Every time I came across a passage I felt was awkwardly written, I would think about how that passage likely sounded in audiobook format, and I knew it likely sounded so much better, and it would yank me right out of the book. I didn’t like the idea of knowing this entire book was probably a whole lot better on audiobook than it was coming across on the page.

I don’t listen to audiobooks. It’s absolutely not because I don’t like them, it’s because I don’t spend time in my car and when I’m home I always have too many people wanting to talk to me to keep my attention on one. I can keep reading an ebook or physical book through constant interruptions, but I’d have to keep pausing an audiobook, and my ADD brain would get frustrated very easily. If I commuted to work or still went to college I could easily see myself listening to audiobooks all the time.

But the book was very enjoyable in most aspects: it reminded me a bit of Rock Hudson and Doris Day in 1959’s “Pillow Talk”. Two people who spend an indeterminate amount of time every night talking about anything and everything on a telephone party line before bedtime and falling in love with one another in the process. It has that cheekiness, that sweetness, but with a naughty side to it that I quite enjoyed.

Since it had been an audiobook I understand why they stuck with no on-page intimate relations, and since the plot played into that exact situation I didn’t mind the lack of steam. Honestly, there was enough of everything else I love in a romcom to satisfy me otherwise.

I tend to review books based on how much I enjoy them first, the vibe they put off second, and everything else I pick out of it is just gravy. I greatly enjoyed the book, but the awkward vibe from it being previously published as an audiobook affected my enjoyment levels a great deal. So don’t let my review keep you away from this book, because it is quite sweet and funny. I just couldn’t get around the awkward places where it really showed how it had been transferred from an audiobook to a written book.

Headline Eternal.....
Thank ever so much for such a cute ass romance story!

Sweet Talk by Cara Bastone is hands down the greatest romance story I've read all year!
I couldn't get enough of this book.and didn't want it to end!
And in my opinion that's when you know you have read a five star book IMO!

This was everything I wanted and then some!

Such powerful characters that will bring so much to the story and that will keep you smiling and laughing like never before, this is the book you need in your life.
Jessie and Eliot I couldn't get enough of these two if I tried!
What's starts off as a 2am drunk text soon flourishes into a friendship and possibly more!
She knows who he is but does he know who Jessie really is?
Believe me, the effects of this book will blow your mind!!
The writing for this book was refreshing and there were plenty of times that I had that stupid smile on my face because of how lovey the characters were.
Super sweet, well written, clever, funny story that I'm most positive y'all will absolutely fall in love with this amazing story!

Thank you again Publisher, NetGalley and Author for this phenomenal book!
I will post to my platforms closer to pub date!

Jessie and Eliot are both night-owls, bound together by their mutual insomnia after Eliot accidentally voice messages her at 2 am. Jessie knows who Eliot is, but Eliot only knows he's heard her voice before. Yet he just can't place it.

Eliot tries to work out who this mysterious woman is, while Jessie is petrified that he will because they are also bound by a seemingly catastrophic secret, one that might cause their connection to implode.

What follows is one of the most perfect slow-burn romances I think I've ever read as Jessie and Eliot's friendship flourishes remotely, and tentative deeper connections grow.

The banter between them is sublime. Eliot is THE most adorable human being, a gentleman, a gentle giant, a man all too aware of his own flaws. Meanwhile, I LOVED the flipped stereotypes in this book, with Jessie hiding behind the 'tough girl' façade.

I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. I have pages and pages of highlighted dialogue. I couldn't put it down, so I stayed up all night, devouring each page.

Overall Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤ (I'd honestly give more if I could!)
Heat Rating: 🔥
Emotional Rating: 😂😂🥰🥰😢

*Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review*

I WILL ADD MY REVIEW TO AMAZON ONCE IT BECOMES LIVE

At only 238 pages, Sweet Talk is a quick, fun, entertaining read. It only took 2 hours to read from start to finish. I’d say it would be the perfect book to read in between heavier books, a palette cleanser if you will.

It follows the story of Jessie and Eliot, after a late night wrong number voice note they find themselves talking every night. They’re both struggling with insomnia so keep each other entertained watching and talking about baking shows until they fall asleep. Jessie knows exactly who Eliot is, in fact she’s been crushing on him for a while but he has no idea who he’s talking to and Jessie won’t tell him.

It was very predictable, I knew exactly who she was and her brother’s connection fairly early on in the book BUT that didn’t ruin it for me, it was still an easy enjoyable story.

A solid 3.5 star read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so-so for me. I found it pretty predictable which really minimized the excitement surrounding who could be Eliot’s mystery text buddy.

Even though I figured out who JD was pretty early on, I did enjoy the late night texts between JD and Eliot. Even though JD was hiding her identity from Eliot, you could tell that they viewed the other person as a safe space. They battled their insomnia, and their fears, together through the phone line. Their interactions were sweet and I was shipping them even when there was a lot going against them.

The plot only turned exciting, for me, after Eliot found out JD’s identity. Once that happened, things started happening more quickly. Hard truths had to be faced and decisions had to be made. The last 25% of the book really saved it for me.

Really cute. I loved the dynamic between the two main characters and seeing the relationship develop over the course of the book.

This book was absolute GOLD. For people who know me, and know my reviews, knows that in order for me to give a book an extremely high rating, I need some steam involved. This book was a squeaky clean romance, and for me to still rave about it, you know this book was special.

BLURB: Eliot aka the guy who loves baking shows, graphic novels, and being organized. Jess aka the girl who’s tough as nails, kicks ass, and has the world biggest crush on Eliot. When these two insomniacs accidentally text each other, unexpected sparks fly.

One of the things that is so special about a Cara Bastone book, is that she makes her heroines so relatable. Every single one she's written about thus far, is someone that I would want to be friends with in real life. As for the hero's, it's super refreshing that she writes about traditionally "beta" characteristics, and refuses to shame the hero's for it. .Besides that, there is something uniquely special when a book is written in texts, or letters.... you feel like you get the inside scoop on what these characters are thinking and feeling.

This book has,

🎃 Cinnamon roll hero
🎃Opposites Attract
🎃 Bad ass females!
🎃 Cameos from past characters!
🎃 Sweet romance

and I was here for every second of it!

Heat Level: 🔥

Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me the oppurtunity to read an ARC copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in her Love Lines series and you can bet your sweet self I’m running to get a copy of that one too.

I just adored the characters in this book. They were vulnerable and real, and funny! This whole book basically takes place via text and phone calls, and if you’ve known me for more than five minutes you’ll know that good banter in books is my absolute favorite thing. This author really knows how to write good dialogue!

The book starts with our leading lady receiving a message at 2 am, from Eliot Hoffman, who she’s been crushing on for ages. Turns out he’s hit the wrong number, and not only that he’s got her saved in his phone as a bunch of random letters and numbers so he has no idea who he messaged. They start messaging back and forth, and then progress to phone calls, but all the while Eliot is trying to figure out who she is. They get to know each other on a really deep level and talk about things they don’t talk about with anyone else. But there are a few secrets they’re holding back, and those just might destroy their budding relationship before it really gets started.

This was such a sweet read, and I whipped through it at lightning speed because it’s only 238 pages, and because I just couldn’t put it down. It was wonderfully paced, and the mystery of Eliot trying to work out who she is was a really compelling angle. There was some family drama, terminal cancer, parental abandonment, and substance abuse brought up in the book so just be aware if those are upsetting for you to read about.

It’s been a few days and I still keep thinking about this book. I suspect it’s one that will stay with me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book, this is my honest and voluntary review.

This was a very quick read because of the formatting and 90% of the book was dialogue between the characters either through phone or text. This made the book very fast paced and quite easy to read. Other than that I was not really drawn into the story and the characters, it read in a very immature way that it was shocking that Eliot was 36 years old.

I can't think of anything about this book that was special or much more interesting than other books out on the market.

Adorable story! Liked it a lot! Was so thankful to get a review copy! I am always drawn into books by illustrated covers and sometimes I am so very happy the book is just as good!

I wanted to read SWEET TALK because I enjoy those relationships built from texting or emailing a wrong number. Eliot’s reason for accidentally texting Jessie is such a good one, too!

The writing is excellent because it is nearly all back and forth voice texting or phone conversation between Jessie - who knows who Eliot is, and Eliot who has somehow met Jessie, put her number in his phone without a proper name and doesn’t know who she is. I can see why the first book in this series (Call Me Maybe) is only available in audio - and I want to read it really bad after reading the preview at the end of SWEET TALK - the dialogue must be so seamless like you are listening in on their phone calls. That leaves audio only options out for hearing impaired people.

Anyway, this is a wonderful story about relationships, expectations, and giving yourself a break when you worry about how others see you. It is about family loyalty, caring for one another and being with person that gets you. I liked that there are mysteries that get revealed all throughout the story and that the secondary characters are so memorable and critical to the plot.

SWEET TALK is funny, sweet and a book you will want to read for the love story, too.

How can I possibly describe the swoony, dreamy, heart all aflutter state I'm in after this book? This is it, the perfect meet-cute, the perfect epistolary, the perfect strangers-fall-in-love story that made me laugh, snort, and sigh so damn hard. Cara Bastone's earlier books were lovely, but I was still not ready for the incredibly funny and sweet tenderness that was Eliot and the amazing captain-of-capable J.D.

This is lightning in a bottle, because in no known universe should J.D. (using this name to avoid spoilers) and Eliot be perfect for each other. This isn't about instalove or love at first sight; no, we have the much harder journey where two very different people are struggling with falling in love with a stranger because they are struggling to love themselves first. Eliot, our sweet cinnamon roll hero, is wrestling with PTSD and insecurities while J.D. is trying to hold everything together for her dysfunctional family. If not for a tripped-up telephone number, these two should have never met or connected.

The genius here is that Eliot and Jessie have met but not a way that should have led to this beautiful romance. Without giving away too much of their story, J.D. knows Eliot but adorably clueless Eliot is happily falling for her voice and texts. And it is so lovely realizing how much they are in awe of each other even with just clues and crumbs about each other's life. This was truly a squee-out-loud-while-reading romance.