TEXT APPEAL is a romcom about a woman in STEM named Lark that gets fired from her developer job, and turns to a job at a texting app afterwards. I wanted to love this story, but there just wasn’t enough plot for me to feel connected, and while I did appreciate the sex positivity which made for a spicy read, it just wasn’t enough yo make me love this story,

*many thanks to Alcove Press and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Intriguing plot, but it just didn’t hold my attention. The story as a whole left me wanting more.
I did like the premise of a woman in STEM and the authors writing so I will definitely be giving her another go in the future.

After a pushy dude injects an unsolicited d*ck pic her work presentation, Lark is fired from her developer job. She turns to a texting app to pay her bills. But when her longtime crush-slash-best-friend starts actually showing interest, she has to figure out how to break to him what she's ACTUALLY doing with her time.

This is a very sex-positive and sex-worker-positive book. There is a LOT of explicit conversation both in the texting and in conversation... but the sex scenes that ACTUALLY happen between characters are fluttering curtains and closed doors. It's... curious.

The book is fun, and spicy, and the characters are all fun. They're not, like, super developed and intricate characters. But they're fun. It really is just a spice filled chunk of life. There's a lot of "why do dudes do this?" commentary. (Looking at you unsoliciteds.)

The third act break up situation was so manufactured. The "surprise" moment was so not surprising, and I absolutely saw it coming. There were so many attempts by the "wrong" party to actually tell what was happening, but the "right" party didn't allow the space to have an actual conversation. I'm not saying it's easy to have a serious conversation, but adults actually do that on occasion, y'know.

This is definitely one of those books that you read just to get out of your own space for a while. So it's fun for taking your mind off life around you.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

OK I am having a hard time with this title. I hated that once again we have a female in STEM mistreated and then gets fired. For once can we have a MC fight for their rights! Moving forward I did love the whole sex/text work in the book and it felt empowering. However, the story did slow down a lot. I loved both the MC and the friends to lovers thing. Overall, I think it is a story I will remember but not one I’ll keep around to reread.

Finally ended up getting to this one (on audio from Libby for full disclosure) and I adored it! It was a very cute and fun premise with a lot of witty banter that was just so precious. I absolutely loved following Lark as she discovered her sexuality and fell in love.

I will say the third act breakup was a little frustrating because my my were we on a very high horse! But it all works out in the end as per usual!

This was a super fun women in STEM romcom with tons of banter, humor, and spice—a total delight and fun, fast read!

This book had a lot going for it - stem career and sex positive. However the romance was lacking chemistry. It was friends to lovers but it just felt more like friends to me.

Good not great. Some natural challenges with friends to lovers (very obvious signs missed, the torture of waiting for them to get together) and some overly wrought descriptions kinda killed the vibe.

I think this book had the potential of The Roommate by Rosie Danan but just didn’t go as hard.

I really tried with this book, but at nearly halfway through I just had no interest in it whatsoever. I feel like that is a decent attempt to give a rating.

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.