It Started with a Text

Queer Ways to Fall in Love #2

by Jax Calder

Nick:

Okay, so making a viral video mocking my celebrity crush's pretentious apartment tour isn’t exactly a strategy for finding love.

And when some random guy slides into my DMs claiming to be Anthony Devine—Grammy-winning pop star, LGBTQ+ icon, and owner of cheekbones that should be illegal—I do what any rational person would do. I assume he's a forty-five-year-old catfish living in his mom's basement.

Except we start chatting and somehow it’s the most real conversation I’ve had for ages. One month and approximately five thousand messages later, AntD has become my favorite person to talk to. He sends me Baby Yoda memes, asks about my assignments and actually listens when I rant about my cheating ex. And it's become our standing joke, him insisting he really is Anthony Devine.

Hilarious, right?

My friends say I need to stop catching feelings for a guy whose real name I don't even know. But meeting him would mean risking everything we've built. Stepping out of our perfect digital bubble. Finally finding out who he actually is.

What if he's not who he says he is?

What if he is?

Not Just Texting is a swoony MM novella about finding real connection in the digital age, featuring a broke college student with too many posters on his wall and the one catfish who might actually be the real deal.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Novella, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers, LGBT, Contemporary Romance

129 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2026

About the author

Jax's stories are all about light-hearted conversations and deeply-felt connections. She loves exploring exactly why two characters are the only ones who’ll make the other truly happy, and the journey they take to reach their happily-ever-after.

Jax lives in New Zealand and is a rabid sports fan, a hiking enthusiast and has a slightly unhealthy addiction to nature documentaries. As an extrovert who spends way too much time in her own head, she loves to connect with readers. To read her exclusive novella Being Set Up, sign up to her newsletter: https://jaxcalder.com/newsletter-sign.... You can also join her Facebook group Jax's Crew (www.facebook.com/groups/jaxcaldercrew) for bonus stories plus exclusive excerpts from her upcoming books.

Reviews

[Snjez · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was adorable. It was only when Anthony mentioned his song Secret Crush that I realized that he is the musician from the Secret Crush short story. I love that story. And it was so cool that Jordan and Torrin were mentioned.

Anyway, I really had fun reading this one. Loved the text messages between Nick and Anthony. They were my favourite part. It was lovely to see them make a connection without knowing each other in real life. It felt genuine.

The story was well-paced, but the ending felt a bit rushed. I always say that with this type of stories, I'd prefer no intimate scenes.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author said in her newsletter that when the world goes dark, she goes light and man, am I grateful for that!

This was just so deLIGHTful (hehe), just sweet, funny banter paired with genuine, meaningful conversations - all via texts between a broke college student and a guy who might or might not be his biggest celebrity crush.
(Guys falling in love via texts is my fav micro trope so ofc I loved this, GAH 🥹)

But it’s not just fluff, it’s also so relatable: just two disconnected, lonely guys seeking connection, being vulnerable, finding light in a world that can get dark at times, and revelling in the fact that they just might have found their person 🥹

This wasn’t as good as Moderating Love imo, but I still enjoyed this one so much!
Jax Calder remains the absolute queen of creating true, genuine connection in such a short amount of time and I WILL READ ANYTHING SHE PUTS OUT 😭💖

Also: I wish ShareYourGlow was real, I would become addicted instantly 🥹

Also also: I SQUEALED when the reference for another of the authors shorts came up (‚Secret Crush‘ - you can find it on her website for free and I recommend wholeheartedly 😍)

Also also also (okay, this is getting ridiculous): the bonus chapter made me lol, so make sure to check that one out too!



Thanks to GRR for the chance to read this arc, this is my honest opinion!

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.

This was so cute. I had the biggest smile on my face from start to finish. Worked great as a quick palate cleanser but enjoyable and totally worth reading no matter the reason.

It was fun and lovely to read a romance where the emotional connection came before the physical, because the main characters only talk online without meeting in person for a long time. The reverse catfish thing also made for a lot of fun moments and just a cool trope in general. The grand reveal also was amazing. Definitely recommend this one.


Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Novella
Dimples
Rich x poor
Famous musician
Texting online
Reverse catfishing
Celebrity crush
Slow burn
College student

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
MC cheated on by ex (past)
Explicit sexual content
MC given STI by ex (past)


⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: Not specified
Series: Mildly interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 129
Happy ending: Yes

And I hate the fact that I’m branded heteronormative just because I believe in monogamy in a relationship. Like, that has nothing to do with my sexuality or how queer I am. I can be gay as fuck and still want just one person. Why is that so hard for people to understand?

The bravest thing you can do is let something be real, even if real means it might not work out.

It turns out that instead of getting catfished, I got reverse catfished? Is that a thing? When someone tells you exactly who they are and you’re too stupid to believe them?




You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

It Started with a Text is book one in the Queer Ways to Fall in Love series by Jax Calder. I previously read book 0.5, Moderating Love, and fell hopelessly in love. These are quick reads and are just the swooniest, sweetest, heart squishiest little stories.



Nick Marchesi is a twenty something college marketing student at NYU. He shares an apartment with his roommate, Jade, and they live the typical college life of barely surviving. Nick is also getting over a bad breakup. For years, Nick has been a “bit” obsessed with the world famous pop star, Anthony Devine. He has posters up in his apartment bedroom and watches everything he can of him online. He couldn’t help but watch the video of Anthony giving a tour of his fancy apartment. He also couldn’t help it when he had the bright idea to make his own video, a parody of Anthony’s, featuring he and Jade’s apartment with its hodge podge of worn furniture and décor!



To others, it seems like Anthony Devine has everything, stardom, wealth, awards. What he doesn’t have is someone that cares about him despite his fame. When he saw Nick’s video, he couldn’t help but to laugh. He also couldn’t help but to stare at the adorable college student mocking him. So without giving it too much thought as to whether or not he should, he messaged Nick on Instagram. He was honest as to who he was but for whatever reason, Nick didn’t believe him.



These two messaged for a full month, thousands of messages. Nick had no idea who he was really talking to. But they told each other their innermost secrets. They also made each other laugh, shared their days, their dreams, their fears. After a full month, of course the next step should be meeting in person, right? Is Nick really ready to see who has been on the other end of this conversation?



These two were so adorable. Their text chains were so fun. And once they met, hearts felt like they were coming out of my eyes. I loved the way they got to know each other. I feel like they were both pretty much already in love before they even met in person! I don’t know if there will be more books in this series but I can’t wait to find out.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.5 stars ⭐️

Sure, “Anthony.” And I’m secretly Beyoncé. Want to collab on my next album?

Just as cute and swoony as book one. The best way to describe these short lovely stories is that they’re like little bubbles of happiness. Fairytale love. A simple yet ultra romantic novella, with the good kind of cheesy that makes you smile and giggle like a lunatic at your screen.

I just performed for fifty thousand people who claim to love me, yet the connection that feels most real in my life right now is with a guy who thinks I’m catfishing him.

I don’t think I’ve read a catfishing book yet, so I definitely haven’t read a reverse catfishing. It was so fun and silly, the fact that Nick refused to believe he was actually talking to the real Anthony. Made when they finally meet face to face so sweet.
These books give me heart eyes and a weird ache in my chest. Huh, wonder what that’s about….

My heart is doing something stupid again. I really need to get that checked out.

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

TROPES:
- Celebrity MC
- Online friends to lovers
- Reverse catfishing
- Mention of cheating (not MCs)
- Top/bottom

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

As someone who loves reading (and watching) romances which don’t begin face-to-face (i.e. characters first connecting instead through letters, phone calls, emails, online, or other epistolary methods), I absolutely consider myself amongst the core audience for Jax Calder’s latest M/M novella series, Queer Ways to Fall in Love.

I didn’t quite swoon as hard here as I did with the prequel, Moderating Love, but I damn sure still had a lovely time watching the latest online connection blossom between pop superstar Anthony and broke college student Nick.

Beyond the wonderful use of the “epistolary romance” trope, there’s also something about a “prince and pauper” romance that just works for me when done well. Although short on page count, I had a great time watching the social economic barriers come down between hugely famous and wealthy Anthony and broke as dirt college student Nick, as their connection transcended status and stereotypes, as they fell in love from the soul outwards.

Much like with the prequel, Calder is proving to excel at the truly goosebump inducing, heart-melting scenes in which her characters in this series finally come face-to-face for the first time. Both times now, I was so in the moment I got teary-eyed and had to immediately read the scenes again, they were so beautifully written.

Needless to say, I’ve enjoyed the two stories in this series immensely so far, and I can’t wait to see what other unique romantic connections play out in the forthcoming sequels.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moderating Love, the introductory novella, aka book #0.5, was a hard act to follow. I liked It Started with a Text, officially the first book of the series, but I didn't love it.

I'm not a big fan of epistolary fiction, so I got bored reading Nick and Anthony's DM exchanges.

I also don't enjoy stories about celebrities, and Anthony is a rock star.

There was no relationship arc on page; it's all DMs, a one-time meeting with a Big Gesture during one of Anthony's concerts (followed by an expected steamy scene), and then the epilogue (a very cute one featuring doggos!). The men spend almost no time together before the story ends.

The female besties were rather one-dimensional, although to be fair, Nick's roomie was hilarious.

There was some humor and light banter, but it didn't hit the same.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the series though.

[Monikat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS.
Adorable, fun, quick, cute and so feel good 😊
The premise of this series, anonymous texting, is one of my favorites and these quick stories are just perfect smile bringers. 😁😉😎
A romantic daydream come true.
I can't wait for more🪄

...And can I just say that the bonus epilogue had me in laughing tears🤣🤣🤣

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

jax has the wonderful ability to make love stories believable in so little pages.
it’s incredible, really.
this is almost sickening sweet, but damn i ate it up.

[Ben Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

this was v fun!

[Laura Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

It Started With A Text is a MM romcom novella about Nick and Anthony.

Nick is a broke college student who makes a video mocking his celebrity crush’s luxury apartment. Anthony is a Grammy Award winning singer who sees the video and can’t help but message Nick from his private account. Of course Nick doesn’t believe Anthony is who he says he is and thinks he is being catfished.

But this doesn’t stop Nick and Anthony from messaging each other constantly. It was so fun seeing their conversations and I really enjoyed their banter. They were both lonely guys and I loved seeing them connect and truly get to know each other on a deeper level. Seeing them fall for each other over messages was so incredibly sweet. And I couldn’t not stop smiling when reading the bonus epilogue so I definitely recommend checking it out!

I received an advanced copy of this book, and this is my honest review. 

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely delightful little book!!!! Reverse catfish is a thing, people!

[Em Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Extremely cute novella!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awwww this was absolutely adorable!

I love Jax Calder's type of sweetness.

And to have a famous person fall in love with a regular guy. Yes please! Famous people are people too.

[Mal · Rating 5 out of 5]

How absolutely awesome! This story!! I swear I did not stop smiling! I adore AntD and Nick, their banter is supreme!

This is so the perfect meet cute, even without the meeting - unmeet-cute! There is no subterfuge o my chill getting to know you vibes. It has sweet sweet comeuppance - looking at you evil Chad! This is an adult fairy tale in the best way. Super interesting characters you immediately like, funny found family, plants and animal characters to round it out and swoony falling in love

need a 2 hour feel good escape - read this fabulous romance that’ll keep you hooked, umm off to read the bonus scene now cause I’m not sure I feel done with them.

[Sjoukje · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is even cuter than the first one in the series. Jax Calder is the absolute queen of believable sweet romance stories that have great banter and although sappy still soooo good! I loved how funny Nick was and how convinced he was Anthony couldn’t be real. And Anthony was as funny and sweet. Also loved the roommate!
I was wondering whether I would also try to interfere if it was my roommate who was texting this stranger since we got to be in Nicks head. I do think I would. And I’m so happy Nick ignored it 😄💕

Lovely read, will reread numerous times and definitely very much recommend 🤩🤩🤩

Btw I bought it off her website, she has an early release for everyone who like me can’t wait for the official publication date

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tropes: mistaken identity (reverse catfish!), popstar/college student, rich/poor, humour
Feels: 4/5
Steam*: 2/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: low
HEA: HEA
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings/representation: cheating ex who gave Nick an STI
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: Nick's ex cheated on him
Other person drama: it's not clear if they hook up with others after they start talking anonymously on the internet. There are references to chatting with guys online and Anthony kind of has a date with someone, but the other guy is interested in another guy.

5 stars (novella standards applying)

This was a delightful novella!

Nick is a broke college student who is a big fan of a pop star, Anthony. Anthony puts out a Architectural Digest video tour of his home, and Nick records a parody video tour of his own decrepit college apartment. He's making fun of Anthony and himself. It goes viral and Anthony sees it, and thinks it's funny and Nick is cute. He DMs Nick, and is up front that it's him, but Nick does not believe him. They proceed to chat non-stop for the next month, developing an intense friendship. They make each other laugh, they feel really comfortable talking to the other person, they really get along and vibe. Anthony is inspired with his music, Nick gets his creative juices flowing. He loves that he can just be himself, and talk to somebody without having to put on a performance. Then they meet in person, and Nick gets the shock of his life.

This was a perfect novella. The author built up so much depth of character, depth of connection in the pages. There was so much humour in this, and I love a funny romance. Jax really does so much with so few pages! I have found that time and time again with her writing. Nick was a great character, he was very lovable - poor, but humble, snarky, smart.

The ending was a perfect full circle moment.


Some notable moments:

I totally would have tuned in next week. He should have kept his videos going, he was hilarious. "He gestures to a sad-looking houseplant in the corner of the living room. “This is my fiddle-leaf fig tree. I named him Figgy Smalls. He’s the closest thing I have to a pet because, let’s face it, I can barely keep myself alive, let alone another living creature.” The video ends with the guy flopping down on his couch, that mischievous grin back on his face. “Well, that concludes our tour. I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into the glamorous life of Anthony Devine’s biggest fan. Tune in next week when I’ll show you how to make gourmet meals using nothing but ramen noodles and a microwave. Thanks for watching.”"

I need an adult too Jade, sometimes. LOL! "“What the fuck!” “I told you he kept saying he was Anthony Devine.” “I thought that was a joke!” “Technically, I did tell him multiple times that I was actually Anthony Devine,” I offer helpfully. “He just didn’t believe me.” Jade points at me without looking away from Nick. “Is this real? Am I having a stroke? Did I drink too much last night, and this is some kind of weird hallucination?” “All valid questions,” Nick says. “But no, you’re not hallucinating. My catfish turned out to be exactly who he said he was.” “I need to sit down.” Jade stumbles backward, her slippers splashing through the coffee. “I need… I need an adult.”"


*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.

[oshiiy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars ⭐️

It’s a cute little novella, and one of the main characters, Anthony, is a rockstar. I’ll admit it’s partly my fault for jumping in without reading the blurb first because celebrity romance isn’t really my thing. I also found myself getting a little bored with the constant text message exchanges. They didn’t really stir any emotion for me. That said, I understand that with a novella, there isn’t much room for deep character development, so I can’t complain too much on that front. Overall, it was a light, quick read, just not entirely my cup of tea.

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god this was perfect.
If there is one thing I love in books it's social media and texting, it's always incredibly fun and here it's no different. I looove the banter and they are so cute it brings tears to my eyes.
Absolutely loved it. I need to read more Jax Calder after this great first experience with her writing.

[Tare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was honestly beyond adorable 💕 I am really loving this series so far!

[Vanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️ Loved it!

[Nanilya · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

I LOVED this novella. I had a big smile on my face the entire time. It was both funny and cute.
The text trope gets me every time. Add the star/fan one and I'm sold!

It reminded me of my fangirl phase for Roger Federer in my twenties. Such good memories!

You need to read the bonus because it was the funniest part!

Jax is definitely my favorite author 🥰

- 0.5 for the morning breath/not showering after attending a concert & performing a 25min run for Nick. It felt so gross to me haha. (and I'm French 😅)

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and super hilarious!

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧:
- celebrity x fan
- reverse catfishing
- online to IRL romance

[Elisa Glendenning · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ✨

I love epistolary romances and had a lot of fun reading Anthony’s and Nick’s exchanges. Whilst my interest did start to wane slightly around the half way mark, it picked up again at the prospect of these two finally meeting. The concert scene was priceless 🫠👌 Another super cute novella from JC - can’t wait to see what she has in store next!

[Karina Liebiedieva · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10 Мила коротка нереалістична історія😅 саме те, коли Вам треба відійти від якоїсь серії чи важкого емоційного чогось. Популярний співак починає переписуватись зі звичайним студентом, який зняв пародію на його відео🤪

[Renée · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars - very cute novella!

[TashiexReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well that was a good time 😍

[Feyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this, it was totally cute. Might have been a bit longer but I still had a smile on my face the entire time. 🥰 Will read more by this author.

[Jackbees · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utter fantasy land was a lovely way to spend a few hours on a weekday night.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, short, low angst, fun story.

Anthony ❤️ Nick

After a video clip goes viral of Nick doing a parody of Anthony’s pretentious Architectural Digest apt tour, Anthony sends Nick a message from his personal account.

Nick doesn’t believe it’s really him and what starts as a fun text chat becomes more. The story is of them getting to know each other more deeply than anyone else in their lives via text and how they finally meet in person.

❤️No third act breakup or drama
🗣️All the communication. Even amid text, they develop lots of small moments and genuine connection
🎤Global pop star and college student (who has been his longtime fan complete w posters in his bedroom)
😊Lots of humor; no power imbalance; mutual respect
👬🏽Both out/gay.
🤗Relationship based story; no other drama
🌶️Spice - one open door scene near the end. Lots of joking and giggling involved.
👥Dual POV; HEA; 3 yrs later epilogue, married w 2 rescue dogs

Cute, light and fun. More, please!