Text Me

by Erin Bevan

When Erika’s ex becomes her boss less than a year after dumping her by text, she gets desperate to find a date to the corporate Valentine’s dance so he doesn’t suspect she still has feelings for him. Though not a fan of texting for the obvious reason, she doesn’t have much choice but to tap the keypad in order to gain the attention of the only viable candidate from the classified ads.

Grayson made the mistake of listening to his brother a year ago and has regretted what he did to Erika ever since. But his brother’s next suggestion just might be his salvation when he takes out an ad for a Valentine’s date…and Erika answers.

Using a pseudo name and keeping contact to text messages only, Grayson’s plans to make Erika fall back in love with him appears to be working…until the date of the dance draws near, and she pushes a meeting—face to face.

Genres: Romance

64 pages, ebook

Published January 27, 2016

About the author

Award winning author, Erin Bevan writes small town Americana romances straight from the heart. Born and raised in rural South Arkansas, she uses her past experiences to enrich her stories while infusing the right amount of heartache and humor to see her readers through until the end. With the perfect blend of sweet to steamy, Erin Bevan has something for every romance reader.

Erin loves to hear from her readers at erinbevanwrites@gmail.com, or visit her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorerinbevan.

Reviews

[SamJ ★Needs a HEA★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Copy received via netgalley in exchange for an honest review

★Book Basics★

Genre : - Cont. Romance
Series : - Stand Alone
Love triangle? - No
Cheating? - No
HEA? - Yes
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Yes
Rating - 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 stars)

★Review★

This was a short cute read.

I liked both characters, they were nice and normal, and the hero fully acknowledges that he made a mistake (although why he listens to his brother I don't know!)

It was a dual POV and I could have happily read and enjoyed a longer story about these two.

I did think that their problems could have been solved had they just TALKED, but then there would have been no story. And given the shortness, it never really got too deep, but I still found the characters likeable and found myself rooting for them.

All in a quick, engaging cute read and would I read more by this author.

Having said that, given on Amazon it says it is 64 pages, am not sure I would pay £1.31 for a new to me author. I generally stick to a penny a page as I know many others do.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erika’s ex-boyfriend had broken up with her via test message so being very hurt and frustrated she doesn't want to have anything to do with him. Unfortunately, Grayson works for the same company as Erika and takes a promotion to become Erika's new boss as he still has feelings for her. When the upcoming company Valentine's party is mentioned both Erika and Grayson find themselves looking for dates.

A cute little romantic read featuring a couple with a history together. Grayson made mistakes but was still a great guy overall and Erika was pushing everyone else away because they didn't measure up. A bit of humor thrown in and a lovely couple that seemed destined to be together make this short little novella a wonderful read. Would definitely recommend to the romantic fans.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short and sweet story. When Erika's new boss turns out to be her ex Grayson, she makes up a fictional boyfriend, answers a classified ad looking for a valentines date and asks him to pretend to be her fictional boyfriend. Grayson regrets breaking up with Erika and is willing to do whatever he has to for her to see him again. This was short, sweet and really cute. This is the first book I've read by this author and I look forward to reading more in the future.

**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sounded cute but after reading it I was left feeling kind of off. It was super short and fast paced which I wasn't expecting. It was sweet and cute but just kind of a whatever story for me. It gets 3 just eh stars from me.

I have to say I love the name Grayson. I don't know why, but I love it. Grayson messed up and ends his relationship with Erika after a month over text due to his brother's insistence. He has regretted it ever since. When he moves through the company to be Erika's boss he's hoping to rekindle.

Erika is sweet, smart and quirky. She can't believe her new boss is none other than the guy who hurt her by ending their relationship via text. She begins to look for new jobs and even comes up with a fake boyfriend to just get away from Grayson.

It moves fast and eventually Erika and Grayson reached the point where Erika learns who Grayson is. She is angry with him and hurt by him. Grayson has to grovel and hope to move forward. It's cute, it's kind of super modern but nothing too special.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just in time for Valentine's Day is the Candy Hearts Romance series and the first one showcasing is Text Me by Erin Bevan. Erika thought she had met a wonderful guy and all was going well , that was until he dumped her by text of all things which from personal experience isn't very nice and it's a cowardly way out of things. Worse though is that the guy has just recently been hired as Erika's new boss. With the workplace Valentines Day Dance coming up and her ex-boyfriend Garrett as her boss, she can't show up empty handed with no arm candy. So her friend suggests speed dating which turns out to be a flop, though personally I've always been a bit curious about speed dating myself, that is not dating myself but having a go at speed dating service if I was single. One night , she is reading the papers when she spots a ad in the personals with a message Text Me . She disregards it , until she recieves a Text Me in the shape of a Heart Candy, and she decides it must be fate especially when readers discover the true identity of her Mystery Man. When all is revealed, will Erika be happy with her Mystery Man or will she feel betrayed and her idea of love be ruined forever ?
Find out in this Quick Romantic novella , perfect for the February themed Valentine's Day reading.

[Shauna Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text Me is a fun, quick, lighthearted read by a talented author! A unique spin on the office romance story, this one will definitely have you smiling.
*ARC provided by author for an honest review. :)

[Mariel Hoss · Rating 3 out of 5]

*ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This story is like a bag of candy hearts - short, sweet and cute. Erika and Grayson's biggest problem - not communicating face to face...but if they had than this story would not have worked. They texted through their issues and got their HEA. Cute dialogue and engaging characters...not earth shattering but a good read...just in time for Valentines.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

4/10

Put off by the fact both characters have roommates... therefore must be extremely young. I'm not a fan of reading about children or young adults. The whole situation of the book has that highschool/college vibe too.

That said, it was short, quick and had cute moments. I just would have enjoyed it more with the maturity of adulthood.

[Shardallinee · Rating 4 out of 5]

- I recieved a copy in exchange for my honest review by publishers via NetGalley. -

About the book:
The corporate Valentine's dance is approaching, yet our heroine, Erica is still single. When her ex, Grayson, becomes her boss less than a year after dumping her by text message, her life does not get easier - he's still on her mind and now in her sight daily.

The V-day is almost here, and Erica decides she'd show him. Make him see she doesn't care for him anymore. Nope, not a smidgen.
So she blurts out she's got a boyfriend. And now she's got to find a man to bring with her on a dance. A man named Sunny (Flowers!). She sure hopes she'd find one in an ad... But what if the only perfect candidate turns out to be the one she's trying to forget?...

Review:
This was a short and light little romance story about regrets, bad advices, text messages and two hearts needing to find each other again. It was funny as all heck!

I wished it would be longer, there were many potentials for further complications. Yet, in the end I think the story was told the way it was meant to be. Short, light and sweet.

I liked the heroine Erika quite much. She had the same problems many of us can relate to. It can't be fun to be dumped by text and then work for the guy himself in a year's time when you did not forget him yet.

I liked also the fact that Greyson felt sorry fot the stupid thing he's done and acknowledged his mistake. It is a rarity nowadays. As for his brother - I want to slap him up the head.

I would love to read more from Erin Bevan in the future. The way she wrote the characters and situations was simple and to the point. And with humor. I laughed out loud several times, recognising some points as being so very real.

-Sunny, huh? That's not a very manly sounding name. How about something like Blaze or Thor?-

And the name Sunny Flowers made me LoL so much... Along with her 'boyfriend' being in a stapler business.

[Heidi Kneale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find comedies of error fun to watch, even if I end up shouting at the characters, "Oh, come on! Don't you see that XYZ...?" It's still a hoot.

Poor Erika--dumped by a nice boyfriend via a text message, of all things. Can you blame her for not wanting anything more to do with him? It's a shame that, until that moment, he was a pretty nice guy.

Poor Grayson--he really shouldn't take his brother Jackson's advice. Every time he does, things don't work out. Sure, Jackson's got the best intentions at heart--after all, he knows the rules. Still, if Grayson's gut says, "don't listen to Jackson", he really should follow it.

Still, rules are rules.
1. Don't date coworkers. If it doesn't work out, it can lead to messiness.
2. If you do date coworkers, don't break up with them via a txt msg. That leads to hurt feelings.
3. If you do break up with your co-worker girlfriend via text, never, ever, under any circumstances get back together with your ex. Who knows what it could lead to?

Both Erika and Grayson make lots of mistakes, including not staying true to their values, that get them into this mess but also gets them out of the mess. I honestly didn't know whether to laugh at them or shake my head.

Thank goodness for HEAs. I hope Erika and Grayson learn their lessons and remain true to their hearts and gut feelings. Anything else will lead them astray.

[April Hollingworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review Courtesy of April Hollingworth

This was a seriously sweet book. You honestly can't blame Erika for being text shy, as for Grayson, he's lucky he's so cute. I kind of felt guilty for hoping he'd win her back even though at the same time I wanted to shake him and demand to know "what was he thinking" concerning listening to his brother. Totally loved the book, it kept me smiling the whole way through.

The Review:

When Erika’s ex becomes her boss less than a year after dumping her by text, she gets desperate to find a date to the corporate Valentine’s dance so he doesn’t suspect she still has feelings for him. Though not a fan of texting for the obvious reason, she doesn’t have much choice but to tap the keypad in order to gain the attention of the only viable candidate from the classified ads.
Grayson made the mistake of listening to his brother a year ago and has regretted what he did to Erika ever since. But his brother’s next suggestion just might be his salvation when he takes out an ad for a Valentine’s date…and Erika answers.
Using a pseudo name and keeping contact to text messages only, Grayson’s plans to make Erika fall back in love with him appears to be working…until the date of the dance draws near, and she pushes a meeting—face to face.

[bookaholic ge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erika is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Not only does she have to see her ex boyfriend every day but he's also her BOSS! No matter what she does or where she goes she can't seem to get away from him and the last thing she wants to do is have him see her with out a date to their companies party. So what's a girl to do when she needs a date asap? Find one in the classifieds of course!

Grayson did a very bad...bad thing. He took advice from his brother that he really should not have listened to. Now he stuck with no girlfriend and no date for the company party. Clueless on how to fix things between them he does something crazy... again... check out a classified add for a woman who sounds a lot like Erika looking for a date....

And so the story begins two people who really liked each other both looking for someone to love. Now the real question is can they find their true love within each other? Read and find out!

I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley for my honest review.

This book was funny and super cute. It is a story of love lost and a man who is not afraid to do anything to get it to return. Overall its a quick read that you will fall in love with, that is well worth the 1.99 you spend on it. Great job Erin!

[Swanangel15's Book Review · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story was cute but not very believable. In this day and age, who in the world is going to put their phone number in a newspaper to acquire a "fake date".

Ericka was dumped via text by her boyfriend. Now he's her boss and Ericka wants to go to the office Christmas party with a date to hide that she still has feelings for Greyson, her ex.

Grayson, on the other hand, broke up with Ericka for one of the most ridiculous reasons I have ever heard of. Right after he did it, however, he realised his mistake and wanted her back.

I mean seriously. This story was jammed packed with so many cliches and it was obvious which direction the book was going and how it was going to end.

This book brought nothing new to the romance world and the ending was not a satisfactory one.

The pace of all the events in the book was moving so quickly that you can barely enjoy the romance that was blooming between Ericka and Greyson. It turned from Ericka trying to ignore Greyson at work to them going to the office party in what seemed like a day or two.

I understand that this book is a novella and that it's supposed to be short, but it was too short and too quick for my liking. The romance just did not do it for me, even with Ericka being the cute and sweet person that she was.

[Mary Ann Clarkson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story. Erika was broken hearted the way Grayson had dumped her by a text message. He knew after he did it that it was so wrong. He shouldn’t have listened to his brother. Now he has the chance to make it up to her. He is going to be her boss now and she couldn’t be more disappointed. She likes her job but won’t be able to work under Grayson. She decides to make up a boyfriend for herself. Now that everyone knows she has a boyfriend she has to find one for the night. Grayson learns of her boyfriend and decides he needs to find himself a date too. He wouldn’t want to show up alone.

They both turn to the newspaper personal ads. Grayson places an ad and Erika calls him. He figures out very early on that it is Erika that is texting him. He just has to figure out a way to let her know it is him. This could back fire in his face but he wants to be with her.

This is a nice short story. I like the fact that even though Grayson had second thoughts about being in a relationship with Erika, he soon discovered the mistake he made and wanted to get her back. He would do what it takes to get her back. Erika is still in love with him too.

I recommend this book.

[LJT · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a light and quick read when I found Text Me by Erin Bevan. This book is less than 70 pages and within that compact parameter, the author creates a fun and interesting story.

Accountant Erika Lyons and CFO Grayson Turner had a good thing going last year. Then Grayson's lazy brother convinced him that it was a bad idea to be romantically involved with someone at the office. As a result, Grayson took his brother's advice and broke up with Erika via a text. Although they had been dating for only two months, Erika really liked Grayson and thought he felt the same way. Now it is a year later and Grayson is Erika's new boss. Additionally, they both still have a strong affection for each other, and they both need a date for the company dance. Luckily, through a classified ad in the newspaper and some lively texting, they find each other once again.

I truly enjoyed this fast-paced read. It is well-written, the characters are relatable, and the outcome is predictably perfect.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Ryan Jo Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Single male searching for single female for Valentine’s date.

Would you answer a classified ad like that? Ericka Lyons did in “Text Me: A Candy Hearts Romance” by Erin Bevan.

After Grayson Turner dumped her via text a year prior, Ericka has avoided any chance at heartbreak again. And now Grayson’s back–as her boss–and she finds herself in a pickle. So she places an ad looking for a one-night date for the corporate Valentine’s party.

Guess who answers it?

Fun. This story reads at a fun pace, with quirky secondary characters—Ericka’s co-workers and roommate and Grayson’s brother. Even the impromptu boyfriend Ericka finds is something else.

While you hope Ericka and Grayson can work it out and get back together, you wonder right up to the end how on earth they can manage to pull it off. And what about the other boyfriend?

[Laura Strickland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this quick-paced and entertaining story that’s a good read for Valentine’s or any other time of the year. Erika Lyons has had enough of men—both those at the seven-minute dating meet and Grayson Turner, who broke up with her through a text, of all things. Too bad she’s still so not over him, especially since he’s just taken the position of her new boss.
Grayson followed some bad advice and broke up with Erika—and he’s never stopped regretting it. Now they both need a date for the corporate Valentine’s Day party. Can he lure her back into his arms by pretending to be someone else and by wooing her via—of all things—text messages?
I liked the humor in this story, the quick pace and the great and believable personalities of the characters. This is romantic comedy at its best.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but super short read. For me not my favorite style of reading but the author does a good job telling the story of a couple that "find" each other in the want ads & get together for a big corporate Valentine's Day dance & fall in love. The twist is that they already knew each other and Grayson had broken up with Erica via text. He figures out quickly into the texting back-and-forth that it's Erica, his one true love that got away because he got scared so he uses the time to get her back. Erica, on the other hand, has no clue that it's the guy that broke her heart and when she finds out there are the typical ups and downs before they work it out for their happily ever after.

This is part of a multi author set of books celebrating Valentine's Day but can be read as a standalone.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erika’s last boyfriend broke up with her via text and now after a year or dud-dating, he’s suddenly back in her life – as her boss. The attraction is still there, but also the anger at the way he ended it. So, why not make up a boyfriend to make him jealous?
Grayson is heartbroken when he learns Erika has a boyfriend, he was hoping he could explain his abrupt break-up text and rekindle their relationship now that he’s her boss.
When they both turn to the want ads for a Valentine Date, the fun begins.
I really liked the exchange between Erika and Grayson and hearing both sides of their stories and found both main characters very endearing.

[Katie O'Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erica Lyons hates texting. Her last boyfriend broke up with her via text message, and now she finds out he's going to be her new boss! With Valentines Day around the corner, she turns to the dating classifieds to show him she's over him, even if she really isn't. The irony is her pretend boyfriend is all about texting.

This is a sweet, cute chic-lit kind of story, where the main character is so bad at lying you can't help but laugh at her antics. This well written but fast read is a nice piece of Valentine brain candy and a fun illustration of how ditzy love makes us all. 4.5 sweet candy hearts for this sweet romance!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all regret something we’ve done at one time or another. For Grayson Turner, that regret comes in the form of the way he’d dumped his girlfriend, Erika Lyons. Texting her his breakup note was not the right thing to do.

He gets his chance to make amends in the form of classified ad. Will a second chance at romance work?

Author Erin Bevan does a good job of getting both characters to re-evaluate their relationship and make it better.

Word to the wise: Don’t listen to the know-it-all, meddling brother!

[Elle Markov · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short valentine novella was enjoyable and whimsical.

A year ago Grayson Turner took some very, very, very bad advice from his brother and broke up with Erika Lyons via text; yes text, like ultra-douchy.

Well Grayson is back to make things right and win his lady love and what better way to do it than through text. Granted he has to be a little incognito, but still love will conquer technology.

The only thing that would have made this story better would have been if Grayson had straight up told his brother “I will never take advice from you, ever”

Rating 4 out of 5
Read@Book

[Ursula Whistler · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are modern romances that begin through text messages, and this story does a good job of capturing the excitement that comes from deciphering the meaning behind those short messages. Short, sweet, and with an endearing hero doing his best to get the girl after a big mistake. Text Me will warm your heart.

[Arlene Arredondo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming romantic comedy.
This short story is wonderfully light and laugh out loud funny. Love the characters and the prospect of a sequel.
I really enjoyed the time that I took reading it. Hope to see more from this author.
Note: I received a digital copy free from Netgalley for review purposes.

[Wendy Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of those really cute and fast paced reads that makes you smile. It's a short but well written story that boasts likable/relatable characters, cute dialogue and a sweet second chance romance. A perfect book for a quick escape! I'd like to read more from Erin Bevan in the future.

[Sophia Kimble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Text Me is a wonderfully sweet Candy Hearts Romance.

The connection between Erika and Grayson is tangible and heart-warming. I instantly fell for this couple and rooted them on throughout the novella. If you're a fan of 'You've Got Mail', you'll love 'Text Me'- a modern day take on falling in love anonymously.

I highly recommend this great lunch time read.

[Kayden Claremont · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erin Bevan has written a romantic story laced with humor. Everyone can relate to the heroine’s dreaded the job - related function. Add your new boss is your ex-boyfriend, and a blind date and you’re in for a funny yet touching story. I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

[Annette Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun office romance told mainly through texting and memories. As the story moves on, you wonder if everything will work out for a happy ending. A cute, fun read sure to make you smile.