Let's Talk About Sext

Let's Talk About Sext #1

by Evie Claire

Unstoppable, workaholic, driven force of nature. The exact opposite of that. Phebe Stark needs a punching bag. No, on second thought, she needs a donut. No, on third thought, she needs to escape into a dark bar with a strong drink. She’s just been harassed, for the umpteenth time, by the slimy supervisor standing between her and a shattered glass ceiling at her high-pressure Atlanta firm. But then a tall, bearded, sexy lumberjack of a bartender saunters over, and suddenly Phebe knows she doesn’t need gin . . . she needs him. Brody Cantrell didn’t exactly intend to become a bartender. He planned to help out at his ailing uncle’s bar for a year, then get an advanced degree and rise to the top of his field. Instead, he got a Ph.D. in Real Life from his customers. Brody thinks he’s seen everything—until he meets Phebe Stark. And when he gets a load of her fearless sexting skills, he just has to see what’s under that power suit. Brody’s certain they’ll have a good time or two—nothing serious. Then again, all these steamy messages and breathless trysts have him seriously considering . . . Why not? This ebook includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Erotica, Audiobook

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 19, 2019

About the author

Evie Claire lives in Athens, GA with her husband, two daughters and one very spoiled rescue dog. After graduating from the University of Georgia she worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative before becoming a writer.

An avid equestrian, devoted wino, coffee snob, and occasional runner, Evie is in a monogamous relationship with her favorite yoga pants. When not chasing toddlers or writing, Evie can be found nursing her online shopping addiction, planning elaborate DIY projects that never happen, and discreetly eavesdropping on the juicy conversations of local college students for inspiration. She can tie a cherry stem in a knot with her tongue, counts afternoon naps among life’s great indulgences, and randomly belts out the whistle solo from GNR’s Patience… because why not?

Evie obsessively stalks her favorite Hollywood gossip sites and lives life by one simple rule: If you don’t have anything nice to say, come sit next to me!

Evie also writes YA/Paranormal Romance under the pen name Rosemary Clair.

Reviews

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Let's Talk About Sext, has one gorgeous hot man cover. Let me just tell you.. it's why I requested it. Then the whole idea about a romance with sexting - sign me up. However, Phebe and Brody were kind of just okay. It's probably because I read so many books with smut.. but it's like these two were just regular people (in my book).

I didn't hate them but I also didn't love them. Their romance was cute and I saw the obvious attraction between them.. but that's about it. There was nothing spectacular about them.

At first glance, I liked Phebe because she seemed to have a backbone and didn't really care about what people thought of her. Then once I got to know her more.. she just kind of seemed a bit snobby to me. I loved her bitchiness and everything else because it made her seem likable, I just couldn't get past the snob guys,

Then there's Brody, who wasn't exactly bad but overall meh? The romance between them was hot.. but that's about it. Nothing that really happened sexually wowed me - and if you follow me.. I read some serious smutty books.

Overall, it was an okay kind of book. Would I reread it? Maybe. Would I try another book by this author? Probably.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is a high powered exec, he owns a sports bar. He’s attracted right away, she takes a few minutes. Their romance is fiery even though they have almost nothing in common outside of the bedroom, shower, pool table, etc. Good romance. Thank you #netgalley 😊

Merged review:

She is a high powered exec, he owns a sports bar. He’s attracted right away, she takes a few minutes. Their romance is fiery even though they have almost nothing in common outside of the bedroom, shower, pool table, etc. Good romance. Thank you #netgalley 😊

[Grey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, this book just wasn't for me. I had difficult connecting with the female main character and there was a lot of telling, instead of showing going on. I feel like this may have another edit coming up before release as it was asked for us not to quote any lines... I just struggled to finish this one.

[Brianna {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let's Talk About Sext caught my attention because of the very sexy man on the cover. I thought this was going to be a sexy slow burn/sexual tension type novel, but nope.

Phebe is sexually harassed for the last time and it's the last straw. She is going to take matters into her own hands and her company is going to be sorry they choose to keep that pervert instead of her. She chooses to drown her sorrows in a lot of alcohol. This is where she meets bar owner, Brody. Brody is rugged and the exact opposite of Phebe. But does that mean she won't give this sexy man her number? Nope, she'll just make him have to work for it.

Once he gets her number correct, there is practically instant sexting. Like who does this in real life? AND there are so many emojis I can't handle it. I do not know anyone who actually texts like this, let alone two adults who text like this!

The main characters were only okay in my opinion, nothing really grabbed my attention about either of them. Their connection felt forced with the texting and way too easy in "real life". Just did not seem very realistic to me. The story was slow and uneventful. If you ask me, Brody was a much better main character than Phebe - She just completely rubbed me the wrong way.

Rating: 2/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book for my honest review.

[My Pink Fairytales · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh man, what a huge waste of time.

The thing is, i love pink fairytales, where the men are alphas through and through and the women are NOT selfcentered snob bitches “with balls bigger than men”, as the heroine in this book describes herself.

First quarter of the book made me really hate Phebe and i almost quit right then and there.
She fights her attraction to Brody just because he’s a hipster lumberjack of a bartender and she’s a business woman, so very good at her job. Insert major eyeroll... 🙄
She looks down even on her few friends, thinks she’s better than everyone and basically there’s nothing to make her likable.

The plot is quite boring, too slow paced.

I was expecting so much more. Huge disappointment.

”ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is adorable in that slightly infuriating way some romance novels are. Everyone is overreacting. He’s trying to trick her into falling in love with him with some dumb pickup artist crap.

There is very little texting for a book with sext in the title.

But in the end we all understand each other a little better.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. This is my first book by this author but it won't be my last. This book has everything you need, great plot, hot sex and an awesome ending. I really enjoyed every word of this book and highly recommend.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm struggling a bit with rating this one. I quite liked it but there were a few things that I found distracting. But, overall I really liked this one. The characters were great, I loved the storyline and the exploration of the opposites attract trope. I liked how the characters complemented one another. There were just some small things in the storyline that just didn't work for me - mostly related to work and money stuff. I found that it took me awhile to warm up to the heroine but she eventually won me over. The hero may be the best thing about this book - he's everything. Just everything! Really enjoyed this one even if it wasn't perfect!

Note: I received an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Crazy for Books (Stephanie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

it as cute. A little more angst than was necessary, but still sweet.

[Ayekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the blurb and thought "ok, sounds good" Yeah, not so fast there girlie.... If I never hear the word balls again in my life I'll be a happy camper. This story didn't work in so many ways. It had the bones of a good plot, the characters killed it. Neither Phebe, (which my brain translated as Plebe) nor Brody were likable and they were too one dimensional for this readers taste. Phebe is a selfish, self centered snob who cannot picture herself with this hot bartender Brody. Brody happens to own the bar and the building. Nonetheless, Phebe was her own worst enemy and Brody would have done well to dump her long before he finally had enough. She was just unlikable, his constant reference to his balls and I was done. I can't believe I even finished the book. The struggle was real.
Just didn't work for me.

[Susan Frazier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a story where the girl is more successful than the guy. This is a wonderful tale of how two very different people living in different worlds are just what each other needs. Both determined not to end up like their parents they struggle to not just except each other but to accept themselves as well.

[Sarah Gulyas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book but thought Phebe could have been less of an a-hole. Listen, I'm all for strong, independent, don't need no man chicks but, jeez. Sometimes, she was a little too much. Brody was amazing and he put up with her attitude and sometimes down right meanness. She just came across like a bully at times.

Loved the story, though.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet, sexy romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

[Paulette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute story. Clever writing, great characters. I absolutely loved Brody. In my mind it was Jason Mamoa I pictured as I was reading his character. Some of the lines that Phebe said were so funny. I enjoyed reading this book.

[Dorre · Rating 5 out of 5]

. Cute fun romp of a read with like-able characters and just enough steaminess. This book was graciously provided by Loveswept via Netgalleyin exchange for an honest review.

[Ash Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Crap! This book is to hot to handel. I had my jaw propped open for most the book it was that hot! A MUST READ!

[Paige Prince · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book. Brody and Phebe nearly burned my screen up with their chemistry. I read the book in one sitting because I simply could not put it down.

[Realmommybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brody and Phebe. I mean who doesn’t love Sext books. They are what we want now in days. This book was good.

[Calila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received ARC via Netgalley

I'm going to be nice with my rating because I think part of my opinion is just because I'm cranky right now. This book was mostly fine. There was a lot of nitpicky things that bugged me, just ways things were phrased or general attitude of the characters. But that's probably going to be only me. I don't like the whole "Not like other girls/guys" thing and that was a HUGE theme here. The characters both constantly mention it and it was annoying. The internalized misogyny is real. But I did enjoy some things. I enjoyed the set up for the plot. It was fun and the characters had fun with it. The sexting was actually good and didn't make cringe. The love scenes were great, I really believed the characters had the hots for each other. But that's where it ends. I don't believe Phebe actually liked Brody as a person outside of what he could do for her. She for sure didn't respect him AT ALL. Her whole attitude was very classist and it's never really address or called out. She looks down on him for basically the entire book, except that he's good in bed. That she approves of. Brody has his issues as well. But I understood his more, and the key point is HE DIDN'T LASH OUT AT HER EVERY MOVE BECAUSE OF HIS. She overreacted and was cruel almost every other chapter because he had the nerve to make his own choices about his own life, and if they weren't what she'd do well too bad that obviously makes him a worthless person. I will give points that her cruelty is acknowledged and framed as a problem, for the most part. But without any lasting indication of improvement. There's a big blowup towards the end that really ruined the book for me. I just couldn't excuse her behavior. And while she's later sorry, and more understanding & respectful of his choices, it fell flat for me. It was too little too late, her true colors were already shown. I didn't like how it was rewarded. She was 1000% in the wrong. But it ends up playing out in her favor. He decides to make changes in his life, even though his life was perfectly fine and he owed no one any explanation or justification. I do respect that the author didn't make him chase her. She had to suck up her pride and make herself a little vulnerable to reunite. I appreciated that.

I don't know that I'll read the next book. I'm hesitant. But I'm a sucker for these punny titles, and the covers are GREAT. So who knows.

[BookAddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The space they made together was the only place that mattered.” But boy, oh boy, do Phebe and Brody sure have to go through a lot before they finally figure it out. She's all business, on track for the corner office and doesn’t think twice about busting any balls in her way. She knows business, she knows finances, she knows real estate in Atlanta, and she knows that it's the women behind the suits who really make things happen.

He's a bartender, but he's so much more. Brody turned his back on the money he came from to run the bar that the only father figure he really had, his uncle Nick, left to him. He doesn’t care about the land his own father left him or developing the historical building that houses his bar, and he would rather spend his free time volunteering with the Boys and Girls Clubs. No one on the face of the earth, including Phebe and Brody, would ever put them together. But those are the couples that have the best, albeit the most hard-won, stories!

I haven’t read any of the other text-premise books, so I didn’t have any expectation, but I loved this story!! This is another case where taking a chance on a new author paid off in a big way for me. We had to wait a little longer than originally thought for this one, but it was sooo worth the wait! I adore how these two people from different worlds, and very much opposites, worked their way into each other's hearts. Of course, the differences made for some interesting reading, so there was plenty of spark both in the bedroom (and messaging app) and out.

And heart? OMGee, there was so much emotion throughout the entire book! The author does a brilliant job balancing all of the elements, tossing our emotions around and then tempering it with well-timed humor. Brady and Phebe are both so authentic, endearing and relatable I felt like I knew them personally and was cheering them on until the end. Their relationship is steamy, a bit volatile, and tugs on the heart, but it’s the personal growth and the people they become that makes this such a spectacular read. If you like your romance fun, flirty and steamy, but authentic, endearing and emotional, you’ll love this book!

*I reviewed an advance copy of this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.

[Bookgasms Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was definitely intrigued by Brody and Phoebe's chemistry and the premise of the story. It was very opposites attract and I enjoyed how laid back Brody was in comparison to the uptight Bridget. Their chemistry was fiery and their banter was very spirited and sexy! I enjoyed this quick read!

While I enjoyed this story and how cute Brody and Phoebe were, I did find that while these two were great together, at times Phoebe was a little bit more than I could handle at times. All in all, though, this was a fun read and I look forward to more from this author. 3.5 stars! ~Ratula 

[Bette Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the premise of this book however I never felt a connection with these characters. I understand that for Phoebe to succeed she needs to be strong, independent, and take no crap. Sometimes though it seemed like she took things too far. I enjoyed Brody although I never understood what really drew him to Phoebe. Still I was cheering for Phoebe to see what Brody was trying to show her and accept what he was offering. Overall not a bad book, just nothing really wow about it either. Although not a favorite of my I think others might enjoy it and I would recommend it.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
This is my first time reading a book by this author and I enjoyed it. The cover is one reason I was drawn to this book. The blurb had me intrigued but it fell a little flat for me in some areas.

Phebe is a high-powered exec and Brody owns a sports bar. They have chemistry inside the bedroom. The chemistry doesn’t translate outside of the bedroom for a while.

Once I got into this book I enjoyed it and will be reading more books by this author.

ARC provided by publisher for honest review

[Cheryl Graham-Petit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's talk about how the story just seemed to take forever to get to the end. I think that the burn up the pages sex scenes were great and most of the characters were likable, but the heroine just wasn't that nice. I think if some of the heroine's brassiness, snobbiness, and plain old bitchiness were toned down some, this would be a really great story.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

[María · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creo que me gustó más este libro que I Wanna Sext You Up porque en la relación entre Brody y Phebe los obstáculos no eran internos, como un conflicto de intereses, sino internos: inseguridades, miedo a perder el control, etc.
Quizás por esa razón uno se siente más satisfecho al llegar al final feliz y ver el trayecto de los protagonistas.
Me pregunto de quién será la historia en el tercer libro.

[Jennifer Schultheis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Jackie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phebe and Brody ** I apologize for the long review!**
When the tough as nails Real Estate Agent meets the "hipster bartender," she finds out that opposites
Phebe is always in control, whereas Brody is willing to let go, she wears power suits compared to his Lumberjack style, the two couldn't be more different.
Yet, they have things in common, a love for the building he inherited, crossword puzzles and sexual chemistry with a side of something they're not willing to get into.
She needs an outlet; he wants her however he can have her- deals are made, fantasies proclaimed and acted upon, promises are broken, harsh and unforgiving (in my opinion ) words spoken.
Can one night and one phone number change the course of two people from opposite worlds?
Phebe- Let me say this, I am all for a strong, powerful, knows what she wants leading female. I loved that she was taking names and kicking booty! What I had a hard time swallowing was her harshness ( I am trying to be kind here ) towards Brody and everyone else for that matter. I get that she is in a position of power, in a male-dominated work environment, and she needs to assert herself as a take no prisoners kind of person, but I don't get how that applied to Brody!
Had I been him, I would have told her to take her pretentious, Gucci arse over to the next bar and find some other unsuspecting fool to do her bidding! ( can you tell I feel strongly about this?)
Brody was a likable strongwilled, sweet character who had his issues to overcome, who showed he had a much bigger heart than I would have!
As for the "sexting," there was some, I would have liked more.
Ample amounts of passionate scenes, a little humor, and a somewhat fleshed out storyline made it all flow well; I could not get past my dislike for Phebe enough for me to want her to have a HEA!!
While this may not have been my all-time favorite read, Evie Clarie is a new to me author, and I look forward to checking out the next book in the series!
I was provided an Arc copy from Netgalley and am Voluntarily leaving a review.
3.7 Stars

[Stacy J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally think there should be a new troupe just having to do with texting. I think that this is a fun way to see characters flirt and it gives us readers a chance to see their thought process. This was the way I felt about this book. I loved these two characters but I also loved the games and discussions they would have during their texts.

These two characters were so different from each other it was fun to read. In this book, even thought they were opposites, they admired that other quality in the other.

Phebe is a ballbuster to the Nth degree. She works in a high pressure mans world and has to do more to prove herself because she is a woman. In many cases, this makes her come off as cold and harsh. Brody was able to see over that. He could see the woman she was so desperately trying to hide so she could be seen as an equal. Brody's laid back attitude and charm was what Phebe needed in her life.

While I mentioned above that they both admired their opposite quality in the other, it also made their fights much more. Phebe's gut reaction in a fight is to verbally hit below the belt and it take a strong man to be able to deal with that. Luckily for her, Brody is such a man!

[Heather 123 · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 15%

Like many other reviewers mentioned, I couldn't get into these characters. I tried, but the constant whining by Phebe was a complete turn off for me. I didn't feel any connection between her and Brody. I felt like Phebe looked down on everyone, thinking she was so much better than others because of her job/education.

[MW · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, darn. I must admit this author and I got off on the wrong foot when I discovered she'd named the main character Phebe instead of Phoebe. Every single time I saw that spelling, it was like a slap. I looked it up and found it is a real spelling of the name. So I accept it, but I don't like it much. I honor the author's right to choose a name for her people, no matter what. (Even my spellcheck is freaking out about it as I type this, though).

I had a very hard time getting into the story. It's written in third person with long, uninterrupted paragraphs that meander around and go nowhere. I honestly wasn't sure what I was reading about until she finally introduced another character. It got better, and I got used to the author's style eventually. The book does have a very slow start though.

Then I had a problem while reading and wondering what the heck the title had to do with the book. Yes, there was one scene in which there was some sexting, but it was never anything they talked about. It's a cute title, but it's extremely misleading. Oh, and somehow the main male character, Brody, miraculously knew her name was spelled with no O. Hmm...

And a note to the author here... "you" and "ewe" are homonyms. To make the case that they ought to sound different just leaves me scratching my head. Readers, if you get to the end, you'll see what I mean. Maybe she was confusing ewe with eww...?

There were many things to like about the book actually. I enjoyed the interplay between the characters (mostly), and I liked the self-discovery both characters did throughout the story. They both had to face their demons, and that part was insightful. Realistic though? Not even a little! Still, that was enough to raise it above one star.

And that brings me to my major problems with the book. Most of it is either really boring or ridiculous. We are supposed to believe the two characters love to have sex on an antique pool table that is covered with... velvet (???). Pool tables are made of slate and covered with felt and would be about as comfortable for making love as concrete. And I had to wonder who got the thing upstairs in an old, old building that the author never mentions having an elevator.

There were so many scenes that seemed to have Phebe and Brody getting somewhere, only to have Phebe totaly freak out and disappear. It got to be repetitive and completely annoying. Extreme highs an lows throughout the book. We have two people who claim to be mad for each other, but it's often hard to see why or how it's anything but sexual attraction. Brody comes across as a good guy for the most part, but he's not terribly exciting.

Unfortunately, Phebe is about at likable as a slug. She is absolutely awful.

And finally, I grew so SO tired of reading about the man's balls all the time!!! Seriously, couldn't the author express his attraction, his interest, his fears, his... whatever... without bringing his testicles into it?? None of it even made sense.

This was the first book I've read by this author, and I can't say I'll be looking for anything else from her. She thanked her helpers for straightening out some issues in the book, but she needed better helpers, I'm afraid. Brody sounds more like he's from London than Atlanta in a couple of conversations. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I'm sure there will be readers who enjoy the book; it just wasn't for me. I was THIS close to putting it down several times, but I chose to fulfill my commitment to NetGalley and finish it so I could leave a comprehensive review. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.