Lets Get Textual
Summary
This independently published Rom-Com by Teagan Hunter resides as #655 on Amazon's "New Adult and College Romance" list for Kindle.
Life changes when the unexpected happens. When a slight mix-up regarding a text message occurs, Zach and Delia set course on a path that will lead them on a collision course that will change everything.
Delia is an introverted college girl, recovering from what should have been a broken heart. Instead, she is texting a stranger. Zach is a nerd. He works in his basement and has a penchant for video games and Harry Potter. The real question is, can he live up to the fantasy she has created him to be, or will this charmer turn out to be a "Slytherin" snake?
“Because I only ever want to go with all my heart. I don’t want to half-ass anything in my life.”
Analysis
I first discovered this book through Amazon Kindle's recommendations. After reading the story's overview and the author's biography, I was intrigued. Teagan Hunter is a budding new author and has self-published 10 books since 2015 with "Lets Get Textual" being her 6th book. It received 4.8 stars out of nearly 700 reviews on Amazon, so my expectations were a bit on the higher side.
Unfortunately, I felt that overall, my expectations fell a bit flat. One of the biggest downfalls of this book, is the lack of realism. The relationship between Delia and Caleb is so far from being life-like that I found it nearly impossible to believe. I almost believed that the two had fallen into the stage of their relationship where it is "easier to be together than not" until Hunter revealed they had only been together a mere 6 months. Had the two been together since high school, I may have bought into the concept a bit more. And the way they continued their friendship as if they were the best of friends that had not just split-up romantically...I could not get on board with that fantasy.
I also struggled a bit with the dialog, It felt unnatural and almost forced. Characters that were supposed to be best friends called each other by their complete names, rather than a more natural nickname. The dialog felt choppy and didn't flow conversationally either. This was rather disappointing because about 90% of the book was dialog. The book lacked essential descriptions of scenery, characters and even character actions. I didn't learn that Delia had long dark hair until I was about three-quarters of the way through the book.
On a positive note, I really enjoyed the overall concept of the story. It has a lot of potential. There were a few pleasant twists, like the adorable baby goat "Marshmallow" that kept the story light. I also found very few editing errors in regards to grammar and sentence structure, which was a pleasant surprise, as I found this to be a common weakness in many self-published novels.
Unfortunately, I felt that overall, my expectations fell a bit flat. One of the biggest downfalls of this book, is the lack of realism. The relationship between Delia and Caleb is so far from being life-like that I found it nearly impossible to believe. I almost believed that the two had fallen into the stage of their relationship where it is "easier to be together than not" until Hunter revealed they had only been together a mere 6 months. Had the two been together since high school, I may have bought into the concept a bit more. And the way they continued their friendship as if they were the best of friends that had not just split-up romantically...I could not get on board with that fantasy.
I also struggled a bit with the dialog, It felt unnatural and almost forced. Characters that were supposed to be best friends called each other by their complete names, rather than a more natural nickname. The dialog felt choppy and didn't flow conversationally either. This was rather disappointing because about 90% of the book was dialog. The book lacked essential descriptions of scenery, characters and even character actions. I didn't learn that Delia had long dark hair until I was about three-quarters of the way through the book.
On a positive note, I really enjoyed the overall concept of the story. It has a lot of potential. There were a few pleasant twists, like the adorable baby goat "Marshmallow" that kept the story light. I also found very few editing errors in regards to grammar and sentence structure, which was a pleasant surprise, as I found this to be a common weakness in many self-published novels.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I felt that the final product of this book was just a bit unfinished. The plot and characters were pretty well put together, but the lack of realism really hurt its credibility. My opinion, is that this work is more like a first or second draft. I has a lot of potential, but still needs a bit more polishing.
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