Blog Tour and Giveaway: Texting Tyler, by Rebecca Rembish

Synopsis:
In a time where people rely on their cell phones for everything, a romance like this was bound to happen.

Christopher Clarke is the nicest guy Amy Fallon has ever met. He is sixteen, handsome, smart, funny…an all-around great guy. Tyler Clarke is hot. So why is Amy, one of the smartest girls in school, so clueless when it comes to realizing who she is truly falling in love with? Or better yet, who’s falling in love with her.

Amy is forced to spend the week at her grandmother’s house in Arizona. She returns home to New York with a closer bond to her grandmother, a best friend she adores, and a boyfriend she believes is everything she has ever dreamed of.

After months of sporadic long distance texting, Amy’s infatuation with Tyler continues growing. She shares evening video chats with Chris, while convincing herself Tyler is the brother she truly cares for. Things finally seem to be falling in to place for Amy…that is, until she starts to realize whom her heart is truly longing for.

When she returns to Arizona almost a year later, things don’t go quite as planned. Amy is blindsided not only by the death of her grandmother, but she learns the truth behind the text messages from Tyler.

***

This book was super cute.  I love contemporary romance and this one was right up my alley.  It was a light read about a teen girl in a long distance relationship(s).  Rembish was brilliant at including texts as part of the story and helping it move forward.  

While the story is mostly told from Amy's perspective, it does flip over to Chris every now and then to give his view.  I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.  It was fun to see how both characters were dealing with the relationship and how the other was reacting.

I really liked Amy.  She is a very believable teenage girl.  She is pretty, smart, insecure, and a little clueless.  She falls for a lousy guy just because he showed interest in her, all while developing real feelings for his brother.  The way their relationship plays out was entertaining and kept me interested the entire time.  I felt like this book wasn't as predictable as most YA books, so I didn't ever reach a point where I got bored.

I fell head over heels for Chris.  Sometimes I thought that maybe he was a little too perfect, but he was an awesome guy and just right for Amy.  

My one and only complaint about the book is the language that is used.  There is a lot of cursing, and some of it is really strong.  I am a firm advocate for clean teen reads, and while this one was perfectly clean romantically, the use of foul language really threw me for a loop.  I realize that most teens probably use that type of language, but I really wish the author had chosen to leave it out of the story.

Interview:

1. What inspired you to write Texting Tyler? 
I read an article on how texting was taking away some of the romance in YA books. I thought it would be funny to write a whole book based on texting. The first two words I typed were…Texting Tyler.

2. Will there be a sequel? 
YES! I am so excited. It’s in the review process and will be released in December 2012.

3. What do you enjoy most about writing Young Adult novels? 
I love ANGST!! I love DRAMA!! And being able to create it (without having to actually live it) is so much FUN!

4. Are you working on anything new? 
I am currently working on another technology driven romance. Here’s a glimpse…butt dialing. LOL!

5. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? 
Make sure you have a tough skin! And if you figure out how to do that, let me know. I’m still working on getting one.

Excerpt:

“I can’t wait.” Amy was genuinely excited.

They walked out to the parking lot and said their goodbyes.

“See ya tomorrow!” Dana shouted to them as they were walking away. 

“Okay!” Amy yelled back. They had just left and she already couldn’t wait to see them again the next day.

“They’re cool, right?” Chris asked. 

“Very,” Amy answered right away. 

Chris puffed his chest out. “I knew you’d like them. I could tell they really liked you too.” 

They waited by the car for Tyler, who took his time walking over to join them. He moved slowly, clicking the doors open with his key chain. They were all about to get in the car when Tyler turned to Chris. 

“Hey man chuck this for me.” Tyler held out the soda cup he was slurping on during the movie.

“Chuck it yourself,” Chris said.

“Then walk home,” Tyler said matter-of-factly.  

“Just give it to me.” Chris huffed as he took the soda cup from his brother and walked over to the trashcan. 

Amy and Tyler got in to the car shutting the doors. She heard a click and looked over at Tyler who was laughing. “Watch this,” he said to her.

A moment later Chris came back and opened the door to the car. Clunk, it wouldn’t open. 

“Unlock the door,” Chris said through the window. 

Tyler ignored him.

“Open the door,” Chris said impatiently.

Tyler clicked the button back and forth quickly. Chris went to open the door. Clunk, it wouldn’t open. 

Amy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Tyler looked over at her and lifted his eyebrows at her as he continued to laugh. 

“Tyler, I swear to God man. Why you doing this?” Chris asked shaking his head. 

Amy felt bad for him. Tyler continued to ignore him and started the car. Amy looked out the window at Chris giving him a sympathetic look. Tyler put the car in drive and drove forward a few feet. Chris walked forward a few feet and knocked on the window. 

“Come on man please,” Chris begged. 

Tyler clicked the door and this time Chris was able to get in. “You’re such a puss Chris. I shoulda made you walk home.” Tyler laughed at him before turning the volume of the music up high so that no one was able to talk the entire ride home. 

Amy felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she slid the phone out to see a text from Chris. 

 

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