Scan barcode
k8iedid's review
4.0
This book got buried in the pile & finally made it to the top. Textual Healing an enjoyable read, and, having lived in both of Ace's NY & NJ neighborhoods, I could picture them perfectly. The dialogue is witty, and I like reading rom/com from the perspective of a sensitive male protagonist.
bookishbro's review
5.0
This book was amazing!! Okay, I'll level with you, besides Shakespeare, I've never read a romantic comedy. I've seen tons of them and watch countless sitcoms but this, as far as I recall, was my first romcom novel and I loved it! I was literally laughing out loud at parts as I pictured it playing out in my head. And then I immediately wished this book would be turned into a movie. Seriously, it's cleverly hilarious. Some parts may seem cliche to some but honestly we all need that light hearted goodness in our lives from time to time. So glad I decided to give this book a try. I recommend it to any who appreciates a good laugh, loves romance and is all for happy endings.
shelliellie's review
3.0
One of the things I enjoyed about the book is the mismatched cast of characters who I imagine would be absolutely perfect for a movie or TV show. They are quirky and funny and I really did find myself taking a general interest in them. The book however fallows the very basic formula of most romantic comedies in which the main character finds a girl, falls for said girl, lost girl due to a misunderstanding, and then of course in the end wins the girl back. It is what it is for the genre and I don't hate it in some areas it was just really cheesy to me. Also this book could really use an editor. Its very distracting to be reading and come across a very blatant misspelled or even misplaced word. There were a few times when I had to read a sentence multiple time to make sure I was reading it correctly because of an error. I really did enjoy the story though and was very happy I got to read it. It was a very lighthearted read with a lot of goofiness and laughs and would definitely recommend it if your in the mood for something fun.
nancyotoole's review
3.0
Andrew Connor's life has been better. Once a celebrated writer, he now finds his one book located on the discount shelves at his local Barns and Noble. He spends his time running a struggling used bookstore located across the street from a flower-shop-owning ninja. When his girlfriend breaks up with him, it seems like the last straw. Then he meets Hannah, a friendly woman from the Midwest who changes his life in just a week.
Apparently, I was very lucky the last half of December, because I won not one, but TWO books in online giveaways. One of these books was Textual Healing by Eric Smith (thanks to Goodread's first reads), a quirky romantic comedy. I love how Smith plays with rom-com stereotypes, putting his own spin on the genre. I found Andrew, despite his hapless nature, to be a likeable lead. I enjoyed the colorful cast of side characters, especially the ninja from across the street, and the two college students that work at Andrew's bookstore. I thought the romantic element worked well, despite the fact that it was a little cliché (free spirited young woman helps revitalize male protagonist's ho-hum life? I think I've read this one before). Where the novel succeeds the most is when it comes to comedy. I found myself cracking up several times while reading it.
Admittedly, there are some areas were Textual Healing does come up a little short. The first one is kind of surprising. There are quite a few grammatical and punctuation related errors in this little book. Smith really seems to struggle with tense (I can relate). While reading, I noticed the book would switch back and forth between past and present tense constantly, often in the same paragraph. At first, I found this really distracting. It's not something you'd expect to find in a printed work. As I got more into the story, I began to notice these errors less frequently. I also found that at times, the writing felt a little awkward or cheesy, taking me out of my enjoyment of the book. This isn't something unheard of for debut novels, so I'm going to give Smith a break here. Also, as mentioned before, the novel sometimes felt a little cliché.
Textual Healing was a very fun read. Smith's first novel shows that he has a good hand for crafting likable characters, great comedy, and a pleasant romance. I suspect that as he grows as a writer, many of the issues I had with this book will be resolved. I'm happy that I read Textual Healing, despite the fact that it's a little out of my comfort zone.
Apparently, I was very lucky the last half of December, because I won not one, but TWO books in online giveaways. One of these books was Textual Healing by Eric Smith (thanks to Goodread's first reads), a quirky romantic comedy. I love how Smith plays with rom-com stereotypes, putting his own spin on the genre. I found Andrew, despite his hapless nature, to be a likeable lead. I enjoyed the colorful cast of side characters, especially the ninja from across the street, and the two college students that work at Andrew's bookstore. I thought the romantic element worked well, despite the fact that it was a little cliché (free spirited young woman helps revitalize male protagonist's ho-hum life? I think I've read this one before). Where the novel succeeds the most is when it comes to comedy. I found myself cracking up several times while reading it.
Admittedly, there are some areas were Textual Healing does come up a little short. The first one is kind of surprising. There are quite a few grammatical and punctuation related errors in this little book. Smith really seems to struggle with tense (I can relate). While reading, I noticed the book would switch back and forth between past and present tense constantly, often in the same paragraph. At first, I found this really distracting. It's not something you'd expect to find in a printed work. As I got more into the story, I began to notice these errors less frequently. I also found that at times, the writing felt a little awkward or cheesy, taking me out of my enjoyment of the book. This isn't something unheard of for debut novels, so I'm going to give Smith a break here. Also, as mentioned before, the novel sometimes felt a little cliché.
Textual Healing was a very fun read. Smith's first novel shows that he has a good hand for crafting likable characters, great comedy, and a pleasant romance. I suspect that as he grows as a writer, many of the issues I had with this book will be resolved. I'm happy that I read Textual Healing, despite the fact that it's a little out of my comfort zone.
alittlebookish's review
5.0
I entered to win this book from the Good Reads First Reads program and didn't win but I was pleasantly surprised when the author contacted me and asked me if I'd like a copy of the book for review. I said yes right away. I have to admit that I read this book quite some time ago but I haven't had the time to write the review. That being said, it was not because I didn't love the book. Smith is an excellent writer and I really hope that he continues to write more books. This book is about a man who gets dumped and has writer's block. He wrote a bestselling book and while on a date with a girl he wants to impress he finds his book on sale for $1.37. First of all this book is hilarious! I found myself sitting in my living room laughing out loud. My boyfriend kept giving me looks like I was crazy but I couldn't help it. I think the best part in the book is when Andrew decides to buy a sugar glider in order to substantiate a lie that he told to Hannah in order to impress her. This sugar glider goes feral and reaps havoc on Andrew's apartment. I definitely can't do this book justice. I have to say that while the story line is great, the characters in this book are even better. The best one, the crazy ninja florist, who randomly shows up out of nowhere throughout the novel. I have to admit this may not be the kind of novel that I would normally pick up at the store but I can't recommend this book enough. I give it 4.5 stars out of 5.
evenstr's review
3.0
Textual Healing
by Eric Smith
Rating: R; 3 ½ stars
Summary: Andrew “Ace” Connor is struggling with life. His former best-seller is now in the clearance bin, his girlfriend is gone, and he hasn't been able to write in over 3 years. However, he does have friends on his side. His best friend, Brian, sets Ace up with his wife's cousin, Hannah. His writer neighbor convinces him to join a writer's group...that just happens to end up being a support group for writers who find themselves unable to write. Ok, so maybe that was a bit of a low move. But still, it was designed to help. And of course, Andrew still has to manage his bookstore, which includes dealing with the shop owner next door, mysterious ninja Brave Orchid. Despite all the issues, Andrew will strive to repair and create relationships and maybe, just maybe, get a little writing done.
Opinions: Regardless of how much I enjoyed this novel, here's a warning to readers: it's in need of some copy-edits. There's nothing major. It changes tenses every so often, once or twice the wrong “there” is used. I also noticed some really nit-picky visual things, but I'll keep those to myself. Still, if you're one to be irritated by such things, you'll definitely notice it.
It took me awhile to get into this book. Because of where the book picks up in Andrew's life, the beginning has a lot of whining in it. It also takes awhile for the book to get to character development. But, the second half really pulls its weight. The characters really start to develop; the plot really starts to unfold. In short, the book becomes much more enjoyable. I truly found myself laughing aloud at several points. The various romantic couples were absolutely adorable. At the climax, I nearly found myself in tears, and just pages after that, my jaw had dropped of its own accord.
So, ratings. The book is rated R solely for language. I do believe that movie ratings allow for one f*** in a PG-13 movie. This book had substantially more than that. However, if it weren't for the language, this would definitely be PG-13. There is some sexual content, but none of it is explicit. The 3 ½ stars is due to the fact that although the second half of the book is very enjoyable, a lot of readers won't ever get to it if they can't get through the first half. Also, until the book picks up, some of the copy-edit things are really distracting.
This book isn't a perfect book. However, there are a lot of really wonderful moments in the second half that I can't really specify for fear of spoiling the plot. So I guess my main consensus is that if you can through the first half of the book, the second half is a very enjoyable experience. I will be recommending this book to some close friends of mine.
This book was sent to me for review by the author.
Review from my blog: lovelyreader.blogspot.com
by Eric Smith
Rating: R; 3 ½ stars
Summary: Andrew “Ace” Connor is struggling with life. His former best-seller is now in the clearance bin, his girlfriend is gone, and he hasn't been able to write in over 3 years. However, he does have friends on his side. His best friend, Brian, sets Ace up with his wife's cousin, Hannah. His writer neighbor convinces him to join a writer's group...that just happens to end up being a support group for writers who find themselves unable to write. Ok, so maybe that was a bit of a low move. But still, it was designed to help. And of course, Andrew still has to manage his bookstore, which includes dealing with the shop owner next door, mysterious ninja Brave Orchid. Despite all the issues, Andrew will strive to repair and create relationships and maybe, just maybe, get a little writing done.
Opinions: Regardless of how much I enjoyed this novel, here's a warning to readers: it's in need of some copy-edits. There's nothing major. It changes tenses every so often, once or twice the wrong “there” is used. I also noticed some really nit-picky visual things, but I'll keep those to myself. Still, if you're one to be irritated by such things, you'll definitely notice it.
It took me awhile to get into this book. Because of where the book picks up in Andrew's life, the beginning has a lot of whining in it. It also takes awhile for the book to get to character development. But, the second half really pulls its weight. The characters really start to develop; the plot really starts to unfold. In short, the book becomes much more enjoyable. I truly found myself laughing aloud at several points. The various romantic couples were absolutely adorable. At the climax, I nearly found myself in tears, and just pages after that, my jaw had dropped of its own accord.
So, ratings. The book is rated R solely for language. I do believe that movie ratings allow for one f*** in a PG-13 movie. This book had substantially more than that. However, if it weren't for the language, this would definitely be PG-13. There is some sexual content, but none of it is explicit. The 3 ½ stars is due to the fact that although the second half of the book is very enjoyable, a lot of readers won't ever get to it if they can't get through the first half. Also, until the book picks up, some of the copy-edit things are really distracting.
This book isn't a perfect book. However, there are a lot of really wonderful moments in the second half that I can't really specify for fear of spoiling the plot. So I guess my main consensus is that if you can through the first half of the book, the second half is a very enjoyable experience. I will be recommending this book to some close friends of mine.
This book was sent to me for review by the author.
Review from my blog: lovelyreader.blogspot.com
giveintolove's review
4.0
I won this in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. I thought it was cute and funny, and I loved all the different characters, especially Orchid.
crimsonlady's review
3.0
Rating 3.5/5 Stars
I have never had a pet sugar glider, nor have I ever known any one with such an exotic pet. I wouldn’t even know where to buy one! Can you even get a sugar glider at a regular pet store? When the main character, Ace aka Andrew makes the impulsive decision to buy a sugar glider in order to impress a girl that he is smitten with, I learned that one should never leave such an unusual animal unattended. Ace’s adventure with his psychotic pet that he dubbed Ditto is just one of many scenes where the readers witness the lengths to which Ace will go to in order to impress a girl. However, it takes the right girl to show him that the best that anyone can hope for is that someone will love you for who you truly are and not the persona that you project onto others. This is a major theme in the book and is reinforced often with many of the secondary characters. Brian, the OCD vegetarian that works in Ace’s bookstore has an alter ego called Pantera that is half man, half panther with exotic moves and inexhaustible stamina. Brian, however, is just a quirky kid who lacks the confidence and sexual prowess to just be himself around women, hence the need for Pantera. We even learn that the flower-shop-owning ninja dons a disguise and speaks in haiku because she has difficulty expressing herself, especially when it comes to the pirate that she secretly yearns for.
You’re probably wondering what this story is even about. Well, Ace is a writer who had one extremely successful book that was turned into a movie. With the money that he made he bought a bookstore and spent all of his time keeping it afloat while trying to maintain his superficial relationship with his girlfriend. He never once noticed the rut that he had fallen into or that he had accomplished very little in the three years since his big success. It is only after his girlfriend breaks up with him that he realizes that he needs to piece back together the parts of himself that he lost along the way. One can’t help but love this goofy protagonist who is determined to get his life back and find true love. The crazy assortment of characters that he surrounds himself with on his journey only makes this book that much more enjoyable to read. I’ve already mentioned Brian and the ninja, but there is also Hannah from Montana who he falls in love with, as well as all of the emotionally unstable writers that attend the self-help group Textual Healing.
As much as I enjoyed Textual Healing, I had some issues with the writing. While there are some genuinely funny moments in this book that had me laughing out loud and going back to reread some of my favorite scenes, there were also moments that were intended to be funny, but came off as rather ludicrous instead. One example of this is when the ninja sees Hannah walk into the bookstore while Ace is asleep and decides that she must protect Ace and his store by capturing the intruder and tying her to a beanbag chair. Typically this type of behavior would be considered assault and possibly even kidnapping, but rather than be horrified by what has just happened, both Ace and Hannah find the situation humorous. Unfortunately, I did not. I was too distracted by how silly and unrealistic this scenario seemed. The other issue I had with Textual Healing was the many spelling and grammatical errors. One glaring mistake that really bugged me was when Ace was describing Hannah’s outfit and he mentions that she is wearing platform boots with heels and then a few pages later remarks on how her sneakers snap against the hard floor of the church steps. If I can spot this mistake while reading this book for the first time, I don’t see how so many others could have missed it during the editing process. Despite these minor issues I had, I found Textual Healing to be a fun read and I will be keeping an eye out for future books from this author!
I have never had a pet sugar glider, nor have I ever known any one with such an exotic pet. I wouldn’t even know where to buy one! Can you even get a sugar glider at a regular pet store? When the main character, Ace aka Andrew makes the impulsive decision to buy a sugar glider in order to impress a girl that he is smitten with, I learned that one should never leave such an unusual animal unattended. Ace’s adventure with his psychotic pet that he dubbed Ditto is just one of many scenes where the readers witness the lengths to which Ace will go to in order to impress a girl. However, it takes the right girl to show him that the best that anyone can hope for is that someone will love you for who you truly are and not the persona that you project onto others. This is a major theme in the book and is reinforced often with many of the secondary characters. Brian, the OCD vegetarian that works in Ace’s bookstore has an alter ego called Pantera that is half man, half panther with exotic moves and inexhaustible stamina. Brian, however, is just a quirky kid who lacks the confidence and sexual prowess to just be himself around women, hence the need for Pantera. We even learn that the flower-shop-owning ninja dons a disguise and speaks in haiku because she has difficulty expressing herself, especially when it comes to the pirate that she secretly yearns for.
You’re probably wondering what this story is even about. Well, Ace is a writer who had one extremely successful book that was turned into a movie. With the money that he made he bought a bookstore and spent all of his time keeping it afloat while trying to maintain his superficial relationship with his girlfriend. He never once noticed the rut that he had fallen into or that he had accomplished very little in the three years since his big success. It is only after his girlfriend breaks up with him that he realizes that he needs to piece back together the parts of himself that he lost along the way. One can’t help but love this goofy protagonist who is determined to get his life back and find true love. The crazy assortment of characters that he surrounds himself with on his journey only makes this book that much more enjoyable to read. I’ve already mentioned Brian and the ninja, but there is also Hannah from Montana who he falls in love with, as well as all of the emotionally unstable writers that attend the self-help group Textual Healing.
As much as I enjoyed Textual Healing, I had some issues with the writing. While there are some genuinely funny moments in this book that had me laughing out loud and going back to reread some of my favorite scenes, there were also moments that were intended to be funny, but came off as rather ludicrous instead. One example of this is when the ninja sees Hannah walk into the bookstore while Ace is asleep and decides that she must protect Ace and his store by capturing the intruder and tying her to a beanbag chair. Typically this type of behavior would be considered assault and possibly even kidnapping, but rather than be horrified by what has just happened, both Ace and Hannah find the situation humorous. Unfortunately, I did not. I was too distracted by how silly and unrealistic this scenario seemed. The other issue I had with Textual Healing was the many spelling and grammatical errors. One glaring mistake that really bugged me was when Ace was describing Hannah’s outfit and he mentions that she is wearing platform boots with heels and then a few pages later remarks on how her sneakers snap against the hard floor of the church steps. If I can spot this mistake while reading this book for the first time, I don’t see how so many others could have missed it during the editing process. Despite these minor issues I had, I found Textual Healing to be a fun read and I will be keeping an eye out for future books from this author!
amburhostyn's review
4.0
Textual Healing was hilarious! I loved the little side comments that the main character Andrew Connor, or Ace, made, they honestly made me burst out laughing so many times...which was kind of awkward when I was in the waiting room of the dentist's office, but I was okay with that. haha
I think Textual Healing is the perfect book for anyone who is in need of a good laugh, or for someone who has been annoyed by the cliches of many books and romantic comedy movies...as the characters state many times in the book...it is not a romantic comedy, but I must admit it does have some romance and it definitely has comedy.
The characters in Textual Healing were incredibly unique and they stood out to me. Ace was an awesome main character, and a pretty great guy...at one point he evens buys a sugar glider (at least it might have been a sugar glider) to impress a girl, that girl being Hannah. Hannah was one of those characters that makes you want to go outside and start skipping, she had me smiling the whole time with her lines and her quirky behaviour, I thought she was fabulous! Other notable characters were Shawn - Ace's best friend, and Brian and Valerie - both of them work in Ace's used bookstore....and of course Brave Orchid - the owner of the flower shop across the street who dresses like a ninja and speaks in haiku...which was awesome!
Overall, I thought that Textual Healing was a fantastic story, it was hilarious and had some amazing characters. I definitely recommend it to people who want to laugh out loud, and I mean that literally. :)
And I'm curious...does anyone out there own a sugar glider??? :D
I think Textual Healing is the perfect book for anyone who is in need of a good laugh, or for someone who has been annoyed by the cliches of many books and romantic comedy movies...as the characters state many times in the book...it is not a romantic comedy, but I must admit it does have some romance and it definitely has comedy.
The characters in Textual Healing were incredibly unique and they stood out to me. Ace was an awesome main character, and a pretty great guy...at one point he evens buys a sugar glider (at least it might have been a sugar glider) to impress a girl, that girl being Hannah. Hannah was one of those characters that makes you want to go outside and start skipping, she had me smiling the whole time with her lines and her quirky behaviour, I thought she was fabulous! Other notable characters were Shawn - Ace's best friend, and Brian and Valerie - both of them work in Ace's used bookstore....and of course Brave Orchid - the owner of the flower shop across the street who dresses like a ninja and speaks in haiku...which was awesome!
Overall, I thought that Textual Healing was a fantastic story, it was hilarious and had some amazing characters. I definitely recommend it to people who want to laugh out loud, and I mean that literally. :)
And I'm curious...does anyone out there own a sugar glider??? :D
More...