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Wasted Words: Inspired by Jane Austen's Emma (The Austens Series Book 1) Kindle Edition
Falling for my roommate might be the worst idea I never had.
Guys like Tyler Knight don’t go for girls like me.
He’s an ex-tight end with a face so gorgeous, he belongs on a billboard, and I’m a book nerd with glasses and a comic book obsession. I might not know much, since most of my boyfriends exist between the pages of books, but I do know when I’m out of my league.
So instead of obsessing over Tyler, I put all my energy into playing Cupid, using the book bar, Wasted Words, as my playground.
When he kisses me? Welp, there’s no hiding the truth.
But the last time I trusted someone with my heart, it shattered, and the pieces never quite fit together again. With Tyler’s high profile job and the subsequent barrage of women, there doesn’t seem to be room for me. And so my heart breaks over and over until it finally falls apart again.
And this time, I don’t know if I can pick up the pieces.
*A romantic comedy inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma*
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateMay 19, 2016
- File size1.1 MB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Cam and Tyler's story is like looking in a mirror and seeing your own truths. Beautiful, romantic, and as always, hilarious. Staci Hart must keep writing forever, because I'm always awaiting her next read. 5 stars! - Brittainy C. Cherry
It's perfection. If Jane Austen were alive, she'd agree. - USA Today Bestselling Author Lex Martin
Hart's storytelling is like sitting across from your best friend and watching her share some experience she's had. You know what I mean - she's waving her hands, her eyes wide, her body language pulling you in and has you begging - BEGGING! - for the next word. - Adriana Locke
Staci Hart is the queen of romantic comedy. Wasted Words will make you laugh, swoon, and fall in love with its uncommon freshness in a genre suffering from "same old same". With a little Jane Austen flair and a lot of heart, this book is easily one of my top reads of 2016. - Author Kandi Steiner
Lovers of Staci Hart (and Jane Austen, for that matter) will have a major swoon-fest over Cam and Tyler in Wasted Words. Their personalities absolutely leap off the page with realism, thanks to Hart's adept hand at characterization and dialogue, and you'll find yourself unable to put this book down once you start it. - Author Karla Sorensen
Wasted Words is sensational. Together Cam and Tyler are stunning. So perfect. Just everything. I want to burn with them, burn in their fire, because burning together is pure bliss. - Bookalicious Babes
Product details
- ASIN : B01FOIRU3C
- Publisher : Staci Hart Novels
- Accessibility : Learn more
- Publication date : May 19, 2016
- Language : English
- File size : 1.1 MB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 349 pages
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Book 1 of 3 : The Austens Series
- Best Sellers Rank: #177,264 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #6,012 in Romantic Comedy (Kindle Store)
- #6,807 in Romantic Comedy (Books)
- #21,934 in Contemporary Romance (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author

I was the kid who stayed inside to read.
As a four-eyed nerd with a bad perm, I was no one’s dodgeball pick, but I had a lot of friends. Frodo and Bilbo, for instance. Kristy, Stacey, Claudia and the gang (iykyk). Once, in the third grade, I wrote a teen murder mystery inspired by Christopher Pike. On solving my mystery in twelve pages, I decided I was a terrible writer and should never, ever do that again.
Fortunately, I didn’t take my own advice.
I write romance for that feeling you get at the end, like you’re standing on top of a mountain with a backpack full of hundred dollar bills. I write romcoms because is there anything better than banter and grand gestures? I write because I love to create and I love words. I love books, and I love stretching my imagination. I love love, and if you do too, bring your coffee and have a seat. I think we’re gonna be friends.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book a delightful read with a heartfelt romance and relatable characters, describing it as a perfectly endearing contemporary romance. The book features vivid imagery, with one customer noting it's "bolder than Technocolor," and customers appreciate its sweetness and emotional depth. The humor receives mixed reactions - while some enjoy the authors' wit, others find it incredibly vulgar.
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Customers find the book delightful to read, with one mentioning it's a great beach read for summer.
"...This was a light yet angsty yet undeniable sexy read. It was fun and funny, had those perfect little plot dips and LOL moments...." Read more
"...Wasted Words is fresh and fun and has the perfect amount of angst and steam...." Read more
"...back and forth and angst where it’s not really needed, but overall a fun read." Read more
"This was a good book and I did enjoy it, but I felt like I couldn't make a solid connection with Tyler and Cam...." Read more
Customers love the romance in this book, describing it as a perfectly endearing contemporary romance that is deeply heartfelt and entertaining.
"...Hart knows how to bring the laugh out loud funny while giving us a great story and builds up to some seriously steamy scenes...." Read more
"I liked this book but wouldn't re-read it. The MC's were likeable and relatable. Most of the side characters were good people too...." Read more
"...This author gives us the readers so much with this book - the fun, the love, and the part when you realize that everything you ever wanted was..." Read more
"...Stars... This read was exactly what I needed, something sweet, light, romantic, and funny... Built into all of that were some fun, quirky characters..." Read more
Customers enjoy the variety of characters in the book, particularly appreciating the relatable heroine and swoony hero.
"I really loved the characters, Tyler was so cute, i loved the dual POV. To know what was in Tyler's mind, he was so sweet, how he looked at Cam...." Read more
"...'s "Wasted Words," a sweet, amusing novel featuring (mostly) likeable characters and an engaging story inspired by Jane Austen's "Emma."..." Read more
"...I fell in love with the characters and the story. Thanks for such a great book!" Read more
"...unique about this author's books, it's how effortless and how authentic her characters are. You could LIVE with these people every single day!!!..." Read more
Customers find the book adorable and vibrant, with one customer noting that the imagery is as bold as Technocolor.
"...Cam is quirky, cute, funny, and very likable! She works at Wasted Words - a bar, a comic store, and a coffee shop all in one...." Read more
"...He's so flipping handsome, guys. He's so sweet. He's so perfect. Like P.E.R.F.E.C.T!!!..." Read more
"...Staci's books are always fun and sexy with a good dose of humor and wonderful girl talk." Read more
"...Tyler was pretty much the perfect book boyfriend: handsome, thoughtful, kind, and incredibly patient with Cam's relationship anxiety...." Read more
Customers appreciate the friendship portrayed in the book, describing it as genuine, caring, and perfect as a book boyfriend.
"...Tyler is super patient and kind, but when it counts he wasn’t, which irked me because it didn’t feel authentic to him...." Read more
"...Tyler is the perfect book boyfriend, and he cares so deeply for Cam it will make anyone swoon!..." Read more
"...Attractive, sweet, funny, caring, and basically the entire package...." Read more
"...I really loved that he was a nice, good guy — almost a beta boy, MY FAVE...." Read more
Customers enjoy the angst in the book, finding it emotional and heartwarming, with one customer noting that it keeps the pages turning.
"...Her characters have so much integrity and heart. This was a light yet angsty yet undeniable sexy read...." Read more
"...I know this is getting a little on the therapy side, but this book is therapy...." Read more
"...This book was sweet and sexy, with moments that made me swoon, and loads of funny banter that left me laughing out loud...." Read more
"...I think their chemistry is really good too. The angst in the book is good...." Read more
Customers appreciate the sweetness of the book.
"...the natural dialogue, to the witty, sometimes sarcastic humor, to the sweet and flirty banter, to the array of characters that are painted with such..." Read more
"*Spoiler free* This book... *heart eyes*. Oh I loved it. Sweet and filled with nerdy goodness...." Read more
"...her nerdiness because it speaks to me and I might add she has awesome taste in books!..." Read more
"...Then there was Tyler, He was so fricken sweet, exactly what Cam needed but couldn't see for herself. This was a great friends to lovers, rom com...." Read more
Customers have mixed reactions to the humor in the book, with some enjoying the authors' wit and finding the conversations hilarious, while others find it incredibly vulgar.
"...From the natural dialogue, to the witty, sometimes sarcastic humor, to the sweet and flirty banter, to the array of characters that are painted with..." Read more
"...This story has it all! Angst, laughs, romance, and a lot of feels...." Read more
"Wasted Words, Wasted Time..." Read more
"...book was sweet and sexy, with moments that made me swoon, and loads of funny banter that left me laughing out loud...." Read more
Reviews with images

5 stars ''''' to Staci, you manage to write such beautiful characters. I love them with their strengths and flaws <3
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2016Format: KindleVerified Purchase5 - "A GIANT AND A FAIRY" - STARS (swoooonnnnn)
This is my FAVORITE Staci Hart book to date. For me, it was a total hit! I went into Wasted Words excited beyond belief. A new series, with new characters, by one of my favorite RomCom authors .... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <<---- I mean! BLISS. That's a bookworm's dream. So I opened it up with some serious zest and MOTHER OF ALL BOOKISH THINGS, did I love it! I ADORED every single word. I ate them up like they were the sweetest little morsels of goodness!
And I tell you what, if there’s one thing that’s so unique about this author's books, it's how effortless and how authentic her characters are. You could LIVE with these people every single day!!! I swear! They are just LIKE us. It's incredible. I relate to them on almost every level. And the way her books flow, the way her characters interact with each other, the authenticity in the writing, the depth of feels, it just comes ALIVE.
I always say this when I recommend a Staci Hart book, but when I read her novels, I LIVE them. I'm in those pages and those stories become my world.
It's delicious.
From the natural dialogue, to the witty, sometimes sarcastic humor, to the sweet and flirty banter, to the array of characters that are painted with such a vivid brush, to the writing, to the steamy sex, to the EVERYTHING, I just can't get enough. There isn't a thing I don't love. And Wasted Words was just perfect. It held everything I NEED in a book and so, so, so much more.
“Maybe I was wrong.”
"About what?” I asked absently...
"About you being able to live without me.”
“Oh?”
He met my eyes, saying gently, “Maybe it’s me who can’t live without you.”
Cam helps Rose manage Wasted Words -- A Book Bar. Yes, you read that right. A BOOK. FREAKING. BAR. <<-- HOW genius is that? It's a BAR **cue happy sigh** that sells drinks, books and comics, and hosts SINGLES NIGHT! I mean, what the what? It’s such a unique premise for me. I’ve never read anything like that.
So anyway... Cam does a variety of things at Wasted Words and she's good at them. She loves her job. She keeps everyone in check. She's stubborn, fiery, fierce, and utterly funny. She makes me smile. She's a little bit (okay a lot) of a know it all. I found it cute. Endearing. A little charming even. But she may drive you a little batty, so prepare yourself. **hahaha** Just know that there’s a REASON behind her crazy.
A seriously VALID reason.
Everyone at Wasted Words ADORES Cam. They put up with her quirks happily, because they know she's coming from a good place. Cam likes to make people happy. She likes to see them thrive. And her part in doing that is setting them up! That's right ... Our dainty heroine is a matchmaking fairy. LOL. When she see's two people she deems a perfect match, she goes for it. And she truly LOVES doing it. It's her ‘thing’. It keeps her heart protected. It keeps her in the safe zone!
Tyler Knight **dreamy sigh*** is Cam's roommate, and our HERO. MY GOD IS HE LIP LICKING! No joke. He's downright PERFECT! Our gentlemanly giant. An ex Football player who suffered a career ending injury, now turned Sports Agent.
He's so flipping handsome, guys.
He's so sweet.
He's so perfect.
Like P.E.R.F.E.C.T!!!
It's refreshing to have a hero who didn't really have any flaws! And Tyler didn't have many, if any. He was Goodness personified. So sweet. So yummy. So... defined and hard all over (drools), masculine, and strong and sweet. Did I say sweet? ***hahahaha** I did. Because OH MY GOD. The swoon was so out of control with him. I ADORED HIM. And I loved the way he ADORED Cam.
“You want me to kiss you?” he asked, closing the distance.
“I —no, that’s not what I meant.” I stammered. “Yes. I mean, no! Maybe.”
He stopped in front of me, pressing his hips against the counter between my knees, spreading them apart. His hand found my cheek, and he said softly, “You want me to kiss you right now, Cam?”
“I…” I breathed, looking up into his eyes, unable to say anything, drunk from the proximity of his lips. But he didn’t wait for me to speak. I think he already knew the answer without me having to say a word.
Tyler and Cameron are truly adorable together. They start out as friends who have a natural, easy going relationship. They just get each other. In every way.
Wasted Words is a friends to lover romance. What starts out as roommates with an easy friendship, eventually turns into something SO MUCH more. But that something more isn't as easy as their friendship was. While Tyler is ALL IN from the start, Cam remains unsure. She struggles with some pretty severe relationship anxiety. And that leads to some self sabotage.
I really LOVED that Cameron was such a real character. I can't tell you how many times I have dealt with the very same issue she has. When I first met my husband I was that insecure, needy girl. I was the girl who wanted him close, but at the same time didn’t feel like I measured up, so I pushed him away. Thank God, he was MY Tyler. And it's all worked out. But I really feel like Cam is EVERY GIRL. She's one of us, the girl who just wants to be accepted as is and wants to trust it.
Overall, I thought Wasted Words was everything and more. I fell deeply in love with the story. Once again this author managed to hook me. I was sent straight into a world of pure bookish bliss while reading. Staci writes with such with passion. Her characters have so much integrity and heart. This was a light yet angsty yet undeniable sexy read. It was fun and funny, had those perfect little plot dips and LOL moments. A seamless novel from start to finish. And one heck of a romantic comedy loaded with heart, soul, and tons of sweetness.
It's my FAVORITE Staci Hart book to date.
I more than recommend it.
I'm downright crazy about it.
_________________________________
FAVORITE QUOTES:
"Why did you kiss me, Tyler?"
"Because I wanted to."
"For how long?"
"Too long." <<---- OMG. SO. MUCH. FEELS!
I shook my heard. "It doesn't make any sense that you'd want me."
He stroked my cheek, his dark eyes soft. "Maybe not in your universe, but in mine it makes perfect sense in mine." <<---- I CAN'T EVEN TAKE THE SWOON.
"I felt so right about her that it was an absolute truth, she and I, an undeniable fact of the universe." <<---- **thump thump thump** My heart beats for him.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2016Format: KindleVerified PurchaseWasted Words by Staci Hart
4 stars!!
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Staci Hart never fails to deliver down to earth characters that are so cute you cannot help but fall in love with them, add to that the dorkability factor and I am completely sold. This book was a geek fest and I loved it, add to that friends to lovers and I was all in.
Cam was a book geek and a comic nerd, there was nothing she loved more than reading, whether it be books or comics and she was the resident match maker at Wasted Words. Wasted Words was the place where you could read and drink with other like minds and enjoy their many themed nights. It was a place I would have loved to have frequent. Cam was extremely intelligent, could have had any job she wanted, yet stood true to her heart and did something she loved, money wasn’t important to her, but her happiness was.
“…you’re smart, too. You’re so busy matching everyone up, but how come you haven’t found a match for yourself?
“Because it’s easier to see everybody else’s connections. Mine’s too muddled by my own perspective.”
Tyler Knight was truly adorable. He was Cam’s roommate and they had been firm friends ever since. Tyler was a sports agent and was extremely good at his job. He should have been a professional footballer until a near fatal collision on the pitch put paid to his dreams and aspirations. He now did the next best thing, he helped others reach theirs.
The connection that these two had as friends was formidable. They complemented each other, they were best friends, they were themselves around each other. There were no facades, everything was easy with them. Both of them had admired the other from afar, but what happens when that inner admiration makes its way to the surface?
“It doesn’t make any sense that you’d want me.”
“Maybe not in your universe, but it makes perfect sense in mine.”
Cam was a girl with issues, her first love burned her and so now she has her personal “shelves” and her relationships are run according to the shelf rule. Cam has low self-esteem, while she is confident in some ways when it comes to her opinion of herself she doesn’t see what everyone else sees and for her she is definitely not worthy of Tyler.
“The rules you made? The shelves people belong on? You’ve created them yourself. You’ve built your own prison out of something imaginary, and you ended up hurt anyway.”
While Cam’s issues did begin to grate on me at times I could understand her, I have been her, but in fairness to Tyler, she should have known him better. But, a romance without angst is boring and Staci Hart certainly delivered with enough to and fro to give you whiplash. Tyler was perfect, but even he has his limits and sometimes you just have to be cruel to be kind.
There were some fantastic side characters in this story, couple this with fun dialogue and you always have a recipe for success. I had tears of laughter as well as a little trickle in sadness, but for the first time in a Staci Hart book I had more tears from laughing. The balance was perfect, the story was cute and the characters were endearing. While personally I would have loved more of them “together” I loved what we had, I’m just greedy like that.
“We saved each other from loneliness and ourselves.”
- Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2020Format: KindleVerified Purchase3.5 stars of quirky goodness.
Friends to lovers isn’t usually my go to romance pick but I’m so glad I did. Based on Jane Austen’s Emma, Wasted Words is a fast paced book lovers paradise. Seriously though. The book references and jokes are strong in this one. My inner nerd swooned more than once.
The characters are lovable. You root for them to figure it out and COMMUNICATE! I swear! The plot is steady but the conflict wasn’t was dramatic as I was expecting it to turn out to be. Overall, I am very glad I read this and would definitely recommend it to anyone in the mood for a quick contemporary romance with a quiet a bit of sizzle.
Top reviews from other countries
-
PalomaReviewed in Brazil on December 31, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Amei
Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseNão li ainda, capa está super fofa
PalomaAmei
Reviewed in Brazil on December 31, 2022
Images in this review
- NanaReviewed in Australia on February 20, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and hard to put down
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseA less traditional romance with empathy and real characters.
Funny comic book references. One with a special appeal for nerds, readers and lovers of comics - we're a majority of our own.
- SaelyReviewed in Mexico on December 17, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it.
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseAmazing book.
- MelissaReviewed in Canada on April 16, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely must read Love both Cam and Tyler
Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseAbsolutely must read
Love both Cam and Tyler, I wish they had another book to continue their story!
- Sophie BroughtonReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply, STUNNING.
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseReading a book is an adventure. Something that takes away everything else and propels you into a different world. Some books you just click with, some books you really enjoy Some books though, they speak to you, they embed themselves in you, never to be forgotten. You breathe these books, allow yourself to be consumed by them. You devour every single word, you feel every single emotion and you LOVE EVERY SINGLE SECOND. Some people have favourite books, some have favourite authors. Some have both. I have both.
You see Staci Hart is a top, TOP author of mine. Her books speak to me on a level like no other. I LOSE myself every time I pick up a Hart novel and I drown in words that light up my heart and soul. Each and every time Staci releases a new book it becomes my favourite. After reading Last Call, I said I read one of the best books I'd ever read. Then along came Wasted Words.
Going into WW I knew that by the end I'd be this soppy freaking mess, floating on a cloud of heavenly feels and ready to pour my heart out. But, now that I'm sat here, ten minutes after reading the final word I'm a soppy freaking mess of epic proportions. My heavenly cloud is a full sky and I don't even know where to begin with the heart pouring.
From the very beginning it was hard not to feel bubbles begin in my stomach, my heart kicked up a little faster. Slowly, blissfully, the bubbles grow and pop into butterflies that flutter. The closer Cam and Tyler became the stronger those butterflies kicked up, until I was left with freaking birds flapping through me. And that was just at the first kiss!
As each and every chapter, perfectly named as always, progressed I found myself falling deeper in love. I mean Tyler, come on. He's a walking, talking dream boat. Everything about him was just, well, perfect. No other words needed!
But you know who I fell in love with more in this book.. CAM. That little fairy, sat high on her own shelf flew down and ripped me to shreds. I'm sure, and as much as I hate to say it, some people won't like her, they'll call her “weak” or whatever but THEY WILL BE WRONG. Cam is REAL! She is that person we all have in us, the one that knows our own abilities but still pulls ourselves down. Her anxieties/fears/issues are in everyone, we feel them or will feel them at some point. And those things are what solidified my love for Cam. I felt her, every single word resonated somewhere, every single fear was relatable and it made it all the more beautiful. The raw version of Cam is who I love most.
Together Cam and Tyler are stunning. So perfect. Just everything. I want to burn with them, burn in their fire, because burning together is bliss.
Countless times I felt myself trying to hang onto my emotions. It was pointless. They were ripped from me, along with my breath, my heart and my soul..
I highlighted so many parts of this book, took so many notes, stopped every couple of chapters just to breathe and calm the inner flames of Cam & Tyler but in the end it was no use. My smile couldn't be any bigger, my heart couldn't be any more full, my tears couldn't be hotter. I'm dizzy, beautifully, blissfully dizzy. I've read one of the best books I'll ever read, one that I will pick up anytime and fall in love with every time. This bookworm has fallen deep for the fairy and her giant.
What happens when you let go?
Well you fly.
So freaking high, on the burning flames, TOGETHER.