Yes, I have
There are various places with photobook creator software and what you want to do with your book will determine which ones you prefer and which don't suit you.
Ideally for your purposes you want one that allows a little flexibility and the ability to resize and shuffle the layout around as well as add text. The best are Jessops, Tesco Photo (although I don't like their new online one and have downloaded their substitute Albeli which is similar to the desktop one which has been my favorite for years). I chose this one over the very similar Jessops one because it allows you to use png and gif images and retain transparency, although this may not be a factor for you. Photobox also has a fairly nice one. If you have specific questions or a specific plan in mind I'm happy to answer your questions. I've made at least 30 photobooks over the last few years and tested out various suppliers.
Just from what I've read and interpreted from your post, I would recommend the Albeli or Jessops software because you don't have to use the recommended layouts and can add in as many text boxes as you like and resize them as you want to. You can also make/use your own backgrounds instead of being forced to use their custom ones.