4.5 Stars

Luca is on her way to New York City to finally clear out her dad's apartment. The only problem is ... she doesn't do New York. Or any public places really. She gets panic attacs whenever something is too overwhelming or too full of people. But she has to do this!

In her dad's apartment she finds a letter - addressed to her. Something she hasn't seen in eight years. A letter from Griffin. He was her pen pal in school since she was only seven years old! He was her best friend. But then things happened and she stopped writing.

He didn't stop for a long time. And he's mad at her for never answering.

She's answering now - and those childish and teenaged letters they used to write change into something much more adult!

But how can a scared recluse from Vermont find her happily ever after with a famous person from Los Angeles?

Let the fun times begin!

What will happen to Luca & Griffin?
Will there be a HEA?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT ☺

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THAT WAS SO ADORABLE!!!!

Luca is so cute! Ever since what happened to her years ago, she's so scared of things but she still has an amazing job and an adorable pet and an amazing almost-live-in therapist!

And Griffin. Sexy, rich, famous. He should be over the moon happy. He has everything he ever dreamed of. But there are many bad sides to this life. He would rather be living with Luca in her Vermont loneliness.

But he loves his job too and he wants nothing more than to combine their lives in some way - but that won't be easy - maybe even impossible.

I really adored their love story. It was so cute to read their old and new letters. To see how they went from talking about childish stuff to more sexy things.

The whole book is somewhat calm. Maybe a little too calm here and there for my tastes. There's no arguing and no fighting and no ... no idea. It's like Griffin tries to be all nice and quiet ... he doesn't want to spook Luca. It was a tiny bit too much for me. It makes Griffin a bit too softish. Not really the manly hottie I was hoping for. But I still loved him. He's so sweet with her ... perfect book boyfriend material! And now that I'm done with the book I almost deleted what I just wrote, because it got better, but it's still a little bit quiet. But I really adored the book. Griffin is amazing! And Luca is trying so hard to fight her way out of her fear!

I cried a lot! ☺

This book has a really great cast of people/animals - I sooo wouldn't mind seeing this on TV one day!

Also Christmas is very soon - where can you buy a little pet pig around here? Asking for a friend! ☺

DIRTY LETTERS was such a sweet and fun and heartbreaking kinda-second-chance love story! I adored (aaaalllmost) everything about it! ☺ Run to your nearest amazon for your own Griffin & Hortencia - these two are MINE!!!! ☺☺☺

P.S. I LOVE that the cover - but that goes without saying with all the Vi & Penelope books!!! LOVE THEM!

This book needs a trigger warning! If you are susceptible to panic attacks and suffer from anxiety, know that this book has very descriptive scenes in which the main character has severe panic attacks that can trigger yours as well. Safety first!

The introduction of anxiety-riddled Luca was nuanced and heartbreaking, at first. I thought it was cool and super relatable for today’s proactive health platform that they had a heroine that had a mental health issue and the opened up about the process of her treatment. Unfortunately, after reading the above introduction scenes which included a very detailed panic attack and the hands on method of Luca’s treatment, the book devolved into surreal tripe featuring an oversexed rock star who was the anonymous pen pal to our very own heroine throughout their adolescence.
I thought that the introduction of rock star Griffin was out of nowhere and their lust connection was over the top. It was hard to read about Luca, someone who had barely left her home due to her crippling mental health condition— just kind of break free from years of conditioned atrophy. I understand the need to make Luca better, and I agree that it can happen and she deserves it, I just don’t think that it was an actual interpretation of someone with this illness.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Dirty Letters was pretty dirty! The steam factor was high in this book. Fans of Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward will not be disappointed with the latest installment. I really enjoyed the main protagonist, Luca. She is fighting serious anxiety problems and the authors realistically did not offer up an easy fix all solution. This book is a modern retelling of a pen pal relationship that developed into so much more! Griffin was the perfect fit for Luca and I appreciated the way their friendship grew into more and the respect they had for each other. I connected more with Luca than Griffin and felt that Griffin could have been a little more developed but overall, this was a pretty good read and will definitely appeal to the authors fans.

Vi Keeland once again led me on an emotional journey that swept me up and held me captive.
This is a story of Luca and Griffin who became pen pals in second grade. An ocean separates them, but that doesn't quail their deep connection or strong friendship until the letters quit coming without explanation. An emotional tale of a strong bond that can't be reciprocated, but a deep longing for more. A 5 Star Must Read *****

This duo has done it again! I felt every minute of Luca and Griffin's suffering. Anxiety is no joke. And Griffin just wanted a real relationship, somebody who saw HIM and not his persona. This is what drives him to reach out to his long lost pen pal. With some help from a bird crazy doctor, Luca and Griff attempt to navigate an unconventional relationship. It is a long, bumpy journey to get from pen pals to soul mate. And I loved every sexy beautiful moment.

Good golly, did I love this book. It made me feel all the feelings in the best possible way. It took me on such a journey of happiness, sadness, hopefulness, and love all without falling into the angst category. I've never met a book that made me so sad and so happy at the same time and I loved it.

I very much enjoyed Luca and Griffin's gritty, angsty journey to their HEA. I have only read a couple of other books by this writing duo, but my experience so far is that they produce unique stories in which nothing is easy for the hero and heroine. That is certainly the case here, but I must say that these two characters are so wonderful that it's impossible to not root for them. Luca, especially, has such a beautiful spirt, and my heart broke for her as she struggled to simply exist. I look forward to seeing what these authors come up with next.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for providing an ARC for review.

(Arc provided by netgalley in exchange for honest review)

This book was damn cute. In a lot of ways it reminded me of my other favorite from Penelope Ward, "Love online".

Luca's character was so realistic and cute. Her fears and anxiety were so well written. This is kind of a trigger warning for some i think.

Griffin is absolutely adorable and perfect.

And I even shed a few tears by the end.

Highly enjoyed this one.

Good lord.... this book. I felt every moment of it, and I just fell in love with the entire thing. The story of Luca and Griffin grabbed me and didn’t let go. It was such a moving read and I am so glad I chose to read it. By far, the best I’ve read from this duo! I lived through every fear that Luca had, and her anxiety was entirely believable. If I could give this one ten stars I would!!

I've tried to read other books by this writing team and I'm in the clear minority because I just can't connect with the writing. I prefer a story with more depth and I just never connected with this story. Ended up shelving it after a few chapters.

Luca is REAL! And it is extremely difficult to find such a protagonist in a Romance novel, who you can relate to.

Luca suffers from Agoraphobia (the fear of crowded places) after a tragic fire took her best friend away. That was the day she shut down all communication with the world, including her pen pal Griffin. Years later. a letter from Griffin opens the flood gates of happy memories and she decides to reconcile with the only person who truly understands her.
Griffin's present life is very different from what Luca can handle, but when they finally meet (after a wonderful adventure on Luca's part), their chemistry is pure magic.

Luca's relationship with her therapist is what I enjoyed the most in this book (a close second was Luca and Griffin, I promise). Her panic and anxiety attacks are handled quite well, giving us readers no unrealistic hopes. I loved how original and grounded the story felt, especially on Luca's part. Doc's advice on everything under the sun (including his examples derived from the birds he loves watching so dearly) is relatable and honest.

Griffin is the man we should aspire to find/become. He is understanding, caring and very loving and forms a strong backbone to Luca's vulnerability.

My apologies if this review is turning serious, but on a brighter note, Luca and Griffin's conversation are hilarious and oh! so sexy. I found myself cracking up and swooning each time these two were together. Also, It won't be surprising, if Griffin becomes your new favorite book boyfriend :P

This book gave me ALL THE FEELS. It was so beautifully and thoughtfully written. I am a sucker for an epistolary romance, but this one was cream of the crop, top of the line, just wonderfulness. Griffin and Luca are true soul mates. Truly - the lengths that Griffin went through to support Luca and understand her NOT fix her - were inspiring.

The story contains such an honest and open look at anxiety disorders and healing. The authors never try to "fix" Luca or have her miraculously cured of her anxiety. It shows her working through it and the damage it does to herself and her relationships. Griffin, who has his own issues, loves Luca for who she is - including the anxiety. He support and understands, but doesn't enable or try to fix. There relationship is really amazing and should give hope and inspiration to others who might suffer from the same level of anxiety - or who have a partner with anxiety.
'
I really adored this story and all that went with it. It was sweet, funny, sexy as hell, and beautifully written.

I received an ARC of this story in exchange for this review - but the opinions expressed are entirely my own!

Griffin and Luca's journey is so complex and full of emotion. Yes, there are great sexy and steamy aspects. But what truly stands out are the real struggles each character faces. Fame isn't all it's cracked up to be and Griffin's struggle comes across as genuine. Luca's past and her current issues draw the reader in and make you invested in her outcome. It's a beautiful romance that got its start in childhood and endured. But is it strong enough? I highly recommend you read and find out.

This book was good, just not great for me. The good, I loved Griffin! He was funny, sweet, and British, what more could you ask for? The letters they wrote each other were my favorite part. I read it in one sitting, and definitely wanted to see how it would end. The parts that had me struggling were I felt like it was rushed in parts, like their love story once they meet. I had a hard time remembering they had been writing back and forth for a long time. I also didn't really connect with Luca. This was a 3.5 star read for me. I would definitely recommend as a fairly light love story. There was some angst and drama in there as well. I will for sure try more from these authors!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Once again, this team of authors has created a deeply romantic story that pulls on your heartstrings from start to finish. This fantastic, emotional book had me rooting for a love that’s anything but easy, yet so worth the struggle.

I’m going to be intentionally vague here in describing the plot, because the discovery is all part of the journey and well worth letting it all unfold naturally. Essentially, it’s the story of childhood pen pals who started writing in second grade as an assignment and then spent the next ten years exchanging deep, intimate letters that brought them closer than people who see each other every day. Everything changed when Luca stopped responding to Griffin’s letters, and it changes again when he sends her a letter eight years later saying how much he could’ve really used a friend during that time in his life. Little did Griffin know that Luca actually had a very legitimate reason for taking time off from the letters, but the damage was already done by the time she was in a place where she could start responding again. Now that they are adults, all of those old feelings come rushing back to the surface and they both crave a real connection since they’re feeling alone in the world. These two lead very different lifestyles (perhaps too different to make a real relationship work), but they’ve been a part of each other’s lives for 18 years in one way or another and that means their connection is worth fighting for.

Do yourself a favor and read the book. It’s great. As always, the authors’ writing is so, so good. I’ve read several of their books at this point, so I was prepared for there to be a major obstacle in the path of love, but knew better than to try to spoil that for myself ahead of time. It’s best to just read the book and get immersed in the story; let things unravel naturally and follow the journey as the couple does. I had literal goosebumps while reading the ending, it’s that good. A big thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was incredibly excited to read this book and it definitely lived up to my expectations.

A modern fairy tale about a pen pal relationship turning into attraction and love, “Dirty Letters”, by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward (Montlake Romance), features two likeable people and tackles issues such as grief, mental trauma and emotional and psychological pain and the price of fame.
The romance between Griffin and Luca is sweet and I appreciated their honesty (aside a justifiable exception) and the fact they talked and were kind with each other.
The conflict/incompatibility between Luca’s condition – very well and thoroughly handled – and Griffin’s public persona is interesting to read. I really liked the authors’ take on Luca’s condition, with no easy solutions, nor quick cure, and loved Griffin’s determination and willingness to overcome the obstacles.
I liked the epistolary genre more in the beginning, when both characters were younger, less toward the end, where I thought it made the story drag out a bit.
I also felt this book could be shorter, the couple’s sexual exploitations didn’t grab my interest, some parts – for example, in the dialogue - were a bit cheesy and some aspects were somewhat unbelievable.
In the end, I felt more empathy with the heroine and her struggles than with the hero. All in all, I think this story will appeal to younger readers.

Dirty letters is a journey, a brilliant rollercoaster of one at that.
Luca has severe acrophobia and is subject to severe panic attacks if she is in certain situations, having been caught up in a fire at a concert which killed her best friend, leaving her with crippling PTSD. She now lives alone and only has contact with her counsellor ‘Doc’ and the checkout lady at the store she goes to late at night to do her shopping.
Years ago she was Pen pal to Griffin, they shared everything in their letters but she stopped writing after the fire. Griffin now a famous rock star has written to her, a scathing letter letting her know how her failure to write and answer his letters made him feel.
Gradually they start to correspond again, so we have the relationship developing, with love, hope, angst and humour. Beautifully written although at times you’ll probably want to shake Luca you have to remember her past trauma.
Well written , with well constructed characters, powerful and satisfying.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Oh my, what a sweet, emotional and sexy friends to lovers, pen pals to more, with a little heartache added to the mix. We follow two 7 year old children, a boy, Griffin, from England, and a girl, Luca, from America, who via a pen pal exchange with their schools have a 10 year letter exchange, telling each other their most intimate secrets. This ends suddenly when Luca is involved in a life changing incident. 8 years letter following a drunken letter rant from Griff, it starts up again, and they form another undeniable bond. The question is, can they put the past behind them and live in the here and now. Beautiful words that flow seamlessly from two authors born to write in tandem. A wonderful story that pulls at your heart strings, leaving you unable to to focus on anything else but their written word. With characters, including a pig called Hortencia, that you just have to love. I’ll never look at McDonald’s toys the same again. I was laughing, I was crying, I was praying for a happy ever after. I loved it. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.
Side note - They get THE best models for their covers!

Loved, loved , loved!! Great story. There were ups and downs, steaminess, relationship building and overall it was a great story. I loved the whole pen pal story, I think that gives it s unique spin. I love how this also has a second chance element to it. Luca and Griff build their friendship/relationship back up after 8 years and without any spoilers it was an amazing book. I loved everything about it - plot, characters, writing style, steaminess level!!! Definitely recommend!!

Dirty Letters had it all, it was steamy, dramatic, emotional... a total win for me.
This writing duo is so effing fantastic. It’s impossible for them to write a bad book.
The storyline for it just really stole my heart.
Pen pals from age 7 - 17/18 but stopped due to life for 8 years...reconnected through letters.
Luca and Griffin both have secrets but trust in their childhood friendship.
Their story is going down as one of my all time favorites.
I can’t say anything else..please just give this one a read.
You wrote regret it.
~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
Plot~ 5/5
Main Characters (hero/heroine)~ 5/5

Secondary Characters~ 5/5 oh my goodness- Doc and Doris were fantastic!

The Feels~ 5/5 - started crying about 80%
Pacing~ 5/5
Addictiveness~5/5 read it in one sitting
Angst~ 5/5
Steam/Hotness/Chemisty ~ 5/5
Theme or Tone~ 5/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 5/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 5/5
Originality~ 5/5
Ending~ 5/5
Book Cover~ PHENOMENAL for Griffin
Series~ stand-alone
Source~ Kindle eBook - ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review

Would I read more from the authors? Hell Yes
Would I recommend this book? Hell Yes