This book did its job. I am feeling conflicted about whether or not I loved it or hated it, but it's for every reason that I'm supposed to. My heart hurts, but it feels hopeful. I'm angry, but relieved. I'm unsatisfied, but also realize there was no other ending possible. Plus, I do love an unreliable narrator, and anyone who knows me knows that I adore the ghost trope. It can only end in one of three ways, and while this third way is the rarest (and, in my opinion, the hardest to execute well), I love it just as much.
The writing was lovely. It was poetic, raw, and evocative, and I'll definitely be exploring more of Geissinger's works. The story was so immersive that I simply couldn't put it down. Admittedly I guessed the ending from the first 10% or so, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable. (And that has less to do, I think, with the writing of the author, and more to do with the fact that I read obsessively, watch too many psychological thrillers, and have a career in psychology. I also guessed the ending to The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, so, grain of salt and all of that.)
I will be thinking about this book for a long time, and I'm looking forward to recommending the stunning special edition to customers at my store. I know it's been published for a good minute already, but think this one is going to continue to do exceptionally well.

Ok, this book was absolutely fantastic. Aside from being a wonderful bundle of spice, it's an amazing look at life, love, and death.

After losing her husband, Kayla finds herself completely lost, afloat in a world of uncertainty that's literally falling apart. Like her house. So when she finally gets a hold of someone to fix her roof, she's completely floored by the man who shoes up. Aidan. A man of few words with an enormous presence that makes her feel things she thought would never return to her life.

As she becomes closer to Aidan and feels what it's like to be excited and happy, she has doubts about herself in terms of being with someone new so soon after her husband's death. But when she starts seeing and hearing things in her house, terrifying her and sending her running straight to Aidan, she begins to question what she's feeling on a much deeper level.

Forced to face reality and work through her pain, Kayla is in for a wild ride in search of the truth, including the disrepair of her house, Aidan's help with it and with her emotions, and the mysterious letters from a man in prison.

Amazing writing, amazing twists, and amazing feelings all the way through!

Pen Pal turned out to be a far cry from what I anticipated. Going in blind, I assumed it would have entertainment, romance, and enjoyment. However, it fell short of those expectations, leaving me feeling utterly disappointed. So, brace yourself for my rant review!

Let’s set the record straight: Pen Pal is not a romance. Marketing it as a dark romance and that synopsis is misleading. I’m pretty annoyed this is compared to Ana Huang’s books. Pen Pal fits squarely into the category of erotica paranormal thriller. Here is what the book truly involves-

The book opens with Kayla attending her husband’s funeral who died in drowning accident. Upon returning home, she receives a letter from a stranger named Dante, a prisoner who claims to know her. Despite never having heard of him, Kayla engages in a questionable exchange of letters, divulging details of her life. Setting aside this peculiar behavior, the narrative progresses to other events.

To fix leaking ceiling in the house Kayla hires Aidan, a roofer but then she dismiss him from the job as he had questioning personality and was unlicensed but still owned a roofing company. However, their paths cross again at a bar, where Aidan unexpectedly invites her to his home that is above the bar, expressing wish to make love with her. Of course, it’s bizarre and Kayla refuses but one night when Kayla feels unsafe in her own home, first thing she does is run to Aidan’s place and spend night with him resulting in sexual affair.

Apparently her house is haunted – lights fluttering, bulbs exploding, door bell ringing but there is no one outside, drawers and cupboards opening in the night, jars flying, presence of figures, and finding her husband’s lucky coin- but Kayla dismisses them as manifestations of her grief and stress. Until Fiona, Kayla’s house keeper, only character who made sense, suggested to act on the haunting spirit and figure out what it wanted but that doesn’t happen until 70% of the book.

All we get throughout the book is Kayla and Aidan having series of sex and falling in love amidst the physicality. There is no proper background of characters. We get fleeting glimpse of their struggling life but it didn’t give any depth to characters.

I couldn’t figure out Kayla. She was passive and naive person who never saw red flags until it’s too late and didn’t seriously act on it. There were plenty hints her husband was abusive to her and something very bad happened because of that and yet her reluctance to remove her wedding ring or disclose her husband’s demise to Aidan only adds to the perplexity of her character. She is 30 years old and yet she has no maturity.

It was all very confusing. I couldn’t tell where the story was going and what exactly characters wanted, except the sex part of course, I came close to DNFing the book at 75% but then a sudden twist offers a glimmer of intrigue that made want to at least see the end.

I almost thought the spirit haunting her might be her husband but what was revealed was surprising. Twist turned out shocking and at the same time outrageously disappointing. There is no HEA and I would have been fine with it but this was just tragic and unsatisfying.

As for the romance, like I said there is no romance just series of BDSM sex where Kayla and Aidan role played as rabbit and lion that made me cringe every time I read their bunny kins and I went through that torture for the entirety of the book. There is no heart melting moments or genuine connection, nor both characters do anything to show affection. No cuddling after sex doesn’t count.

Oh and I forget to mention, nothing exactly comes out of the whole Pen Pal thing. In middle of the story Dante and his letters disappears until the twist near the end. It had connection with the story and very well explained in the end but I found it utterly unnecessary. Why would a person go to such length to make other realize who they really are when there are other simple ways to do it considering the identity of the person.

Overall, Pen Pal was uninteresting, confusing, and disappointing erotica thriller. Only reason I’m giving it 2 start and lower than that is because of last 30% of the book., that plot twist. From now on I’m reading all reviews specially spoilery reviews just so I know what I’m getting into.

I feel the summary they provided for this book doesn't accurately describe the story. I'm kind of torn over this one— the "bunny/lion" thing isn't for me so that kind of had me cringing, but THAT TWIST! My jaw dropped, I did not see that coming!

✨Do you believe that places can be haunted?✨

Thank you so much J.T. Geissinger, Bramble Romance, NetGalley, and Giselle Gonzales for the ARC of Pen Pal. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh wow! I can hardly catch my breath after finishing Pen Pal 🤯. This suspenseful, dark romance has so many shocking twists and turns, and just the right amount of creepy, that I know the book will live rent free in my head for a long time to come.

Pen Pal follows FMC, Kayla Reece, as she attempts to move on after the sudden death of her husband, Michael. My heart absolutely broke for the children’s book illustrator as she attempted to go back to work, join a grief group, and have the leaky roof of her Queen Anne Victorian home fixed. However, things really began to heat up once Aiden, the roofing specialist, showed up at her door. 🔥

If you’re a fan of spicy romance, you’re going to love Kayla and Aiden 😍. Their chemistry is piping hot, even though they are both holding secrets close to their hearts. I really enjoyed reading about how they brought each other such happiness in the midst of tragedy. I also adored that Aiden instinctively put Kayla and her emotional needs first, even if it broke his heart a bit.

The parts of the book that blew my mind the most though, were the mysterious letters Kayla received from a man named Dante at the Washington State Penitentiary, as well as the pop ghostly hauntings at Kayla’s house. Seriously, the suspense behind these two mysteries was palpable throughout the book. I was shocked once everything was revealed at the conclusion🤯. That ending will haunt me for a long time to come…

In the pages you will find:

❤️ Romance
😮 Suspense
👻 Ghostly Hauntings
✉️ Mysterious letters from a pen pal
💔 Tragedy
🌶️ Lots of spice
🤯 A mind blowing ending!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a steamy romance with a mysterious thread and a paranormal twist. Definitely not easy to categorize this one but it was a page turner and I definitely want to check out more by this author as a result.

I actually really enjoyed this book but the spicy scenes were a too cringe - the whole little bunny thing really took me out of the whole thing but I liked the plot and the characters otherwise

SHE.WRECKED.ME! J.T. got me in a chokehold and took me on a ride that I did not want to get off, well maybe I did get off… Wink wink….Because from Kayla and Aidan’s first encounter, sparks flew like wildfire. Adian’s description? Pure perfection - picture tall, muscular, with thighs that could crush you, all wrapped up in a package of raw strength and rugged handsomeness, adorned with tattoos, it's dark, dangerous and mysterious, yes of course I was here for it!

And oh, the Dirty Talk! It had me reaching for a whisky on ice, and let's not forget the Dom/Sub dynamics and primal play? Sexy as hell! Sh*t it had me itching for a midnight wrestling match, all while devouring every word at 1 am.

But it wasn't all about the steamy scenes. Amidst the romance, the story delved into real issues, adding depth to the spicy escapades. And don't even get me started on their banter. Adorable doesn't even begin to cover it. I was swooning big time.

And just when you think you've got it all figured out, brace yourself for a twist that'll have you shouting "WTF!" - in the most delicious way. It's a rollercoaster ride of pleasure and surprise that'll leave you craving more from J.T. Geissinger!

Absolutely worth the hype! Expertly written, surprising, mind fucking, erotic, unconventional perfection! One of my favorites of the year! But I wouldn’t consider this a dark romance.

I don't even have words for what I just read?

1. THERE'S a BUNNY KINK IN THIS BOOK (which is fine, but it def should have been mentioned? Pet play/ hunter & fear play is not a casual thing to not mention)!!
2. In no world should this have been marketed as a romance (dark or not!), this is 100% a paranormal erotica.
3. The penpal aspect of this book is WAY overplayed when she got MAX 2 - 3 letters?
4. He never even fixes the leak in her roof.
5. The larger triggers in this book need to be mentioned and this book entirely avoids listing them in order to keep the "surprise" alive.

Overall, I feel extremely mislead by the marketing of this book, there's no such thing as a non traditional HEA (Happily Ever After), and I would not recommend to anyone looking for a romance book.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC!

Thank you to the publisher for an e arc of this book.

So….the burb is absolutely nothing like the book. Honestly in some cases I found it very misleading, and I think this book being marketed as a romance was wrong. I don’t want to go into too many details as to why, but to me it wasn’t a romance, more like romantic suspense/thriller. It’s not dark romance either.

Aside from that I thought it was a well written book. I did actually enjoy the book overall, but it was not what I was expecting.

If you like mysteries and thrillers with a side of spicy romance, I think you will enjoy it. The reason I’m not wanting to say too much is because this book is still better read with no spoilers.

Saying that, this book did make me want to flip back and look at the clues laid throughout the book. Gessinger did that very well, and I applaud her for that.

There are trigger warnings that do need to be listed, miscarriage and abuse among them.

Overall, if you saw this and are looking for a dark romance, you will not get that in this book.

This book… Plot twist of all Plot twists. I thought I had it figured out and then BAM! This book was not what I expected it was going to be. But, I was not disappointed. Such a good book!
NetGalley provided me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts are my own.

I loved this book! The twists and turns kept me on my toes the entire time! I love the characters and chemistry they had! Overall it was a fantastic book!

I had no idea what to expect going into this book but what I wasn't expecting was to cry and be in shock once I finished the book. There was not one single thing I didn't like about this book. I loved the paranormal aspect, the romance was a level 10 of spice, the characters I loved with my whole heart, it was just so good. When they compare this book to the thrills that Rachel Hawkins writes, they hit it right on the head. It was twisty, gasp-worthy, sexy, I loved every minute of it. Please don't go into this book thinking it's a perfect happily ever after because it's definitely not but it is so worth the read.

Not your average romance, more of a mystery romance. Super spicy at 15%. Full of letting go, commitment and clairty.

Definitely did not expect this title to turn into the psychological thriller that it was! My advice is to not read spoilers that have been posted, go into it blind. It makes it that much more thrilling!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title!

I'm just going to say it -- this book is bizarre. Just when I thought I had a handle on what was going to happen next, the rug was pulled out from underneath me.

"Pen Pal" wasn't at all what I was expecting it to be from the blurb. That's not to say that I wasn't hooked, but I think that it would benefit from either an updated blurb to indicate more of the actual plot, or a different type of marketing. I also think that the title of the story is a bit misleading. That being said, I'm still going to continue reading JT Geissinger because she continually makes me want to turn the page to see what happens next.

I think if you're into suspense, open door sex scenes, and added intrigue, you'll like Pen Pal. Thank you to Bramble for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book I’ve read by this author. I enjoyed the spicy romance and the mystery/surprise elements. I think fans of J.T. Geissinger will love this gorgeous special edition.

“He’s drenched in golden sunlight, smiling at me as if I’m the first sunrise he’s ever seen."
•

I went into this one completely blind, and what a wild ride! it was sexy and spooky and the type of story I wouldn’t normally reach for but I’m glad I did!

after her husband dies, Kayla Reece is trying to move forward with her life. while attempting to fix the electrical issues and leaks in her home, she hires and fires a handyman in one day. she doesn’t expect to see him again, and she definitely doesn’t expect to start a fling with him!

simultaneously, she's receiving letters from a penitentiary inmate she’s never met and it’s obvious he’s obsessed with her. throw in her housekeeper who is convinced Kayla is being haunted, and you’ve got a jam-packed thriller on your hands.

each of these situations appears to be independent of one another, but eventually Kayla must reconcile that all signs point to one thing. will she be able to handle the truth and everything that comes with it?
•

this and that:
♡ “eyes on me”
♡ ghosts
♡ handyman / client
♡ open door romance
♡ Pacific Northwest
♡ paranormal activities
♡ psychics / mediums
♡ rain
♡ role-playing
♡ romantic thriller
♡ seances
♡ Sixth Sense vibes
♡ tarot readings
♡ widow finds a new love
•

triggers:
☞ domestic violence
☞ explicit sexual content
☞ kidnapping mentioned
☞ miscarriage
☞ murder
☞ spousal death
•

notable quotes:
・I sometimes wonder what will be left on my to-do list when I die.

・“Even small dragons can still breathe fire.”

・“We’re not introverts. We’re misanthropes. Big difference.”

・“I wish you knew how perfect you are. How different and perfect. I’ve never met anyone like you. Whenever we’re together, I feel like a new man. A better man. Like everything bad that’s ever happened to me doesn’t matter anymore because your sweet smile takes it all away.”

・“Everything about you pleases me.”

・Funny thing, isn’t it, hindsight? It’s memory, but with new understanding tacked on, so that the past means something different than it did before.

・“Pretend whatever you want. The reality is that if I find out a man put his hands on you in anger, he won’t ever be able to do it again.”

・“If you decide this isn’t what you want, promise me you’ll end it before I fall in love with you.”

・“I never want you to look back at this time and think we rushed things. I never want you to have regrets. Not about us. So we’re gonna slow it down to a crawl and take baby steps.”

・“Reality is simply what we believe it to be.”

・He’s drenched in golden sunlight, smiling at me as if I’m the first sunrise he’s ever seen.
_
thank you Bramble Romance for sending me an early copy of this book to review!

I think I liked this book? This was my first foray into paranormal romance and it was fun. The relationship seemed a little shallow and the mystery seemed a little simple, but I guess it all made sense. I don't know how I feel about the twist. At first I was pretty upset by it, but I've since calmed down, haha! There's a reason why this book was so popular when it was indie published. This isn't a romance you read for the quality writing or the emotional depth of the characters. It's fast, spicy, and keeps you guessing.