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Pen Pal
A USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon Charts bestselling novel
The first letter arrived the day my husband was buried. It was postmarked from the state penitentiary, and contained a single sentence:
I’ll wait forever if I have to.
It was signed by Dante, a man I didn’t know.
Out of simple curiosity, I wrote back to ask him what exactly he was waiting for. His reply?
You.
I told the mystery man he had the wrong girl. He said he didn’t. I said we’d never met, but he said I was wrong.
We went back and forth, exchanging letters every week that grew increasingly more intimate. Then one day, the letters stopped. When I found out why, it was already too late.
Dante was at my doorstep.
And nothing on earth could have prepared me for what happened next.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING:
This novel contains content intended for a mature audience only. Due to explicit language, graphic sex, detailed depictions of death and grief, intense power play dynamics, and other possible triggers, it is not suitable for sensitive readers. (Full list of TWs on author's website.)
The first letter arrived the day my husband was buried. It was postmarked from the state penitentiary, and contained a single sentence:
I’ll wait forever if I have to.
It was signed by Dante, a man I didn’t know.
Out of simple curiosity, I wrote back to ask him what exactly he was waiting for. His reply?
You.
I told the mystery man he had the wrong girl. He said he didn’t. I said we’d never met, but he said I was wrong.
We went back and forth, exchanging letters every week that grew increasingly more intimate. Then one day, the letters stopped. When I found out why, it was already too late.
Dante was at my doorstep.
And nothing on earth could have prepared me for what happened next.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING:
This novel contains content intended for a mature audience only. Due to explicit language, graphic sex, detailed depictions of death and grief, intense power play dynamics, and other possible triggers, it is not suitable for sensitive readers. (Full list of TWs on author's website.)
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 16, 2022
16.5k people are currently reading
104k people want to read
About the author
J.T. Geissinger
38books20.4kfollowersJ.T. Geissinger is a USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon Charts bestselling author of thirty-two novels. Ranging from funny, feisty romcoms to intense erotic thrillers, her books have sold over fifteen million copies and been translated into more than twenty languages.
She is a three-time nominee in both contemporary and paranormal romance for the RITA® Award, the highest distinction in romance fiction from the Romance Writers of America®. She is also a recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and the HOLT Medallion for Best Erotic Romance.
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She is a three-time nominee in both contemporary and paranormal romance for the RITA® Award, the highest distinction in romance fiction from the Romance Writers of America®. She is also a recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and the HOLT Medallion for Best Erotic Romance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 21,914 reviews
August 24, 2022
Pen Pal is the (previously marketed) dark romance of Aiden and Kayla. The blurb initially led readers to believe this would be a story about a woman whose husband died, with her subsequently receiving letters from a guy at the local prison named “Dante�. Now, I’m going to break down the issues I (me, myself and I) had with this book. We’ll start with the egregiously deceptive marketing faux pas, then move to the substance of the story and the authors lack of trigger warnings when this all first started. Spoiler tags are added throughout this review. If you don’t want to read this, please just move along and leave the nasty comments for someone who cares.
Marketing Faux Pas
The book cover itself is objectively hot, and just about what we’d expect from what’s been marketed as a dark romance, right? The author herself in a Facebook post on January 27, 2022, posted a “surprise cover reveal�, stating that the book was “a standalone dark romance�. There was nothing about a “non-traditional romance� or a “non-traditional HEA�.
On July 20, 2022, the author posted about ARC reader sign-ups on her author FB page. Again, no mentions about it being a “non-traditional romance� or “non-traditional HEA�.
In the author’s FB reader group, prior to release, the author posted stating that she was getting a lot of worried questions on whether Pen Pal had an HEA or not. Her answer? Not a traditional one. She goes on to say a whole lot of other stuff about the writing process and how you should go in blind. This post, again, didn’t really answer the YES/NO question regarding HEAs, nor did it address or even hint at any potential trigger warnings the book may contain. Stating a book is “dark� ain’t enough. But we’ll get there.
ARCs were sent out late, about a week before the book was released. This was the “Note from the Author� in the beginning:
Let’s discuss what a non-traditional romance/HEA is�.oh wait, there’s no such thing. HEAs, or “happily ever afters� are not something that authors should take lightly when writing something they are marketing as a romance. Even something labeled a dark romance has an HEA or an HFN (happy for now) for the couple. However, calling your book “non-traditional� doesn’t make it acceptable. What this does is confuse your established romance readers and skirts around the answer of what the heck your book should be classified as. If you’re going to subvert the genre, be clear and be descriptive. Tell your readers that a non-traditional HEA means Tell your readers that the book has so they aren’t walking into your book blind. OR, how about you just label the book into the genre that it actually is.
After I finished my review of Pen Pal, I was very confused and highly upset. I’d just finished something that was not at all what it was marketed as for the better part of a year. I’d read something with a shit ton of triggers that were not explicitly listed in the author’s note. Further, I’d wasted my time. The PR company contacted me about my initial spoiler-y review, to which I replied I would be posting it at a later date, and that they should be careful about sending out/marketing books under an incorrect genre. To my surprise, the PR company actually apologized and stated that they would absolutely do better in the future to ensure they properly do their research when it comes to JT’s books. The PR company had received the book so late from the author that they hadn’t had time to do a read through. Next thing you know, the author changed the genre to paranormal erotic thriller (way more accurate), and added a list of explicit trigger warnings to her website, and I believe to the author’s note in the beginning of the finished copies.
HOWEVER, the author continues to use romance and dark romance tags on IG posts, and her reader fans continue to tell people this is a romance and when asked if it has an HEA, the general answer is “I don’t want to spoil it, just go in blind." Ok, if you can’t just straight up say YES/NO when someone asks whether it’s an HEA…IT DOES NOT HAVE AN HEA. Period.
Had I not said anything on ŷ after my readthrough of the book, the PR company would’ve never known what this book was truly about, and people would’ve picked up this book and been disappointed because they wanted a romance, and that ain’t what this is. NEWSFLASH � lots of cringey sex scenes with bunny/lion king references doesn’t equal romance. It’s just sex.
I genuinely hope the author is more transparent in future releases that stray from her typical mafia romance reads, because we’re not stupid. If it’s a romance, it’s a romance. Don’t attempt to profit on your thriller from the romance base. Just be up front with your audience.
The Story
The story itself just wasn’t great to me. And that’s ok. The TL;DR version is that
The paranormal aspect was meh. All it did was set up a lot of Sixth Sense-ish vibes that left you going, “what the fuck is going on�.
The heroine, Kayla, had no personality.
The “hot sex� was cringey sex. My lady bits didn’t even tingle. The bunny/lion thing was just weird, and the primal play was meh. Outside of the cringey sex, there wasn’t really much of a connection between Aiden and Kayla in my eyes. They just fucked and that was it.
The big reveal towards the end about
The “pen pal� aspect of it all was grossly oversold. There were maybe a handful of letters that
I needed more from the ending than
This was not the masterpiece I went in thinking it to be. It was a book that had a lot of sex scenes thrown in to attract romance readers and deter from the fact that this was really a paranormal thriller with a tragic ending. Again, the author should’ve just been straight up with that.
No Trigger Warnings
As stated above, this book did not have explicit trigger warnings prior to my ARC review. Let me explain why trigger warnings for this story were necessary.
Reason #1 � Miscarriage. There was an on-page scene describing (not super graphic, but enough that you got the picture) a traumatic miscarriage. I have had SOOOO many women message me in gratitude because they are not in the mindset right now to read miscarriage due to it being an issue they recently faced. Miscarriage is SO common amongst women, and when a book is pushed as a romance (which is dominated by women readers), you absolutely need to include miscarriage as a trigger warning. Fuck not wanting it to be a spoiler, you have a responsibility to inform your audience of romance readers on what triggering topics your book may include. Miscarriage is one of them.
Reason #2 � Domestic Violence/Abuse. In addition to being a , the heroine’s husband was abusive. As someone who was in a domestic violence relationship and got out, I prefer to know before reading a “romance� that this topic will be addressed so that I can mentally prepare myself. I had several people message me explaining they didn’t want to read this because the depiction of abusive partners is something that is a trigger for them.
Reason #3 � Mental Illness Representation. Don’t even get me started on the way that the husband’s was portrayed in this book. Regardless, the fact that this was in this book is a trigger for a lot of people. I have several friends who have family members, and reading a “romance� that deals with this topic hits too close to home for them. Mention it in your content warning, it’s not hard.
Readers acknowledging their boundaries doesn’t make them “sensitive�. It means they have the courage to know what works for them and what doesn’t. Any time an author says, “my book isn’t for sensitive readers,� they are dismissing people who simply want to know what a book is truly about before diving in. It grinds my gears when I see all the super fans telling people to go in blind. STOP DOING THAT. Going in blind is not something that all readers can do.
SUMMARY - The best thing that came from me speaking up was the author at least adding a few more explicit trigger warnings to her final copy. It was too late for me since I’d already read it and the damage was done, but hopefully knowing before reading continues to help future readers. Also, she “changed� the genre of the book so it’s no longer considered a romance, though a lot of people still don’t know this because she continues to use romance hashtags and a lot of her fans are still pushing this as a romance book in romance reader groups on FB. My trust in this author was greatly diminished. Trigger warnings exist for a reason. Genre classification exists for a reason. Sensitivity readers exist for a reason. There’s no reason to be ignorant in 2022, absolutely none.
Marketing Faux Pas
The book cover itself is objectively hot, and just about what we’d expect from what’s been marketed as a dark romance, right? The author herself in a Facebook post on January 27, 2022, posted a “surprise cover reveal�, stating that the book was “a standalone dark romance�. There was nothing about a “non-traditional romance� or a “non-traditional HEA�.
On July 20, 2022, the author posted about ARC reader sign-ups on her author FB page. Again, no mentions about it being a “non-traditional romance� or “non-traditional HEA�.
In the author’s FB reader group, prior to release, the author posted stating that she was getting a lot of worried questions on whether Pen Pal had an HEA or not. Her answer? Not a traditional one. She goes on to say a whole lot of other stuff about the writing process and how you should go in blind. This post, again, didn’t really answer the YES/NO question regarding HEAs, nor did it address or even hint at any potential trigger warnings the book may contain. Stating a book is “dark� ain’t enough. But we’ll get there.
ARCs were sent out late, about a week before the book was released. This was the “Note from the Author� in the beginning:
Dear reader, this novel is a non-traditional romance with a non-traditional ending and contains content intended for a mature audience only. Due to explicit language, graphic sex, detailed depictions of death and grief, intense power play dynamics, and other possible triggers too numbers to list, it is not suitable for sensitive readers.
Let’s discuss what a non-traditional romance/HEA is�.oh wait, there’s no such thing. HEAs, or “happily ever afters� are not something that authors should take lightly when writing something they are marketing as a romance. Even something labeled a dark romance has an HEA or an HFN (happy for now) for the couple. However, calling your book “non-traditional� doesn’t make it acceptable. What this does is confuse your established romance readers and skirts around the answer of what the heck your book should be classified as. If you’re going to subvert the genre, be clear and be descriptive. Tell your readers that a non-traditional HEA means Tell your readers that the book has so they aren’t walking into your book blind. OR, how about you just label the book into the genre that it actually is.
After I finished my review of Pen Pal, I was very confused and highly upset. I’d just finished something that was not at all what it was marketed as for the better part of a year. I’d read something with a shit ton of triggers that were not explicitly listed in the author’s note. Further, I’d wasted my time. The PR company contacted me about my initial spoiler-y review, to which I replied I would be posting it at a later date, and that they should be careful about sending out/marketing books under an incorrect genre. To my surprise, the PR company actually apologized and stated that they would absolutely do better in the future to ensure they properly do their research when it comes to JT’s books. The PR company had received the book so late from the author that they hadn’t had time to do a read through. Next thing you know, the author changed the genre to paranormal erotic thriller (way more accurate), and added a list of explicit trigger warnings to her website, and I believe to the author’s note in the beginning of the finished copies.
HOWEVER, the author continues to use romance and dark romance tags on IG posts, and her reader fans continue to tell people this is a romance and when asked if it has an HEA, the general answer is “I don’t want to spoil it, just go in blind." Ok, if you can’t just straight up say YES/NO when someone asks whether it’s an HEA…IT DOES NOT HAVE AN HEA. Period.
Had I not said anything on ŷ after my readthrough of the book, the PR company would’ve never known what this book was truly about, and people would’ve picked up this book and been disappointed because they wanted a romance, and that ain’t what this is. NEWSFLASH � lots of cringey sex scenes with bunny/lion king references doesn’t equal romance. It’s just sex.
I genuinely hope the author is more transparent in future releases that stray from her typical mafia romance reads, because we’re not stupid. If it’s a romance, it’s a romance. Don’t attempt to profit on your thriller from the romance base. Just be up front with your audience.
The Story
The story itself just wasn’t great to me. And that’s ok. The TL;DR version is that
The paranormal aspect was meh. All it did was set up a lot of Sixth Sense-ish vibes that left you going, “what the fuck is going on�.
The heroine, Kayla, had no personality.
The “hot sex� was cringey sex. My lady bits didn’t even tingle. The bunny/lion thing was just weird, and the primal play was meh. Outside of the cringey sex, there wasn’t really much of a connection between Aiden and Kayla in my eyes. They just fucked and that was it.
The big reveal towards the end about
The “pen pal� aspect of it all was grossly oversold. There were maybe a handful of letters that
I needed more from the ending than
This was not the masterpiece I went in thinking it to be. It was a book that had a lot of sex scenes thrown in to attract romance readers and deter from the fact that this was really a paranormal thriller with a tragic ending. Again, the author should’ve just been straight up with that.
No Trigger Warnings
As stated above, this book did not have explicit trigger warnings prior to my ARC review. Let me explain why trigger warnings for this story were necessary.
Reason #1 � Miscarriage. There was an on-page scene describing (not super graphic, but enough that you got the picture) a traumatic miscarriage. I have had SOOOO many women message me in gratitude because they are not in the mindset right now to read miscarriage due to it being an issue they recently faced. Miscarriage is SO common amongst women, and when a book is pushed as a romance (which is dominated by women readers), you absolutely need to include miscarriage as a trigger warning. Fuck not wanting it to be a spoiler, you have a responsibility to inform your audience of romance readers on what triggering topics your book may include. Miscarriage is one of them.
Reason #2 � Domestic Violence/Abuse. In addition to being a , the heroine’s husband was abusive. As someone who was in a domestic violence relationship and got out, I prefer to know before reading a “romance� that this topic will be addressed so that I can mentally prepare myself. I had several people message me explaining they didn’t want to read this because the depiction of abusive partners is something that is a trigger for them.
Reason #3 � Mental Illness Representation. Don’t even get me started on the way that the husband’s was portrayed in this book. Regardless, the fact that this was in this book is a trigger for a lot of people. I have several friends who have family members, and reading a “romance� that deals with this topic hits too close to home for them. Mention it in your content warning, it’s not hard.
Readers acknowledging their boundaries doesn’t make them “sensitive�. It means they have the courage to know what works for them and what doesn’t. Any time an author says, “my book isn’t for sensitive readers,� they are dismissing people who simply want to know what a book is truly about before diving in. It grinds my gears when I see all the super fans telling people to go in blind. STOP DOING THAT. Going in blind is not something that all readers can do.
SUMMARY - The best thing that came from me speaking up was the author at least adding a few more explicit trigger warnings to her final copy. It was too late for me since I’d already read it and the damage was done, but hopefully knowing before reading continues to help future readers. Also, she “changed� the genre of the book so it’s no longer considered a romance, though a lot of people still don’t know this because she continues to use romance hashtags and a lot of her fans are still pushing this as a romance book in romance reader groups on FB. My trust in this author was greatly diminished. Trigger warnings exist for a reason. Genre classification exists for a reason. Sensitivity readers exist for a reason. There’s no reason to be ignorant in 2022, absolutely none.
August 17, 2022
1.5 stars 🐰
this was NOT a romance idk why this was even marketed in this way. this book is almost entirely a paranormal suspense with some repetitive smut sprinkled in�
note: this part of the review will be spoiler free so i’m going to talk about stuff as if i don’t know what the real story behind it is. there will be a spoiler part at the end of the review that fully explains the issues i had and spoils the book
characters
kayla (h), who’s name i forgot the instant i finished this book, is a children’s book illustrator who’s house is being haunted by a vengeful spirit. she also lost her husband in a drowning accident
aidan (H) is a guy who kayla hires to fix her roof. he doesn’t actually know shit about fixing roofs since he’s unlicensed, but he owns a roofing company ig
genre/triggers
this books true genre is such a mystery than even the author herself isn’t sure of it. from what i’ve read (correct me if i’m wrong). JTG was, until recently, promoting this book as a dark romance 😂
i’m so glad the ARC readers called her out on it because nothing irks me more than when authors promote books wrong. not only this but the blurb does NOT fit the book. the blurb made it seem like dante, the pen pal, was the main storyline.
i didn’t think the pen pal stuff was relevant to the story at all. not to mention, JTG originally released this book to arc readers without listing the trigger warnings. i don’t wanna put that blame completely on the author cause idk who decides stuff like that but that was a big oversight. some of the themes in this could have been very triggering for some readers
� the first 86% (pre-plot twist) �
romance
like i mentioned, aidan and kayla meet when kayla contacted aidan to fix a leak in her roof (which he never even fixed 😭)
after meeting the one time and ending on bad terms, kayla runs into aidan at a bar. there they talk for a little and aidan kisses her…he proceeds to ask her to come home with him so he can “make love to her�
make love…YOU DONT EVEN KNOW HER LOLLL. anyway, kayla refuses to go with him and essentially tells aidan ‘goodbye forever� but aidan tells her to come to his apartment if she ever changes her mind
one night kayla wakes up thinking someone broke into her house, so she runs out and goes to aidan’s apartment. this is the point in the book where i continued to nearly die from cringe because of the “dirty talk� between the MCs
what is this�BUNNY KINK? 😭😭😭😭
if a man ever told me he’d feed me his carrot, i’d bite it off 🥰
i shouldn’t even call this part of the review “romance”…there was none. all they did was fuck and call each other ‘bunny� and ‘master�
plot
to sum it up, after kayla’s husband, michael, died she gets a letter in the mail from a man named dante, who’s in prison. she responds back and they continue to correspond with each other throughout the book. the whole prison pen pal thing was stupid, i can’t stress that enough
this man tells her in his very first letter�
and she continues to talk to him 😭 she doesn’t even know anyone named dante...like this man might be luring her into trusting him so he can murder her and she’s telling him her whole life’s story
on top of the pen pal stuff, kayla’s house is haunted. light bulbs would burst, her doorbell would ring when no one was there, her cabinets would fly open and things we shoot across the room and her husbands buffalo coin would randomly show up in places when she knew she left it at home
all this stuff keeps happening (including her seeing a random man in a trench coat appear and disappear),yet she didn’t believe she had ghosts in her house�
like when her housekeep was explains that her house is haunted and she should have a séance this was her response�
MA’AM PLEASE 😂✋� AT LEAST TRY TO USE ONE OF THE 2 BRAINCELLS YOU HAVE
she was so fucking immature. when her housekeeper then told her that she shouldn’t let the ghost know that it’s dead because it could make them angrier, this is her response�
how is she a 30-year-old woman when she acts 4. WHAT THE HELL IS AN HEIRLOOM TOMATO?? like i don’t get the joke at all 🧍🏻♀�
now we’re gonna get to the juicy stuff�SPOILERS BELOW REGARDING THE PLOT ‼️
�
�
�
�
�
� the last 14% (post-plot twist) �
the major twist of this whole book is that�aidan and kayla are dead 🥳
basically,
� michael never died, in fact, he murdered aidan and kayla because he was a paranoid schizophrenic that thought they were working for the CIA in order to steal his ‘equations�. he also kicked kayla in the stomach so hard while she was pregnant with their baby that she miscarried. he thought kayla was impregnated by an alien broccoli
I’M SORRY 🤣 this really isn’t funny but “alien broccoli� killed me
� aidan and kayla were having an affair prior to their murders and were in love. her husband was also having an affair with someone at the university he worked at. aidan and kayla didn’t officially get together until after kayla left michael
all the sex scenes between them were memories of their lives before their murders (I think lol)
i don’t know, this part felt a bit like a plot hole cause it was hard to distinguish what was present and past. like when kayla met aidan’s best friend from high school and his wife. were they dead too or was it a memory? during that scene, they were talking about her husband and why she was still wearing her wedding ring, even though they were “separated� (at this point kayla didn’t know what happened to her). if this was a memory, would they have been talking about michael’s death or was this her confusing a memory and mixing everything up?
� dante (the pen pal) was actually ghost aidan trying to help kayla realize that she was dead. Kayla was a spirit that was so traumatized by her death that she refused to believe she was dead. furthermore, all the door slamming and door bell ringing were done by aidan
the only reason i gave this book 1.5 stars and not lower was solely because of the plot twist. i had a feeling dante was actually aidan but i had no clue that kayla and aidan were dead. i actually cried once when kayla and aidan reunited after she realized what happened to them�
also loved how aidan and kayla chose not to pass over into the afterlife but instead stick around so they can haunt michael while he’s in prison. i love this energy 😍
they really showed up and said, BOO!
final thoughts
i know it seems like i was confused during this review and that’s cause i was! it’s not because i didn’t understand what was happening because i didn’t pay attention. i’m chalking it up to being the author’s fault for not explaining everything better.
the backstory between kayla and aidan (when they were alive) was too vague. at first i thought i read that they met in college but now i’m not sure since i couldn’t find anything when i went back. unless aidan and kayla met when she hired him to repair her roof (just like when they were ghosts)? i give up at this point
i love how the biggest plot hole for me was�
WAS KAYLA’S ROOF EVER LEAKING 🤯
tanaz made an excellent point about how the plot was interesting and had potential, but JTG couldn’t do it justice. now if CoHo had thought about this plot she would have killed it 😩 i mean reading the story through the Dz’s POV?! ugh
this was NOT a romance idk why this was even marketed in this way. this book is almost entirely a paranormal suspense with some repetitive smut sprinkled in�
note: this part of the review will be spoiler free so i’m going to talk about stuff as if i don’t know what the real story behind it is. there will be a spoiler part at the end of the review that fully explains the issues i had and spoils the book
characters
kayla (h), who’s name i forgot the instant i finished this book, is a children’s book illustrator who’s house is being haunted by a vengeful spirit. she also lost her husband in a drowning accident
aidan (H) is a guy who kayla hires to fix her roof. he doesn’t actually know shit about fixing roofs since he’s unlicensed, but he owns a roofing company ig
genre/triggers
this books true genre is such a mystery than even the author herself isn’t sure of it. from what i’ve read (correct me if i’m wrong). JTG was, until recently, promoting this book as a dark romance 😂
i’m so glad the ARC readers called her out on it because nothing irks me more than when authors promote books wrong. not only this but the blurb does NOT fit the book. the blurb made it seem like dante, the pen pal, was the main storyline.
i didn’t think the pen pal stuff was relevant to the story at all. not to mention, JTG originally released this book to arc readers without listing the trigger warnings. i don’t wanna put that blame completely on the author cause idk who decides stuff like that but that was a big oversight. some of the themes in this could have been very triggering for some readers
� the first 86% (pre-plot twist) �
romance
like i mentioned, aidan and kayla meet when kayla contacted aidan to fix a leak in her roof (which he never even fixed 😭)
after meeting the one time and ending on bad terms, kayla runs into aidan at a bar. there they talk for a little and aidan kisses her…he proceeds to ask her to come home with him so he can “make love to her�
make love…YOU DONT EVEN KNOW HER LOLLL. anyway, kayla refuses to go with him and essentially tells aidan ‘goodbye forever� but aidan tells her to come to his apartment if she ever changes her mind
one night kayla wakes up thinking someone broke into her house, so she runs out and goes to aidan’s apartment. this is the point in the book where i continued to nearly die from cringe because of the “dirty talk� between the MCs
“I’m gonna devour you, little bunny rabbit, piece by tasty piece. I’m going to eat. You. Up.�
…]
“You’re trapped. Surrender.�
I tell him an outrageous lie. “Sorry, Mr. Lion King. This bunny isn’t in the mood to be breakfast.�
what is this�BUNNY KINK? 😭😭😭😭
“C’mon, little rabbit. If you’re good, I’ll feed you a carrot later on.� He turns and winks.
if a man ever told me he’d feed me his carrot, i’d bite it off 🥰
i shouldn’t even call this part of the review “romance”…there was none. all they did was fuck and call each other ‘bunny� and ‘master�
plot
to sum it up, after kayla’s husband, michael, died she gets a letter in the mail from a man named dante, who’s in prison. she responds back and they continue to correspond with each other throughout the book. the whole prison pen pal thing was stupid, i can’t stress that enough
this man tells her in his very first letter�
“I know the shape of your soul.�
…]
“I can still taste your skin.�
and she continues to talk to him 😭 she doesn’t even know anyone named dante...like this man might be luring her into trusting him so he can murder her and she’s telling him her whole life’s story
on top of the pen pal stuff, kayla’s house is haunted. light bulbs would burst, her doorbell would ring when no one was there, her cabinets would fly open and things we shoot across the room and her husbands buffalo coin would randomly show up in places when she knew she left it at home
all this stuff keeps happening (including her seeing a random man in a trench coat appear and disappear),yet she didn’t believe she had ghosts in her house�
like when her housekeep was explains that her house is haunted and she should have a séance this was her response�
“I hope you won’t be offended by this, but that is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.�
MA’AM PLEASE 😂✋� AT LEAST TRY TO USE ONE OF THE 2 BRAINCELLS YOU HAVE
she was so fucking immature. when her housekeeper then told her that she shouldn’t let the ghost know that it’s dead because it could make them angrier, this is her response�
“You risk alienating him altogether. If someone told you that you were dead, what would your reaction be?�
I snort. “I’d say sure, pal, and you’re an heirloom tomato.�
how is she a 30-year-old woman when she acts 4. WHAT THE HELL IS AN HEIRLOOM TOMATO?? like i don’t get the joke at all 🧍🏻♀�
now we’re gonna get to the juicy stuff�SPOILERS BELOW REGARDING THE PLOT ‼️
�
�
�
�
�
� the last 14% (post-plot twist) �
the major twist of this whole book is that�aidan and kayla are dead 🥳
basically,
� michael never died, in fact, he murdered aidan and kayla because he was a paranoid schizophrenic that thought they were working for the CIA in order to steal his ‘equations�. he also kicked kayla in the stomach so hard while she was pregnant with their baby that she miscarried. he thought kayla was impregnated by an alien broccoli
I’M SORRY 🤣 this really isn’t funny but “alien broccoli� killed me
� aidan and kayla were having an affair prior to their murders and were in love. her husband was also having an affair with someone at the university he worked at. aidan and kayla didn’t officially get together until after kayla left michael
all the sex scenes between them were memories of their lives before their murders (I think lol)
It took months of me sifting through memories and reliving my past to understand what happened. I lived two parallel lives, one past and one present, removed from reality but believing myself in it, utterly blind to the truth.
i don’t know, this part felt a bit like a plot hole cause it was hard to distinguish what was present and past. like when kayla met aidan’s best friend from high school and his wife. were they dead too or was it a memory? during that scene, they were talking about her husband and why she was still wearing her wedding ring, even though they were “separated� (at this point kayla didn’t know what happened to her). if this was a memory, would they have been talking about michael’s death or was this her confusing a memory and mixing everything up?
� dante (the pen pal) was actually ghost aidan trying to help kayla realize that she was dead. Kayla was a spirit that was so traumatized by her death that she refused to believe she was dead. furthermore, all the door slamming and door bell ringing were done by aidan
the only reason i gave this book 1.5 stars and not lower was solely because of the plot twist. i had a feeling dante was actually aidan but i had no clue that kayla and aidan were dead. i actually cried once when kayla and aidan reunited after she realized what happened to them�
“You found me,� I whisper, crying tears of joy.
…]
“I never lost you. Who do you think has been ringing the doorbell this whole time?�
I bury my face in his neck. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I couldn’t see. I was so confused.�
He murmurs against my ear, “It’s okay. I told you I’d wait forever if I had to.�
also loved how aidan and kayla chose not to pass over into the afterlife but instead stick around so they can haunt michael while he’s in prison. i love this energy 😍
they really showed up and said, BOO!
final thoughts
i know it seems like i was confused during this review and that’s cause i was! it’s not because i didn’t understand what was happening because i didn’t pay attention. i’m chalking it up to being the author’s fault for not explaining everything better.
the backstory between kayla and aidan (when they were alive) was too vague. at first i thought i read that they met in college but now i’m not sure since i couldn’t find anything when i went back. unless aidan and kayla met when she hired him to repair her roof (just like when they were ghosts)? i give up at this point
i love how the biggest plot hole for me was�
WAS KAYLA’S ROOF EVER LEAKING 🤯
tanaz made an excellent point about how the plot was interesting and had potential, but JTG couldn’t do it justice. now if CoHo had thought about this plot she would have killed it 😩 i mean reading the story through the Dz’s POV?! ugh
Read
October 24, 2022Dear reader,
Your mental health is important to me, so I'm providing a warning before you decide to proceed.
This novel contains content intended for a mature audience only. It is not suitable for sensitive readers. (Full list of TWs on author website.)
Be well,
J.T.
Your mental health is important to me, so I'm providing a warning before you decide to proceed.
This novel contains content intended for a mature audience only. It is not suitable for sensitive readers. (Full list of TWs on author website.)
Be well,
J.T.
August 21, 2022
This book can go fuck itself.
August 19, 2022
Total Mindfuck. Pen Pal is not your traditional Romance. I, for one, am for and love it. The book is worth all the hype and controversy. It’s A psychological thriller with a non-traditional romance.
This review is hard to write as I want to be vague and not give away spoilers. My best advice is to go in blind, have an open mind, and read your trigger warnings. If you’re a sensitive reader, this book is not for you.
Pen Pal ruined me in the best possible way. I didn't see one idoa of any plot twist. Kudos to the author. I love when that happens.
Pen Pals is very well written and steamy as hell. I was waiting for my kindle to combust in flames. The book is written mainly in Kayla’s POV, which is how the story unfolds. Aidan is the perfect book boyfriend.
Towards the end, I was crying like a baby with some rage. At the very last word, I was laughing.
Everyone sees beauty and pain in different ways. Not only is this story painful at times, but it can also rip your heart out and blow your mind. It's also beautiful and with love behind all the pain.
Overall, I can't tell you with words alone how much I love this book.
This review is hard to write as I want to be vague and not give away spoilers. My best advice is to go in blind, have an open mind, and read your trigger warnings. If you’re a sensitive reader, this book is not for you.
Pen Pal ruined me in the best possible way. I didn't see one idoa of any plot twist. Kudos to the author. I love when that happens.
Pen Pals is very well written and steamy as hell. I was waiting for my kindle to combust in flames. The book is written mainly in Kayla’s POV, which is how the story unfolds. Aidan is the perfect book boyfriend.
Towards the end, I was crying like a baby with some rage. At the very last word, I was laughing.
Everyone sees beauty and pain in different ways. Not only is this story painful at times, but it can also rip your heart out and blow your mind. It's also beautiful and with love behind all the pain.
Overall, I can't tell you with words alone how much I love this book.
August 19, 2022
i'll never see bunnies the same way again and i absolutely hate it. also when you read the title and blurb of this book and then actually read the content and story? i actually have to laugh.
spoiler quote incoming so beware, even tho it's pretty out of context but still
but i thought this quote summed up this book perfectly, cause it's so ridiculous i couldn't believe my eyes.
i- 😭😭😭😭😭😭
honestly justice for Michael and that alien broccoli, cause they were done so dirty by this book. 😩
bestie found JTG's inspiration for the alien broccoli and i think it's the perfect fancast.
moreover, let's see what else i found about these "broccoloids" villains from the powerpuff girls: "the broccoloids are an alien race of sentient broccoli. they try to control earthlings by putting mind control spores in their veggies. somewhat disturbingly, the powerpuff girls achieve victory by eating the broccoloids."
now it makes even more sense. Michael was protecting the earth from these strong ass broccolis and Kayla that ungrateful bish didn't understand. 😭
spoiler quote incoming so beware, even tho it's pretty out of context but still
but i thought this quote summed up this book perfectly, cause it's so ridiculous i couldn't believe my eyes.
Michael and Kayla were married young. Before his illness got bad. Before the outbursts. Before the hospitalizations. Before all the money started going toward his care.
Before he kicked her so hard in the stomach, she miscarried their baby.
He thought she'd been impregnated by the alien broccoli. He thought he was saving her.
i- 😭😭😭😭😭😭
honestly justice for Michael and that alien broccoli, cause they were done so dirty by this book. 😩
bestie found JTG's inspiration for the alien broccoli and i think it's the perfect fancast.
moreover, let's see what else i found about these "broccoloids" villains from the powerpuff girls: "the broccoloids are an alien race of sentient broccoli. they try to control earthlings by putting mind control spores in their veggies. somewhat disturbingly, the powerpuff girls achieve victory by eating the broccoloids."
now it makes even more sense. Michael was protecting the earth from these strong ass broccolis and Kayla that ungrateful bish didn't understand. 😭
November 11, 2024
This novel is designed for readers who enjoy shallow, sex-driven narratives.
The audiobook was so enjoyable; its format was perfect. Here’s where you can find the sample and format links:
The first half is primarily focused on explicit sexual encounters, while the second half transitions into ghostly themes, giving you the option to explore whichever part piques your interest. The writing itself is adequate, but the plot heavily features male dominance. The male lead is on a power trip, requiring the female protagonist to refer to him as "my master," and much of the flirtation involves threats of spanking.
While the ghost section offers some improvement, I found myself mentally disengaged by that point. Readers who seek a book that maintains its sexual intensity throughout may feel disappointed by the latter half. Overall, it’s a mixed experience that might not satisfy those looking for a more balanced narrative.
The audiobook was so enjoyable; its format was perfect. Here’s where you can find the sample and format links:
The first half is primarily focused on explicit sexual encounters, while the second half transitions into ghostly themes, giving you the option to explore whichever part piques your interest. The writing itself is adequate, but the plot heavily features male dominance. The male lead is on a power trip, requiring the female protagonist to refer to him as "my master," and much of the flirtation involves threats of spanking.
While the ghost section offers some improvement, I found myself mentally disengaged by that point. Readers who seek a book that maintains its sexual intensity throughout may feel disappointed by the latter half. Overall, it’s a mixed experience that might not satisfy those looking for a more balanced narrative.
February 4, 2023
Absolutely worth the hype! Expertly written, surprising, mind fucking, erotic, unconventional perfection! One of my favorites of the year!
I've been wanting to read J.T. Geissinger for a while now, and I couldn't have picked a more perfect book to start with! Pen Pal is more than just the kind of book you'll be thinking about for days after you put it down. It's the kind that you'll never ever forget.
My advice to you is to go in completely blind. It's easy to spoil this story, and ruining it for yourself would be an absolute fucking tragedy. This is a masterpiece, and believe me, you don't want to taint a second of it.
Romantic suspense and erotic thriller fans, this one's for you!
I've been wanting to read J.T. Geissinger for a while now, and I couldn't have picked a more perfect book to start with! Pen Pal is more than just the kind of book you'll be thinking about for days after you put it down. It's the kind that you'll never ever forget.
My advice to you is to go in completely blind. It's easy to spoil this story, and ruining it for yourself would be an absolute fucking tragedy. This is a masterpiece, and believe me, you don't want to taint a second of it.
Romantic suspense and erotic thriller fans, this one's for you!
April 4, 2023
4 Sense of Foreboding Stars �
If you read the blurb or even the author's warnings you should already know that Pen Pal is not a conventional romance. Actually, I started writing this review 70% into the story and I still couldn't figure out exactly what was going on or where the story was heading. It's part romance, part thriller and part smouldering primal kink. What I can say is that it's different.
I don’t care if this is crazy. I don’t care if this is wrong. I don’t care about anything right now except losing myself in this beautiful beast for a while. My fucked up life will be waiting for me right where I left it tomorrow.
We first meet Kayla while she's burying her husband. The past is blurry and her life is falling apart alongside the house she's presently living in. Which brings us to Kayla meeting Aiden who comes out to mend her roof. Sparks fly from their initial meeting and immediately they're fucking through their animosity.
His gruff praise is candy to my ears. It’s heroin injected into my veins. It’s hot euphoria running along every nerve ending, setting me on fire . I suck so eagerly on his dick, he has to warn me to slow down.
During this commences a string of strange occurrences. Mainly letters from an inmate Kayla has never met, followed by unexplainable things that keep happening. The kind to put anyone on edge. While Aiden has become an emotional balm and exactly what she needs physically; mentally she's hanging on by a thread.
Secrets, missing pieces, paranormal activity; I told you this is not what you're probably used to reading. Initially I suspected a love triangle but I was wrong. However have faith in this talented author who can actually pull off this kind of story while turning the heat up to 100. It's tragic and not what I anticipated. Is it a romance? I say yes while others may say no. You'll have to decide whether you want to take the plunge or not!
ARC provided by the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
If you read the blurb or even the author's warnings you should already know that Pen Pal is not a conventional romance. Actually, I started writing this review 70% into the story and I still couldn't figure out exactly what was going on or where the story was heading. It's part romance, part thriller and part smouldering primal kink. What I can say is that it's different.
I don’t care if this is crazy. I don’t care if this is wrong. I don’t care about anything right now except losing myself in this beautiful beast for a while. My fucked up life will be waiting for me right where I left it tomorrow.
We first meet Kayla while she's burying her husband. The past is blurry and her life is falling apart alongside the house she's presently living in. Which brings us to Kayla meeting Aiden who comes out to mend her roof. Sparks fly from their initial meeting and immediately they're fucking through their animosity.
His gruff praise is candy to my ears. It’s heroin injected into my veins. It’s hot euphoria running along every nerve ending, setting me on fire . I suck so eagerly on his dick, he has to warn me to slow down.
During this commences a string of strange occurrences. Mainly letters from an inmate Kayla has never met, followed by unexplainable things that keep happening. The kind to put anyone on edge. While Aiden has become an emotional balm and exactly what she needs physically; mentally she's hanging on by a thread.
Secrets, missing pieces, paranormal activity; I told you this is not what you're probably used to reading. Initially I suspected a love triangle but I was wrong. However have faith in this talented author who can actually pull off this kind of story while turning the heat up to 100. It's tragic and not what I anticipated. Is it a romance? I say yes while others may say no. You'll have to decide whether you want to take the plunge or not!
ARC provided by the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 17, 2022
HOLY FÜCKING SHIT BITCH
____________________________________________
THIS is what I have been craving and wanting out of a book for a very long time. I have never loved a book more than I do right now. I will start out by saying, I read the blurbs, I did my research and I asked questions. I knew going into this book that it was NOT a regular romance but a thriller + mindfuck with lots of spice so I personally was prepared to be shocked and it did not disappoint.
I will not spoil an ounce of the plot but I will say I sat down and read this book in 3 hours on accident. It hit my kindle and I opened it at midnight just to see what the first chapter was about then all of a sudden it’s 3AM.
This was the most exciting, creepy, SEXY AS FUCK ride ever! When I say spicy I mean 5/5 spice scale bitch I was SWEATINGGGGG. If you’ve read Perfect Strangers then that it a good example of what to expect going into this book. Let me clarify it was not sad TO ME but my heart did hurt a little when the truth was revealed at the end.
The majority of the book was very romantic between our two MCs Kayla & Aiden, they were both keeping secrets and I had the most absurd predictions the entire way through. Which finally at about 54% my prediction ended up true but with more backstory which was ultimately heartbreaking and still put me in state of shock & disbelief.
I went through a lot of feelings and reflection on my own life based on Kayla’s story dealing with grief and this book did comfort me in way so I’m eternally grateful to JT for that. This is without a doubt my favorite read of the year and it’s not even my genre of choice. I’m currently looking for something to replicate the high I felt reading this.
If you are at all intrigued I would say give it a go but please read the triggers and go in with an open mind and open heart.
TW: death, grief, miscarriage, domestic violence, mental illness which take place in the past.
Thank you JT & social butterfly for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
____________________________________________
THIS is what I have been craving and wanting out of a book for a very long time. I have never loved a book more than I do right now. I will start out by saying, I read the blurbs, I did my research and I asked questions. I knew going into this book that it was NOT a regular romance but a thriller + mindfuck with lots of spice so I personally was prepared to be shocked and it did not disappoint.
I will not spoil an ounce of the plot but I will say I sat down and read this book in 3 hours on accident. It hit my kindle and I opened it at midnight just to see what the first chapter was about then all of a sudden it’s 3AM.
This was the most exciting, creepy, SEXY AS FUCK ride ever! When I say spicy I mean 5/5 spice scale bitch I was SWEATINGGGGG. If you’ve read Perfect Strangers then that it a good example of what to expect going into this book. Let me clarify it was not sad TO ME but my heart did hurt a little when the truth was revealed at the end.
The majority of the book was very romantic between our two MCs Kayla & Aiden, they were both keeping secrets and I had the most absurd predictions the entire way through. Which finally at about 54% my prediction ended up true but with more backstory which was ultimately heartbreaking and still put me in state of shock & disbelief.
I went through a lot of feelings and reflection on my own life based on Kayla’s story dealing with grief and this book did comfort me in way so I’m eternally grateful to JT for that. This is without a doubt my favorite read of the year and it’s not even my genre of choice. I’m currently looking for something to replicate the high I felt reading this.
If you are at all intrigued I would say give it a go but please read the triggers and go in with an open mind and open heart.
TW: death, grief, miscarriage, domestic violence, mental illness which take place in the past.
Thank you JT & social butterfly for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
August 24, 2024
it’s not even that this book is marketed poorly, it’s that it’s corny and there was too much sex
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August 16, 2022
� Honestly, this plot was just bizarre.
Because I'm sorry, there are only TWO BOOKS in all existence where I'll accept , and this is NOT one of them.
But let me not get ahead of myself.
The book opens with Kayla Reece attending the funeral of her dead husband, Michael, who's recently left her a widow. She starts receiving letters from someone signing themselves 'Dante Alighieri' (aka author of the Divine Comedy) and then encounters a roofer named Aidan Leighrite. (Look closely here...)
At the same time, weird things start happening to her, she's losing track of the past, and just generally her life is collapsing around her.
� Why This Book Is a Serious Let-down
� I can forgive a LOT if I'm placated with decent writing. Unfortunately, the prose here was a bit irksome - surprising, as I've read a couple of Geissinger novels before, and found them bearable. Here, things are constantly told instead of shown, e.g. the hero's 'eyes shine with adoration' - seriously?? There's just a general stiltedness to the prose which made it a bit of a slog to get through. I'm not a fan of the structure either, which included first-person POV chapters from characters who AREN'T EVEN THE MAIN COUPLE, and tried unsuccessfully to reflect the tripartite structure of the Divine Comedy.
� Kayla is... not that smart. To some extent we can assume the author has deliberately written her that way, because even the hero makes a crack about it. But I mean, she has a bachelor's degree in fine arts, yet she's never heard of THE Dante?? She actually thinks the guy has made up the name at first!! She also doesn't know what anagrams are, and overall many of her actions throughout the book feel kind of slow. For someone whose life is falling apart, and keeps having weird things happen to her, she's not logical at all, and doesn't even try to apply a sense of reasoning to what's happening. Instead, she's all emotion, all the time.
� The insta-lust between the characters is incredibly off-putting. They jump into bed with each other at just 20% into the book, which effectively puts their entire relationship on fast-forward. While Geissinger is generally talented at writing sex scenes, hence the two stars, that wasn't enough to redeem...
�... the plot. Which is, to put it frankly, a hot mess. It's sort of a thriller/suspense, part paranormal in a really cliched way, tries vaguely to be horror, and has the seeds of a romance that's mostly just sex scenes and bad decisions.
Here is the spoiler of what happens, don't click unless you want to know:
This entire twist wasn't well done at all. The 'big reveal' scene for this plot point was BADLY overwritten and drenched in melodrama. It's tragic because this plot could have been written so much better, but I never felt anything except mild irritation at Kayla and mild resignation as the story progressed. Also, even though the entire book is called 'Pen Pal', this part of the plot just kind of fizzled out.
� This is relatively minor and I'd have ignored it if the rest of the book were better, but 'Aidan' is misspelled as 'Aiden' at least once.
� Overall
Though I was disappointed at the time, I'm now grateful I didn't get the ARC for this, because it means I'm free to detail my thoughts straightaway. Shame, because this was probably my most anticipated read for August.
Because I'm sorry, there are only TWO BOOKS in all existence where I'll accept , and this is NOT one of them.
But let me not get ahead of myself.
The book opens with Kayla Reece attending the funeral of her dead husband, Michael, who's recently left her a widow. She starts receiving letters from someone signing themselves 'Dante Alighieri' (aka author of the Divine Comedy) and then encounters a roofer named Aidan Leighrite. (Look closely here...)
At the same time, weird things start happening to her, she's losing track of the past, and just generally her life is collapsing around her.
� Why This Book Is a Serious Let-down
� I can forgive a LOT if I'm placated with decent writing. Unfortunately, the prose here was a bit irksome - surprising, as I've read a couple of Geissinger novels before, and found them bearable. Here, things are constantly told instead of shown, e.g. the hero's 'eyes shine with adoration' - seriously?? There's just a general stiltedness to the prose which made it a bit of a slog to get through. I'm not a fan of the structure either, which included first-person POV chapters from characters who AREN'T EVEN THE MAIN COUPLE, and tried unsuccessfully to reflect the tripartite structure of the Divine Comedy.
� Kayla is... not that smart. To some extent we can assume the author has deliberately written her that way, because even the hero makes a crack about it. But I mean, she has a bachelor's degree in fine arts, yet she's never heard of THE Dante?? She actually thinks the guy has made up the name at first!! She also doesn't know what anagrams are, and overall many of her actions throughout the book feel kind of slow. For someone whose life is falling apart, and keeps having weird things happen to her, she's not logical at all, and doesn't even try to apply a sense of reasoning to what's happening. Instead, she's all emotion, all the time.
� The insta-lust between the characters is incredibly off-putting. They jump into bed with each other at just 20% into the book, which effectively puts their entire relationship on fast-forward. While Geissinger is generally talented at writing sex scenes, hence the two stars, that wasn't enough to redeem...
�... the plot. Which is, to put it frankly, a hot mess. It's sort of a thriller/suspense, part paranormal in a really cliched way, tries vaguely to be horror, and has the seeds of a romance that's mostly just sex scenes and bad decisions.
Here is the spoiler of what happens, don't click unless you want to know:
This entire twist wasn't well done at all. The 'big reveal' scene for this plot point was BADLY overwritten and drenched in melodrama. It's tragic because this plot could have been written so much better, but I never felt anything except mild irritation at Kayla and mild resignation as the story progressed. Also, even though the entire book is called 'Pen Pal', this part of the plot just kind of fizzled out.
� This is relatively minor and I'd have ignored it if the rest of the book were better, but 'Aidan' is misspelled as 'Aiden' at least once.
� Overall
Though I was disappointed at the time, I'm now grateful I didn't get the ARC for this, because it means I'm free to detail my thoughts straightaway. Shame, because this was probably my most anticipated read for August.
January 30, 2023
2.5 Stars
This was book was billed as dark romance and so I went into in with that expectation. That said, my tolerance for dark is extremely high and most books deemed "dark" usually hit more beige for me. Or perhaps greige. Anywho. I went into this expecting it to be dark-ish leaning.
What I did not expect was a supernatural element.
More specifically....
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
Anyway, I really liked Aiden and Kayla. They had fantastic chemistry which accounts for every bit of the rating I gave this. Otherwise, I just didn't love this, but that's okay. And there are many reviews of this as it's an older release, so I'll stop here.
Regardless, I really like this author, this just wasn't a slam dunk for me. And it's all good.
This was book was billed as dark romance and so I went into in with that expectation. That said, my tolerance for dark is extremely high and most books deemed "dark" usually hit more beige for me. Or perhaps greige. Anywho. I went into this expecting it to be dark-ish leaning.
What I did not expect was a supernatural element.
More specifically....
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
Anyway, I really liked Aiden and Kayla. They had fantastic chemistry which accounts for every bit of the rating I gave this. Otherwise, I just didn't love this, but that's okay. And there are many reviews of this as it's an older release, so I'll stop here.
Regardless, I really like this author, this just wasn't a slam dunk for me. And it's all good.
August 9, 2023
I’m sorry WHAT THE HELL. The Spice was fun but the book lost me at about 60%. I was not expecting that ending though????
August 21, 2022
Stories that start off great, then all of a sudden take a left turn to god knows where, are the worst.
*Slight SPOILER in the last paragraph.*
I went into this with an open mind. The author initially gave a very grey outlook on this book. It’s a romance but not a romance. It’s not a traditional romance. It doesn’t have an HEA. It’s unconventional. Etc.
I was aware and so I proceeded with caution and went into this story quite blindly.
Stories don’t need to be straightforward. By their nature, they aren’t.
I do love it when authors experiment with something that’s outside of their norm. It could work out fantastically well, or it could be a fuckin� tragedy.
Now for me, this really worked. Really worked.
Until it didn’t.
People had opinions on the marketing - that didn’t bother me, I think it was pretty clear that it wasn’t a ‘romance� - and the lack of trigger warnings. The author has corrected herself though.
And finally, the kink. Quite frankly, it was hilarious to me. Hilarious that these two characters found a kink/pet names they enjoyed and they fuckin� ran with it. Literally.
You know what, good for them. I am not here to kink shame. You like what you like.
And J.T. Geissinger can write some pretty incredible sex scenes.
What I will shame, is that plot twist. It was pathetic.
—ĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔ�
SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT
I was not a fan of the plot twist. At all. The direction it took this story in was beyond underwhelming. It read like a copout. A plot twist that’s been used many times over, it was nothing new, it read� lazy. It added nothing.
And I am just not a fan of mental health being used as a tool to drive a story forward, or explain why a certain character was irrational. Especially, when it’s not being giving its due right. If you’re going to use mental health as part of your plot-twist, you need to give it its proper right and time and flesh out that aspect well enough. Don’t give me 10% of it. It’s disrespectful. 🙄
And it’s weird to say disrespectful because I appreciated what the author said in the acknowledgments and what this story meant to her.
But still, I didn’t like it.
There was more to the plot-twist than mental illness. That was only a small fraction. But enough to make me roll my eyes and ruin the story for me. It read distasteful.
*Slight SPOILER in the last paragraph.*
I went into this with an open mind. The author initially gave a very grey outlook on this book. It’s a romance but not a romance. It’s not a traditional romance. It doesn’t have an HEA. It’s unconventional. Etc.
I was aware and so I proceeded with caution and went into this story quite blindly.
Stories don’t need to be straightforward. By their nature, they aren’t.
I do love it when authors experiment with something that’s outside of their norm. It could work out fantastically well, or it could be a fuckin� tragedy.
Now for me, this really worked. Really worked.
Until it didn’t.
People had opinions on the marketing - that didn’t bother me, I think it was pretty clear that it wasn’t a ‘romance� - and the lack of trigger warnings. The author has corrected herself though.
And finally, the kink. Quite frankly, it was hilarious to me. Hilarious that these two characters found a kink/pet names they enjoyed and they fuckin� ran with it. Literally.
You know what, good for them. I am not here to kink shame. You like what you like.
And J.T. Geissinger can write some pretty incredible sex scenes.
What I will shame, is that plot twist. It was pathetic.
—ĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔ�
SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT
I was not a fan of the plot twist. At all. The direction it took this story in was beyond underwhelming. It read like a copout. A plot twist that’s been used many times over, it was nothing new, it read� lazy. It added nothing.
And I am just not a fan of mental health being used as a tool to drive a story forward, or explain why a certain character was irrational. Especially, when it’s not being giving its due right. If you’re going to use mental health as part of your plot-twist, you need to give it its proper right and time and flesh out that aspect well enough. Don’t give me 10% of it. It’s disrespectful. 🙄
And it’s weird to say disrespectful because I appreciated what the author said in the acknowledgments and what this story meant to her.
But still, I didn’t like it.
There was more to the plot-twist than mental illness. That was only a small fraction. But enough to make me roll my eyes and ruin the story for me. It read distasteful.
August 15, 2022
See that window over there? Yep, good. Open it and throw out every single thing you think will take place in this book because what you think ain't happening. If you read ANY spoiler YOU will RUIN the book for YOURSELF!! Please don't do it. Either put your trust, heart, soul and mind in the palm of a truly unicorn author .... or don't. Only you can decide that, but you could very well be missing something that may blow your mind.
I still am not sure what I read... let alone how to explain it's damn near perfection!!
This was intense. It will play with your mind and emotions. There are dark aspects that will make you cuddle your blanket even tighter, but there is light that will bound you in goodness and maybe even a dash of hope. You'll fall in love with these two. Kayla and Aidan were... GAH! The hotness and banter between them - chef's kiss!!! Big props to Riley!
I still am not sure what I read... let alone how to explain it's damn near perfection!!
This was intense. It will play with your mind and emotions. There are dark aspects that will make you cuddle your blanket even tighter, but there is light that will bound you in goodness and maybe even a dash of hope. You'll fall in love with these two. Kayla and Aidan were... GAH! The hotness and banter between them - chef's kiss!!! Big props to Riley!
February 12, 2023
'🅿🅴🅽 🅿🅰🅻' Is a full length, stand-alone romance book by J.T. Geissinger
𝕌ℕ𝕀ℚ𝕌�, 𝕌ℕℂ𝕆ℕ𝕍𝔼ℕ𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ𝔸�, 𝕌ℕℙ𝕌𝕋𝔻𝕆𝕎ℕ𝔸𝔹𝕃�..
This review is kind of going to be on the vague side of things as I don't want to spoil it for others, just go in blind and become flabbergasted like the rest of us because nothing is what it seems in this book, I for one was all for the pen pal relationship between an inmate and Kayla, did we get that? Yeah but Nah, we kind of did but we also kind of didn't. I know that doesn't make sense but believe me when I say neither does this book because it's kind of mind fuckery making you question everything. And if you hear a creak on the floorboards and freak the fuck out blame it on this book!!
This book was one I was highly anticipating, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it, once on my kindle life was forgotten.
Knowing that this was going to be an unconventional story had me forging ahead into the unknown, like the seasoned author she is this pulled me in effortlessly and didn’t let go even after I’d closed out of that last page. The next day and my minds still stuck in this book.
Admittedly once I’d finished inhaling this I had a ‘What the fuck� did I read kind of reaction because I did not see this story heading in the direction it did and was blindsided and flabbergasted but enjoyed it all the same.
This was beyond unique and was the perfect escape on this stormy winter weather, it fitted this story perfectly. This is not what we're normally used to seeing by this author and I hope she writes more similar to this book.
July 18, 2024
what. did. i. just. read.
i don’t think i’ve ever been this shocked by a book in my life. dramatic but true.
this would’ve been rated higher had their nicknames for each other not been “bunny� and “lion� 😁
i don’t think i’ve ever been this shocked by a book in my life. dramatic but true.
this would’ve been rated higher had their nicknames for each other not been “bunny� and “lion� 😁
August 16, 2022
Fuck me sideways. What a book.
Ok so I'm not gonna spoil this book cause I think there are plenty of those reviews. When people say you should go in blind they are correct but I also understand given the warnings how stressful that is so my review is for those who are on the fence and just need a gentle push without it being majorly spoiled. If you want to go in completely blind though then skip these points, while I don't feel like they spoil the story at all it could still change how you view the story.
So here are some points for you:
- Firstly, I am an angst light reader, I can't do heavy angst to the point that the last book () I read with angst made me so upset I felt like I was going to vomit and actually came pretty close. This book is not angst light but it wasn't so heavy that I felt like I was going to be sick so that is my benchmark if you will.
- Do the H and h end up together and are happy together? Yes. This in my opinion was a romance but I know some won't agree and that's fine but I think it was and for me I felt OK with how it ended in the romantic sense.
- If you've read and loved this author before then you will enjoy this book, promise you
- Go into this book open to a lot of possibilities but mostly go in expecting a lot of hot sex and for you to be constantly, endlessly guessing how it ends and what is happening. I was half way right but the end still surprised me and I loved that.
- Did I cry? you bet I did, it's an emotional one for sure but nothing I couldn't handle, I'm writing this review now with dry eyes and not breaking down into sobs which was not the case when I wrote my review for and still to this day I randomly get upset about that book, IYKYK.
Lastly, I get that people are divided on where this book sits in terms of genre but I've seen some really rude reviews carrying on as if J.T. Geissinger personally wronged and mislead you and I don't feel that was the case at all. From the first mention, this was always promoted as a non traditional romance story and she has stuck by that the whole time until some people decided to carry on as if they are the gatekeepers of what a romance book is. I stand by the fact this is romance and you can stand by the fact it is not but you don't have to spoil it for everyone and cancel an author just because she didn't write you a cookie cutter book.
Ok so I'm not gonna spoil this book cause I think there are plenty of those reviews. When people say you should go in blind they are correct but I also understand given the warnings how stressful that is so my review is for those who are on the fence and just need a gentle push without it being majorly spoiled. If you want to go in completely blind though then skip these points, while I don't feel like they spoil the story at all it could still change how you view the story.
So here are some points for you:
- Firstly, I am an angst light reader, I can't do heavy angst to the point that the last book () I read with angst made me so upset I felt like I was going to vomit and actually came pretty close. This book is not angst light but it wasn't so heavy that I felt like I was going to be sick so that is my benchmark if you will.
- Do the H and h end up together and are happy together? Yes. This in my opinion was a romance but I know some won't agree and that's fine but I think it was and for me I felt OK with how it ended in the romantic sense.
- If you've read and loved this author before then you will enjoy this book, promise you
- Go into this book open to a lot of possibilities but mostly go in expecting a lot of hot sex and for you to be constantly, endlessly guessing how it ends and what is happening. I was half way right but the end still surprised me and I loved that.
- Did I cry? you bet I did, it's an emotional one for sure but nothing I couldn't handle, I'm writing this review now with dry eyes and not breaking down into sobs which was not the case when I wrote my review for and still to this day I randomly get upset about that book, IYKYK.
Lastly, I get that people are divided on where this book sits in terms of genre but I've seen some really rude reviews carrying on as if J.T. Geissinger personally wronged and mislead you and I don't feel that was the case at all. From the first mention, this was always promoted as a non traditional romance story and she has stuck by that the whole time until some people decided to carry on as if they are the gatekeepers of what a romance book is. I stand by the fact this is romance and you can stand by the fact it is not but you don't have to spoil it for everyone and cancel an author just because she didn't write you a cookie cutter book.
October 31, 2024
2.5✨I am going to make this review super short!
This story is about a woman named Kayla, whose husband recently passed away. Mysteriously after the funeral there is a letter from a man named Dante from a penitentary. She gets a feeling that something bad is coming. The first 25% of this book had me hooked and I couldnt stop reading it. The super eerie and mysterious vibes it was giving me I was completely devouring it. Then at 25% the whole plot flew out the window and it became 20 straight chapters of over descriptive smut. I love spice in my books but if all you give me is chapter after chapter after chapter of overly descriptive sex scenes and no plot you lose me. At 62% I almost dnf'd this book and a friend of mine told me to hold on because the plot was going to pick back up. The last 25% did pick back up but the plot twist everyone is saying they did not see coming I actually figured out halfway through the book. I don't know if my exxpectations going in were just too high but this book was not for me and I feel is way overhyped.
This story is about a woman named Kayla, whose husband recently passed away. Mysteriously after the funeral there is a letter from a man named Dante from a penitentary. She gets a feeling that something bad is coming. The first 25% of this book had me hooked and I couldnt stop reading it. The super eerie and mysterious vibes it was giving me I was completely devouring it. Then at 25% the whole plot flew out the window and it became 20 straight chapters of over descriptive smut. I love spice in my books but if all you give me is chapter after chapter after chapter of overly descriptive sex scenes and no plot you lose me. At 62% I almost dnf'd this book and a friend of mine told me to hold on because the plot was going to pick back up. The last 25% did pick back up but the plot twist everyone is saying they did not see coming I actually figured out halfway through the book. I don't know if my exxpectations going in were just too high but this book was not for me and I feel is way overhyped.
August 20, 2022
I love romance that doesn't have a Happy-Ever-After.
I know, there's this whole discussion going on "But is it a romance if there isn't a HEA?" and apparently a HEA is a romance genre requirement, but I don't care. Call it something else then, it doesn't really matter to me. I just want to go into something expecting it to end well and then be punched in the face.
You can disagree with me on this, I really do not care, I am not taking your HEA away from you - I am just one single man, I don't have this kind of power - so there is no need to fight me on this. If I want to get fucked up, surely that's my problem.
review doesn't have concrete spoilers but is spoiler-y
I heard that this book started a whole Twitter controversy because it was marketed as romance even though it doesn't have a HEA and I was like "Finally, some good food."
I am so fucking mad at y'all. Out of all the things to criticize about this book you chose not the dumb ghost story. Not the awful and repetitive smut. No. You chose the lack of a HEA.
And it's not even fucking true.
Is this a romance novel? No. This is barely anything. Can't even call it a thriller. This is a weird supernatural ghost story with the cringiest smut thrown in every five pages for good measure.
The first 80% of this are just goddamn awful. At least it reads quickly and the writing is decent enough. The plot twist is good but also makes the entire first 80% of the plot crumble in on itself.
And then. AND THEN.
It had the fucking audacity to have a HEA.
You really can't tell me that this isn't a happy ending. This is as happy and as ever after as it gets.
TL;DR: Shocked and bewildered that people would lie to me on the internet. Ghost stories suck. Can never look at bunnies the same way. I wish the Broccoli people had won. 1 star.
the very confusing new book page layout and having a shitty memory do not go well together, i looked up this book and went "ugh, romantic thriller, i'm not reading that" and then glanced to the side and went "Wait... WHY is this already on my tbr??"
I know, there's this whole discussion going on "But is it a romance if there isn't a HEA?" and apparently a HEA is a romance genre requirement, but I don't care. Call it something else then, it doesn't really matter to me. I just want to go into something expecting it to end well and then be punched in the face.
You can disagree with me on this, I really do not care, I am not taking your HEA away from you - I am just one single man, I don't have this kind of power - so there is no need to fight me on this. If I want to get fucked up, surely that's my problem.
review doesn't have concrete spoilers but is spoiler-y
I heard that this book started a whole Twitter controversy because it was marketed as romance even though it doesn't have a HEA and I was like "Finally, some good food."
I am so fucking mad at y'all. Out of all the things to criticize about this book you chose not the dumb ghost story. Not the awful and repetitive smut. No. You chose the lack of a HEA.
And it's not even fucking true.
Is this a romance novel? No. This is barely anything. Can't even call it a thriller. This is a weird supernatural ghost story with the cringiest smut thrown in every five pages for good measure.
The first 80% of this are just goddamn awful. At least it reads quickly and the writing is decent enough. The plot twist is good but also makes the entire first 80% of the plot crumble in on itself.
And then. AND THEN.
It had the fucking audacity to have a HEA.
You really can't tell me that this isn't a happy ending. This is as happy and as ever after as it gets.
TL;DR: Shocked and bewildered that people would lie to me on the internet. Ghost stories suck. Can never look at bunnies the same way. I wish the Broccoli people had won. 1 star.
Shelved as 'not-my-kind-of-author'
August 13, 2022Not a fan of authors who market their books as romance (knowing it's the biggest selling genre out there) when their book clearly is not that. Calling it non-traditional feels like manipulation to me. And also authors who tell reviewers what they can and can't write doesn't sit well with me. In my opinion, reviews are for readers, not authors. Ffs.
Read
August 13, 2022I don't know how to rate this, so I won't right now. On one hand, it is really good. The thrills are on point, there were twists, revelations, heartbreak, triggers among triggers, but ultimately it was a hell of a journey. I saw the major twist coming-- I watch true crime to get to sleep at night, so my brain is a crazy place to be, lol -- but it was still good. And sad.
That being said, it is NOT a romance. There's love in it, yes, but I can't qualify this as a true love story because there's no happy ending. I know JT said this was a non traditional romance and to keep an open mind and I did. But i think it's a bit misleading to market this as a romance. This is more of a thriller with sexy times. Had I known that, I would probably have skipped on the ARC. I applaud this author for venturing out of her comfort zone, but life is full of unhappy endings, and when I read I want the gooey, extra lovey romance. Even if they are dark, I always want a HEA. And if I choose to read something else, I want my eyes wide open.
So yes, this was good. It just wasn't what I imagined it would be, and wasn't what it was marketed as.
That being said, it is NOT a romance. There's love in it, yes, but I can't qualify this as a true love story because there's no happy ending. I know JT said this was a non traditional romance and to keep an open mind and I did. But i think it's a bit misleading to market this as a romance. This is more of a thriller with sexy times. Had I known that, I would probably have skipped on the ARC. I applaud this author for venturing out of her comfort zone, but life is full of unhappy endings, and when I read I want the gooey, extra lovey romance. Even if they are dark, I always want a HEA. And if I choose to read something else, I want my eyes wide open.
So yes, this was good. It just wasn't what I imagined it would be, and wasn't what it was marketed as.
August 17, 2022
0.5 stars ⭐️
who cares about the author misleading the book by saying it’s a romance? the plot and its execution is gonna stay shit either ways🤷🏻♀�
The 0.5 star is for me being able to power through cause honestly the urge to dnf the book after the 40th mention of “bunny� and “lion king� was way too much but I wanted to know what the plot twist was gonna be which was so bad😭 it could’ve been well if only the execution was good but this was just a mess all around🥲
who cares about the author misleading the book by saying it’s a romance? the plot and its execution is gonna stay shit either ways🤷🏻♀�
The 0.5 star is for me being able to power through cause honestly the urge to dnf the book after the 40th mention of “bunny� and “lion king� was way too much but I wanted to know what the plot twist was gonna be which was so bad😭 it could’ve been well if only the execution was good but this was just a mess all around🥲
August 25, 2022
*4.5*
This is not your traditional HEA, but in my eyes, it is absolutely a love story. What is the criteria for this classification? The couple ends up together at the end, right? I loved Midnight Valentine by this same author, so if you enjoyed that one, you might like this story as well.
My only complaint is the very last page was a little silly, but I still loved the uniqueness of this book.
You asked what I did to land myself here. The simple answer is that I loved someone too much.Here's my unsolicited advice if you decide to read this story. Keep an open mind, don't go into it expecting a traditional love story, make sure you enjoy paranormal, and I hope you're ok with some of the most smoking hot sex scenes (with a dash of primal kink) this author has ever written.
“Eyes on me when you come. Don’t look away. I want you to give it to me looking right into my eyes.�The weaving of this tale was expertly executed. It had me questioning everything and everyone. Give me a mystery or thriller I can't solve, or a new way of telling a unique love story and I'm hooked.
This is not your traditional HEA, but in my eyes, it is absolutely a love story. What is the criteria for this classification? The couple ends up together at the end, right? I loved Midnight Valentine by this same author, so if you enjoyed that one, you might like this story as well.
My only complaint is the very last page was a little silly, but I still loved the uniqueness of this book.
I’d gladly give what love asked of me a thousand times over. Even if I had to do it every day until the end of eternity...The afterward from the author brought tears to my eyes. It's hard to make sense of the things we can't see. We like everything nice and orderly and easily explained. When we take a step back and think about the fact we are living on a floating rock in the middle of space, we suddenly realize maybe we aren't in control, maybe we don't have all the answers, and maybe there are souls around us we can't see.
August 14, 2022
4 STARS
Holy.
Mind.
F*ck.
Wow. My mind is spinning and I'm left with my jaw on the floor. This book took me for a hell of a ride and I'm still taking my jaw off of the floor days after finishing.
I've seen an interesting debate on what to categorize this book. I saw JT changed it to an erotic thriller. I went into it knowing it's a non traditional romance with a non traditional HEA, and found it to be exactly that. It was in the vein of type of mind f*ck, or type of non traditional. But my one piece of advise, don't go digging for spoilers on this book. Go in blind. Trust me. This is an experience unlike any other, but make sure you don't read it alone in the dark, because it will f*ck with you.
Having read practically all of JT's backlist, I have come to realize that the woman can craft one complex tale full of twist and turns. I'm obsessed with her words, and this book is the perfect example why. Whatever you're expecting, she turns it on it's head, puts it in a blender, and then adds some spice to it to make it an unputdownable read. Because this girl binge read it with shaking fingers turning the pages. It was spooky, thrilling, suspenseful, with JT's signature brand of twisty that will leave you reeling.
While she can write a hell of a spice scene, I did find it to be a touch much here. Like it could have cut a scene or two and not suffered for it with the story in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, it was hot as hell, but at times I did find it taking a bit away from the story. That aside, this is a convoluted story of a woman who is working through a devastating loss in a house that seems to have a pulse of it's own. Through it she meets a man who turns her world on it's axis and then things really take an interesting turn.
It was a thrilling page turner full of heat and emotion, a dark undertone, and enough twists and turns to suck you deep into story and not let you go until the end. I devoured it and won't be forgetting it any time soon, and that's something coming from someone who forgets most characters a day after finishing a book.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
He's pulled a string I didn't know I had hidden inside and unraveled me from the inside out.
Holy.
Mind.
F*ck.
Wow. My mind is spinning and I'm left with my jaw on the floor. This book took me for a hell of a ride and I'm still taking my jaw off of the floor days after finishing.
I've seen an interesting debate on what to categorize this book. I saw JT changed it to an erotic thriller. I went into it knowing it's a non traditional romance with a non traditional HEA, and found it to be exactly that. It was in the vein of type of mind f*ck, or type of non traditional. But my one piece of advise, don't go digging for spoilers on this book. Go in blind. Trust me. This is an experience unlike any other, but make sure you don't read it alone in the dark, because it will f*ck with you.
Having read practically all of JT's backlist, I have come to realize that the woman can craft one complex tale full of twist and turns. I'm obsessed with her words, and this book is the perfect example why. Whatever you're expecting, she turns it on it's head, puts it in a blender, and then adds some spice to it to make it an unputdownable read. Because this girl binge read it with shaking fingers turning the pages. It was spooky, thrilling, suspenseful, with JT's signature brand of twisty that will leave you reeling.
While she can write a hell of a spice scene, I did find it to be a touch much here. Like it could have cut a scene or two and not suffered for it with the story in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, it was hot as hell, but at times I did find it taking a bit away from the story. That aside, this is a convoluted story of a woman who is working through a devastating loss in a house that seems to have a pulse of it's own. Through it she meets a man who turns her world on it's axis and then things really take an interesting turn.
It was a thrilling page turner full of heat and emotion, a dark undertone, and enough twists and turns to suck you deep into story and not let you go until the end. I devoured it and won't be forgetting it any time soon, and that's something coming from someone who forgets most characters a day after finishing a book.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
November 17, 2024
That twist? Oh. My. God.
April 13, 2023
”There are no such things as ghosts!�
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙🖤💚❤️💖
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 😠😘🤓🥰😍
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration
The heroine: Kayla - her husband Michael has died and she is drowning in grief when she gets a letter in the mail. The letter was from Washington State Penitentiary and the writer says he will wait forever if he has to. The letter is signed Dante. She gets a feeling that something is coming and it isn’t good. Kayla is trying to get used to life on her own, taking care of a house that seems to have a mind of its own and learning to go on without her husband.
The Hero: Dante - He says he knows Kayla, the sight, sound and taste of her, all her dreams and desires. He keeps writing to her, knowing that he is making her nervous, but he has plans and they include her.
The Story: Kayla’s house is driving her crazy. She had the wiring checked out, but the worker said that nothing is wrong, but her lights go on and off at odd times, her doorbell chimes when nobody is there and lightbulbs burst for no reason. Adding to that, she keeps getting mail from a prisoner who thinks he knows her, and she is somehow compelled to write back.
This was an odd one. I thought I knew how it would go based on the blurb. Though it ended up going completely different with Kayla meeting a handsome contractor named Aiden, then later seeing him in a bar and flirting with him. Things got a bit steamy so I was wondering how this was going to end up. Is Aiden really Dante and not in jail or what? To add more confusion, Kayla hears things in her house plus all the electrical oddities, so is there a ghost, a stalker or is she going crazy?
I won’t say more about what may or may not be going on in this book, but to say it was super steamy and kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat throughout most of the book. I liked the characters and though I usually hate it when one of the main characters is suffering from grief over the loss of a significant other, I did like this one.
This book is told in dual points of view via duet narration and was narrated by Troy Duran and Tara Langella. Troy Duran is my favorite narrator, with a deep, smoky voice which works well for any type of romance. I love his narration. I don’t think I have ever heard Tara Langella before but she has a distinctive and seductive sounding voice, which I enjoyed. I love that many of J.T. Geissinger uses duet narration for most of her books. It isn’t as common as it should be.
|ŷ||||
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙🖤💚❤️💖
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 😠😘🤓🥰😍
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration
The heroine: Kayla - her husband Michael has died and she is drowning in grief when she gets a letter in the mail. The letter was from Washington State Penitentiary and the writer says he will wait forever if he has to. The letter is signed Dante. She gets a feeling that something is coming and it isn’t good. Kayla is trying to get used to life on her own, taking care of a house that seems to have a mind of its own and learning to go on without her husband.
The Hero: Dante - He says he knows Kayla, the sight, sound and taste of her, all her dreams and desires. He keeps writing to her, knowing that he is making her nervous, but he has plans and they include her.
The Story: Kayla’s house is driving her crazy. She had the wiring checked out, but the worker said that nothing is wrong, but her lights go on and off at odd times, her doorbell chimes when nobody is there and lightbulbs burst for no reason. Adding to that, she keeps getting mail from a prisoner who thinks he knows her, and she is somehow compelled to write back.
This was an odd one. I thought I knew how it would go based on the blurb. Though it ended up going completely different with Kayla meeting a handsome contractor named Aiden, then later seeing him in a bar and flirting with him. Things got a bit steamy so I was wondering how this was going to end up. Is Aiden really Dante and not in jail or what? To add more confusion, Kayla hears things in her house plus all the electrical oddities, so is there a ghost, a stalker or is she going crazy?
I won’t say more about what may or may not be going on in this book, but to say it was super steamy and kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat throughout most of the book. I liked the characters and though I usually hate it when one of the main characters is suffering from grief over the loss of a significant other, I did like this one.
“We skipped the dinner dates and polite conversation and jumped straight to kinky fuckery.�
This book is told in dual points of view via duet narration and was narrated by Troy Duran and Tara Langella. Troy Duran is my favorite narrator, with a deep, smoky voice which works well for any type of romance. I love his narration. I don’t think I have ever heard Tara Langella before but she has a distinctive and seductive sounding voice, which I enjoyed. I love that many of J.T. Geissinger uses duet narration for most of her books. It isn’t as common as it should be.
|ŷ||||
September 23, 2023
5⭐️ 4🌶�
THIS WAS SO FUCKING GOOD?!?!?!
Ate 👏🏼 this 👏🏼 up 👏🏼 in four hours!!!
It’s hard to review without spoiling anything about this book but the spice is fucking 10/10 the plot is 10/10
THE TWIST IS AN ABSOLUTE 10/10
I did NOT see that coming wow
Literally sat there staring at my wall going ‘oh my god� for about 10 minutes
It was just so gripping I did not know where tf this story was gonna be headed and I just could not put it down!
You do need somewhat of an open mind because it will start to feel far fetched but I promiseeeee the twist will blow you away and make it worth it 🙌🏼
Everyone just go read this book lol x
THIS WAS SO FUCKING GOOD?!?!?!
Ate 👏🏼 this 👏🏼 up 👏🏼 in four hours!!!
It’s hard to review without spoiling anything about this book but the spice is fucking 10/10 the plot is 10/10
THE TWIST IS AN ABSOLUTE 10/10
I did NOT see that coming wow
Literally sat there staring at my wall going ‘oh my god� for about 10 minutes
It was just so gripping I did not know where tf this story was gonna be headed and I just could not put it down!
You do need somewhat of an open mind because it will start to feel far fetched but I promiseeeee the twist will blow you away and make it worth it 🙌🏼
Everyone just go read this book lol x
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