Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger - My Review

In three words - Spicy. Dark. Thriller.

I had recently read a review on this book and the author quoted a line that sounded right up my alley for a dark romance and really wanted to give this a read. This book wasn't really on my TBR, but I have heard of it before and I wanted to throw in something random in my current rotation so this book kind of snuck in and skipped the line.

The premise of this book is very vague. Most summaries describe the plot as ‘a woman finds a letter from a man in prison she doesn’t know (but he knows her) the day after she buries her husband. They continue writing each other and she never expected what happens next.’

Based on the title and description you would think there would be a LOT of letters and it would be a main focus of the story. Yes, there were letters, and you could argue it initiates the plot, but then almost takes a back seat until the end of the book where the letters come back into focus again. The plot wasn't what I was expecting based on the summary. It was a bit haphazard towards the end trying to get the ending all tied up and you just have to go with it and there are moments that are literally written like that. So if you are thinking of reading this, just set your expectations that this is a book you read for vibes and don’t think too deep about.

I actually enjoyed the book because it was more of a very spicy thriller. There was a lot of mystery and questions thrown into the story and it kept you guessing at wtf was going on. There was a big twist in the story, and initially when I started reading the book, I wasn’t sure if it was going to go “there.” It did, and I called it, but still wasn’t 100% sure it was going to be that kind of book. So it might be a little predictable but not necessarily in a bad way because I was happy it went there. I think a lot of millennials will figure the twist out pretty easily…

The romance in the book can seem a little rushed at first but it sorts itself out by the end. I will say I absolutely appreciated the filth that came out of Aidan’s (the MMC) mouth. It’s got great dark spicy banter. I also listened to the audiobook, so the narrator did a good job with giving the MMC a low spicy grumbly voice.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Not the best, but far from the worst! I would recommend depending on the person and their tastes. If you like things dark, spicy, and enjoy reading for the vibes, this is right up your alley! I was glad I randomly decided to squeeze this one into my rotation.

Format: Audiobook/Kindle

Rating: 3.75 ⭐️

Spice: 3.75 🌶️

If you’ve read this book I would love to know what you thought!

Next up - my monthly reads for June… There were a lot…