A review by roksyreads
Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The first letter arrived the day Kayla’s husband was buried, postmarked from the state penitentiary: I’ll wait forever if I have to. Signed by the mysterious Dante, a man Kayle didn’t know, she wrote back out of curiosity asking what he was waiting for. His next letter contained only one word: You. As Kayla and Dante continued to exchange letters, their correspondence grew more intimate—until one day, the letters stopped. Because Dante was at Kayla’s doorstep, and nothing on earth could have prepared her for what was to come. 

An unusual but interesting read, I can safely say that Pen Pal is different to any other romance I’ve read, and there’s an air of mystery surrounding the story that I’ve not truly encountered in the genre before. The blurb is somewhat vague, and didn’t seem to match up to the story I was reading in the beginning. Even the romance.io tropes didn’t give much away, though I was very intrigued by the idea of a non-conventional HEA. The narrative did not go anywhere near where I was expecting, but I wasn’t disappointed by the result! The plot is a slow burn mystery that ramps up through the last quarter, with the last 20% especially being intense and engaging. I’m not sure how I managed to get through without crying! The romance, however, is not a slow burn—the novel is packed with well-written and ultra hot spice, though I did find the nickname given to FMC Kayla was overused and quickly became annoying. If you’re in the mood for a dark and mysterious romance, Pen Pal is definitely one to check out!