Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger
Psychological Fiction
August 16, 2022
Review by Jen
I don’t know what I was expecting from this book, but what I read wasn’t it. And I say that in a totally amazing great way. Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger was a crazy twisty good read!!
I feel like the cover does this book an injustice. The story is so much more than then this shirtless dude. I like the cover, but it’s misleading.
We have Kayla, who has just lost her husband in a tragic accident. She goes back to the old house they shared together and tries to move on. She starts experiencing weird electrical issues and calls in some help. The guy who comes over says he couldn’t find anything wrong, but he’s a nice guy. The problems don’t go away, and on top of that, she’s hearing squeaky floorboards and smelling things, too. Then, her roof leaks, and she really needs to get some help in to fix things. The roofer, Aiden, who stops by is a quiet, big, alpha-type guy. Kayla is frustrated with him and also attracted to him. She feels guilty about that, too. She just lost her husband and shouldn’t be attached to anyone.
Throughout the book, she confides in her housekeeper and Aiden. Aiden and Kayla grow closer, and she runs to his place when she gets scared. The housekeeper convinces her that the house is actually haunted and a seance would help get rid of the ghost. The seance happens. And that’s when the book takes a giant turn.
Wow. Just wow… I could not put this book down!!! From beginning to end, it had me.
I knew there was something off. I did start to figure it out, and when it was finally revealed, I wish I hadn’t blown through the book fast. I wanted to go back and reread it, catch all of the clues. Really soak in every chapter.
First off, to me, there’s an HEA. It’s unique, but it’s definitely there. I loved Aiden and Kayla! They were just combustible. Aiden is a dominant sexy dirty talker. And as much as I inhaled those scenes, the plot was the star. Watching Kayla unravel and then understand what was happening to her kept me on the edge of my seat, blinking away sleep at night. I had to stay with it. And Aiden…oh Aiden!! Big, gruff, so in love Aiden. He would do anything for Kayla.
Pen Pal reminded me a little bit of Verity by Colleen Hoover, another book I love. It was so unexpected, dark, and kept me guessing. Great read- go for it!
Grade A
I loved, loved, loved this book! It’s a great mashup of romance (hot roofer!), psychological suspense (unreliable narrator), and supernatural gothic/horror (the leaky/creaky house). One other psychological suspense element (and how the book gets its title) is the letters Kayla is exchanging with an innate incarcerated in the state penitentiary. Who is this guy? Why is Kayla responding to his letters when she claims not to know him? I think Geissinger played fair with the story and tied up everything neatly at the end. When I finished the book, I went back and saw how cleverly she had plotted the story. One thing I would advise: don’t go looking for spoilers; part of the fun of reading this book is trying to figure out what the heck is going on. And that twist?? Mind blown! PEN PAL has made my list of favorite books of 2022. Highly recommended.
I’m so glad to read this! Completely agree- this book was just excellent! I was sneaking pages every second I had to see what was up next. And, yesssss! No one should seek out spoilers on it, go in blind. It’s a lot of fun. I just finished Perfect Strangers. Have you read that one? My book club was a bit divided on it- because of the crazy twist. I never saw that coming. Wow! I also really enjoyed it, so much so that I rarely ever talk about books with my hubs and had to rattle on about it to him, too. :)