J.T. GeissingerRecensioni
Autore di Pen Pal
Recensioni
This book. Holy hell. I loved it for the first 75% of the story. James knocked me on my behind.I love also. This connection that the shared was bliss.
Then I got VERY confused. I didn't know what was real and what wasn't. Once I figured it out it was a different twist. I'm not sure how I feel about it. And that is the reason for losing a star.
This was a little bittersweet. I've loved these interconnected books. The author has done a great job creating a world that is intense and suspense driven while also adding in white hot chemistry and incredible banter.
While I liked this one, there were areas that just didn't gel with me the way that I was wanting. However, I put those things aside because I wanted to see how this was all going to conclude and to see my old favorites in cameo roles.
I don't even know where to start with this review or how to process what I just finished reading. I live for books that step outside the conventional and make me think long after the book is over. This is most definitely going to live in my head rent-free. I am a huge fan of this author but nothing prepared me for the journey that she took me on with this story. I have seen several social media posts about this book with many readers upset about how they felt that this was not a romance because it didn't have the typical happily ever after. While that is true in many aspects, in my opinion, it doesn't hold true because there most definitely is a romance here. If anything, this book gave me hope that love can truly transcend any barrier and there is beauty in that.
From the moment that I started this story, until the very last page, I was so engrossed that I am surprised that I even remembered to breathe. The mystery, suspense, and storyline were riveting and had me guessing the whole time. Even having had a slight idea of what was to come because a slight spoiler had been brought to my attention, it still did not ruin the story. Even knowing, I wouldn't have seen how the pieces all fit together. It was the Ocean's Eleven type of moment where the author showed all the moments that should have been so obvious but weren't until that perfect moment when she showed all the pieces and how they fit together.
The steamy times and connection between these characters were top-of-the-line extraordinary. However, what really stood out was how these characters were so intuned with each other. Was this ending non-traditional? Absolutely. However, love doesn't always fit into a box the way that people expect it. For these characters, to be able to reconnect the way they did, in my opinion, shows how epic and poignant their love is. Did the cover throw me off because I was expecting something else? Again, yes. Was it a traditional romance? No. Yet, again, it was a romance as much as a suspense-filled thriller.
For people to say that this is not a true love story is a shame. It would be like saying that Romeo and Juliet is not a love story because of how it ended, despite the fact that it is oftentimes used as a standard of showing how true and steadfast love is that one would be willing to die for their love rather than not having it.
My advice to anyone on the fence is to read this and make your own opinion. I, myself, would have missed out on an extraordinary book if I had listened to people who were mad at how this ended. I enjoyed it so much that I stayed up until 4 am and then texted two of my friends, with zero concern that I would wake them up, in order to make them read this book as soon as possible. I don't do that for books that haven't affected me. In my opinion, this book is hands down the best that this author has written. I thank her for giving me a book that made me feel a maelstrom of emotions. I would say that this is the best of 2022 and would be included in my all-time favorites vault.
Pen Pal turned out to be a far cry from what I anticipated. Going in blind, I assumed it would have entertainment, romance, and enjoyment. However, it fell short of those expectations, leaving me feeling utterly disappointed. So, brace yourself for my rant review!
Let’s set the record straight: Pen Pal is not a romance. Marketing it as a dark romance and that synopsis is misleading. I’m pretty annoyed this is compared to Ana Huang’s books. Pen Pal fits squarely into the category of erotica paranormal thriller. Here is what the book truly involves-
The book opens with Kayla attending her husband’s funeral who died in drowning accident. Upon returning home, she receives a letter from a stranger named Dante, a prisoner who claims to know her. Despite never having heard of him, Kayla engages in a questionable exchange of letters, divulging details of her life. Setting aside this peculiar behavior, the narrative progresses to other events.
To fix leaking ceiling in the house Kayla hires Aidan, a roofer but then she dismiss him from the job as he had questioning personality and was unlicensed but still owned a roofing company. However, their paths cross again at a bar, where Aidan unexpectedly invites her to his home that is above the bar, expressing wish to make love with her. Of course, it’s bizarre and Kayla refuses but one night when Kayla feels unsafe in her own home, first thing she does is run to Aidan’s place and spend night with him resulting in sexual affair.
Apparently her house is haunted – lights fluttering, bulbs exploding, door bell ringing but there is no one outside, drawers and cupboards opening in the night, jars flying, presence of figures, and finding her husband’s lucky coin- but Kayla dismisses them as manifestations of her grief and stress. Until Fiona, Kayla’s house keeper, only character who made sense, suggested to act on the haunting spirit and figure out what it wanted but that doesn’t happen until 70% of the book.
All we get throughout the book is Kayla and Aidan having series of sex and falling in love amidst the physicality. There is no proper background of characters. We get fleeting glimpse of their struggling life but it didn’t give any depth to characters.
I couldn’t figure out Kayla. She was passive and naive person who never saw red flags until it’s too late and didn’t seriously act on it. There were plenty hints her husband was abusive to her and something very bad happened because of that and yet her reluctance to remove her wedding ring or disclose her husband’s demise to Aidan only adds to the perplexity of her character. She is 30 years old and yet she has no maturity.
It was all very confusing. I couldn’t tell where the story was going and what exactly characters wanted, except the sex part of course, I came close to DNFing the book at 75% but then a sudden twist offers a glimmer of intrigue that made want to at least see the end.
I almost thought the spirit haunting her might be her husband but what was revealed was surprising. Twist turned out shocking and at the same time outrageously disappointing. There is no HEA and I would have been fine with it but this was just tragic and unsatisfying.
As for the romance, like I said there is no romance just series of BDSM sex where Kayla and Aidan role played as rabbit and lion that made me cringe every time I read their bunny kins and I went through that torture for the entirety of the book. There is no heart melting moments or genuine connection, nor both characters do anything to show affection. No cuddling after sex doesn’t count.
Oh and I forget to mention, nothing exactly comes out of the whole Pen Pal thing. In middle of the story Dante and his letters disappears until the twist near the end. It had connection with the story and very well explained in the end but I found it utterly unnecessary. Why would a person go to such length to make other realize who they really are when there are other simple ways to do it considering the identity of the person.
Overall, Pen Pal was uninteresting, confusing, and disappointing erotica thriller. Only reason I’m giving it 2 start and lower than that is because of last 30% of the book., that plot twist. From now on I’m reading all reviews specially spoilery reviews just so I know what I’m getting into.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
Fall Into You is the second installment in the "Morally Gray" series and this book I do think is slightly better than the first book but it wasn't quite a perfect read. It had its pros and cons to how this book is written. I did have some great excitement for this book and if you love morally gray heroes in contemporary romance with an edge, then I highly recommend this one. I wouldn't term this one dark romance though. Its an in-between of contemporary and dark romance subgenres. I did think that the heroine was a bit better than in the previous book so I think she will work for many readers. The hero is a badass and sexy and a endearing alpha male.
First Line
The dark-haired man in the booth is gorgeous, but I can tell with one glance that he's also trouble.
Summary
Cole and Shay first met originally at a high class bar and the chemistry and wit built quickly between them. They share a passionate night together and share witty quips with each other, but they also find a connection to each other. But they both leave knowing they will most likely never see each other again. When Shay learns of a job offer as an office assistant to the CFO of a notable company that would have her set for life for the most prestige of job offers. What she doesn't expect is that her boss will be none other than Cole, the man she had a one night stand with. Cole is appalled that his new assistant is even more forbidden to hiim than before and that he will have to be around her on a regular basis when it took everything he had to leave her after their fling. She is the only woman he can see himself being with longterm, but the way he lives his life is too much risk. But Shay is a intelligent woman that doesn't shy away from a challenge....
What I Loved
Fall Into You I had a fun time with. There is some great laughs that you are guaranteed upon reading this one here. This story is pretty engaging, so I do think if you want a page turner, than you can expect that with Fall Into You. The story has a decent plot for the most part, although considering what the hero is involved in I would have appreciated seeing a bit more focus on the edgier aspects of his side work. The romance itself was interesting to say the least. I didn't really have a big issue with it. I was charmed by the hero and the way that he pines after the heroine. He has a dark tortured feel to his character that makes you become endeared to him pretty quickly. He has a deep connection to Shay but is reserved about taking any action to be with her. The way in which this was implemented was quite well done. I became instantly drawn into the hero's character. The characters on their own are strong characters you can easily stand by.
What I Struggled With
There were a few aspect to this story that I did happen to struggle with. I first want to mention the witty banter. Now I know, everyone loves great banter. I am not saying its not fun or anything, but its a bit too much in this book. This isn't a rom com but it certainly felt like one. And it just felt like a bit too much. It really affected my enjoyment of the book because it would have these pretty funny moments that felt out of place and it would have been nice for the banter to compliment the story not take it over. If this had been better done my rating definitely would have been higher.
Overall View
Fall Into You is a spicy laugh out loud romance that has some edge to it. Its a story of embracing the forbidden and accepting your partner fully and fighting for your love with all you have.....BRILLIANTLY MASTERED
Favorite Quote(s)
“Then everyone who knows you is wrong, Cole. Your heart isn’t cold. It’s warm, and it’s beautiful. You just keep it on ice so nobody can melt it.”
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance
Character Types: Alpha Hero, Morally Grey Hero
Themes: Stalking, Pining Hero, Laughs and Giggles, Hot Smexy Times
Tropes: Office Romance, Boss and Employee, Forbidden Love, Fling
Book Perspective
Duo POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Relationship conflict
Song This Book Inspires
You Put a Spell on Me by Austin Giorgio
Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as a standlone if needed
Steam/Spice Explanations
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
The banter in this book is off the charts. The slowness of the build was impeccable. Not knowing exactly how the HEA at the end would go was a major winning point for me.
Portia was my favorite character, we didn't interact with her much but she was an excellent character who brought the full story together.
Also read the acknowledgements they are personal and the author shares a good message in them.
This is my first J.T. Geissenger book and I can't wait to read more.
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"The past is like a shadow. No matter how fast you run, it always follows."
"Sometimes the most beautiful things are the most fragile."
"In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years."
"You don’t always get the closure you need, but that doesn’t mean you can’t move on."
I heard about Pen Pal on TikTok and thought I would read it to check out the genre. It's considered a spicy book, and that was true. But what I wasn't expecting was the mysterious plot that develops. When looking at some of the reviews about the book before buying, there were a lot of comments about the amazing ending. Yeah, yeah, I thought. But...wow...that ending. I realised what was happening only just before it happened, so was quite impressed (and surprised) by it.