[Audiobook Review] Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger

PUBLISHER'S SYNOPSIS: 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.  

MY THOUGHTS: Where to even begin with this unexpectedly addicting story? I listened to the audiobook, and between the unputdownable, high-octane plot and the fabulous narration provided by the narrators, I was finding any and every excuse throughout my day just to listen to more of this story. 

The plot itself had me enthralled from the very beginning. The character of Kayla was vulnerable and flawed and just so real in how she went about dealing with her situation. I loved her and felt for her as soon as her story started unfolding. And Kayla when she was with Aiden? He brought out the darker, primal side of Kayla, and the scenes where they were together went beyond scorching hot. There are two main reasons why I couldn't put this one down: the undeniable chemistry between Aiden and Kayla, and that big reveal that started building during the very first chapter. The ending of this book left my jaw on the floor and I'm not sure I will ever recover. 

If you're looking for a darker, steamy romance that brings plenty of supernatural and thriller elements, then Pen Pal is an absolute must read. 

I thought both Tara Langella and Troy Duran were absolutely perfect as the female and male voices. While there wasn't a lot of difference in cadence for each voice they did, it was enough to be able to tell characters apart. And the most important roles - Aiden and Kayla - were perfectly embodied by these two narrators. Langella was the ideal blend of soft and mournful yet empowered, while Duran gave Aiden a gruffness that belied his true nature and protectiveness over Kayla. Both narrators made the story enjoyable to listen to while keeping the plot moving at a good pace. 

From the story to the narrators, Pen Pal was such a fantastic experience for me and I can't wait to dive into more J.T. Geissinger books in the future. 

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Release date: 10/11/23

Format: audiobook/ALC

ALC provided via: MacMillan Audio influencer program