We Read This Terrible Book So You Don’t Have To: A Review of Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger

Rarely do books leave you feeling this bewildered. Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger tries to be an edgy, dark romance but ends up being a chaotic blend of clichés, forced angst, and questionable plot twists. Right from the start, it’s clear that something doesn’t quite add up — and unfortunately, that vibe never improves.

The premise is interesting enough: a grieving widow starts receiving letters from an anonymous admirer, and their correspondence quickly becomes intense. But rather than diving into a suspenseful, engaging story, the book takes wild turns that feel more like attempts to shock than to develop a coherent plot. The romance itself lacks depth, and instead of chemistry, we’re served a strange mix of over-the-top declarations and contrived drama that often leaves you rolling your eyes.

Character motivations are poorly developed, and the plot holes are glaring. The writing occasionally shows promise, but even Geissinger’s usual knack for emotional depth feels muddled here. The twist, which should have been a major reveal, feels less like a revelation and more like a desperate attempt to salvage the story’s lack of structure.

If you’re looking for a dark romance with intensity and genuine suspense, Pen Pal might just leave you disappointed. Save yourself the frustration — we read this one so you don’t have to.

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A lot of additional listening on Patreon!

Welcome to Romance at a Glance, a podcast that uses romance novels to dive into candid conversations about life, relationship dynamics, and sexual desires.

As hosts Bridget and Shani review books and interview some of romance's biggest authors, they explore the breadth of the genre, openly embracing the sex, diverse couplings, and taboos to create a safe space for listeners to be exposed to different lifestyles, fantasies, and to pique their naughty curiosity.

Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor.

Check out www.romanceataglance.com

Chat with us on Instagram at instagram.com/romanceataglance

Support us on Patreon at patreon.com/romanceataglance

In a super fun chat with romance author Rosie Danan, she shared a bit about her writing journey, and honestly, it was like catching up with a friend over coffee! Rosie talked about how living in England sparked some new ideas for her stories, but also how the pandemic really shaped her latest book. She said there's a big theme of losing control in it, which totally reflects how she felt during that time—relatable, right?

We also got into how she’s always trying to up the "sexy" in her books by adding fresh, unexpected elements. She's all about blending the magic and real world in a way that just clicks, like it’s totally normal for wild, magical things to happen.

Rosie’s working on setting goals and finding a routine that lets her really focus on writing, and she’s even debating whether or not she wants to go full-time as an author. It was so cool to hear how she's balancing everything while still figuring out her next steps!

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Affiliates! Get a discount and we get an affiliate commission!

• That sweet sweet juice, Magic Mind, that's helping us stress less and be WAY more productive, use our code ROMANCEATAGLANCE20. For 20% off a one-time order or 48% off a subscription!
• Get 30 days free on Kindle Unlimited just for our listeners!
• Or listen on Audible like Shani and get up to two free ebooks when you try Audible Premium Plus.

******

Leave us a rating and review on Itunes

A lot of additional listening on Patreon!

Welcome to Romance at a Glance, a podcast that uses romance novels to dive into candid conversations about life, relationship dynamics, and sexual desires.

As hosts Bridget and Shani review books and interview some of romance's biggest authors, they explore the breadth of the genre, openly embracing the sex, diverse couplings, and taboos to create a safe space for listeners to be exposed to different lifestyles, fantasies, and to pique their naughty curiosity.

Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor.

Check out www.romanceataglance.com

Chat with us on Instagram at instagram.com/romanceataglance

Support us on Patreon at patreon.com/romanceataglance

It's time to RAAG on Romance my friends and see what we have been watching, reading, and loving this month!

Movie and TV news we chatted about!

• Black Dagger Brotherhood casting news.
• My Fault 2 movie, Your Fault, teaser trailer dropped and is coming soon!
• Maxton Hall season 2 coming soon!

Books Bridget read this month and loved:

• Broken by Daylight by Elizabeth Helen
  • Fantasy, why choose, retelling of Beauty and the Beast -- this is book 4 and the series is not wrapped up yet!
• A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn
  • Hilariously cute rom-com about a woman in need of a billionaire to make her nemesis jealous, and the billionaire who needs a fake fiance to save face in his business.
• My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine
  • Sequel to My Roommate is a Vampire finds Reginald Cleaves meeting Amelia and pretending to be her fake date.
• The Rural Diaries by Hilarie Burton Morgan
  • I love this book so much. Definitely worth a read.
• Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai
  • My next read!

We also dipped into our thoughts on kink and relationship dynamics once you have children, how to whine / play with your partner, and still teach kids not to whine.

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Affiliates! Get a discount and we get an affiliate commission!

• That sweet sweet juice, Magic Mind, that's helping us stress less and be WAY more productive, use our code ROMANCEATAGLANCE20. For 20% off a one-time order or 48% off a subscription!
• Get 30 days free on Kindle Unlimited just for our listeners!
• Or listen on Audible like Shani and get up to two free ebooks when you try Audible Premium Plus.

******

Leave us a rating and review on Itunes

A lot of additional listening on Patreon!

Welcome to Romance at a Glance, a podcast that uses romance novels to dive into candid conversations about life, relationship dynamics, and sexual desires.

As hosts Bridget and Shani review books and interview some of romance's biggest authors, they explore the breadth of the genre, openly embracing the sex, diverse couplings, and taboos to create a safe space for listeners to be exposed to different lifestyles, fantasies, and to pique their naughty curiosity.

Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor.

Check out www.romanceataglance.com

Chat with us on Instagram at instagram.com/romanceataglance

Support us on Patreon at patreon.com/romanceataglance