It’s incredible how many different people one body can hold. We all walk around with a thousand strangers inside us, slumbering quietly until someone else wakes them up. Like the jolt of electricity that reanimated Frankenstein’s monster, all it takes for our sleeping giants to jump to life is a single spark.

Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger is one of those books that defies easy categorization; a dark, gothic, deeply emotional tale that begins as a story of grief and connection, only to twist into something completely unexpected. It is a novel that demands suspended disbelief, not because it is careless with logic, but because it blends the metaphysical and the romantic in ways that blurs the line between life, death, and longing. At its core, it’s a meditation on love; love that endures, transcends, and refuses to die, even when everything else does.

The story opens with Kayla Reece burying her husband, her life upended by tragedy and isolation. She is a children’s book illustrator who lives quietly, withdrawn from the world, until the day she receives a letter from a man named Dante, a stranger serving time in a state penitentiary. His first message is cryptic, unnerving even, but curiosity propels her to reply. What begins as an odd correspondence gradually evolves into something raw and intimate, their letters becoming lifelines across distance and darkness. But just as Kayla begins to find solace in Dante’s words, the letters stop and what follows defies both logic and expectation.

The beauty of this book lies in how it weaves together love, loss, and the supernatural without apology. The first half feels like an emotional mystery, the second a haunting fever dream. Geissinger’s writing is lush and cinematic, her pacing deliberate, creating a growing sense of unease that mirrors Kayla’s own unraveling. Every question that arises about her husband’s death, her isolation, the strange occurrences in her home builds toward a conclusion that’s both heart-shattering and surreal.

What I loved most was how the novel captures the ache of loneliness and the strange ways grief reshapes love. Aidan is not your typical romance hero, a presence both protective and devastating. Their connection feels inevitable, as if written into something larger than themselves. Yet, despite its emotional pull, this is not an easy story to digest.

There are moments and twists that requires a leap of faith. Yet, the writing itself is so immersive that it’s hard to look away. Every word feels intentional, and even when the story veers into the impossible, it holds to that emotional truth. It is a good thing that I did not come across any spoilers prior to reading this book, because this is a book that every reader needs to experience for themselves and make up their own minds about.

Recommended for: readers who love gothic romance, psychological suspense, and stories that fuse grief, love, and the supernatural in haunting ways.

Final Verdict: Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger is a haunting love story where grief and the supernatural entwine—dark, tragic, and unforgettable.

Favorite Quotes

“The handyman said he couldn’t find any problems with the wiring, but I’m still having issues.”
Aidan grunts. “I’ll take a look at it.”
“You do electrical, too?”
His dark eyes meet mine. “I do everything.”
He says it flatly, as if I’ve deeply insulted his manhood. As if he can’t believe that I couldn’t tell just by looking at him that he’s Captain Capable.

We’re staring at each other again. Once again, neither of us is smiling.
Finally, I say, “Four thousand.”
His snort indicates what he thinks of my opening bid.
“It’s double your materials cost.”
“I’m able to do basic math, thank you. Ten thousand.”
“I thought we were negotiating.”
“We are.”
“Then you can’t just keep saying the same number.”
“Says who?”
“Says me!”
“Lucky for me you’re not the one with the upper hand here.”
I stare at him in outrage with my mouth hanging open. Then a strange thing happens: he smiles.
“I just wanted to see what you’d do when I said that.”
I’d like to run him over with my car. I say firmly, “Forty-five hundred.”
“Ninety-nine-ninety-nine.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“We’ve already established I don’t have a sense of humor.”

“I won’t be able to drive home if I have any more to drink. Or is that your plan?”
“My plan is to get you naked and find out how you sound when you come.”
“Holy…”
“I don’t want you drunk, though. I want you to remember everything so you come back for more.”
“You sound confident that I would.”
“I am. And you will.”

“I can put your jeans in the dryer, though.” When I don’t say anything, he adds, “Or we can just stand here and stare at each other. I’m good with that, too.”
“Why?”
After a beat, he says quietly, “I like looking at you.”
There’s a funny sensation inside my chest. Like a tightening but also a loosening at the same time. I’m pretty sure it means I’m about to do something I’ll regret.
I shrug my shoulders and let the towel drop to the floor. Then I pull my wet shirt over my head and stand naked from the waist up in front of Aidan.
His gaze drops to my chest. His lips part. His pupils dilate. He remains perfectly still as he gazes at my bare breasts with burning eyes.
I whisper, “I want you to do more than look.”
In a gruff voice, he replies, “Whatever you say, boss,” and grabs me.

He’s exactly what I needed.
A handsome stranger with secrets in his eyes and a way of looking at me as if he already knows everything there is to know about me. As if I’m a book he’s read a thousand times and highlighted all his favorite passages.
As if he already knows how this is going to end.

And once again, Aidan opens the door to his apartment before I even have a chance to knock.
Wearing only a pair of faded blue jeans, he’s barefoot, bare chested, and beautiful. I laugh as he drags me into his arms and kicks the door shut behind us.
“Do you stand there and listen for my footsteps on the stairs?”
“Yep. It’s all I can do not to run out to the parking lot like a fucking lunatic the minute your car pulls up.”

“Kayla. You answer me now. And tell me the truth. Is he hurting you?”
Tears welling in my eyes, I say, “No.”
He pulls away and gazes at me, frowning. “Then why are you gonna cry?”
“Because I just realized I’m crazy. I’m literally, certifiably insane.”
“Why would you say that?”
A lone tear crests my lower eyelid and meanders down my cheek. My chest aching, I whisper, “If I were sane, I wouldn’t think you threatening to kill someone for me was so beautiful.”

“What do you think heaven is?”
His smile fades. His energy slowly changes from light to dark, as does his gaze. Looking deep into my eyes, he says softly, “You.”
That’s the moment I finally let go of my past and my fears and fall—jump—rush headlong—in love with him.
I wrap my arms around his neck and put it all into a kiss.
Because he’s Aidan, he gives it back to me a thousandfold.

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