Not my usual style of book but I enjoyed the plot more than I thought I would! As always the authors keep my attention

If you are looking for a sweet and endearing book to read with a side of sexy then you have to read DIRTY LETTERS by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward. It has their signature writing style which makes their stories addictive, their characters relatable and has you rooting the whole time to seem them work things out. This one was low on angst in my opinion which worked really well for this story and it’s a childhood penpals love story. SO CUTE!

The hero is from the UK and the heroine is from the US. They started corresponding via mail due to a school project and just liked each other enough that they kept writing throughout the years. From little kids through their teenage years, that friendship developed through letters and feelings started to come out. They knew each other better than anyone else. But tragedy struck and Luca stopped communicating. Now, many years later, she’s decided to finally go to her father’s NYC apartment to clear it since he passed away a while ago and finds one final letter from her penpal and decides to write back.

There’s something innocent about the fact that their feelings for each other grew so intense from simple correspondence, never meeting in person. Seeing them re-establish that connection now that they are at different stages of their lives and dealing with their own issues was just perfect. This book also tackles mental health and, without going into details or being spoilery, it does play a factor in the relationship between these characters. Both from the point of them getting together, but long term in how their relationship will work.

I really appreciated how this author duo handled the story. It never felt like it had slow parts, just kept you wanting to read more. I highly recommend you give it a try.

Luca and Griffin are childhood penpal friends. Then one day Luca just stopped writing back. 8 years have passed. In the present Luca suffers from severe social anxiety, agoraphobia and panic attacks. Out the blue she receives a letter from Griffin and they start exchanging letters again. Only this time they are all grown up and the letters become very dirty. But Griffin seems to have secrets that could affect this new fragile romance.
I am torn on this one. On one hand the experience of reading it was very enjoyable for me, I read it in one sitting. On the other hand I had issues.
To start with the good stuff. I liked the depiction of mental illness. Luca's struggle with social anxiety especially resonated with me as I suffer from it too. Sometimes it was triggering to read about it but I thought it was done well. I liked Doc a lot. I imagine he is not a very conventional doctor but as a fictional character in a book he was great. I wish I had someone like that in my life to help me when I am at my worst. I did overall like this romance. I liked the fact that these characters were always honest with each other and if anything was bothering them they would try and talk things out. The romance itself was sweet and steamy and liked how it didn't really cure Luca,if anything it only added to her struggles. And I thought that is very realistic.
Now for the bad parts. They pretty much stalk each other in the beginning, like what the hell, definitely not something I approve. The letters were sweet for like one or two and then suddenly they start sexting one another in the form of letters. Like it went to zero to 180 in a second. I would have preferred some development first. The last third dragged in my opinion, the book is short to begin with but I was ready for it to end already. Also, I felt like it went from hot and sexy in the first part to sickly sweet in the second. Just too sweet.
Overall I settled on 3*, not a bad romance. But keep in mind the stalking in the beginning and be aware that this book deals a lot with mental illness and it might be triggering.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a looong time to get started on this book, and there might have been for a reason. As it turns out, it just wasn't something for me.

I hated it. I guess you can't please everybody.

The worst part was the letters, they ruined everything for me. They were horrible! If they had been left out, it would have been so much better. But wait... they're like the whole point of the book.

Nothing about this worked for me. Nothing.

***3 Stars***

The cover and the description were the lure and while I really enjoyed the first part of the book. I loved meeting and getting to know Luca and Griffen and though the letters got a little weird at times, I enjoyed experiencing them reconnecting with each other with their words, but once they finally met? I didn’t really feel the chemistry. I liked them together, but I think it was more the friendship side of the coin than anything else, but it is what it is. Also, I felt the second part dragged a bit more than the first, so that could have had something to do with it.

But while this was simply an enjoyable read for me, I did like how Luca’s mental illness was handled. It was unapologetic while being compassionate. I did love Doc, even though his bird watching had me raising an eyebrow a few times and Hortencia was simply sweet.

I thought this was a unique take on your typical contemporary romance and I liked the "twist" with Griffin (which wasn't exactly a twist, or hard to see coming, admittedly). Luca was a bit hard to connect to for me and while I enjoyed her relationship with Doc, I found I had to suspend my disbelief a bit at their unorthodox doctor/patient relationship. The "relationship drama" was very much focused on Luca's issues and it felt a bit repetitive and heavy-handed but overall, I did like the book.

This is not your usual romance, as here relationship started in the school via exchanging letters (you know pen pal friendships) and it went a long ride from this child letters to adult letters that happen now.
Luca is twenty-five years old. She suffers from high anxiety that can be triggered at any given time and thing. It's really hard to read that kind of thing as it has so many emotions and thoughts that you want to cut out from it.
Griffin, I was wondering who he would be after a few chapters and I can tell you that I liked him. Not loved him, but really liked him and wanted to join him in his journey to getting HEA. But will there be HEA for those two?
Can two long lost pen pal friends reconnect after few years when one forgotten letter will be accidentally found in gone Luca's father flat? Letters once innocent will become dirty - can they survive that? Read it to check it out.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
I love this author duo; I haven't found a story that I haven't loved from these two. When I saw this story, I knew I wanted to read it even without reading the blurb.

Luca and Griffin became pen pals in the second grade. They learned about each other through hundreds of letters and millions of words. They became best friends that shared everything and formed a connection that would never be broken.

When Luca stopped writing Griff, it was a terrifying event that she couldn't explain. So, after eight years of silence, a letter arrives in the mail. It is filled with anger and hurt. Luca decides that it is time to tell Griff why she stopped writing to him. And boy is it a doozy. Never would I have imagined what had happened to her and how her life changed.

Griffin was from England when the letter-writing began but now he was living in California. He missed the girl he knew so well in the letters and he wanted her back. So, when he finally got a letter from her after eight years, he couldn't believe what he was reading. But when she wants to meet or exchange photos now, he doesn't want to.

What is Griffin hiding from Luca? Will Luca and Griffin finally meet after all these years? What will she think when she learns who he really is? Can he handle the way she has to live her life? And what about the crazy bird-loving doctor in her life?

I fell in love with Luca and Griffin and the idea of writing to a pen pal. This story is filled with pain, anxiety (that is so real you can feel it), hurt, a connection that spanned over the years and miles, and a love to last forever. I highly recommend you read this one, but be prepared for your feelings to be all over the place. You can bet that Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward will have you smiling in the end.


Shelby – ☆☆☆☆☆
Sometimes you read a book that just resonates with you. Sometimes you read a book that you just cannot put down, and sometimes you find a set characters that complement one another so perfectly that complete harmony is achieved!

Dirty Letters by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward was an amazing, emotionally charged story of a boy and a girl who grew up together by way of paper and pen. Life happens, as it does for so many, and they lose touch... Until the reconnect.

I will not mention anything of this story, I would be disappointed if it was ruined for me. I will say that Griffin, Luca, Doc, and Hortencia all come together to provide an entertaining story that's filled with steaminess, action, humor, and a true romance. I can't wait to read this again... it was that good!

I also know that I will read anything that's written by this duo!


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Friends-to-lovers Romance

Luca has a life that anyone would think was pretty special. She's an amazing writer and has a pet pig. But with her life has come some pretty severe trauma. When her life is filled with anxiety and fear, Luca has Doc to help her through it.

Griffin made all of his dreams come true. But with success, he sometimes feel that he's still all alone in this world. He misses his best friend and wants to know what truly happened. So, one drunken night, he writes a letter to the one person who he has always been able to count on.

Luca and Griffin's story is one of innocent letters and childhood crushes. They knew each other before they truly knew each other. When the past comes back and pushes them both in the same direction, it will be up to them to figure out whether or not there is a future.

Luca wants to be able to be fearless and Griffin doesn't want to live his life without Luca in his life. But with Luca's PTSD and Griffin's career, there may not be a way around the complex issues that follow them.

I really enjoyed this story. Their letters were funny, sexy, and sometimes dirty. But their love was so pure. At times, I did think it would have been a more successful romance if they had concentrated less on Luca's issues and gotten past that. I wanted more of their romance and life together. But this was funny and made me smile on several occasions.

Triggers: Trauma which results in anxiety disorder and PTSD


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is a really well written and thought provoking book. Just why would two young friends an ocean apart feel so strongly for each other and be so honest with each other, for it all to end abruptly one day and the connection be severed? I love that older readers will completely get that paralysing thought that there was nothing you can do about it, just get on with life. Younger ones will be straight onto social media, stalking friends, mutual acquaintances, and following crazy leads until the truth can be discovered. But this started a decade ago, before such things were conceivable. How strange that in another decade the people that can truly understand that devastation at such a loss will be even fewer.

Anyway, as we get to see the story from both Griff and Luca's (I have always experienced this as a male name, so had a few confused moments at the beginning, but Luca here is female) viewpoint, the timing of the childhood correspondence halting was very significant to both of them.

Luca is living with the aftermath of a tragedy and, really only thanks to her wonderful therapist turned best friend/father figure, she is at least trying to do normal-ish things again. So when she takes the decision to reply to a letter from Griffin, written after an eight-year gap, it is not really surprising that it turns her world upside down, and this time in a good way.

Griffin, now a famous rock star with a pseudonym, has just as much reason to hide his real self away as Luca, but for the opposite reason. As they write again, reconnecting on a very basic level through their memories and their honesty, it is inevitable that some truths will have to be managed. The path is certainly not smooth to them possibly having a real future together.

There are some really sad moments, some really uplifting ones, and some scenes which made me laugh. Through it all though, I was certain that they deserved to find a way which would enable both of them to live the lives that they had envisaged as teens, and with a level of peace and safety.

I could easily reread this story, and enjoy it all over again – definitely added to that list.

If Vi Keeland and/or Penelope Ward wrote it, I will read it. I love both authors separately but love them even more when they write together. Dirty Letters was fantastic! It is so different from every other romance book I read and I definitely appreciated it. This one is a second-chance romance of sorts and I could not put it down. Griffin is such a great book boyfriend. I definitely recommend this one!

It took me two days to read this book. Why? Because I'm fairly certain that I spent an entire day staring at that cover. Can we talk about that cover for a hot second? Because mother of ovaries! That cover is everything.

Suffice it to say, with a cover like that I was really hoping to love this book. And I was seriously bummed that I didn't. I will say that this is ultimately more because of personal preference and bias rather than anything with the book itself. Clearly I'm the black sheep and so many loved this one. I wanted to be one of those that loved it too, but unfortunately it just wasn't my cuppa.

If you're a fan of sweet, slow-paced and character driven romance, you'll definitely want to try this one. As for me? Well, it just didn't work. I didn't even mind the insta-love vibes, which speaks to how likable the characters are. Where it began to lose me was in the pacing. The story dragged in parts and almost felt like filler in others. Where the pen-pal letters was a sweetly unique addition at first when Luca and Griffin were young, it quickly took a turn to cheesy and almost cringey when they were older. The supposedly sexy parts didn't feel sexy at all, and were just...well...odd.

I loved the budding relationship through letters that Luca and Griffin shared when they were younger. But admittedly I struggled to connect with them in their adulthood. The chemistry was just missing for me. Ultimately, it just didn't feel like a story meant for a full book and more like a novella. It was cute, sweet and with plenty of emotional parts. It just wasn't enough to grab my interest and hold it. I found myself skimming through the majority of the book. Do I think most would enjoy it? Absolutely. Sadly this was a case of me and my own personal preferences, so take this review with a grain of salt.

Apparently social anxiety is the heroine ailment du jour because this is probably the fifth book I’ve read in the last couple months with this as a storyline. Confession: I’m a little over it. Not that I don’t think it’s a worthy topic to shed light on or make readers aware of, but I can’t help but feel like it’s a bandwagon all the “cool” authors are jumping on. And even if it’s done well - which it was here - I want unique characters, not a rehash of what everyone else is doing. That being said, there were things I really like about this book.

Luca and Griffin started their relationship as pen pals when they were seven, and continued writing for over ten years. When a tragic event occurred in Luca’s life, she abruptly stopped writing to Griff without any explanation.

Griff, deeply hurt when Luca disappeared, went on with his life. Then out of the blue eight years later, on a night when he was drunk and in a foul mood, he wrote - and mailed - a scathing letter to Luca, not believing she’d ever read it. She did, and then wrote him back. Both were happy to pick up where they left off, but only Luca wanted to move things to the next level. Like, maybe exchange pictures of them as adults?

When Griff puts her off, Luca decides to take matters into her own hands, which is a big deal for her. So what happens when an agoraphobic woman falls in love with a man who lives on the opposite coast and has a very different life - one that isn't compatible to staying home and away from people? Conflict. Lots of conflict.

“When you’re ready to discuss how we’re going to make things work, I’ll be ready to have that conversation. But I’m done having this one, and I want to go home. I’m tired.”

But sweet, sweet Griffin. He showed maturity and determination beyond his years. I generally stay away from the young adult genre because I just can’t do the silliness and ridiculousness of the baloney drama that usually comes from people that age. But here we have two people who love each other and want to be together, and love may not be enough to conquer Luca’s demons. Griffin desperately wants it to be enough, though.

“We all have light and dark inside us, love. We try to hide the darkness from others because we’re afraid it will scare them away. But your dark doesn’t scare me, Luca. It only makes me want to hold your hand and be your light until you can find your own again. That’s what people do when they’re in love. I won’t always be able to give you your light back, because sometimes you need to find that within yourself, but I’ll stand by your side and hold your hand in the dark so things aren’t so scary.”

It isn’t often I like young adult characters so much, but I did here.

Thankfully, despite the heavy topic and the difficult challenges Luca and Griff faced, this book had all sorts of outrageous, comedic situations. Situations that never felt ridiculous or over the top silly. There was plenty of humor to balance the heavy, and it was all effortless. It takes skill to create wacky situations and not have them come off as slapstick and overdone, so I found myself impressed even though I didn’t love all of this book.

I’ve read Vi Keeland before, a couple of times, and she’s been a hit-or-miss author for me. Sometimes I really like her stories, and sometimes I don’t. I’ve never read Penelope Ward. Though I see her books all the time, I’ve never been interested in any of them. So I knew this book could go either way for me, and ultimately it landed right in the middle - not bad, but not great either. I liked the characters, I liked how the heroine’s issues were portrayed, and I really liked how the hero dealt with the relationship’s challenges. I also enjoyed the writing.

However, the speed with which Luca and Griff went from pen pals who’ve never even spoken on the phone to making out and dirty talking seemed incongruous with a heroine who has severe social anxiety and spends most of her time alone. I get that Luca felt she knew him since they wrote back and forth for so many years, and then spent some time writing again and reconnecting, but I just couldn’t buy that she’d be so open with him so quickly. To me, their “dirty letters” came before an adequate amount of romantic relationship development, which made it hard for me to feel connected to them as a couple, and also made me cringe a little - those types of questions are only appropriate within certain boundaries, and I didn’t feel they had gotten there.

As much as I am over social anxiety as a plot point, the upside is that many authors are having their characters rely on a therapist/counselor to help them work through their issues. And I can’t do anything but stand up and cheer about that. In the past, mental health issues had such a stigma attached to them and going to therapy was frowned upon. Hopefully a benefit to all these authors writing about mental health issues is that we’ll all become okay with the concept of getting help when we need it. Nobody thinks twice about going to the doctor if they have a broken bone. You shouldn’t think twice about going to a therapist for a broken heart or a “broken” mind. And ultimately, the message here was love can’t fix you, you have to be responsible for fixing yourself. THAT is a message I can get behind every day of the week, and twice on Mondays. :)

So overall, this one was a mixed bag for me. Some things I did like, some things I didn’t. That’s the way it goes sometimes!

* thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Love is everything. It matters more than fear, more than death. It transcends time.

This is a little hard for me, I really wanted to love this book so badly, I mean it’s Penelope and Vi writing right? Their writing will always be captivating, but I found myself in this situation where I struggled connecting with the story. Maybe it’s just me, or it’s just life.

I love the main characters, one of the things I love about this authors are their uniqueness, they are real and imperfect, just like us, you can be relatable with them. As soon I start reading I was hook with the plot, Luca and Griffin were pen pals since high school and due to a tragedy that happened to Luca, she stopped writing him and they reconnected years later.

I really didn’t buy their love story, it was very interesting while they were just pen pals but when they decided to meet each other, it lost my interest. The story got a bit tedious for me, which lead to me taking bigger than usual breaks in between chapters.

With all that being said, I am a big fan of Vi & Penelope’s stories and because I AM so curious I wanted to see where this story goes. I want to further read about Luca’s struggle and how Griffin will make their relationship works, specially when what they had was crumbling down. It wasn’t easy for him but that’s life right?? We have to have to work hard for what we want.

An emotionally charged story about struggles, about grieve and how to overcome our fears in order to have our happy ending, and Luca and Griffin had a beautiful one.

The day I finished reading/listening to “Dirty Letters” was also the day I read that Gen Z’s battle cry “OK Boomer” has gone viral. The first thought that came to mind was if a Gen Z or a Millennial read this book, will they be able to relate?

Because, if they can’t, it will be a shame because “Dirty Letters” is one of the most beautiful and heartwarming books I have read and listened to. And it all started when two grade schoolers became pen pals.

Yes, pen pals – as in writing down your thoughts on paper, putting it on an envelope and putting a stamp on it. And to me, this is the true genius in the premise of this novel. The hero and heroine - Griffin Quinn and Luca Ryan are both in their mid-twenties which by the way make them Gen Z.

It started as a school project. Because the participants are minors, their identities were hidden. They gave their real first name, but their last name was the last name of their teacher.

Maybe it was the anonymity or maybe it was because Luca and Griffin truly made a connection; they became best friends though Luca was a New Yorker and Griffin lived in London. They shared their deepest darkest secrets and as they passed tweenhood to become teens, their letters became the highlight of their week. That is, until Luca stopped writing.

Fast-forward 8 years and Luca was back in Manhattan for a day, just to clean out their old apartment. When she checked the mail, she found a letter from Griffin. Needing to reconnect, she wrote back. And though both owned the latest smart phones and perhaps the top of the line laptops and computers, they chose to write letters to each other.

Did I say that it is the letter writing that drew me to this story? Still, it is just one part, though a big part, nonetheless. Griffin and Luca, together with the supporting characters are all well developed. Luca’s agoraphobia is a big part of the story the same way that Griffin hiding from Luca who he really was.

And as they try to find a happy medium for their issues, the real world creeps in; the life that they were trying to build can easily fall apart.

I actually received an ARC of this book, which I read but decided to wait until I have listened to the audio book. Having Andi Arndt as the female narrator has always been a draw for me. And as always, her portrayal of Luca is just perfect, the same way she always does in any book she narrates.

For Jacob Morgan, “Dirty Letters” is only the second book I have listened to. His English accent was right on target. Still, it felt that I have listened to him more than once. Then, I find out that Jacob Morgan is the nom de guerre of Zachary Webber. After that, it all made sense to me because I have listened to him a lot of times.

I guess you have already deduced that I’m giving 5 stars to both the story and the performance. So, the only thread left that I need to close is my comment about Gen Z and their battle cry, “OK Boomer!”

My take on that – the more things changes, the more it stays the same. Gen Z is not the only generation who rebelled against their elders. Every generation does. In fact, the Baby Boomers did the exact same thing to their parents – rebel.

Case in point, another Gen Z’ battle cry – “Don’t trust anyone over 30” was actually a Boomer battle cry during the 1960s and 1970s. So, yes, there is distrust and rebellion.

With that in mind, “Dirty Letters” became poignant and nostalgic the moment I finished it and saw the “OK Boomer” op-ed. At that point time, I saw that no matter how wide the generation gap is, it can be bridged.

The way Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward used old fashioned letter writing for two tweens to connect in a digital world, then made them reconnect when they were older using a combination of pen and paper, texting and FaceTime or Skype as their means of communication when they cannot be physically together just goes to show that it does not matter how we communicate as long as we do.

“Dirty Letters” is Rated T for Teens. Parental guidance is strongly advised due to some sex scenes and agoraphobia.

4.5 stars

Its been a long time since I read a Penelope and Vi book..... Way too long!! After reading and devouring this one I am once again hooked on this talented duo.

Separately these authors are brilliant but together they are so much more. Their writing together is seamlessly written, emotional, witty and oh so steamy! You can see how their years of working together have resulted into a perfect blend of their writing styles.

This is the story of Luca and Griffin who used to be childhood pen pals. Now they are grown up they have reconnected through letters again. Their story hit me with so many feels as I watched their slow burn romance play out, seeing them overcome the obstacles between them. I needed tissues and wine at certain points. It was lovely watching both Luca and Griffin grow with the freedom they found in their letter writing. Maybe this is something we should go back to.

After getting a taste of Penelope and Vi again I am looking forward to seeing what they bring us next.

I have been a huge fan of this duo for a long time. But there is just something special about Dirty Letters. It is a raw and unique story that takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions between Luca and Griffin. It all started with a letter that sent Luca on a spin of getting out of her comfort zone again and living her life. Griffin is just one swoon worthy man that will have your heart melting. With how he takes care of Luca to everything he does to make her life comfortable. Their connection is so deep too.
Out of all of Keeland and Ward’s cowritten books, I think that this one is my all time fave. The care to attention and detail plus wrapping a stunning love story in it was beyond brilliant. I honestly cannot say the last time I was wrapped into a story like this. If you haven’t picked up, do so. You need to feel this magic!

This is a tough one.
On one side, I enjoyed reading Dirty Letter. It definitely won’t be on my favourites of the year but on the flip side, I can see a few people enjoying this book. Why? Because it has everything we love about romance novels…
It’s dreamy, it’s sweet, it’s seductive and a little CLICHE.

I like the premise of the whole childhood penpals. I mean, who didn’t have those growing up, right? But the whole secrecy made my eyes roll so hard. I was like “Let’s be adults about it. If you can send dirty letters to each other talking about all those bedroom secrets.. Don’t be a weirdo especially if you are going to send a PI and find out more about her.” Oops guess I spilled a spoiler.


I really had high hopes regarding this book to be honest. And I feel disappointed because perhaps I am ssounding like a spoilt child but when other authors are releasing some dang good books, our expectations and tastes change.

Dirty Letters was an ok read for me.

I totally fell in love with the letters and Griffin!

Luca has been struggling for years from a traumatic incident that has changed and scarred her life.

She has been working hard on trying to improve herself when she discovers a letter from an old pal. This letter will change Luca forever.

After years of being upset of losing his best friend, Griffin decides to give it a try and send a letter to Luca. What he doesn’t expect is a reply, to his surprise he receives the most shocking response.

Rebuilding a friendship with so many difficult obstacles in between will be the biggest challenge for Luca & Griffin.

Blog: The Life & Times of a Book Addict.

Posted on November 10, 2019.

REVIEW:

Luca is a 25 year old successful writer. She had a traumatic experience in her teen years and because of this she suffers from anxiety which can lead to major panic attacks. I loved Luca’s personality and her willingness to not give up on life. She is determined to not allow life to pass her by. And who wouldn’t like someone with a pet pig??

Needing to clean out her fathers apartment after his passing, she comes across a letter from her old pen-pal, Griffin from second grade. He’s upset with her, but she writes back and they jumpstart their friendship again.

Griffin was so easy to fall for. He’s a famous musician, who had to overcome a lot to get where he is today. He and Luca develop such an easy rapport with each other. Not to mention their chemistry is amazing. I didn’t always agree with his decisions/actions, but Griffin made up for them as the story progressed.

Neither one of them knows the others real name or even job, but for the most part they have complete trust in each other. And even though 8 years had passed, they still remembered things about each other. Dirty Letters was a sweet angsty romance story that I could not get enough of!



RATING: 4 OUT OF 5.

I literally read this book in one sitting. I'm not sure that the title "Dirty Letters" does it justice. I thought the book was going to be more about two people writing dirty letters to each other. Instead I got a book that is so much more. In Dirty letters, Luca and Griffin rekindle their pen pal friendship after years of being out of touch. They realize that they have a chance at so much more, but Luca's debilitating anxiety could stand in the way.

I enjoyed my time with this couple. Their friendship really enhanced their relationship. I also loved how they were able to communicate. That was refreshing. There wasn't a lot of "not talking" and that made for little miscommunication angst. I loved this couple. I loved the way Griffin was so patient with Luca and her anxiety. Which brings me to her anxiety. I really think the authors did a good job at portraying what someone would go through while suffering from anxiety and PTSD. One of the best things about this book is the letters between the Griffin and Luca. I have always been a fan of writing letters. I firmly believe they allow you to share arts of yourself that you may not feel comfortable saying in public.

I highly recommend this sweet romance. I look forward to reading more from this team. -Kari

This is only my second time reading a novel by this duo and I’m kicking myself for not binge-reading all their creations yet! I fell in love with this story!

Griffin is amazing! Sure, we don’t really see his best side in the beginning, but it’s nothing unforgivable. In fact, it turns out he’s a pretty amazing guy. He’s sweet, has the patience of a saint, and is sinfully sexy (it’s a heck of a combination). And not only is he humble and down-to-earth, but the man will he make you swoon page after page. He loves hard and isn’t afraid to show it.

My heart breaks for Luca. She's been through so much. You can feel her struggle and desire to fix all the wrongs in her life, but it’s just going to take time. Her heartache is palpable. But when it comes to Griffin, she’s more unguarded, unfiltered. You see a different side of her. She’s funny, kind, and loving. And watching her transform throughout the story is beautiful. She’s not perfect, but she’s getting there.

This book was torture of the best kind! From beginning to end, it had me in its grasp and wouldn't let go. There are so many feels to unravel, and it’ll take you on an emotional roller coaster. Laughs, heat, heartbreaking moments, and one adorable pet pig, this book has it all. And in the end, I think you’ll be more than pleased with this story.

I LOVED this book, and will definitely be reading more from these authors, both their collaborations and their independent works. This one gets all the stars!