Member Reviews
Pretty good book. A little slow getting into it but it really picked up in the third chapter. So if it feels slow give it a chance to pick up. |
If you loved Hate Notes by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward, then you HAVE to read Dirty Letters!! This book is exactly what I have come to expect from this writing duo. It was a fun and entertaining read but it also had all the feels you want in a romance book. I loved the storyline of this book. They covered a subject not usually seen in books and also added a new take on already seen genre. I thought the storyline was fresh and original and I couldn’t put this book down once I started reading it. Dirty Letters is a standalone novel that is told in Dual POV. You don’t have to read any other book to thoroughly enjoy this one, but let me tell you, if you haven’t read this duo before, after reading Dirty Letters, you are going to want to read all their books!! I thought the flow and pace of the story was perfect. This story will sweep you off your feet. Dirty Letters is the story of Griffin and Luca. It is about a friendship that spans over a decade, but only through letters. See Luca and Griffin first met through a pen pal connection when they were in elementary school. They continued to write every week until something tragic happens and Luca cuts off all communication. Now we fast forward to them in their 20’s and Griffin has reached out again but this time the letter isn’t all that friendly. Can Luca explain what happened all those years ago?? Will Griffin be able to move past it and rekindle their friendship? What happens when their letters turn towards the sexy, flirty side?? Can these two get their HEA even if they are both hiding some secrets that could change things once they are revealed?? Read this wonderful story to find out all the answers and more. I absolutely LOVED Luca and Griffin. I thought they were witty, fun and totally relatable characters. Griffin made my heart pound and my panties melt ;) Luca was a strong heroine in her own way. She had some serious hurdles to overcome, but I loved watching her character grow as the story went on. These two are my favorite co-written couple that Vi and Penelope have given us. I would 100% recommend this book to all romance readers. It is a story about love, healing and overcoming ones fears. Proving that sometimes love is enough!!!! READ THIS BOOK!!! You won’t be sorry. |
AHHH! I was so excited about this story. Luca and Griff's romance and friendship was real and romantic. This story was full of feels, hot sexy times and had me hooked from the start! 4 stars! ~Ratula |
4.5 Stars Luca is on her way to New York City to finally clear out her dad's apartment. The only problem is ... she doesn't do New York. Or any public places really. She gets panic attacs whenever something is too overwhelming or too full of people. But she has to do this! In her dad's apartment she finds a letter - addressed to her. Something she hasn't seen in eight years. A letter from Griffin. He was her pen pal in school since she was only seven years old! He was her best friend. But then things happened and she stopped writing. He didn't stop for a long time. And he's mad at her for never answering. She's answering now - and those childish and teenaged letters they used to write change into something much more adult! But how can a scared recluse from Vermont find her happily ever after with a famous person from Los Angeles? Let the fun times begin! What will happen to Luca & Griffin? Will there be a HEA? READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT ☺ ══════════════════ THAT WAS SO ADORABLE!!!! Luca is so cute! Ever since what happened to her years ago, she's so scared of things but she still has an amazing job and an adorable pet and an amazing almost-live-in therapist! And Griffin. Sexy, rich, famous. He should be over the moon happy. He has everything he ever dreamed of. But there are many bad sides to this life. He would rather be living with Luca in her Vermont loneliness. But he loves his job too and he wants nothing more than to combine their lives in some way - but that won't be easy - maybe even impossible. I really adored their love story. It was so cute to read their old and new letters. To see how they went from talking about childish stuff to more sexy things. The whole book is somewhat calm. Maybe a little too calm here and there for my tastes. There's no arguing and no fighting and no ... no idea. It's like Griffin tries to be all nice and quiet ... he doesn't want to spook Luca. It was a tiny bit too much for me. It makes Griffin a bit too softish. Not really the manly hottie I was hoping for. But I still loved him. He's so sweet with her ... perfect book boyfriend material! And now that I'm done with the book I almost deleted what I just wrote, because it got better, but it's still a little bit quiet. But I really adored the book. Griffin is amazing! And Luca is trying so hard to fight her way out of her fear! I cried a lot! ☺ This book has a really great cast of people/animals - I sooo wouldn't mind seeing this on TV one day! Also Christmas is very soon - where can you buy a little pet pig around here? Asking for a friend! ☺ DIRTY LETTERS was such a sweet and fun and heartbreaking kinda-second-chance love story! I adored (aaaalllmost) everything about it! ☺ Run to your nearest amazon for your own Griffin & Hortencia - these two are MINE!!!! ☺☺☺ P.S. I LOVE that the cover - but that goes without saying with all the Vi & Penelope books!!! LOVE THEM! |
Ess A, Reviewer
This book needs a trigger warning! If you are susceptible to panic attacks and suffer from anxiety, know that this book has very descriptive scenes in which the main character has severe panic attacks that can trigger yours as well. Safety first! The introduction of anxiety-riddled Luca was nuanced and heartbreaking, at first. I thought it was cool and super relatable for today’s proactive health platform that they had a heroine that had a mental health issue and the opened up about the process of her treatment. Unfortunately, after reading the above introduction scenes which included a very detailed panic attack and the hands on method of Luca’s treatment, the book devolved into surreal tripe featuring an oversexed rock star who was the anonymous pen pal to our very own heroine throughout their adolescence. I thought that the introduction of rock star Griffin was out of nowhere and their lust connection was over the top. It was hard to read about Luca, someone who had barely left her home due to her crippling mental health condition— just kind of break free from years of conditioned atrophy. I understand the need to make Luca better, and I agree that it can happen and she deserves it, I just don’t think that it was an actual interpretation of someone with this illness. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. |
Arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review. Dirty Letters was pretty dirty! The steam factor was high in this book. Fans of Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward will not be disappointed with the latest installment. I really enjoyed the main protagonist, Luca. She is fighting serious anxiety problems and the authors realistically did not offer up an easy fix all solution. This book is a modern retelling of a pen pal relationship that developed into so much more! Griffin was the perfect fit for Luca and I appreciated the way their friendship grew into more and the respect they had for each other. I connected more with Luca than Griffin and felt that Griffin could have been a little more developed but overall, this was a pretty good read and will definitely appeal to the authors fans. |
Vi Keeland once again led me on an emotional journey that swept me up and held me captive. This is a story of Luca and Griffin who became pen pals in second grade. An ocean separates them, but that doesn't quail their deep connection or strong friendship until the letters quit coming without explanation. An emotional tale of a strong bond that can't be reciprocated, but a deep longing for more. A 5 Star Must Read ***** |
This duo has done it again! I felt every minute of Luca and Griffin's suffering. Anxiety is no joke. And Griffin just wanted a real relationship, somebody who saw HIM and not his persona. This is what drives him to reach out to his long lost pen pal. With some help from a bird crazy doctor, Luca and Griff attempt to navigate an unconventional relationship. It is a long, bumpy journey to get from pen pals to soul mate. And I loved every sexy beautiful moment. |
Good golly, did I love this book. It made me feel all the feelings in the best possible way. It took me on such a journey of happiness, sadness, hopefulness, and love all without falling into the angst category. I've never met a book that made me so sad and so happy at the same time and I loved it. |
I very much enjoyed Luca and Griffin's gritty, angsty journey to their HEA. I have only read a couple of other books by this writing duo, but my experience so far is that they produce unique stories in which nothing is easy for the hero and heroine. That is certainly the case here, but I must say that these two characters are so wonderful that it's impossible to not root for them. Luca, especially, has such a beautiful spirt, and my heart broke for her as she struggled to simply exist. I look forward to seeing what these authors come up with next. A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for providing an ARC for review. |
Debeh H, Reviewer
(Arc provided by netgalley in exchange for honest review) This book was damn cute. In a lot of ways it reminded me of my other favorite from Penelope Ward, "Love online". Luca's character was so realistic and cute. Her fears and anxiety were so well written. This is kind of a trigger warning for some i think. Griffin is absolutely adorable and perfect. And I even shed a few tears by the end. Highly enjoyed this one. |
Good lord.... this book. I felt every moment of it, and I just fell in love with the entire thing. The story of Luca and Griffin grabbed me and didn’t let go. It was such a moving read and I am so glad I chose to read it. By far, the best I’ve read from this duo! I lived through every fear that Luca had, and her anxiety was entirely believable. If I could give this one ten stars I would!! |
I've tried to read other books by this writing team and I'm in the clear minority because I just can't connect with the writing. I prefer a story with more depth and I just never connected with this story. Ended up shelving it after a few chapters. |
Luca is REAL! And it is extremely difficult to find such a protagonist in a Romance novel, who you can relate to. Luca suffers from Agoraphobia (the fear of crowded places) after a tragic fire took her best friend away. That was the day she shut down all communication with the world, including her pen pal Griffin. Years later. a letter from Griffin opens the flood gates of happy memories and she decides to reconcile with the only person who truly understands her. Griffin's present life is very different from what Luca can handle, but when they finally meet (after a wonderful adventure on Luca's part), their chemistry is pure magic. Luca's relationship with her therapist is what I enjoyed the most in this book (a close second was Luca and Griffin, I promise). Her panic and anxiety attacks are handled quite well, giving us readers no unrealistic hopes. I loved how original and grounded the story felt, especially on Luca's part. Doc's advice on everything under the sun (including his examples derived from the birds he loves watching so dearly) is relatable and honest. Griffin is the man we should aspire to find/become. He is understanding, caring and very loving and forms a strong backbone to Luca's vulnerability. My apologies if this review is turning serious, but on a brighter note, Luca and Griffin's conversation are hilarious and oh! so sexy. I found myself cracking up and swooning each time these two were together. Also, It won't be surprising, if Griffin becomes your new favorite book boyfriend :P |
This book gave me ALL THE FEELS. It was so beautifully and thoughtfully written. I am a sucker for an epistolary romance, but this one was cream of the crop, top of the line, just wonderfulness. Griffin and Luca are true soul mates. Truly - the lengths that Griffin went through to support Luca and understand her NOT fix her - were inspiring. The story contains such an honest and open look at anxiety disorders and healing. The authors never try to "fix" Luca or have her miraculously cured of her anxiety. It shows her working through it and the damage it does to herself and her relationships. Griffin, who has his own issues, loves Luca for who she is - including the anxiety. He support and understands, but doesn't enable or try to fix. There relationship is really amazing and should give hope and inspiration to others who might suffer from the same level of anxiety - or who have a partner with anxiety. ' I really adored this story and all that went with it. It was sweet, funny, sexy as hell, and beautifully written. I received an ARC of this story in exchange for this review - but the opinions expressed are entirely my own! |
Griffin and Luca's journey is so complex and full of emotion. Yes, there are great sexy and steamy aspects. But what truly stands out are the real struggles each character faces. Fame isn't all it's cracked up to be and Griffin's struggle comes across as genuine. Luca's past and her current issues draw the reader in and make you invested in her outcome. It's a beautiful romance that got its start in childhood and endured. But is it strong enough? I highly recommend you read and find out. |
Thank you Netgalley and Montlake Romance for the advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This is my first time reading a novel by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward. Their novels always appear on my timeline because many of my friend on GR read them. For some reason I never got around to reading any and now that I have, I totally understand why their books are popular. I love the storyline and it is actually not what I was expecting. Judging by the title, I thought it was going to be one of those hot, quick read. But it turns out to be more than that. For one, the story is longer than I thought. And second, don't get me wrong, the two characters are indeed hot together. But the story is about conquering one's fear and the realization that in order to make a relationship work, you need to, well, work for it. And can Griffin Quinn be any more perfect? He's British, he's a rock star and surprise, surprise, he wants a relationship. At least he does with Luca. The story is told from dual POV and once Griffin's POV came into the picture, I could not stop reading. I was very, very tempted to just stay in bed the entire day so I could soak myself with all the goodness that comes with this novel. Highly recommended! |
This book was good, just not great for me. The good, I loved Griffin! He was funny, sweet, and British, what more could you ask for? The letters they wrote each other were my favorite part. I read it in one sitting, and definitely wanted to see how it would end. The parts that had me struggling were I felt like it was rushed in parts, like their love story once they meet. I had a hard time remembering they had been writing back and forth for a long time. I also didn't really connect with Luca. This was a 3.5 star read for me. I would definitely recommend as a fairly light love story. There was some angst and drama in there as well. I will for sure try more from these authors! I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. |
Once again, this team of authors has created a deeply romantic story that pulls on your heartstrings from start to finish. This fantastic, emotional book had me rooting for a love that’s anything but easy, yet so worth the struggle. I’m going to be intentionally vague here in describing the plot, because the discovery is all part of the journey and well worth letting it all unfold naturally. Essentially, it’s the story of childhood pen pals who started writing in second grade as an assignment and then spent the next ten years exchanging deep, intimate letters that brought them closer than people who see each other every day. Everything changed when Luca stopped responding to Griffin’s letters, and it changes again when he sends her a letter eight years later saying how much he could’ve really used a friend during that time in his life. Little did Griffin know that Luca actually had a very legitimate reason for taking time off from the letters, but the damage was already done by the time she was in a place where she could start responding again. Now that they are adults, all of those old feelings come rushing back to the surface and they both crave a real connection since they’re feeling alone in the world. These two lead very different lifestyles (perhaps too different to make a real relationship work), but they’ve been a part of each other’s lives for 18 years in one way or another and that means their connection is worth fighting for. Do yourself a favor and read the book. It’s great. As always, the authors’ writing is so, so good. I’ve read several of their books at this point, so I was prepared for there to be a major obstacle in the path of love, but knew better than to try to spoil that for myself ahead of time. It’s best to just read the book and get immersed in the story; let things unravel naturally and follow the journey as the couple does. I had literal goosebumps while reading the ending, it’s that good. A big thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was incredibly excited to read this book and it definitely lived up to my expectations. |
Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward did it again. I cried so much, it hit me like a hammer. Luca suffers from PTSD, anxiety and Agoraphobia. And reading about her struggles, her fears, her panic attacks felt so relatable to me, I had to stop few times to actually breathe. Griffin is the most precious and pure male interest I've read in a long time and they own my heart. This book is so important, it's beautiful and hopeful. I am begging you to pick it up in November. |




