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Dirty Letters

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I’d never forgotten him—a man I’d yet to meet.

Griffin Quinn was my childhood pen pal, the British boy who couldn’t have been more different from me. Over the years, through hundreds of letters, we became best friends, sharing our deepest, darkest secrets and forming a connection I never thought could break.

Until one day it did.

Then, out of the blue, a new letter arrived. A scathing one—one with eight years of pent-up anger. I had no choice but to finally come clean as to why I stopped writing.

Griffin forgave me, and somehow we were able to rekindle our childhood connection. Only now we were adults, and that connection had grown to a spark. Our letters quickly went from fun to flirty to downright dirty, revealing our wildest fantasies. So it only made sense that we would take our relationship to the next level and see each other in person.

Only Griff didn’t want to meet. He asked that I trust him and said it was for the best. But I wanted more—more Griff, in the flesh—so I took a big chance and went looking for him. People have done crazier things for love.

But what I found could change everything.

283 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2019

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About the author

Vi Keeland

75 books32.3k followers
Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over one hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-six languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

Stop by and meet Vi in her private reader group on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ViKee...


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5 stars
17,839 (40%)
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Profile Image for Dilek VT.
1,545 reviews1,486 followers
February 28, 2021
1,5 stars rounded up to 2

Do you want to read this book because you think it will be hot, fun and emotional? Well, let me help you…

And before I start sharing quotations from the book, let me clarify something. I first thought I was reading an M/M book as I thought Luca was the guy's name so in case you think the same, let me make it clear that Luca is the heroine, Griffin is the hero. Kudos to awesome choice of names!

*********************************************

OK, are you ready? Here are some examples from their hot and dirty letters…



Luca: I have a nice collection of vibrators—the LELO INA Wave rabbit being my favorite. It gives dual internal and external stimulation.

Hey, girls, bear this in mind. You need to be as informative as possible about your sex life and remember that giving a man the brand name of your vibrator and informing him about its capacity (how many modes, etc.) will turn him on; don’t ever forget!

description

Griffin: Do you have genophobia? I definitely don’t.

Huh, what?
Oh, no they are not 12, or 14. They are 25 year-old mature adults, having this dirty sexy talk in their letters.

Why would you think they were adolescents? Huh, weird?!


Let's move on.

Our hero Griffin wants to be the perfect guy for her so he asks all the necessary questions.

Griffin: Do you prefer Cavalier or Roundhead? (Uncut or other.)

description

Well, great, just great Griffin! That’s an important question to ask a girl you are interested in.

So, will you shape it the way she likes? I just wonder??

And I also wonder if you can revert the action? I mean if yours is circumcised and she likes uncircumcised, then what?


Well, of course, Luca, my girl, asks a question as good as Griffin’s.

Luca: Do you prefer shaved, runway strip, or full carpet?



Griffin’s answer: I will take you any way you give yourself to me, whether bald or hairier than the grizzly bear.

Oh my God, oh my God, so hot, so so hot, isn’t it?
Do you feel the burn?
Do you feel the sexiness of the letters?




Why don’t you take notes so that you can do dirty messaging with your partner and blow his mind?

This book has such a rich archive of this kind of precious dirty talk that you can use it as a guidebook to being sexy.


Confessions from our dear Luca:

Luca: I never told you, but I have a secret nickname for you: Mee-Mee. The story behind it is pretty embarrassing.

Do you remember those little Furby key chains? The vibrating ones that McDonald’s gave out in their Happy Meals years ago? …
I had a few of one little Furby in particular. Yep, you guessed it. . . his name was Mee-Mee. Well, I got the bright idea to give Mee-Mee a try inside my underwear. I held him against my privates and let the vibration stimulate my clit. I’m pretty sure I had no idea what I was doing—but boy did I hit the jackpot. That night I had my first orgasm ever—one hand holding your photo up to look at and the other pressing Mee-Mee against my body. So basically you were a big part of my first orgasm. Was that TMI? I hope not.

TMI? Oh no, of course not! Why would she think so?

Atta girl! That’s how you sound sexy to a guy – by explaining how you used a cute vibrating toy as your vibrator!




Let me also say that the book also gives insight to how you need to end your dirty letter. Take Griffin's endings as an example...

Later, gator,
Griff

Later, traitor,
Griffin

Hot, right?



And when they see each other in real life, their sexy conversations continue.

description


Griffin: I want to do a lot of things with you.
Luca: Like what?
Griffin: Off the top of my head? Well, I’d like to take off your shirt and titty fuck you.

Do you see how their relationship gets hotter and hotter?



Well, if you have the full grasp of how hot and sexy this book is with their dirty letters, let me now show you how endearing our hero is.

Guys, I am saying it here: Griffin is such a great candidate to being one of your best book boyfriends!

Griffin: I’ve had a lot of sex, but most of the time it’s a means to an end, and when it’s over, there is nothing worth clinging on to. I’m not proud of that, but women (at least out here) make it too easy for men. For the most part, we’ll take what you offer up, but it’s nice to have to fight for it sometimes. I don’t want to be with someone who’s okay with me just sticking my dick inside her and going home. You wouldn’t believe how many shallow women I come across each day who are just perfectly fine with—as Americans say—“wham bam thank you ma’am.”

See? He is a gem!

description

I wonder why we cannot find such a perfect guy in real life

Griffin is also very mature as you may have already guessed.

Well, here is another example:

The hero, Griffin, and the heroine, Luca were pen pals for many years when they were children and they shared a lot. They were like soul-mate pen-pals! Because one lived in England and the other was in the USA, they never had the opportunity to meet in person. Then, at the age of 17, Luca stopped answering Griffin’s letters and now, they are 25 years old and Griffin sends her a resentful letter one more time after 8 years of silence. And he says to Luca, “You SUCK!”

I hear you saying,“WTF? Are you 5 or what?”

No no... Griffin writes this when he is 25. I just don’t understand why you would think he was 5, huh, weird!


Griffin is not only hot, fun and mature but he is also very smart and creative.

Griffin: “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” this letter will hopefully lead to more correspondence. I can only hope that my “Dancing Queen” takes a hint and writes me back. The only question is . . . how the fuck will you get a letter to me? “Mamma Mia,” what a conundrum. Take it as a challenge. How does one receive letters on the road? I don’t care how you do it, just “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” Figure out how to get me your letter. You have my schedule. I challenge you. “I Have a Dream” that you’ll find a way to do it.

Could I BE any more annoying using ABBA songs to communicate with you?

I am answering: No, you couldn’t!

Oh oh, Luca also answers to this letter using the songs of Abba but to read that priceless answer, you need to read the book; I can’t do that many favors, you know…

As I said, Griffin is many things and one other precious quality of Griffin is his honest and decent character.

Luca wants to share photos and also meet Griffin in person. Neither of them knows what each one looks like. However, as Griffin is now a famous rock star followed by paparazzi and Luca is agoraphobic; Griffin thinks that it is not a good idea and so he does what any decent and honest man would do. He hires a PI and asks him to find her and take her photos because he wants to see how she looks like. Of course, he doesn't want her to know how he looks like.

Things happen, bla bla and they finally meet in person. I have no words to describe what an epic first meet it was so I am not even trying to describe it!

What was I saying? Huh, I was talking about what an honest and decent man Griffin was.

Luca is a writer of many famous novels and later in the book, when he wants to read her books, the conversation goes like this:

Griffin: Will you let me read your books?
Luca: It’s not like I could stop you if you really wanted to, now that you know my pen name.
Griffin: You’re wrong about that. If you didn’t want me to read them, I absolutely wouldn’t violate your trust.

Ha ha ha, I can’t stop laughing.. Just a moment…



OK, OK… I am trying to stop…

Aren’t you the one who sent a PI after her back??!

Well, do you see what a hypocrite Griffin is?!
Oops, no no, I was going to write what a decent man he is, typo typo, sorry!


*********************************************

Well, the book is, as you see, very hot, emotional and fun with two decent, mature and lovely characters. But the unfortunate thing is the book is only 244 pages and honestly, I couldn’t get enough of them ☹

In addition to all this awesomeness, there is a weird therapist obsessed about birds, many many therapy sessions about agoraphobia, never-ending mourning after the death of her best friend, a glimpse of the sad and lonely life of famous people, fairy tale like coincidences, which all add value to the book.

*********************************************

Also, the book made me see some facts about mourning that I’d never thought of before.

The reason Luca stopped writing to Griffin was that her best friend died in a fire at a concert and from then on, she stopped being the lively girl she was. She retreated into her own world, started fearing crowds and now she is agoraphobic. She has been suffering from severe panic attacks.

During that 8-year separation, Griffin lost his mother to cancer and he needed his pen-pal, his best friend Luca, but she never answered his letters.

Now, after that famous letter in which he said, “You suck!”, Luca finally writes back to him and explains what happened back then. Our hero Griffin is so very sorry about her loss and he realizes that his loss was not as great as hers; therefore, he apologizes!

He says one may expect to lose parents, even at a young age as his mother, but losing a best friend and bury them was unthinkable and unbearable.

To solidify this fact, the book shows that Luca’s mourning after the death of her best friend lasts 8 years and turns her into an agoraphobic person during that period of time.

So this precious book showed me that you cannot compare losing a friend to losing a parent or even to losing the love of your life because the pain of losing a friend lasts longer and it hurts
deeper!




Well, I knew that whoever you lose, when you lose a loved one, it should hurt badly, but strangely, I never knew losing a friend hurt the most. The book taught me that! If asked, I would say it depends but now I learnt that it didn’t.

*********************************************

Final words:

We did a buddy-read with my book soul-mates, Funda and Sanzida and we had great fun reading this book!



I hope I was able to explain what kind of a treasure this book is. I think you should join us and share its awesomeness but if you don’t want to read a hot, emotional, fun and sexy book, then, it is your problem and of course, your loss!



So, you may wonder why 2 stars?! Oh, well, I might just be jealous of its awesomeness, seeing I would never have the talent to be able to write such an epic book... Yeap, that must be it..

*********************************************

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Profile Image for Kilikina.
702 reviews369 followers
Read
November 25, 2019
Ok, I'm so upset! I'm just not connecting with this at all! :(

I don't know if my expectations are just too high or what? But I can't get into this and keep switching to read other books instead.

Putting this on hold for now at 34% - not sure if I'll come back to this one or not.

____________
Edit: that cover model can write me pen pal letters ANY day

description
___________
I have no idea what this is but I need it!
Profile Image for Christy.
4,077 reviews34.5k followers
April 13, 2020
4 stars

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

I haven't read a book by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward in a while, but when I saw the cover for Dirty Letters I had to pick it up. I'm really glad I did, because I enjoyed this story a lot. 

Luca and Griffin meet when they're children as pen-pals. Luca is in the USA and Griffin is in the UK, but through their letters, they become close friends and sort of grow up together. When Luca goes through a tragedy during her senior year of high school, her entire life is changed. Through all that, she doesn't only go through the hardest thing of her life, but she sort of ghosts Griffin and quits responding to his letters. Almost ten years later, the two happen to reconnect. 

This story is a journey. We see so much growth in Luca, and I loved how patient and loving Griffin was with her. I also enjoyed the way that the heroines condition was portrayed. It wasn't something you see in every book. Andi Arndt and Jacob Morgan narrated this audiobook and it was a joy to listen to. I would definitely recommend the audio. I loved the chemistry and connection of these characters and I especially enjoyed their friendship, as well as their romance. 

I loved the friends to lovers/pen-pal aspect of Dirty Lovers and it stands to be repeated... I really, really love this cover! This story had a great balance of sexy, emotional, romantic, and even funny at times. Another hit by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward!
Profile Image for NMmomof4.
1,586 reviews4,238 followers
November 6, 2019
2.5 Stars

Overall Opinion: Don't hate me friends! 🙈 I struggled with this one. Lately, I've been unable to read the way I had in the past, so when I do read I want it to be great. I figured with practically nothing but raving reviews -- this would be a winner! I should've known better. I hardly ever seem to get on with the books that have a lot of hype following them. This just didn't work for me. I never felt connected to either character, I absolutely didn't feel their connection to each other (other than maybe friendship), I felt zero chemistry to where I didn't even find their sexy times to be all that....sexy, it had themes that should've felt angsty but instead fell flat, the humor didn't even get me, and the ending left me with unanswered questions! I was just bored 🤷🏻‍♀️

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Luca and Griffin's story. When Luca's dad dies and she goes to clean out his apartment, she finds a letter from her childhood pen pal that is ranting about how much she sucks for stopping their correspondence. Luca had been through some trauma to throw her life off track, but she never forgot Griffin or how important their relationship was to her. They start writing again and reconnect in a big way. There are some sweet and sad scenes, some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.

Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Luca and Griffin's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Alright, it did feel really slow at times but I never skimmed.

Instalove: Yes! I feel like we started after they had fallen in love and we didn't ever get to experience any of the development of feelings. I think some more of the old letters would've gone a long way.

H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Griffin. I liked him, but I felt like he was a little too beta for me. A little too sweet and not enough grit to be the I come to expect.

h (heroine) rating: 3 stars. Luca. I found her contradictory at times, but she was sweet. Just an okay 3 Stars for me.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Yes

Heat level: Alright. They have some okay tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: No

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: No

Separation: Yes

Possible Triggers: Yes

Closure: This had what I would reluctantly call a HEA ending , but I didn't feel like it was enough closure. I had too many unanswered questions in the end about their future.

Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Profile Image for Gabby.
1,424 reviews27.6k followers
March 14, 2020
Oh my god these letters are so freaking cringey I freaking can’t... they go from “oh I haven’t talked to you in 8 years how are you?” to “have you ever had an orgasm?” soooo fast and it’s so awkward. Also, why are both of these characters so stalker-ish, it’s not a good look. Both of them annoy me so bad honestly, idk how I finished this one.
Profile Image for ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books.
2,316 reviews9,203 followers
November 2, 2019
24993460-SX540
DIRTY-LETTERS

'DIRTY LETTERS' Is a full length stand alone, romance novel by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward. Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives'

Mr cover hotty was just perfect!
Dirty Letters, was steamy and sexy, throw in some swoony moments and I inhaled this! From start to finish I read this in one sitting, so easy to get into, hard to put down!

In the opening chapter we meet Twenty five year old Luca who is on her way to Manhatten to empty out her fathers apartment who has passed many a blue moon. The thing with Luca is that she suffers from anxiety which can bring on a panic attack any given time but usually occur when she's out of her comfort zone and surrounded by crowds. So to say she's not looking forward to this moment in time is an understatement.

It's whilst she's cleaning that she comes across an old letter, not just any old letter BUT a letter from her long lost pen pal Griffin!!

These two started exchanging letters way back when they were just seven years old. He was the one she could open up to, she could even go so far as saying that he became her best friend.

𝐼𝓃 𝓈𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓃𝒹 𝑔𝓇𝒶𝒹𝑒, 𝓂𝓎 𝓉𝑒𝒶𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓇, 𝑀𝓇𝓈 𝑅𝓎𝒶𝓃, 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝒶 𝓅𝑒𝓃 𝓅𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓅𝓇𝑜𝑔𝓇𝒶𝓂 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒶 𝓈𝓂𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝒾𝓃 𝐸𝓃𝑔𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒹. 𝒲𝑒 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓃'𝓉 𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁 𝓁𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝓃𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓈𝒶𝒻𝑒𝓉𝓎 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓈𝑜𝓃𝓈, 𝓈𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝓁𝒶𝓈𝓈 𝓊𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓁𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝓃𝒶𝓂𝑒-𝒽𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝐿𝓊𝒸𝒶 𝑅𝓎𝒶𝓃.

But things got in the way and she stopped writing him..No explanation..It had been close to eight years since they had exchanged letters.

But the thing was he never did..

And this last letter she opens and reads...He was pissed..Going so far as to say that she sucked!!

fastforward..

She decides to write him back..And things between them get back on track..

Neither know the other's name, neither know what each do for a living..
So buckle up for a fun ride as these two reconnect, it all started over dirty words written in letters!!


Profile Image for Astrid - The Bookish Sweet Tooth.
794 reviews887 followers
November 5, 2019


TITLE: DIRTY LETTERS
AUTHOR: Penelope Ward, Vi Keeland
RELEASE DATE: November 5, 2019
GENRE: New Adult / Rockstar Romance
THEMES & TROPES: Friends to Lovers
RATING: 5 Stars
CLIFFHANGER: No

READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG





*stares at the cover*

*eyes glaze over*

*wipes drool*

*clears throat*

That guy on the cover is the hottest thing since Dragon's Breath pepper. Ahem...
So...DIRTY LETTERS is the new co-authored friends-to-lovers/rockstar romance by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland that I found utterly refreshing. The heroine is agoraphobic, that first reared its ugly head after her best friend died in a fire at a concert. And there, of course, is also survivor's guilt. When Luca was seven years old she became pen pals with a boy in England. They became best friends and confidantes over the years, their honesty one of the most remarkable features of their friendship. Until the fire.

Luca was in her senior year when she ghosted Griffin. Griffin, now a famous rockstar known as Cole Archer, lets her know how he feels about this in a petty letter eighteen years later. I have to say, I was happy to see how fast Griffin forgave Luca. For a few months these two communicate only by letter and they find back into their easy friendship with the addition of a growing attraction. But Griffin, who has learned the hard way that fame comes at a price, cherishes the fact that Luca doesn't know who he is.
Money and fame couldn’t buy happiness, and I was starting to think I’d trade thousands of women wearing my face on their chests for one woman resting her face on my chest at night.

I have so much love for all the characters in this book. Griffin was a great guy, an amazing friend and a patient, understanding boyfriend who was totally besotted with his girl, how he held on when things got rough, never letting her down. The way Luca's debilitating condition was portrayed made her relatable and my heart ached for her because, really, when you can't go out of the house without fearing a panic attack, how do you deal with rabid fans and press and paps? The despair because you're trapped in your head...what do you have to offer except your heart?
“It will never be perfect. It will never not be scary. So if you’re waiting for this to not feel terrifying, it never will. There will be hard times. But there will be amazing ones, too. You have to decide whether we’re worth the hardships. In the end, it’s going to come down to one thing: whether love is enough.”

Lastly, there is Doc, Luca's therapist, who was simply the sweetest. In my mind he looked like Doc Brown from Back to the Future. He is Luca's rock and I loved how he showed up with a borrowed RV and took his patient on an unforgettable, life-changing road trip.

Dirty Letters packs a good portion of steam and a mountain of emotions and a lot of material to think about. I love that these two authors always put their own stamp on a story and make it refreshing and original. I enjoyed every minute, every word, every decision these characters made were with the love for the other one in mind and that's what true romance is. The epilogue was (with a tiny caveat) sweet and I was so happy to see Luca and Griffin getting their well deserved happy ever after.  You can't go wrong picking this up.
"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.”


Profile Image for Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾.
2,118 reviews13.1k followers
November 10, 2019
2.5 STARS
In case I wasn’t clear, love is enough for me, Luca. But you have to let me love you.”

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.

ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review

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Profile Image for Funda Demir.
146 reviews198 followers
November 6, 2019
Give up at 55%.

I am pretty certain that Keeland and Ward were desperate for money when publishing this. Or they were forced to it through a contract, and couldn't come up with anything so just wrote down anything. This was so bad, that my book soulmates (Sanzida and Dilek) and I did have fun at the beginning to see if it got worse (it did). But I can't do it anymore. The following are some of the things I'd rather do than to carry on with this 'book':

- Rip off my toe nails with pliers.
- Go through all of my emails and delete over 1000 of them- one at a time.
- Get a root canal without anaesthetics.
- Stay alone with OJ Simpson in a kitchen full of knives.
- Cut my fingers then dip them in salt.
- Get life advice from Charles Manson.
- Listen to Kanye talk.
- Listen to Trump talk.
- Go to a Miley Cyrus concert.
- Watch Twilight.
- Play Russian roulette with 6 bullets in the chamber.
- Stay alone on a movie set with Harvey Weinstein.
- Get a colonoscopy.
- Trust Bill Cosby with my drink.
- Teach my mum how to use her iPad.
- Get a full Brazilian.
- Be a passenger in a car driven by Stevie Wonder.

I am absolutely and 100% done with these authors.
Profile Image for Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog.
1,260 reviews10.1k followers
November 3, 2019
*****FIVE++++++++ STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Authors}



”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.”





This book is EVERYTHING that is truly amazing about the writing duo of Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland. "DIRTY LETTERS" is going down as my absolute TOP FAVORITE by these two incredible authors. It had so many things that I love in a good romance-- friends-to-lovers trope, a gorgeous British Rock God as the Hero, and some gut-wrenching angst. Griffin Marchese has all of the traits to make him one of the most unforgettable and beloved book boyfriends. I instantly fell so hard for this beautiful character.





”DIRTY LETTERS” is a true page-turner! It’s one of those books that you will want to immerse yourself in without any interruptions. I am not exaggerating when I say it’s unputdownable!! Griffin and Luca’s story is so heartachingly beautiful and at times agonizingly angsty but it was so worth the pain!! I loved that they started off as childhood penpals and later became true soul mates.





Here are my overall ratings:
Hero: 5++++
Heroine: 5
Plot:
Angst: 4.5
Steam: 5
Chemistry Between Hero & Heroine: 5+++++




Quite a few books are releasing this week, but ”DIRTY LETTERS” is the one you should bump to the top of the list! I HIGHLY recommend this one!


Amazon ➜ https://fave.co/2W5yQuj
Audio ➜ https://fave.co/2N3vVOB
Amazon Print ➜ https://fave.co/2BAX9a8





November 13, 2021
this was such a cute story. I adored the mental health representation, I loved that they shed light on agoraphobia & that they showed how important therapy is. griffin was an angel, and luca was such a strong character. & I love me a good pen pal storyline *cough* punk 57 *cough* anyway, this was adorable.
Profile Image for Pavlina Read more sleep less blog  .
2,434 reviews5,107 followers
November 4, 2019
<3 5 STARS <3

My favorite duo wrote another brilliant,emotional and heartwarming romance!I devour it in one sitting, I loved it so much!Dirty Letters was a captivating story, and it has an original story!

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Luca and Griffin are my new favorite couple!I ach for them and I wanted to see them together!I loved the letters, I find it brilliant!I loved how the story begins and I liked how Luca and Griffin's relationship developed!Luca is a lovely heroine who has to deal with something serious, however she is strong and sweet.Griffin is sexy and fun!

I loved everything about it!

 


  
Profile Image for ✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ .
2,209 reviews1,280 followers
March 24, 2021
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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 ☺

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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!

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Profile Image for Andrea Fleury.
959 reviews76 followers
January 20, 2020
This book touched me. It was amazing beautiful sweet heartbreaking sad..griff and. Luca become Pen pals but loose contact with each other. Now its 8 years later.. What happened. Doc was amazing. To both of them. I loved his character and the birds. Oh there is a pig too.
Profile Image for Maditales.
609 reviews29.8k followers
August 26, 2022
rerated this book to 1 star after finishing a different book by this racist author.
I read dirty letters yesterday and just finished happily letter after which is a racist books

This book was okay.

There are many things I really liked about this book:
- The doctor that was not only super sweet but reminded me of my grandfather and made this entire book feel warm and comfortable. He was overall not only funny but like a giant teddy bear.
- I really liked the main characters. Both were in my opinion great on their own and had depth for a short book. I liked that he was indeed a softer guy and more nice than the usual guys in books. I also really liked that even though Luca had anxiety and ptsd, she was really trying to get over them not for a guy, but for herself. She wanted to be able to go grocery shopping, etc and you can tell throughout the books that she has ups and downs but she is always strong.
- the doctor and her had a beautiful father daughter type relationship that I treasured
- I specifically found it pretty cool how Luca texted like me. I use "le gasp" and "gasp" like a word not a reaction and she did too so I thought that was pretty funny.

now to the things I did not like, at all:
- it was wayyyyyyyy too quick. I mean one second they were not talking and the next they were fuckin against the wall?
- Eventhough I loved that both of them were not only funny as well as open to talk about sex with each other throughout the entire book, I felt like they did not have as much chemistry. I still thought they were friends. Maybe a bit more but I think we needed another hundred pages to work on the romance between them.
- I think Griffin pressured her a bit much in the beginning with the public spaces. I know we all need to overcome certain fears, myself included with my anxiety but overall he went too fast. I know the doctor said it could work but remember, he is a celebrity.


Overall I think this book had the potential to be a new 5 star read of mine. Everything was there: the characters, the story line, just enough drama, there was humor and a good more heartfelt and deeper topic.
The pace was just sooo off that I cannot give this book more stars. The book has under 300 pages and I think it should have been 500. There was soooo much missing and we skipped so many times that it felt more like a summary.
Profile Image for MELISSA *Mel Reader*.
1,388 reviews1,454 followers
November 5, 2019
4.5 Love Is Everything stars!
(ARC provided by author)

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Luca is a 25 yr. old woman living in Vermont who loves her job. She lives a small town life without much excitement. Then she receives a blast from the past, when a letter arrives from her childhood pen pal. Griffin was the British boy whose words she’d fallen in love with. He was her best friend, and she’d lived for his letters. They meant everything to her, but a misunderstanding had left them estranged since they were teenagers. Stopping their communication had always been one of her biggest regrets in life.

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Luca and Griffin hadn’t exchanged letters in almost eight years, but their connection was still just as strong. Their letters quickly go from platonic to playful and flirty as they begin reconnecting. The boy who’d once been so dear to her was now a man, and she wanted to finally take the next step, and meet in person, but he didn’t. They cared deeply about one another, and Luca decides it’s time to finally take a chance on love.

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-This woman was one of the most important people in my life.

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Dirty Letters by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward is a beautiful friends to lovers romance about two pen pals who formed an unbreakable bond as children, and as adults fate brings them back to one another. It’s a story about love, trust, and taking chances. I really loved this one!

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***NOW AVAILABLE***
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Profile Image for Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] .
287 reviews195 followers
November 11, 2023
RATING: 2 stars to Dirty Letters ★ ★

My second book from this co-authorship and I'm beginning to think that their titles might not be for me? I can only speak for Ward and Keeland's collaborative efforts as I comment on this, but more than not finding myself comfortably satisfied with any reading bout, I always seem to come up bothered by collected irritations. My first was Hate Notes, and while I didn't love it, it was a reasonably decent romance that introduces a unique conflict piece in place of a commonly monotonous one. Dirty Letters on the other hand? I had my fair share of reservations pre-reading but I did appreciate where the story was heading with the unfolding pen-friends situation, but most especially with Luca's mental health recovery, so fairly content to keep moving forward with it I was. It seemed to work in its own gentle, truthful and plain-spoken way. However, I seem to be following an underwhelming trend where what I believe I'll be getting from a story isn't what I actually get. I do have a unique fascination for the idea of an epistolary romance, one where a foundation is built upon that very special long-distance relationship that belongs to you, them and the intimacy no one else can touch. It's magical, but Dirty Letters was just not quite that. And the title further misleads by promise.

From the limited exposure of their earlier letters Luca and Griffin's exchanges were sweet as they share truths, feelings and life experiences. As they reconnect, they quickly escalate into secrets, sexual experiences, intimate fantasies and smutty confessions. Very soon though, and for lack of a better word, the exchanges channel a cringeworthy solicitude; I just had to skip past them. I can't say the title to this story becomes parallel to a reader's conjecture either. The only real lens we get into the intimacy of their past friendship is through recall and a handful of written letters, but was it enough to re-energise the intimacy by picking things up where they left off? I can't say it was. And that was problematic. I appreciate that there's a familiar ease with which they slip back into, that was fundamental in establishing the long-standing affinity they already have in theory, but that it is effortless, became the problem. It's naive to have them communicate as if no time had passed at all, when in fact eight long years have. While their re-connection seems to happen, I could only see the lack of a felt foundation, and the unbelievable upsurge that happens so quickly afterwards. It really didn't feel enough to move forward with. For the authors to have us readily believe in the fluidity with which they re-insert themselves into each others' lives without that sense of rediscovery was too immediate. Too diehard too quick. For them, it was more about recapturing an older time and an older feeling, which didn't make sense since they're now adults, and although there's a comprehension of the changes since, the dynamic felt very premature. I think I'm going to skip over the Furby fiasco since I found it more uncomfortable than anything, an expose I didn't need, and it seems to just solidify the idea that Griffin was the first and utmost to Luca before she even knew it, even back then, or maybe some attempt at. Perhaps a fuzzy childhood toy was not the way to do that? In addition to that, Luca seems too willing to accept everything about Griffin without hesitation. Everything he says and does, she envisions him as this defensible source of trust and comfort who apparently meets all of her needs. I did appreciate the commentary on hope, faith and trust but again, the sensations surrounding that were too immediate when they're yet to even meet. To sum up, several things troubled me about the romance.

Luca shares with Doc how easy it is to trust Griffin, but what really sets him apart from the mistrust she has with most people? She may have a remote history with him but would most people hand over that level of faith absolutely? And why precisely did Griffin, after so many years, ink it out of the blue in the form of their past communication style? Sure, he was intoxicated, motivated by anger and pain with a lot of pent-up feelings on side but after so many years, why did he do it when either would have realistically resumed with their lives as they were. And as things advance, I have to honestly take up complaint in Griffin killing two birds with one stone by asserting his control over the situation by invasively involving a PI to track Luca and breaching her trust by doing so in the same breath. He knows how much her privacy means and matters to her and it seems a sabotage to whatever trust they have. Among other things, that was a big frustration. Not quite the frustration it should have been to Luca though. That she lets it slide without much comment, despite her respective phobias and boundary-related anxieties really bothered me. It felt unrealistic. Though I suppose she also asserted her own control by road-tripping her way to California to see him without his consent, so maybe they're both one of a kind. I'm hoping the authors didn't hope to equalise the playing field with those choices just to take the sting out of what each had done. I'm assuming it was believed that just because they have a history (albeit a distanced one) it would rationalise the decision making on both parts, but it felt misguided. I did, however, really admire the level of honesty they seem to be capable of. That was particularly refreshing, moreso with Luca because she's mostly upfront about everything from the start, even involving her trauma and resulting agoraphobia as opposed to it being used as a plot secret. That was a really courageous move on her part.

I will say I preferred Luca to Griffin, but even then, neither really held my interest long enough, thoroughly nor convincingly. What actually did that was Luca's relationship with Doc. I can see why readers characterise Griffin as sweet, loving and loyal. He typically seemed careful of anticipating his heroine’s needs. He's easier to take to in the second half, and in his defense, his fight and commitment to Luca always holds strong, and that was precisely what she needed. He never stops wanting to do his utmost to make her feel safe and secure. But while I say just that? I just didn't like him. There wasn't enough of him to like, even with the saccharine displays of affection. He also holds that very male unappealing mindset of holding the heroine apart from every other woman, denoting her the title of being 'different from any other girl he's ever met' because of her 'wise' relationship choices. Cherishing her uniqueness and appreciating her relationship style when he's a walking double standard who hasn't held himself to any similar standard, takes what he wants from the women he doesn't seem to think much of while having an opinion on the ones who do the same? There was one particular passage he writes to Luca that explains his perspective on the many women he's been with and again, it just inflated the hypocrisy. I also noticed that the story felt more Griffin the rockstar and less Luca the best selling author, and it was actually her books I wanted to know more about. What I liked most about Dirty Letters was actually Luca and Doc's relationship. It likely held the most resonance altogether.

Luca's conversations with Doc felt grounding and relatable. If I liked anything, it was his place and purpose in her life. Their engagements were reflective, contemplative and down to earth, probably in large part to the nature of the patient/therapist relationship. The 'otherness' of it was also a really nice touch. Doc was a cool character, and let's just say I was a little bit distraught to find out what becomes of his status later in the book. The recovery angle was the most interesting - and sometimes even the most rewarding - part of the story for me. Having long since struggled with survivor's guilt after a tragedy that took her best friend from her, one trauma snowballed into a slew of phobias but Luca's been working towards a healing path with Doc guiding her every step. Finding atypical ways to navigate life and working around her mental health disorders, the development of her agoraphobia recovery process was what I took to the most. The sentimentality can strike in unexpected places. I have to admit that the ending really brought home a resonant thread on human relationships. How we lose each other but touch each other in the most meaningful ways. How far we can come with the right help. It takes so much more than courage and ‘doing because it’s better for us’ to accept the change and challenging yourself in wanting rehabilitation and when It came to the story's end, I did receive that message. The reflection made me reflect and I appreciated that it had the capacity to do that at the very least. What the authors' get right is in the genuine expression of Luca's very real anxieties as she both faces her agoraphobic limitations and challenges with them, even when she doesn’t believe she is. Even as she experiences setbacks, emotional difficulty and episodic panic, there's a strength in her that's easy to reach. I could honestly appreciate that, even if her reactions and choices concerning the romance could be skeptical.

I felt the draw to Dirty Letters for obvious reasons but while I would have liked to say I was of the pro-Dirty Letters camp, I have to bring it back to basics with a simple 'this likely wasn't for me'. The fact that I could so easily find gripe and annoyance in what I was reading told me more than I needed to. This one seems to be contentious pick from Keeland and Ward so whatever side you sit on, hopefully there'll be some enjoyable takeaways. It's one of Luca's greatest regrets that she effectively cut ties with one of the most important friendships she'd ever had. But when she receives a very recent letter whereby her UK pen-friend lets loose some temper over the way she ghosted him she's encouraged by her therapist to invite the communication back into her life to potentially work through the trauma that decidedly ended contact with Griffin altogether. Encouraged by Dr. Maxwell to reconnect with him in an effort to help with her progress, and with a need herself to right a long-time wrong, Luca hopes to close the gap her grief created and puts years worth of struggle, remorse and apology to paper, hoping Griffin will forgive her. He does, which brings about a journey outside of Luca's comfort zone as she opens herself up to something she'd never have considered before him. I didn't want to scream encore and I didn't yearn to croon a carol in its honour but that doesn't mean other readers won't dream that dream for Dirty Letters, and to that I say, with genuine fellow feeling, all the power to you.


NOTE: Laughably, this was supposed to be a prove-to-myself mini review that I could indeed exercise control and limit my verbiage. Fair to say this was a bit of a sorry attempt and a terrible failure but since I seem to be incapable of writing any less than a long-form review, here is that Dirty Letters thesis/monograph. I'm taking it as a success however, since this is shorter by my standards (yay me).

NOTE Addendum: There will be a 'take two' of this exercise.


Content Warning/Listing: panic attacks (describes some episodes of panic). A friend's past death. Mentions a past cancer battle. Mentions a friend's drug addiction. Also mentions a heart attack in passing. Bedroom scenes and swearing.


Additional Thoughts:

1) Even though Griffin's from the UK, he uses American terminology sometimes. He even once uses US spelling. This could be explained away by his later moving to California but he does so sometimes even in his earliest letters. He uses the term 'middle school' instead of the UK 'secondary school' and gave me a *pinch the bridge of my nose while chuckling* moment when he refers to his own underwear as knickers. Just an FYI: it's knickers for women and your typical boxers/briefs for the other team (men really don't use that term to reference their underwear). He also signs off his letters with what is arguably an American expression?

2) Since a few other readers found complaint in Luca's actual name, I'd just like to point out that she is of Italian heritage just in case there were any worries over that. I personally liked her name.

3) There were inconsistencies.

4) 'I couldn’t read what else the letter said because the ink was stained from his tears. And now, without warning, my own tears were pouring out in an endless stream—tears I didn’t even know I had the capacity to make anymore. An hour must have passed before I finally stopped crying my eyes out. I hadn’t cried since Isabella died in the fire. I’d thought my tears were all dried up. Apparently it was just that nothing had affected me enough to make me cry since.' - so the reason I flag this passage is that she professes to not having cried since the death of her best friend, and only again cried upon reading Griffin's most recent letter because she'd not been pushed to tears like she was when she read it. But isn't that strange when both of her parents have also passed within that time? She'd cry for Griffin and not her parents?

5)

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January 19, 2020
I thought it would be dirtier!



The fact that the book was titled Dirty Letters and really only had one or two racy letters did disappoint me quite a bit. I was hoping for a bunch of racy letters exchanged between the two main characters and then after they meet, the book would get steamy and they would do some of the things they wrote to each other about. However, this book turned out much differently that I had expected. Though not necessarily bad, I just wanted a bit more tension and sizzle.

The two main characters, Griffin and Luca had been pen pals from the ages of about 7 to 17, they told each other everything including information about their virginity. They were falling in love by writing to each other. Luca had gone through a traumatic event when she was 17, and stopped answering Griffins letters and they eventually stopped coming.

Their lives went in completely different ways and eight years later when drunk, Griffin writes Luca a letter which detailed how angry and frustrated he had been when she ghosted him. Luca, now 25 years old, finds the recent letter when she goes to New York to clean out her father’s apartment.

Luca writes back to Griffin explaining what happened and they begin exchanging letters again. They send the letters to post office boxes and use the same fake last names they originally got from their teachers when they were kids. Though Griffin has moved from Great Britain to the US during the eight years they weren’t writing to each other.

They start telling each other everything again and become close. They do talk about sexual topics but not so much in a sexting type of way, it seemed more clinical. The letters start getting a bit racy but then they stop writing to each other because they end up meeting face to face.

There are a few steamy moments and one in particular when Griffin talks about all the things he wants to do now that they have met. However after that happens, the remainder of the book is about the issues between them and whether loving each other is enough to overcome their issues.

It is a good moral and I was liking the way it was going, but for me it just took too long getting there and though it showed a side of mental illness that I hadn’t seen before, It just got a bit boring and I ended up getting to frustrated with the character of Luca. Not so much her issues but things she did.

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Profile Image for ~**Anna**~ A Romance Reader.
617 reviews320 followers
November 6, 2019
I love Griffin, but I didn’t love Griffin and Luca’s relationship. I don’t know, there’s something missing between them. I felt at times that he loved her more than she loved him. Also I found myself skimming through for the last 25%. I loved the beginning but then it started to drag a bit.

I know I am in the minority here but this book was just ok for me.
Profile Image for Apoorva .
166 reviews219 followers
October 13, 2021
I have liked books by these two, but sadly this one wasn't for me.

Okay first: Someone PLEASE tell me who the model on the cover page is because.... really just tell me. I can be shallow, okay?
~Edit~
I finally found who the model is on the photographer's website. *See below.

Second: I was expecting something else, something hotter, perhaps? Something that would actually have been dirty and would have gradually progressed to the "dirty letters" phase.
But, much to my disappointment, I felt that everything was escalating too quickly, too soon and sans any explanations. Maybe it was the fact that the writers were trying to show us that they had already formed a deep level of understanding and familiarity in the younger years that they kind of actually picked up where they left. It sort of felt superficial to me, because a person can change A LOT in 8 years, and they HAD changed. I felt that there could've been more re-acquanting than there had been.

Then also, I feel that although the concept was really good, the writing, forgive me, wasn't as good. Again, it felt superficial. The words they spoke, about a third of them, are not something you would hear from people on a daily basis, it was a tad little over dramatic and sappy.
Even so, I might have liked the characters, had we been provided with a deeper insight into their earlier relationship because somehow I can feel that it was a major part of their lives.

*It's written on the last photograph in this editorial at the bottom right corner........now who said I'm bad at stalking *whispers* because I'm really really good at it. *Coughs* I am such a creep *coughs*
Profile Image for Ida.
129 reviews237 followers
March 17, 2020
2.5 stars, but closer to 2 than 3..

“What comes easy won’t last long, and what lasts long won’t come easy.”

The first 20-30 % was good.
I loved the characters backstory, but most of the book was just so, so boring, and I couldn't wait to be done with it in the end.

“Our fears are temporary—they come and go throughout life. But regret is permanent—we carry it with us forever.”

Perhaps books with text messages/letters just isn't for me..?
I really need to find an all-consuming book/series again to fill the void left by Throne of Glass!
Profile Image for Amy | Foxy Blogs.
1,574 reviews1,028 followers
January 12, 2022
As grade-schoolers Luca & Garrett’s schools were involved in an international pen pal exchange through their respective schools. The American girl and the British boy start up a friendship through their exchanged letters. The weekly letters continue into high school creating a strong bond between these two until one day a letter goes unanswered. The unanswered letter fuels 8 years of pent up frustration for Garrett. Unknowingly to him, Luca experienced a tragic event in her life. As part of her survivor's guilt, she has been punishing herself by not allowing herself the comfort of Garrett’s friendship.

Now that they are in their mid-twenties Garrett reaches out as a last chance ditch. To Luca’s surprise she answers back and they rekindle their friendship through their letter writing. The anonymity of their situation allowed them to share their deepest sexual fantasies among other things like sharing jokes and playing games like, 2 truths & a lie.

”I’ve been in a relationship with pieces of f*cking paper and words for the past several weeks.”

Once they finally had their face to face meeting it was unconventional but perfect for the two of them. It showcased their nervousness and quirkiness. And most of all it was playful.

Luca has a friendship with a fatherly figure and as a secondary character, he is spot on. He was supportive and encouraging and someone readers will want to be their friend.

DIRTY LETTERS is a standalone written by the fabulous duo of Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward. Dirty Letters is about childhood pen pals who have lost touch in their teen years and years later they strike up a friendship through their letter writing.

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
RELEASE DATE: November 5, 2019

**Complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**
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Profile Image for Lisa.
2,236 reviews45 followers
November 4, 2019
I've been meaning to read a book by these authors for awhile now and finally got the chance. Dirty Letters has a pretty serious vibe right from the start, as Luca deals with serious anxiety, panic attacks, can't handle crowds. Griffin was her pen pal back in school, and him randomly sending her a letter years later sparks the habit back up.

I love Griffin so hard. He's so real, and honest with his feelings, and will bend over backwards to make things work. He just deserves so much happy. And all he wants is Luca and a bit of normalcy.

Their journey isn't easy, but it's fate. I was rooting for this couple. Also, I loved the cover. This won't be the last book I read by Vi and Penelope.
Profile Image for warhawke.
1,386 reviews2,103 followers
October 31, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:





Luca Ryan and Griffin Quinn befriended each other through childhood pen pal letters. For years they confided each other their hopes and fears until it suddenly stopped. Eight years later, she received an unexpected letter from him that not only brought back old dreams, but also future fears.



This book immediately caught my attention with the sexy face on the cover. Then the pen pal plot sealed the deal. And this book is more than just a sexy romance.

"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."


I loved both of the characters. Luca had issues to overcome. A lot of times it consumed her, yet she’s still willing to push herself to conquer it. Griffin couldn’t be any more perfect. He was selflessly patient and supportive.

“I’ve heard that sitting on your lover’s face takes care of it.”
My mouth hung open. “Oh really . . .”
“Yes. It’s called CBFS, actually.”
“CBFS?”
“Cognitive behavioral face-sitting.”


The story made me smile with their childhood innocence of earlier correspondences, then it turned dirty as they reconnected. I liked how their relationship kept a good momentum thorough out the book with a good balance of emotions and sexiness.

Dirty Letter is a story of support and taking chances. It would appeal to readers who enjoy friends to lovers romance.





✖ ✉ ✖ . . . (F)BR With Loyda . . . ✖ ✉ ✖





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Profile Image for "Avonna.
1,267 reviews513 followers
November 6, 2019
Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

DIRTY LETTERS by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward is one of the best contemporary romances I have read this year! This romance has a swoon worthy rockstar hero and a heroine who is battling severe anxiety after a life altering event eight years ago.

Luca and Griffin became pen pals from the age of seven when Luca’s teacher set her class up to write to children in England. Luca’s life in New York could not have been more different than Griffin’s life in England, but they became best friends. They told each other their deepest fears and secrets and formed a bond that lasted over years, until Luca stopped answering Griffin’s letters.

Out of the blue, eight years later, Luca finds a letter from Griffin as she is cleaning out her deceased father’s apartment. His letter is full of anger over her breaking their connection.

Luca reconnects by letter with Griffin, who now lives in California. Luca explains to Griffin the reason for her discontinued writing and when he learns the cause he forgives her. The spark and deep connection is still there and soon the letters go from the flirty childhood connection they had, to an adult connection full of their wildest sexual fantasies.

Luca wants to meet in person, but Griffin is afraid that when Luca meets him, everything will change. Neither go by their real last names in their correspondence or professional lives. Luca is willing to take a huge leap and go find her friend, but what she finds is not what she expected. Can two such different people find a way to be together forever?

This is one of those romances that pull you in and when you reach “The End”, you do not feel any time has passed and you do not want to leave Luca and Griffin’s world. I had all my emotions yanked, tossed and pulled and believe me, you better have tissues for the last few chapters, some for sad tears and ultimately for happy tears. The parts of the story told in written letters between the H/h had me laughing out loud, squirming in my seat (explicit and sexy hot) and crying like a baby. There is just something so much more in a written letter than today’s emails, texts and phone calls. Griffin definitely made it to my book boyfriend list. Luca is written with empathy and is a wonderful portrayal of living through the good and bad days with an emotional anxiety disorder.

This is one of the most emotional, heartfelt and just plain romantic books I have read this year. Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward have “knocked it out of the park” with this collaboration! I highly recommend this romance!
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853 reviews1,141 followers
November 4, 2019
5 'My sun, moon and stars' Stars!
ARC provided by the the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward just keep getting better. This incredible duo have written another unique love story that is now surely one of my top favorites by them. Their stories have just the right amount of everything I love in a romance novel and Dirty Letters is no exception. Get your grabby hands ready because you don’t want to miss this release coming November 5th!

So, Dirty Letters is this duo’s upcoming novel and it’s a standalone contemporary romance. It’s focused in two childhood pen-pals that lost touch years ago and reconnect after Luca (the heroine) finds a new letter from Griffin while in a trip to New York. Actually, it was Luca who decided to cut that relationship short and now, feeling guilty over everything that made her stop writing in the past, she finally writes back to her angered friend. That is the start of a series of letters that become dirty, honest and sentimental and it also starts this beautiful love story.

Sometimes when you follow your dreams, you realize they aren’t free, and the cost is far greater than you’d ever anticipated.

Wow, that was such a fresh read! I knew when it comes to Vi and Penelope that it will not be a typical romance and that is what makes their stories so wonderful to read. Luca suffers from agoraphobia (consequence of a heartbreaking event in her past) and her rekindled connection with Griffin starts her slowly coming out of her shell. It was so touching to see the development of this love story, especially with the difficulties of Griffin being a famous musician and how that affects them both in different ways.

As if his gorgeous face, flawless body, and sexy voice weren’t enough—God seriously pulled out all His tricks when He made this man.

I just loved this couple so much, from beginning to end. I loved the start of their relationship with the letters, how those feelings and sexual tension exploded when they finally meet in person and how emotional everything became for them. Of course, Griffin was so swoony and, obviously, he is very talented with his mouth (and not only to sing!). The sexy scenes were amazing and the chemistry and connection between Luca and Griffin was to die for. It was a long and interesting journey for these characters but I am so glad they found their HEA.

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

Therefore, I am rating Dirty Letters with 5 STARS because I always enjoy a unique romance novel and Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward definitely did not disappoint with this one. We even get a wonderful surprise in the end and, trust me, you don’t want to miss it. I loved Griffin and Luca, how they took their relationship to the next level and the special connection they share. I just love these two authors working together and I cannot wait for whatever is coming next!

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