The Pen Pal

Now Available for Pre-Order. Ships in Early November 2026.

Halloway Carson never meant to read Alan Staheli’s returned letter. She definitely never meant to answer it. But one stolen glimpse at a heartbreak meant for someone else turns into an anonymous note, then another, then a string of emails she looks forward to far too much. The only problem? Alan is her next-door neighbor—and he has no idea his mysterious pen pal is the awkward girl avoiding him in the hallway.

The Pen Pal is a witty, warmhearted romance about Halloway, her golden retriever Maurice, her bearded dragon Rachmaninoff, and the very inconvenient secret that grows larger with every message. As Alan searches for the anonymous woman who understands him so well, Halloway is pulled into helping him solve the mystery while hiding the fact that she is the mystery. Between balcony run-ins, literary jokes, unexpected friendship, and the shadow of Alan’s past with Nikki, Halloway must decide how long she can protect her heart by keeping her name off the page.

Perfect for readers who love clean romantic comedy, secret identities, slow-burn tension, and heroines who overthink everything, The Pen Pal delivers a charming story about being truly known. Halloway may have started with someone else’s letter, but before long she’ll have to choose whether love is worth the risk of finally signing her own name and letting Alan see the woman behind the words at last.