Can you fall for someone you’ve never met? I thought writing a soldier for english class would be an easy A. Which fits perfectly into the life I’ve created: straight A’s and no boys unless Kyle Rayford, my hottie next door neighbor miraculously becomes available.So falling for my soldier pen pal is totally not me. But he’s sweet and kind, and he hasn’t had a front seat to my brokenness carefully … front seat to my brokenness carefully masked with perfectionism.
Unlike Kyle.
Who, up until now, hasn’t given me the romantic time of day. But suddenly, he asks me out. What’s weirder is he confesses his feelings and wants to be more than friends.
And now I have to choose.
A guy who’s never seen my flaws, who I have a fresh start with. Or a lifelong friend who wants to be more.
I’m torn between the real me and the me I want to become.
Read Anika Writes Her Soldier today for a pen pal romance that will have you laughing, crying, and adventuring through the rough waters of first loves and second chances. If you love books like Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata, or Dear John by Nicholas Sparks, you’ll fall for this standalone story in the Texas High Series!
more
G-rated, semi-Christian, YA romance with a romantic triangle
Anika, an 18-year-old high school senior, becomes pen pals with Shawn, a 23-year-old soldier stationed in the Middle East, as part of a writing assignment in her English class. Both are from tiny towns in Texas and have similar rural backgrounds. Over a few months of regular snail-mail correspondence with each other (no explanation as to why they don’t email each other), Anika and Shawn grow very emotionally close. However, at the same time this budding romance is developing, Anika begins dating a boy her own age whom she has known her whole life and develops strong romantic feelings for him as well. Kyle is the classic, “boy next door,” who lives on the ranch down the road from hers and, as such, also shares a similar, rural, Texas background with her. In addition, both men are gorgeous, sensitive, respectful and compassionate. Which one will Anika choose?
Sad to say, this novel, marketed as a “romance,” is not a true romance plot, defined as the reader knowing from the start of the book who the romantic hero is, the man with whom the heroine will enjoy her HEA. Instead, this YA novel offers a romantic triangle. As such, it has reinforced my personal vow to always pass by such plots, because this heroine does NOT end up with the guy I liked the most of her two equally wonderful choices. In addition, romantic triangles always make me feel like the heroine is cheating on both guys. And it makes me sad that she is inevitably going to break the heart of one of them, and doubly sad when it is the guy I like the best!
Readers who don’t mind romantic triangles may enjoy this book. Also, readers who like YA novels with Christian elements that directly contribute to the personal ethics of all the main characters may be happy with this book for that reason alone.
By the way, if you want to read an epistolary novel where the heroine is pen pals with a soldier which is done really well, and is a classic romance with no cheating, try Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata. It is one of her very best books. It is not G-rated, but it is “slow burn,” as is the case with all her books.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 3 stars
First Hero (Soldier): 5 stars
Second Hero (Boy Next Door): 4 stars
Epistolary Romance Plot: 5 stars
Competing Romance Plot: 3 stars
Romantic Triangle Plot: 2 stars
Writing: 3 stars
Overall: 3.6 rounded to 4 stars
High School Angst
This is a very believable Young Adult novella. So much of this story is relate able to any adult. Small town gossip and rumors is about the same as big city gossip and rumors in that all of your friends hear about it before you can explain. And rumors and gossip are rarely accurate. The characters and plot of this story are spot on. I really enjoy this author’s work. Her YA stories are enjoyable for any adult reader. I bought this book and this is my honest review.
Always Anika was so much more than I anticipated. This YA romance is sweet and surprising. Although I wouldn’t consider this a tear-jerker, I shed a few for the angst Anika was going through. Don’t miss out on this YA romance author.