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Skymar #1
Authentically, Izzy
“Dear Izzy—I feel certain there’s a book-loving man living relatively nearby waiting to speak bookish to you ’til death do you part. You just haven’t met yet.”
Izzy Edgewood is a wannabe bookstore owner, quote queen, and Lord of the Rings nerd who has been waiting for Prince Charming to sweep her off her sneakered feet. But it’s hard to meet people when you spend more time with fictional humans than real ones. Which is why her pragmatist cousin Josephine decides to take Izzy’s future into her own meddling hands and create an online dating profile for the hopeful romantic.
To Izzy’s shock (and suspicion), Josie’s plan works. Soon, she’s dialoguing with a Hobbit-loving man named Brodie who lives in a small town an ocean away from her home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But is their shared love of books, family, and correspondence enough to overcome Izzy’s fear of flying and the literal distance between them? And is a long-distance relationship even worth considering when a local author has been frequenting the library where she works and is proving to be a perfectly fine gentleman?
In this epistolary novel from award-winning author Pepper Basham, bookish dreams and happily-ever-afters collide to create a beautiful sort of magic that’s even better than fiction.
PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Izzy Edgewood is a wannabe bookstore owner, quote queen, and Lord of the Rings nerd who has been waiting for Prince Charming to sweep her off her sneakered feet. But it’s hard to meet people when you spend more time with fictional humans than real ones. Which is why her pragmatist cousin Josephine decides to take Izzy’s future into her own meddling hands and create an online dating profile for the hopeful romantic.
To Izzy’s shock (and suspicion), Josie’s plan works. Soon, she’s dialoguing with a Hobbit-loving man named Brodie who lives in a small town an ocean away from her home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But is their shared love of books, family, and correspondence enough to overcome Izzy’s fear of flying and the literal distance between them? And is a long-distance relationship even worth considering when a local author has been frequenting the library where she works and is proving to be a perfectly fine gentleman?
In this epistolary novel from award-winning author Pepper Basham, bookish dreams and happily-ever-afters collide to create a beautiful sort of magic that’s even better than fiction.
PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Audible Audio
First published November 15, 2022
455 people are currently reading
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About the author
Pepper Basham
40 books2,708 followersPepper D Basham has been telling tales ever since she was a little girl. When her grandmother called her a “writer” at the age of ten, Pepper took it as gospel and has enjoyed various types of writing styles ever since. A native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, mom of five, speech-language pathologist, and lover of chocolate, Pepper enjoys sprinkling her native Appalachian culture into her fiction wherever she can. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC, where she works with kids who have special needs, searches for unique hats, and plots new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at her writing blog, The Writer’s Alley.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,703 reviews
November 14, 2022
Heartwarming charming romance novel.
If you're looking for an uplifting, clean romance, then look no further. Basham's latest is a lovely epistolary novel bringing together two kindred spirits who develop a friendship and more communicating via email.
Izzy is a self-described book nerd who works at a library. She has lived with her aunt and three cousins since the death of her parents. Her cousin Josephine, who is married and expecting twins, decides that it is about time for Izzy, who has been burned in relationships in the past, to step out of her shell and start dating again. She signs Izzy up on a dating website, and after a few hilarious missteps, she connects with a man who signs his messages "Brodie the Hobbit"--much to the joy of her Lord of the Rings loving heart. As Izzy and Brodie forge a friendship based on books, Josephine thinks that Izzy needs to find a match "in real life" and continues to fix her up with available friends. What is Izzy to do?
I adored the back-and-forth camaraderie in the e-mail messages and text messages between Izzy and her cousins (Josephine, Penelope, and Luke) as well as her messages with Brodie and others she dates. The first 50% of this book is entirely epistolary, and then we shift between narrative action and epistolary for the rest of the book. I actually liked it better when there were both types of narrative were used because I could connect better with the story that way. After a while the epistolary got a bit tedious with the "telling" and I was longing for action.
This book is one of the best uses of the epistolary style that I've read in a long time. The communications between the characters feel completely authentic, like actual, real e-mails and text messages rather than cute info dumps like many of the novels that employ this method. I feel like Basham does an amazing job capturing each of the character's voices, which isn't always the easiest thing to do in an e-mail or text message.
The faith message in this novel is also lovely and an integral part of the story, which is what I have come to expect from this writer. She makes the characters authentically Christian and it feels natural rather than tacked on for effect.
While this isn't a perfect book--some of the interaction was just overly flowery and wordy and I didn't love the conflict with the stipend and hiding that information--it is a very enjoyable read. If you like a romance novel that will bring a smile to your book-loving face, this is an excellent choice.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
If you're looking for an uplifting, clean romance, then look no further. Basham's latest is a lovely epistolary novel bringing together two kindred spirits who develop a friendship and more communicating via email.
Izzy is a self-described book nerd who works at a library. She has lived with her aunt and three cousins since the death of her parents. Her cousin Josephine, who is married and expecting twins, decides that it is about time for Izzy, who has been burned in relationships in the past, to step out of her shell and start dating again. She signs Izzy up on a dating website, and after a few hilarious missteps, she connects with a man who signs his messages "Brodie the Hobbit"--much to the joy of her Lord of the Rings loving heart. As Izzy and Brodie forge a friendship based on books, Josephine thinks that Izzy needs to find a match "in real life" and continues to fix her up with available friends. What is Izzy to do?
I adored the back-and-forth camaraderie in the e-mail messages and text messages between Izzy and her cousins (Josephine, Penelope, and Luke) as well as her messages with Brodie and others she dates. The first 50% of this book is entirely epistolary, and then we shift between narrative action and epistolary for the rest of the book. I actually liked it better when there were both types of narrative were used because I could connect better with the story that way. After a while the epistolary got a bit tedious with the "telling" and I was longing for action.
This book is one of the best uses of the epistolary style that I've read in a long time. The communications between the characters feel completely authentic, like actual, real e-mails and text messages rather than cute info dumps like many of the novels that employ this method. I feel like Basham does an amazing job capturing each of the character's voices, which isn't always the easiest thing to do in an e-mail or text message.
The faith message in this novel is also lovely and an integral part of the story, which is what I have come to expect from this writer. She makes the characters authentically Christian and it feels natural rather than tacked on for effect.
While this isn't a perfect book--some of the interaction was just overly flowery and wordy and I didn't love the conflict with the stipend and hiding that information--it is a very enjoyable read. If you like a romance novel that will bring a smile to your book-loving face, this is an excellent choice.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
September 11, 2023
In a Nutshell: A cute epistolary romance between two book nerds. Sweet storyline, loveable characters, loads of bookish trivia, predictable, Christian. (Only the last feature caught me by surprise.) The epistolary part is exaggerated though – no one will write such elaborate emails to their family members. Still, a fun read.
Story Synopsis:
Bookish Yays:
😍 The bond between the Edgewood family (except for Josephine) is amazing. Izzy, Penelope and Luke have an amazing camaraderie, and their banter, especially when they differ in their opinions, is fun to read. I got almost a voyeuristic pleasure in reading their witty emails and messages to each other, because it felt like I was snooping into a family’s private communication. It felt so authentic!
😍 Though we meet most of the characters only through emails, their personalities still come out amazingly. I am sure it isn’t easy to highlight the personality of a character just through their communication, so kudos to the author for handling this marvellously.
😍 There are plenty of beautiful bookish lines courtesy the titular book lover. Izzy is a diverse reader, but with a fondness for the classics, LOTR in particular. Some of the bookish references might go over your head if you aren’t that avid a fan of classic literature, so it would certainly help to either be familiar with the classics, or, be ready to Google (though the latter wont be as much fun.) I enjoyed all the classic references, and thankfully understood most of them.
😍 As an introverted book lover myself, I resonated with Izzy on many levels. Her thoughts about books, her passion for the written word, and her idealistic fondness for fictional characters resonated with me to the core of my heart. For that matter, even Brodie was an introverted bibliophile. But his taste in literature was somewhat more sombre.
😍 Through Izzy’s work as a librarian and Brodie’s work in his family bookstore, we also get some amazing behind-the-scenes glimpses of a library and a bookstore. This book is a bibliophile’s paradise!
😍 Brodie lives on the fictional island of Skymar (hence the name of the series), but the way Skymar and its local attractions are described, it feels real. I loved its culture as much as its castles.
😍 Much to my surprise, there are some Christian elements in the missives. I haven’t ever read a Christian romcom, so this was a novel experience for me. Thankfully, the Christian content was more on the lines of trusting God to take care of things and having faith during times of trouble rather than characters spouting verses from the Bible. So it was my kind of Christian fiction, and I liked this approach. (Of course, I am not sure how this aspect would work for those who aren’t fond of religious elements in fiction. It is definitely not going to be a ‘Yay’ for them.)
😍 Goes without saying that if it’s Christian, it’s fairly clean romance. Nothing beyond some kisses. Again, a yay for me, don’t know about others.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 As an epistolary novel, a major chunk of the plot comes to us through emails and text messages. Most of the emails are fun to read, with the two girls Izzy and Penelope having a crazy habit of adding a PS, a PPS, and sometimes even a PPPS to almost every email. However, after about 35-40%, the emails do get saturating and I longed to see some actual on-page action. Thankfully, just as I was tiring of getting the story indirectly, the writing shifted over to a traditional narrative style, and the second half used both epistolary as well as regular third-person narration. This medley of styles worked much better for the book, because there was no way emails would have done justice to those later plot developments.
Bookish Nays:
😒 The story does require suspension of disbelief. After all, it isn’t logical that a contemporary family who meets fairly regularly and also has access to text messages will send so many emails to each other. The book was written in 2022, so WhatsApp would have been a far more believable medium of communication than email. (Then again, who uses logic while reading romance? Me. I do. Every time. I simply don’t learn!)
😒 As with most romances, there is a conflict in the third act because of a trivial misunderstanding over a communication issue. But the conflict in this book is quite dull as it is guessable much in advance and hence we just wait for the issue to be addressed and sorted out soon than being caught unawares by it.
😒 At 420 pages, the book is too long for this genre. The middle part feels especially dragged. Some of Brodie’s emails also become a tad too flowery, adding to the needless length.
😒 There’s a love triangle in the plot, but this held no charm at all. While I get why the triangle was set up, there was no chemistry between one pair, and it just served as a way of extending the romantic dilemma without adding any charm to the story.
😒 I am not sure how to feel about Josephine’s portrayal. Her pregnancy was used as a way to explain away a lot of her behaviour, and though she does redeem herself, she doesn’t come across as likeable. Some of the comments spoken by/directed towards her are quite regressive.
All in all, despite some boring bits in between, I enjoyed the book to a great extent. I am not a fan of typical romances anymore, so the epistolary factor, the fictional island of Skymar, the adorable Edgewood siblings, and the bookish tidbits were the main factors behind my enjoying this read. The story is predictable but fun. As always in this genre, the book will be better experienced if you don’t overthink it.
The second book in this series focusses on Penelope Edgewood, and based on what I know of her from this book, I can’t wait to dive in because she sure is one heck of a character!
3.75 stars.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis:
Thirty-year-old Izzy Edgewood is an introverted librarian who prefers the company of her books to romance. While she does want to meet her Prince Charming, she hasn’t found anyone who matches up to the fictional men she adores. When her well-meaning but meddling cousin Josephine sets up an account for Izzy on a dating app, Izzy is horrified. However, she is even more stunned when the app connects her with Brodie, a fellow LOTR lover and one as family-oriented as Izzy is. The only downside is that Brodie lives an ocean away, on a small island Izzy hasn’t even heard of. (And let’s not forget that Izzy is petrified of flying.) In the meantime, a wannabe author has started frequenting the library where Izzy works, and he too has great partner potential, though he doesn’t set her heart aflutter the way Brodie does. What should Izzy do?
The story comes to us mostly through emails and text messages sent by Izzy and her cousins – the siblings Josephine, Penelope, and Luke. The second half of the book adds some more characters to the emailing frenzy.
Bookish Yays:
😍 The bond between the Edgewood family (except for Josephine) is amazing. Izzy, Penelope and Luke have an amazing camaraderie, and their banter, especially when they differ in their opinions, is fun to read. I got almost a voyeuristic pleasure in reading their witty emails and messages to each other, because it felt like I was snooping into a family’s private communication. It felt so authentic!
😍 Though we meet most of the characters only through emails, their personalities still come out amazingly. I am sure it isn’t easy to highlight the personality of a character just through their communication, so kudos to the author for handling this marvellously.
😍 There are plenty of beautiful bookish lines courtesy the titular book lover. Izzy is a diverse reader, but with a fondness for the classics, LOTR in particular. Some of the bookish references might go over your head if you aren’t that avid a fan of classic literature, so it would certainly help to either be familiar with the classics, or, be ready to Google (though the latter wont be as much fun.) I enjoyed all the classic references, and thankfully understood most of them.
😍 As an introverted book lover myself, I resonated with Izzy on many levels. Her thoughts about books, her passion for the written word, and her idealistic fondness for fictional characters resonated with me to the core of my heart. For that matter, even Brodie was an introverted bibliophile. But his taste in literature was somewhat more sombre.
😍 Through Izzy’s work as a librarian and Brodie’s work in his family bookstore, we also get some amazing behind-the-scenes glimpses of a library and a bookstore. This book is a bibliophile’s paradise!
😍 Brodie lives on the fictional island of Skymar (hence the name of the series), but the way Skymar and its local attractions are described, it feels real. I loved its culture as much as its castles.
😍 Much to my surprise, there are some Christian elements in the missives. I haven’t ever read a Christian romcom, so this was a novel experience for me. Thankfully, the Christian content was more on the lines of trusting God to take care of things and having faith during times of trouble rather than characters spouting verses from the Bible. So it was my kind of Christian fiction, and I liked this approach. (Of course, I am not sure how this aspect would work for those who aren’t fond of religious elements in fiction. It is definitely not going to be a ‘Yay’ for them.)
😍 Goes without saying that if it’s Christian, it’s fairly clean romance. Nothing beyond some kisses. Again, a yay for me, don’t know about others.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 As an epistolary novel, a major chunk of the plot comes to us through emails and text messages. Most of the emails are fun to read, with the two girls Izzy and Penelope having a crazy habit of adding a PS, a PPS, and sometimes even a PPPS to almost every email. However, after about 35-40%, the emails do get saturating and I longed to see some actual on-page action. Thankfully, just as I was tiring of getting the story indirectly, the writing shifted over to a traditional narrative style, and the second half used both epistolary as well as regular third-person narration. This medley of styles worked much better for the book, because there was no way emails would have done justice to those later plot developments.
Bookish Nays:
😒 The story does require suspension of disbelief. After all, it isn’t logical that a contemporary family who meets fairly regularly and also has access to text messages will send so many emails to each other. The book was written in 2022, so WhatsApp would have been a far more believable medium of communication than email. (Then again, who uses logic while reading romance? Me. I do. Every time. I simply don’t learn!)
😒 As with most romances, there is a conflict in the third act because of a trivial misunderstanding over a communication issue. But the conflict in this book is quite dull as it is guessable much in advance and hence we just wait for the issue to be addressed and sorted out soon than being caught unawares by it.
😒 At 420 pages, the book is too long for this genre. The middle part feels especially dragged. Some of Brodie’s emails also become a tad too flowery, adding to the needless length.
😒 There’s a love triangle in the plot, but this held no charm at all. While I get why the triangle was set up, there was no chemistry between one pair, and it just served as a way of extending the romantic dilemma without adding any charm to the story.
😒 I am not sure how to feel about Josephine’s portrayal. Her pregnancy was used as a way to explain away a lot of her behaviour, and though she does redeem herself, she doesn’t come across as likeable. Some of the comments spoken by/directed towards her are quite regressive.
All in all, despite some boring bits in between, I enjoyed the book to a great extent. I am not a fan of typical romances anymore, so the epistolary factor, the fictional island of Skymar, the adorable Edgewood siblings, and the bookish tidbits were the main factors behind my enjoying this read. The story is predictable but fun. As always in this genre, the book will be better experienced if you don’t overthink it.
The second book in this series focusses on Penelope Edgewood, and based on what I know of her from this book, I can’t wait to dive in because she sure is one heck of a character!
3.75 stars.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
October 25, 2022
I wasn’t sure about the idea of a book consisting mostly of e-mails and texts, but boy was I wrong! I fell in love with Pepper Basham’s writing instantly; it’s delightfully witty and absolutely hilarious.
I don’t know if people still write love letters; we may have stopped doing it all together in favor of heart emojis and puppy eyes GIFs. But that would make a book that reminds us of the art of correspondence even more adorable and romantic, wouldn’t it?
I loved Izzy; she was strong and full of joy of life despite her difficult past. And Brodie… Heroes like him have a special place in my heart. I’ve always loved the quiet, bookish type with dry sense of humor. These two were such a perfect pair of book nerds 😍
Next to messages between Izzy and Brodie there are plenty of those between them and their families which is a clever way of introducing side characters in an epistolary novel. And we got to meet Luke - the funniest, smartest and most lovable brother figure I’ve read in a long time! To be honest I’m still not sure who I love more, Luke or Brodie.🤔
What didn’t exactly work for me in this story was the love triangle at the beginning. It didn’t go far but it felt like cheating nonetheless. Even if I appreciate the comedy of the moment when Brodie and Eli met. Another thing- the whole stipend business was asking for trouble and I was annoyed at how Brodie handled it.
What is worth mentioning, this is a book about devoted Christians, very open about their faith, so be prepared for a lot of talk about God and church, and a very conservative approach to sex.
Other than some passionate kisses there is no steam in this book, not even behind the scenes. When Izzy visited Brodie she didn’t stay at his place even though they were already officially a couple and the ‘forever’ had been mentioned. She stayed at his mom’s instead. It was important for the story that Izzy was a perfect fit for Brodie’s family, so maybe it did make sense, but it seemed odd that a thirty year old woman would stay at her boyfriend’s mom’s rather than with him or in a hotel.
Having said that, I'm fully aware that not everyone is a perv like me and some readers feel uncomfortable with too much on-page touching. Moreover it's the author's right to approach the topic in line with her values and I respect that choice.
To sum up I absolutely recommend this book to everyone who loves to laugh and read books. I will definitely check more of this author’s work, especially if Luke gets his own story 🤤.
4.5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I don’t know if people still write love letters; we may have stopped doing it all together in favor of heart emojis and puppy eyes GIFs. But that would make a book that reminds us of the art of correspondence even more adorable and romantic, wouldn’t it?
I loved Izzy; she was strong and full of joy of life despite her difficult past. And Brodie… Heroes like him have a special place in my heart. I’ve always loved the quiet, bookish type with dry sense of humor. These two were such a perfect pair of book nerds 😍
Next to messages between Izzy and Brodie there are plenty of those between them and their families which is a clever way of introducing side characters in an epistolary novel. And we got to meet Luke - the funniest, smartest and most lovable brother figure I’ve read in a long time! To be honest I’m still not sure who I love more, Luke or Brodie.🤔
What didn’t exactly work for me in this story was the love triangle at the beginning. It didn’t go far but it felt like cheating nonetheless. Even if I appreciate the comedy of the moment when Brodie and Eli met. Another thing- the whole stipend business was asking for trouble and I was annoyed at how Brodie handled it.
What is worth mentioning, this is a book about devoted Christians, very open about their faith, so be prepared for a lot of talk about God and church, and a very conservative approach to sex.
Other than some passionate kisses there is no steam in this book, not even behind the scenes. When Izzy visited Brodie she didn’t stay at his place even though they were already officially a couple and the ‘forever’ had been mentioned. She stayed at his mom’s instead. It was important for the story that Izzy was a perfect fit for Brodie’s family, so maybe it did make sense, but it seemed odd that a thirty year old woman would stay at her boyfriend’s mom’s rather than with him or in a hotel.
Having said that, I'm fully aware that not everyone is a perv like me and some readers feel uncomfortable with too much on-page touching. Moreover it's the author's right to approach the topic in line with her values and I respect that choice.
To sum up I absolutely recommend this book to everyone who loves to laugh and read books. I will definitely check more of this author’s work, especially if Luke gets his own story 🤤.
4.5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
November 27, 2022
I believe Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham was written specifically for readers like ME! As a southern Tennessee girl, who grew up on Andy Griffith and loves all things Scottish and Lord of the Rings, this book was written for me! I ADORED this story that Pepper has so beautiful weaved together through e-mails and text message chats. I have never read a book that was SO ME before until now. 5 BIG STARS!
This epistolary novel will leave delightfully uplifted and your heart full. Lovers of all things bookish will ADORE this read with so many great literary references, from Lord of the Rings, Jane Eyre, Jane Austen, Harry Potter and so much more. Extra bonus for my southern readers who love old school shows like Andy Griffith!
This story is centered around Izzy Edgewood, whose cousin sets her up on a dating website in her games of matchmaking once again. 😊 Izzy is a big book lover and fan of Lord of the Rings, so her profile photo is set up as Éowyn from LOTR, when “Brodie the Hobbit” comes in with the best message yet. Izzy and Brodie build a beautiful bond online and start getting to know each other. With Izzy living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Brodie all the way across the world on an island near Scotland, is this a match made in heaven or one doomed for failure?
As I mentioned, I think this story was written for ME! I loved the characters so much and the audiobook truly made them come to life! I highly recommend the audio narration as we have some fun southern and British (sounds fairly Scottish to me 😉) accents! Izzy is such a fun, eccentric character who really makes you remember why we LOVE books! Brodie is a bookish guy who has all the right bookish quotes and swoon worthy e-mails. With his family owning a bookstore, he’s the perfect bookish guy! I am a lover of all things Scottish too, so the Skymar Islands was AMAZING to read about! I love that we have a map of the Islands and that it has all the Scottish vibes I love!
Izzy’s cousins were HILARIOUS, and I can’t wait to read more about them in the next book of this series! Brodie's Mom was also perfect! Just love the family vibes in this story too.
We really got to know these amazing characters so well as Pepper told their stories through the e-mails and texts throughout the story. You will laugh out loud SO many times when reading or listening to this story – I had the best time with it! I needed this book so much and loved every minute. My favorite parts were the Lord of the Rings, Andy Griffith and Star Wars references.
This cute, clean Christian romance was so much fun and I highly recommend it! Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Publishers and Pepper Basham for a copy to honestly read and review.
P.S. I think I need a dog named Samwise now!
Updating Review to have my reading vlog link! https://youtu.be/6RFGIKujZB0
This epistolary novel will leave delightfully uplifted and your heart full. Lovers of all things bookish will ADORE this read with so many great literary references, from Lord of the Rings, Jane Eyre, Jane Austen, Harry Potter and so much more. Extra bonus for my southern readers who love old school shows like Andy Griffith!
This story is centered around Izzy Edgewood, whose cousin sets her up on a dating website in her games of matchmaking once again. 😊 Izzy is a big book lover and fan of Lord of the Rings, so her profile photo is set up as Éowyn from LOTR, when “Brodie the Hobbit” comes in with the best message yet. Izzy and Brodie build a beautiful bond online and start getting to know each other. With Izzy living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Brodie all the way across the world on an island near Scotland, is this a match made in heaven or one doomed for failure?
As I mentioned, I think this story was written for ME! I loved the characters so much and the audiobook truly made them come to life! I highly recommend the audio narration as we have some fun southern and British (sounds fairly Scottish to me 😉) accents! Izzy is such a fun, eccentric character who really makes you remember why we LOVE books! Brodie is a bookish guy who has all the right bookish quotes and swoon worthy e-mails. With his family owning a bookstore, he’s the perfect bookish guy! I am a lover of all things Scottish too, so the Skymar Islands was AMAZING to read about! I love that we have a map of the Islands and that it has all the Scottish vibes I love!
Izzy’s cousins were HILARIOUS, and I can’t wait to read more about them in the next book of this series! Brodie's Mom was also perfect! Just love the family vibes in this story too.
We really got to know these amazing characters so well as Pepper told their stories through the e-mails and texts throughout the story. You will laugh out loud SO many times when reading or listening to this story – I had the best time with it! I needed this book so much and loved every minute. My favorite parts were the Lord of the Rings, Andy Griffith and Star Wars references.
This cute, clean Christian romance was so much fun and I highly recommend it! Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Publishers and Pepper Basham for a copy to honestly read and review.
P.S. I think I need a dog named Samwise now!
Updating Review to have my reading vlog link! https://youtu.be/6RFGIKujZB0
January 31, 2024
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this one! It was my first Pepper Basham book and I definitely want to read more!
Since most of the story was told in emails and texts, I found it hard to connect with the characters.
The faith content was good, and it was clean!
Since most of the story was told in emails and texts, I found it hard to connect with the characters.
The faith content was good, and it was clean!
June 25, 2022
DNFing this book @40% coz I can't read it anymore😭
Ngl, I loved the first 20% that I read - it was so funny and witty, I was grinning and smiling all the time. The exchanges between the protagonists were so sweet and I was super invested in the plot. But after some time, I was just skimming through the dragged conversations.
Even though I loved the conversation style initially, it became boring pretty fast. There was just so much unnecessary information and the pages-long paragraphs...omg😓 Plus, who interacts through emails in this century? It felt really out of touch...Also, what's up with all the PS, PPS, and PPPPSSS??😩
Moreover, there is a love triangle which I don't like but there was no chemistry in any of the couples. For some time, I was captivated by Izzy-Brodie's interactions and couldn't stop laughing when Izzy wrote long-ass paragraphs telling about her life events to Brodie, a stranger😂 but it too became repetitive.
I couldn't connect with any character but liked Izzy's personality a bit coz she stood up to Josephine every time she tried to belittle her - be it about Izzy's looks, habits and whatnot, Josephine was so nosy and obnoxious that I wanted to hit her. Izzy was strong and a little mess with cheerful vibes, which I liked about her.
Brodie gave me such calm and collected vibes in all the parts I read of him but even his impact started becoming dull after some time. I have no idea about Eli because I was not interested in his story at all. Out of all the side characters, Luke is the best😌
It's not that I have not read any epistolary novels before, I have! and love the writing style but it didn't work in this one. This is a miss for me and I'm super disappointed😔 because I had high hopes. But many people have loved it, so do give it a try. Maybe, you'll like it too!...or maybe I'll pick it up again someday but for now, dnf-ing it.
Thanks to Pepper Basham, Thomas Nelson--FICTION and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on 15th Nov'22.
P.S.😉: I'm sure Pepper Basham is an incredible author and I'll read her other works but this one didn't work for me. I'm giving 2 stars✨ for the starting part that I enjoyed to the fullest.
Ngl, I loved the first 20% that I read - it was so funny and witty, I was grinning and smiling all the time. The exchanges between the protagonists were so sweet and I was super invested in the plot. But after some time, I was just skimming through the dragged conversations.
Even though I loved the conversation style initially, it became boring pretty fast. There was just so much unnecessary information and the pages-long paragraphs...omg😓 Plus, who interacts through emails in this century? It felt really out of touch...Also, what's up with all the PS, PPS, and PPPPSSS??😩
Moreover, there is a love triangle which I don't like but there was no chemistry in any of the couples. For some time, I was captivated by Izzy-Brodie's interactions and couldn't stop laughing when Izzy wrote long-ass paragraphs telling about her life events to Brodie, a stranger😂 but it too became repetitive.
I couldn't connect with any character but liked Izzy's personality a bit coz she stood up to Josephine every time she tried to belittle her - be it about Izzy's looks, habits and whatnot, Josephine was so nosy and obnoxious that I wanted to hit her. Izzy was strong and a little mess with cheerful vibes, which I liked about her.
Brodie gave me such calm and collected vibes in all the parts I read of him but even his impact started becoming dull after some time. I have no idea about Eli because I was not interested in his story at all. Out of all the side characters, Luke is the best😌
It's not that I have not read any epistolary novels before, I have! and love the writing style but it didn't work in this one. This is a miss for me and I'm super disappointed😔 because I had high hopes. But many people have loved it, so do give it a try. Maybe, you'll like it too!...or maybe I'll pick it up again someday but for now, dnf-ing it.
Thanks to Pepper Basham, Thomas Nelson--FICTION and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on 15th Nov'22.
P.S.😉: I'm sure Pepper Basham is an incredible author and I'll read her other works but this one didn't work for me. I'm giving 2 stars✨ for the starting part that I enjoyed to the fullest.
Read
December 29, 2022What can I say?
I ADORED writing this book.
It came to me in email form from the beginning (which I'd never written before) and turned into such a fun look into a very intimate form of communication between family and possible romantic partners.
I loved writing the family dynamics. You can tell so much about relationships through communication and I had such bringing various personalities to life on the page through the way they communicated.
And Brodie! Oh my! He's a doll! (Btw, if you haven't listened to the audiobook, the team at monkeynut studios did a FANTASTIC job bringing the characters to life! Wow!).
Thanks so much for taking a chance on this story!
I ADORED writing this book.
It came to me in email form from the beginning (which I'd never written before) and turned into such a fun look into a very intimate form of communication between family and possible romantic partners.
I loved writing the family dynamics. You can tell so much about relationships through communication and I had such bringing various personalities to life on the page through the way they communicated.
And Brodie! Oh my! He's a doll! (Btw, if you haven't listened to the audiobook, the team at monkeynut studios did a FANTASTIC job bringing the characters to life! Wow!).
Thanks so much for taking a chance on this story!
July 29, 2022
Do you think there is a clinical diagnosis for obsessive matchmaking or do we chalk it up to overeager, loving family members with too much time on their hands?
Themes & vibes:
• talk bookish to me
• quirky heroine
• family meddling and matchmaking
• not-so-secret pen pals
• Lord of the Rings
• Christian romance
Oh man. Well, this was definitely different from what I normally read. And I really liked most of it. Izzy was fun, cute and charming, and so was Brodie. I also liked their families, the premise, the setting, all the bookish talk…
As for what I didn’t like, the epistolary form had its pros and cons. There were scenes I wanted to go through with Izzy instead of being told about them in an email. Plus, the storytelling was a bit dense.
Still, I’m pretty happy with what I’ve got, and I definitely plan to check out more by this author.
If you want to see my much more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Authentically Izzy by Pepper D. Basham in exchange for an honest review.
Themes & vibes:
• talk bookish to me
• quirky heroine
• family meddling and matchmaking
• not-so-secret pen pals
• Lord of the Rings
• Christian romance
Oh man. Well, this was definitely different from what I normally read. And I really liked most of it. Izzy was fun, cute and charming, and so was Brodie. I also liked their families, the premise, the setting, all the bookish talk…
As for what I didn’t like, the epistolary form had its pros and cons. There were scenes I wanted to go through with Izzy instead of being told about them in an email. Plus, the storytelling was a bit dense.
Still, I’m pretty happy with what I’ve got, and I definitely plan to check out more by this author.
If you want to see my much more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Authentically Izzy by Pepper D. Basham in exchange for an honest review.
Read
March 30, 2024Soft DNF. Will come back hopefully🤞🏼
November 8, 2022
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. ~ Lao Tzu
The nerdy book girl inside of me is doing a happy dance after reading this book. Isabelle and Brodie deliver a clean, epistolary romance with the happiest of endings. Their long distance relationship begins as a meeting of the minds via email after connecting through a matchmaking app. Meanwhile we are also privy to the emails and texts that are being exchanged within Izzy's family and later Brodie's. Izzy lives in North Carolina with the Blue Ridge Mountains. Brodie lives on and island near Scotland. The descriptions of his home and island views are enthralling. And his family bookstore -- Sutherland's -- sounds absolutely delightful. Izzy is christened "The Book Matchmaker" by Brodie's family. Sounds like my dream job. This book started out just a bit slow, but I was soon eagerly turning pages to get to their HEA. If you enjoyed Very Sincerely Yours, you might also love this one.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Edelweiss+. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The nerdy book girl inside of me is doing a happy dance after reading this book. Isabelle and Brodie deliver a clean, epistolary romance with the happiest of endings. Their long distance relationship begins as a meeting of the minds via email after connecting through a matchmaking app. Meanwhile we are also privy to the emails and texts that are being exchanged within Izzy's family and later Brodie's. Izzy lives in North Carolina with the Blue Ridge Mountains. Brodie lives on and island near Scotland. The descriptions of his home and island views are enthralling. And his family bookstore -- Sutherland's -- sounds absolutely delightful. Izzy is christened "The Book Matchmaker" by Brodie's family. Sounds like my dream job. This book started out just a bit slow, but I was soon eagerly turning pages to get to their HEA. If you enjoyed Very Sincerely Yours, you might also love this one.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Edelweiss+. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
November 21, 2022
3.5 stars, personally.
About this book:
““Dear Izzy—I feel certain there’s a book-loving man living relatively nearby waiting to speak bookish to you ’til death do you part. You just haven’t met yet.”
Izzy Edgewood is a wannabe bookstore owner, quote queen, and Lord of the Rings nerd who has been waiting for Prince Charming to sweep her off her sneakered feet. But it’s hard to meet people when you spend more time with fictional humans than real ones. Which is why her pragmatist cousin Josephine decides to take Izzy’s future into her own meddling hands and create an online dating profile for the hopeful romantic.
To Izzy’s shock (and suspicion), Josie’s plan works. Soon, she’s dialoguing with a Hobbit-loving man named Brodie who lives in a small town an ocean away from her home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But is their shared love of books, family, and correspondence enough to overcome Izzy’s fear of flying and the literal distance between them? And is a long-distance relationship even worth considering when a local author has been frequenting the library where she works and is proving to be a perfectly fine gentleman?”
Series: A sequel about Izzy’s cousin will be releasing in August 2023.
Spiritual Content- John 21:25 in the author’s acknowledgements; A Scripture is mentioned; A few prayers; Talks about God; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God, God-given talents, doing what God made you to do, & faiths; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches/cathedrals, church going, church groups/ministries, services, & pastors; Mentions of religious persecution & priests; A few mentions of Heaven; A few mentions of Bibles; A few mentions of when Izzy got into a verbal war with a professor about fiction among Christians and parables; A few mentions of church Christmas plays; A couple mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of being Blessed; A couple mentions of Easter; A mention of Sunday school;
*Note: Izzy mentions that she tried to be the “savior” of too many men and it’s never turned out for her, so it’s “no wonder all the “saving” need to be left to a much higher and better power than mine”; Mentions of ghosts, seeing ghosts, & their haunts; A few mentions of Santa & believing in him; A couple mentions of half of the women in a women’s ministry not talking to Izzy because she dressed up as a character from Harry Potter for Halloween (another mention of them later happens by referring to them as ‘nosy”); A couple mention of Medusa & Hercules; A mention of something possible be breaking a biblical law (dating someone much old enough to be your father); A mention of the Easter Bunny; A mention of fairies; A mention of aliens.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘codswallop’, a ‘screwed up’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘sucks’, two forms of ‘blast’, two ‘idiot’s, two ‘stupid’s, and three ‘oh my word’s; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; A bit of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding; Izzy takes sedatives/a cocktail of drugs to be able to fly; Mentions of Izzy’s parents’ deaths from a plane crash when she was twelve, her fear of flying because of it, & her grief; Mentions of possible kidnappings/being kidnapped; Mentions of someone possible being part of the mafia and/or a gangster; Mentions of pain, injuries, blood/bleeding; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of drinking, drunks, & being intoxicated; Mentions of pipes, tobacco, & smoking; Mentions of tattoos; A handful of mentions of thieves, criminals, & crimes; A few mentions of wars; A few mentions of someone in prison; A few mentions of rumors; A couple mentions of burglary & a break-in; A couple mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of vomiting; A couple mentions of hunting & dressing a deer; A mention of someone talking about torture techniques in early Rome; A mention of bloodstains; A mention of having to sleep inside an animal to stay warm; A mention of doing a pee-pee dance;
*Note: Izzy realizes towards the end that *Spoiler* ; All about many, many mentions of books, fictional characters, authors, celebrities, actors/actresses, musicals, movies, & TV shows (along with quotes and many references, including (listed in the order first mentioned) ‘The Lord of the Rings, Disney’, ‘Legally Blonde’, Julie Andrews, ‘The Hobbit’, ‘Wizard of Oz’, ‘Jane Eyre’, ‘The Secret Garden’, ‘Dracula’, ‘Sherlock’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Dr. Doolittle, Keats, Tolkien, Meg Ryan, ‘You’ve Got Mail’, Nancy Drew, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, ‘Harry Potter’, Anne Frank, ‘Frankenstein’, ‘Anne of Green Gables’, Dorian Gray, Walt Disney, ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, Lewis Carroll, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Mr. Rogers, Jack London, ‘The Sound of Music’, The Joker, ‘Annie’, Dr. Phil, Chris Pine, ‘Wuthering Heights’, Bass Pro fishing show, Agatha Christie and characters, James Barrie, ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Emma’, Louis L’Amour, Oscar Wilde, Annie Barrows, Bill Bryson, Andy Griffith, C.S. Lewis, Moby Dick, ‘Animal Farm’, ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, ‘She Loves Me’ (musical), L.M. Montgomery, Clark Gable, Narnia, P.G. Wodehouse, Jane Austen, Avengers, Patrick O’Brian, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, ‘Austenland’, Sandra Bullock, ‘Dead Poets Society’, James McAvoy, ‘Bringing Up Baby’, ‘Some Like It Hot’, ‘The Andy Griffith Show’, Robert Frost, ‘Star Wars’, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare, Indiana Jones, Maya Angelou, William Blake, Rhett Butler, ‘Brigadoon’, Mary Poppins, David Copperfield, Terry Pratchett, Homer, Dr. Seuss, Tom Sawyer, ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’, Aladdin, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Hercules, Arthur Dent, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, Spider-Man, Stephen King, George Orwell, ‘Catch-22’, ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’, ‘Don Quixote’, Arnold Schwarzenegger, ‘Terminator,’ ‘A Christmas Carol’, Patrick O’Brian, Calvin and Hobbes, ‘Little Women’, ‘The Scarlet Letter’, King Arthur, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Wicked’, ‘Poldark’, ‘The Office’, Lemony Snicket, ‘The Voice’, ‘Father of the Bride’, The Grinch, ‘The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe’, Stella Gibbons, ‘Lord of the Flies’, Debbie Macomber, Kate Middleton, Miley Cyrus, ‘Charlotte’s Web’, E.E. Cummings, ‘The Princess Bride’, ‘The Blue Castle’, ‘Jaws’, Robert Fulghum, ‘Gone with the Wind’, ‘War and Peace’, ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, ‘Middlemarch’, Lao Tzu, Sopper Westbrook, James Herriot, ‘Cranford’, H.P. Lovecraft, ‘Waverly Novels’, ‘Hamlet’, ‘Great Expectations’, ‘The King and I’, ‘My Fair Lady’, Audrey Hepburn, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, ‘Robinson Crusoe’, ‘North and South’, ‘The Alchemist’, ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’, and ‘Daddy-Long-Legs’); Mentions of Hallmark movies; Mentions of social media sites (Google, Pinterest, & YouTube); A few mentions of games (Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Cart, & Pictionary); A few mentions of vampires; A few mentions of Halloween & cosplays; A few mentions of brand names & items (Rose d’Amour perfume and Mathlink cubes); A couple mentions of when Izzy was young and tried to resurrect a hamster in a microwave than died too young (she adored Frankenstein and Dracula); A mention of a hinted reference to the 'Outlander' series (“tips on how to meet your dream Highlander through time travel”); A mention of Boy Scouts; A mention of pimples; A mention of (there not being) dead animals on a person’s wall.
Sexual Content- Three cheek kisses, a jaw kiss, a hair kiss, an almost kiss, a not-detailed kiss, four barely-above-not-detailed kisses, six barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses, six semi-detailed kisses (one told from both point of views and counted twice), and a detailed kiss; Talks about kisses & kissing (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss & Staring at someone’s lips/smile; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing; a ‘sexy’; Many mentions of dates, dating, match-making, boyfriends/girlfriends, cheating, exes, & breakups; Mentions of kisses, kissing, recalling kisses, & the perfect kissing height; Mentions of touches, touching, & smelling someone (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of a book character wanting a man to touch her hands again & cannot stop thinking about it; A few mentions of blushes; A few mentions of crushes; A couple mentions of dating someone the age of their children (which doesn’t sit right with Izzy); A couple mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a married couple kissing; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Due to past failed relationships, Izzy has insecurities and feels like she isn’t enough (she also wonders why Brodie likes her); Izzy mentions that she tried to be the “savior” of too many men and it’s never turned out for her, so it’s “no wonder all the “saving” need to be left to a much higher and better power than mine”; Mentions of swoon-worthy clothes on men; A few mentions of a misunderstanding about a woman’s “passion”; A few mentions of pregnancy hormones; A couple mentions of a prank of leaving a bodice-ripping novel in a guy’s car for his work friends to see; A couple mentions of someone making feminist comments about a book character; A mention of a man trying to find a mate who is “not intimated by their superiorities”; A mention of a man being fired from his position at a school due to his relationship with a co-worker going sour; A mention of Izzy feeling exposed when being someone’s muse because she thinks of Renaissance painters; A mention of not liking men’s open-collared shirts when they’re open down to his navel (Penelope adds that there’s something about that look that makes her think of a “drunk pirate” or “loose Spaniard” and blames operas for that); A mention of a Mr. Darcy is not a part of the fantasy genre unless he’s “coming out of a pond in a white shirt”; A mention of a young woman’s shoe fetish (not meant sexually).
-Isabelle “Izzy” Edgewood, age 30
-Brodie Sutherland, age 34
P.O.V. switches between them & through emails and text messages
420 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star
Older High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
The last book I read by this author, I wasn’t a fan of due to all the kissing. So, I was hesitant to reading this book, but once I saw that it’s an epistolary novel—a novel where the story is told via letters, emails, or other messages and such, I was much more interested, hoping that it would be a clean read. And for the majority it was.
I’ve decided that epistolary novels are so fun because of the feeling of snooping.
That probably sounds wrong, but here me out! It’s being a nosy nellie without having to give comments or reactions to another person. It’s the introvert in me that wants the tea loves it, what can I say? :)
I’m not sure if that made any sense at all, but let’s just know that I really enjoyed the emails and text messages writing style throughout this book.
Which would be why I was quite sad when it changed about halfway through to include a normal 3rd person POV writing style. The first 50% of the book was all messages, but then it changed to be about 40% that normal, 3rd person story. Which was fine, I suppose, as I was still very involved—and giggly—at different parts, but I really liked the letters the best.
That said, this did feel like a very long book at times. Which makes sense because it’s four-hundred and twenty pages long, but even though I was really enjoying it, I did struggle a bit to stay focused because it felt so long.
I can easily say that while most of the classics/literature nods and conversations weren’t completely lost on me, I didn’t necessarily relate to the excitement over those books and movies due to not really being a classics fan.
I honestly giggled a lot at the cuteness between Izzy & Brodie. Their awkwardness and connection was so fun to read about. I also really liked how important their families are to them and within this story, particularly Izzy’s cousins and their messages. (I cracked up at Luke’s parts many times and might read Penelope’s story when it releases next year.)
With this novel having the main theme being books and communication, it was really nice to see Izzy & Brodie communicate and any foreshadowings that are taunted to the reader are clear up pretty quick and are handled well. The last bit, I wish would have happened sooner in the story so the ending would have been pure cuteness and less added-at-the-end angst, though.
There were a couple kisses that were a bit much for my tastes, personally, and those kisses were what affected the ratings for BFCG’s target ages. If an older girl wants to skim/read past those parts, it’s up to her (and her family’s views on such content), but the ratings given are for the entire story.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
About this book:
““Dear Izzy—I feel certain there’s a book-loving man living relatively nearby waiting to speak bookish to you ’til death do you part. You just haven’t met yet.”
Izzy Edgewood is a wannabe bookstore owner, quote queen, and Lord of the Rings nerd who has been waiting for Prince Charming to sweep her off her sneakered feet. But it’s hard to meet people when you spend more time with fictional humans than real ones. Which is why her pragmatist cousin Josephine decides to take Izzy’s future into her own meddling hands and create an online dating profile for the hopeful romantic.
To Izzy’s shock (and suspicion), Josie’s plan works. Soon, she’s dialoguing with a Hobbit-loving man named Brodie who lives in a small town an ocean away from her home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But is their shared love of books, family, and correspondence enough to overcome Izzy’s fear of flying and the literal distance between them? And is a long-distance relationship even worth considering when a local author has been frequenting the library where she works and is proving to be a perfectly fine gentleman?”
Series: A sequel about Izzy’s cousin will be releasing in August 2023.
Spiritual Content- John 21:25 in the author’s acknowledgements; A Scripture is mentioned; A few prayers; Talks about God; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God, God-given talents, doing what God made you to do, & faiths; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches/cathedrals, church going, church groups/ministries, services, & pastors; Mentions of religious persecution & priests; A few mentions of Heaven; A few mentions of Bibles; A few mentions of when Izzy got into a verbal war with a professor about fiction among Christians and parables; A few mentions of church Christmas plays; A couple mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of being Blessed; A couple mentions of Easter; A mention of Sunday school;
*Note: Izzy mentions that she tried to be the “savior” of too many men and it’s never turned out for her, so it’s “no wonder all the “saving” need to be left to a much higher and better power than mine”; Mentions of ghosts, seeing ghosts, & their haunts; A few mentions of Santa & believing in him; A couple mentions of half of the women in a women’s ministry not talking to Izzy because she dressed up as a character from Harry Potter for Halloween (another mention of them later happens by referring to them as ‘nosy”); A couple mention of Medusa & Hercules; A mention of something possible be breaking a biblical law (dating someone much old enough to be your father); A mention of the Easter Bunny; A mention of fairies; A mention of aliens.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘codswallop’, a ‘screwed up’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘sucks’, two forms of ‘blast’, two ‘idiot’s, two ‘stupid’s, and three ‘oh my word’s; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; A bit of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding; Izzy takes sedatives/a cocktail of drugs to be able to fly; Mentions of Izzy’s parents’ deaths from a plane crash when she was twelve, her fear of flying because of it, & her grief; Mentions of possible kidnappings/being kidnapped; Mentions of someone possible being part of the mafia and/or a gangster; Mentions of pain, injuries, blood/bleeding; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of drinking, drunks, & being intoxicated; Mentions of pipes, tobacco, & smoking; Mentions of tattoos; A handful of mentions of thieves, criminals, & crimes; A few mentions of wars; A few mentions of someone in prison; A few mentions of rumors; A couple mentions of burglary & a break-in; A couple mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of vomiting; A couple mentions of hunting & dressing a deer; A mention of someone talking about torture techniques in early Rome; A mention of bloodstains; A mention of having to sleep inside an animal to stay warm; A mention of doing a pee-pee dance;
*Note: Izzy realizes towards the end that *Spoiler* ; All about many, many mentions of books, fictional characters, authors, celebrities, actors/actresses, musicals, movies, & TV shows (along with quotes and many references, including (listed in the order first mentioned) ‘The Lord of the Rings, Disney’, ‘Legally Blonde’, Julie Andrews, ‘The Hobbit’, ‘Wizard of Oz’, ‘Jane Eyre’, ‘The Secret Garden’, ‘Dracula’, ‘Sherlock’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Dr. Doolittle, Keats, Tolkien, Meg Ryan, ‘You’ve Got Mail’, Nancy Drew, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, ‘Harry Potter’, Anne Frank, ‘Frankenstein’, ‘Anne of Green Gables’, Dorian Gray, Walt Disney, ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, Lewis Carroll, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Mr. Rogers, Jack London, ‘The Sound of Music’, The Joker, ‘Annie’, Dr. Phil, Chris Pine, ‘Wuthering Heights’, Bass Pro fishing show, Agatha Christie and characters, James Barrie, ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Emma’, Louis L’Amour, Oscar Wilde, Annie Barrows, Bill Bryson, Andy Griffith, C.S. Lewis, Moby Dick, ‘Animal Farm’, ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, ‘She Loves Me’ (musical), L.M. Montgomery, Clark Gable, Narnia, P.G. Wodehouse, Jane Austen, Avengers, Patrick O’Brian, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, ‘Austenland’, Sandra Bullock, ‘Dead Poets Society’, James McAvoy, ‘Bringing Up Baby’, ‘Some Like It Hot’, ‘The Andy Griffith Show’, Robert Frost, ‘Star Wars’, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare, Indiana Jones, Maya Angelou, William Blake, Rhett Butler, ‘Brigadoon’, Mary Poppins, David Copperfield, Terry Pratchett, Homer, Dr. Seuss, Tom Sawyer, ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’, Aladdin, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Hercules, Arthur Dent, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, Spider-Man, Stephen King, George Orwell, ‘Catch-22’, ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’, ‘Don Quixote’, Arnold Schwarzenegger, ‘Terminator,’ ‘A Christmas Carol’, Patrick O’Brian, Calvin and Hobbes, ‘Little Women’, ‘The Scarlet Letter’, King Arthur, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Wicked’, ‘Poldark’, ‘The Office’, Lemony Snicket, ‘The Voice’, ‘Father of the Bride’, The Grinch, ‘The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe’, Stella Gibbons, ‘Lord of the Flies’, Debbie Macomber, Kate Middleton, Miley Cyrus, ‘Charlotte’s Web’, E.E. Cummings, ‘The Princess Bride’, ‘The Blue Castle’, ‘Jaws’, Robert Fulghum, ‘Gone with the Wind’, ‘War and Peace’, ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, ‘Middlemarch’, Lao Tzu, Sopper Westbrook, James Herriot, ‘Cranford’, H.P. Lovecraft, ‘Waverly Novels’, ‘Hamlet’, ‘Great Expectations’, ‘The King and I’, ‘My Fair Lady’, Audrey Hepburn, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, ‘Robinson Crusoe’, ‘North and South’, ‘The Alchemist’, ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’, and ‘Daddy-Long-Legs’); Mentions of Hallmark movies; Mentions of social media sites (Google, Pinterest, & YouTube); A few mentions of games (Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Cart, & Pictionary); A few mentions of vampires; A few mentions of Halloween & cosplays; A few mentions of brand names & items (Rose d’Amour perfume and Mathlink cubes); A couple mentions of when Izzy was young and tried to resurrect a hamster in a microwave than died too young (she adored Frankenstein and Dracula); A mention of a hinted reference to the 'Outlander' series (“tips on how to meet your dream Highlander through time travel”); A mention of Boy Scouts; A mention of pimples; A mention of (there not being) dead animals on a person’s wall.
Sexual Content- Three cheek kisses, a jaw kiss, a hair kiss, an almost kiss, a not-detailed kiss, four barely-above-not-detailed kisses, six barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses, six semi-detailed kisses (one told from both point of views and counted twice), and a detailed kiss; Talks about kisses & kissing (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss & Staring at someone’s lips/smile; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing; a ‘sexy’; Many mentions of dates, dating, match-making, boyfriends/girlfriends, cheating, exes, & breakups; Mentions of kisses, kissing, recalling kisses, & the perfect kissing height; Mentions of touches, touching, & smelling someone (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of a book character wanting a man to touch her hands again & cannot stop thinking about it; A few mentions of blushes; A few mentions of crushes; A couple mentions of dating someone the age of their children (which doesn’t sit right with Izzy); A couple mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a married couple kissing; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Due to past failed relationships, Izzy has insecurities and feels like she isn’t enough (she also wonders why Brodie likes her); Izzy mentions that she tried to be the “savior” of too many men and it’s never turned out for her, so it’s “no wonder all the “saving” need to be left to a much higher and better power than mine”; Mentions of swoon-worthy clothes on men; A few mentions of a misunderstanding about a woman’s “passion”; A few mentions of pregnancy hormones; A couple mentions of a prank of leaving a bodice-ripping novel in a guy’s car for his work friends to see; A couple mentions of someone making feminist comments about a book character; A mention of a man trying to find a mate who is “not intimated by their superiorities”; A mention of a man being fired from his position at a school due to his relationship with a co-worker going sour; A mention of Izzy feeling exposed when being someone’s muse because she thinks of Renaissance painters; A mention of not liking men’s open-collared shirts when they’re open down to his navel (Penelope adds that there’s something about that look that makes her think of a “drunk pirate” or “loose Spaniard” and blames operas for that); A mention of a Mr. Darcy is not a part of the fantasy genre unless he’s “coming out of a pond in a white shirt”; A mention of a young woman’s shoe fetish (not meant sexually).
-Isabelle “Izzy” Edgewood, age 30
-Brodie Sutherland, age 34
P.O.V. switches between them & through emails and text messages
420 pages
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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star
Older High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
The last book I read by this author, I wasn’t a fan of due to all the kissing. So, I was hesitant to reading this book, but once I saw that it’s an epistolary novel—a novel where the story is told via letters, emails, or other messages and such, I was much more interested, hoping that it would be a clean read. And for the majority it was.
I’ve decided that epistolary novels are so fun because of the feeling of snooping.
That probably sounds wrong, but here me out! It’s being a nosy nellie without having to give comments or reactions to another person. It’s the introvert in me that wants the tea loves it, what can I say? :)
I’m not sure if that made any sense at all, but let’s just know that I really enjoyed the emails and text messages writing style throughout this book.
Which would be why I was quite sad when it changed about halfway through to include a normal 3rd person POV writing style. The first 50% of the book was all messages, but then it changed to be about 40% that normal, 3rd person story. Which was fine, I suppose, as I was still very involved—and giggly—at different parts, but I really liked the letters the best.
That said, this did feel like a very long book at times. Which makes sense because it’s four-hundred and twenty pages long, but even though I was really enjoying it, I did struggle a bit to stay focused because it felt so long.
I can easily say that while most of the classics/literature nods and conversations weren’t completely lost on me, I didn’t necessarily relate to the excitement over those books and movies due to not really being a classics fan.
I honestly giggled a lot at the cuteness between Izzy & Brodie. Their awkwardness and connection was so fun to read about. I also really liked how important their families are to them and within this story, particularly Izzy’s cousins and their messages. (I cracked up at Luke’s parts many times and might read Penelope’s story when it releases next year.)
With this novel having the main theme being books and communication, it was really nice to see Izzy & Brodie communicate and any foreshadowings that are taunted to the reader are clear up pretty quick and are handled well. The last bit, I wish would have happened sooner in the story so the ending would have been pure cuteness and less added-at-the-end angst, though.
There were a couple kisses that were a bit much for my tastes, personally, and those kisses were what affected the ratings for BFCG’s target ages. If an older girl wants to skim/read past those parts, it’s up to her (and her family’s views on such content), but the ratings given are for the entire story.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
September 28, 2022
I don't even know where to start with this utterly delightful story! Is there any genre Pepper Basham CAN'T write in and do it in a fantastical way? I would have to say, "No!"
The story is written as an epistolary, but do NOT let that deter you. The author does it in a way that is contemporary and hilarious. I'll be honest with you here. I reached out to Pepper and asked her to write my review because SHE'S the author and I will NOT do this story justice. I've actually never read an epistolary before (although I have watched a movie that we all know ;) )
I literally felt like I was part of the emails and text messages between Izzy and her cousins. Heck, I even felt like one of the cousins being in on the conversations. This story was hilarious, romantic, and just all around sweet. From the relationship of the cousins to Brodie and his family, this has everything one could want in a romance.
The story was a quick read, even at over 400 pages, because I got so lost in the story I couldn't stop myself from reading it. I can't even tell you how many times I laughed out loud! Izzy was absolutely delightful. With the loss of her parents, but being blessed by living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins, you'd think she is on solid ground. I think that's the case (except for her love life) until her cousin, Josephine puts her on a dating website. The hilarity that ensues as she drags her other two cousins, Luke and Penelope through her emotional highs and lows was fabulous!
And let's talk about Brodie, shall we? There's not much I could say negatively about this fella. He has an accent, his family owns bookstores, he can quote from books Izzy loves and ones she hasn't read, and he likes her! Too bad he lives in a country an ocean away and she would have to fly there to meet his family!
I have SO much anticipation for the rest of this series!! They'll definitely become keepers.
*I received the ARC for review. This is my personal opinion.
The story is written as an epistolary, but do NOT let that deter you. The author does it in a way that is contemporary and hilarious. I'll be honest with you here. I reached out to Pepper and asked her to write my review because SHE'S the author and I will NOT do this story justice. I've actually never read an epistolary before (although I have watched a movie that we all know ;) )
I literally felt like I was part of the emails and text messages between Izzy and her cousins. Heck, I even felt like one of the cousins being in on the conversations. This story was hilarious, romantic, and just all around sweet. From the relationship of the cousins to Brodie and his family, this has everything one could want in a romance.
The story was a quick read, even at over 400 pages, because I got so lost in the story I couldn't stop myself from reading it. I can't even tell you how many times I laughed out loud! Izzy was absolutely delightful. With the loss of her parents, but being blessed by living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins, you'd think she is on solid ground. I think that's the case (except for her love life) until her cousin, Josephine puts her on a dating website. The hilarity that ensues as she drags her other two cousins, Luke and Penelope through her emotional highs and lows was fabulous!
And let's talk about Brodie, shall we? There's not much I could say negatively about this fella. He has an accent, his family owns bookstores, he can quote from books Izzy loves and ones she hasn't read, and he likes her! Too bad he lives in a country an ocean away and she would have to fly there to meet his family!
I have SO much anticipation for the rest of this series!! They'll definitely become keepers.
*I received the ARC for review. This is my personal opinion.
October 5, 2023
This book is equally wonderful and terrible for my mental health. Wonderful, because it’s sweet and charming and witty and swoony. Terrible, because now I can’t stop thinking about developing a long-distance relationship with my own real-life version of Brodie… accent included.
Seriously though, this book is so cute and made me laugh out loud so many times… it even made me cry a little bit. And their first kiss?? Swoon. To the max. Blame it on a Basham book for real.
book aesthetic here
Seriously though, this book is so cute and made me laugh out loud so many times… it even made me cry a little bit. And their first kiss?? Swoon. To the max. Blame it on a Basham book for real.
book aesthetic here
August 29, 2022
Nope. Nope. Nope. No more straight romance ARCs, I say!
I received this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF at... less than 20%, I think. Not looking back.
I should have looked up this book here before requesting it. Then I would have seen it's aptly marked as "Christian romance" -which it wasn't on NetGalley- and known this wasn't going to be for me.
Or maybe the premise alone of a "well-meaning" *cough judgemental asshole with no boundaries* relative making a profile on a dating site for someone who isn't interested just because they think they know best and it's time for baby to lower her expectations and settle down, a trope that is as overdone as it is tiring, should have been enough to put me off. But alas, the Lord of the Ring references got to me!
First off, the Christian content is hard to miss, and that's fine - again, if you mark the book as such and readers know this going in. I'm not here for it, but I thought "okay, just a few pages more, just out of the graciousness of my heart".
Yeah, that was a mistake. What made me quit, really, was the way Izzy was treated by her cousin(s) - like her life was lacking because she hadn't found a man, like she had to find someone to settle down with before it was too late, like she had to lower her expectations, like she had to be pushed into a dating site without her consent just so this miracle would happen for her. SHE'S THIRTY YEARS OLD. In addition to whatever the fuck that is, there was sexism and shaming galore. Have some choice quotes:
Once her babies are born, she'll have something else to take up her time. WHAT. WHAT??!!
Can't you become obsessed with another type of ring to change your real world instead of a fantasy one? Thanks, I'll take the One Ring.
Now I'm sure he thinks I'm a lazy, bookish simpleton. And probably fat. Yeah you know what, I was being prejudiced by the Christian thing, this is exactly it. Comen hostia y cagan diablo.
Now, I skipped to the ending for this one:
It took being forced into unwanted matchmaking for me to discover who I was, what I wanted, and my own perfect match. Isn't that what we all want down deep? Yeah totally, I think everyone should let their family set them up on a dating site, set up blind dates they didn't ask for, and constantly harass them so they can find their own, God-given true love!
Yes, the point of the book is that, instead of changing herself into the person her obnoxious cousin thinks she should be, Izzy embraces her authentic self and finds true love that way. I mean... I guess. Based on the title. I sure hope so. But this whole trope... ENOUGH. BASTA.
The beginning is also told exclusively in epistolary style, which means Izzy writes some damn long emails. Not only these people are exchanging giant emails every days (who does that?? just get on the phone), but they also talk like they're in a Jane Austen novel. That and the way Josephine was bent on getting Izzy a man made me feel like I was reading Pride and Prejudice, except bad.
Just no, no, thank you, but no.
I received this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF at... less than 20%, I think. Not looking back.
I should have looked up this book here before requesting it. Then I would have seen it's aptly marked as "Christian romance" -which it wasn't on NetGalley- and known this wasn't going to be for me.
Or maybe the premise alone of a "well-meaning" *cough judgemental asshole with no boundaries* relative making a profile on a dating site for someone who isn't interested just because they think they know best and it's time for baby to lower her expectations and settle down, a trope that is as overdone as it is tiring, should have been enough to put me off. But alas, the Lord of the Ring references got to me!
First off, the Christian content is hard to miss, and that's fine - again, if you mark the book as such and readers know this going in. I'm not here for it, but I thought "okay, just a few pages more, just out of the graciousness of my heart".
Yeah, that was a mistake. What made me quit, really, was the way Izzy was treated by her cousin(s) - like her life was lacking because she hadn't found a man, like she had to find someone to settle down with before it was too late, like she had to lower her expectations, like she had to be pushed into a dating site without her consent just so this miracle would happen for her. SHE'S THIRTY YEARS OLD. In addition to whatever the fuck that is, there was sexism and shaming galore. Have some choice quotes:
Once her babies are born, she'll have something else to take up her time. WHAT. WHAT??!!
Can't you become obsessed with another type of ring to change your real world instead of a fantasy one? Thanks, I'll take the One Ring.
Now I'm sure he thinks I'm a lazy, bookish simpleton. And probably fat. Yeah you know what, I was being prejudiced by the Christian thing, this is exactly it. Comen hostia y cagan diablo.
Now, I skipped to the ending for this one:
It took being forced into unwanted matchmaking for me to discover who I was, what I wanted, and my own perfect match. Isn't that what we all want down deep? Yeah totally, I think everyone should let their family set them up on a dating site, set up blind dates they didn't ask for, and constantly harass them so they can find their own, God-given true love!
Yes, the point of the book is that, instead of changing herself into the person her obnoxious cousin thinks she should be, Izzy embraces her authentic self and finds true love that way. I mean... I guess. Based on the title. I sure hope so. But this whole trope... ENOUGH. BASTA.
The beginning is also told exclusively in epistolary style, which means Izzy writes some damn long emails. Not only these people are exchanging giant emails every days (who does that?? just get on the phone), but they also talk like they're in a Jane Austen novel. That and the way Josephine was bent on getting Izzy a man made me feel like I was reading Pride and Prejudice, except bad.
Just no, no, thank you, but no.
December 2, 2022
4⭐️
Best contemporary romance I’ve read in years.
First of all, I am NOT a contemporary romance reader, but I loved this!!!!!!!!! So so many great literary references and quotes sprinkled throughout, and romance between people from different countries!!!
I probably would’ve liked more faith in it, but the faith that was represented, was really good!
There was a bit of a love triangle and 2 noteable “miscommunication” situations (all of which I don’t like at all) however, Pepper didn’t let any of that linger too long, which I appreciated! 👍🏻
Honestly, this probably could’ve gotten a higher rating if it hadn’t been largely told in emails & texts (but that is a personal preference thing)
Best contemporary romance I’ve read in years.
First of all, I am NOT a contemporary romance reader, but I loved this!!!!!!!!! So so many great literary references and quotes sprinkled throughout, and romance between people from different countries!!!
I probably would’ve liked more faith in it, but the faith that was represented, was really good!
There was a bit of a love triangle and 2 noteable “miscommunication” situations (all of which I don’t like at all) however, Pepper didn’t let any of that linger too long, which I appreciated! 👍🏻
Honestly, this probably could’ve gotten a higher rating if it hadn’t been largely told in emails & texts (but that is a personal preference thing)
September 9, 2023
This was an adorable romp perfect for book nerds. I loved every minute of it!
July 13, 2023
This is a delightful and funny story told in epistolatory form through emails and texts, mostly between cousins. Izzy is a true bookworm and loves everything about books, working as a librarian. When her meddlesome and overbearing cousin Josie signs her up for a dating service, Izzy is irritated until she meets Brodie, someone of like minds, living in a country across the pond. Brodie and Izzy connect through the dating site and then through video chats, talking all things books. Filled with lots of book quotes and references, this is a wonderful lighthearted read. Other than Josie, cousins Penelope and Luke are funny and likable characters, as is Izzy and Brodie. Both of the latter have had bad relationships and tread carefully, but the attraction is so cute that the kinks are worth working out. Loved it and looking forward to the other books coming up in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2023
Smacking Good!!!! (you have to read the book.)
I tried to make it last but I just couldn't resist continuously listening. Have to say the narration is fabulous! I was worried that since this is mostly an epistolary novel that it wouldn't translate well to an audio book but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I think Ferah Ahmet's and Christopher Ashman's exuberant performances enhanced my enjoyment of these characters all the more!
Now, after reading the book, I have a few things to say. First and Foremost -- Luke needs his own story. There really better be a Luke story or I will be all kinds of miffed. Luke is Izzy's cousin/brother and he is alternately funny and swoony (to me, not to Izzy!) and endearing all the way through. I need more Luke! The literary world needs more Luke! 'Nuf said.
Word of warning -- you need to enjoy a story where the majority of the page count is spent in letters (well, emails, texts in this modern day) in order to immerse yourself in Authentically Izzy. I've happened to love this style of fiction since reading Daddy Long Legs when I was a tween. Basham does an amazing job of mastering characters while keeping the plot moving and it's alive with the author's trademark sense of wit and drama. And all the bookish references! Be still my bibliophile heart!
And lest you think I wasn't as enamoured over Brodie as I was with Luke...well, he's definitely a toe-curling hero -- with a Scottish accent. Need I say more? I fell in love with him right along with Izzy, one email at a time. :-) Who knew cyberspace banter could be so much fun?!
A sublime read from start to finish and now I'm impatiently waiting for the sequel, Positively Penelope to release sometime this year....and let's not forget about Luke! He needs his time to shine as well as his own happily ever after!
I tried to make it last but I just couldn't resist continuously listening. Have to say the narration is fabulous! I was worried that since this is mostly an epistolary novel that it wouldn't translate well to an audio book but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I think Ferah Ahmet's and Christopher Ashman's exuberant performances enhanced my enjoyment of these characters all the more!
Now, after reading the book, I have a few things to say. First and Foremost -- Luke needs his own story. There really better be a Luke story or I will be all kinds of miffed. Luke is Izzy's cousin/brother and he is alternately funny and swoony (to me, not to Izzy!) and endearing all the way through. I need more Luke! The literary world needs more Luke! 'Nuf said.
Word of warning -- you need to enjoy a story where the majority of the page count is spent in letters (well, emails, texts in this modern day) in order to immerse yourself in Authentically Izzy. I've happened to love this style of fiction since reading Daddy Long Legs when I was a tween. Basham does an amazing job of mastering characters while keeping the plot moving and it's alive with the author's trademark sense of wit and drama. And all the bookish references! Be still my bibliophile heart!
And lest you think I wasn't as enamoured over Brodie as I was with Luke...well, he's definitely a toe-curling hero -- with a Scottish accent. Need I say more? I fell in love with him right along with Izzy, one email at a time. :-) Who knew cyberspace banter could be so much fun?!
A sublime read from start to finish and now I'm impatiently waiting for the sequel, Positively Penelope to release sometime this year....and let's not forget about Luke! He needs his time to shine as well as his own happily ever after!
September 23, 2024
THIS BOOK! 😍 I don’t have all the proper words to describe how much I loved it.
Every page had me wanting to squeal in delight, grinning idiotically till my face hurt, & shaking with laughter. (Totally related to the book & not my medication making me loopy 😂.)
What did I love? Just everything. I adored Penelope & Luke & Izzy and need more of them ASAP! I’m beyond excited that we get Penelope’s book next, but can we please have Luke’s story?!?! That man is an utter GEM! 😍
Izzy is so relatable.
Brodie is charming.
Penelope is hilarious.
Josephine is annoying. (Sorry!)
And Luke is a GEM.
This book is absolutely binge worthy. I read it in an evening and regret nothing. Plus, all the literary references made this literary heart SO HAPPY!
___
October 2023 Re-Read
This book is truly a dose of sunshine! All the bookish references & autumnal vibes delight my heart to no end, and I’ve fallen in love with the characters all over again!
___
September 2024 Re-Read
I listened to the audiobook this time around, and AHHHHHH! How is it so perfect?! 😂 (I also realised that I associate this book with autumn but none of the story takes place during the season, haha. It’s the cosy bookish vibes. 🥰)
Every page had me wanting to squeal in delight, grinning idiotically till my face hurt, & shaking with laughter. (Totally related to the book & not my medication making me loopy 😂.)
What did I love? Just everything. I adored Penelope & Luke & Izzy and need more of them ASAP! I’m beyond excited that we get Penelope’s book next, but can we please have Luke’s story?!?! That man is an utter GEM! 😍
Izzy is so relatable.
Brodie is charming.
Penelope is hilarious.
Josephine is annoying. (Sorry!)
And Luke is a GEM.
This book is absolutely binge worthy. I read it in an evening and regret nothing. Plus, all the literary references made this literary heart SO HAPPY!
___
October 2023 Re-Read
This book is truly a dose of sunshine! All the bookish references & autumnal vibes delight my heart to no end, and I’ve fallen in love with the characters all over again!
___
September 2024 Re-Read
I listened to the audiobook this time around, and AHHHHHH! How is it so perfect?! 😂 (I also realised that I associate this book with autumn but none of the story takes place during the season, haha. It’s the cosy bookish vibes. 🥰)
January 8, 2023
Oh my heart. I loved the audiobook. The narrators did a wonderful job with the characters and story. Authentically Izzy is a love letter to books. Epistolary with a twist, I found myself captivated by the story even though I wasn't sure I'd enjoy the email as communication. Yet it was such a vivid way to get sucked into the characters and their journeys. Halfway through I may have texted the author to ask when Luke is going to get his own book. This is such a wonderful story. I highly recommend it to lovers of romantic comedies with big doses of heart and discovery.
July 21, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this book about Izzy finding love, and herself. With meddling cousin, Josephine; drama cousin, Penelope; and strong supporter, Luke. It made for such a joy to read all their banter back and forth. But it was Brodie, the handsome foreigner that found her profile on Heart-to-Heart that finally helped bring Izzy to herself, and to find that with just a little faith, she can be the strong person everyone else sees.
Great read and I cannot wait to read about Penelope and Luke's adventure with Skymar next.
Great read and I cannot wait to read about Penelope and Luke's adventure with Skymar next.
August 30, 2022
If my Milton had a niece, she would be Pepper Basham's Izzy.
This book takes wonderful characters and a delightful story, wraps them in letters, quotes, and all things bookish, and ties them all with a lovely romantic bow. I'd say she seals it with a wax kiss, but I'm afraid Brodie would object.
For lovers of Pepper's Jane by the Book, I've determined that Titus and Brodie are cousins. It'll take a DNA test and a genealogical expert to figure out how, but I'm patient. I can wait.
Full of laugh-out-loud moments, family relationships that are so wonderfully (dare I say it?) AUTHENTIC that it feels as though you've stepped into a real story, and (for those who can stomach them) all the kisses pitter-pattering hearts could desire.
It's You've Got Mail meets The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society meets the Pevensies (#BecauseSiblings) meets Pepper's fabulous wit and wordsmithing. From Andy Griffith's Blue Ridge Mountains to a delightful set of islands in the North Sea, the settings couldn't be more Anne Shirleyishly romantic.
Trying to be really careful here (#becausespoilers) but Pepper did something I don't often (ever?) see in a romance. Where things typically happen one way (and for understandable reasons), she didn't. She didn't let someone take on something that wasn't that someone's responsibility. And... Bravo.
But even if all that weren't enough, there's a subtle but strong faith element that ripped bandaids I didn't know I was wearing off wounds I didn't know I had and exposed them to the healing power of truth... or is that Truth?
And in a rom-com, folks. #BecausePepper.
Run, don't walk and preorder the book. Stockpile tea, scones, and cookie dough ice cream (maybe a bear claw or two... you'll see why). Close the spreadsheets, turn off your phone (trust me on this one), and get ready to settle in for a WONDERFUL read.
So... how great was this book? Let's summarize it this way. Pepper Basham has inspired me to try, again (for like the 50th time) to read and love Tolkein. That she can make me want to love something I've despaired ever tolerating is proof that this book is genius.
This book takes wonderful characters and a delightful story, wraps them in letters, quotes, and all things bookish, and ties them all with a lovely romantic bow. I'd say she seals it with a wax kiss, but I'm afraid Brodie would object.
For lovers of Pepper's Jane by the Book, I've determined that Titus and Brodie are cousins. It'll take a DNA test and a genealogical expert to figure out how, but I'm patient. I can wait.
Full of laugh-out-loud moments, family relationships that are so wonderfully (dare I say it?) AUTHENTIC that it feels as though you've stepped into a real story, and (for those who can stomach them) all the kisses pitter-pattering hearts could desire.
It's You've Got Mail meets The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society meets the Pevensies (#BecauseSiblings) meets Pepper's fabulous wit and wordsmithing. From Andy Griffith's Blue Ridge Mountains to a delightful set of islands in the North Sea, the settings couldn't be more Anne Shirleyishly romantic.
Trying to be really careful here (#becausespoilers) but Pepper did something I don't often (ever?) see in a romance. Where things typically happen one way (and for understandable reasons), she didn't. She didn't let someone take on something that wasn't that someone's responsibility. And... Bravo.
But even if all that weren't enough, there's a subtle but strong faith element that ripped bandaids I didn't know I was wearing off wounds I didn't know I had and exposed them to the healing power of truth... or is that Truth?
And in a rom-com, folks. #BecausePepper.
Run, don't walk and preorder the book. Stockpile tea, scones, and cookie dough ice cream (maybe a bear claw or two... you'll see why). Close the spreadsheets, turn off your phone (trust me on this one), and get ready to settle in for a WONDERFUL read.
So... how great was this book? Let's summarize it this way. Pepper Basham has inspired me to try, again (for like the 50th time) to read and love Tolkein. That she can make me want to love something I've despaired ever tolerating is proof that this book is genius.
January 25, 2023
The first half of this interesting little book is made up purely of emails from our heroine, Izzy, to her family and different people on the dating website her cousin signed her up on against her will. It may sound odd, but it was fun, witty, and entirely entertaining. At times I even wondered how/why I was so invested in a string of literal emails, but I was, and the emails had me giggling, kicking my feet up in the air, and gasping, and I was ready to give the book a whopping five stars, but then it changed to a third person narrative halfway through.
At first I was extremely excited (I'd get to meet Izzy and Brodie in "real life"!!! Don't laugh at me it's acting what went through my head). But soon I discovered I really missed the emails. The writing was witty and quirky at first, but it was beginning to get on my nerves. It was laden with heavy descriptions and old-timey words. And they talked and acted like they really were from Lord of the Rings 😅✋
The other thing was the amount of telling instead of showing. It didn't bother me in the emails (they're emails, how are you supposed to "show" 😂) but it seemed like Miss Pepper forgot that rule in writing. I would have to listen to (or read, same difference) praragraphs telling me straight to my face how hurt Izzy was, how her relationships had broken her, how she felt like she never truly belonged, ect. ect. ETCETERA without ever being shown it. It got so extreme even Izzy's entire character was getting super annoying.
But the last couple pages were too adorable for their own good, which kind of redeemed the book in my eyes. And it really was a cute little Christian contemporary, so recommended if that's your type of thing 😉
At first I was extremely excited (I'd get to meet Izzy and Brodie in "real life"!!! Don't laugh at me it's acting what went through my head). But soon I discovered I really missed the emails. The writing was witty and quirky at first, but it was beginning to get on my nerves. It was laden with heavy descriptions and old-timey words. And they talked and acted like they really were from Lord of the Rings 😅✋
The other thing was the amount of telling instead of showing. It didn't bother me in the emails (they're emails, how are you supposed to "show" 😂) but it seemed like Miss Pepper forgot that rule in writing. I would have to listen to (or read, same difference) praragraphs telling me straight to my face how hurt Izzy was, how her relationships had broken her, how she felt like she never truly belonged, ect. ect. ETCETERA without ever being shown it. It got so extreme even Izzy's entire character was getting super annoying.
But the last couple pages were too adorable for their own good, which kind of redeemed the book in my eyes. And it really was a cute little Christian contemporary, so recommended if that's your type of thing 😉
December 22, 2022
AUTHENTICALLY, IZZY is an epistolary novel that introduces the reader to two shy but sweet people who somehow find each other, thanks to Izzy’s cousin, Josephine and her matchmaking schemes. Izzy is a book nerd, her own words, who works in a library. Where else would she work? Since the death of her parents, she has lived with her Aunt and three cousins. Her cousin sets up a profile on a dating website because she feels Izzy spends too much time with books and not actual people. She feels its time for Izzy to date once again. After a few first rough baby steps, Izzy meets a man called Brodie The Hobbit. Here is where the story really picks up and the fun begins!
AUTHENTICALLY, IZZY is exactly why I love Pepper Basham’s books. She always leaves me with a big smile on my face and screaming for more. That’s how wrapped up I get into her writing. Pepper has become one of my very favorite go to authors and I devour her books like a fine box of chocolates. I try to take my time and read slowly to make it last, but usually half way through I lose all control and flip the pages like a mad woman!! Readers of anything bookish are going to love this story and AUTHENTICALLY, IZZY will fill your heart with total book love. When Izzy and Brodie start emailing on a regular basis you can’t help but find yourself filled with anticipation as they build a strong relationship with each other. Brodie soon finds himself in Mt. Airy, North Carolina visiting Izzy and everything Andy Griffith. When its time for Izzy to visit Brodie who lives near Scotland, it becomes a problem for her. Her parents died in a plane crash.
Pepper Basham has once again left me in tears and crying for more. I now know I will devour everything this awesome author writes and do it all easily with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes. I really loved AUTHENTICALLY, IZZY Wow wow wow!! From the very first page I was emotionally invested in Izzy and I just wanted her to be happy and to smile again. She was so devastated when her life was turned upside down once again and I cried when she cried and I love when an author does that to me. I felt like I was right there with her and I was holding my breath at the end of AUTHENTICALLY, IZZY praying nothing bad was going to happen. Please, you have to give Pepper Basham a try! You won’t be sorry. I can’t wait to read more by one of my very favorite authors. I have made it a quest to catch up on the rest of her books because her writing is just that good. She makes her readers feel every emotion her characters are feeling to the point where you feel as if you are right there, struggling along with them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
AUTHENTICALLY, IZZY is exactly why I love Pepper Basham’s books. She always leaves me with a big smile on my face and screaming for more. That’s how wrapped up I get into her writing. Pepper has become one of my very favorite go to authors and I devour her books like a fine box of chocolates. I try to take my time and read slowly to make it last, but usually half way through I lose all control and flip the pages like a mad woman!! Readers of anything bookish are going to love this story and AUTHENTICALLY, IZZY will fill your heart with total book love. When Izzy and Brodie start emailing on a regular basis you can’t help but find yourself filled with anticipation as they build a strong relationship with each other. Brodie soon finds himself in Mt. Airy, North Carolina visiting Izzy and everything Andy Griffith. When its time for Izzy to visit Brodie who lives near Scotland, it becomes a problem for her. Her parents died in a plane crash.
Pepper Basham has once again left me in tears and crying for more. I now know I will devour everything this awesome author writes and do it all easily with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes. I really loved AUTHENTICALLY, IZZY Wow wow wow!! From the very first page I was emotionally invested in Izzy and I just wanted her to be happy and to smile again. She was so devastated when her life was turned upside down once again and I cried when she cried and I love when an author does that to me. I felt like I was right there with her and I was holding my breath at the end of AUTHENTICALLY, IZZY praying nothing bad was going to happen. Please, you have to give Pepper Basham a try! You won’t be sorry. I can’t wait to read more by one of my very favorite authors. I have made it a quest to catch up on the rest of her books because her writing is just that good. She makes her readers feel every emotion her characters are feeling to the point where you feel as if you are right there, struggling along with them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
June 20, 2023
I love Pepper Basham's previous Books, so I was determined to give this a try..... never I've read a book like this,.....the story starts with an email between her and her cousin, regarding her love life, Izzy is a librarian and struggles with knowing where she belongs, and she has a bookish-loving heart....... thanks to her nosey cousin signing her up in an online dating site she met Brody. that also loves all things books.....this book was a lot of fun to read going back and forth with the email/text format that is for the majority of the book.....It was sweet how Brody and Izzy were able to become friends via messages and watch their friendship blossom into more.
The epistolary format was a struggle and reading from my kindle made it hard to focus, it took me a little bit to get into it. A bit of slow romance, but still a fast read.... a quirky heroine, a charming hero, and a meddling family.
I loved the family dynamics. the built-up of their romance. A fun romantic story with relatable characters, sweet, charming, with both light and serious moments, and an all-bookish loving heart delights in one book.
"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
The epistolary format was a struggle and reading from my kindle made it hard to focus, it took me a little bit to get into it. A bit of slow romance, but still a fast read.... a quirky heroine, a charming hero, and a meddling family.
I loved the family dynamics. the built-up of their romance. A fun romantic story with relatable characters, sweet, charming, with both light and serious moments, and an all-bookish loving heart delights in one book.
"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
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January 3, 2025DNF. I just couldn’t get into this story. The writing style was just weird and it just wasn’t for me. 🤷🏼♀️
August 26, 2023
3.5🌟
Audiobook (narrated by Farah Ahmet and Christopher Ashman)
A romance for book lovers, featuring a bookish American heroine and a bookish Scottish hero. There are tons of quotes from well-known novels, some newer but mostly classic, making it great fun for anyone who reads widely. The novel is epistolary (emails and texts), although narration becomes a part of the telling about halfway through (I was listening so can’t say for certain where it began). FWIW, the audiobook narrators did a fabulous job.
Robin’s Ratings
5🌟 = Out of this world. Amazing. Unforgettable. A personal favorite.
4🌟 = Loved/enjoyed it. Will recommend to others.
3🌟 = Liked it. Glad I read it. Engaging/entertaining/interesting.
2🌟 = The book was okay, but I’ve enjoyed other books so much more.
1🌟 = For whatever reason, I didn’t like it and can’t recommend it.
Audiobook (narrated by Farah Ahmet and Christopher Ashman)
A romance for book lovers, featuring a bookish American heroine and a bookish Scottish hero. There are tons of quotes from well-known novels, some newer but mostly classic, making it great fun for anyone who reads widely. The novel is epistolary (emails and texts), although narration becomes a part of the telling about halfway through (I was listening so can’t say for certain where it began). FWIW, the audiobook narrators did a fabulous job.
Robin’s Ratings
5🌟 = Out of this world. Amazing. Unforgettable. A personal favorite.
4🌟 = Loved/enjoyed it. Will recommend to others.
3🌟 = Liked it. Glad I read it. Engaging/entertaining/interesting.
2🌟 = The book was okay, but I’ve enjoyed other books so much more.
1🌟 = For whatever reason, I didn’t like it and can’t recommend it.
September 6, 2022
"I feel this unique way of “meeting” provides a glimpse into the heart of someone without the distraction of “in-person-ness,” as you called it. "-Brodie
"But I can’t wait for his responses—like Christmas morning every day."- Izzy
I'm absolutely smitten! There's something so intimate about reading a story through letters, something that invites you in to witness a more personal connection that I think makes epistolary stories like this one resonate deeply. Author, Pepper Basham, nails it!
The characters are witty in their bookish (and non-bookish) banter that was both humorous and also meaningful. With every new email, text, and chapter, I found myself helplessly falling for the unfolding romance between Izzy and Brodie. So many rom-coms lack substance, leaving me underwhelmed but Authentically Izzy renewed my hope and faith that rom-coms don't have to be superficial.
Pepper Basham delivers a delightfully, joyful story brimming with all of the bookish quotes, heart-swooning moments, and the kind of characters who will find their place in your heart.
PS. Be sure to have a notebook and pen nearby for all of the amazing book recommendations you didn't know you needed.
PSS. "It’s sad when there have been so many mean girls and heartless guys in the world that we forget the worthwhile ones are still out there, and probably as hopeful in finding the “real thing” as we are. -Luke << You'll want to remember this guy!! #bookboyfriend
***I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions expressed are my own.***
"But I can’t wait for his responses—like Christmas morning every day."- Izzy
I'm absolutely smitten! There's something so intimate about reading a story through letters, something that invites you in to witness a more personal connection that I think makes epistolary stories like this one resonate deeply. Author, Pepper Basham, nails it!
The characters are witty in their bookish (and non-bookish) banter that was both humorous and also meaningful. With every new email, text, and chapter, I found myself helplessly falling for the unfolding romance between Izzy and Brodie. So many rom-coms lack substance, leaving me underwhelmed but Authentically Izzy renewed my hope and faith that rom-coms don't have to be superficial.
Pepper Basham delivers a delightfully, joyful story brimming with all of the bookish quotes, heart-swooning moments, and the kind of characters who will find their place in your heart.
PS. Be sure to have a notebook and pen nearby for all of the amazing book recommendations you didn't know you needed.
PSS. "It’s sad when there have been so many mean girls and heartless guys in the world that we forget the worthwhile ones are still out there, and probably as hopeful in finding the “real thing” as we are. -Luke << You'll want to remember this guy!! #bookboyfriend
***I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions expressed are my own.***
September 14, 2023
I received an ARC of this book for free for promotional purposes.
This was such a cute story!
Since this is an epistolary novel, it is told almost entirely through emails and text exchanges. I am a huge fan of epistolary books, and the format worked so well for this story. The book is about two people who meet on an online dating website, so telling the story this way made perfect sense.
This book was made for bookworms. The main character, Izzy, is a librarian and her love interest, Brodie, works at a bookstore so there is a ton of bookish and literary references.
I loved Izzy’s character development. I enjoyed seeing her come into her own and become her own “authentic” self. I also enjoyed the supporting cast, particularly Izzy’s three cousins. Her cousins were so entertaining but also very loving towards Izzy.
I also loved the fictional country of Skymar. I wish it was a real place because it is to die for! It sounded so cozy, quaint, and charming, like something out of a fairy tale. Plus Brodie’s cliff side house also sounded like a dream come true. I’m so glad the author included a map of Skymar; it was so helpful.
This book is considered Christian fiction as there is talk of God and faith. However, it was done very subtly and did not detract from the romance element of the story.
Overall, if you love books and you love romance, you should definitely pick this book up!
This was such a cute story!
Since this is an epistolary novel, it is told almost entirely through emails and text exchanges. I am a huge fan of epistolary books, and the format worked so well for this story. The book is about two people who meet on an online dating website, so telling the story this way made perfect sense.
This book was made for bookworms. The main character, Izzy, is a librarian and her love interest, Brodie, works at a bookstore so there is a ton of bookish and literary references.
I loved Izzy’s character development. I enjoyed seeing her come into her own and become her own “authentic” self. I also enjoyed the supporting cast, particularly Izzy’s three cousins. Her cousins were so entertaining but also very loving towards Izzy.
I also loved the fictional country of Skymar. I wish it was a real place because it is to die for! It sounded so cozy, quaint, and charming, like something out of a fairy tale. Plus Brodie’s cliff side house also sounded like a dream come true. I’m so glad the author included a map of Skymar; it was so helpful.
This book is considered Christian fiction as there is talk of God and faith. However, it was done very subtly and did not detract from the romance element of the story.
Overall, if you love books and you love romance, you should definitely pick this book up!
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