This book was a delight:
- Beautiful writing with tons of bookish references
- Two introverted main characters who don't fit the usual stereotypes
- Sweet dogs
- Even sweeter romance story

But there is a big "BUT":
Why do the families interfere with the main characters love lifes?? If someone from my family did something like that I would probably break the contact, it's just a no-go.
I have seen this in several romance books by now and I start to wonder if that's a cultural thing? Is this typical in US families? Please let me know!

Also I found the writing a little slow paced.

Thanks a lot to NetGalley for the ARC!

The majority of the book is emails and text messages amongst the characters, which unfortunately for me, my brain shuts down with any books written in this format.

I really dislike this format in any book, so I could not get myself to enjoy it.

This book started off strong. Izzy was a great character who I found easy to relate to and connect with. Her love of all things books and attachment to fictional characters was fantastic. Overall I loved her as a whole and felt she really carried me through to the end of the book.

The thing that really threw me off the story was the constant use of letters. They really started to make things drag, and it was just overdone in my opinion. It began to feel like a chore to read them, when they should be something sweet and exciting to get to.

I do think the writer has a lot of potential, and I will definitely be interested in picking up their future work!

This book was charming! I love epistolary novels, so I enjoyed that most of the story was told in emails. The pacing felt a bit slow at times, but I enjoyed getting to know the characters and watching them grow. I didn't realize this is Christian fiction but it was not preachy at all. I recommend it to anyone who would like a sweet romance that leaves you smiling.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.


Well, what can I say. Maybe I should have done a bit more research before requesting this book because the way I view religion made it difficult for me to enjoy this book.
The format was something you either like or hate. I did not really like it, tbh.

It was cute and breezy but I did expect a little more.

This was a cute read, but I unfortunately struggled with it. I found the format difficult to follow, with almost the entire book written via letter and text message.

I also was unprepared for the amount of Christian content, which was my fault for not doing a bit of research prior to requesting.

The premise itself is super cute, and I did enjoy the blossoming relationship between Brodie and Izzy. I just found the relationships between the family members a bit unrealistic and struggled to find the book believable.

Overall, a cute spiceless read with a format that unfortunately just didn't suit me.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for a copy of this eARC in return for my honest review.
Authentically, Izzy is a sweet romance that is mainly told through emails and texts (although towards the end of the book we do get a little of Izzy and Brodie's POV). I found this format difficult to get into, maybe if the emails but I do acknowledge that it's certainly a very unique and interesting way to tell a story. Izzy and Brodie's love story is very cute, very Hallmark movie or cliché Netflix romance with no spice, but if that's your thing you will adore this book. I have also never read or watched anything to do with the Lord of the Rings, which this book refers to and quotes a lot which meant I didn't get a lot of the references.

TLDR : A contemporary romantic comedy (w/o spice) that would provide a very enjoyable experience to anyone who likes Hallmark christmas movies. It’s not christmas themed but it has a similarly wholesome energy. The format and some of the interactions didn’t really work for me but the story was interesting. Two people who share a deep love of literature and many other interests become pen pals and start having regular conversations about anything and everything while slowly falling in love. I would consider this friends-to-lovers because even though the MCs met on a dating site, they clearly became friends first. This book wasn’t for me, but others might enjoy it. We don’t have to all like the same things and thank your romance gods for the variety they provide us !

Disclaimer : My views on religion did unfortunately have an effect on how much I enjoyed this book. And while that may have been the case, I believe I was able to stay objective in my opinions. Please note that this book does NOT have problematic or toxic elements (to the best of my knowledge and intuition). Also, if I had done my due diligence, I would have found out that Thomas Nelson was a “publisher and provider of christian content” and not requested it. Mea culpa.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I thank the author and the publishing team for providing me with this review copy.

***

Let’s get into this shall we ?

Mousy book worm Izzy works at a library and her social life is non-existent. As a result of the machinations of her meddling cousin, she meets Brodie on an online dating site. They hit it off magnificently and a sweet, bookish romance blossoms between them. However, Brodie lives on a different continent and Izzy isn’t too sure if they can build a future together. A couple of plot twists occur throughout the story giving the plot some ups and downs.

What I liked about this book was the connection between Brodie and Izzy. They did cool things together like video chatting in costume and reading to each other. It just hits different when the characters actually make memories and just have a grand ol’ time together. And this is a slow burn so they do a lot of sharing. I was thrown off track countless times by all the mentions of god and such (see disclaimer above), but I appreciated the innocence and sincerity. I would like to point out that even though her faith is mentioned quite a few times, Izzy is presented as much more than that. And I appreciate the author giving her depth and dimensions. And not making her religion her sole personality trait. Maybe it’s PTSD from Christian Mingle (the 2014 film) but whenever I encounter any type of entertainment-mixed-with-religion situation, I’m cautious.

The format is unusual : up until the 60% mark, there’s only emails and the occasional text exchange between characters. Then, there’s narration with emails sprinkled in fairly frequently. I don’t consider myself an expert on the subject or anything but I don’t think this was a badly written book. Even still, there were a couple eye-roll moments for me. I won’t go into details because it would be nitpicky. It’s simply a style that’s very hard to pull off because it’s just too inconvenient.

The supporting characters grated on my nerves (except for Luke, he was the best). Because I know all too well the Josephines of this world and let me assure you that they don’t make concessions. On the contrary, they double down and become even more obnoxious. Also, how big of a rock do you have to live under to not only have absolutely zero idea about anything relating to Lord of The Rings except that it’s a book series but also think the movies are “strange” and not “culturally eye-catching” enough ? (I’m looking at you Penelope)

And that kind of brings me to my final point : this book kind of felt… out of touch. People exchange emails all the time even though they see each other regularly ? I live 3000 kilometers away from my whole family and some of my closest friends and still, never have I ever sent one email to them. People in this world see a person with Eowyn and her sword (from Lord of the Rings films) on Izzy’s profile picture and go;

"I like your bio but am concerned about your profile photo. Do you support the use of weapons to solve conflicts ?" -Paul

Calm your tits Paul. It’s a profile picture.

When I first requested this, the plot seemed right up my alley but the email format made it hard for me to get into the story. This just didn’t end up being for me

3.25/5 stars
As an avid reader and an introvert, I found myself relating to Izzy often throughout the book. What I did like was all the references to the classics and anyone who has read them will enjoy reading this. On the flip side of that, it did make it difficult to make connections because I have not read all the classics. I thoroughly enjoyed the build-up to Izzy and Brodie finally meeting and especially when they visited eachother.

"I think there's no smell quite so wonderful as the combination of books and coffee" - Authentically Izzy by Pepper Basham

📚REVIEW📚

This book follows Izzy, 30 year old single librarian who has an infinite love for books and bringing people and literary fiction together. To her cousin Josie's detriment she spends more time with fictional characters than real humans. Josie cannot bear it anymore and takes matters into her own hands by signing Izzy up on a dating site, here she meets Brodie a avid book reader as well. Like any relationship there are bumps and potholes in their road. Can Izzy's bookish fairytale come to life and is she willing to finally fulfill her dreams?

This is a tale written in emails and texts. It started out really slow especially navigating through the emails between Izzy and her cousins. This book is filled with beautiful quotes and all things bookish. I'm a sucker for fairytales.

Rating
4/5 ⭐

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to @netgalley @thomasnelson
and @pepperbasham

What a fun read! I enjoyed the characters who I thought were fun and witty! I thought the plot was great and fast-paced. I enjoyed this book!!!

This book is an absolute hoot! I loved it! And it’s a great new addition to epistolary novels! The characters are wonderfully quirky, but they are real, and they grow and develop. I had an awful time putting this book down (ask my husband how many times dinner was late, or I came to bed long after he’d hit the sack). If you love reading books (Lord of the Rings, anyone?), bookstores, libraries, beloved pets named after favorite characters, swoony kisses, hilariously clueless friends/cousins, you won’t want to miss this one.
"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
#AuthenticallyIzzy #NetGalley.

The beginning totally reminds me of my mantra from my twenties when people kept trying to set me up and I remember saying I'd rather be home with a good book than out on a bad date! It's true!

I totally get Izzy's aversion to her cousin Josephine setting her up on disastrous blind dates. Josephine even goes so far as to set up an account on the Heart-to-Heart online dating site, telling 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. Here is your chance. Time is running out, dear Izzy."

What an utterly charming epistolary story!

I love the family dynamics with Izzy and her close-enough-to-be-siblings cousins Josephine, Luke and Penelope. Their letters and texts are hysterical, and heartwarming. (I really hope Luke and Penelope get their own stories! I would love that.)

I adore the ocean of bookish references & quotes by Izzy Edgewood, and the perfectly sweet and nerdy bookish online friend Brodie Sutherland who gets her!

Mount Airy is actually on my want-to-visit list, and if Skymar was a real country, I'd definitely put that on my must see list too! Pepper did such a great job creating this place that I can picture it.

Lightbulb moments, perfect opportunity for something new, romantic, hilarious, charming, courageous. I LOVED it! I highly recommend Authentically Izzy by Pepper Basham for lovers of books, romance and humor! Now I'm off to pre-order a copy for my keeper shelf.

Thank you to the publisher & Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.

Authentically Izzy is absolutely, positively, unequivocally delightful. Another five-star read from Pepper Basham that's going straight to my top ten list for the year. A partially epistolary tale, featuring both a library and a bookshop. What could be more perfect?!

I fell in love with my husband through six years of old-fashioned correspondence, so I'm partial to anything epistolary. But this book is simply exquisite. Just when you're completely engrossed in the email banter between the cousins, or you're anxious to read the next email to Izzy from you-know-who, the author brings you directly into the scene at just the right moment. Because of course, those swoony kisses can only be described by the author herself.

The perfect bookshop book has so many bookish references as to leave no doubt of the heroine's—and the author's—love for books. The Tolkien references alone would be enough to convince the reader, but the literary mentions don't stop there. This book will delight every book lover.

And can we just take a moment to appreciate the cousin relationships in this book? I grew up very close to my eleven cousins, and I still consider them some of my dearest friends today. So I can't help but love the way Izzy relates to her cousins, especially Luke (I'm really hoping the author decides to give Luke his own book someday!).

Authentically Izzy is just the right length to savor—and then to re-read, as I'm sure I'll be doing many times.

I don't like romcoms as a general rule but when they're smart, funny, realistic and choc full of bookish intelligence you'll win over even a jaded cynic like me.
I have read several fantastic books this year and my share of duds, and Authentically Izzy is a heartwarming, geniunely funny and real five star read..

Librarian Izzy, well meaning cousin Josephine sets her up on an online dating site, deciding that there's no time like the present to fall in love. This sets off a tale of discovery and romance but is a chaste, and sweet way, played out between a southern American town and an Island off the coast of Scotland. Literal Literary Heaven.

This story is written primarily in letters and texts which I personally love, they feel so real and I'm always really big on dialogue and it also has a gentle, Christian feel meaning no gratuitious sex scenes or swearing. Wholesome, sweet and completely swoon worth, any bookish bibliophile who has a taste for epistolary and Lord of the Rings, NEEDS this book on their shelf!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I ADORED this book. The romance between Izzy and Brodie is precious and pure, and I fell in love with them both separately and as a couple. The growth that Izzy has, and patience that Brodie shows… my heart is so full.

Authentically Izzy centers around 30 year old Izzy, who works at her local library and struggles to manage boundaries with her meddling, though well meaning, family. As a result of said meddling, her cousin signs her up for an online dating service. Skeptical Izzy has no hope to meet anyone on this site, and even goes so far as to accuse one person of really being her meddling cousin. What starts as skepticism slowly turns into something real as her relationship with fellow bookish lover Brodie blossoms.

It's only been in the last few years that I have been introduced to Pepper Basham's fiction works and I have LOVED every book by her that I've read. Sometimes I can plow through a book in just a sitting or two and gather enough of the plot to satisfy me. This book takes some extra thought and creates some introspection, even though it is a rather light-hearted romance.

Pepper is widely read and it shows through her use of quotes within the book, but my favorite quote sums up the whole of the book for me. “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” e. e. cummings.

Izzy Edgewood, a librarian, is the victim of her cousin, Josephine's, matchmaking schemes, because her other cousin is away at university and isn't in Josephine's cross-hairs. Josie, as Izzy calls her when she wants to make a point, has signed Izzy up for a dating website. Through the website, Izzy meets Brodie, who lives in an island country off the coast of Scotland. Brodie is the last in a long line of book sellers. The heritage of the island is Celtic, Norse, and English. The government of the island has offered a stipend for anyone who marries or convinces someone to emigrate for a job. Brodie is interested in the stipend for his sister's sake, but the more he comes to know Izzy, the more he falls in love with her for herself. When he has the opportunity to visit Izzy in her home town, it's a chance he just can't pass up, even though that means facing her whole family with all of its quirks and foibles.

Pepper has used an epistolary format for ninety percent of the novel and it delineates the thought processes of all the characters in a first person narrative. While she did implement a bit of the Romance Novel Formula, it works extremely well for this novel.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a Gandalf the Grey costume for a literary parade.

Thomas Nelson Fiction provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Loved this! The fact that Izzy is a fellow book lover who believes in the superiority of fictional characters only makes her a hundred times more relatable. This book was written mainly in email and texts, which I found to be highly intriguing. It took me a while to get invested in the story, but once I did, I found it to be a fun and swoon-worthy read.

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 of her feet but that is hard 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 and to Izzy’s shock josie’s plan work’s and soon she’s dialoguing with a hobbit loving man called Brodie who lives in a small town an ocean away from her home in the blur ridge mountains but their shared loved of books and family and correspondence enough to overcome Izzy’s fear of flying and the distance between them
Really enjoyed a lovely Romance book that you won’t be able to put down totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley And Fiction
I just reviewed Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham. #AuthenticallyIzzy #NetGalley