A fun and flirty twist on "You've got Mail" that will leave you in stitches as you engage in Izzy, Luke, Penelope, and Josephine's emails. And then there's Brodie. I loved the email correspondence, and the way it gave the characters away in bits and pieces and with a clarity that you might not get in a traditional story. I thought I would feel like I was missing out without that deep point of view and seeing life through the characters instead of through their writing. At times, I did wish I could see the events unfold to get that deeper connection, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this epilostary novel. I received a copy of this book from netgalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I think the best things I can say about this book are that it’s inoffensive and that the protagonists have good taste in books.

The flip side of those comments is that the book is so inoffensive it’s bland and while the protagonists may like good books, they talk about them like teenagers gushing to their diaries about how no one understands them and their bookish ways. (I can say this because I’ve been there.)

On paper, this book looks perfect for me: I love epistolary novels and I love books about readers. I also have a lot in the common with the heroine so it should be easy to like and relate to her: we’re the same age, we both grew up in small communities where social activities centered around church, we both are considered old-fashioned by our peers (even friends 20 years older than me call me grandma), and again, we love a lot of the same books.

And yet despite these similarities, I find it hard to believe she’s still this self-conscious and defensive about loving books so much. I just want to take her aside and introduce her to the internet. We know she’s online at least nominally because she mentions online bookseller communities and now she’s on the dating site, but has she found booktube? Bookstagram? Booktok? Or any of the other places where she would realize she’s not alone and meet like-minded people?

I think this would work better if it were set in the ‘90s or even early 2000s, when online dating and making friends online were still new. In the 2020s it feels odd — and not in a charming way. I got bored quickly and eventually dropped the book because life is too short, and unlike the heroine, I already love myself.

My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

2 *stars*

Sad to say but I'm very disappointed. I really enjoyed the concept of a book being mostly e-mails and some text massages, but no. No, no no it isn't good. Okay the last part was mostly told in regular fiction but the writing was so weird after the whole e-mail/text thing. It felt so out of place and wasn't connected to the book in my opinion. At first it was really hard to get into the concept and the story itself, but when I got the hang of it I started to enjoy the story. Characters are not well developed and it made really hard to like anything particular about this book. Especially Josephine and Anders, the despicable people in the story, because every story needs those right?

The one thing I really loved about the main character Izzy is the LOVE for books, the vision she sees and how she cares about them is so heartwarming as I love books myself. Not on her level yet, but hopefully some day. Oh and the scene where Brodie let her see his cabin for the first time in real life. Okay, I imagined it so beautifully, the sea and dark academia vibes and that chandelier.

Why is this book soooo long? I don't get why it felt so stretched out that I wanted to skim a lot of this book and I wouldn't miss anything important in the plot. And what about those PS, PPS and PPPS. at first they were okay, but then they got so long and not really relevant or entertaining for me.

I think author tried to put a lot of things like, grief, being the outsider, unhappy love experience, love for books, online dating etc. into this book and it felt like "the soup was made out of too many ingredients so that it turned into a stew"'.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for approving this copy for me.
I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sadly, DNF @ 16%. I just don't see this book getting any better. I love the Lord of the Rings references, but it gets to be a bit much at times, and I am a HUGE nerd. I like the *idea* of the epistolary format, but something about the way it is executed here made my attention wane. I don't think Izzy is written in a way that properly shows how 30-something years olds communicate with their friends, family, and strangers online. I get that Izzy is a bookish geek, but she's not a spinster (despite what her cousin Penelope might think). I was constantly left wondering if she was really 50, not 30. It's also much too Jesus-y for me, which was a turnoff.

Thanks to NetGalley, Pepper Basham, and Thomas Nelson for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my honest review.

Set in the Appalachian mountains, Izzy has lived her whole life doing things to make others happy. Case in point Izzy is entertaining the idea of online dating after her meddling cousin signs her up for Heart to Heart an online dating website. In this book of def discovery Izzy learns to make herself happy, even if that means meeting a handsome man who lives an ocean away. I received this book as an Advanced Readers Copy via NetGalley.

What a fun book! All the book references and recommendations—So Great!! This book is told in letters which may be odd to some, but they contained so much interesting information, they never felt dull or cumbersome. I loved the romance, but their ability to kindly but firmly stand up to bullies, raised it to The Best Book Ever! And the character growth was so heart warming! Strong contender for my favorite fiction of the year!

I really thought I would like this one more. Between the two super bookish leads and the modern epistolary way that it's written, I sat down fully expecting to love it.
Alas, there is something about the author's voice that never really let me connect with the characters and care about their story.
Which is a shame because the story is great. Izzy is the ultimate bookworm who spends her life content to just interact with her family and her pet. Her cousin decides to take things into her own hands and signs her up for online dating. Izzy is dubious at first and even accuses her cousin of trying to catfish her, but she really does meet the almost too-perfect Brodie. Meeting and interacting with Brodie pushes Izzy's boundaries to the point where she's finally able to step out of her shell and really go for what she wants. In the middle of all that we get crazy family interactions, a very obviously wrong contender for her affection, international eye-opening travel, unexpected meetings, a not-quite secret that leads to misunderstanding, and world-shaking epiphanies for Izzy.
All very interesting things in outline, but sadly not executed in a way that I enjoyed. And unlike most other books I can't enjoy, I'm sorry to say that this time I do I know it's that I didn't click with the way Basham writes. The quirkiness and eccentricities that are there to make the characters likable made them very unlikable to me. They made a lot of the interactions feel forced and unnatural, which made being interested in the story but not the way it was told a bit of a hard read.
Overall, I loved the story told but not the way it was told. I do recommend giving it a chance if you love bookish romances but be warned that it might not be for everyone.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for the chance to read it!

Izzy has just met Mr. Right. Possibly. Maybe. Perhaps. Except that she’s only really met him online, and he lives half a world away. Could he possibly be real? Will Izzy have the courage to find out? Toss in an interfering cousin, a Clark Gable look alike, and an imagination as big as the ocean she’s afraid to fly over, and you have Authentically Izzy—a bookish person’s delight. Which might sound odd for a book—aren’t they all bookish delights? But two pages in and you’ll understand exactly what I mean.

An epistolary tale, Authentically Izzy is told largely through the exchange of emails and texts, giving a depth to the characters and a variety of perspectives that might otherwise have been missed. I laughed out loud, groaned along with the character’s in their awkwardness, dabbed away a tear or two, and sighed with the romance of it all.

With its abundance of literary references and quotes, this novel has significantly added to my TBR stack , while Authentically Izzy itself will be added to my very short stack of TBR Again. Now to sit back and wait for the author to tell Luke and Penelope’s stories. And maybe even Ander’s. (Hint. Hint.)

*Thank you to @netgalley and @tnzfiction for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. A book about a bookish book lover....yes please! This book was written with a fresh approach for me, it consisted of mainly emails and texts and I have to say, I loved it, it was just a perfect read! I found Pepper Basham’s writing instantly; it’s delightfully witty, engaging and very funny. Izzy was everything a main character should be, strong and full of optimism despite her difficult past. And Brodie her love interest, also became my love interest, I’ve always loved the quiet, bookish type with a lovely sense of humor. They were a perfect pair of book lovers. This was such a charming read, and the text/email format made it a very quick read also. It was a perfect read for me, I didn't want it to end. #autenticallyizzy #pepperbasham #netgalley #goodreads #greatreads #tea_sipping_bookworm #litsy #thestorygraph #chicklit #bookqueen #bookstagram

I dnf'd this book at 20%. I cannot even say in my review if the characters, story, plot or writing was even any good because the formatting of this book was awfully painful to read. The author has chosen to write this book from the viewpoint of emails therefore any concept of sentence structure, grammar and paragraph structure is out the window. The sentences and paragraphs go on for pages and pages and it was extremely difficult to read and absorb the information. The PS and PSS and PSSS was just childish when these are mature adults. I think writing in emails is fine in books but you have to break it up with character scenes outside the mail and not tell the full story in the mails. It works with movies e.g. "Just like Mail" because they have scenes written outside the mails.

A cute story in a different type of format-- its critical for readers to understand this is an epistolary novel, which reads differently than standard POV format.

My personal preference is traditional, third person Deep POV, but the characters are charming and the story is well-written.

“Authentically Izzy” was truly an ode to all literary lovers and hopeless romantics out there❤️ This epistolary novel perfectly captured the yearning single woman have to find their “great love,” while also conveying the importance of trusting in the Lord’s perfect timing🙏🏻

I truly adored Izzy’s character. Her growth and development throughout the story was absolutely beautiful🥹 I really appreciated seeing Izzy learn that she doesn’t always have to please others, especially if it means making life-altering decisions that aren’t right for her💕 And her book-loving heart made me smile from ear-to-ear the whole story! I loved seeing all the literary references and bookish quotes😍

And Brodie❤️ We ALL need a Brodie Sutherland in our lives🥹 His humor and literary smarts just melted my heart into a puddle😭 And all the descriptions about his homeland (Skymar) had me wanting to purchase a one-way ticket to Scotland ASAP🤩

Side note: Brodie’s accent in the audiobook was absolutely SPECTACULAR and totally swoon-worthy😍 I highly recommend listening to it even if you don’t typically enjoy audiobooks. The epistolary nature of the novel makes it a fantastic audiobook since it’s basically listening to back-and-forth conversations!🤩

Overall, this was an absolutely wonderful read❤️ I loved the doggos in the story and Izzy’s cousins were an absolute HOOT! I highly recommend you check this one out if you enjoy books with online dating, Scottish settings, literary references, and book boyfriends who wear sweater vests🤣😍😍😍

🚨TW: mentions of losing parents
🚨CW: this is a clean romance with NO language and NO implied intimacy… just swoony kisses and Christian themes💗🙏🏻

Oh my goodness. This book! I’ll admit I had to give it a couple of tries. I discovered that epistolary isn't my style to read. But I listened to the audio and fell in love. Oh the accents. The descriptions. Everything was wonderful.
Basham’s story of a modern day romance that happens by letters, or in this case emails, is so fun. To learn how they met (can you say set up?) and how they came to really meet, ah you may as well swoon now.

Fun, quirky characters who love each other dearly, a romance with an ocean between them, and an incredible bookstore. What’s not to love? It’s not all swooning and fun and games. We see Izzy’s need to walk out her emotional healing and learn to trust…herself. Incredibly well written. Please do give it a chance, either by reading or by audio.

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

Good but could be better?

The Story:
Izzy is a bookworm working at a library (have we ever heard of this trope before?) She has all the usual trappings - introvert, sarcastic, etc., etc. She hates flying, too. Here I'd like to point out to authors that not all bookworms have these qualities. Also, no bookworm throws around bookish quotes all. The. Time. Bookish heroines seem to find it mandatory to fulfil these conditions, though.

Anyway, her sister sets up a matchmaking profile for her without her permission. Surprisingly, it works and a man starts talking with Izzy in the way she likes. But to meet him, she will have to fly over to his place.

Will Izzy be able to overcome her fear of flying and visit him? Is he the one? Will he be able to accept Izzy the way she is?

What I Liked:

1. I love epistolary novels so this was an automatic positive point for me.

2. I loved the descriptions of the (fictional) island.

3. The camaraderie between Izzy and her group of cousins was heartwarming.

4. The book quotes were amazing and made me want to Google them up endlessly.

5. It was a clean romance (not even kissing).

What I Didn't Like:

1. I don't think _ANYONE_ writes this way in emails, chats, or letters. It all seemed so artificial I wanted to shout.

2. There is too much "will they won't they" going on that wears thin on the nerves after a while.

3. The book was too long by half. Some tighter editing would have worked wonders.

Final Thoughts:

If you are looking for a clean Christian romance about a booklover, this is the book you must pick up. It is quite similar to The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.

3 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson - Fiction for the ARC.

Izzy meets Brodie via an online dating site, after her interfering sister set her up a profile. He is half a world away and she doesn't like to fly, so should she settle for someone closer to home, even if he does have his own agenda?
Took me a while to get in to how this is mainly told through letters and text messages, but I did enjoy reading this.

Basham is courageous in how she tries different genres and each one comes off. I was a little unsure about 'Izzy' for a little while as I read page after page of email and text messages (contemporary Epistolary fiction rather than letters) shared between four 'siblings'. But gradually, I began to develop strong feelings for these characters and eventually fell in love with them. And in the end found the entire reading experience quite delightful.

It's written in three parts and the first two are entirely epistolary and then in Part 3 we get some narrative. I enjoyed how Basham moved into narrative and then weaved the epistolary in and out in the final third of the story.

Izzy Edgewood is a delight. The character arc we experience with Izzy is fabulous. A self-doubting, struggling to believe she has to earn a right to be loved by those who adopted her which has such a negative impact on Izzy's relationships with men. But Brodie and her brother, Luke, help her come to have the courage to both receive love, to believe she belongs for who she is, and give love so generously.

Josephine, Penelope and Luke are brilliantly crafted in their uniqueness. We read wonderful 'conversations' between them all which helps build much depth in the three of them.

Brodie Sutherland is not your classic romance story hero. In fact, some would suggest he is almost an anti-hero. Yes, he has a strong masculine voice and smells good but he is a book nerd (his family's in the book business) and wears sweater-vests. But he loves Izzy courageously, vulnerably and so tenderly. At times, his repetitive encouragement grated on me a little but his heart was always in the right place.

So much to enjoy about this story. The book quotes shared between all the characters, alone, was fun. I've never highlighted so many lines in a fiction story before. And any avid reader will appreciate the bookish-isms throughout the story. But it will be the well crafted characters that linger long in my memory.

I was very fortunate to receive an early ebook copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This has no bearing on my review and appreciation of the story.

I had to DNF :( Not a fan of the writing format. Nothing wrong with the story or plot, it's just that the ''email'' correspondant style it had wasn't for me.

Izzy’s meddling cousin Josephine sets her up an online dating account. Izzy does agree to give it a shot. She starts an email relationship with Brodie who she connects with due to many similarities.

The majority of the book is told through emails and text messages which I did enjoy. I really like how close of a relationship she has with her cousins.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I had been seeing this book everywhere and was dying to give it a try. I am new to this author and went in with high expectations because of the amazing buzz surrounding it. When it started out as only emails and a few text messages as the text I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but as I settled in I have to admit I really liked what I read.

I've read epistolary novels before (who hasn't read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society...PS I loved this one so much more!) and have enjoyed them; and with this one being a more modern twist consisting of emails and text messages. The characters were fun-and their close relationships created some amazing banter which I am always a fan of.

At 55% in I was super excited to have the style change and get different points of view to read as a traditional style novel, but was glad the emails and texts didn't go away. I had actually grown to love them and couldn't wait to finish every post script, post-post script, and post-post-post scripts lol.

I also loved how perfectly bookish the two main characters were. Never have I ever seen a more perfectly suited bookish couple. Their romance was sweet, entertaining and I was excited to turn every page and see how everything would play out.

I will be checking out all of the previous books written by this author and I can't wait to see what she has coming next!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Probably one of the most interesting books I've ever read! This was the first book I've read in an epistolary format which I wasn't sure about at first, then ended up loving!

This book is sweet, romantic, and all the things that just make me happy.