Authentically Izzy is a sweet contemporary romance. I didn't realize it was an epistolary novel until I started reading, and it initially took me a few chapters to get into the writing style, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I appreciated that, while most of it was written through emails and texts, we also got a decent chunk of "normal" writing were we got to see Izzy and Brodie interact in person.

Introverted librarian Izzy's well-meaning but meddling cousin has signed her up for an online dating service. After all, as a happily married soon-to-be-mother-of-twins, Josephine can't imagine why Isabella isn't desperately searching for love. In an effort to placate her cousin, Izzy agrees to give online dating a shot despite her misgivings. It doesn't take long before she starts corresponding with a man who is so perfect that there's no way he's actually real, and is far more likely to be Josie in disguise. And even if he is real? Well, he lives an entire ocean away...and Izzy doesn't travel after the accident that killed her parents. While Izzy and Brodie get to know each other through long emails filled with bookish quotes and heart-to-heart talks, a real-life-and-in-the-same-country man walks into the library and begins to try to win her heart as well.

I loved Izzy and Brodie, even when I wanted to give them a good bop on the head to knock some sense into them both. Their conversations were witty and enjoyable to read, and I loved their chemistry together. As for Anders? He was just unnecessarily mean and negative, and I genuinely hope his character is redeemed in a future book. I also wasn't a huge Josephine fan, but she did become a bit more likeable by the end. Izzy's cousins, Luke and Penelope were both fantastic side characters. I loved how close she is to her cousins and the bond that they shared. I wasn't thrilled with the way Izzy handled the conflict near the end of the novel, but the ending made up for it.

I'd recommend Authentically Izzy to anyone who enjoys sweet contemporary romance. If you're like me, the epistolary style may take a little getting used to, but it's worth it in the end.

*I received a complimentary copy of Authentically Izzy through the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My positive review is not required.

I desperately wanted to love this book: Izzy is our daughter's nickname, the premise of this book is right up my alley, it's written in an epistolary format (told in the form of letters, emails or texts) which I normally enjoy, and there are references galore to books.

Overall, the story is sweet and wholesome. My main issue however, was that I did not feel like these 30 year olds were adequately represented. Had this been told in the form of text messages, maybe. But I honestly don't know many people under 60 who communicate via super lengthy e-mails as extensively as these characters did. In addition, I didn't really get any warmth from the characters, they felt stiff and emotionally detached.

Finally, the ARC I received had the publisher's logo all over the place making it very distracting and difficult to read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

While it took me quite a while to get into the rhythm of the epistolary style enough to entangle me in the story and hold my squirrel-brain attention, I did get there eventually. Izzy and Brodie are quite the pair, and I adored all of the nerdy bookish references and quotes throughout.

Pepper Basham’s unique brand of humor brings light and life to the characters, who are all such fun personalities that I’ll certainly be reading Penelope’s book just to keep up with them all. Each email/text sender’s voice is unique and distinct, which did help in keeping them straight since the NetGalley ARC I received was a confusing hot mess of formatting issues (too common and the publisher shows no interest in correcting the problem beyond a short disclaimer).

I was especially happy when my brain got a break from all the letters/emails/texts about halfway through, and we were treated to more standard narration. The notes continued through the rest of the book, but I found myself enjoying them more with the alternating epistolary/narrative style. I’m not typically a fan of epistolary novels, but those who are will certainly find this ode to book lovers a treat worth devouring.

Brilliant.

Creative.

Funny.

Romantic.

All things bookish. 

The majority of the book is in emails and text messages. While I enjoyed it, other readers said this format pulled them from the story. So, if you don't like a more dialogue-driven/epistolary story, this one might not be for you (although you will be missing out on a GREAT story)!

Authentically, Izzy is split into three sections. In the first section, we get to know our main female character, Izzy, and her cousins, Josephine, Luke, and Penelope. In the second section, we get to know our main male character, Brodie, his mom Ellen, brother Anders, sister Fiona, and cousin Brynna. I thought the way this worked was simply brilliant! Also, in the second section, we enter "real" life, so to speak, where we are not just in an epistolary style but in regular story mode. The third section was a mix as well. 

I loved Izzy's relationship with her cousins. I laughed so much at her conversations with Luke and Penelope, and I experienced her angst and annoyance in her conversations with Josephine! 

I am not a book-boyfriend person, but if I was, Brodie would be him. He is adorkable in a nerdy kind of sweet way! I loved his care and compassion for his family.

This story had so many things to love and enjoy. The librarian. The bookstore owner. The pregnant hormonal cousin. Castles. Laugh-out-loud humor. Tons of bookish quotes. This story is a contemporary romance book lover's dream!

My only disappointment is the book ended, and the second book, Positively, Penelope doesn't come out until August 2023 😭 I invite you to join me in my sadness by reading Authentically, Izzy, and then come back and commiserate with me that we have to wait so long for book two 😂

Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read Authentically, Izzy. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First off, special thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. The idea of a book nerd like me getting on a dating app to find the perfect book husband irl is a great concept! As someone under 30 though it was a lot harder to relate to Izzy and her adventures, although I bet plenty of other people could see themselves in her. This book I think just wasn't a good match for me personally, but it was very well written and the characters are lovely.

Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham stole my heart!

From the very first page I knew this book was perfect for me. As a result, I made sure to take my time reading (since you only get the pleasure of reading a book for the first time once). This was a true five star read, but if I could, I would have rated it higher.

The premise of the book is any single woman’s worst fear. Izzy, a 30 year-old librarian,is unknowingly put on a dating website by her overbearing cousin. While Izzy is content living a rather quiet life working, spending time with family, or reading a good book, others feel that she is missing out on the best life has to offer.

The book was written in an atypical format. Basham brilliantly parallels the concept of dating or communicating in the 21st century by writing the majority of the book through the emails and text messages. The smart banter exchanged between the characters made for a fun, fresh read.

As a book lover, I love books about books! I especially enjoyed all of the book references. There was a plethora of quotes from famous authors. Reading them highlighted some of my favorites and reminded me of ones I am in desperate need of getting to.

This book has so too many positives to list. I could go on and on about it for days. The bottom line is, this is a new personal favorite. I highly recommend reading it if you are a looking for a heart-warming read that highlights the themes of family, purpose, and being open to love. An added bonus is that it is written by a Christian author!!!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Set in present day, Authentically Izzy is a delightful contemporary romance. Told primarily through email or text messages between the two main characters or their strong supporting family members, the story follows Izzy's life over the course of about six months. She meets a guy over an online dating site, but it turns out they are in different countries. The reader is brought into Izzy's world as she reconciles feelings for him, as well as for her family, as she begins to do some self discovery.

There are good laugh out loud moments, as well as times when the reader may ask themselves what was the character thinking! Given it is in text and email format for most of the book, I recommend reading it vs listening. Once I familiarized myself with the style and noted who initiated the written message, I delved into the story and couldn't wait to see how it all would work out.

(I received a copy of the book from Net Galley and have written an objective review)

On a different situation the story could go very slow, but the author find a way to make the story interesting and keep us interested.

Interesting format, emailing between characters, at first I was unsure I haven’t read before. The story progresses quickly, although I miss direct dialogue between the characters emailing works just as good, we get a glimpse into multiple POVs sort of. Love the plot and the characters. Sweet and charming romance. Really enjoyed reading all the literary quotes mentioned.

I love the premise of this book: correspondence as a precursor to true love is always sure to win points from me. Bookish references are a plus. A setting that's vaguely Scottish is dreamy. And that cover is amazing!
It was very sweet, and there were plenty of moments I enjoyed, but it felt like it was just too long. The story takes place almost entirely in texts and emails, and I found it very difficult to sustain interest in hopping back and forth between messages from various people over that length of book. It could have been pared down to wonderful effect.

This is epistolary fiction told mostly in emails and text messages, but in the last half it does switch to primarily regular fiction told from Izzy’s POV.

I loved this concept- meeting someone online and falling in love with them through emails. It was very You’ve Got Mail. The problem I had with this was how…wooden all the characters were? Everyone talked as though they were way older than they were supposed to be and I felt very little chemistry between the love interests.

Josephine and Anders were unnecessarily hateful to everyone. They were SO unlikeable and they seldom have reasons for why they acted the way they did.

The third act breakup felt contrived. Basically all Izzy and Brodie had between them was communication. Then Izzy just stops communicating when she learns about the stipend, gets on an airplane, flies home, then changes her mind after a single sentence from her cousins, and then flies back to Brodie. I really felt like the stipend really wasn’t that big of a deal- especially if she felt Brodie was in love with her, which she did!

I do think there are people who will like this, which is why I gave it two stars, but I really had a hard time with this one.

I received an eARC via NetGain exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Authentically, Izzy is an epistolary novel by Pepper Basham (which means the story is told in the form of letters--- or emails as the case may be). When I was younger, this actually used to be one of my favorite types of books. As I've gotten older though, I must admit, I don't typically enjoy them as much as I had in the past. I must admit, I am guilty of not reading through the entire description before deciding on a book to read, so I actually didn't realize this when choosing it. Still, I am a Pepper Basham fan, so I wanted to give this one a chance anyway.

I'm glad that I did because it was an enjoyable story... but not my favorite of hers by any means. It was well written and of course I appreciated the humor and the romance of it all... but it really just came down to the style. For me personally, I find that it just keeps me from truly getting into the story as much as I might have otherwise. Still, as someone who reads a lot of books, it was fun to mix things up a little bit too! I appreciate the author doing something a little different...and making it work!

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

What an adorable story! Authentically, Izzy is a unique, epistolary style story that I loved. The story begins with an email between Izzy and her cousin, Josephine all about Izzy's lack of a love life. The back and forth between Izzy and her three cousins is delightful. When Izzy meets Brodie online, their connection is immediate and witty. The bookish references are super fun and I loved them! There's something very intimate about reading a story full of letters. Reading someone's private thoughts. It's a little like reading a person's journal. There's so much to learn about how a person is truly feeling, what they're experiencing, or how they're learning when reading this way. Also, when a character describes discovering a new place for the first time. Ugh, I'm dying to visit the Blue Ridge Mountains...and maybe even a trip across the ocean! So beautiful! This story really is a delight!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was drawn in from the start, “Dear Reader, this is a cautionary tale. A tale of family, literary classics, podiatry, matchmaking, Shakespeare, and distance.”

It’s all that and so much more. I loved the bookish setting, and the authors’ fresh voice in contemporary fiction. I found myself smiling all the way through the book because of Izzy, her love of books, her transparency, and her wit. I enjoyed how the author wrote this tale. It reminded me of how the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was written through letters. This novel is written mostly through texts, and emails which included family chats that made the story endearing, different, witty, and downright hilarious and made me laugh out loud in parts. My family kept asking me what was so funny.

I’ve read other novels by this author, which were mostly historical, it was great to see her branch out to another genre. If you love bookstores, libraries, and bookish things, you will love this novel. I also liked the two main characters, and their loving families. Izzy, who is caught up in a library job she likes, but her heart’s desire is to own a bookstore. I enjoyed watching her get the courage to chase after her dreams and pursue her chance for true love.

Brodie has dreams of his own. Could this person he knows only online might be something more than a friend? I loved every minute of this book, it’s fun, fun, fun. It truly is a wonderful escape that keeps your heart happy, and a grin on your face as you go on a grand adventure with Izzy, her quirky family, and Brodie.

I highly recommend this heartfelt, joyful, uplifting story that includes discussion questions for your book club. This novel is a keeper.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! https://psalm516.blogspot.com/
The Book Club Network blog

This was such an adorably fun and unique book! It was so charming and I really enjoyed the overall story. About 50% of the book was all written in email / text correspondence between our main character Izzy, her cousins and Izzy with the male main character Brodie. I don't think I have EVER read such a bookish book before, it had so many quirky references from books and it added such a great aspect for the character development. Another thing I loved is that this virtual love story was soo incredibly realistic; let me explain what I mean...sometimes you have books with "insta-love" or something that progresses super fast but this, this was done in a way that took you along for the ride and you saw [or read] them slowly falling in love with each other and I ABSOLUTLEY loved that.

This had a ton of other fun elements like overbearing siblings who want to play matchmaker, adorable pets with bookish names, HUGE part of this also focused on Brodies family owned bookstores and Izzy's job in her town library; Basically every aspect of this book truly showcased the love of books and reading through its characters.

Without giving any spoilers, I'll say, it was such a great bookish romantic comedy, and I was hooked from start to finish. Highly recommend this book if you like all things bookish, an adorable love story and a swoon worthy character like Brodie.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Authentically, Izzy is a such a wholesome and cute read. The story hooks you right from the beginning and has you laughing along. I enjoyed the unique formatting and found it a unique change of pace from the traditional print book. Overall I really enjoyed it!

I have read MANY epistolary books and loved them. Unfortunately, I didn’t love how the epistolary style was used in this story.

First, in 2022, no one in their 30s sends lengthy emails back and forth several times a day or even a week unless it’s work related. (You’re lucky if a 30-year-old checks their personal email once a week.) This method of communication would have worked in the 1990s and early 2000s, but it’s definitely not believable for now. Quick texts, WhatsApp/iMessage chat threads and the occasional email would have been more realistic and helped keep the story moving along.

In addition, I found many of the emails between the cousins to be full of unnecessary info sharing that didn’t move the plot along. I also felt like the email format created a wall that made it hard to connect with the characters. There were some sweet interactions, and Luke was by far my favourite character (maybe because of the succinctness and brevity of his messages), but I didn’t feel any chemistry or driving conflict that made me feel compelled to read on. I finished this book through pure determination.

All that being said, I do know of library patrons who will enjoy this book, and I won’t hesitate to recommend it to them.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#AuthenticallyIzzy #NetGalley

Izzy's story is fun, cute, wholesome and entertaining. I was hooked at the beginning and just loved the emails and texts. I laughed and love when a book makes me laugh. The format did change about halfway through the book where it read more like a traditional book instead of emails and texts, but it was done that way so you could experience the story to its fullest. All of the book talk was so much fun! I have more books on my TBR list now. I was more invested in the first half than the second. I hope more characters get a story. I read an advance copy, all thoughts are my own. I recommend this to those who love epistolary stories.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Authentically, Izzy
by Pepper Basham
Pub Date: 15 Nov 2022

This book was authentically AWESOME! It absolutely captured my bookish heart and filled me with joy...

The majority of the book is told through correspondence (emails/text messages) and not just between the romantic leads. Everything about the writing felt so real and it made me a giddy voyeur to be a part of the group chats. The author did such a wonderful job showcasing each character and their relationships through the letters.

I loved everything about this book: the humor, the family dynamics, the journey of discovering the "authentic you" and overcoming fears, the talk of faith, the romance, the book quotes and discussions, the dogs, the setting, the library/bookstore, the overall magical feeling of finding a happily ever after.... Brodie and Izzy forever!

I laughed so much while reading this that my seatmate on the airplane finally asked for the name of the book and author so she could get in on the fun!

"I don’t know any brand of cookie dough ice cream with the potency to comfort me in this situation"

"I really hope romantic catastrophes aren’t hereditary. Between you and Luke, I’m doomed."

"Oh gracious, Izzy, I just sounded like you! I need to go buy some new shoes."

And I identified with this quote so much: "What does a woman who adores books, tolerates small groups of people, and has a magical love for bringing together the right people and the right books do with her life?" My answer was to start a book blog. Izzy got a bit more creative and adventurous!

I love how most of the story was written through emails and text messages. That is how we communicate so much of the time, and it made the story of random strangers half a world apart finding each other possible.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and I chose to review it here. All thoughts are my own.