Authentically, Izzy is an adorable rom com book! I loved reading about Izzy and Brodie. This has an online dating premise which can always be fun to read about.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson publishers. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I had high expectations for this title based on the cover and description on NetGalley. Had the description included the fact that this was Christian fiction, however, I would not have requested it. If that's what you like to read, more power to you. I didn't enjoy the mention of God, going to church, etc practically on every page, and I felt like these characters were right out of the 1800's, including their speech patterns. For goodness sake, Izzy is 30 years old and her (female) cousin is basically saying she's nothing without a man. And then she goes and sets up an online dating profile without Izzy's consent? No thank you. I did enjoy some of the writing, but again, it's 2022 and these 4 young main characters are emailing pages and pages to each other every day. Who does that anymore? And who has the time? And 3 of them live in the same town! The character of Luke had all the best lines, some had me laughing out loud, but it wasn't enough to sustain interest. I gave up at 30%. Too bad, because it was a great concept. I couldn't connect with any of them.

Brilliant in every way!

Those who enjoy classic literature will be delightfully fulfilled by Authentically, Izzy. True to form, Pepper Basham has crafted another witty, intelligent and poignant RomCom. I enjoyed the wealth of literary quotes, particularly from The Lord of the Rings. A big bonus is the strong emphasis on authentic expression of yourself. The best LOL line of the book, among several: "Buy a dog." Readers will appreciate the context of that quote.

I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.

This was a fun read. I loved the epistolary format, and all the unabashed book love. Izzy is a fun and relatable heroine. She’s a little quirky, and definitely unsure of herself, which is something I think we can all relate to. But she’s a very positive person, and a big dreamer, which is fun to read about. Brodie is a swoon-worthy hero. From his accent, to his sweater vests, and his love of books, readers will be charmed by him. Add in the witty and pithy conversations exchanged via email between Izzy and Brodie, and you have a read that fans of contemporary romance will love.

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

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. I have posted a reading VLOG on my YouTube channel, BookLoverAmanda just for this book! (Linked in the links below.)

P.S. I think I need a dog named Samwise now!

If you love books, this one is a real treat. There are many discussions of books, tons of quotes, just about every scene is related to books of some kind. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I even made a few notes of books to check out.

I was drawn in from the first words of the prologue. "Dear Reader, This is a cautionary tale. A tale of family, literary classics, podiatry, matchmaking, Shakespeare, and distance." I love quirky situations, writing, and characters. Izzy is a little gun shy when it comes to relationships so her cousin decides to help her out by creating a profile for her on an online dating site. Josephine is quite overbearing and controlling. It's a wonder that Izzy still talks to her after all of her antics.

Brodie is wonderful. He sees beyond what Izzy presents to the world to who she really is. He brings out and encourages her to see and use her God-given talents and abilities.

This book was a delight. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who loves words and quotes and books. Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A romance about books, libraries and bookshops.
Izzy Edgewood’s cousin Josephine sets up a profile on a dating site – Heart to Heart for Izzy which prompts a series of emails and text messages between Izzy and Josephine and other family members. Izzy’s life and her connections with family members is told through emails and text messages between family members.
Things get interesting when Broddie starts writing to Izzy, they both have a love of reading and books.
I loved the way books were discussed throughout. I did not like that most of the story was through emails and text messages, although for this particular story it did work and in the last part there were less messages and more dialog between people.

Thank you. Netgalley for my copy of this book. Super cute & delightful bookish romance novel. I loved the email & text exchanges and all the literary references.

Overall. I really enjoyed it. 3.5 stars

I desperately wanted to enjoy this book because the premise and the references were there, and I think most bookworms would enjoy the uplifting vibes of this story and find it relatable. However, the eARC I was sent by Netgalley was poorly formatted, with the Publisher's logo constantly getting in the middle of the narration, and I just couldn't get through it. The fact that the story is mostly told through e-mails unfortunately didn't help my reading experience, nor to connect to the characters the way I would have wanted to.
I'm sure Authentically, Izzy will be much more enjoyable through a physical copy. Regardless, thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

Authentically, Izzy is a sweet contemporary romance written in Pepper Basham's signature style, full of wit and charm with dashes of Appalachian and British culture. This story is told mostly in epistolary format, through emails, text messages, and online dating messages. It is a unique format for a unique story! Izzy and Brodie's friendship, formed through a mutual love of books and clever banter, is sweet to watch as it develops into romance. They are a perfect pairing, like a cup of coffee or tea and a good book - bringing out the best in each other. Izzy's cousin Luke stole the show for me, though! His witty yet sincere wisdom and advice added a sweet richness to the story in the middle of his sister's scheming. Bibliophiles and contemporary romance fans will be delighted to spend a few hours in Izzy's world!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A book for cheering the heart, this romantic comedy is perfect for fans of You’ve Got Mail. The interactions through emails and texts between these two characters and their families were laugh out loud funny. The book quotes and all things books discussions are great fun. Also any Lord of the Rings fans will find their type of people in this read. Basham has created unique characters that will keep this series going. I recommend that you let the journey begin. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Absolute bookish perfection! This sweet romance, centered around book lovers, is so perfect. I love the characters, the setting, the epistolary style—honestly, I loved everything about this book. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

** “Love isn’t safe. Dreams aren’t safe. I’ve played it safe for a long time by allowing others to make choices for me or by following the easy path. Maybe it’s time for me to risk my future on something as unpredictable, uncertain, and impractical as a dream and my own heart. Adventures happen in unexpected ways, and maybe it’s time to take the adventures from the page to real life.” **

Pepper Basham delivers an incredibly delightful epistolary novel with “Authentically, Izzy.”

When Izzy Edgewood’s cousin Josephine signs her up for the Heart-to-Heart dating app, Izzy doesn’t realize her life is about to drastically change.

She suddenly finds herself with two dating prospects as Izzy meets the intriguing Brodie Sutherland from an unfamiliar island across the ocean while being introduced to professor and author Eli Montgomery. As Izzy’s eyes and heart are opened to what she truly desires, she finds herself daring to dream a dream she’s never dared to dream. Will she find her true love, and will she find her life’s true path?

Written mostly in letter form — emails, texts and online letters — “Authentically, Izzy” is filled with funny moments, romantic moments and moments that will allow the reader to pause and evaluate their own dreams and desires.

Basham creates delightfully quirky characters readers will fall in love with, as well as filling “Authentically, Izzy” with some great themes, like fiction can speak to the heart; seeing potential in one’s self and others; overcoming uncertainty; God will give us the desires of our hearts (“Why are we always so surprised when God gives us something we’ve been praying for? It’s like we don’t believe He’s actually listening”); and being grateful for God-given talents and passions.

Also, a huge theme of this novel is the sense of belonging (“It’s about taking what you have within you, what God-given gifts you already possess, and falling in love with them. Making them work for your future. Uniquely. That’s how you make your life worth living, for yourself and others”).

Fans of epistolary novels like “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” as well as authors like Katherine Reay will love this story.

Five stars out of five.

Thomas Nelson provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

I had heard wonderful reviews for this book. I usually really enjoy epistolary format. This started off that way for me once I got into the groove of the story. I don't really know how to rate this without just explaining what I liked and what I was frustrating.

I received a Netgalley copy of this book. The formatting for Kindle was terrible. I think it had to do with the maps or something. I don't think I would have made it through if I had to exclusively read it that way. I got the close to release day, so then I switched to the audiobook. The narrators for the audiobook are great! If it weren't for them, I am not sure I could have finished. I definitely could see myself skimming more of the story. But that brings up another negative.

The audiobook is long. I'm sure an hour of it or maybe more is just the reading of who emails are being sent from and to. It gets monotonous. I'd be able to skim over that reading the print version. The other annoying issue was all the PS, PPS, PPPS. Once in awhile would be fine, but there were way too many of those for me. This is email. If you have something you forgot to add, click up and say it.

I'm also not a huge book lover, so many of those types of references went over my head. Which wouldn't happen to everyone, but there were so many that sometimes, I felt that I was getting beat over the head with them. Especially was this true in the beginning, since I haven't read or even watched Lord of the Rings.

I write all of that and think back over the book and say that I did enjoy the story itself. And as much as I like letter type stories, I was glad when the narrative changed and we got more action. I can't see myself rereading this one. And I really would recommend the audiobook just for the way the narrators bring the story to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing the ARC.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but the epistolery format made it hard to read. I thought the premise was fun, but I could barely make it through the first part of the book to get to the real romance of the story.

Not for me.

I couldn't really get into the main characters so I wasn't invested in their romance. The pace seemed very slow.

Izzy Edgewood is a wannabe bookstore owner who loves Lord of the Rings books and hopes to be swept off her feet. Yet she struggles to connect with people, so her cousin Josephine decides to take Izzy’s future into her own hands and sets up an online dating profile for her. To Izzy’s surprise, Josie’s plan works, and she soon finds herself corresponding with Brodie via emails and text messages.
I enjoyed the messages between Izzy, and her cousins as well as her connection with Brodie, and other people she dates. What was interesting is the ability to make these messages so realistic, which is a feat in itself. I must admit that at times, the dialogue was a bit wordy but overall, this was a sweet clean romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is an unabashedly lover-of-all-things-bookish epistolary novel and contemporary Christian romance.

The things I liked/loved:
- The characterizations (for the most part). I really liked Izzy and found I could relate to her quite a lot, despite my being an extrovert and not an extreme introvert. Brodie made me smile. I loved Izzy and Brodie's online 'meet-cute'. And Luke. Star side character, without a doubt. Luke is Izzy's cousin and is truly a character you'd want to read his own book about (perhaps not epistolary-style, however).
- The bookishness. If you love books, it's likely you'll enjoy this book. The caveat here is that I felt there was almost *too* many references to how bookish the characters were. There were plenty of author/title dropping and other details to make it abundantly clear how much books influenced the characters without also constantly telling us so. That said, as a fellow uber-bookish soul, of course I delighted in the references to such things as listening to Richard Armitage read sonnets, debating Mr. Darcy's glower, and much LOTR love.
-Sense of place. One lives near the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. The other lives in the idyllic (fictional) Skymar Islands (out by sort of Scotland, I think, if I remember correctly...).
-The cover. I love the cover design graphics - adorable!
-The vibe. I mean, I really did smile all throughout this novel. The vibes are sweet and cozy. This is literally one of the most wholesome books I've read in quite some time. I would highly recommend to teenage bookish souls for a super-sweet and wholly appropriate romance.

Other thoughts/comments:
-Along the lines of characterizations, I had just a few fleeting thoughts (this will include mild spoilers as to characters in the story) -------------->>> Izzy's cousins, Josephine and Penelope, continually have references go over their heads... this is most likely done to highly how overly bookish Izzy is in comparison with her family members. But some of these references are also pop culture references and I find it hard to believe that these super-close cousins wouldn't actually know the name of a major character/pop-culture reference when they had to have watched these movies together (like, yes, LOTR is a classic book series but it's also a major franchise). Also, I felt that Josephine was too clueless about Izzy and disliked how steamrollery she was much of the time.
-The 'Christian' element. The faith and Christianity of the characters are certainly more 'assumed' than truly woven throughout the story. I mean, other than being extremely wholesome, there really isn't much of a Christian element other than some mentions of attending church and a fleeting mention or two of prayer. But, this is marketed for a Christian audience, where all of the unspoken things within this book will be implicitly understood. But just an aside thought.
-I struggled with the pacing. I'm not sure if it was the letter-style of the book or what, but I put this down more often than I usually do or I would get swept up in the story and then it would drag again. There are several 'sections' to this book and I feel like I could outline it and perhaps those separate pieces didn't always get pieced together in the most flowisome way.
-Repetitiveness. I found aspects of the book a tad repetitive.

So. I did highly enjoy this book. But I also struggled with it a bit, to be perfectly honest. I wasn't sure what to rate this... I liked it, but also had some issues with it...but I think a solid 4 stars. I would absolutely recommend reading this. Read this if you enjoy epistolary novels. Read this if you are bookish, Christian, and want a sweet romance.

Thank you for providing me with a copy of this novel from NetGalley / Thomas Nelson but all thoughts are my own.

I’m embarrassed to say I had the ARC of Authentically, Izzy sitting on my kindle for way too long. I meant to start it soon after receiving it but got sidetracked and only now got around to it. Told in a unique style, mostly via letters and text messages, Authentically. Izzy is a smart and witty romance. Izzy, our heroine is a semi-reclusive book lover (especially Lord of the Rings) who hasn’t had the best of luck when it comes to love. In a bid to force a change to that, her cousin, who is always trying to set her up on blind dates, creates an online profile for her on a dating website. As I said, told mostly told via letters and text messages, we get to witness Izzy as she talks with her cousins and the various would be suitors from the dating website. I started this one late at night and totally got lost in it. When I finally set it down for the night, I was about halfway through and it was nearly three in the morning. I totally identified with a number of the characters. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a unique and quite cute/clean romance. Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson--FICTION and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3SOI8GHF0BYK1/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/authentically-izzy-pepper-basham/1141293174?ean=9780840714985&bvnotificationId=868ea844-6518-11ed-8a8a-12dc643ceba9&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/228433747

This was an interesting book….partly because it was entirely epistolary for the first half (but changed to a mash-up later on) and also because it’s classified as a contemporary Christian romance. I actually didn’t realize when I started it that it’s a Christian romance, which was fine with me, but I actually feel like non-Christians would like it fine unless they’re specifically anti-religion. God is mentioned casually here and there, but Jesus isn’t. Even though I am a Christian, I appreciated this. It doesn’t hit you over the head with it. There was also plenty of kissing mentioned, but no other “spiciness”, which is to be expected considering. I liked both main characters and their relationship, but in the end the book felt just a little too long. It felt like it dragged a bit, particularly in the first half.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!