I would highly recommend not reading this book. (It’s terribly addictive)
Or…at least…. waiting until the sequel is also available.
The characters. I want them as my new friends, I think they already are…(oh wait, sigh! they’re only fiction…!)
Penelope does seem to be a bit over the top in all her positivity. But then, as you get to read the book, and see and understand her more, it's obvious that is really just who she is, and you can't help but love her.
This is such a fun setting, and an intriguing story line. I loved reading about Penelope's efforts to save a struggling theatre.
Pepper Basham has been one of my favorite authors for some time now, and this just plants her more firmly than ever in that spot. I definitely recommend this book if you are needing a fun read! (I do, however, recommend that Authentically Izzy be read first!!)

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Although the books are not marked as part of the same series, this is book 2 (book 1 is Authentically Izzy), with another Edgewood sibling.

I really liked the world and the characters. I wish it had less emails/texts and more narrative/dialogue, but I think this one has more than the first book and I hope the next follows the trend.

The theater setting and its history/importance in the island also made for a great story, along with the themes of family and found family. Penelope and her family and Matt with his daughter and family were all great characters.

Super cute!

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I have reached out to the publisher asking for a corrected copy of the eArc because there are white boxes without text where the text should be. Essentially, there is no book for me to read and review. It appears, I won't be able to read Positively, Penelope until it is published. I'm truly looking forward to reading this book. Once read, I will resubmit a full, detailed review. I am rating it a 3-star because a star rating is required.

“Stop with the Rambo quotes or l'll start quoting Legally Blonde.”
Sweet, funny and entreating. Those would be the words I’d use to describe this romance book.
Mostly written in a letter or text or email form, the story of how Penelope brought her joy and love in a little town while asp getting into the center of a love triangle was quite original !!!
Add to that the fact that one of the man was a single dad and terribly handsome and kind (and that his little girl was amazing) and you made it !!!
I also especially appreciated all the movie references!!!
But most of all I loved the relationship between Izzy, Luke and Penelope. As siblings they are so closely knitted and I loved that !!! I love how supportive there are of each other !!!!
I am very glad I had the chance to read a copy of it !!
“Just like Mary Poppins, Penny-girl, you thrive off of helping people. You've been doing it your whole life. It's a God-given part of you.”
“She couldn't fall in love with Matthias Gray, could she? He was six years older than her. There was no war. And she was returning home in less than two months.”

Ahhhh, one of my favourite trios is back!! I didn’t think it was possible after loving Izzy’s story so much, but I loved Penelope’s story even more!

From the prologue alone, I was grinning like crazy. In fact, the entire book had me laughing so hard that a couple family members checked in to make sure I was okay. Just peachy & reading top-notch humour. Seriously, if you need a spoonful of sugar & laughter — read this book!

A few of my favourite highlights being…

✨ The humour
✨ The classic movie references
✨ “Did you just turn Chris Pine into an adjective?”
✨ Alllll the Julie Andrews’ references
✨ Luke in protective big brother mode & showing up for Penelope. (And just Luke in general, haha!)
✨ Grumpy-Sunshine
✨ Iris!
✨ Penelope’s “Mary Poppins” bag… this is so me 😂
✨ Matt calling Penelope, “the pixie”
✨ No love triangles, miscommunications, or third act breakups!


But for all the laughs, it wasn’t fluffy or mindless. It was heartfelt with a giggle — amusing and yet woven together with deep, thoughtful themes. It’s a story about friendship, community, family & belonging, dealing with grief, and the meaning of true love (being that you shouldn’t have to change yourself to make yourself acceptable to others). And of course, the power of a little “magic.” 😉

All I can say is that I loved every minute of this book, it gave me a dose of laughter & sunshine just when I needed it, and I cannot wait for Luke’s story next! 😍


*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

These books are so dreamy and I never want them to end! Penelope is such a great character and someone you instantly want to be friends with. She has such joy and exuberance inside of her. Grandpa Gray is another fascinating character as well as Iris! Gosh, I can't say enough good things about this book and hope the author has the next one out as soon as possible.



Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

I received this from netgalley in exchange for a review.

3.75 rounded up to four stars.

This was cute - I enjoy books that are written through things like texts and letters and e-mails a lot, and this was great at at, although it made it a little jarring when it went to the few parts of non-letters/texts/etc.

I think there’s a bit of Penelope in me cause I could definitely feel her voice. The plot was good, even if I thought it was a bit long, I’m not really sure there was anything plot wise I’d take out.

Only thing I didn’t love was sometimes Penelope seemed a little bit “I’m not like other girls” and tbh I’m not interested in religion and it was brought up a lot for her/her family so I kinda skimmed over those.

I won’t be posting this review publicly, because these are all things that can be edited and changed, I don’t want to post a bad review publicly when the book could be edited before it’s publication date. The book needs to be edited desperately. The first 20 or so pages are just white highlight and no words. Then each page has the publisher logo in the middle of the page, which doesn’t make since. It’s not formatted at all. It looks like a long essay.
The writing also needs to be critiqued by an editor. I understand trying to be relevant with texting, but it’s really hard to follow.

"Love is worth it all".

What a beautiful and absolutely wonderful story from start to finish! If it's even possible, I love this book even more than Authentically, Izzy. The happiness and hope and love spilled over every page and I never wanted to put it down. Can I give 10 stars?

Please tell me there is a story coming soon for our favorite brother Luke? I'll be first in line.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was such fun! I needed this!
I enjoy a cute read, and this one met my expectations all the way!
I read this book in one afternoon!
I could not put it down!
These young ladies have quite the story to tell.
The girls are such a delight to get to know through texts, letters, and emails!
This title made my soul feel full and satisfied.
Fans of Izzy will be sure to delight in Penelope's story, too!
Penelope is a friend that you definitely don't want to let go of!
My favorite thing about this book was the humor that Basham adds throughout the novel. My other favorite thing is the bond that these young ladies have. Something that I've yearned for all my life, and I love finding it through books like these.
Thank you, Ms. Basham for bringing that joy to life once more!
5 stars for a job well done!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I think that this was absolutely perfect. I couldn't have enjoyed it more. This was as good. I loved it.
I just reviewed Positively, Penelope by Pepper Basham. #PositivelyPenelope #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

As a fan of Izzy, I had high hopes for Penelope, and I was not disappointed. The characters in this book make you wish you knew them in real life. And the positively quirkiness of Penelope is so endearing.
I love that Pepper writes beautifully hilarious rom-com books that you want to read over and over again.

Thank you netgalley for the arc copy!

This was described as Enchanted meets Legally Blonde, sign me up!! I loved how this was told through texts and letters and emails. I was never a theater kid growing up but I adored reading this title. It was a lovely breath of fresh air and I cannot wait to read the next book!

Positively delightful!!! I seriously could get lost in a world of never ending stories between Izzy, Penelope, Luke and Josephine. These characters are so much fun! Their texts and emails to each other are a hoot, in addition to being loving family correspondence. From the bookish Izzy to the musical theatre and positively fashionable Penelope, I can hardly wait for Luke's story.

"I've found that leading with positivity is a great way to face any situation in life, even if my older siblings doubt my logic." "Don't get me wrong. I'm not a leader. But I am a...what's a good description? An encourager with an innate herding impulse? LOL."

Penelope is a force to be reckoned with her positive attitude, her singing, her fabulous ideas, her hard work, her baking skills, and her ability to see potential in everything and everyone. There is no one quite like her and she earns the love of many in this foreign island of Skymar where is is completing her internship. She loves fairy tales and suddenly finds herself having fairy tale moments with some of the sweetest people. I fell in love with Penelope, the Gray's, especially the-at-first-grumpy Matthias, his sweet, sweet daughter Iris, and Grandpa Gray.

Royalty, dancing, romance, mystery, villains, family history, the importance of community, and a ball! Such a delightful story, and I absolutely loved all the Julie Andrews, Audrey Hepburn and Gene Kelly references!

I highly recommend Positively Penelope (and you must read or listen to Authentically Izzy first).
Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own. I can't wait for my preordered copy to arrive for a special place on my keeper shelf.

Authentically Izzy was my favorite book from last year so I had high expectations for this. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. Penelope is at first a lot to take in with her big personality and childish optimism. But as the story unfolds, you get to know her for who she is, and soon wish you had more of her traits.

I loved all the musical references! And Audrey Hepburn quotes!

Huge Thank You to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read this ARC!

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

The most perfect of sequels to Authentically, Izzie! Cute, adorable, quirky! I love the undertones of faith and the lack of spice. Pepper makes you feel with her characters and that’s what I love about her.

This follow up to Authentically, Izzy was perfect! I’m not even a huge lover of musicals, but this book had me *almost* wanting to hum along! We met Penelope in the first book, but not like this. She is all sunshine, sweetness, and sassiness and if her brand of optimism could be bottled, the world would be a lovelier place! Penelope took Skymar by storm and no one was safe from her charms, especially Matt and his adorable daughter, Iris! The only problem with this book is that it ended!

I was given an advanced copy of this book and all opinions are expressly my own.

Penelope's sister, Izzy, met her soul-mate in the island kingdom of Skymar. Now Penelope is doing an internship there for her college degree. She is working toward a career in theater production and this is the opportunity of a lifetime. Her introduction to the country of Skymar was less than stellar and her first impression was a bit off-putting. Never-the-less, the intrepid Penelope is not going to let those curmudgeonly vibes dampen her spirits nor her ideas for helping the theater she has been assigned to help. Through her work, she helps Grandpa Gray find his feet again, she helps Matthias Gray overcome his deeply imbedded pain, and she brings the family's theater back to life, all while sprinkling her brand of pixie dust over everything.

Pepper Basham has written a very non-formulaic romance novel that is laugh-out-loud hilarious. I would guess that 90% of the novel is epistolary through the media of text messages and emails. The reader has to get over halfway through before there is any real narration to the story. She has included overt, dastardly villains; and some sneaky villains who are a bit more clandestine with their shenanigans. There are a couple of mystery characters that are hard to figure out but whose identities are revealed later on in the book. They all add to the warp and weft of the book to make a cohesive story come to life. Penelope's "never say die" attitude is one of the most endearing aspects to the book and her work ethic in bringing the theater back to its former glory are something to behold. The float in the parade was the cherry on top of the sundae that was Penelope's magic.

This is a fun, five star book, with two thumbs up, and a parade float that will take you straight to Narnia.

This book is a positive delight from the first line to the last. I adored Penelope in Izzy's book and she screamed for her own book, so I couldn't wait to dive into the pages of this novel. On my goodness, it was a true, laugh out loud joy to read this book. The story was filled with twists and hiccups, but there was such delight and fun. And fairy tales. And princesses. And Julie Andrews. Gene Kelly. All the things I adore. In one place. And such fun. And the kissing. Pepper does enjoy writing kissing books. I highly recommend this sweet, fun, romantic romp of a book. It was wonderful!

Really enjoyed this action packed, heart racing, sexy and fun adventure filled with exciting charters, interesting situations and undeniable passion.....great reading from beginning to end. Great reading!.