4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a really cute contemporary romantic comedy about a ray of sunshine named Penelope and a grumpy theater owner named Matt. Penelope is working a paid internship after college to help save a century-old family-owned theater on the island of Skymar. The family has recently lost two of their matriarchs and are grieving their losses. Penelope is just the ray of sunshine and can-do attitude they need. But, will a new contemporary theater threaten their come-back?

I really liked Penelope and her ability to smile in the face of loss, setbacks and people who dismiss her abilities due to her youth. Matt is the perfect grumpy guy with a soft squishy heart. His daughter is so adorable and it's no wonder Penelope instantly bonds with her. The "mystery" of the sabotage was not such a mystery, but it was heartbreaking to read how it played out. I loved the epistolary nature of much of the book - it's always a favorite writing technique of mine. Penelope's family, especially Luke, added depth and humor to the book. I still need to read the first book in the series that focuses on Penelope's cousin Izzy, called Authentically Izzy, and look forward to Luke's book, called Loyally, Luke which comes out May 1, 2024. If you like sweet, upbeat, romantic comedies, definitely check this book out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson. All opinions are my own.

Another five star read from Pepper Basham. This author is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

A sweet romance that includes Penelope the beloved cousin of Izzy from the previous book. Penelope is trying to help a failing theater and finds love. These books are stand alone but definitely enjoyed reading them together.

I laughed out loud so many times. I can’t wait to read Luke’s story.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was a fantastic continuation of the story world created in Authentically, Izzy, and while I maybe enjoyed Izzy's story a little more than this one, I thought this one was better written as the transitions between epistolary and narrative were more smooth and less jolting. I'm so looking forward to Luke's story! Absolutely cannot wait, and I think it's going to be my very, very favorite!

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley.

I honestly didn't expect to love Positively, Penelope as much as I loved Authentically, Izzy. But Pepper has outdone herself. Positively, Penelope was positively delightful!

When the heroine carries a Mary Poppins bag and channels her inner Maria von Trapp, you know you're in for a treat. Penelope is one of those perpetually positive people who are not always understood by others. But when she lands on Skymar to help save the Darling Theater, her belief in the healing power of cookies and dancing will endear her to the hearts of the entire Darling family. 

But will she find a leading man who is worth giving up her home and family for? Or is it possible that "some of the best characters played the secondary roles"?

If you love musicals, Julie Andrews, or good clean romance with a bit of intrigue, then don't miss this new release in the Skymar series by Pepper Basham.

DNF @ 25%. Is this entire book epistolary?! I cannot imagine reading a physical copy of an over 400 page book that's filled with a majority of emails. This book feels extraordinarily juvenile and over-the-top so far, and I am having an exceedingly difficult time getting into it. I am not drawn in by the characters, or the Skymar setting, or Penelope's overtly sunshiny disposition (and I usually LOVE sunshine characters). This book is not for me.

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

I highly recommend Pepper Basham’s Positively Penelope to anyone who enjoys a wonderful faith filled romance with a happy ending. A reader who loves the theater will delight in the community theater setting and Penelope’s love of all things drama. This book can be read as a standalone but reading Authentically Izzy first will enhance the reader’s understanding of the characters and setting. I eagerly await the next book in the series. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This book!!! Dying! I loved every single word! The characters, the theatre, the music, the romance! Perfection! I loved this book! Enjoy and read the first on

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

Positively, Penelope by Pepper Basham is the second novel featuring the Edgewood family and it is positively entertaining. I love the Edgewoods. As in Authentically Izzy, a good portion of Positively, Penelope is relayed through emails and text messages. I enjoy the witty banter exchanged between the family members and you get a real feel for the personalities of the characters and how much they all love each other. Penelope is a modern-day Merry Poppins for sure. She’s vivacious, loving, and always sees the silver lining. Matt Gray lives up to his name at first. His life is gray except for his daughter Iris. Grumpy Gray as Penelope nicknames him blossoms as the story unfolds and it’s such a beautiful thing to see. There’s a bit of a mystery because someone is trying to sabotage the success of the Gray’s theater. There’s plenty of romance, always a little kissing, and a positive faith message. All the things you expect from Pepper Basham. While I received an advance reader copy from Thomas Nelson through Netgalley, I also purchased the paperback to add to my every-growing Pepper Basham collection.

Short review:
Read this book for a light heart, laughs, and a touch of mystery.

Long review:
I had so much fun reading this book! I had gotten Authentically, Izzy at Baker Bookhouse when I was there for the Fiction Readers Summit, and while reading that and talking to Vickie about it, she told me I HAD to read Positively, Penelope, so of course I preordered it AND requested it from Net Galley. Now I REALLY need Luke's story to be released (Pepper, could you get on that, please?)!

I'm not a bubbly, sunshiny girl (I would definitely be the grump in any relationship), so I wasn't sure how Penelope would rub me, but I loved her! I loved Matt, Iris, Gwynn, Grandpa Gray...the whole cast is just delightful.

And Luke. Oh, Luke. What a wonderful big brother he is. If I had an older brother, I would definitely want him to be Luke.

I have no good way to end this except that I just loved this book!

~I received a complimentary copy of this book. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.~

I received an early read from the publisher and this was a book that I was looking forward to reading since I enjoyed Authentically Izzy.
It was a great book and was humourous. Enjoyed it by Pepper Basham

The story line was good and the characters were enjoyable. However, I wasn't a huge fan of such a large portion of the story being told through emails and texts. This is just personal preference and does not take away from the quality of the storyline.

Positively, Penelope is a positively delightful story written by one of my favorite authors, Pepper Basham. Like the first book in the series, this one is told mostly through emails and text messages. It was fun to have Penelope’s story after meeting her in Authentically, Izzy. I loved Penelope Edgewood’s perky, sunny personality her positive outlook on life, and the way she tried to see the good in people. Matthias Gray is also a wonderful character, especially after Penelope livens him up a little. Another of my favorite characters is Luke Edgewood. I enjoyed his witty, snarky attitude and his fun banter with his family members. I’m looking forward to his tale next.

Filled with musical references, humor, a bit of mystery, a budding romance, and a whole lot of charm, this book is a delight for those who enjoy contemporary romantic comedy. I would suggest reading this series in order so as to get all the background story.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. All opinions are my own..

Sunshine in book format!
I love how Penelope's positivity spreads throughout the book! She is such a fun character! I also loved the hint of mystery and intrigue and the magic of Skymar that is displayed throughout the book.
The story starts out as emails and texts between characters and then about halfway through the book changes into a more typical story. The formats used worked well for the story.
This was a sweet romance, I'd rate it G/PG for kissing. I love Pepper Basham's books and this was another great addition! I can't wait for Luke's story!

Positively, Penelope is a delightful sequel to Authentically Izzy and written in the same form of much of it through correspondence between siblings and cousin in texts and emails. It is a perfect romcom for all readers, especially those who like grumpy/sunshine trope.
Penelope, cousin of Izzy, decides to do a theater intern in Skymar, a small island community. The Darling House Theater is failing after the owner and her daughter passed away. The Gray family's grief from loss is so great that the theater may need to close due to bankruptcy as they can't manage it well. Penelope arrives at the theater as intern and her cheery disposition catches the attention of brothers, broody Matt and flirt Alec Gray. Soon, Penelope has the Gray family and town ready to turn the business around for the community. Unfortunately, another theater seems to find out about all their marketing plans and takes them as their own.
I enjoy epistolary novels and this one didn't disappoint, though, there's not as much written in letters as previous story. Positively Penelope is a fun read and I look forward to the next in the series, Loyally Luke. (I do hope their sister Josephine is in the book more, I missed her "advice")
I received a complimentary copy of Positively, Penelope through NetGalley and Thomas Nelson but all opinions are my own.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!

It was a fantastic sequel to Authentically Izzy, and only reiterated that Pepper Basham and I would be fantastic friends in real life. Ha! :D Her sense of humor, trains of thought throughout the book, and many movie references were so on point with my own--it was almost eerie. :) But I am 100% not complaining!

I do recommend reading _Authentically, Izzy_ before reading this one; it builds on prior events and explains a lot. ;)

Excellent, excellent read, with plenty of literal-LOL moments. If you ever need a truly funny read, this is it!

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

This was such a cute concept! The first 25% of the book was a super slow start for me. I loved the email/texts format but also felt there was more context and story building needed. Once the narrative was added in, it got much better. Such an adorable story filled with family, love and good theater references!

I think unfortunately this author's style of writing is just not for me. I really struggle with the long winded emails back and forth between different people. I find this style to be really difficult in tracking characters name and personalities etc. I also found it odd it has a bit of narrative at one point. I think email story telling is just not the format for me.

I loved this story. Penelope is a rare human, one who is constantly believing in the wonder of the impossible and encouraging everyone she meets. Reading her story was simply an uplifting experience and frankly, I didn't want it to end.

I've worked in the past with a couple of ladies who reminded me of Penelope and I'm now able to see them in an even fonder light. I do wonder if this is the attitude God would have us all live, with an ever-expanding heart for Him and others.

Penelope travels to Skymar on an internship working at The Darling Theatre that is experiencing some difficulties due to the matriarch's of the Gray family, who own and run the theatre, having recently died. Penelope dives into her role inspiring everyone with her inventive ideas, willingness to roll up her sleeves and daring to dream the theatre can be restored to its former glories. In the meantime, she is courted by the two Gray brothers, well technically, only by Alec, but Matthias, the elder one is her boss and after an initial dismissal of Penelope's charms, it's not long before he begins to see her beauty and wonder.

Told mostly through epistolary emails and texts (like the first in the series) we get a first hand insight into Penelope and her family's emotions and character. Luke, her brother, is fabulously sardonic while fully devoted to his madcap sister.

The story also deals with some challenging themes around grief and its related trauma. Basham handles this gently as the Gray family collectively grapple with the loss of the two matriarchs. Penelope with her infectious encouragement is able to draw Grandpa Gray out of his sullenness and Matthias' loss of confidence as a result of his divorce. It's wonderfully satisfying and uplifting.

I feel very blessed to have received an early ebook copy of the novel from the publisher via NetGalley with no expectation of a positive review. However, I'm certain I will purchase my own copy so it can sit boldly on my bookshelf as it should.

I tried I really did. Being told through digital correspondence made the characters one dimensional and came across as caricature of a person. This was not a format of storytelling that I connected with.

What a delightful book! This is a sweet romance that has wonderful characters and just the right amount of fun to keep you turning the pages. I loved reading this book!
I received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson--FICTION via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.