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.

I have only read one other Pepper Basham book and I see tons of good reviews about them. However, I don't think she is for me. There was nothing wrong with the book itself; it just didn't hold my interest. I did enjoy the many movie and musical references though!

BOOK: POSITIVELY, PENELOPE
AUTHOR: PENELOPE BASHAM
PUB DATE: 01AUG 2023
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REVIEW
hanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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WHAT I LIKED
1. Penelope’s positivity, sunshine-ness, the title I'd fitting
2. Penelope’s siblings and cousin, they were the best!
3. Matthias, I loved his character development and how he took care of his daughter, Iris and his care of The Darling House
4. The World of Skymar
5. The Darling House Theater growth and her workers
6. The Gray family except from Alec
7. The beautiful ending
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
1. The long chapters
2. The book was too much, 400 pages!
3. The first 30% of the book was in E-mails Penelope sent to her family and she and it really annoyed. I even stopped reading for a while
4.
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I liked this book and Penelope was an amazing character and you can't help but fall in love with the book. The reasons I gave it 3.5 stars was because of the things I didn't like

Positively, Penelope is the latest romance by Pepper Basham. Positively, Penelope is a sweet and clean romance about a young woman who goes to another country to help turn things around for a theater, and ends up falling in love with one of the owners. Will their love survive when the time comes for her to go back home? Read Positively, Penelope to find out.
Positively, Penelope was a sweet romance with the main character who loves all things fairy tales and musicals and always has a sunny outlook on life. I wished that there was a little bit less of text and email correspondence, more like it was toward the end of the story. I enjoyed reading this story, but it wasn’t my favorite by this author.

4 Stars
One Liner: Sweet and heartwarming (with some OTT elements)

Penelope Edgewood is more than a ray of sunshine. She’s the entire summer sun minus the sweaty heat. Positively keeps her going, though Penelope is no stranger to pain and heartbreak. Penelope has work cut out for her when she joins The Darling House, an old theatre on the island of Skymar. She is supposed to revive the theatre’s presence as a marketing intern.
Of course, Penelope being who she is, takes up more than her job. She decides the Grays (owners of the theatre) could do with some help; at least, grumpy Matt Gray and his dotty Iris need her sunshine. Someone is trying to cause trouble, so it’s up to her to sort everything out and maybe choose the right man to love in the process.
The story comes in emails and chat messages between different characters and third-person POV.

What I Like:
Though it is the second book in the series, it works as a standalone. I haven’t read the first book and had no issues understanding the character arcs or backstory. I could be missing some extra, but it doesn’t directly impact the plot. I got a clear picture of Izzy, Luke (easily my favorite), Penelope, and Josephine from their conversations.
Iris (7yo) is an absolute darling. This little girl with two dimples has a good presence in the book (though she doesn’t get many dialogues due to the chosen format). Still, I enjoyed the scenes with her.
The theatre’s scenes are cool. Despite not having much description, it’s easy to visualize the interiors and the characters’ love for the place. The fictional location is just as beautiful, with lakes, hills, flower valleys, waterfalls, and cute shops.
There’s a lot of baking in this one. Muffins, cookies, chocolate éclairs, strawberry tarts… you name it, we’ll probably find it here. Penelope is a great baker, which does work in her favor.
Despite the excess glitter, Penelope is a sweet FMC. She has many good traits and shows decent growth throughout the book. Given her age (23-24), she does act like a teen sometimes but displays emotional maturity when necessary. Her professional skills are noteworthy (maybe even better).
Matt is grumpy but not rude or excessively annoying. I was rooting for him from the beginning, and the gradual change in his character is well done. Even the dynamics between Penelope and Matt are enjoyable. There’s steady progress, which makes their relationship grow from being employee-employer to friends and something more, seem realistic and unhurried.
The book deals with grief in different forms. While Penelope celebrates her loved ones to express her grief, Matt goes into a shell, Grandpa Gray becomes a recluse, and Alec… you’ll have to read to find out. The themes are handled sensitively without feeling excessive or bland. ‘Faith’ is also just right (minimum, which is how I like it).

What Could Have Been Better for Me:
The first quarter or more of the book is in an epistolary form with lengthy emails and messages between Penelope, Izzy, Luke, Josephine, and a few other characters. Then we suddenly have a third-person narration. Soon, the emails are fewer, and there’s an increase in direct narration. The count further reduces towards the end. In short, we have an uneven narrative device throughout the book. I wish it was streamlined.
The first quarter is super slow because of the various emails (with PS, PPS, PPS, and goPPPPS) that talk about everything and nothing at once. Let’s say it was interesting for a while and then got annoying. I liked it better once the third-person POV became a regular feature.
I’m not a fan of movies or musicals. Fortunately, I knew quite many references in the book, but it still feels a little too much (this won’t be an issue for most readers). I understand that’s Penelope’s character, but she is so much more than silly OTT antics. Her actual depth comes out in regular scenes.
Too much of anything is bad, and so is excess sunshine. This has a triple sunshine vs. grumpy trope, which does feel irritating at times. More so, if you, like me, are not going to be categorized as ‘sunshine’ in real life. (NGL, Genelia did this better in the Bommarillu movie)
The book is just too long. It could have been 80 pages shorter and still delivered the same story with the same impact.

To summarize, Positively, Penelope is a sweet and Hallmarkish romance with loads of positivity, musical references, and happy vibes. I did enjoy this book, though I have high hopes for Luke’s story (loved him in this one). Can’t wait to read it!
This is a clean romance with some kissing in the last quarter.
Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley # PositivelyPenelope
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P.S.: The ARC’s formatting was beyond horrible and got my nerves. Publishers, please! ARCs for books that depend on good formatting need to have better readability.