I loved this book. Penelope was quirky and delightful. She’s one of my favorite heroines ever. She doesn’t play games. She’s honest even when it could be embarrassing. She chooses to see the positive in things and in people. She’s full of pixie dust and fairy tales. She’s the perfect foil for Matthias who has been hurt and guards his heart.

I loved their interactions. Matthias’ sarcastic humor and the way Penelope responded was priceless. I didn’t want the book to end. I can’t wait to read about Luke and to see who could possibly win his heart. His text responses were so funny. I enjoyed it all from beginning to end.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Oh, the fun and banter continued where it the readers were left after Authentically Izzy.

I loved every private joke, thoughts and friendships shared through the texts and emails, which was the majority method of how this story unfolded.

I loved Penelope’s love for all thinks Julie Andrews and specifically The Sound of Music, having watched that a few times.

But what I loved the most was the friendship development between bubbly Penelope and grumpy, more to the story Matt.

There was even a villain in this story (though I knew from the start who that was).

And little Iris and her love for all things princess was adorable.

I treasured the lesson of moving on after great loss, focusing on what you still have versus what you lost and to focus on your current blessings.

Can not wait for Luke’s story!

Penelope takes an internship in Skymar to help revitalize a historic theater during it's centennial celebration. A new big name studio has come to town and seems to keep stealing her ideas. Is there a mole at the theater? I loved this book and absolutely adored the characters that Pepper Basham created! Penelope is such a fun but relatable character and I really enjoyed how her bubbly self was able to break through the grief and sorrow of some of the characters and bring about change. This book is such a fun read. I enjoyed the fact that a lot of the story is told through texts and emails. Highly recommend for lovers of contemporary romance. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Positively, Penelope, by Pepper Basham, is “practically perfect in every way.” There is a sunshine / grumpy aspect to the story, and one of the most incredibly sweet romances imaginable. I absolutely love Penelope. She is all rainbows, princesses, glitter, and sunshine. I read Authentically, Izzy first and I thought it was an amazing book, but wow, Penelope’s story is even better, even if she has trouble finishing it at times. The sibling love and family aspect is one of my favorite parts of the book. Also, when reading the text messages and emails between everyone it seems like you’re part of the family too. I can’t wait to read Luke’s story next!

I was provided a copy of the book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the eARC of this book!

Positively, Penelope follows Penelope (of course) as she gets her chance to go to Skymar and participate in an internship with a local theater, The Darling House. A theater that has seen better days, she determines to help the owners of the theater, the Gray family, bring it back to life. Problems arise when she notices that a rival theater company is somehow stealing her ideas for the Darling House. Plus, she has caught the eye of the two Gray brothers, businessman Alec and single father Matt.

First, I loved Penelope's character! She loves happy endings, she doesn't deny the troubles of the world, and she is kind. She is an overall likable character! Plus, it never hurts to have a love for the great Julie Andrews - I could relate with her in that regard! Granted, I have never met a person as positive as her, but I don't doubt there are people in the world like that. Also, I appreciated how the author balanced Penelope's super positive outlook with Matt Gray's somewhat pessimistic outlook on life. However, Matt learns as the story progresses that it's okay to dream and be positive again. Their relationship is a great example of the grumpy/sunshine trope, and I loved it. It was well done! I will say, as the story moved forward, the anticipation over Penelope and Matt's relationship had me thinking, 'Get together already!!!'

I enjoyed the progression of the story and the pacing was perfect, in my opinion. Compared to Izzy's story, it felt like there was more at stake in Penelope's. I enjoy plenty of conflict in the books I read (I blame my creative writing professor a couple of years ago for this haha).

Ultimately, should you read this book? YES! It is a sweet, easy read with complex emotions sprinkled throughout, most notably grief. If you haven’t read Authentically, Izzy yet and you’re beginning this one, I do think you could get away with it. However, some of the plot lines mentioned in this one won’t immediately make sense, so I’d recommend you read Authentically, Izzy before starting this one.

There was a lot to like about this book. That being said, I had a really hard time getting into the first half of the book. I didn't love that it was all told by text & email. It made it harder for me to figure out who all the characters were. I hadn't read the first one in the series and maybe I would have known the characters already had I read Authentically Izzy. The story itself stands alone though. At the same time, the texts/emails showed Penelope's personality really well and she is darling. I loved her adoration of Julie Andrews as well as other theater references and her choosing to be a positive person even in difficult circumstances.
Then, just as I had gotten used to the epistolary style of the book, it changed. We only got those texts/emails intermittently and we got to watch the rest of the story ourselves instead of hearing about it past tense. Truthfully, that is when I really got invested in the story. I had to stop reading for the night at a part that was obviously going to be a dramatic part of the story. I was so invested by that point that I dreamed about what would come next. I was dreaming the events so vividly that when I picked up the book again the next morning, I was confused because the place I left off was the beginning of my dream and I thought I'd be reading where my dream stopped. Seriously, I thought it had all happened in the book. So, even though I was slow getting into the story, I was very much into in the second half.
I liked the characters and I loved Penelope's quirkiness. She was adorable with Iris, who was also adorable. And Matthias was pretty dang swoony once he started dancing again.

Mild Christian theme
No sex, language or violence
*I received a complimentary ARC through NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review the book.

I would like to thank netgalley and Thomas Nelson for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy these books, and can't wait for the next one.

Have you ever had a friend who is also a friend of everybody even when they just met? I did! And most likely they always bring laughter in a group. That is what I can imagine with Penelope. I actually read this book during a typhoon here in the Philippines, but this book brought sunshine to my life!

Positively Penelope is a bit different with Authentically Izzy. While the Author still wrote it in epistolary style, Izzy is for the reader in all of us (plus the frustrations we experience to find the love of our lives), and Penelope is to remind us of unforgettable friends and how they bought joy in our lives. I enjoyed reading all of their emails. Especially Luke’s witty and charming responses. I still believe that their relationship are friendship goals! Your can read my first review HERE.

I highly recommend this book to those who love watching movies that brings nostalgia and those that love the theater! It is full of fun and laugh out loud moments, and will charm its way into your heart.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion

P.s.

You can read this as a standalone but I recommend you start first with Authentically Izzy.

PPS.

I can’t wait for Luke’s book! *preordering a year in advance*

Positively, Penelope is the second book in the Skymar series following Authetically Izzy. Both stories are told through the texts and emails sent between Izzy, Penelope and Luke. Authentically Izzy was about Izzy finding love and now it's time for Penelope to find her prince charming.

The email exchanges between Izzy, Luke and Penelope are hilariously entertaining as they poke fun at each other. Each character really has their own quirky personality. Some of the quirks Penelope has is that she is afraid of sea monsters, loves Julie Andrews and references musicals. Penelope was a really fun character to follow along and relatable in some ways like her fear of things from the ocean-haha.

The romance kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for Penelope to come together with her prince charming. The theater element to the story and romance made it more worthwhile to read about. Every part of this book was sweet right up to the very end when they finally come together. There were definitely some surprise moments at the end you'll want to read!

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC so I could review it!

The Edgewood siblings from Pepper Basham’s Authentically Izzy are back. You don’t have to have read Izzy’s story, though, to thoroughly enjoy Penelope’s story. She is an experience all her own.

Penelope wields her positivity and sunny disposition like a weapon. She doesn’t just live life, she lives to experience it. So she is utterly thrilled when is offered an internship as the marketing director of a small community theater rich in history. What she discovers when she arrives in the tiny island country of Skymar is that is will take more than some upgrades to her marketing plan to bring the Darling House theatre back to life. Penelope knows she is up to the challenge. She’s not about to let the historic theatre fade away.

Along the way Penelope will need to navigate her way through the complicated Darling family, the owners of the theatre who have been stuck in the past since the loss of the beloved matriarch. They include the reclusive grandfather who can’t seem to resist Penelope’s charm, the brothers Alec and Matt who are as different as can be and each appear to have an eye on Penelope, and Matt’s young daughter who desperately needs some of Penelope’s magic in her life.

The story is told as a series of emails and text messages. While it may seem confusing at first, I found the format actually provides a deeper look into the character’s personalities I felt I got to know them much better. Their true selves come out in the correspondence. Though at times Penelope may seem over the top, it’s easy to overlook that as she is just so much fun. It is her correspondence that lets us as readers know that is just Penelope, she is the way she appears, yet she’s not as flighty as she seems. She truly cares for others, but she has a serious side too , Later in the book when the format turns to a narrative, the story seemed to have so much more depth because we knew the characters so well. This is a great story with highly developed characters we can’t help but root for. We’d all do well to adopt some of Penelope’s attitude in our daily lives. Until then, read and enjoy the positivity and magic of Positively Penelope.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious awesomeness! I adored this book! It was everything my romantic, musical loving heart could ever want. Pepper Basham delivers a delightful, magical, feel good, grumpy/sunshine romance with endearing characters, witty humor, all the favorite musical/pop culture references, and even a hint of mystery. Like with Authentically, Izzy I absolutely fell in love with Positively, Penelope.

Penelope Edgewood’s talents are put to the test when she accepts a 3 month internship in Skymar to revive the old Darling House Theater. Armed with a sunny disposition, creative solutions, a Mary Poppins bag full of amazing things, and the support of her lovable siblings/cousin, she begins tackling the theater’s problems. Soon her cheerful positivity and love for the theater affect everyone around her including her grumpy business manager Matt Gray. But, not everyone is happy with the changes Penelope’s making. Someone is out to sabotage her and the theater. It’s going to take Penelope’s unconditional love and know how to pull off a miracle and save the theater.

All the love for this book! I adored Penelope and Matthias! In Authentically, Izzy, Penelope came off as a bit naive and we didn’t get to see the full facet of her personality. In this story, she really shines and we see her depth and the true kindness she possesses. Penelope chooses joy and her example affects everyone around her. She’s a breath of fresh air and it was pure delight reading her story.

The flip side of the coin is Matt or “Matthias.” This lovable grump has been through a lot in the past few years. Unfortunately, he’s temporarily lost his joy and mistakenly bans fairytales and princesses from his young daughter Iris’ life. Penelope brings back the magic with singing, baking, and watching “almost” princess movies like Tangled with Iris. When he sees the happiness she brings to not only his life but everyone around her, he begins to rethink his grumpy ways. I loved their romance with him teaching Penelope how to ride a bike, dancing in the theater, and his sacrifices.

Told mostly in epistolary form, I enjoyed reading the witty, heartfelt, sometimes snarky (Luke) emails and texts. All the Edgewood relatives’ personalities really shine and you can’t help loving them all. It was especially fun to see a new side to Luke and I can’t wait for his story! I thoroughly enjoyed new characters introduced like Grandpa Gray and Gwendolyn. I loved all the musical references and the quotes from Julie Andrews and Audrey Hepburn. I also loved the message of choosing joy. Even the villain has a story and manages to tug on your heartstrings.

You can’t help but smile while reading this story and I guarantee you’ll find yourself singing those amazing show tunes from Phantom of the Opera to My Fair Lady! Highest of recommendations for this exceptionally, practically perfect, clean romance! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily given.

Positively, Penelope by Pepper Basham is book #2 in her Skymar series. This is my first book from her and I absolutely LOVED it! Have you ever read a book that you thought oh man this is going to be terrible? How will I ever make it through this one? That's how it was for me in the very beginning. I will warn you now. This book is mainly told in texts and e-mails back and forth between various people. It can be kinda confusing at first, but hang in there. I did and then the sun started shining and my whole world became Penelope's whole world. It needed up being the best book. Penelope has such a great outlook on life. She brings joy wherever she goes. I know I need to be like her. It was such a refreshing book and the end...OMS! I cried tears of joy, so yes there was an epilogue. I can't wait to read the next one. I'm going to go back and read Authentically Izzy. You do not need to read the first book to follow this one, but you do get to know about Izzy and Brodie throughout the 2nd book. Izzy is one of the people who Penelope texts and e-mails back and forth. So if you love a book about saving an old theater house, a lady who loves musicals and old movies and wears vintage clothing, and a grumpy man who isn't actually grumpy once you get to know him then this book is for you. Plus you get to meet said grumpy man's daughter and his sweet gramps too. I also really adored the relationship Penelope had with her brother, sister, and cousin. It was refreshing to see such a great family relationship. I really can't wait for Skymar #3. Counting down the days. I was given a copy of this book, but all opinions are my own.

I just finished Positively Penelope by Pepper Basham, the second book in her Skymar series. Oh. My. Word. Y’all. It was just as adorable and magical and…(using a Pepper word) fairytale-ish as book 1. I just adore her characters, Penelope and Matthias. If you have not started this series, you are so missing out. Now…I need book 3. Please hurry Pepper!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

This book, unfortunately, was not for me.

While I generally enjoy using different devices in books - emails, texts, letters, etc. this was not done in an effective way for me. It felt a bit too stream of conscious, and made it hard to get invested in the story and characters as much as I would have liked.

Positively, Penelope is the second book in the Skymar series by Pepper Basham. I HIGHLY recommend you read the first book, Authentically, Izzy before reading this one. Otherwise, you will get spoilers, miss a few things, but mostly, miss out on a great first book of the series.

"If you were able to learn how to wear that pink bunny suit from Legally Blonde on stage in front of a pastor and his entire youth group, I think you can do anything."

I loved getting to know Penelope through her adventures in Skymar. Penelope is hilarious and her propensity for not finishing a story (in text/email) makes her more so. She is an extremely positive Polly-Anna, casting out sunshine wherever she goes. She can be clueless at times, which also adds humor.

Just a few things that helped this story shine:

grumpy/sunshine
cute child
single dad
wonderful cast of characters
witty banter
plenty of LOL moments
nod to Classic movies

This story was hard to put down and it kept a smile on my face. There was so much to enjoy!

I appreciated the references to Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews, Grease, the Sound of Music, and more! There are so many quotes (like the one I shared above) that are hilarious, especially in context. I loved Positively, Penelope, and can't wait to read Luke's story in Loyally, Luke. It also makes me wonder if Josephine will get her own story, although she doesn't seem to be as much of a main character as Izzy, Penelope, and Luke. 🤔

Thank you to Justreads Publicity, Net Galley, and the author for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. I had pre-ordered Positively, Penelope, but sadly it was not here before I needed this review to go out. However, it is one for the keeper shelf and I can't wait until my paperback copy arrives!

Penelope is thrilled at the chance to do an internship at a theatre in Skymar and is determined to do her best. But the theatre is approximately back in the Dark Ages as far as a web presence is concerned. Then there's 'Grumpy Grey' to reckon with, not to mention his charming brother who any woman should be glad to consider her knight - but whose charm somehow seems to fall a little flat. Throw in a possible mole at the theatre, and Penelope has plenty on her hands. Nevertheless, she is determined to conquer all obstacles in her own inimitable style. But when faced with a choice between an old dream and a new, which should she choose? And must choosing one meant the loss of the other?

Content warning: This is a book best read when alone, to avoid having to explain to others why you're laughing so much! I loved it from the very start, just like Izzy's story - but possibly this book even more? Penelope is a very not-me character, but she drew me into her life from page one and welcomed me. I loved the way Izzy and Luke supported her, helped her when she needed it, but avoided the (often well-intentioned) pushiness/nosiness that is so common in families (okay, so maybe Josephine doesn't escape it - but we don't see much of her). I also loved the way that we get shown the 'surface Penelope' with hints of her internal dialogue, but gradually get to see what she's really like inside - it was a great reminder that there's often more to people than shows on the surface. Excited by the hints of Luke getting his story next, and REALLY looking forward to it. A delightful book full of both laughter and heart. Highly recommended.

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

I found out Positively, Penelope is part of a series along with Authentically, Izzy. This time it follows other sister, Penelope as she travels to a small town to intern at a theatre company run by a family.

The same epistolary format is used in this story. It really tired me out somewhat so i was glad it also reverted to regular third person storytelling. This was a typical predictable grumpy-sunshine trope. There was a third party involved. There's also a cute kid. But overall, i still enjoyed it. There were heart eyes, giggly moments.

Despite its predictability, I'm still ok with this one. Just that i could make do with lesser of the email storytelling. But that's just me, really!

Penelope has traveled internationally to help use her background and education in theater to help save a family owned theater that has been around for generations but is now failing. This family has faced heartache and grief, but Penelope is determined to make a difference with her knowledge and her own brand of optimism.

Never have I felt more like the grump from a grumpy/sunshine trope than I did while reading this book, because Penelope is certainly on another sunshiney level. Positively, Penelope does a great take on the grumpy/sunshine trope. Penelope is very positive, to the point where others often do not take her seriously. Matt has seen quite a bit of heartache and has buried some of his passions regarding his family’s theater as well as the desire to laugh or smile with ease. At first, Penelope was a bit much for me to handle. But, like Matt and others throughout the story, she really did grow on me. It became more evident that she wasn’t blindly optimistic, as many had accused her of being. She had the plan and knew how to put it in place.

I had struggled to adjust to the mostly epistolary nature of book one in this series (Authentically, Izzy) until I read it in a physical format. However, I found it much easier to read Positively, Penelope, even as an e-book, now that I am used to this particular style. It definitely helps break up the narrative when there are emails and texts conveying conversations. Also, it helped keep me interested when there were some sneaky, underhanded things happening (kept vague so no spoilers!). I kind of guessed what was happening, but it still made for an interesting read. Hopefully that helps get you interested to read too! I am very interested in reading Luke’s book next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and I’m leaving an honest and voluntary review.

I recently finished reading (listening to) Authentically, Izzy, book one of the Skymar series, and it was delightful. I was so excited to dive into Positively, Penelope after getting to know Penelope throughout the first book as she offered encouragement and positivity to her cousin, Izzy. I hoped that this book would live up to the fun and romantic atmosphere created in that first novel. Well, I was thrilled to find a story that I loved even more than the first!

Positively, Penelope was the perfect blend of epistolary and in person dialogue. The swoon factor was there in spades, with a grumpy and heartbroken single dad hero, a sweet daughter, and the delightful Penelope who was able to weave her uplifting spirit and love for all things theater into the entire Gray family.

I simply adored this story from start to finish and I must now wrap my mind around the fact that it will be so long until book three, Loyally, Luke, is released next year! It will be a very hard wait!

I believe that readers could pick up Positively, Penelope and enjoy it even if they haven’t read Authentically, Izzy. So, if you are really wanting to dive into this book without having read book one, go ahead, you should be fine. I, however, love reading book series in order when I can. I do think that it is fun to get to know Penelope, Luke, Izzy, and even Josephine through the emails and texts of Authentically, Izzy first. Then enjoy seeing Penelope get a truly swoon worthy happily ever after in this book.

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

Positively, Penelope is “practically perfect in every way.” I loved this delightful, uplifting book! It’s the second book in the Skymar series, and though it can be read as a stand-alone, I totally recommend reading Authentically, Izzy first. Since this story is told mainly in texts and emails, you’ll appreciate knowing what happens in Izzy’s book before you read Penelope’s. That way you won’t get spoilers from her book!

I flew through Positively, Penelope because I just could not stop reading! Penelope’s personality is lovely! She’s always trying to see the best in every situation and person. She loves the theater…especially musicals! Just reading her emails, texts, and dialogue uplifts you! I just completely adored her! I love her family, Izzy and Luke (and Josephine…she is in the book less than the others) with whom she emails and texts. Luke is so funny, and I’m so excited to read Loyally, Luke!

Positively, Penelope has clean, swoon-worthy romance, wonderful characters, laugh-out-loud humor, and an uplifting story. I give this much more than five stars and highly recommend it!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.