#BookRevew: POSITIVELY, PENELOPE by Pepper Basham

“And when someone found hope and joy again after thinking all had been lost, that someone found a way to hold on to them.”

I was highly anticipating reading the sequel to Authentically Izzy, Positively, Penelope, and I was not disappointed. Penelope loves theater and all things Julie Andrews. She is so blessed to have an internship at a family owned theater in Skymar. I also think epistolary novels are a unique and special genre, and I'm glad I'm getting a hang of them.

One of the things I loved most about the book was the relationship between Penelope and her siblings, Luke and Josephine, and her cousin Izzy. They are so close and supportive of each other, and it was a joy to see them interact. I liked that the book explores the themes of family, friendship, love, faith and forgiveness in a heartwarming way. Penelope’s positive attitude was endearing to read and that also drew Matt and his daughter to her. I’d love to try some of her cookies too.

The slow burn and grumpy/sunshine romance between Penelope and Matt was sweet and heartwarming. They were both hesitant to open their hearts to each other, but they eventually found their way to each other.

If you enjoyed Authentically Izzy, I highly recommend checking out Positively, Penelope. It has an enjoyable clean romance with a touch of humor.

Rating: 4.5 stars
Series: Skymar Book 2
Pub date: 01 Aug 2023

Thank you Thomas Nelson--FICTION and #netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Positively Perfect!

This story had it all! I loved getting to visit Skymar again but meeting new and wonderfully charming characters.

We get the same feel from this book as we did from the first in the series, Authentically Izzy. Much of the story unfolds through written correspondence like emails and text messages. But we also get the third person point of view story telling. Ms. Basham blends these techniques so seamlessly that the reader gets carried along in the best way possible.

I was invested in what would happen from the first page to the very last! That doesn't always happen. Sometimes I get bored with an ending of a book but not this one!

I've been inspired to try to make chocolate éclairs now! I've even researched recipes. That's in my agenda for the weekend! If Penelope says they are surprisingly easy, I must give them a go!

The only thing that I can think of that would make this book better is listening to it! I hope to be able to do that once it is released. Izzy was so amazing on audio. I need to hear those accents again!

I do wish to thank Netgalley, Thomas Nelson and Pepper Basham. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A cute book that turns out to be the second in a series; this definitely threw me off in the beginning of the book, the first third of which is told entirely in emails and texts. It probably would've helped to have read Authentically Izzy to introduce me to the Edgewood family and Skymar. Penelope is from a vague part of the Appalachians (I'm thinking North Carolina, but maybe Virginia?) and has gone to the fictional country of Skymar (which reads as being somewhat like Scotland, is in northern Europe somewhere and has its own monarchy) to be an intern at a theater.

It feels very very Hallmark movie--this is not a complaint. She meets the family that owns the theater, falls in love with Matt and his daughter, befriends the grandfather, participates in town events, and saves the failing theater. I really appreciated that Matt wound up being the one to move, not Penelope. I'm vaguely annoyed that she was ready to move to Skymar even after realizing her desire to stay near her family and that it was Matt who had to be like, "No, you shouldn't move here," but still. Basham did a good job laying the groundwork but I was still surprised that it worked out that way.

However, I wish I liked Penelope more. She's just completely over-the-top, in a way that's acknowledged in the book. She's constantly referring to musicals (and I LOVE musicals!) and old movies and talking about what vintage outfit or accessory she wants to wear for what particular activity and singing in the hallways and using exclamation points all over the place. Some of these are things I myself am guilty of. But Penelope is...a lot. It was helpful when the book shifted from epistolary to regular narration, because she became a lot more sympathetic. And I loved her awareness of--and frustration with--people constantly misjudging her because of her constant cheeriness. But it doesn't make her less of a Mary Sue, which she definitely is. I got irrationally annoyed when she found out Matt's full name is Matthias and was like, "So I am going to call him that!" I just...can't.

That said, I wouldn't mind reading the next book in the series, which focuses on Penelope's brother, Luke, who seems like a character I'd be able to much better tolerate. I found his voice throughout the book more enjoyable.

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

“The world could do with a little more kindness and positivity and random acts of singing, don’t you think?” —Penelope

Penelope practically oozes with positivity and creativity. And she’s channeling every ounce she can muster into saving The Darling House theater. With any luck, she just might bring an actual smile to a certain grumpy Mr. Gray’s face. But someone isn’t on board with Penelope’s plans. Mischief, mystery, and mayhem ensue—there’s even a kidnapping too! (Note: Though this book reads wonderfully as a standalone, readers will enjoy it even more after reading Authentically, Izzy.)

An epistolary novel written largely in the form of text and emails, Positively, Penelope is witty, charming, unputdownable, and practically perfect in every way!

*Thank you to @netgalley and @tnzfiction for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Thomas-Nelson Publishing, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review; all opinions are my own.

Genre: Romcom, Sweet Romance, Christian Romance, Proper Romance
Spice Level: Kissing
Format: Multiple POVs, Epistolary with emails and text
Trope: Grumpy Sunshine, Long Distance, He's got a Kid, kinda a May December romance

I'd never read a Pepper Basham novel, and this one was delightful.

I love how Penelope has had heartache but still chooses to be positive. She's often mistaken for being naive, stupid, silly, and basically a ditz. But she really is more.

This is a novel of conquering fear, being your true and best self, and even forgiveness. There are Christian themes and mentions of prayer, but it's a light representation.

The relationships of the characters are great. Luke (Penelope's brother) is one of my favorite secondary characters because he sounds exactly like a brother with snide comments and jokes. By the way, Penelope, who is obsessed with her sibling's twins reminds me of a neighbor—so that made me smile.

We see so much of the dynamic through the emails and texts, and I love this element. However, I still wanted a little bit more prose and dialogue in "real time" to ground me in the romance. This is a delightful romance and a deep dive into the world of Julia Andrews/theater/musicals.

I highly recommend this book!

Happy reading!

#PositivelyPenelope #NetGalley
This is a sequel to Authentically Izzy and the story would make more sense if you read both books in this series. Penelope was quirky and fun. I loved her fettish for Julie Andrews and the Sound of Music, her quotes from movies and that she loved to sing at odd times. Penelope comes to the country of Skymar to intern at a theater, and ends up finding out that it is close to closing down. Penelope decides to try her best to make it thrive. I loved the conversations back and forth between the siblings. How Luke loves to tease his sisters.

This was not the book for me. I liked the premise and the writing was fine but the characters seemed so young and one dimensional and the naivete was unbelievable. I wanted to root for Penelope but she seemed so ridiculous, I just could get past 25%. Maybe this just isn't the right book for me right now. I will try others by the author to give her another go.

I really enjoyed this story! Penelope was one of my favorite parts of Authentically, Izzie, the first book in the Skymar series, and I loved getting to know her better. She is just such a lovely character and I wished I had a friend, relative, neighbor, co-worker, etc.. just like her. I was really drawn to Matt from the beginning, even when he was extra grumpy. The story that was told between those two was an incredible journey (and the kisses 🤏🏻 of course!) I enjoyed seeing more of Luke (can't wait for his story 😍). And Iris and Grandpa Gray were the cherry on the top of a fantastic story! Highly recommend!

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

The description of this book sounded reall y fun - hearing a story through texts and emails. I've enjoyed other books that had parts of the book that shared part of the story in a similar way. I also was interested in Penelope's story. While I did initially enjoy learning more about Penelope and seeing the way her positive outlook influenced the other characters, ultimately I did not enjoy this book and got bored about halfway through. I was glad the whole book was not told through emails, as I felt that it would have left out a lot of context and being able to view different perspectives through different characters' eyes. There are a lot of positive reviews for this book, so I think this just may be a case of it not being the right book for me.

Very cute romcom. The first 25% of the book dragged for me. I was afraid that the entire book would be told via email. I was relieved to see some actual dialog around 25% in. I didn't mind the emails and texts once the dialog was mixed in with it.

I did not read the first book in this series so I was a little confused about some of the references to their world. Most of the "Skymarian" words and names were cheesy in my opinion, but there were a couple that made sense to me and actually sounded like real words.

Typical of Christian fiction there were lots of kissing and make out scenes, but nothing spicy beyond that.

I thought the concept of this book was unique and the story sounded really cute. Unfortunately the story being set all as email to text left me feeling lost. I feel like there was such an opportunity for emotions to better be captured if dialogue had been present. I think this story is cute and enjoyable if you enjoy that sort of format, but unfortunately it was a DNF for me.

This book took me a little bit more time to get into. The format of emails to text messages was a bit much for me. But around chapter 7, it became much easier to read and get into the story. I did not realize that this was the second book in a series, the follow up to “Authenticity Izzy,” so maybe that had something to do with it. (The format is the same in that book, I know because I’m now reading that one too!) However, after I hit that point, I couldn’t put the book down. I love the characters and hearing how they save the Darling House is the best!! This was a wonderful story and it just makes you smile and laugh while reading it!

Such a cute second book! I will say it was harder for me to get into because the formatting of this ARC was a nightmare- why is there a logo every other page??? It was so distracting and made me not want to read this book, but I pushed through because this is one of my most anticipated releases of the summer! It was so cute and just makes me want to recommend this series even more. I love the letter writing/email aspect of this series and it continued to shine in this book. All of the characters in these books are so fun and unique- they may be some of my favorite characters of all time.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book- just please Thomas Nelson change your formatting for these arcs!!

What a delightful sequel! I read “Authentically, Izzy” again to prepare me for reading this book, and I have to say that I love both books so much. A reader could very well read “Positively, Penelope” without having read Izzy’s story, but I am so glad I read them back to back as it made the stories both that much more enjoyable for me. Penelope is a stereotypical bubbly, glass is always half full, lover of all things musicals, theater, and fun. She is a deeply caring person too, and her biggest character trait, beyond her positivity is her loyalty and desire to serve others. Readers will be thrilled to follow Penny as she meets the Gray family and works her magic at their amazing historic family theater. This story took twists and turns I did not expect, and I loved watching it all unfold on the pages. In true Penelope form, this story is filled with family, drama, laughter, tears, miracles, romance, and intrigue. Everything a theater buff would want in a tale, and I think many readers would enjoy as well. I highly recommend this book as a great escape into fiction, and I will be telling my book friends about it, too!

I requested and received a copy of this book for review. The words and thoughts expressed here are wholly my own.

I enjoyed this book immensely! The format was different and fun, the characters were unique and relatable, and the plot kept me engaged to the end. Penelope and Matt's growth throughout the book was so well done. Anyone who enjoys theater references, lighthearted and witty banter, and the grumpy/sunshine trope, will absolutely enjoy this book!

Positively, Penelope was my first foray into stories by author Pepper Basham, but it won’t be my last! What is fun and unique about this book (second in a series…I’ll have to go back and read the first!) is that much of it is told through text, email, and letters.
Penelope is thrilled to accept an internship to revitalize - really, to SAVE - a small town theater. Nothing can get Penelope down…not the Gray brothers (her bosses, one of which is very grumpy), not a mysterious idea thief, not a broken down old theater. She is going to smile and sing her way through life, and infect everyone along her path with her wit, charm, and sunny disposition.
Is it cloudy where you live? Never fear, because Positively, Penelope will bring the rate of sunshine you crave.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but my opinion is entirely my own.

Such an adorable love story. Really enjoyed both books so far. Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own

Last year, I fell head over heels for the wonderful, whimsical story that was Authentically, Izzy. It ended up being one of my favorite reads of the year, and I couldn't contain my excitement when I discovered that the author decided to make it into a series. After loving Penelope's character in the first title, I knew she deserved her own story, and I couldn't wait to dive right in. I was a little worried that I wouldn't end up enjoying this one quite as much, since bookish titles are usually more my style than theatre ones, but I needn't have worried. Pepper Basham has delivered another wonderful rom com style romance that kept me reading way past my bedtime, and had me wanting more and more from these adorable, swoon worthy characters.

Penelope's got a big heart for the world around her, and when a dream internship opportunity has her traveling to Skymar to help bring a beloved theatre back to life, she'll stop at nothing to see her dreams come true. With her heart being torn between two brothers who couldn't be more different, finally getting the opportunity to live her out childhood dreams come to life, and trying to get on top of the dastardly individual who seems determined to steal every one of her marketing ideas, Penelope's Skymar adventure is bigger and grander than she ever could have prepared herself for.

I absolutely adored this title from start to finish, and it's every bit as wonderful and amazing as Authentically, Izzy was. Penelope is such a sweet gal, and I think any reader will find themselves wanting to root for her on her somewhat tipsy turvy way to happily ever after. The author has truly created a literary style paradise setting in the lovely region of Skymar, and I enjoyed how this one dives even more into some of the history introduced in the first book. This entire novel felt like a love letter to classic movies, chick lit, and old fashioned romance, and I never wanted to see it come to an end.

Definitely one of my favorite reads of the entire year so far, and I have no idea how I'm going to wait until next year for Luke's story to release.

Final Rating: 5/5.

I cannot recommend this title enough! Do yourself a favor and not only pick this one up, but also pick up the first book as I can guarantee you won't be disappointed. If you're a fellow lover of epistolary novels, then this is definitely the series for you as quite a large portion of the plot is told through hilarious emails and messages between Penelope and her siblings and cousin, and it made a great story even better in my opinion.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via Netgalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

I ended up reading this book in one sitting which tells you how much I enjoyed it! I did not realize that this was number two in a series but did not feel like I missed a ton by not reading book 1.

Penelope has accepted an internship to help revitalize a small town theater on the other side of the world from her hometown in the Appalachian mountains. Her goal is to bring up their marketing to help increase sales and help the theater survive. Enter Matt and Alec Gray- her "bosses." Matt is Mr. Grump, and Alec is Mr. Sauve. Penelope's character reminded me of Giselle from Enchanted. She is UBER positive, randomly breaks out into song, and legit can't see negative in anything. She ends up breaking Matt by introducing his daughter to princesses and that love can be hard but is WORTH it.

The prose in this book is different than anything I have read before. It is mostly in text messages and emails. The banter between Penelope and her sisters and brother was laugh out loud funny to me. Eventually towards the middle of the book, we end up getting real life perspectives from Penelope and Matt.

This was an extremely light hearted, zero spice, grumpy to sunshine book that I really enjoyed. I found myself smiling throughout the conversations because of how real it felt. I am looking forward to reading Penelope's brother Luke's book which is next in the series.

'Are you sure you want to start a professional relationship with a personal objective to sprinkle fairy dust into the life of a man who may not respond positively to your brand of joy?'

As a reader, yes Luke...we all want Penelope to spread her joy to the grumpiest of men!!!

This book.
All of the stars.
All of the thumbs.
All of the praise.
All of the things.

Perfection. I know no one wants to live up to perfection, but this book truly is perfection.

It's balanced in all things. happiness/grumpiness, hope/doubt, live life fully/coast through life, etc.

If you love witty banter, pop culture references, nods to all the classics (we learn from Luke sometimes the term "classic" means different things to different people... if you know you know -- and believe me, you want to know lol), swoony romance, happiness, hope and perseverance this is the book for you! If I missed something that you would relate to more insert that here:__________ because this book is for EVERYONE and I am convinced that EVERYONE needs this kind of happiness in their life.

Penelope is pure joy. From her theatre background, wardrobe, inner thoughts, dreams and her crazy, good skills she will endear herself to you forever.

The Grays...I'm lumping them all in one because they are such a fun family. And dare I say a real-type family. The kind that even when they don't know what they are doing, lose their way, their zest for life...they are a family through and through.

Luke. Luke gets his own paragraph because who of you out there that have been reading this series is not ready for more Luke. Sarcasm has never come across a page better than with Luke. He is good for the soul.

Get this book and read it for everything that is amazing in this world, because bits of it have been sprinkled throughout like fairy dust...and 'who couldn't use a little more happiness in their life'?

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

Content/triggers: Grumpy/Sunshine, workplace romance, single parent, dream setting, theatre/pop culture references, great dialogue and banter, great friendships, family relationships (some strained some not), romance, kisses only and a good chance you'll laugh out loud multiple times.