The synopsis for Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham sounded exactly like a story I would love, but the execution fell flat.

Part of what didn’t work for me were the constant text threads with characters who weren’t part of the actual story. These texts didn’t always serve the plot and could have been omitted. The conversations in the text threads rarely felt like they would happen in real life.

The other part that didn’t work with me was the romance, particularly because the characters almost came off like caricatures rather than believable people. Luke had an obsession with being manly to the point where it made his character one dimensional and unlikeable.

The romance was also very surface-level. It was hard to believe these two were in love or would make such big life changes for one another after such a short time together; time that often wasn’t quality time.

I would only recommend this book to people who have read and enjoyed the first two books in the series. You might enjoy the text exchanges more because (I believe) they’re between characters from the previous stories.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.


2 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️

Luke Edgewood has no desire for romance. Call him a grump, but the last woman he fell in love with wanted him to change everything about himself. As a man with two sisters and a sister-like cousin, Luke feels perfectly at home in a woman’s world. He even puts up with references to Hallmark movies, happy endings, and all that gooey-gushy stuff women seem to crave. But when magical moments mean he must change who he is? No, thank you.

He'd rather stick to his small-town carpentry and renovation business. An occasional trip to Skymar, a small island kingdom across the pond, adds variety and spice to his life. And then he bumps into Grace Kelly (well, her look-alike) when he lands in Skymar. Miss Snooty accuses him of stealing her coffee (the barista made a mistake), and sparks fly.

Once he extricates himself from the disaster, he can face his next hurdle—renovating a quiet cabin in the mountains and bidding for a project at one of Skymar’s orphanages. Unfortunately, the project leader at the orphanage is Grace Kelly’s doppelganger.

What has Luke gotten himself into?

When Princess Elliana St. Clare, Duchess of Mara and the North Country, shows up to talk to the new contractor, she discovers the coffee thief. He’s also a Luddite—the only man in the kingdom of Skymar who stays off social media and doesn’t know her real identity. She can live with that. After spending three years in seclusion, Ellie knows she’s ready to return to her kingdom as a working royal. Her path to self-discovery has made her stronger, but as she learns more about Luke, she realizes traveling companions make the journey easier.

Not just any companion, but a handsome, kind, generous, loving, and incredibly spark-inducing companion. As a working royal, she has responsibilities to her people and her family.

What has Ellie gotten herself into?

Why I Loved This Book

Told through narration and epistolary texts between characters, Basham takes readers on a rollicking ride through the life of a royal. Filled with tongue-in-cheek romance tropes, Disney and Hallmark moments, and a self-centered villain, readers who love all things comedic and romantic will fall in love with Luke and Ellie.

Fans of Courtney Walsh and Emma St. Clair will love Loyally, Luke in this sparkling Cinderfella story.

Totally adorable just as I expected. After loving the two previous books in the Skymar series, this one at the top of my TBR and it did not disappoint! It’s completely charming with several laugh out loud moments and scenes that put a smile on my face throughout. A sweet and hilarious read!

I received an early copy of this as a member of the Launch Team but I also have pre-ordered my own copy for my keepers shelf. All thoughts are my own.

I confess that I was quite worried about this one... I made the mistake requesting a copy of Loyally, Luke without realizing it was actually book three of a series; a series I of course hadn't started yet. Still, I loved the sound of the blurb, so I decided to read the first book before this ARC to avoid spoilers. And surprise, surprise! I somehow didn't get along with the first book at all... The fact that it was actually Christian fiction took me by surprise, and I wasn't a fan of most of the characters. I did like Luke though, so I still had hope for this third book. And while I enjoyed Loyally, Luke slightly better than the first book, I've come to the conclusion that this author simply isn't for me.

First of all I have to stress that part of the issue most definitely has to do with the fact that Christian fiction and me usually don't get along, as I'm not a fan of religion in my stories. While I can't deny that it's not too overpowering in Loyally, Luke, it still was too much for me personally. I confess that had I known it was Christian fiction beforehand, I probably wouldn't have requested it... I guess that teaches me to investigate better before hitting that button. I do have to say that I really enjoyed the fictional Skymar setting and its descriptions really made it come alive for me. It made me wish I could visit or even move there; it sounds beautiful!

Like the first book, Loyally, Luke is part epistolary, although mostly in the form of texts this time around. Initially this was such a great touch, although it could be come a bit tedious over time as there is a LOT of this writing style incorporated into the plot. I did like the growing connection between Luke and Ellie, and their banter was great. I was less charmed by some of Luke's sisters and their meddling behavior; like in the first book, it was just way too much and really started to grate me. Certain aspects were also considerably repetitive... I mean, we get that they can't be together in the long run, but do we really have to read about it over and over and over?!

As for the characters... Like I said before, I mostly liked Luke and Ellie, but especially Luke's sisters were extremely frustrating. In fact, most of the background characters were so much easier to warm up to! I can't deny that the growing connection between Luke and Ellie was great though, but I could have done without the repetition and overdose of romance tropes. Also, how many times does Luke have to repeat turning to his manly movies and actions because he feels threatened by romance? It really got old fast.

As a whole, I did like Loyally, Luke better than the first book, but I won't be continuing this series. I've come to the conclusion that this author's writing simply isn't a good fit for me, and I will be leaving the Skymar visits up to readers that will appreciate it more. If you like Christian fiction, a royalty angle and lots of romance tropes, Loyally, Luke will be a great fit for you.

Authentically, Izzy was one of my top reads of 2023 and so, when I received the approval email from NetGalley for Loyally, Luke, I was ecstatic!

Luke and Ellie are just the cutest of main characters and I absolutely adored their witty banter and sweet romance, as well as their hearts for God, family, and children—especially orphans.

The story brimmed with small village charm, endearing characters, and heartfelt messages that kept me smiling throughout. And though the story did start off a little slow to me, it picked up around 37% and I found myself not wanting to put it down and at the end sad to say goodbye to Luke and Ellie (Pepper Basham, can we please have one more?!).

5 Stars -- I loved it!

Loyally , Luke
Pub Date: May 14
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reading this book felt like watching a Hallmark favourite😍 while cosying up with ur blanket and hot cocoa. ☕
😌🤗😌🤗😌🤗

Elliana St. Clare Princess of Skymar, 👸🏼 Duchess of Mara and the North Country.
Luke Edgewood is an American carpenter and stonemason. 🪚
Both are from totally different and opposite worlds but fate put them together when he came to the village of Crieff to help fix up a castle which is an orphanage and which Ellie is the main overseer of the project.

Luke doesn't want to fall in love and Ellie is focusing on herself and on her work to get reinstated as a working royal. So any distractions would only complicate things but from the moment they met, there was an immediate spark and attraction they cannot possibly deny.
Would they be able to cross their different worlds and meet in the middle or is it doomed to end?

Get ready for a cosy romantic story where you will find your favourite troops such as:
Friends To Lovers 💘
Opposite Attracts😎
Workplace Romance 🪚👸🏼
Cinnamon Roll Hero 😇
Kissing only 💋

Loved this book it was light and simple and full of joy and hope and reading it felt like walking into a fairytale.
Luke Edgewood is one of the most amazing characters I've read recently and I really hope there are men like him out in the world.
I loved how the author showed us the characters from the previous 2 books and that they were mentioned properly in the story not just glimpses.
It was really lovely and I highly recommend it. ❤️❤️❤️
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you so much to @netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of #LoyallyLuke in exchange for my honest review.


Xoxo 💋

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book as much as all of Pepper Basham's other books!

I have ADORED the Skymar series so far and i have been waiting for what feels like forever for Luke's story. Imagine my excitement when I was approved for an E-ARC on netgalley and i got to return to the world of Skymar sooner than i thought. I didn't love this one as much as the other two but it was still really enjoyable. It was a 3.5 rounded up. I will definitely miss this world!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

What a great Christian romance. This book was so sweet and had plenty of humor. Great love story!

I LOVED this book!! I can't stop thinking about the incredible love story between these two characters. I would definitely recommend this book to others and read it again myself.

Luke Edgewood – the ultimate laid-back dude who's all about black coffee, flannel shirts, and chilling with his pups Chewy and Indie. Romance? Nah, not his thing. But when his sis ropes him into a gig in Skymar, she's convinced he's gonna find his happily ever after. But then he meets this total Grace Kelly look-alike who's equal parts annoying and intriguing. Oh, and did I mention she's a legit princess? Despite the royal roadblocks, sparks start flying as they team up to fix up an orphanage, and suddenly Luke's questioning everything he thought he knew about love.

Ellie and Luke totally rocked as the main characters in this book! They brought so much fun and excitement to the story. Luke's sarcasm? Seriously hilarious! And his connections with all the awesome women in his life – his sisters, cousin, and especially Ellie – are just the best.
And, Ellie? She's a total sweetheart. A princess on a mission to fix her reputation, she goes on this epic journey of self-discovery. And Luke's there every step of the way, cheering her on and helping her figure out who she really is. They're like the ultimate duo, and I couldn't get enough of them!

I gotta say, the sibling dynamic in this book is top-notch. The love and support between Luke and his sisters are just heart-melting. And those group chat conversations? Hilarious! However it might feel like the story jumps around a bit with all the text message exchanges, but it still kept me entertained.

What I loved most about this book is how real it felt. It doesn't try to be anything it's not – just a light-hearted romp filled with faith, hope, and a whole lot of laughs. It's like a cozy movie night with your besties, complete with popcorn and all the warm fuzzies.

This book is like a breath of fresh air – a sweet and heartwarming romance that'll definitely hit the spot for fans of Hallmark movies.

What a great Royal Romance which also had great character development, I loved this book from start to finish.
It started off as a slow burn where you got to see each character deal with their own struggles but through various events and working together they each see ways of helping the other and their friendship blossoms into romance.
it was fun to read the text messages which were exchanged between Luke and his sisters and the relationship they had.
For anyone who loves a Royal Romance with a Hallmark feel then this is the book for you and Scotland was the perfect setting.
Although light on faith content it was still there which only added depth to the story.
Thank you to Net Galley and Pepper Basham for an ARC Copy of this book to honestly review all opinions are my own and I can not wait to read more from this author.

What a delicious conclusion to the Skymar series! Reluctantly romantic Luke finally finds the perfect woman - but she’s socially and geographically on the other side of the ocean. I love seeing him tackle this dilemma in a series of increasingly frank texts with siblings Izzy and Penelope (who are themselves well-acquainted with hurdles of the heart). Bottom line, real love is choosing to do what’s best for someone, no matter the cost. Luke shows his devotion to Ellie by doing exactly that…even though it breaks her heart and his. But wait!…with a bit of royal pixie dust, this may yet have a happy ending! I am obsessed with Pepper’s wonderful country of Skymar and wish I could live there myself. I was privileged to receive an early copy of this gem via NetGalley, and was not required to post a review.

I was lucky enough to read an ARC of this book via NetGalley. This is a clean, Christian romance which I thoroughly enjoyed. I had not read the previous 2 books in the series but don't think it hindered my enjoyment and now I want to read those as well. Read this if you enjoy movie quotes, references to all the romance tropes with good natured bantering siblings. Overall a solid 4 star romance that is clean.

I've been anxiously awaiting Luke's story for so long, and alas it's finally here. Authentically, Izzy and Positively, Penelope have easily become two of my favorite books of all time, and I couldn't wait to see how Skymar was also going to go about changing Luke's life in ways he never could have expected. In fact, I was so excited for this title that I picked it as my number one most anticipated release for this year. After finishing it, I can wholeheartedly say that Pepper Basham has given readers another adorable, swoon worthy romance full of heartfelt moments, adorable meet cutes, Hallmarkesque vibes, and a lovely faith element that draws the whole story together.

Luke has watched the country of Skymar change his sisters' lives in ways he never could have expected, and yet he's honestly not expecting the same from his work travel to the country. When the opportunity comes to help restore a beloved orphanage, Luke's not prepared for the effect it or the lovely woman helping with it will have on his heart. Ellie's known nothing but living in the public eye her entire life, and finds it refreshing when the new carpenter knows nothing about her royal heritage. When their heartwarming friendship starts to grow into something more, reality sets in when her status is revealed. Can a royal princess and a flannel wearing carpenter truly ever find happily ever after outside of the Hallmark movies that Luke's little sister is always raving about?


Loyally, Luke was a wonderful read that spoke of family, faith, friendship, and romance, and gave a wonderful illustration of the message that above all, God says we are beloved no matter what anyone else may think. Pepper Basham's writing continues to be witty, engaging and endearing, and she's truly becoming one of my absolute favorite voices within Christian fiction.

I will say that I still enjoyed the previous two titles a teensy bit more than this one, and that was primarily because I found this one to get a little repetitive in the middle, and I wished it had been written more in the epistolary style like its predecessors.

Still a fantastic story however, and a lovely wrap up to the Skymar trilogy.

Final Rating: 4/5.

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 have been waiting for Luke Edgewood's story since I read the first book in the Skymar series, and it was everything I hoped it would be. Pepper Basham has a talent for writing fun quirky characters and the situations they find themselves in, but Loyally, Luke is my favorite!

Readers can revisit the repeating cast of characters with Izzy and Penelope and all their funny texts and emails with Luke, but his sarcastic and witty responses steal the show.
I love his male point of view. Case in point, "I am not in one of your candy heart-flavored movies. Goodbye Penelope."
And Penelope is as delightful as ever, "Never underestimate the heartbreak of fictional characters."

From Luke and Ally's first meet-cute until the satisfying happy ever after I was smiling, laughing and cheering them on. Luke said it best,

"And maybe that was why all those silly movies ended up sticking with people. Deep down they communicated something everyone wanted. Everyone hoped to find. Being worthy of someone's love just as you were. Being enough."

I highly recommend Loyally, Luke for readers of romantic comedy and romances too. I appreciate Thomas Nelson making a copy of Loyally, Luke available for review. All thoughts and opinions are my very own.

After loving the first book in the series, I decided to skip the second book and go straight for the third because I couldn’t wait to read Luke’s story. It was every bit as cute as I thought it would be, with all of the silly tropes and Hallmark references. I just adored Luke. If I had one small complaint, it would be that it felt a little repetitive at times.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

truth be told the only reason i started this book is because the name Luke and the flannel shirts reminded me of Luke from Gilmore Girls and we LOVE luke. also the country of Skymar felt a lot like Stars Hollow but make it European. So any GG fan can understand why i wouldn't wanna give up on this one even after it had somewhat of a slow start and took long before it picked up so i just fastened my seat belt and decided to go on the metaphorical long drive hoping it would be worth my while. And it was. Oh my God. Luke and Ellie were so Luke and Lorelai coded i could cry. This is my second rom-com of the year and it served. atp i feel like maybe there's something about european rom-coms that american rom-coms just simply dont have no matter how much they try, they dont serve the way the europe-based rom-coms do. The plot is perfect for a movie adaptation that u could release around both valentine's and christmas because it just seems appropriate. There were so many romcom references and meet cutes and WAY TOO MANY LOL MOMENTS, like honest-to-god lols. there were simply no cons about this one except that it could've been shorter but thats hush given all the pros. So go with an open heart and im sure you too will fall in love with skymar just like I did.


THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHERS FOR THE E-ARC.

This story features Luke, who is going to Skymar to do some work. Running into Ellie doesn't leave a good first impression to either of them. Learning they are working on the same project haves them learning to get along and become friends. We have the continued dialog between Luke, Izzy, Penelope and Josephine, as well as the friendship with Luke and Ellie, whom he doesn't know is a princess. This story takes place a few month before Izzy's wedding. Thoroughly enjoyed the witty banter back and forth and learning more about Luke. This series is wonderfully done and the text dialogue takes it over the top. I really hope to see more of this in future stories from this author.

A complimentary copy was provided by Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. A review was not required and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! This was the first book of this series I’ve read instead of listened to in audio form. I was a bit concerned that it would be harder to follow reading it, but I was wrong. In some ways reading it made it seem even more ‘real.’ This book had me laughing, swooning, dreaming & thinking. This book illustrates how God can make the impossible possible & how he can use past mistakes or poor decisions for our good in the end even when we don’t understand. I enjoy being able to catch up with characters from the other books & have an ‘inside’ view of what is going on in their lives.