If you're looking for a heartwarming, sweet romance that'll leave you with a smile, Pepper Basham's Loyally Luke is the perfect pick. Set in a charming fictional country, this delightful story follows the enchanting journey of a royal princess and a common American, blending witty banter, a slow-burn romance, and an uplifting happily ever after.

From the get-go, the chemistry between Luke and Ellie is palpable. Their interactions are sprinkled with humor and warmth, making their connection feel incredibly genuine. The email exchanges between Luke and his sisters add an extra layer of charm, providing glimpses into his caring personality and deepening the reader's affection for him.

One of the highlights of Loyally Luke is watching both characters grow. Ellie had made some mistakes in her past, issues that became quite public, and caused her to retreat from royal duties. As she struggles with the press's scrutiny, and Luke wrestles with his growing affection for someone he believes is not an option for him romantically, the story becomes even more compelling. Luke and Ellie discover the importance of embracing love, realizing that it makes them stronger together. Their journey is not just about falling in love but also about learning and growing as individuals, which is beautifully portrayed.

The ending is everything you could hope for in a romance novel—hopeful and heartwarming. Pepper Basham has truly crafted a gem with Loyally Luke, a story that's sure to captivate anyone who believes in the power of love.

In short, Loyally Luke is a delightful escape into a world where love conquers all. It's a must-read for romance lovers who enjoy a blend of humor, heart, and a dash of royal charm. Don't miss out on this sweet, uplifting tale.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

*I received a gifted copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*

I absolutely adored this book!! The Skymar series has been such a treat to read and Loyally Luke was so much fun. This is book 3 in the series. While each book could technically be read as a standalone, I really recommend reading the series in order because you do catch up with the characters from the past books quite a lot. Luke is such a kind and dependable guy. I loved that he finally got to fall in love in this one!

One of my favorite parts about this series is that it is often told through text and emails. It is such a fun and unique addition to these books. It really allows me to get immersed into the story and make me feel as if I am talking to the characters. Pepper Basham writes in a way that makes you never want to stop reading. Her characters are so much fun, so relatable, and hilarious situations are sure to ensue. Despite Loyally Luke having the ability to have me literally laugh out loud, there is also so much heart to this book.

Luke and Ally’s relationship almost starts out as an enemies to lovers situation. I was right there beside Penelope kicking my feet and giggling at all the trope-y situations they fell into. Their relationship turns so sweet!! The way they care for the children of Skymar but also in the way they respect each other throughout the book was just so kind and meaningful. I really loved all the characters in this book (Penelope is my GIRL and I loved getting to catch up with her life)!

I mostly read this one through audiobook format and let me just say the narrators were perfection! This book had multiple narrators for different character POVs and it just added to the story all the more. I’m pretty picky when it comes to audiobooks but I really enjoyed this one.

Overall, I just loved Loyally Luke! It was such a fun and sweet story. I couldn’t get enough of the characters. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet, no spice, romcom!

After reading Penelope's story, I was excited to see what would happen with Luke and I was not disappointed! This was such a cute story! The struggles that Luke and Ellie faced were relatable and it was fun to see them overcome obstacles and grow together.

4.5 stars

I really really really really want to live in Skymar!! Or at least visit :)

I expected Luke to have a tough story but sheesh!!! This was HARD! And DEEP! And I connected to it much more than I ever expected. I loved Luke in Izzy and Penelope’s books. He’s just as good in his own. While I don’t normally relate to guy characters in books, I do share Luke’s affinity for the cold and his hatred of attention.

As someone who has found herself in circumstances that seem to have two options at impossible odds with each other, I could feel the hopelessness and tension in Luke and Ellie’s situation. I also appreciate the wisdom and perspective that is offered to them by people who can see more clearly. And I very much appreciated that they made the hard choices. So many times in books the characters do what “feels right” and what “makes them happy”. Luke and Ellie choose what they know to be right despite how it feels or what it means for them. And yet, it’s still a great book!!!!

Setting this book in a CASTLE ORPHANAGE just makes me want Skymar even more. Dang! There are so many good moments in this book but two of my top ones are Luke’s conversation with Faye 😍🥺 and the car conversation between Gordon and Nessa 😂😂 They are too funny in general.

Also, I want to know if Pepper Basham actually watches all the action/guy movies that are sprinkled throughout or if she asked the guys in her life for help there. I mean, Hacksaw Ridge?!

3 ⭐️

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for my copy.

I wanted to love this but I just couldn’t get into it. I really struggle with the email and text message format, and I was relieved there was less here than earlier books in the series, but even so, it didn’t hook me.

Other reviews are glowing so this is clearly a me problem! I might give this series another try down the road.

Title: Loyally, Luke
Author: Pepper Basham
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Dear Reader,

My name is Luke Edgewood, and there are few things in life that I require. Mainly black coffee. And flannel. And lots of solitude. And my dogs, Chewy and Indie. What I don’t need is romance, so I have no plans to change my thirty-year-old bachelor status anytime soon.

But my youngest sister thinks that by accepting a short-term construction job in the small European country of Skymar, I’m going to follow along in her footsteps and discover my own romantic adventure. Nope. Bah humbug. The End. This time, her rom-com-movie senses are totally wrong.

Or maybe not. Because I’ve met a Grace Kelly look-alike who is annoying . . . until she isn’t. But she is impossible. As in, nothing can happen between us because she is a literal princess. Even though that’s easy to forget when we’re working together to restore a castle-like orphanage in a secluded mountain town and “forced proximity” includes a small closet, a secret one-hundred-year-old journal, and the tactile memory of an off-limits royal in my arms.

Basically, the whole situation has turned into an ooey gooey magical snow globe of romantic tropes complete with cute kids and an actual ball. Now, even my sentences are starting to sound like mush. Ugh. Send high levels of testosterone my way—I’m going to need it.

Loyally,

Luke

Honestly, the format of the book—a solid chunk of it is text message transcripts and emails—aggravated me enough that I almost stopped reading early on, but then I got a grip and pushed through. This was a sweet read, and I loved how faith was just a part of the characters’ lives without it being made a big deal out of. This was a quick weekend read and would be a good vacation read.

Pepper Basham lives in North Carolina. Loyally, Luke is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

A fairytale love story that is sure to make you smile! I Secret royalty and flannel wearing carpenters that touched on so many romantic tropes, but not in a cheesy or over done way complemented the deeper story lines of forgiveness, redemption, and hope. The religious nuances were perfect and gave the reader a deeper sense of connection to the characters. Highly recommend if you like a feel good, Christian, closed door rom-com.

I haven't read the previous two books in this series, but always enjoy a Pepper Basham book and picked this one to read.

It might have helped to read the first two, but it was easily understood and a romantic stand-alone, too. Luke is flown from Mt. Airy, NC across the sea to help repair a cabin. And finds there is a secret project at an orphanage. I love all the Hallmark movie references and the texts between Luke and his sisters is highly entertaining. It's a fun, sweet romance and the characters are cleverly crafted.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Pepper Basham’s Skymar series is fun and delightful and very romantic. Every reader of the first two books in the series has been waiting for Luke’s story. Basham delivers BIG in this book featuring the gruff and manly Luke Edgewood finally falling for, of all things, a real princess. Luke and Ellie’s scenes are fabulous and I was so invested in their growing relationship. Some of my favorite scenes are those where Basham lets us hear just what Luke is thinking! I found myself laughing out loud or reading a portion to whoever happened to be in the room with me.

Basham has done a masterful job with the relationships between characters, their conversations and their banter. She includes entertaining conversations between Luke and Ellie, Ellie and her good friend, and Luke and his siblings. These interactions held me captive to the story. Love!!

This book might be enjoyed as a stand-alone, but reading the series in order will definitely add to the enjoyment of the novels. Characters which are introduced in the first book are integral parts of the second and third books.

I not only read this book but have listened the audio version. The narration featuring various voices is wonderful. Whether you read or listen, you will consider your time well-spent!

I have thoroughly enjoyed every visit to Skymar and know I will return with re-reads!!

| Story Review |

Ellie St. Claire may be trying to change her ways, but one run-in with Luke Edgewood brings out a cattiness in her that she can’t tame in the moment. Luke was stopped in his tracks at how beautiful she was, but all Ellie saw was someone studying a misbehaving princess and looking for a scoop. While their first meeting may have them butting heads, their second meeting determines they’re on exactly the same page. Luke flew in from the states to work on restoring parts of an orphanage in the European country of Skymar. He never thought the woman he had a semi-hostile (on her part) introduction to would be the one overseeing the project, that she would be a princess, or that he would have to fight a fierce attraction to her.

One of the best parts of this book were Luke’s texts with his family. This is how the story kicks off, and it’s a continuous thread throughout. Though Luke insists he’s not looking for love, they read through his evasiveness right away, and when they find out that it’s Ellie, Princess of Skymar, that he’s falling for, they have his romantic royal story written before it’s even begun. But Luke knows he’s not built for the spotlight that royal life brings, and with Ellie returning to work as a full-time royal, moving to this new country is not a sacrifice he’s willing to make. Not with his parents back in the states. But the more he gets to know Ellie, the less sure he is of his life’s direction - something he thought was set in stone. I loved the way Luke turned to God when he was unsure about things, and the way he guided Ellie in the same way. While he was pretty decisive, he was willing to be flexible as things progressed, and they moved forward at a slow burn pace that I appreciated. There was really time for Luke and Ellie to get to know each other in this story. This was a Hallmark movie come to life (though Luke would argue otherwise,) and that brand played a big part in the texts going on with Luke's family.

I also enjoyed the secondary characters in this story. The orphans steal the reader’s heart right away, along with Luke’s and Ellie’s, and the meddling townsfolk were such a wonderful addition. They added a ‘Notting Hill’ element that made reading it so much fun. And, of course, Luke’s family that I mentioned earlier. Though they weren’t there, the conversations really let us in on who Luke was and how much he loved his family. Ellie had a text thread with one of her friends, as well, and it filled us in on her past and what she was trying to overcome in the eyes of her country.

My only criticism was that this did seem to drag on a bit with the ‘oh, there are too many reasons to stay apart’ to ‘but how can we live without each other?’ scenarios that we went back and forth with a few too many times. I would have liked to see them really stick to this, and then have them reunite that final time. But even with that, I enjoyed this story.

Loyally, Luke ends the Skymar series, but getting to know Luke’s family from their texts really makes me want to get to know them better. I will definitely be going back to read the previous books, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for what Pepper Basham releases next!

| Narration Review |

Loyally, Luke was narrated by Christopher Ashman, K.C Sheridan, Kathleen McInerney, Natalie Duke, Gary Furlong, Caitlin Davies, and Mhairi Morrison. I’m not familiar enough with these narrators to know who narrated what character(s), but I can say that this was a wonderful cast. They brought even more life to a wonderfully written story, and I’m so glad I read this via audio. I think the texts, especially, were highlighted with this method of reading. It really captured the squee element his family clearly had while Luke was falling for Ellie. If you have the chance, I would recommend reading this via audio.

Luke Edgewood! I thoroughly enjoyed Loyally, Luke as it concluded the Skymar series. Each book in the series has its own charm that makes it a fantastic series together and fuzzy feel-good books separately. Together they are connected by a set of siblings (including Izzy as the cousin adopted as a sibling) and the amazing country of Skymar, which I do wish I could book a plane ticket to go see. Luke makes for such a down to earth main male character who tries to act grumpy but really isn't. We see right through him. Then there is Ellie, who's got a not so great past reputation to overcome and some secrets she is keeping from Luke so she can feel "normal" for once.

I loved how so many cheesy romance book/movie things happened but Luke pointed out the cheesiness. Even as he was falling for Ellie, he's like whoa I'm a total sap. Something about that was so funny to me. I guess because it helped the story feel more real, even as he's falling for a secret princess. Like yeah it was sappy but even the male main character was scoffing at the sap. All the references to the Hallmark chimes sent me. Poor Luke was swimming in the Hallmark references his sister Penelope kept bringing up. Also, that part where Luke thought he might have to fight a king just cracked me up.

I would definitely recommend Loyally, Luke as well as Authentically, Izzy and Positively, Penelope.

Having read Positively, Penelope and Authentically, Izzy about Luke and his sisters, it was a pleasure to reunite with Luke and his family again in this novel that has the same style that includes email exchanges between siblings. Luke’s anguish is evident as he embarks on an incredible journey into the world of princesses and castles in this endearing and charming story with hilarious situations and dialogue that made me laugh aloud. You won’t want to miss this tale that has a satisfying ending that will make you smile inside and out.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

Review to come.

Love the cover✔️
Interesting description ✔️
New Author to me ✔️

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC ❤️

I absolutely LOVED this book! This book was fantastic! The storyline in my opinion was a cross between a Hallmark movie and The Princess Diaries movies which are two of my favorite things! Luke Edgewood is a simple guy who loves his flannels, his dogs, and of course black coffee. He ends up going over to a country called Skymar for a short-term construction job at one of their orphanages. He then ends up meeting the princess of Skymar, Ellie who is wonderful. Their two characters fit perfectly together. Also Luke's sisters really want him to end up with Ellie. (I won't spoil if he does or does not). The text messages between Luke and his sisters were some of my favorite parts. I highly recommend this book as it has forced proximity, humor, and of course romance.

This book had a bit of a slow start for me, but once I got a bit more settled into the world the author had created, I had a pretty good time. This book just wasn't anything too special in my opinion, but that doesn't mean it's not good. It's a great read for people who love hallmark movies and the magic that comes with those.

This was a cute story, very enjoyable, but a bit convoluted for me. I didn't like the 7se of text messages to tell the story, I much prefer descriptive text. It got difficult to keep the characters separated and was m7ch too busy for me.

Pepper has such an incredible gift for writing light and hope. Her stories aren’t saccharine sweet, but deal with real challenges (like coming from two TOTALLY different worlds) while still keeping readers from being dragged down Just what I needed this week.
You do not have to read the two prior books to enjoy them, but you’ll love Luke’s character the most if you do.
Seriously, all the tropes but played out in delightfully funny and heart warming ways: grumpy/sunshine, royal/commoner, forced proximity, grumpy meet cute, small town, “chime” moments Just delightful.
And? Luke is a devout believer. His hopes, plans, and responses are all brought before God with no apology and no aggression.
Bottom line? Read the whole series.
Oh - and five million points for the movie quote humor! 🤣❤️

A royal romance. I liked how it was told from both points of view and the chats Luke had with his sisters, but I did find it quite slow to get in to.

Luke Edgewood is a master craftsman. He loves to make old places like new. He is in Skymar to renovate a place for a friend and in the process was asked to draw up plans to help renovate a kitchen for an orphanage. He likes a good cup of coffee, fishing and peace a quiet. Elliana, Princess of Skymar has been trying to rehab her life. She's made some bad choices but has found the solitude she needs to make amends. A chance meeting at the airport with coffee being spilled, leaves both of them with the wrong impression. Never thinking they will see each other again. Little did they know the fates has other plans. Luke has come to admire and respect Ellie and she has come to feel safe around him. When he learns she is a true Princess, he's thrown for a loop. He knows he can't stay in Skymar and she can't leave. Trust her parents to set a course for true love. By the way, I love the banter through text messages between Luke and his sisters.

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

I loved Luke’s story! Following the third sibling to Skymar - Luke takes in a job to remodel parts of a an orphanage in a castle. He becomes really good friends with one of the leaders of the group and feels like maybe there could be a relationship brewing - until he finds out she’s the princess! They try to stop their budding relationship because she can’t leave Skymar and he can’t leave his family in NC. A book fit for a Hallmark movie!