This book really kept me guessing as to how it was going to end - and if we were even going to get a HEA. Let’s call it leftover trauma from The Student Prince and Roman Holiday…

I loved how Luke and Ellie got off to a rough start. And I really appreciated the themes of looking beyond the cover and looking at a person’s current actions and behavior instead of the past. I think we could all use those reminders from time to time. I also loved all their moments together and the ways they connected.

I liked that we got to see some further events from Izzy and Penelope. It was a great way to wrap up the series.

** “Love is like magic. When you pour it out on someone, it makes wonderful things happen.” **

Pepper Basham continues the story of the Edgewood family with brother Luke in “Loyally, Luke.”

Luke makes a return visit to the island nation of Skymar, where two of his sisters, Izzy and Penelope, have found love. He has come to use his construction skills to help renovate an orphanage, as well as a few other projects, leading up to Izzy’s wedding.

When he’s paired up with the uppity woman he met in the airport though, he is hesitant — and doesn’t realize what he has gotten himself into, and with whom.

Princess Elliana St. Clare is attempting to repurpose her life after taking some stumbles several years ago. As she redevotes her life to her royal duties and the causes that are important to her, she meets an American contractor that just might work his way into her heart.

Will Luke and Ellie be able to find love while overcoming major obstacles in their lives? Or will they have to face eternal heartbreak?

Written partially in letter form — particularly texts and online news articles — “Loyally, Luke” is filled with funny and romantic moments as well as moments that will allow the reader to pause and evaluate their own dreams and desires, leaving a silly smile on their face.

Basham creates delightfully quirky and adorable characters readers will fall in love with, as well as fills “Loyally, Luke” with some great themes, like bringing light to others; it’s harder to repair than to break things; accepting forgiveness; we all make mistakes but can learn from them (“We all mess up, Ellie. We make stupid decisions that impact us in immediate and long-term ways. But we also have the choice to grow from our mistakes”); having a heart for service; and finding healing from our brokenness.

Fans of epistolary novels like “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” as well as authors like Katherine Reay will love this story.

Five stars out of five.

Thomas Nelson provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pepper Basham for this eARC.

This was a cute and easy read, with nice round characters. And you spend the whole book rooting for Luke and Ellie.
This felt like a Hallmark movie, and if you like that, then this is the book for you

Loyally, Luke is the third novel in the Skymarian series, although the three books (Authentically, Izzy and Positively, Penelope and Loyally, Luke) are billed as standalones. Yes, you could read them solo, but why would you, since they’re all delightful and linked?

Basham invented a small European island kingdom, Skymar, the main setting for all three books, although the Edgewood siblings hail from rural Appalachia in the USA. In this story, Luke, a contractor, agrees to spend a few months in Skymar to update an old castle acting as a current-day orphanage.

While Izzy’s story is almost entirely told in an epistolary style (texts and emails between Izzy, Penelope, Luke, and their older (married) sister, Josephine), the subsequent books have less of this, though the texts still play an important and humorous part of the story.

Readers have grown to love Luke as the common-sense sibling, while his two sisters are totally caught up in romantic novels and movies and are experts in all things Hallmark. They’ve decided it’s Luke’s turn to find love and categorize his every move with the appropriate “beat” in a romance story, even if they have to create their ideal story out of nearly thin air. Even so, the love between the siblings is strong and visible and possibly my favorite part of the story.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this entire non-series. (Seriously, why aren’t they calling it a series? It’s totally a series!) After reading the first installment, my friends and I interviewed Pepper to chat about Positively, Penelope on StoryChats podcast. Now, I had to know how Luke fared in his visit to Skymar with his sisters egging him on!

It did not disappoint. I may have enjoyed it more than the previous two – I did find the unending text conversation in Izzy hard to follow at first, probably due to my small phone screen. By Luke’s story, more of it takes place in real time, which made it easier to follow, for me, at least. There were just enough sibling text exchanges to keep the previous characters involved and to keep Luke motivated.

Poor Luke, so against romance, so absolutely sure he won’t fall for his sisters’ schemes, that falling in love with an incognito princess was priceless and amusing in many ways.

If you enjoy humor and contemporary royalty romance, you’ll enjoy this tale! But you should read them all.

DNF at 31%
The premise on this sounded good but I just couldn't get into it. I'm not sure if it was because it was obvious that I didn't know the characters (covered in previous books) or if I just wasn't feeling the romance or connection. A little bit of Christian romance came in as well and while I am a Christian, I was finding this too much on top of the general sappiness.
Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an ARC in return for my honest review.

A perfect blend of a Hallmark movie, rom com and a fairy tale. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I'm likely to find her other books to read too. The book is a standalone, but I suspect it may be even more enjoyable if you have read her other books. The humor is a great aspect of the story. The texts between the characters are pretty hysterical. The banter between Luke and Ellie was fantastic. The ending was a perfect fit for the story. I really enjoyed the story. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love Luke Edgewood. The long-suffering lone brother. Allergic to anything on the Hallmark channel, practical, and uncannily wise.

The long-awaited third book in the Edgewood siblings series, brings Luke to Skymar to work on saving an orphanage alongside Princess Ellie. Luke has been my favorite since the very first book in the series, in all his flanneled glory and Rambo watching ways. It was so fun to see him begrudgingly stumble into his own fairy tale, his humor is spot on with multitudes of astute quips.

I loved the humor balanced with depth, as well as the amazing bond between the siblings. A delightfully upbeat read, that put a smile on my face repeatedly until my cheeks hurt, but even then I couldn't put it down.

Overall, a wonderfully enjoyable book that I devoured, full of humor, chemistry, and faith. Highly recommend!

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

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, sweet and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

There is so much to love about this story! This is the third in the Skymar series where we find our cinnamon roll MMC traveling to Skymar to take on a big project at a castle. His "meet cute" upon arriving in Skymar doesn't go so well, and of course, the object of his initial experience, Ellie St. Claire, is who he is going to be supervising his project for the next two months. But as chemistry ignites and secrets come to light, is what Luke and Ellie have, impossible?

If you love:
🛠 Flannel references
🛠 Lots of movie drops
🛠 Hallmark-worthy storyline
🛠 Nottinghill vibes
🛠 Poking fun at common tropes
🛠 Royalty
🛠 Faith-filled and Redemption story
Then you will love this book!

I really loved the undercurrent of God being in control throughout this story. Both of the main characters demonstrated their faith in different ways that made their relationship arc extra special. There was a fabulous amount of romantic tension while maintaining respect...a perfect balance.

#BookRevew : LOYALLY, LUKE by Pepper Basham

Epistolary novels were never my thing, but this series has completely changed my mind! The author's writing style is great, and this series unfolds through email and text exchanges among the siblings. It's amazing how much emotion and love can be conveyed in just a few words.

I've been so eager for Luke's story! As the only guy surrounded by sisters, he's a master at navigating the hormonal roller coaster. He can be grumpy one minute and surprisingly sweet the next. Luke meeting a real-life princess? Unbelievable. I applaud him in how he handled the truth though. It wasn’t easy but it showed his true character. Luke and Ellie’s chemistry was amazing. They complement each other well. Despite their different backgrounds, they share the same core values. The Notting Hill scene was absolutely delightful!

Luke’s genuine love for children, his naturally kind personality, and his responsible nature all shone through in this book. His talents were clearly recognized. I enjoyed his tenderness as he connected with Faye and take the initiative to address the needs of the kids at the orphanage. I was truly surprised by the depth of ideas he had for them!

I highly recommend this book and this series. The charming village of Skern provides the perfect backdrop for a heartwarming story filled with humor and genuine emotion. Luke and Ellie's journey had me laughing out loud and reaching for the tissues. It was such a fun read!

Rating: 5 ⭐
Series: Love in the Spotlight Book 2
Pub date: 14 May 2024

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

This book isn't bad it's just not for me. The writing is okay but something about it just didn't click for me.

I received an arc through netgalley.

“I may not be a fan of Hallmark movies, but I sure am a fan of happily ever after for the people I love.”

Ahh Luke! How I’ve waited for his story. This grumpy, curmudgeonly, cinnamon roll of a guy is the perfect dichotomy. He’s a man of few words, often short and sarcastic, but when it comes to a kind, soft, loyal heart, nobody beats Luke. This flannel wearing, hunky carpenter left his comfortable home in North Carolina to travel to the kingdom of Skymar to restore several old buildings including an orphanage. But, he didn’t get any farther than the airport coffee shop before he meets a Grace Kelly lookalike in a meet-cute (though Luke detests that word) that had me laughing. Imagine his surprise when in Hallmark fashion he sees the annoying woman again.

Princess Elliana St. Clare, Duchess of Mara and the North Country is ready to resume her position as a working royal after recovering from a tarnished reputation. When she meets Luke, she’s definitely annoyed by the gruff man, despite his rugged good looks, but she soon changes her opinion when she sees his integrity, kindness to some cute little orphans, and his ability to see others needs and help them. But, Luke’s from America & she has duties in Skymar, could they ever make a relationship work?

I loved this story so much! It has hidden identity, overcoming past mistakes and fears, opposites attract, and a royal twist that makes this so much fun! I loved all the references to action/classic movies and Luke’s funny banter. It was so much fun being in his head and getting to see the kind, caring man behind the gruffness. I also loved hearing from his family members again. It’s less epistolary than previous books mainly because Luke is a man of few words. I loved the balance between story, email, and text.

Ellie was so much fun too! I enjoyed all her fun interactions with Luke. Their funny banter & swoon worthy romance had me grinning from ear to ear.

This book has so much heart! It’s so much better than Hallmark! The charm, inspirational messages, wit, fantastic family dynamics, and sigh-worthy romance were off the charts. I’m hoping the author comes up with more stories in Skymar because I don’t want to let these characters go! Highest of recommendations for this book & the entire series! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author and publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

"Deep down, they communicated something everyone wanted. Everyone hoped to find. Being worthy of someone’s love just as you were. Being enough."

Luke finally got his book, and I was here for it!! Ms. Basham has created a fictional world with wonderful characters and fun banter. These are my people. I thoroughly enjoyed all the Hallmark and sweet fairytale vibes throughout the book. I love Luke and Ellie! I was also glad the story put a nice bow around Penelope and Izzy's love stories, too! It ends with a huge round of happily ever afters. If you need to read or listen to a book that will leave you feeling all happy, then this book is for you!!
*I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers and this is my honest opinion.

Okay! Where to start??? I have been anticipating this book for well, years! I love Luke! I love his honest, strong, light-hearted, true and unwavering character! He did not disappoint! His character was just waiting, most unwillingly for his princess! And she also did not disappoint! I was so involved from the moment they met! I loved it! I loved the setting, the side characters and the joy of this story! Perfect ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this story, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

Thank you NetGalley for giving an advanced copy of "Loyally, Luke" by Pepper Basham, in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited about this book because when I read the synopsis it looked very interesting and cute. When I got to reading, I noticed that I was skimming A LOT. The style of writing didn't really hook me, I noticed I kept drifting off, going on my phone, or just putting it down. I also noticed if a book takes me more than two days to finish...red flag.

To be honest, I was disappointed because the plot is very cute, and it sounded like something I would enjoy, but the execution didn't go through. I particularly didn't enjoy the copious amounts of texting dialogue, I like them here and there, but not when it's a big chunk of the story. I would definitely give the author a second chance, I would like to try more of her books.


I just reviewed Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham. #LoyallyLuke #NetGalley

I dnf this one. The synopsis sounded good but once I got started it was hard to follow with no clear distinction on who's point of view the chapter was in. The writing style isn't for me. The formatting was also really weird which I know could be a thing because it's an arc but it was distracting.

Thank you to @tnzfiction for my early copy of Basham’s new novel, LOYALLY, LUKE.

I enjoyed the secret town setting, where royals can escape and live “normally.”

What didn’t work well for me: large swaths of the story was told via text. Unrealistically long and grammatically correct texts. I prefer to see the story as it unfolds, but texting used as a device to move large portions of the text along just doesn’t work well for me.

Do you text in complete sentences, resembling an email, or do your texts consist of gifs and conversational dialogue?

The third in a series and the icing on the cake of delightfully funny stories taking place in Skymar.
After Luke lands in Skymar and has a meet cute with Ellie in the airport, he texts cousin Izzy and sister Penelope. As usual, meddling Penelope has a runaway imagination and plots the future love life of Luke through romantic fiction tropes and Hallmark movie scenarios, complete with *chimes*. This is a hilarious but heartfelt story. We see just how likeable, loveable and legendary Luke can be when he is just being himself and befriends Ellie, the secret Princess and the workers and kids at the orphanage he is rehabbing.
The texts from Izzy and Penelope are over the top funny and the signature Pepper Basham closet scene has a clever twist. I loved so much about this book including the movie references from The Princess Bride to Jason Bourne to LOTR to Star Wars. And the amusing witty banter and silly trope references to a Happily Ever After were so much fun!
If you are looking for a feel good rom-com that has an uplifting message and a subtle faith thread you cannot go wrong with Loyally Luke. This one is too good to miss.
*I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author and via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*

Loyally Luke
Pepper Basham
Publication date: 5/14/2024
5/5 stars

I have been anxiously awaiting Luke’s story and it was perfect! This book is heartwarming and funny. I found myself wanting to read all day to see how it ends. Pepper Basham does a wonderful job making the characters come to life and making you feel like you are actually part of the family. I loved this book and would highly recommend!

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

I really enjoyed this story! Luke had been a fantastic part of this series, and I was dying for his story. It was as good as I imagined it would be. I loved Ellie as well. Really well-done!

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