Another adorable rom-com to start off spring and summer reads. This was a perfect opposites attract story with an adorable meet cute. A carpenter flys to a different country for a few months only to accidentally spill coffee on a princess at the airport with whom he is going to be working with while in her country. I flew through this audiobook, listening to it in one work day! Multiple pov each narrated by someone different which kept my attention the whole time. Also, I want to shout out the sibling bond in this one between the sisters and Luke. It makes me want to go back and read the first two books about the sisters.

This is a self-aware hallmark movie book. Incredibly enjoyable and will leave you with all of the warm and fuzzies. Be sure to check out the audiobook. Great cast with fantastic accents.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.

Loyally Luke is book #3 in the Skymar series and was a sweet, wholesome, fairytale romance.
I read this as a stand alone and do not feel as though you need to read the previous two books to enjoy this one.

🌶️-0/5 , I think they kissed three times in this book. If you’re looking for any kind of spice, this is not your book.

Overall this was a quick, light, feel-good read with likable characters. Luke is especially swoon-worthy. 😍

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Luke takes a carpenter job in Skylar,a country in Europe. There, he meets a princess but doesn't know she is a princess. This is a Cinderella story with a man as the MC. This was a fun audiobook to listen to.
Many thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollins Christian Audio for an audio ARC of this book for an honest review.

3.75 ⭐️

Loyally, Luke was a very sweet book. Luke was your typical manly-man (gruff, short-spoken, carpenter) and Ellie was a princess-in-hiding trying to fix her past reputation. They’re working on renovating an orphanage together in Ellie’s home country of Skymar, and fall for each other in the process.

I really loved Luke helping Ellie with her “regular person” bucket list and the way he treated the kids who lived in the orphanage. And I loved Ellie for being a hard worker and so down to earth.

What I didn’t love was the heavy-handedness of the traditional gender roles and masculinity. I know with a Christian publishing imprint that the book will be squeaky clean with only a bit of kissing, which I don’t mind at all. But in the year 2024, I find it totally unnecessary for the men to be so against romance movies that just thinking about one means it’s time to watch Rambo to cleanse it from his mind - men are allowed to have emotions and enjoy a good romance. The whole romance genre was made fun of A LOT for a book in that genre, and it really detracted from the story for me. Many Christians have accepted this nowadays, and we don’t need to continue writing books like values are the same as they were in the 1950s.

The narrators for Luke and Ellie were great, no issues at all. The narrators for the sisters were just okay; they had very high pitched voices that were probably meant to convey a lot of excitement because every exchange with them had a lot of squealing, but in reality it just came across a bit hard on the ears.

Overall, it was a cute book, and without the overly-masculine traits of Luke or the shaming of romance movies, I would’ve given it 4.25 ⭐️ because I’m a sucker for the princess falling for the commoner trope.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing/Thomas Nelson Fiction for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh man, I adore grumpy Luke. Of course both Luke and Ellie start out on the grumpy side. Their meet cute isn't all that "cute". Talk about starting off on the wrong foot. Doesn't take too long for them to begin to see the good in each other though.
I have both read the book and listened to the audiobook and found both ways enjoyable. I'm pretty sure I've never before listened to an audiobook with seven narrators to depict all the voices though. It was a fun way to do it.
I love Luke's relationship with his sisters. Their text conversations are pretty fun especially being depicted in their own voice. This book had a better balance of narrative to text/email communication than the second book. I enjoyed it this way more.
I enjoyed the gentle poking fun at itself in this romance. Every step of the relationship could all be part of a romcom or Hallmark movie that Luke claims to despise so much. And yet he can see all the tropes playing out in his life. "chime"
I haven't managed to read the first book in this series yet but I enjoyed the second one and loved this one even more. It was pretty delightful.
Favorite part of the story... the press conference. It was very romantic without their being a word of romance in it, all because he did it for Ellie.
An enjoyable read/listen.

No sex, language or violence

This book was not for me. I didn’t realize it was Christian romance, and as someone with religious trauma I didn’t expect to read one. I’m sure it’s probably a decent book, but not my genre so I don’t feel fair rating it.

I was excited to read (listen) to this book based on the description - I love a good romcom! There were some things I liked about the book such as the relationships between the MMC and his sisters, the text conversations and the humor in the book, but unfortunately there were a few things that fell flat for me. I found the constant references to Hallmark movies and different romance tropes to be a bit annoying. I love audiobooks with a full cast of narrators. I felt that a few of the narrators did a great job, but there were one or two that I didn't love. I personally didn't mind the mentions of faith and God in the book, but I think some people would and it might be helpful if it was more prominently labeled as a Christian romance.

Oh what a cute and feel good romance. I loved the cheesy storyline that you knew had a happy ending for the lovable main character. I listened to the audiobook and I loved the different voices and pace of the reading.

Luke…. My heart…. Whattttttt a man I fell in love with him and his sisters pretty much immediately. I listened to the audio version but the group chats and text messages still pulled me into the story so much more than it would have (even though it most definitely still would have) if they were left out.

This was my first Pepper Basham book and as I’m usually not into the cutesy gooshy romance stories, this one was AMAZING. I love a good forbidden lovers story and this was the perfect refresher from what I usually read.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

I requested this book from NetGalley without realizing it was a Christian romance. While there's nothing wrong with that, I wish I had known beforehand. I love closed-door romances, but the Christian theme was not for me making it a DNF for me.

Lots of appropriate film references that fit into the moment perfectly and sometimes added humor. A positive spin into royal life given the events that happened to Ellie. From their cafe meet cute to working together Luke and Ellie were both too cute for each other. Their resistance and selflessness made them right for each other.
Great audiobook, the narrators did amazing work with all the characters.

Pepper Basham’s Loyally, Luke is a delightful romcom that intertwines the rugged charm of a flannel-wearing protector with the grace and sweetness of a modern-day princess. Set against the enchanting backdrop of Skymar, this novel delivers a fantastically captivating blend of humor, heart, and faith.

I highly recommend Loyally, Luke to readers who love heartwarming romances filled with humor, faith, and unforgettable characters!

Right from the start, Luke bursts onto the scene as this tough, God-loving guy, sticking by his family and island crew through thick and thin. As he tackles the island's projects, his journey turns into this epic saga of love that'll have you cheering him on.

But it's not just Luke who steals the show—enter Ellie, a dynamic, albeit undercover, princess whose journey to self-discovery and redemption mirrors Luke's in unexpected ways. Together, they embark on a whirlwind adventure filled with laughter, tears, and plenty of heartwarming moments.

Loyally, Luke has a beautiful, seamless blend of romance and faith. Pepper Basham masterfully weaves themes of grace, forgiveness, and the importance of family into the narrative, creating a story that is as heartwarming and uplifting as it is entertaining and delightful!

“He’d always prayed that God would help him make a difference in the small part of the world where God had placed him. Simple things, like helping a neighbor with some house repairs, or giving a stranger a lift to the bus station, or even working with the children’s home – a temporary choice that turned into a long-term arrangement. …But surely God hadn’t chosen Luke, of all people, to help a princess heal? And if God had chosen Luke, why hadn’t God also taken away the attraction from day one, because there was no mistaking the two of them shared a mutual attraction.”

Readers will find themselves laughing, crying, and cheering alongside Luke and Ellie as they navigate the complexities of love and life. And with its charming cast of characters and picturesque setting, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression on all readers!

In Loyally, Luke, Pepper Basham skillfully blends heartwarming charm with irresistible humor, creating a romcom gem that shines brightly.

My understanding is that the audio version is being reworked a little before release to make it even better than it currently is – which is excellent!

I received a digital copy (written and audio) of Loyally, Luke from the author, publisher, JustRead Publicity Tour LLC, and NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review in any way or for any reason. My honest and unbiased opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on the writing style, the pacing, and the story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability.

I requested this in Net Galley without realizing it was a Christian romance… While the frequent mentions of Christianity didn’t completely ruin the story, they didn’t add anything either.

The MMC was full of toxic masculinity, to the point where I physically cringed repeatedly. The FMC’s world revolved around the opinions of the men in her life.

The audio might have been okay if it had fewer narrators, but a couple of the side characters had incredibly annoying voices. The emotion and chemistry between the main characters felt very superficial in the audiobook.

This is a nice romance but it may not be a stand-alone as number 3 in the series as I didn't read the books before this and I was a bit lost on who was with whom and there are MANY many voices in this audiobook that I can't keep track of which character is "performing". The audiobook has the "sisters" of Luke sounding very young and a little high pitched that it grates on the nerves a bit. I also didn't really love the texting via audiobook either.
That to say, it's a decent book but I would recommend the written version.