Book: Loyally, Luke
Author: Pepper Basham
Rating: 4.5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

I will start by saying I picked this book because my husbands name is Luke .. also book one of this series, the FMC's name is Izzy, & that's my sons nickname. 🤣 So it was fate.

I'm super glad I did because I absolutely loved it. It was just what I needed at the time.

The story was entertaining, sweet, fun, and full of amazing and charming characters.

I ended up finishing it in a couple days because I just couldn't stop listening to it.

I love all the lord of the rings references, the children in the orphanage, and how miscommunication was kept to a minimum.

You get:
• Sweet romance
• Hilarious characters
• Meddling sisters
• Royalty
• Meet cute
• Forced proximity
• Small town

Now I have to go back and pick up books 1 and 2! Available as an ebook, paperback, or audio book.

REVIEW: Loyally Luke ⭐⭐⭐

I didn't realize two things when I received Loyally Luke as an ARC. First, I didn’t know that this is actually the third book in a series, but thankfully, it can easily be read as a standalone. The other thing is that I didn’t realize this was a Christian Fiction book. Nothing is wrong with that; I just thought this book would be more romance fiction.

I liked how Pepper Basham wrote this book. There were chapters from different characters' points of view, plus some news articles and texts throughout. The audiobook made this even better because it had a whole cast of readers. It made the story so much more enjoyable and genuine. I also really liked both of the main characters, Luke and Ellie. They both had so much personality and were confident in who they were. Both of them had very fun and sweet moments throughout the story.

There were a few things that I wasn’t super keen on. The story itself was very slow and drawn out. Along the same lines, the romance was a super slow burn (or spark even). They eventually kissed, but that’s it. At first, I liked some of the romance cliches in the story because Luke was so anti-rom-com, yet things kept happening to him like a rom-com. Unfortunately, after a while, it got to be too much. A few things were fine, but it got too repetitive. The last thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was that this is a Christian Romance. I am not religious, and I don’t usually like reading so much about religion in the book. That’s just me, though.

Overall, I still enjoyed Loyally Luke. The audiobook narrators brought the story to life. This book may be great for other readers, but it isn’t the kind of book I usually gravitate towards.

Thank you, Netgalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing | Thomas Nelson Fiction, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

Narrated by Christopher Ashman; K.C. Sheridan; Kathleen McInerney; Natalie Duke; Gary Furlong; Caitlin Davies; Mhairi Morrison. The accents were so well done that you could feel the difference between the characters and highlighting with ones were Irish and European, and the descriptions of Grace Kelly vibes leaving the best princess in hiding life were so good that they keep painted in my mind.
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This is a beautiful, cosy hallmark royal romance in the most dreamy Irish alike small town.
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Listening to this book was like spending time with a big family. The chats, emails and calls between his sisters and her friends were a plus that I enjoyed a lot.
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Luke Edgewood is in Skymar to work on a small renovation project, but as soon as he sets foot in the country he runs into a woman who could be Grace Kelly's twin. After a small misunderstanding, he hopes that the rest of his stay will pass without any notes.
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but when he is asked to review a project at a local orphanage he finds two surprises, the orphanage is an old castle in need of a lot of care and the person in charge of supervising the work is none other than Grace Kelly look alike woman.
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No matter how beautiful she is, or how attracted he feels, he is not looking for love, especially when she seems to be hiding from the world and she looks like she's trying to heal her heart. Imagine his surprise when he discovers that she is actually a princess in hiding of the public eye.
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I really enjoyed how these two cute characters meet and establish this kind of friendship that envelops them in something more, the scenic view .
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Thanks to HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Pepper Basham for give a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion.

I didn’t realize it was the third book in a series until I was 25% through, but it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. This book was a cute romance read. If you like series where each character gets their own book, you’ll probably want to start with the first book.

While I enjoyed this book, I don’t think I’ll actively seek out the first 2 books unless I’m in the mood for a quick HEA read.

It was like reading a hallmark movie (HM movies are referenced a lot in this book). It was a little predictable, but still a cute read. There was some repetition when they kept referencing typical romance/HM movies.

Meet cute! 🥰

They meet over a coffee mix-up ☕️

There’s some forced proximity.

*thank you netgalley and publishers for a free audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review*

This book was just fine. I like the characters and the story, but it wasn't anything strikingly excellent. I found his sisters annoying and the constant "oh we can't do this" even though the Queen was a commoner before she married the King a lot hypocritical. Overall, a charming closed door romance. I wish I had more to say on it, but it was just fine.

Loyally Luke has caused me, an avid reader, a big problem. Until now, while I have enjoyed every book of Pepper Basham’s I have read, the Mistletoe Countess was in an unassailable place in my heart. But reader friends, there’s something about Luke and Ellie. I hope you feel it too. They are magnificent.

Basham has done a very difficult things in terms of literary talent. She has brought two true opposites together and made them make far more sense together than they do apart. We have all round good guy, building contractor Luke Edgewood. He’s recruited to help with several building projects on the island of Skymar. The main work is to repair a dilapidated orphanage where he works under the eye of Princess Elianna St Claire, the youngest daughter of the king. Luke doesn’t care about royalty or celebrity, he just wants to do his bit to make life better .

His not caring about the nonsense of public life means he can speak to Ellie like a normal person, something she sorely needs. A series of poor choices has ruined her reputation and she now wants to quietly rebuild while working to improve conditions at the same orphanage.

The chemistry is undeniable. But rather than just the predictable physical attraction, their feelings are engaged at a soul level as Luke sees straight into Ellie’s heart and makes her feel safe. Except their homes are thousands of miles apart.

SHARED DELIGHT

I hope you love the story as much as I did. And the best news – there’s a Christmas novella coming later too. Hats off to Pepper Basham, she’s written a truly wonderful series.

Along with reading an early copy, I received an audiobook from the publisher via NetGalley. The audiobook is outstanding. The story is brought fully and gloriously to life by the talented voice artists involved. The opinions are all my own.

Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham was my first book I’ve read in this series and by Basham and it did not disappoint!

I found it easy to fall into the world of Skymar, so this can definitely be read as a stand-alone! I loved how sweet Luke is and I like how the relationship with Ellie develops over time.

It’s full of laugh out loud moment’s and some of the sweetest scenes. Loyally Luke is a clean Christian romance but I don’t think the religious aspect is a big deal so if you don’t normally read in the genre I think you will still really enjoy this book as a nice clean romance.

I listened to this book on audio and the fully voiced cast blew me out of the water! I absolutely loved all the actors and it really helped immerse me into the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As an audiobook this was an absolute standout. It was impeccable and I loved the way it was done with a cast!

The accents were great and definitely made it more immersive. And the story in itself was such a joy to listen to. The characters are so endearing, I’m excited to go back through and read the previous books in the series.

I *loved* this! It truly felt like a warm hug, as so many others have said. After meeting and getting to know Luke in the first 2 books, I could not wait to read his story (all the teasers on social media did not help my patience). It was just wonderful! There were threads of faith seamlessly woven throughout, and there was plenty of humor to keep me smiling. I loved Luke and Ellie's whole relationship: the banter, the swoon, the maturity, and the tough decisions. They couldn't have been sweeter together. It was great to see more text conversations between the Edgewoods. I enjoyed watching glances of Izzy's and Penelope's stories continuing on. I'm sad to leave this delightful family and their Skymarian adventures, but I look forward to future series from this author!

The audiobook version was fantastic! The narrators are very talented. They did a great job switching between Appalachian and Scottish accents and, when necessary, differentiating between all the characters.

Luke is in a small European country for a short term construction job and then he gets appointed to reinstate an orphanage home. His sisters love to watch hallmark movies and love to live in a fantasy world so of course he hates them. But guess what he has? a complete magical love story.
His supervisor at work is a pretty woman who is in fact the princess of the country. Ellie has a difficult past and she is trying to start working as a royal again but she has to prove herself to her people first, so she is working very hard for that.
I loved how sweet and magical this story was, it felt like I'm watching a hallmark movie. I loved both the main characters, I was rooting for them the entire time. Luke's conversations with his sisters were always very delightful.
The backdrop is very cozy , there's a ball, there's magic in the air the entire time. I absolutely enjoyed this book.

Did you hear that? If you listen really closely, you'll hear me releasing a very HAPPY SIGH!!! I can't tell you how much I adore Luke Edgewood! And waiting so patiently to read his story after all of his scenes and interactions in the first two Skymar books! He is full of it! He's a broody, sarcastic, flannel wearing, hard-working man who is fiercely loyal to his family and friends. I have read the book and listened to an audiobook copy that was fantastic! The narrators were wonderful and brought these Edgewood siblings to life in such an enjoyable way!!! Definitely recommend it any which way you choose to enjoy this book! This is one book that I can read and listen to over and over again!!!

If you haven't read the first two books, go do so now! You have time before this one releases! You won't be disappointed to come to know Luke's character and all of his quirks and ups and downs and everything! There were plenty of times when reading all three of these books that I couldn't help but think how much fun it would be to know Luke. He would be such a fun friend to have! He might make you watch Rambo to pass that friendship test, and he will make you keep the glitter and sparkle and sunshineyness at a minimum or far away from him. But once you pass those qualifications, you'll never have a better, more trusting and caring friend than Luke.

And oh my heavens, get ready for the funniest meet-cute or meet-sarcastic you've ever read! If I had been drinking something while reading that scene, I 100% guarantee that I would have spit my drink out of my mouth from laughing. Luke and Aliana Roselynn St. Claire definitely get off on the wrong foot. And neither one knows who the other is or any clue about what is coming their way! *Snickers* And let me tell you, you're all going to love it!

This whole book is utterly delightful and heartwarming mixed with a little Rambo (you'll see what I mean)! I loved every scene with Luke and Ally in it. They have some ups and downs of their own but it's all worth seeing how it plays out.

The orphange, the renovations, the cabin, the fishing, the surprises, the Royal family, the dressing up (oh my!!!), the casual flannel dressing down, the orphans, the bodyguards (hee hee), the outdoors, the little moments, the BIG moments, the learning and growth, the vulnerability, the friendships, and of course the sweet, sweet love story!!!!!!!!

You don't want to miss this one! Skip watching a chick-flick or Hallmark movie and dive right into this one. I promise you won't regret it!

Content: Clean. Some kisses but nothing further. Some talk of scandal but nothing graphic.

I received a copy from the publisher, Thomas Nelson Fiction, via NetGalley. And an audiobook from HarperCollins Christian Publishing, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

I didn't realize there are two books that come before Loyally, Luke. While the idea of the book was exciting to me, I listened to it on audio and it was confusing. The chapters start with text message threads, and they were sometimes difficult to follow. The book's premise if cute- grumpy, single bachelor who is content and follows his developing relationship. Luke is likable and easy for the reader to become invested in. While this book wasn't my favorite, it surely will be someone's favorite!

Y’all, I love this book. This was a feel good book that just had me smiling through the entire thing. Absolute best part of this book was the relationships. The relationship between Luke and his sisters, Luke and Ellie‘s relationship, Luke and Ellie’s relationship with the towns people… Literally every relationship in this book was one that warmed the heart.

I loved all the book talk throughout this book. Luke’s sister harassing him about his meet cute with Ellie, and all the tropes that they cover cracked me up. The text between Luke and his sisters were hilariously fun and added so much to the story. Luke was the absolute best MMC, he is definitely one of the good guys. He’s one of my top Book boyfriends of all time.

Pepper Basham has done such an incredible job with her swooney, yet sweet romances. She brings the characters to life with such ease. It’s as if we are all old friends. This is book 3 of the Skymar series, I read it as a standalone. Each book is about a different sibling... You can best believe I’m going back to read books one and two. This is a must read, y’all.

The narrator’s did a fantastic job. They truly gave the characters life and were such a breath of fresh air. I will definitely recommend these 2 narrators and will listen to anything they produce.

If you like hallmark movies this book is for you! Definitely a little hard to get into, but once it pulls you in it's hard to put down. A fun and lighthearted read perfect for summer.

Another absolutely beautiful installment in this series by Pepper Basham. I was so excited to read Luke’s story since he was my favorite of the cousins and it did not disappoint. I found myself laughing so much reading this and the other books in the series. If you are looking for a clean rom com, you have found your book!

I have read and listened to the Audio of all these books. The voices match what I imagine would be the voices of the actual characters. I throughly enjoyed it more in audio.

All books can be read as standalones without any issues.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham audiobook version 4 stars. This book was simply adorable. I did notice it is part of a series (book 3), but I didn’t read the first two. I was still able to jump into the story without feeling like I missed anything by not reading the first two books. The audiobook version was really good too, and I enjoyed the multiple narrators. This book is a love story featuring an everyday, hardworking man and a not so everyday, hardworking princess! Luke is a really sweet and caring man and it was a pleasure to read his story. This book is spice-free, sweet and filled with happiness. I think I may have cavities after this one LOL (in a good way *wink*). I enjoyed this one. Thank you to NetGalley, Pepper Basham and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for an advanced listeners copy of the book. Much appreciated!

I received the audiobook from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book was really, really hard to get into. And even by the end I was not into it really. I just wanted to see what happened.

The writing was really weird to me. Granted, I didn’t know that this was part of a series, so I’m sure I wasn’t getting the full experience since I was coming in late. However, I think it can stand as a stand alone. Even so, it was just not good.

I hated Luke’s perspective. I didn’t like how forced it all felt. I didn’t like that the sister kept being “meet cute! Meet cute!” I didnt like it and sometimes Luke just didn’t feel like himself. Like his story was forced.

Overall, I just did not enjoy my time with it and didn’t fall in love with the characters

I didn't realize this book was a part of a series but I feel like it was fine reading it as a stand alone. I think the narrator did a great job of bringing the characters to life. I loved Luke's golden retriever energy. I loved the message of self discovery. The opposites attract trope was done so well. I laughed out loud many times during this story. Overall just a fun hallmark vibe book.

This is the audiobook. I'm going to paste my book review below. But let me say that I truly loved listening to this book. It did not take away from the voices I heard in my head. Yes, I know, that sounds bad. But normally when I read a book I have their voices and faces in my head and it's like I'm actually watching a movie. I thoroughly enjoyed the voice of this audiobook. It was relaxing but also kept me listening and hooked on the story!

I literally could not wait to read this book. You see, I’ve read the other two in the series and the wait time between them is not for the faint of heart. Penelope and Izzy came first in this series. They’re both amazing and I loved their stories. You can find my reviews for them on my blog as well. While I identified with them in some areas I think I identify with Luke more. I’m not comfortable in the spotlight. I don’t want to be famous. Oh, and I prefer my animals to other people most of the time. I’m an introvert you see. And people can be too much sometimes.

Luke accepts a job on Skymar. It’s a construction project. And it’s on an old historical building. These are things Luke enjoys. But he’s not here for romance. Just because his two sisters have found romance involving this island doesn’t mean he has to. He also has no need for a royal family. He’d prefer to steer clear of them for good. Let’s just say Luke doesn’t even know what any of them look like.

Luke is amazing. He’s what you think of when you dream of a wonderful guy I think. He wants to protect his sisters and he wants to solve their problems. But what he doesn’t want is romance.

WELL. HE FINDS IT. IN THE FORM OF A GRACE KELLY LOOK-ALIKE.
As he gets to know Ellie he doesn’t know she’s a princess. So when he finds out he naturally feels a little betrayed and let down. But she was so real and so wonderful. Can he let her go?

Luke knows romance movies like no other man. He won’t admit it of course. He also has seen his share of masculine movies but this mix of movies is what makes Luke Luke. You’re going to love him. And you’ll love the bits of suspense and mystery surrounding the royal family and Luke.

Can Luke overcome himself and his limitations? What about the super sweet orphans? And what about Skymar? But maybe the most important thing, what about Luke’s family? You see, they mean everything to him, and he can’t just leave them.

Read this series in order. Don’t ask. Don’t think about reading out of order. Just don’t. You’ve been warned.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from JustRead Publicity Tours. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

Audio Book Review
Loyally Luke by Pepper Basham

Genre: Modern Rom-Com; Christian
Romance Level: Kisses only

What I loved:
Luke (enough said)
Meet Cute
Forced Proximity
Rivals to more
Looking for the names scene
Fake dating
Alley scene
The kisses
The list
Fishing
And so much more!

Story Review:
Luke. Luke Edgewood is this unforgettable character who is “rough around the edges”, sarcastic, loves making fun of his sis “Penny Girl aka Penelope” (in a fun brotherly sort of way), and your typical outdoorsy, manly man. Underneath the surface, he is “ooey gooey”, tender, loving, and fiercely loyal to his family. He has a good heart and even though he isn’t perfect, his heart is in the right place.
The romance in this including all of the kissing scenes is all just so *chef’s kiss*.
And I really liked princess Ellie! She was a fun character and had some really funny lines. She is so perfect for Luke!
I loved this story; definitely my favorite of the 3 Skymar romances by Pepper Basham. It has so many tropes because of course Penny Girl has mapped out Luke’s love story and wants him to live out every single rom-com trope. Lol!
From fake dating, to forbidden romance, to a bit of enemies to more, Pepper definitely packed in so much rom-com goodness into this beautifully hilarious and entertaining story.
I definitely snickered, sighed, swooned and almost cried with joy and excitement during so many of the scenes.
This is also a story of redemption and change and becoming a better person despite what the world or media tries to portray.

Audio Review:
I loved the cast! They all did so well. I especially love who did the voice for Luke. He had a perfectly grumpy, sarcastic and handsome voice. But you could also feel the underlying goodness coming out in him. Christopher Ashman plays Luke in the first two as well.
I also just loved the narrator for Maeve; perfect blend of smooth and Scottish lilt.
I highly recommend listening to this series as audiobooks because they are all so excellent!

I was given a free copy of the audio from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Content Warning: kisses only, no swearing, uses of word: s*xy
Trigger Warning: discussion of hard topics: cancer, slandered on media, alcoholism and rehab