Tuesday, November 15, 2022

AUTHENTICALLY IZZY by Pepper Basham, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #ReleaseDay

Although she has garnered an additional publisher for her books, they are still Authentically Pepper!

This format has produced some stellar novels in the recent past and it works perfectly here. The book starts out with emails and texts from Izzy to her cousins, one who is trying to set her up on a dating site Heart to Heart, because cousin Josephine wants a happily ever after for Izzy. The banter between the cousins is affectionately snarky, attesting to their closeness.

The emails are full of references and quotes from classic novels and movies from Anne of Green Gables to LOTR, C. S. Lewis and beyond.

The real treat comes when Izzy meets Brodie Sutherland on line. It was wonderful to see them grow closer because of their mutual love of all things books. When Izzy visits the Island that Brodie calls home, she fits right in. Her dream of owning a bookshop is solidified as she tweaks a few things in Sutherlands Book Shop. As things happen a snag causes Izzy to re-evaluate things. Ms. Basham addresses some insecurities and the concept of forgiveness and telling the truth in love. While not overtly Christian, this novel is sweet and espouses a world Christian view.
*I received a complimentary ecopy from the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*5 stars and an underlying faith thread

BackCover Blurb:

Dear Reader, My name is Isabelle Louisa Edgewood—Izzy, for short. I live by blue-tinted mountains, where I find contentment in fresh air and books. Oh, and coffee and tea, of course. And occasionally in being accosted by the love of my family. (You’ll understand my verb choice in the phrase later.) I dream of opening my own bookstore, but my life, particularly my romantic history, has not been the stuff of fairy tales. Which is probably why my pregnant, misled, matchmaking cousin—who, really, is more like my sister—signed me up for an online dating community.

The trouble is . . . it worked. I’ve met my book-quoting Mr. Right, and our correspondence has been almost too good to be true. But Brodie lives across an ocean. And just the other day, a perfectly nice author and professor named Eli came into the library where I work and asked me out for a coffee. I feel a rom-com movie with a foreboding disaster nipping at my heels.

But I’ve played it safe for a long time. Maybe it’s time for me to be as brave as my favorite literary heroines. Maybe it’s time to take the adventures from the page to real life. Wish me luck.

Authentically,

Izzy

  • Witty, hilarious, and heartwarming contemporary romance about book lovers
  • A sweet, kisses-only romance
  • An epistolary novel written mostly in emails and texts
  • Stand-alone novel
Thomas Nelson Publishing, November 15, 2022
Available in digital ebook, paperback, library binding, and audiobook:


2 comments:

  1. Paula!! That first line is SOOOO fun!!! "Authentically Pepper" :) THANK YOU!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great review, thank you Paula! I loved Izzy and her band of merry followers.

    ReplyDelete

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