Normally I don't mind epistolary novels, but honestly,,, this one just annoyed me. I think it was the writing. It just bothered me so bad.

I was unable to get into this book, and normally I can read just about anything. I did not like the way the book was written via emails back and forth, and that made it impossible to get engrossed in the story as I usually do.

There was a lot I enjoyed about this book, the unique formatting, the Lord of the Rings references and the wonderful way it was an escape from the realities of life. I did find it unrealistic in how online dating operates, but that doesn’t impact my enjoyment because again, escapism. I was a touch put off by the consistent references to being part of a church. I know this is a cultural thing I’m picking up (I’m Australian and we keep things secular) so it’s a me thing, not a the author did wrong thing. That didn’t really impact my enjoyment of the book, I took it for what it was, but I do think it may have influence the choices that were a touch boring for my taste. I don’t mind a G Rated story, I don’t need sex, but I do need *something* that gives the story it’s edge.

What I really did enjoy was the love for this story I felt the author had and while this book and I were not a perfect fit, I know it will be beloved by others.

I thoroughly enjoyed the uniqueness of 'Authentically, Izzy' in the way it was largely presented in emails. I was able to follow it easily and had many laugh out loud moments while Izzy navigated her feelings, her family and a possible new online romance. I was busily searching for a possible kingdom to see what the inspiration might be for Brodie's home off of the Scottish coast. I highly recommend this gem for a feel good story of personal growth and love.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was just ok for me...

What I loved: All of the LOTR references of course! Drew me in right away. :) The clean and sweet romances, lots of books and bookish convo!

What I didn't love: The epistolary format was a struggle. I've read similar books before but they've always been letters/correspondence with just two people. This was between three-four people at least and it felt a bit jumpy. I struggled to remain focused because of that and the chapters seemed long.

This was a good story. I loved the setting as I dream of being a librarian. I loved the online love interest. But, I just felt like it wasn't very tied up in a pretty bow like romance novels usually are. I still was wondering at the end "is she going to or is she not?" It also needed a little more "umph" in the romance department. I just don't like the sweet and clean romance novels. Give me some serious passion. Sweet story, but needed more passion for my taste.

This was a super fun light-hearted rom-com that was just what I needed after a few heavier reads. This was primarily an epistolary novel; however, in part 2 when the main characters meet in person, it goes back and forth between 3rd person limited and epistolary style. With the first part being completely in the form of emails/letters, the change in narrative was a bit startling at first, but it was somewhat essential to the story-line. Filled with witty banter, awkward meet-cutes and a ton of literary references (probably half of which I didn't get, but that was fine), this book had a lot of playfulness to it. However, don't mistake light-hearted for non-substance as this one had plenty of substance as well, and some deep life lessons.

This book follows Izzy as she deals with an older cousin trying to play matchmaker in her life. Izzy is a bookish introverted type and so, this has all sorts of potential to go wrong. When she ends up with not 1, but 2, men vying for her attention, it becomes completely hilarious. In act 2, things get a bit more serious, but there is plenty of witty banter to offset that seriousness and act 3 is when Izzy does some serious soul searching and a great deal of character growth occurs. There are fun family dynamics (as well as a few not-so-fun, but that's how life is, isn't it?) included as well and I think that as long as you can enjoy an epistolary novel, this is one that can be for just about anyone. The faith thread in this one is a bit more subtle, but it is still present underneath. Regardless, it's completely clean. With endearing and well developed characters, fun book-ish references and a super sweet romance (that reminded me a great deal of my own) that is wholly authentic (and that's a rarity among romance novels - especially contemporary ones), this is one I can wholeheartedly endorse. If you enjoy classic literature as well as modern popular favorites, I believe you'll glean more from this. Having a knowledge of Lord of the Rings (either books or movies is fine, but both is even better) is also a plus in enjoying this one. I believe you can still enjoy it even if you don't have that knowledge - it will just be amplified if you do.

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute romance novel and it was a fun read.

I really hate to write bad reviews especially when it is one of my favorite authors , but just did not enjoy this book. At first I thought it was cute, but it quickly became repetitive. I also found it had to believe that the characters mainly communicated by email. In today's time, family and friends text, not email each other. I ended up skimming the second half of the book. Pepper Basham is a wonderful author, but this book just wasn't for me.

I enjoyed this one! It was my first Pepper Basham book and I definitely want to read more!
Since most of the story was told in emails and texts, I found it hard to connect with the characters.
The faith content was good, and it was clean!

DNF at 25%

I really had no idea this was a Christian romance. I wouldn’t have requested if I knew, as religion is not something that resonates with me at all. It’s my fault for not researching more before requesting. Also, the ebook PDF format made it so hard for me to focus on the story reading from my Kindle. Please, make EPUBs for the send to kindle option!

Authentically Izzy is a perfect book if you love matchmaking, pen pals, romance, and Lord of the Rings nerd. This book was a lot of fun to read going back and forth with the email/text format. The characters were sweet and very likeable. There was a lot of book and movie references throughout the book which made it interesting. I really enjoy Pepper Basham’s previous books but I didn’t really connect with this book, however I would recommend to someone to a certain audience. I enjoyed the format and definitely enjoyed the writing style it was very clever.
I want to thank Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a arc in return for my own honest opinion.

Oh my! Where to even begin? I loved all the things about this book. It spoke to my nerdy, book loving heart. Izzy Edgewood struggles with knowing where she belongs. She believes herself to be too different because of her love for all things book related and the fact that she lost her parents at a young age. Thanks to nosy sister/cousin Josephine she is forced to step outside her comfort zone and endure the world of online dating. Through this she meets Brodie Sutherland, who is just as much as a lover of all things book related as Izzy. We get a front row seat as we see their acquaintance grow to friendship and then to a fondness for each other. Izzy begins to learn things about herself and finds the truth that God has so much more than she could ever hope or imagine planned for her. I could continue to go on, however, I would then have to have a disclaimer of “Spoiler Alert”. That my dear fellow readers I will not do to you. We meet other wonderful people such as Penelope and Luke Edgewood as well Brodie’s family. These people who are dear to them help aid their journey in such a wonderful way.

** I received an ARC of this delightful book in exchange for my honest opinion. However, I will be buying a copy or 2, one for myself and another to share.

This is such a cute bookish romance! I love the email/text format for a majority of the book. The characters are all so sweet and the build up to the main character’s relationship is adorable! It’s a bit longer, but it’s still a quick read!

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pepper Basham does it again. She’s so talented at writing in new sub-genres and this bookish epistolary contemporary romance merely reveals her talent stretches that much wider. Told through emails and text with the occasional scene set in the last third, we get to know Izzy and Brodie. Wonderfully plotted, touching, and full of the warm family dynamics which is Pepper’s signature specialty! Fans of Melissa Tagg and Things We Didn’t Say by Amy Lynn Green will love Authentically Izzy.

Authentically Izzy by Pepper Basham is one more example of why Basham is one of my favorite authors. I laughed so many times reading this book and that's one of the best things that can happen in a book. Watching the relationship develop between Izzy and Brodie, which was initially an online friendship and then became a full-fledged romance, kept me thoroughly entertained. The secondary characters were all interesting and added a unique dimension to the story. I did enjoy the faith element that focused really on trusting God with our lives. The story is an epistolary story, so a good portion of the story is told through text messages and emails. But there is actual narrative and dialogue interspersed throughout. I really enjoyed the novel and think other readers will feel satisfied at the end of this happily-ever-after story. I received an advance read copy through Netgalley but will be purchasing the paperback to add to my Pepper Basham collection.

This was a solid contemporary rom com, nothing earth shattering with the story or characters but a palatable read,

I really enjoyed this fun, epistolary novel; it is a tribute to book lovers and classic literature. Epistolary novels are not my usual pick, but I think the author did a great job with this one. We read many emails and texts between Izzy and her cousins, and then messages between her and Brody. I really liked the dynamics between her and her cousins; I laughed out loud a lot at their interactions. Both Izzy and Brody are mostly happy with their lot in life, yet feel like they could be missing something, and as the story goes on they realize they must make choices that will challenge and change them for the better. Izzy especially faces her fears and really grows. I thought this was written well and realistic. Another thing I enjoyed was the setting. I live in the same state as Izzy, and have visited the real town she lives in in the book. It was fun to read about it in a novel, though I know some of the details were probably embellished by the author :). Brodie’s home country sounds amazing, and I wish it was not fictional, haha. I would love to visit there, as well as his family’s bookstore. This was such a fun contemporary romance, with both light and serious moments. I definitely recommend!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy. All thoughts above are my own; I was not required to write a positive review.

I am a big fan of Pepper Basham’s work and have read many of her books. This book intrigued me by the description but unfortunately for me I couldn’t get into it. It was a big frenetic and all over the place.

There is something special about a story that is told through letters! I feel like you get to know the characters in a different way. You get ALL.THE.FEELS in this sweet romance!

I received an ARC through Netgalley and all opinions are my own.