Cover Image: Authentically, Izzy

Authentically, Izzy

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Absolute bookish perfection! This sweet romance, centered around book lovers, is so perfect. I love the characters, the setting, the epistolary style—honestly, I loved everything about this book. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

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** “Love isn’t safe. Dreams aren’t safe. I’ve played it safe for a long time by allowing others to make choices for me or by following the easy path. Maybe it’s time for me to risk my future on something as unpredictable, uncertain, and impractical as a dream and my own heart. Adventures happen in unexpected ways, and maybe it’s time to take the adventures from the page to real life.” **

Pepper Basham delivers an incredibly delightful epistolary novel with “Authentically, Izzy.”

When Izzy Edgewood’s cousin Josephine signs her up for the Heart-to-Heart dating app, Izzy doesn’t realize her life is about to drastically change.

She suddenly finds herself with two dating prospects as Izzy meets the intriguing Brodie Sutherland from an unfamiliar island across the ocean while being introduced to professor and author Eli Montgomery. As Izzy’s eyes and heart are opened to what she truly desires, she finds herself daring to dream a dream she’s never dared to dream. Will she find her true love, and will she find her life’s true path?

Written mostly in letter form — emails, texts and online letters — “Authentically, Izzy” is filled with funny moments, romantic moments and moments that will allow the reader to pause and evaluate their own dreams and desires.

Basham creates delightfully quirky characters readers will fall in love with, as well as filling “Authentically, Izzy” with some great themes, like fiction can speak to the heart; seeing potential in one’s self and others; overcoming uncertainty; God will give us the desires of our hearts (“Why are we always so surprised when God gives us something we’ve been praying for? It’s like we don’t believe He’s actually listening”); and being grateful for God-given talents and passions.

Also, a huge theme of this novel is the sense of belonging (“It’s about taking what you have within you, what God-given gifts you already possess, and falling in love with them. Making them work for your future. Uniquely. That’s how you make your life worth living, for yourself and others”).

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.

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I had heard wonderful reviews for this book. I usually really enjoy epistolary format. This started off that way for me once I got into the groove of the story. I don't really know how to rate this without just explaining what I liked and what I was frustrating.

I received a Netgalley copy of this book. The formatting for Kindle was terrible. I think it had to do with the maps or something. I don't think I would have made it through if I had to exclusively read it that way. I got the close to release day, so then I switched to the audiobook. The narrators for the audiobook are great! If it weren't for them, I am not sure I could have finished. I definitely could see myself skimming more of the story. But that brings up another negative.

The audiobook is long. I'm sure an hour of it or maybe more is just the reading of who emails are being sent from and to. It gets monotonous. I'd be able to skim over that reading the print version. The other annoying issue was all the PS, PPS, PPPS. Once in awhile would be fine, but there were way too many of those for me. This is email. If you have something you forgot to add, click up and say it.

I'm also not a huge book lover, so many of those types of references went over my head. Which wouldn't happen to everyone, but there were so many that sometimes, I felt that I was getting beat over the head with them. Especially was this true in the beginning, since I haven't read or even watched Lord of the Rings.

I write all of that and think back over the book and say that I did enjoy the story itself. And as much as I like letter type stories, I was glad when the narrative changed and we got more action. I can't see myself rereading this one. And I really would recommend the audiobook just for the way the narrators bring the story to life.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing the ARC.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but the epistolery format made it hard to read. I thought the premise was fun, but I could barely make it through the first part of the book to get to the real romance of the story.

Not for me.

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I couldn't really get into the main characters so I wasn't invested in their romance. The pace seemed very slow.

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Izzy Edgewood is a wannabe bookstore owner who loves Lord of the Rings books and hopes to be swept off her feet. Yet she struggles to connect with people, so her cousin Josephine decides to take Izzy’s future into her own hands and sets up an online dating profile for her. To Izzy’s surprise, Josie’s plan works, and she soon finds herself corresponding with Brodie via emails and text messages.
I enjoyed the messages between Izzy, and her cousins as well as her connection with Brodie, and other people she dates. What was interesting is the ability to make these messages so realistic, which is a feat in itself. I must admit that at times, the dialogue was a bit wordy but overall, this was a sweet clean romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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This is an unabashedly lover-of-all-things-bookish epistolary novel and contemporary Christian romance.

The things I liked/loved:
- The characterizations (for the most part). I really liked Izzy and found I could relate to her quite a lot, despite my being an extrovert and not an extreme introvert. Brodie made me smile. I loved Izzy and Brodie's online 'meet-cute'. And Luke. Star side character, without a doubt. Luke is Izzy's cousin and is truly a character you'd want to read his own book about (perhaps not epistolary-style, however).
- The bookishness. If you love books, it's likely you'll enjoy this book. The caveat here is that I felt there was almost *too* many references to how bookish the characters were. There were plenty of author/title dropping and other details to make it abundantly clear how much books influenced the characters without also constantly telling us so. That said, as a fellow uber-bookish soul, of course I delighted in the references to such things as listening to Richard Armitage read sonnets, debating Mr. Darcy's glower, and much LOTR love.
-Sense of place. One lives near the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. The other lives in the idyllic (fictional) Skymar Islands (out by sort of Scotland, I think, if I remember correctly...).
-The cover. I love the cover design graphics - adorable!
-The vibe. I mean, I really did smile all throughout this novel. The vibes are sweet and cozy. This is literally one of the most wholesome books I've read in quite some time. I would highly recommend to teenage bookish souls for a super-sweet and wholly appropriate romance.

Other thoughts/comments:
-Along the lines of characterizations, I had just a few fleeting thoughts (this will include mild spoilers as to characters in the story) -------------->>> Izzy's cousins, Josephine and Penelope, continually have references go over their heads... this is most likely done to highly how overly bookish Izzy is in comparison with her family members. But some of these references are also pop culture references and I find it hard to believe that these super-close cousins wouldn't actually know the name of a major character/pop-culture reference when they had to have watched these movies together (like, yes, LOTR is a classic book series but it's also a major franchise). Also, I felt that Josephine was too clueless about Izzy and disliked how steamrollery she was much of the time.
-The 'Christian' element. The faith and Christianity of the characters are certainly more 'assumed' than truly woven throughout the story. I mean, other than being extremely wholesome, there really isn't much of a Christian element other than some mentions of attending church and a fleeting mention or two of prayer. But, this is marketed for a Christian audience, where all of the unspoken things within this book will be implicitly understood. But just an aside thought.
-I struggled with the pacing. I'm not sure if it was the letter-style of the book or what, but I put this down more often than I usually do or I would get swept up in the story and then it would drag again. There are several 'sections' to this book and I feel like I could outline it and perhaps those separate pieces didn't always get pieced together in the most flowisome way.
-Repetitiveness. I found aspects of the book a tad repetitive.

So. I did highly enjoy this book. But I also struggled with it a bit, to be perfectly honest. I wasn't sure what to rate this... I liked it, but also had some issues with it...but I think a solid 4 stars. I would absolutely recommend reading this. Read this if you enjoy epistolary novels. Read this if you are bookish, Christian, and want a sweet romance.

Thank you for providing me with a copy of this novel from NetGalley / Thomas Nelson but all thoughts are my own.

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I’m embarrassed to say I had the ARC of Authentically, Izzy sitting on my kindle for way too long. I meant to start it soon after receiving it but got sidetracked and only now got around to it. Told in a unique style, mostly via letters and text messages, Authentically. Izzy is a smart and witty romance. Izzy, our heroine is a semi-reclusive book lover (especially Lord of the Rings) who hasn’t had the best of luck when it comes to love. In a bid to force a change to that, her cousin, who is always trying to set her up on blind dates, creates an online profile for her on a dating website. As I said, told mostly told via letters and text messages, we get to witness Izzy as she talks with her cousins and the various would be suitors from the dating website. I started this one late at night and totally got lost in it. When I finally set it down for the night, I was about halfway through and it was nearly three in the morning. I totally identified with a number of the characters. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a unique and quite cute/clean romance. Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson--FICTION and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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This was an interesting book….partly because it was entirely epistolary for the first half (but changed to a mash-up later on) and also because it’s classified as a contemporary Christian romance. I actually didn’t realize when I started it that it’s a Christian romance, which was fine with me, but I actually feel like non-Christians would like it fine unless they’re specifically anti-religion. God is mentioned casually here and there, but Jesus isn’t. Even though I am a Christian, I appreciated this. It doesn’t hit you over the head with it. There was also plenty of kissing mentioned, but no other “spiciness”, which is to be expected considering. I liked both main characters and their relationship, but in the end the book felt just a little too long. It felt like it dragged a bit, particularly in the first half.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

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AUTHENTICALLY IZZY delighted this bibliophile, and I could not put it down. It is not a romping romance novel for those not schooled in the classics. The literary references were many: Lord of the Rings, Atticus Finch, Jane Eyre, Jane Austin, and others. Quirky, funny Izzy, the main character, begins a long-distance relationship with Brodie, the two having connected through an online matchmaking site. Izzy’s home is deep in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, and Brodie lives on an island near Scotland. (Audiobook lovers, I bet his accent would make us swoon.) And his family owns a bookstore. Is he perfect, or what? Izzy is a librarian, so this suitor has all the boxes checked. Does Izzy take the leap? And what about the other guy she’s meeting for dinner?

Pepper Basham is a talented writer. Her descriptions are full and clear, and her word usage is extraordinary. I love her writing style and cannot wait to read her other books.This story is told through texts and emails to Brodie and family members. While I loved the story, the format slowed me down as I had to check the sender and then the recipient on each email or text exchange. AUTHENTICALLY IZZY is a delightfully clever and engaging story.

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It was a very cute read and I enjoyed it a lot! The characters were very likable and I related to the main character, Izzy a lot.

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I’ve never been a fan of the epistolary format, but because this novel is written by one of my favorite authors I thought I’d give it a shot. Sadly, I put down the book knowing this format is definitely not for me.

From the moment I started reading I found myself fighting to connect, and found myself often skimming rather than reading. I think if a small part of the narrative would’ve been correspondence I believe that would’ve given the reader a chance to connect on that deeper level with the characters, and thus feel more vested in the story. Sadly, I never reached that point.

I really did want to love this story, but every time I picked it up I felt like it was a chore. The characters are endearing, and I can see why the author chose this writing style, but it is definitely not for me, especially with this type of correspondence being quite dated, in my opinion. I tried to think back to a time when I had such correspondence with anyone like this by email and remembered a friend in Canada whom I used to write to way back in 2016. It’s sad really, but texting is so much easier these days.

This is a very clean and wholesome read, and the cover is so stinking cute that I couldn’t help but be curious. I will say, there were some charming parts, and a few lines that made me chuckle, but it wasn’t enough to keep me interested. I craved to find a connection, especially having loved all of Pepper Basham’s books that I’ve read in the past, but I feel like this writing style was just too out of my comfort zone. Pair that with the overall disconnect that I felt, and it made for a tough read that was lackluster, at best. I also have to say that all of the Lord of the Rings reference eluded me, as I am not really a LOTR fan, but for fans of the beloved series I think you’ll find kindred spirits within these pages.

I really do think the premise is endearing but the execution was left wanting, at least for me.

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I loved this new book by Pepper Basham. It is cute, relevant and so fun to read, which isn’t surprising since all her books are thoughtful and sweet.
I enjoyed the format of email/text conversations, it had me flying through the pages. Also, the relationship between Izzy and her cousins is heartwarming, and the development between her an Brodie is perfect. With all the references to other books, especially Tolkien, it hits home as a fellow bookworm.
I thoroughly enjoyed every page, and will be recommending this book to everyone.

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I want to start this review by saying that I adore Izzy and I feel I am Izzy, from the way she sees the world to the way she lives in her books.

Though I adored the format of the emails and texts going back and forth between Izzy, her family and her new love interest, I needed the real life style writing to start a lot earlier. It was solely emails until just over half way. I understand we needed this format for the long distance aspect but I wanted to be in on the phone calls and not just hear about them in an email.

I adored Brodie and gosh if I could only find my own Brodie. A bookish man with a heart of gold who is perfect for our FMC.

Luke was also an unsung hero. The way he pretended not to care as any big brother likely would, but was always there when needed and always said the right thing was wonderful.

I couldn't put this down and I just adored the quick witty writing of this author and I definitely need to check out more of their work.

If you fancy a bookish romantic comedy, you really need to check this out!

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A sweet nerdy romcom, but have to be honest…after a promising start I wanted to quit reading. The book for most part consists of e-mails and texts and unfortunately the epistolary writing style turns out not to be my cup of tea. But if you don’t mind that writing style and then you should definitely join Izzy on her quest to find Prince Charming.

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

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I like epistolary novels, so I enjoyed the email/text format. The switch from email to narration 60% of the way through the book was jarring, though. Also, while the correspondence between Izzy and Brodie is cute, the language feels overly flowery, like it belongs more in a historical/period romance than a contemporary one. This style continues when Izzy emails her cousins (one of whom lives in the same town as her?), who annoyed me at times--the sarcastic Luke is the soothing balm that kept me reading.

It's a cute read, but the idiosyncrasies put me off.

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The family dynamics and the romance between Izzy and Brodie made this book quite a charming read. I loved the unique writing style and thought Izzy was hilarious. The book references were fun, the plot is well developed, especially considering that writing style: communications between the characters feel completely authentic, like real e-mails and text messages rather than constant info dumping. An awful lot of faith is embraced in this novel though.

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Filled with her signature wit and humor, Pepper Basham’s newest book, Authentically, Izzy, is a delightful romantic comedy told mostly through emails and texts. Populated with realistic, endearing characters this story stars two bookish introverts who meet on an online dating site. With Isabelle Edgewood in the heart of small-town Appalachia and Brodie Sutherland living on an island across the Atlantic Ocean, it seems an insurmountable problem when they find they’d like to be more than friends. I enjoyed seeing how Basham brought out the different personalities of the main characters and their family members through their emails.

The characters are well-drawn and fun, the writing is engaging, and the humor tickled my funny bone. Sprinkled with lots of bookish quotes and references, book lovers will find much to enjoy. Themes of overcoming insecurity, taking chances, and love of family add depth to the tale. Basham shows once again that she can tackle many different genres with aplomb.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

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Authentically, Izzy is an epistolary novel, one of only two or three that I have read. I must admit, it is not my favorite book structure, but it worked for this fun, contemporary novel. The book is largely made up of digital communication between Izzy, her cousins, and a book-loving guy she met through an online dating site. While this grandma of four didn't relate to many things in this story of contemporary dating, I could relate to the love of books, reading them and sharing them. I also related to the importance of being true to oneself, and the wonder of falling in love. Pepper Basham infuses this story with a lot of humor, largely in the banter between siblings and cousins.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Authentically, Izzy from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley without obligation. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a lighthearted love story. All opinions expressed here are my own.

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Thank you to the author, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review (coming late because COVID finally got me).

Book nerds and an epistolary novel - completely my jam. Yes, it was unrealistic and there was too much Christian content for my taste (I overlooked the publisher, and it wasn't marked as Christian romance on NetGalley) - but it was witty, fun and sweet. Overall a fun read, and I loved the message that staying true to oneself is the way to go - even if those around you may not always get you.

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