The description of this book sounded reall y fun - hearing a story through texts and emails. I've enjoyed other books that had parts of the book that shared part of the story in a similar way. I also was interested in Penelope's story. While I did initially enjoy learning more about Penelope and seeing the way her positive outlook influenced the other characters, ultimately I did not enjoy this book and got bored about halfway through. I was glad the whole book was not told through emails, as I felt that it would have left out a lot of context and being able to view different perspectives through different characters' eyes. There are a lot of positive reviews for this book, so I think this just may be a case of it not being the right book for me.

Very cute romcom. The first 25% of the book dragged for me. I was afraid that the entire book would be told via email. I was relieved to see some actual dialog around 25% in. I didn't mind the emails and texts once the dialog was mixed in with it.

I did not read the first book in this series so I was a little confused about some of the references to their world. Most of the "Skymarian" words and names were cheesy in my opinion, but there were a couple that made sense to me and actually sounded like real words.

Typical of Christian fiction there were lots of kissing and make out scenes, but nothing spicy beyond that.

I thought the concept of this book was unique and the story sounded really cute. Unfortunately the story being set all as email to text left me feeling lost. I feel like there was such an opportunity for emotions to better be captured if dialogue had been present. I think this story is cute and enjoyable if you enjoy that sort of format, but unfortunately it was a DNF for me.

This book took me a little bit more time to get into. The format of emails to text messages was a bit much for me. But around chapter 7, it became much easier to read and get into the story. I did not realize that this was the second book in a series, the follow up to “Authenticity Izzy,” so maybe that had something to do with it. (The format is the same in that book, I know because I’m now reading that one too!) However, after I hit that point, I couldn’t put the book down. I love the characters and hearing how they save the Darling House is the best!! This was a wonderful story and it just makes you smile and laugh while reading it!

Such a cute second book! I will say it was harder for me to get into because the formatting of this ARC was a nightmare- why is there a logo every other page??? It was so distracting and made me not want to read this book, but I pushed through because this is one of my most anticipated releases of the summer! It was so cute and just makes me want to recommend this series even more. I love the letter writing/email aspect of this series and it continued to shine in this book. All of the characters in these books are so fun and unique- they may be some of my favorite characters of all time.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book- just please Thomas Nelson change your formatting for these arcs!!

What a delightful sequel! I read “Authentically, Izzy” again to prepare me for reading this book, and I have to say that I love both books so much. A reader could very well read “Positively, Penelope” without having read Izzy’s story, but I am so glad I read them back to back as it made the stories both that much more enjoyable for me. Penelope is a stereotypical bubbly, glass is always half full, lover of all things musicals, theater, and fun. She is a deeply caring person too, and her biggest character trait, beyond her positivity is her loyalty and desire to serve others. Readers will be thrilled to follow Penny as she meets the Gray family and works her magic at their amazing historic family theater. This story took twists and turns I did not expect, and I loved watching it all unfold on the pages. In true Penelope form, this story is filled with family, drama, laughter, tears, miracles, romance, and intrigue. Everything a theater buff would want in a tale, and I think many readers would enjoy as well. I highly recommend this book as a great escape into fiction, and I will be telling my book friends about it, too!

I requested and received a copy of this book for review. The words and thoughts expressed here are wholly my own.

I enjoyed this book immensely! The format was different and fun, the characters were unique and relatable, and the plot kept me engaged to the end. Penelope and Matt's growth throughout the book was so well done. Anyone who enjoys theater references, lighthearted and witty banter, and the grumpy/sunshine trope, will absolutely enjoy this book!

Positively, Penelope was my first foray into stories by author Pepper Basham, but it won’t be my last! What is fun and unique about this book (second in a series…I’ll have to go back and read the first!) is that much of it is told through text, email, and letters.
Penelope is thrilled to accept an internship to revitalize - really, to SAVE - a small town theater. Nothing can get Penelope down…not the Gray brothers (her bosses, one of which is very grumpy), not a mysterious idea thief, not a broken down old theater. She is going to smile and sing her way through life, and infect everyone along her path with her wit, charm, and sunny disposition.
Is it cloudy where you live? Never fear, because Positively, Penelope will bring the rate of sunshine you crave.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but my opinion is entirely my own.

Such an adorable love story. Really enjoyed both books so far. Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own

Last year, I fell head over heels for the wonderful, whimsical story that was Authentically, Izzy. It ended up being one of my favorite reads of the year, and I couldn't contain my excitement when I discovered that the author decided to make it into a series. After loving Penelope's character in the first title, I knew she deserved her own story, and I couldn't wait to dive right in. I was a little worried that I wouldn't end up enjoying this one quite as much, since bookish titles are usually more my style than theatre ones, but I needn't have worried. Pepper Basham has delivered another wonderful rom com style romance that kept me reading way past my bedtime, and had me wanting more and more from these adorable, swoon worthy characters.

Penelope's got a big heart for the world around her, and when a dream internship opportunity has her traveling to Skymar to help bring a beloved theatre back to life, she'll stop at nothing to see her dreams come true. With her heart being torn between two brothers who couldn't be more different, finally getting the opportunity to live her out childhood dreams come to life, and trying to get on top of the dastardly individual who seems determined to steal every one of her marketing ideas, Penelope's Skymar adventure is bigger and grander than she ever could have prepared herself for.

I absolutely adored this title from start to finish, and it's every bit as wonderful and amazing as Authentically, Izzy was. Penelope is such a sweet gal, and I think any reader will find themselves wanting to root for her on her somewhat tipsy turvy way to happily ever after. The author has truly created a literary style paradise setting in the lovely region of Skymar, and I enjoyed how this one dives even more into some of the history introduced in the first book. This entire novel felt like a love letter to classic movies, chick lit, and old fashioned romance, and I never wanted to see it come to an end.

Definitely one of my favorite reads of the entire year so far, and I have no idea how I'm going to wait until next year for Luke's story to release.

Final Rating: 5/5.

I cannot recommend this title enough! Do yourself a favor and not only pick this one up, but also pick up the first book as I can guarantee you won't be disappointed. If you're a fellow lover of epistolary novels, then this is definitely the series for you as quite a large portion of the plot is told through hilarious emails and messages between Penelope and her siblings and cousin, and it made a great story even better in my opinion.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via Netgalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

I ended up reading this book in one sitting which tells you how much I enjoyed it! I did not realize that this was number two in a series but did not feel like I missed a ton by not reading book 1.

Penelope has accepted an internship to help revitalize a small town theater on the other side of the world from her hometown in the Appalachian mountains. Her goal is to bring up their marketing to help increase sales and help the theater survive. Enter Matt and Alec Gray- her "bosses." Matt is Mr. Grump, and Alec is Mr. Sauve. Penelope's character reminded me of Giselle from Enchanted. She is UBER positive, randomly breaks out into song, and legit can't see negative in anything. She ends up breaking Matt by introducing his daughter to princesses and that love can be hard but is WORTH it.

The prose in this book is different than anything I have read before. It is mostly in text messages and emails. The banter between Penelope and her sisters and brother was laugh out loud funny to me. Eventually towards the middle of the book, we end up getting real life perspectives from Penelope and Matt.

This was an extremely light hearted, zero spice, grumpy to sunshine book that I really enjoyed. I found myself smiling throughout the conversations because of how real it felt. I am looking forward to reading Penelope's brother Luke's book which is next in the series.

'Are you sure you want to start a professional relationship with a personal objective to sprinkle fairy dust into the life of a man who may not respond positively to your brand of joy?'

As a reader, yes Luke...we all want Penelope to spread her joy to the grumpiest of men!!!

This book.
All of the stars.
All of the thumbs.
All of the praise.
All of the things.

Perfection. I know no one wants to live up to perfection, but this book truly is perfection.

It's balanced in all things. happiness/grumpiness, hope/doubt, live life fully/coast through life, etc.

If you love witty banter, pop culture references, nods to all the classics (we learn from Luke sometimes the term "classic" means different things to different people... if you know you know -- and believe me, you want to know lol), swoony romance, happiness, hope and perseverance this is the book for you! If I missed something that you would relate to more insert that here:__________ because this book is for EVERYONE and I am convinced that EVERYONE needs this kind of happiness in their life.

Penelope is pure joy. From her theatre background, wardrobe, inner thoughts, dreams and her crazy, good skills she will endear herself to you forever.

The Grays...I'm lumping them all in one because they are such a fun family. And dare I say a real-type family. The kind that even when they don't know what they are doing, lose their way, their zest for life...they are a family through and through.

Luke. Luke gets his own paragraph because who of you out there that have been reading this series is not ready for more Luke. Sarcasm has never come across a page better than with Luke. He is good for the soul.

Get this book and read it for everything that is amazing in this world, because bits of it have been sprinkled throughout like fairy dust...and 'who couldn't use a little more happiness in their life'?

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

Content/triggers: Grumpy/Sunshine, workplace romance, single parent, dream setting, theatre/pop culture references, great dialogue and banter, great friendships, family relationships (some strained some not), romance, kisses only and a good chance you'll laugh out loud multiple times.

This was one of the cutest books I think I’ve ever read in my life:) Oh my heart!
I was constantly smiling or gigging.
I adore Penelope, she is so funny and relatable! I wish I could be her friend, but reading this book made me feel like I was which was so much fun!
This book has one of the most sweetest romances! It was tender, caring, loving, and passionate all at once!
I absolutely adore all of the film and literary references in this book, I may have shrieked when a certain line from pride and prejudice was referenced,
it made my whole day!!
Singing in the rain is a very special film to me and my family, hearing it mentioned in this story made me cry happy years:)
The Edgewood family is so similar to my own, it is so fun and funny to read!
I truly have only good things to say about this book, it was a lovely, and delightful experience! I highly recommend!
🎧🚲💌🎭
-grumpy x sunshine
-love triangle
-family drama
-small town & island
-slow burn till it’s not;)
-funny family dynamic

Thank you so very much to Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book has great potential to be my top read for 2023. I can't remember the last time I laughed so heartily at a book. I have seen some negative reviews from folks who don't enjoy epistolary style novels and if that's not your cup of tea, I wouldn't recommend this one as it's probably 2/3 in that style, but the style made the particular brand of humor work so well. This is the 2nd book in the Skymar series. If you've read Authentically, Izzy, you're familiar with the characters and the fictional country of Skymar. If you haven't, this story will stand on its own, though. This book follows Penelope, the youngest of the Edgewood siblings/cousins. When she receives an internship at a family theater in Skymar, she's thrilled to go on an adventure across the world and see the land that her cousin Izzy has come to love. What she doesn't expect is to fall in love in the process.

This book had such a sweet love story, great character development, good family dynamics, LOTS of witty banter and more laughter and joy than I could shake a stick at. I did have misty eyes a time or two as well - this book brought out all the feels, but the overall feeling of the book is whimsical. Knowledge of musicals - particularly Sound of Music is helpful as well, which I was glad for as that one is one of my favorites. I thoroughly enjoyed Penelope's joy and spirit and the creative ways she breathed life into a dying theater. The story was good, the characters were wonderful and the ending was thoroughly satisfying. If you enjoy fun contemporary rom-coms, this is one I would heartily recommend.

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

Positively Penelope
This was a fun story. Pepper Basham is a CF romance writer and I am usually not into reading romance. But I would call this a love story, a light and terrifically fun love-story. Love stories seem to me to be based more on character and romance often based on appearance. I read Authentically Izzy first and this is a sequel to that delightful story. Penelope is a young, quirky, vintage move buff, with a vivid imagination. Her sister Izzy, from the first book, is a book quoting fun character. I really enjoyed all the references to Gene Kelly music, and memories of old movies with him dancing were welcome. Pepper did a wonderful job creating such interesting characters with a good story line. Good emphasis on overcoming first impressions and forgiveness. Like the story of Izzy this is mostly letters, or texts back and forth between the family, that allows the point of view to float back and forth between who is writing. I needed this light, fun story.
Thanks to #NetGalley, #Pepper Basham, #Thomas Nelson Fiction

4.5/5⭐️

A second in series, I loved this one every bit as much as its predecessor (Authentically, Izzy). It is told in emails, texts and prose from both the leading mains.

Penelope has been given a paid internship fresh out of college to help save a family owned (the Grays) century-old, failing theatre a world away on the (fictional) island of Skymar. As she brainstorms various marketing schemes, she finds herself spending time with both Matt Gray, the theatre’s accountant and father to 7-year-old Iris and Alec, Matt’s younger brother who works the business side of the theatre. As she begins to see some of her ideas pay off, she’s also frustrated to discover that there is a mole at the theatre who is working with their local rival competitor.

The emails/texts here are mostly from Penelope’s sister Izzy, her sister Josephine and her brother Luke back home in NC. They are hilarious, warm and supportive and show a wonderful family closeness.

Penelope is a vivacious, optimistic, theatre-loving (with lots of mentions of actors/actresses/movies) dynamo who spreads joy, hope and homemade baked goods to everyone she meets. She is a lovely, heartwarming character. Matt is a hardworking, single dad who has trust issues but finds himself being won over by Penelope (whether he wants to be or not). There are also other stellar characters like Grandpa Gray, Iris (adorable), Gwenn (Matt’s sister), etc.

This book was simply a pleasure to read. Wholesome and a bit faith-driven, with wonderful messages to unwrap, it leaves a warm, fuzzy feeling behind.

Definitely recommended.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing the free early ARC of Positively, Penelope for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I love Pepper Basham's writing but the books told by letters/emails are just not my jam. I want to like them because I love her story telling but I just can't get into the flow of it.

I love this book! Penelope is an absolute joy. Pepper Basham continues with the Edgewood family support system. This time Penelope is traveling to the county of Skymar. She is off to her internship readers learned she had applied for in Authentically Izzy. She and her family keep in constant contact through messaging and phone calls. This makes for a different kind of reading feature for the beginning of the book. (I had a hard time adjusting to this technique when reading the first book of the series but was prepared to enjoy it with this story.)
Penny is a joyous young lady who loves the theater, musicals and the magical romance of princesses and heroes. She soon meets and charms her way into the hearts of most of the Gray family who owns The Darling House. This theater on the island of Fiacla is in dire need of rejuvenation. Penny just may be the person who can bring joy back to the family and the one-hundred-year-old theater. There are some very interesting characters here, delightful seven-year-old Iris, her great-grandfather and college student, Gwen. There's also two single men, the handsome Alec and the grumpy Matt, father of Iris.
The book has a great touch of humor, some intrigue, deep faith and a sweet romance. I really enjoyed it. It's better than a movie by you know who!
I received an advanced readers copy from publisher Thomas Nelson and NetGalley. This is my own unsolicited opinion of it. I cannot wait for brother Luke's story!!

What can I say?! I love Penelope! Because she’s so happy and bubbly, Penelope has to work hard to show people there’s more to her than smiling and singing. And there is so much more! I really enjoyed watching her help the struggling theater and the struggling family. She’s a gem. The slow-burn romance was really sweet, and, like the previous book, the back and forth with the siblings/cousin is so fun! This was just the light-hearted book I needed!

Positively perfect in every way! This was an absolute hit by Pepper Basham! Penelope’s story has such warmth and comfort, it’s impossible not to love it. Authentically Izzy had already become one of my favorites, but Penelope’s story was perfectly done. As a lover of theater and musicals, this was so much to read. I did have my broadway playlist on while reading it, and made it a thousand times better. I just know Penelope would appreciate a broadway soundtrack to her life.

Penelope is completing an internship at a historical theater in Skymar. Working with Matt Grey, the manager of the company, to bring the theater back to life proves a challenge when competition is fierce. Penelope, in all her optimistic cheerfulness, is determined to succeed. She is underestimated due to her positive and cheerful attitude, but it doesn’t deter her from her goal. Matt has suffered heartache and loss. His guarded heart only has space for his daughter, Iris.

Penelope and Matt are very interesting characters with two very different outlooks in life. Yet, those differences make for a fun and witty dynamic. The humor was top-notch and I was just laughing out loud the whole way. But it also had its serious and heartfelt moments. It was a perfect combination of lighthearted, humorous storytelling with plenty of heartfelt lessons. I loved the themes of friendship, love, and community that it’s displayed throughout the book.

This is very much a grumpy/sunshine trope, one of my favorites. But I really liked that grumpy didn’t equal rude, which it often happens in grumpy/sunshine tropes. One of my favorite characters here was Iris. She was a precocious little girl, who just needed a little bit of “magic” in her life. I loved everything about this book! It was the perfect combination of humor, depth, and love. I cannot wait for Luke’s story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.