I loved this book. Penelope's texts to Luke are hilarious and usually spot on. The meet cute between Ellie and Luke is so fun and sets up what will be a great enemies to more book. Luke is a down to earth, loyal, kind and definitely not a Hallmark guy. Ellie has a past that haunts her. She wants to be seen as the person she has become not the person she used to be.
I loved all the banter and conversations between Luke and Ellie. I loved that the seemingly impossible becomes possible through choice, hard work and dedication. I loved, loved, loved all the texts between Luke and his sisters/cousin, and Ellie's and Maeve's texts to each other. This is a fantastic book and I would highly recommend anyone with a love of a well written sweet romance to read it.

Such a fun read. The text messages shared between characters as well as the prose really added another dimension to a sweet story.

This was the first of Pepper Basham's books that I have read and I'll be looking out for more in the future.

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

Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham, every page is filled with the enchanting magic of romance and unforgettable characters. I was swept away by the swoon-worthy romance and charming characters that will linger in my heart long after I finished the book.

☕ “I’m surrounded by pixie dust and romance and no amount of Rambo quotes will help”

📚By Pepper Basham


WHAT’S TO LOVE? I gave book #1 in this Skymar Series, Authentically Izzy, four stars, and book #2, Positively Penelope, five stars, and could not WAIT for good Ol’ Luke to get his own story!

What’s IN this story? Oh just…..

☕hilarious southern fella wearing flannel while drinking black coffee
☕conversations with a princess-in-hiding & her bestie
☕a romantic king and a queen on a secluded Scottish isle
☕paparrazi and live updates from a tabloid

I love that the author came up with a completely different plotline from the first two books… a southern fella from the States gifted in construction is needed on an island near Scotland.
This gifted carpenter, Luke Edgewood, has been surrounded by romance, sparkles, and Hallmark movie talk by having three “sisters” in his life.

The witty, southern charm (I'm a little partial as a Southern gal) conversations between Luke, Izzy, and Penelope are a hoot. Luke’s dry sense of humor is the best!

Here’s an example of why I love this series so much:

LUKE: “I don’t want to see her again.”
IZZY: “Perfect!”
LUKE: “Exactly.”
IZZY: “Don’t you know what this means?”
LUKE: “That my headache is returning?”
IZZY: “It’s the inevitable enemies-to-lovers trope and you were wearing flannel! AHH! I can almost hear the Hallmark Christmas chime going off in the background of your life.
LUKE: “It’s not Christmas.”
IZZY: “Lucky for you, the magical Christmas chime extends all year long.”

What’s amazing about it is that it’s not just a cheesy-feeling love story [nothing wrong with that sometimes]. It’s pretty light-hearted and fun until 50% when things get a lot more serious, precious, and challenging — all at once.

Content-> mentions of orphans and sweet scenes with the kids up to this point, but the author expertly brings in [talk of past] drinking, rehab, nightclubs, revealing clothes, cancer, and depression. These things are followed by talk of positive change, bravery, self-worth, forgiveness, friendship, and restoration.

Chapter 11 gave me a big lump in my throat. So sweet. Then again a couple of chapters later when Luke consoles a little orphanage girl.

💕

☕clean romance
☕no profanity
☕lots of kissing


CAUSE FOR PAUSE? The end felt a little stretched out and scatter-y at times, but ended in a believable, satisfying way. The faith content was a little light but I enjoyed what was included.

CONSIDER READING IF… you want a light-hearted contemporary romance complete with royals, tabloids, and true friendship.

☕ I am stingy with my stars, but this one gets 5. 😀

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 This will be released on May 14, 2024.

☕📚 Thanks to the author, Thomas Nelson, and NetGalley for the complimentary ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own, honest ones.

This was, hands down, my favorite book in this series! I've loved Luke from the beginning, and I was so thrilled to see him find his very own happy ending.

Although initially, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about a contemporary Christian romance series, I'm so glad that I have this series a chance because by the end, I'm left feeling so attached to these characters that I'm genuinely sad to be saying goodbye to them. And even though this book had some of the same flaws as the first two, there were so minor to me because I was just caught up in the characters' stories. Even the side characters were just wonderful. (My favorites were Gordon and Faye!)

This was the perfect ending to a really sweet series with a wonderful cast of characters. I'd highly recommend giving it a try!

Loyally Luke. What could be a more perfect title for this book? Seriously, Luke is such a loyal person. Readers got delightful little glimpses of Luke through the two previous books in this series, but never enough Luke to really satisfy curiosity. In Loyally Luke, Pepper Basham has opened the door wide open for readers to get to know Luke - more of his humor, more of his loyalty, more of his good character, and more of his humanness. I loved this book. I felt as though the author was just fleshing out a real person onto the pages of this story. Because, let’s face it, that is what Luke feels like to the reader - a genuine and real person. He has some great wisdom that he sprinkles throughout the story. (Ugh. Do not tell Luke we used the word sprinkles in relation to him!) Yes, this book is a sweet and fun romantic plot line, but the depth of characters and development of those characters throughout this book is simply wonderful. The reader finishes this book feeling refreshed, encouraged, and wishing for a little more of Luke and Ellie’s story. I highly recommend this book. The content from Izzy and Penelope would be the icing on the cake for any reader of this fun story.

I requested and received a copy of this book for review, but the thoughts expressed here are wholly my own.

Pepper has been on my radar for a long time, and with this book I got my first taste and what a taste of this author's writing.

The vibes of a Hallmark movie are strong, we meet characters that sent me on a comfortable journey.

It's such a sweet story involving a princess looking to reform her reputation and a man who is unaware of this detail and just wants to do his job. Oh what a combination, what a combination to fall in love with.

When I finished reading it I ended up with a huge smile on my face that even hurt, the jokes that are included, the children that put the adorable emphasis on it as we find ourselves in the reformation of an orphanage. This book has opened my world to Pepper's writing and I can't wait to read more of her, and find new characters to remind me of the ones in this book.

Do I recommend it? Yes, it's a sweet romance with all those Hallmark vibes that takes us to a Royal Ball with amazing characters.

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

#LoyallyLuke #NetGalley

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Fiction via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is my first time reading a Christian fiction novel, so to see how the Pepper Basham included these themes into the narrative, specifically how God's presence in Luke's life influences his thoughts and decisions, was fascinating! While the mentions of Him were frequent, at least to someone that doesn't identify with any particular religion like myself, they never felt out of place or forced.

Luke was kinda-sorta giving toxic masculinity, which, given the character's traits and beliefs, made sense? The constant references to "manly" movies were a bit cringe.

Skymar seems like such a charming place to live with just the right amount of small-town feel, it was a perfect setting! Because of that, I couldn't help feeling a twinge of sadness when Ellie decided to move to the US, but ultimately, if she's happy, I'm happy!

The family dynamic between Luke and his sisters was a highlight to read, I adored they teased their brother, but made sure to remind him of his worth and supported his decisions.
Ellie's contact and friend, Maeve, however... REALLY got on my nerves, especially with her repeated jokes about taking Luke for herself.

I would have loved to delve deeper into their histories instead of the glimpses we did get. Luke's emotional growth throughout the book is evident, and it's heartwarming to see him fall in love.
Despite this being the third book in the Skymar series, it was my first introduction! I plan on reading the other two now when I can.
This novel has a great balance of romance, faith, and love - give it a try!

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. I loved the banter but there was just a lack of substance. It was a beautifully iced cake but the inside was hollow. The orphans were sweet but empty moments which ended abruptly with an adoption out of the blue. Our heroine is flawed but rather than learning her backstory, at which there are hints of depth, instead we are left with a surface level delve into her background. Our hero is well known and other than falling for a princess, there is zero character growth from the previous books in the series.

4 Stars
One Liner: So sweet!

Luke Edgewood is not the rom-com type hero, or so he says. He is a builder who loves his work and a supportive brother to his sisters. When Luke goes to Skymar to work on a project, he doesn’t expect to come face-to-face with royalty.
Elliana St. Clare (Ellie) is a princess in hiding after things went awfully wrong the last time, and the press is still hounding her for juicy news. She finds peace in working with the orphanage, the same one which Luke has to renovate.
Ellie wants to keep her identity a secret and plans to do what her parents want. But meeting Luke puts her at a crossroads. Moreover, Luke wants nothing to do with fame or royalty, so Ellie isn’t sure what to do.
The story comes in the third-person POV of Luke and Ellie, with email and chat snippets between different characters.

My Thoughts:
While the story can be a standalone, I strongly recommend reading at least book #2 (like I did) to understand the character arcs better.
You need to meet Luke in the previous book(s) to know that he is a cuddly teddy bear and a kind-hearted darling. Otherwise, he is more likely to annoy you with constant references to ‘manly movies’ and ‘hating romance’.
Of course, since I was waiting for his book, I enjoyed this one a lot. Luke is so adorable, and his relationship with his sisters is perfect! In fact, the chats between the siblings are wonderful.
Penelope is a side character here, but she is being herself, so it’s almost like she is one of the main characters; an extra dose of sunshine with a steady diet of Hallmark movies and romance tropes, which get constant references (this is a series thing) in their chats.
The book has limited epistolary stuff, which works well for me. I know this is an ARC, but I hope they add appropriate scene breaks to indicate POV changes. The jumps will be too confusing to follow otherwise.
Ellie’s dilemma is well done. She makes some wrong decisions but has the strength to acknowledge them. Her doubts, vulnerability, and hesitation come across clearly. Her dynamics with Luke are funny and cute. They do make a lovely couple!
Naturally, there are a few faith-based elements that never overpower the story or sound preachy. This is exactly how I like faith in books (if it is present).
We do have a sweet and happy ending. I did feel a little sad, but since there’s news that there will be a novella from the same series, I’m happy to meet the characters (Luke) again. Can’t wait for it!

To summarize, Loyally, Luke beautiful, funny, sweet, and heartwarming read. It also has the flavor of a small-town community, so pretty much a package deal. No steam except for a few kisses and flirting.
Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

3.5⭐️


Vivan los closed door.

Por alguna razón no he leído los libros de Penelope ni el de Izzi y tenía el pendiente de que fuera necesario leerlos para entender este, pero se puede leer fácilmente como independiente.

Fue refrescante leer que la protagonista era una jugadora y ahora está reformada.

Algunas partes son ridículas y exageradas, pero le daban un toque de comedia.

Luke es constructor, no le gusta la vida glamurosa, pero enamoró de una princesa.

Ellie es la princesa de Skymar, por años vivió una vida alocada hasta que sus excesos la llevaron a ser internada. A pasado los últimos 3 años recuperándose y tratando de ganarse de nuevo su lugar en la realeza por lo que cree que es si deber casarse con alguien que pertenezca a su círculo y no por amor.

Me gustó lo de la lista.
No me gustó que tuviera citas con otros hombre, pero se que ella y Luke no eran novios aunque ambos se sentían atraídos, pero cada uno quería cosas diferentes. Lo bueno es que las citas solo fueron mencionadas más no se mostraron en detalle.

Le faltó el epílogo.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for and honest review.

DNF at 12% - I just couldn’t get into this story and relate to the characters (perhaps because I haven’t read the previous books in this series?) I do love the enemies to lovers, grumpy x grumpy and forced proximity tropes though.

I've been waiting for this book ever since I first met Luke in "Authentically, Izzy!" I got it and started immediately. I finished it that same day. It was everything I hoped and more! Luke's story is full of lots of laughter, love, family, and the beauty of second chances. By far one of my favourite books I read in 2023!

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

Oh, how I loved Luke! He is just all things lovely. Loyally, Luke is the third book in the series but can be read as a stand-alone. It follows Luke who has traveled to Skymar to see his sister and to do some contracted work, and "Grace Kelly" (aka Ellie), a princess of Skymar. They are forced to work together to restore a castle in the countryside of Skymar after an awkward meeting at the airport. Of course, neither Luke nor Ellie is looking for love. Also, their love is somewhat forbidden. I loved all of the movie references in this book! I also loved how it tied in with so many good hallmark movie tropes but not in an overly sweet way. This book is wonderfully written. It is dual POV which is delightful. I especially liked Luke's POV. He is just so swoon-worthy and respectable. Although this story can be read on its own we get cameos from the characters in the previous books in the series.
Content: kisses only
Thank you to NetGalley and Pepper Basham. These are my own opinions.

I waited for months to read this conclusion to the trilogy. Honestly, it was well worth the wait. All the snarky comments from Luke to his sisters and cousin fueled the fire for the reluctant HEA. The country's landscape is its own book character. Envisioning the scenery became a happy place. Pepper Basham sure knows how to write RomComs! Sign me up for them all.

I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.

This book wasn't noted as being the third in a series (perhaps I should've looked it up to find out on my own) so I think I would've liked it even more if I had read the other two first. This was a really nice story and I'll be going back to read the other two soon. Super easy read, didn't take me very long. Had me smiling to myself multiple times. Definitely recommend

I have enjoyed this fun series and Loyally, Luke was a great addition to it. Luke is such a likable, good guy, not to mention swoon-worthy flannel loving carpenter. He is in Skymar to do some remodel work. As the only boy in a family of three sisters, two biological and one a cousin raised by his parents, Luke knows more about girl movies than a fellow should. To compensate, he watches plenty of action flicks, like Rambo, Mission Impossible, and others. This is a lighthearted and humorous story with laugh out loud moments and with many sweet and romantic ones as Luke works on an orphanage with and develops a friendship with Ellie, a real princess. There is an attraction but how can a country boy from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina have more with a real princess? Sweet romance with a foundation of faith. I recommend for those who love romance in an impossible situation.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting Luke’s story, Loyally Luke, by Pepper Basham. The premise and story did not disappoint! The characters, setting, and humor make this story memorable.

When a tired Luke Edgewood lands at the airport in Skymar, he never expects to have a run-in with a princess. Not that he knew she was one when they accidentally picked up each others’ coffee drinks. Their tense altercation leaves him grateful he’s going to the isolated mountains in the north country to do some carpentry work.

Elliana St. Clare finally learned how to fly under the media’s radar after her wild behavior gained her too many embarrassing headlines. When she arrives at the orphanage she’s the head of the board for, she’s shocked to see that same American she had been unpleasant to in the airport.

As Luke and Ellie work together making repairs on the orphanage, their banter is fun. The challenges they face as they begin to fall for each other (it is a romance, after all) serve to draw them together, but they also must work through seemingly impossible issues. Ellie’s parents and her closest friend help Ellie move beyond some of her fears.

I loved the characters in Loyally Luke. They’re relatable, funny, charming, and real. Luke’s sisters and cousin play off of Luke and his need to be manly in a world of women. But even more, Luke is a genuinely caring guy, for both kids and adults. They challenge, tease, and encourage him in turn. Ellie is wounded and sweet, trying to figure out how to get the media and the world to move beyond her past foolish choices and embrace the new woman she’s become. I loved Ellie’s heart for the children of the orphanage, her people, and her family. Probably the most likable princess I’ve ever read of seen in a movie. Seriously.

And the tropes and many allusions to Hallmark movies made me laugh. Luke was kind of a Cinderella in his own story. So fun.

I love the setting of the fictional country of Skymar. Basham brings it to life in my mind through her descriptions and the ways the characters interact with it.

My favorite things about this story are the cast of very likable characters and the themes of understanding and being comfortable with who you are and of the importance of family deepened the storyline.

If you enjoy romantic comedy, fun, honest characters, and feel-good stories, you need to read this series in order to best understand Loyally Luke. SO worth the reads!

***"I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.***

Another adorable rom-com to start off spring and summer reads. This was a perfect opposites attract story with an adorable meet cute. A carpenter flys to a different country for a few months only to accidentally spill coffee on a princess at the airport with whom he is going to be working with while in her country. I flew through this audiobook, listening to it in one work day! Multiple pov each narrated by someone different which kept my attention the whole time. Also, I want to shout out the sibling bond in this one between the sisters and Luke. It makes me want to go back and read the first two books about the sisters.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for my ARC!

4.5/5 stars

I enjoyed the first two books in Pepper's Skymar series, and this one was no exception. This book followed Luke, Penelope and Izzy's brother, on his own Skymarian adventure. I loved getting to know Luke's character better, as well as meeting his love interest, Ellie. Their relationship was so sweet! As the story progressed, Pepper did a great job of making you wonder whether or not Luke and Ellie would have their chance to be together. My only complaint was that there were points throughout where it felt like the pacing felt slow. However, as a whole, I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend readers pick it up, but I would also recommend reading it in order of the series.