Loyally, Luke

This is a self-aware hallmark movie book. Incredibly enjoyable and will leave you with all of the warm and fuzzies. Be sure to check out the audiobook. Great cast with fantastic accents.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.

LUKE. I loved Izzy and adored Penelope, but LUKE. LUKE WAS PERFECT. The way this was written with as many romcom tropes and cliches in it, while Luke constantly talks about hating romcoms and hallmark movies is PERFECTION. I absolutely loved it. It had just the right amount of snark, sass, and swoon. The audio was also great! As someone who listened to the first two as well, I could tell the voices for Izzy and Penelope were different, but I still loved them! And Luke’s narration was spot on.

Loved!

I am very excited to be reading this book! My full review to follow.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the third book in the Skymar series. Luke was featured in the first two and whole this is a standalone story, it is best enjoyed having read the others. You really come to understand the family relationship and Luke's personality in those books before getting to his story.

I will begin by mentioning that I listened to this book, as I did the others. I really thought the narrators, especially the male narrator, made the story in the other books. His accents were perfection. This audiobook is a bit different than the others. They each had a male and a female narrator. This one has a FULL CAST! This is the first book I have listened to with a full cast reading it. I loved it so much! I received an advanced audio copy from Netgalley, and Zondervan Fiction Audio and Thomas Nelson. I specifically didn't request an advanced ebook because I knew I wanted to listen to this. That being said, I would have liked to follow along in the ebook some just to see how the print version compared to cast's reading, especially the text messages.

This book does not contain as many emails or text messages as the previous 2 books, and the only negative feeling about the audio I had was the reading of all of the descriptions of the emails especially. I would like to see if this one was written like the others and just read differently because of the different characters or not. But either way, I loved listening to the book!

And I loved the story! It had tongue in cheek nods to romance tropes and Hallmark movies. It was fabulously written. I laughed so many times. And Luke is just the sweetest big lug of a guy there is!

While I did receive the complimentary audio, I am happily and voluntarily leaving my honest review.

My heart is full is full to bursting with bibliophile rapture! I. Can’t. Even….

My brain is scrambled and my tummy hurts from laughing so hard and my knees are still buckling in preparation for a swoon every time I stand. Because Luke is the hero of my heart. The best of all book boyfriends.

I’ve anticipated this book since first meeting Luke in ‘Authentically Izzy’ to the point I was almost nervous to read it because my expectations were so high. Happy to report that Pepper Basham did not disappoint and neither did the stellar cast of performers who narrated the audio book. Seven narrators!!! Christopher Ashman, K.C. Sheridan, Kathleen McInerney, Natalie Duke, Gary Furlong, Caitlin Davies and Mhairi Morrison. They all did a brilliant job of bringing these characters to life and I think avid audio ‘readers’ will be thrilled with their listening experience. I sure was!

So…if you’ve been following this series, ‘Loyally Luke’ delivers exactly what you’d expect…times a billion! So much fun! The meet-cute! Snicker. Cue the banter that doesn’t let up the whole read through. And let me tell you, I was already in love with grumpy Luke, but flirty Luke about did me in. My fainting couch needs new springs!

One thing I found interesting is that the author mixed up the format in this third book where the emails and messages are interspersed with ‘live action’ scenes. If you’ve read one of the other books in this series, this will make sense (I hope) but if you haven’t, I’ve likely totally confused you. Explanation: The first two books are written in epistolary format for the first half and then switching to a combination of emails/texts and ‘in the moment’ POVs for the rest of the story. In this one, there’s definitely less emails and texting and the book starts on in real time with Luke just off the plane as he arrives in Skymar. I enjoy both styles, but I know some people aren’t a fan of epistolary novels so this strikes a happy medium.

We still get enough Izzy and Penelope (and even Josephine) input (Luke’s sisters/cousin) through their correspondence, which kept me grinning, because they go all Disney Princess on him in a big way much to his consternation. There are so many wonderfully clever movie references which become quite hysterical because it’s Luke realizing he’s caught in the snare of one of his sisters’ romcoms. He kept needing to watch Rambo to centre himself. Bwahahaha! But there is no getting away from all those romantic tropes!

And his princess’s story? Heartbreaking and inspiring. The paparazzi — Gah! We occasionally get the point of view of a gossip columnist which set me off every time. (And scary to contemplate, but Pepper Basham would make an excellent tabloid reporter!)

Gah — there’s so much more to gush over but this review is way too long. You just need to read this book — the whole series, really — and then we can form a Luke fan club and gush to our hearts content.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

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.

Loyally, Luke is a sweet Christian romance. I really enjoyed reading this novel! Luke is working on a renovation project when he meets Ella. Just as their romance begins, he finds out her secret: she’s a princess! The plot was great as well as the romance. I loved the characters. The only criticism I have is that there could have been more faith content. Highly recommend this book and will definitely be reading more by this author. I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in trade for my honest opinion. My thoughts are my own.

YouTube Review: 05/08/24
YouTube Handle: KeenCat

I knew going into this book I would fall for Luke after getting a peek at his character in the first two books in this series, but I didn't' realize I would fall for him this hard. What a fantastic hero!
This story was charming. It felt like a warm summer day or a sweet hug. The characters were all so genuine and I absolutely loved how the story itself was written with a full cast, featuring dual POV and some delightful texts and messages between other characters. The audiobook version was delightful to listen to as it featured a full cast production and each narrator did so well with their individual characters, it brought it to life, I could have been watching a Hallmark movie listening to this story.
Speaking of Hallmark, this story cracked me up with all the funny references to Hallmark movies and their common plots and tropes. I loved the way the author wove that into the plot itself. It just added to the overall charm. The royal falling for a commoner and overcoming obstacles, including hidden identity, was so sweet.
Back to Luke and my new found crush on him as a fictional character, I loved so much how he SAW Ellie for who she truly was and the way he made even her smallest dreams come true. He's practically perfect. I enjoyed their moments together so much.
If you're in the mood for a cute, feel-good novel, make sure to pick this book up.
I listened to an advance listening copy of this novel from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio on Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I recommend this book.

Pepper Basham is one of my favorites! This was absolutely delightful. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were charming and witty. I highly recommend this fun and quick read! Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Loyally, Luke is the third book in the Skymar series. While I think you might have some better understanding of the family dynamics in Luke's family if you've read the previous books, I do think this could be enjoyed as a standalone as well.

I must admit, I didn't expect to love this book nearly as much as I did. While I enjoyed the previous two books in the series enough to keep reading them, they weren't my favorite books by Pepper Basham. Part of that, I think, was the epistolary style that those were written in. I enjoyed them by the end, but it always took me a little longer to get into. While this book does have a lot of fantastic sibling text threads and emails too, it's overall written in a more traditional style. That definitely may have played a part in my enjoyment, but honestly, a lot of that was just Luke himself. This was such a great character. I'd enjoyed him in the previous books, but his own love story was absolute perfection. Growing up the only boy, he knows more than he'd like about Hallmark movies and romcoms... but her certainly never planned to be living one in real life! And yet, that's exactly what happens when he finds himself falling for a real-life princess. I loved the pop culture references and his need to balance out his sisters influence with action flicks... but he's ultimately the biggest sweetheart and it was hard not to be charmed by this fantastic story. There were so many moments that had me laughing out loud and I couldn't get enough.

If you're looking for a great Christian romance that will have you laughing out loud and swooning at the same time, this is absolutely one not to be missed.

As for the audiobook version, it was fantastically done too. The narrators did an amazing job of bringing this story to life!

**I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley for consideration. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this story. I have enjoyed the other books in this series because I think the characters are fun and imperfect but I love seeing them find their true loves. I loved how Luke fell for a princess and the impossibility of their situation. I liked how their romance developed and how the author was able to come up with a believable solution for them being together. I loved how the story is a mix of text messages and narration. I think that makes the story unique and a fun one to read. I would definitely recommend this book and this whole series. I also loved the narrators and how they read the story.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

The writing was amazing and interesting at the same time. The characters were well penned down so that we as a reader can easily relate and understand them.
Right from the starting till the end, it was interesting and had my attention to the fullest. Plus in audiobook format it was fabulous.
I love it.

Oh my, how I loved these two and their love story! Literally had the cutest Hallmark, GAC, and Christian values/influence which I loved! I'm so glad I got to read this in audiobook form the whole cast was fantastic! The accents were amazing and beautiful.

The writing is engaging and rich with emotion. The dialogue is snappy and genuine, which made the interactions between characters incredibly enjoyable. The setting, with its small-town charm, added an extra layer of coziness to the story. It was a feel-good romance that left me smiling long after I turned the last page. It's a book I'd recommend to anyone looking for a story about love, loyalty, and finding happiness in unexpected places

This book is easily my favorite in the trilogy! Although this can be read as a stan alone, I do think you need to read the previous two books in order to appreciate Luke’s total Luke-ness. It placed our favorite flannel wearing, southern drawl accented Grinch at the heart of the most rom-commy rom-com of all time and I loved every minute.

This book was by far the best in the series! The balance between correspondence and "in person" interactions was absolutely perfect and the full cast helped really bring it to life. While this story did feel a little long at times but it was still really well done!

The story of Luke and Ellie was all the best parts of a romantic Hallmark Channel Movie! I enjoyed the Penelope and Izzy were still very much present in this book as much as the others.

The full cast in this book was even better than the last one! I really hope this is not the last time we will be in Skymar!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book and audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." Thank you Thomas Nelson for the opportunity.
Luke Edgewood, the third unmarried Edgewood, has made it to Skymar to help with a couple construction projects. Little did he know what he was getting into. There would be royal run-ins, fun with children at the orphanage and many other humorous moments. Will he end up a with his movie script love story?
Pepper Basham is so good at interweaving humor with sweet moments and then also mixing in faith elements. I enjoyed this book so much and I was overjoyed to get an Arc of the audio as well.
The narrators, Christopher Ashman; K.C. Sheridan; Kathleen McInerney; Natalie Duke; Gary Furlong; Caitlin Davies; Mhairi Morrison were tremendous. I so enjoyed the voice of Luke in the other books and knew that I wanted to listen to this one as well. I know there were some changes in the narrator of Izzy and Penelope but because it has been awhile since I listened to those books that I didn’t find the differences all that noticeable. The voices of all of the narrators fit the characters well, but especially Christopher Ashman as Luke. I also think that the narrators did very good with the accents. The use of the different narrators definitely help with the understanding of the book because of the somewhat epistolary format of this book.
I would recommend this book to all those readers of Christian fiction books who love fairy tale type stories. One might even consider it a flipped fairytale story. The faith element is more on the light side, so if they bothers you this might now be the book for you. I loved it in both formats.

This was super sweet!

This whole trilogy is so sweet, cozy, and funny! But it isn’t all fluff and kissing. In between and mixed in with the romance, is quite a bit of really good advice (and movie quotes too!).

If you love romantic comedies, good guys wearing flannel, or anything royal, I think you will love this!

I really enjoyed listening to the audio version of this book! The full cast production helped keep the characters straight and the accents are fantastic!!

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the opportunity to experience this fabulous audiobook!

This was an AMAZING end to the series!

I am a fairytale girl but like Luke I understand that’s not real life.

We follow Luke who has an opportunity to help with building projects in Skymar and doesn’t know who he falls for. It’s Princess Diaries and all the heartfelt rom-com movies you can think of.

Luke and Elle have my heart. ♥️

I laughed and smiled through this entire book, I listened and read along.

I am going to truly miss this family and world.

CW: cancer (recounted), death of parents (mentioned), alcoholism (mentioned), gaslighting, classism

I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing me with a free audio e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Luke Edgewood has no need for what he calls “the fru-fru” of Hallmark movies in his life. But, when he gets tasked to spearhead a major renovation for an orphanage in Skymar, Luke’s life turns into one.

Loyally, Luke is a heartwarming novel that left me grinning from ear to ear. Readers who love Basham’s swoon-worthy romance in the previous two books of the Skymar series will have their fill of swoon as Luke falls in love with a Skymarian princess, Ellie, and he doesn’t even know it.

Since I have listened to each book in the series on audio, I definitely noticed that Basham and her team went all out with the narration/production. Narrated by a full cast of narrators, each of the narrators brought their own narration styles that made the characters come to life from the page in Basham’s least epistolary novel of the series. However, I do note that the only downside to having this many narrators on hand is that you don’t get that duet narration between the love interests as you would have if you were listening to Authentically, Izzy or Positively, Penelope.

What I love most about Loyally, Luke is how Basham is able to get you swept in the heart of the story. Feeling the characters’ emotion from the book’s narration to the book’s main themes of grace and hope, it’s hard not to get invested in these characters and in this story. As it may be the last book of the Skymar series, Basham also takes time to nicely wrap the character arcs from the other Edgewood family members as they all get their HEAs.

That being said, you need to read Loyally, Luke if you’re looking for a Christian romance full of heart and an audiobook narration that will get you completely swept away.