Loyally, Luke - by Pepper Basham (Paperback)

Pepper Basham’s Skymar series is fun and delightful and very romantic. Every reader of the first two books in the series has been waiting for Luke’s story. Basham delivers BIG in this book featuring the gruff and manly Luke Edgewood finally falling for, of all things, a real princess. Luke and Ellie’s scenes are fabulous and I was so invested in their growing relationship. Some of my favorite scenes are those where Basham lets us hear just what Luke is thinking! I found myself laughing out loud or reading a portion to whoever happened to be in the room with me. Basham has done a masterful job with the relationships between characters, their conversations and their banter. She includes entertaining conversations between Luke and Ellie, Ellie and her good friend, and Luke and his siblings. These interactions held me captive to the story. Love!! This book might be enjoyed as a stand-alone, but reading the series in order will definitely add to the enjoyment of the novels. Characters which are introduced in the first book are integral parts of the second and third books. I not only read this book but have listened the audio version. The narration featuring various voices is wonderful. Whether you read or listen, you will consider your time well-spent! I have thoroughly enjoyed every visit to Skymar and know I will return with re-reads!!

I can not describe how much I love this book! I’m not a contemporary romcom kind of girl so this whole series has been such a fun surprise and sweet romance romp! So….about Luke… A Hallmark movie within a Hallmark movie, our H, is trying so hard to talk himself out of falling for the girl… …that he is falling for. Loyally Luke is a romcom for the true romantic, told partially in text correspondence, full of classic Basham closet kisses and Luke-ish lines like “He hated air quotes. It was sarcasm without the benefit of words.” I am blown away by the man-card carrying, hammer swinging, flannel shirt wearing Luke Edgewood who is also caring, compassionate and considerate. Oh, goodness! Luke deserves the future he wants even if he doesn’t know exactly what it is! How did Pepper Basham create such a character? I don’t know but I bet some of the heroes in her life had something to do with it! And, btw, I love this h, too. She is striving to be a better version of herself and we all know how hard that can be. Especially when surrounded by naysayers that can’t wait for her to fail. Eliana ends up being the perfect fit for Luke. Who would’ve thunk it! So…I feel I must leave you with some enticement so that you believe what I am telling you about this book 3 trip to Skymar, so here are a few of my favorite quotes… “He nodded to himself. Exactly. Bah, fairy tales! No good. They set unreasonable expectations and led to Penelope singing too much for anyone’s peace of mind.” “Maybe the intimidation was from being a southern boy whose mama had either used her purse as a possible weapon or protected it like a holy grail.” “For some reason he always felt a little nervous when emotion-talk or feelings started pressing in, but how could anyone blame him? He was raised with three sisters. His testosterone levels constantly felt threatened.” “He grimaced. He needed another large cup of black coffee and a massive hammer. Nah. The nail gun. Powerful and loud enough to drown out his thoughts for a while. It was plum disappointing that demo day only came around once a job.” “Luke: Never use the word “adorable” about a grown man. It makes me want to beat my head against a wall.” Now, go read this book!! This book is suitable for teens and older with no inappropriate intimate scenes and no bad language. I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review. I also purchased a print copy of this book.

I have loved the Skymar series. I have been impatiently waiting for Loyally, Luke ever since I finished Positively Penelope. I highly recommend reading the books in order. The first lines immediately drew me in and had me laughing. Poor Luke. Don't read this book. It's embarrassing. And private. I have a feeling my youngest sister has paid some sort of homage to the Hallmark pixies and they've turned my world into an ooey gooey, magical snow globe of romantic tropes. Read for: 🔨grumpy teddy bear 👑ice princess (or is she?) 🔨movie quotes 🔨interactions with the kids 🔨Loyal, legendary 👑determined to overcome her past 👑character growth 👑 interior designer + more 👑 🔨 witty banter 👑 🔨chemistry 👑 🔨text messages There is so much to love in this book. I love the family relationships, all the texts/emails, and the friendships. While this is a light read, as we get to know the characters better, stuff is revealed that is not light and fluffy but helps us to know them better. I thoroughly enjoyed the cast of side characters as well. While the first book was mostly epistolary, and the second as well, this one is more of a mix but still done so well. Honestly, there are not enough words, or even the right words to explain the awesomeness of Loyally, Luke (or the series). Do yourself a favor, pick up Authentically, Izzy, Positively Penelope, and Loyally, Luke, and binge-read the whole series. Then, and only then, will you understand why this series is a must-read, and why it is so hard to explain! Thank you to JustReads Publicity and Pepper Basham for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A perfect ending to a delightful series, Loyally Luke is funny, romantic, unpredictable, and inspiring— the best kind of romantic comedy there is! Pepper Basham gives the perfect voice to Luke’s character in this story, capturing and expounding upon his lovable grump persona from the first two books and transforming him into the swooniest of heroes in his own love story! Seasoned with delightful humor and pop culture references, this part-epistolary novel thoroughly entertains readers. I laughed out loud so much when reading this one! And the ROMANCE! There was heat without scorch as Luke and Ellie fell in love, and once Luke gets kissing on the mind it’s hard to stop! Plus, a romance from the man’s point of view? YES PLEASE! Ellie’s character had such depth and emotion, and her story and faith touched my heart. I loved Luke’s strong faith and love for his family, and he was an excellent Godly main character to fall for in this book! This story’s ending in the perfect happily ever after for both hero and heroine, but no spoilers on what that ending is… you just have to read it! And trust me, you do not want to miss it! I received a copy of this book for review and promotion purposes, but my thoughts are my own. I adored it!