Book Review of 'Positively, Penelope' by Pepper Basham

Happy Friday Bookworms!

This week has been a whirlwind of amazing books and I am ending it on a high note! The novel that I am featuring today is so fun and I can't wait to share my thoughts with you!

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Positively, Penelope by Pepper Basham hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Positively, Penelope

Series: Skymar #2

Author: Pepper Basham

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: August 1, 2023

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Told mostly through letters, texts, and email, this contemporary romance will charm its way into hearts as Penelope rescues a theater and discovers her true self in the process.

Penelope Edgewood is practically positive in every way, so when, fresh out of college, she is awarded a paid internship to help save a century-old theater on the island of Skymar, she jumps at the chance. After all, a crumbling theater needs the special touch of someone who reveres all things vintage and adores the stage.

Unfortunately, not everything is as it seems at Darling House Theatre. Finances are in shambles, the local theater group is disenchanted, and the two brothers, Matt and Alec Gray, can’t seem to see eye-to-eye about how to run their theatrical business. So, of course, it’s the perfect place for Penelope to shine her own personal brand of sunshine.

With a little help from GK, the person emailing her encouragement along the way, she puts all her heart into helping the Grays save Darling House. But between Matt’s ever-present skepticism, Alec’s tendency to treat Penelope a little too much like the “princess” she thinks she wants to be (until someone actually started treating her that way), a grandfather who is stuck in his grief, and a mysterious person stealing Penelope’s marketing ideas, she’s not sure her optimism is enough to make a happily-ever-after of her own story, let alone The Darling House’s.

Between an adorable little girl, a matchmaker, a sea monster or two, and a copious amount of musical references, can Penelope draw enough confidence from her faith, her family, and her adoration of all things Julie Andrews, to find the thief and save the theater . . . without getting her heart broken in the process?

My Review

An underdog story with a community coming together for good, characters choosing to step out in faith and a finding themselves in the process, and pure positivity is what we find in Positively, Penelope.

The story follows Penelope Edgewood on her trip to intern for a theatre company in Skymar that is in dire straits. She becomes close with the family that owns the theater, brothers Matt and Alec Gray, sister Gwynn, and their grandfather, but she becomes especially fond of Matt, the theater manager, and his adorable daughter, Iris.

Penelope is uber charming but can be a bit much at times, and this fact highlights the stark differences between her and Matt. Matt is the ultimate Mr. Grump which completely contrasts with Penelope’s Disney princess “Susie Sunshine” aesthetic (I picked up a lot of Giselle from Enchanted vibes), but there is something about the grumpy/sunshine troupe that is quite endearing and, just like Matt, I was eventually won over by Penelope’s positivity.

I often struggle with epistolary writing in general, and this novel was no exception. The fact that the Edgewood siblings write paragraph-long emails to one another on the daily, in present time, is one of the things that made the story feel a little too far-fetched and hard to connect to reality. I mean, who communicates like that in 2023?

The story eventually switches to a normal novel style and that’s when I really got into it and started connecting with the characters. Penelope is such a positive character and I simply adored the banter between her and her siblings. I loved the overall lighthearted feel and though the beginning was harder for me to get into I ended up being absolutely enchanted with this heartwarming novel. Pepper Basham is one of my favorite authors and I love seeing this different troupe from her, and cannot wait for the next installment in this series.

My Rating: ★★★★

More Books in this Series

About the Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. Pepper's novel, Hope Between the Pages, was a 2022 Christy award finalist. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC, where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

Connect with Pepper by visiting pepperdbasham.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Authentically, Izzy, $20 Amazon gift card, and a Peter Pan mug!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight July 26, 2023 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on August 2, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!