[Authentically, Izzy – Positively, Penelope – Loyally, Luke]: A Skymar Series Review

Hi y’all!

I hope this post finds you well and staying cool this summer! There is something about heat and pregnancy that just don’t go together for me. I am surviving but definitely ready for fall.

I am so excited to share my review of the Skymar series by Pepper Basham. I absolutely adored these books! I bought all three and just loved experiencing each of these delightful stories filled with great characters, beautiful scenery, and some of my favorite literary references ever.

Authentically, Izzy follows Izzy and her journey to find love and acceptance as herself — a lovely, bookish heroine that is now one of my favorite literary protagonists ever. I adore her relationship with Brodie and all the many Lord of the Rings and classic novel quotes throughout.

Positively, Penelope follows Penelope’s adventures interning at The Darling House theater in Skymar. She always sees the world optimistically and has so much fun along the way with plenty of classic movie and musical references.

Loyally, Luke gives us the long awaited story of Luke falling in love. I loved his surprising romance with a woman who is more than she seems. Pair that story with his sarcasm and big heart, this is a fantastic end to the series.

Book Summaries: Izzy “Izzy Edgewood is a wannabe bookstore owner, quote queen, and Lord of the Rings nerd who has been waiting for Prince Charming to sweep her off her sneakered feet. But it’s hard to meet people when you spend more time with fictional humans than real ones. Which is why her pragmatist cousin Josephine decides to take Izzy’s future into her own meddling hands and create an online dating profile for the hopeful romantic.

To Izzy’s shock (and suspicion), Josie’s plan works. Soon, she’s dialoguing with a Hobbit-loving man named Brodie who lives in a small town an ocean away from her home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But is their shared love of books, family, and correspondence enough to overcome Izzy’s fear of flying and the literal distance between them? And is a long-distance relationship even worth considering when a local author has been frequenting the library where she works and is proving to be a perfectly fine gentleman?”

Penelope “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?”

Luke “Dear Reader, My name is Luke Edgewood, and there are few things in life that I require. Mainly black coffee. And flannel. And lots of solitude. And my dogs, Chewy and Indie. What I don’t need is romance, so I have no plans to change my thirty-year-old bachelor status anytime soon.

But my youngest sister thinks that by accepting a short-term construction job in the small European country of Skymar, I’m going to follow along in her footsteps and discover my own romantic adventure. Nope. Bah humbug. The End. This time, her rom-com-movie senses are totally wrong.

Or maybe not. Because I’ve met a Grace Kelly look-alike who is annoying . . . until she isn’t. But she is impossible. As in, nothing can happen between us because she is a literal princess. Even though that’s easy to forget when we’re working together to restore a castle-like orphanage in a secluded mountain town and “forced proximity” includes a small closet, a secret one-hundred-year-old journal, and the tactile memory of an off-limits royal in my arms.

Basically, the whole situation has turned into an ooey gooey magical snow globe of romantic tropes complete with cute kids and an actual ball. Now, even my sentences are starting to sound like mush. Ugh. Send high levels of testosterone my way—I’m going to need it. Loyally, Luke”

These books are delightful! There are so many things to love about this series!

First, I absolutely adore the mix of epistolary style and prose that these books are written in. Epistolary novels are some of my favorites so seeing that style in this series was so fun. The epistolary elements are clever and modern — letters, emails, website posts, and texts. Interspersed with these elements are scenes written in prose that give us important scenes in real time like Izzy and Brodie’s first kiss, important conversations and first impressions of Skymar. The sequels have more prose than epistolary elements but we still get the story told in both styles. The stories are so fun to experience this way, and I loved getting to know the characters through their writing.

The characters in these stories are fantastic.

Izzy and Brodie are my favorites. I absolutely adored getting to know them. I loved their uncommon courtship and the ways they just belong together. Their shared love of books and stories was delightful. The way he believes in her and helps her see her worth and talents is beautiful. Getting to know their families and the people that mean the most to them was a delight as well from overbearing, matchmaking Josephine to sarcastic, supportive Luke.
I loved getting to know Penelope more. She is so bright and optimistic. You can’t help but want to be her friend. Her dedication and passion for theater and for creatively solving problems were contagious. I love how she is able connect with others especially those that don’t want to connect. Matt was a complex and compelling character as well. I enjoying figuring him out and understanding how his past affects his present. And seeing him being drawn to Penelope was simply a delight. And the dancing!! These two are surrounded by such a fun group of characters — little Iris, Grandpa Gray and more.
I loved getting to know Luke. He is loyal, sarcastic, hard working, and loves fiercely. I love seeing him open up to Ellie and seeing how much his family means to him. I was impressed by his willingness to do hard things (sometimes very outside his comfort zone) for those he loves. And seeing him fall in love with Ellie was such a treat! Ellie is such a delight to get to know. I appreciated her history and how hard she is working to make things right after some big mistakes in her past. I really admired her courage and her tender heart. Watching her let Luke into her heart was a beautiful process! I loved the cast of side characters in Skymar and seeing how the village around the orphanage open their arms to both Ellie and Luke. It was so fun to see friendships form and to see what a difference they both make in the lives of the children there.

I loved experiencing Skymar for the first time. This setting is out of a fairy tale! I loved the descriptions and almost fantasy-like qualities of this country. And I fell in love with Sutherland Books and the stories of this island instantly. The scenery of Skymar continued to be magical in the sequels as well. I want to go here!! I love the way everything feel like a storybook. I love the legends and the old stories surrounding different parts of the islands. I love how the small towns feel like family. And I love that love and connection and friendship seem to follow the Edgewood family no matter where they go in Skymar.

The many literary, musical and movies references were so much fun! I loved Izzy most for all the delightful literary connections. I love Lord of the Rings so the many references there were so fun. And I love all the quotes and references to so many fantastic classics. I like to think Izzy, Brodie and I would be friends. So many fun theatrical references! I love all the quotes and nods to classic musicals and theater productions. All the connections to Julie Andrews are so fun (she is seriously the classiest lady!) and Audrey Hepburn and Gene Kelly. It was so fun to see how these classic stories are such a part of Penelope. I loved it. And perhaps the best connections of all were the dancing. Such beautiful moments! I loved the many almost romance tropes. The royal romance elements were some of my favorite. I love the ball, the unexpected interactions with the king, the ways Luke supports Ellie in her role as striving working royal, and more. Then we have all the fun almost tropes from every Hallmark movie ever made — the chimes, the snow fall, the first kiss, the surprises, the identity reveals, and more. So clever and so fun how Luke finds himself almost in a Hallmark movie (which makes him cringe!). The connections all add to these stories and help create such unique experiences for these characters. I loved the journeys!

Overall, I can’t say enough good things Reading these books was an experience that was simply joyful. It was bittersweet to finish because I loved being in this beautifully crafted world with these delightful characters surrounded by some of my favorite books and bookish things. These books have easily become some of my absolute favorites! I love the storytelling, the characters, the writing, and all the fun literary references. Some of my favorite reads of 2024 for sure!