Positively, Penelope by Pepper D. Basham Review

 Happy Wednesday Bookish Lovelies :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking time out of your crazy day to stop on by The Preppy Book Princess.

If I'm being honest, the past couple of weeks have been tough. I've been dealing with some personal stuff, we've had a family emergency raging through, and I've been working a lot of extra hours at work on top of it all.

I've found myself escaping into fiction quite a bit, and I'm looking forward to a couple of vacation days I have upcoming as I feel I need a little bit of rest and relaxation from all the stress that's been mounting as of late.

Last week, I finally had the chance to read another one of the titles from my 2023 Most Anticipated Releases post, and I can't wait to tell you guys all about this wonderful story.

If you'd like to check out my review of the first title in this favorite series, you can do so using the link below:

Authentically, Izzy

Otherwise, keep on reading down below for today's full review.

Positively, Penelope by Pepper. D. Basham:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: August 1st, 2023

Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary/Chick Lit/Epistolary

Series: Skymar

Synopsis:

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?

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Last year, I fell head over heels for the wonderful, whimsical story that was Authentically, Izzy. It ended up being one of my favorite reads of the year, and I couldn't contain my excitement when I discovered that the author decided to make it into a series. After loving Penelope's character in the first title, I knew she deserved her own story, and I couldn't wait to dive right in. I was a little worried that I wouldn't end up enjoying this one quite as much, since bookish titles are usually more my style than theatre ones, but I needn't have worried. Pepper Basham has delivered another wonderful rom com style romance that kept me reading way past my bedtime, and had me wanting more and more from these adorable, swoon worthy characters.

Penelope's got a big heart for the world around her, and when a dream internship opportunity has her traveling to Skymar to help bring a beloved theatre back to life, she'll stop at nothing to see her dreams come true. With her heart being torn between two brothers who couldn't be more different, finally getting the opportunity to live her out childhood dreams come to life, and trying to get on top of the dastardly individual who seems determined to steal every one of her marketing ideas, Penelope's Skymar adventure is bigger and grander than she ever could have prepared herself for.

I absolutely adored this title from start to finish, and it's every bit as wonderful and amazing as Authentically, Izzy was. Penelope is such a sweet gal, and I think any reader will find themselves wanting to root for her on her somewhat tipsy turvy way to happily ever after. The author has truly created a literary style paradise setting in the lovely region of Skymar, and I enjoyed how this one dives even more into some of the history introduced in the first book. This entire novel felt like a love letter to classic movies, chick lit, and old fashioned romance, and I never wanted to see it come to an end.

Definitely one of my favorite reads of the entire year so far, and I have no idea how I'm going to wait until next year for Luke's story to release.

Final Rating: 5/5.

I cannot recommend this title enough! Do yourself a favor and not only pick this one up, but also pick up the first book as I can guarantee you won't be disappointed. If you're a fellow lover of epistolary novels, then this is definitely the series for you as quite a large portion of the plot is told through hilarious emails and messages between Penelope and her siblings and cousin, and it made a great story even better in my opinion.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via Netgalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review. 

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)