Authentically, Izzy
A fun, low-spice, bookish rom-com told through emails, texts, and letters
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4.3 • 12 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
In this hilarious, low-spice rom-com, a librarian falls for a book-nerd . . . the only problem is they are an ocean apart. Authentically, Izzy is told mostly through emails, texts, and letters and is sure to leave readers with a lighter heart. Perfect for fans of Sarah Adams and Emma St. Clair.
Dear Reader,
My name is Isabelle Louisa Edgewood--Izzy, for short. I live by blue-tinted mountains, where I find contentment in fresh air and books. Oh, and coffee and tea, of course. And occasionally in being accosted by the love of my family. (You'll understand my verb choice in the phrase later.) I dream of opening my own bookstore, but my life, particularly my romantic history, has not been the stuff of fairy tales. Which is probably why my pregnant, misled, matchmaking cousin--who, really, is more like my sister--signed me up for an online dating community.
The trouble is . . . it worked. I've met my book-quoting Mr. Right, and our correspondence has been almost too good to be true. But Brodie lives across an ocean. And just the other day, a perfectly nice author and professor named Eli came into the library where I work and asked me out for a coffee. I feel a rom-com movie with a foreboding disaster nipping at my heels.
But I've played it safe for a long time. Maybe it's time for me to be as brave as my favorite literary heroines. Maybe it's time to take the adventures from the page to real life. Wish me luck.
Authentically,
Izzy
Escape into this fun love letter to books and the people who love them. You'll be sure to laugh out loud and swoon for bookish Brodie as you feel the weight lifted from your shoulders with this sweet, low-spice but high sizzle rom-com.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A long-distance romance anchors this cute contemporary from Basham (The Heart of the Mountains). Izzy Edgewood hasn't had much luck with dating, but she's content with her quiet, small-town life, surrounded by books and her dog. Though Izzy is initially wary of using the online dating profile her cousin made for her, she logs on after an underwhelming blind date and starts corresponding with Brodie, who shares her love of The Lord of the Rings. Believing that he's too good to be true, Izzy suspects her cousin of concocting Brodie and pretending to be interested in her to boost her confidence, but Izzy keeps talking to him and discovers that he's real and lives in Europe. "Life is too precious to hesitate when God offers the opportunity for something even better than what we imagine," Izzy decides, determining to embrace her feelings for Brodie despite the distance between them. When they finally meet in person, it's charmingly awkward, but they develop a strong connection that enables them to navigate the complexities of a long distance relationship and deal with their emotional baggage. Basham primarily tells her story through emails, texts, and dating app messages, a quirky approach that complements the adorable leads. Filled with humor and grace, this is perfect for fans of Denise Hunter.
Customer Reviews
This book makes my heart happy!
"I believe a good companion on an unexpected adventure makes for the best sort of adventure"
Izzy is a nerdy librarian who has experienced loss and heartache. After her cousin, Josephine, signs her up for an online dating site, she meets Brodie. Brodie and Izzy form a fast friendship based on their mutual love of books. But with them living multiple plane rides away from each other, how could their relationship become more? Throughout the story, we see Izzy grow and learn how to be her authentic self.
This book made my heart happy! Even though the epistolary style is not my favorite, the wit, banter, and literary references drew me in, and I could not stop reading. This story had me laughing out loud and reading parts to my husband!
Another Pepper Basham story to love!!
If you like all things bookish coupled with sweater vests and swoony accents, then you will love this email/text, slow build, worth waiting for love story.
I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy a modern spun epistolary novel written in emails and texts instead of letters. I should have known that Pepper Basham would slay this project too. I also tend to gravitate toward historical settings over contemporary ones but who can stay away from a fun-loving story with a playful cover and quirky, book-loving MCs? Better yet, this story also grips your heart with familial themes and complicated relationships.
So, I am done for! The Edgewood progeny have moved into my reading circle and set up camp on my bookshelves! I simply must know more! Penelope and Luke must strike out toward their own love matches and introduce them to me before I am fully satisfied. I have a strong suspicion that Penelope will be “singing” toward her love for a leading man while Luke will aptly and without any nonsense “build” a relationship with an unexpected lady. I can’t wait to read more!
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.
Bookish Romance
Four and a half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham is a delightful bookish romantic comedy that is mostly emails and text messages, but I found them to be well written and drew me right into the story.
Story Recap:
Izzy Edgewood wants to own a bookshop and find the love of her life. While her best friend can’t help her with the bookshop, she can help her find the love of her life by setting her up on a dating app.
She “meets” Brodie on the app, and they start to correspond and they realize they have a lot in common. But, they live thousands of miles away from each other. After months of correspondence, will they ever meet? And if they do, will they meet each other's expectations?
My Thoughts:
I was surprised when I saw that almost the entire book was made up of emails and text messages, but once I started reading, I realized that the two main characters are both bookish people who are also good writers, and that make this epistolary style of story work for me.
Izzy is a strong bookish woman who just wants to own a bookstore and find someone to love. She’s funny and has a supportive and interfering family. And Brodie is a wonderful hero, he’s kind, with a delightful sense of humor. He also has a supportive family.
The messages and emails are not just between Izzy and Brodie but include each of their family members too. In this way, we get to meet and enjoy Izzy’s sisters and brother and Brodie’s family too. They are all such wonderful characters and I enjoyed the way they each had their own style when writing.
This is a clean romance with some religious content, but it was not overwhelming. I enjoyed the fictional country where Brodie lived and his family and bookstore.
Recommendation:
I highly recommend Authentically, Izzy to anyone who enjoys clean romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.