Friday, January 19, 2024

Audiobook Review: Authentically Izzy by Pepper Basham

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?

I had only ever read Pepper's historical fiction, but when I saw that my reading challenge for the month was to read something from my state, well, I knew she was the only one who could give me the NC fix I needed! (Side note for Izzy, though, the Winston-Salem mall, really? Of all the malls?) Authentically Izzy is the perfect epistolary rom-com book I didn't know I needed. Poor Izzy, I identify with her so well. The bookish sort who finds social interactions mildly stressful unless the topic happens to be books- yep, that's me! (Although, Penelope does have my love for Julie Andrews... but I digress.) When I found the audiobook for this, I was delighted. And then, to discover it was dual narrated? Be still my heart! Watching Izzy and Brody's romance unfurl almost made me want to sign myself up for Heart2Heart, lol! And Luke! I am dying for Luke's book to come out! It's already on preorder. What a wonderful family, those Edgewoods! If you're looking for a great book to snuggle up with while waiting for the plows to clear the roads, and if you love obscure references to Andy Griffith episodes that you lowkey have memorized... May I suggest Authentically Izzy?

Sunday, January 7, 2024

CelebrateLit Tour: Review: The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham

About the Book

Book: The Juliet Code

Author: Pepper Basham

Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction

Release Date: December, 2023

Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley Finally Reach Their Honeymoon Destination Only to Encounter a New Mystery in Need of Solving

Frederick and Grace Percy finally make it to Italy to enjoy a delayed honeymoon and explore the beauties of the historic city of Venice. To their surprise, their friend, Detective Jack Miracle, is also in the city, investigating a series of art heists starting at the house of eccentric millionaire, Laraby Covington. Drawn into a world of boat races, mysterious houses, and parties of the rich and unusual in Venice, Frederick and Grace learn of the existence of the Juliet paintings, (Renaissance paintings feature Shakespeare’s tragic heroine) rumored to hold a secret code to an underground vault of similarly treasured artwork assumed lost over the centuries. As Freddie and Grace are pulled deeper into the mystery and their beloved Detective Jack disappears, can they use their wits and work as a team to find the thieves and Jack before it’s too late.

The Juliet Code is a Freddie and Grace Mystery, sequel to The Mistletoe Countess and The Cairo Curse.

Click here to get your copy!

I've been avidly following Freddie and Grace since their debut appearance, and you can't know how thrilled I am to follow a married couple into their continuing life. It seems like my favorite authors aren't writing series that follow the same couple the entire time, and I really miss that ability to know characters deeply over several books. Grace is the same old adventurous sweetheart that you already love if you've been keeping up with them, and Freddie, well, he's trying to keep up, the poor dear. I find that each book in this series has something special to keep me enticed, and The Juliet Code was no different. Having recently read And Then There Were None, the mysterious happenings on an island with no immediate escape was thrilling me, but there was just enough humor to keep it from being scary. The romance/honeymoon vibes were just a tad strong for me, but I'm still waiting on tenterhooks for book four, which I know will be a masterpiece. If you're ready for a flurried gondola ride, clues in paintings, a remote island, and the beauty of Italy seen through the eyes of our favorite red-headed heroine, what are you waiting for?

I received a copy of this to review, but all opinions are my own.

About the Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroads and Pleasant Gap series, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

More from Pepper

The Ever After

I’ve always loved fairytales.

Especially the romanticized version (#romancewriter).

The wonderful sense of a two people meeting, overcoming obstacles to be together, and then the happily-ever-after?

Well, those are some of my favorite reasons to read and write fiction. However, I didn’t realize the challenge I took on when I agreed to write a second and third book with the main characters staying the same!

You know what I mean?

In most series, the main characters from book one become secondary characters in the consecutive books so that the secondary characters in book one can become the main characters in book 2 (everybody still following along? )

One of my favorite book series that do this so well is the Amelia Peabody series. I fell in LOVE with Amelia and Emerson in book one, but just loved watching their continued dynamic as a couple grow with each new book. I felt as if I got to know them so much better in their “ever after” while they engaged in all sorts of adventures together.

So…that’s what I hoped to accomplish with Freddie and Grace.

Where The Mistletoe Countess ends with a happily-ever-after, The Cairo Curse and The Juliet Code take over to show us more of the…ever after – my attempt at showing how two main characters continue to grow beyond the end of book one.

I didn’t realize what a daunting feat it would be. Watching two characters meet, fall in love, and show some growth in book 1 was what I was used to doing. But how was I supposed to continue that character growth in consecutive books?

Well, I had to grow myself as a writer to understand how small changes can make lasting differences especially when writing about a beloved couple.

I think The Juliet Code shows a little of that growth – of our Freddie and Grace have not only matured spiritually and, in Grace’s case, experientially, but also as a couple.

Do you have a series that you love where the main characters stay the same?