Loyally Luke

 

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

About the Book

Title: Loyally, Luke 

Series: Skymar #3 

Author: Pepper Basham 

Publisher: Thomas Nelson 

Release Date: May 14, 2024 

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Sometimes love means embracing the good, the bad. . . and even the impossible.

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, that 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 lookalike 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

My thoughts: This story is so much fun! I love how Luke is a somewhat grumpy, gruff hero with a heart of gold and Ellie comes across as uptight and hard to work with, due to wanting to right some past wrongs. I love that Izzy and Penelope are still part of the story, with their texts and email conversations with Luke. While I would recommend reading the first two books in this series, the book can still be enjoyed as a stand alone. 

I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.
 

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop | BookBub

More Books in this Series

 

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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. 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.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of the book, tool pens, and $25 Amazon gift card!

(1) additional winner will receive a signed copy of the book!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 15, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on May 22, 2024. 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

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

Her Son's Faithful Companion

 Her son needs love and friendship

Now she’s found the answer to their prayers…

Former barrel racer Caitlyn Calloway wants her son with epilepsy to have everything—even if it means selling her family home. Problem is, the place is in disrepair. Her former crush, service dog trainer Logan Beckett, offers to help. But letting Logan and his dogs into their lives makes the past almost impossible to leave behind…especially when it opens the door to love.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this heartwarming story of a young mother trying to figure out how to best help her son, when he is diagnosed with epilepsy, and figuring out how to get him a service dog. I enjoyed learning more about the world of training service dogs, as well as a little bit more about barrel riding and the rodeo circuit. The author does a wonderful job of tying the unique ends of the story together into a delightful tale of a young family finding some pleasant blessings in the wake of an unexpected diagnosis. I enjoyed this sweet story! 

I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.

A Beautiful Disguise

 

In Edwardian London, not all that glitters is gold as a lady and an intelligence officer's secret mission take them from the city's dazzling ballrooms to its covert intelligence offices.

Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the field, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they're creating a new secret intelligence branch, he's intent on showing his worth. He suspects an aristocrat of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries, but he needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.

Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father's death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm for the elite to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society who want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend's father as a potential traitor.

Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth for her friend's sake, and she's more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client . . . who can't possibly be as noble as he seems.

My thoughts: I have enjoyed everything I have read by Roseanna M. White. She has really outdone herself with this series! What would happen if there were a family/misfit group of gentry who had to hide their dier straights from their peers, all while trying to dig themself out of debt? In come the Imposters, a motley group of titled, circus, and associates who are using their unique skills to secretly work out some of the behind the scenes happenings in their class. I love the characters in this one! I also enjoyed the history of how the Germans and English were having a hard time  getting along before WWI. This is a wonderful story to pick up and read! 

I received this book from Bethany House. This is my honest review.

All's Fair in Love and Christmas

 

Two workplace rivals. One festive competition. And a romance that upends it all.

Every December two things are guaranteed for graphic designer Mackenzie Graham--Christmas celebrations and the annual promotion at her workplace. Those two things are by no means mutually exclusive. In fact, the better an employee is at harnessing the Christmas spirit, the more likely they'll win the new job. With her social anxiety, Mackenzie never thought she'd be a contender in her company's holiday competition, so how exactly has she found herself dueling her workplace crush with wrapping paper tubes and using tinsel as her weapon of choice for a much-needed raise?

Jeremy Fletcher's life is meticulously planned out, including how to win this year's promotion at work. Not only will the new position fulfill some of his career goals, but as a single guardian to his twin niece and nephew, he needs the salary increase to support his family. Jeremy has barely noticed Mackenzie Graham around the office, but now that she's his rival, he can't stop thinking about her. Her quirkiness intrigues him, and he's afraid that if he can't get his head on straight, the promotion isn't the only thing he'll end up losing to Mackenzie.

My thoughts: Holiday stories can be hit or miss with me, so I picked this one up with some trepidation. It is so adorable! Better than a Hallmark film, since it has a lot more going on, but with the same RomCom sweetness. I loved the idea of there being a contest to see who has more holiday spirit. Mackenzie's heart really shines, as she seeks to help bring childhood memories back for each of her co-workers. This is a delightful story to read any time of the year! 

I received this book from Bethan House. This is my honest review.

Up From the Dust

 

Martha of Bethany is no stranger to adversity. After her mother's untimely death, Martha shoulders the responsibility of raising her siblings--quiet and studious Lazarus, and wild and rambunctious Mary. She finds solace in friendship and the beginnings of first love, but just as Martha begins to imagine a new future, hardship strikes again and her dreams crumble into dust.

Ten years later, Martha's friend pleads for the new teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, to come and heal her husband. When Martha discovers that the carpenter-rabbi is connected to her past, she's not sure she can trust him with her future. But as he continues to perform miracles, the invitation to believe becomes harder to resist, renewing Martha's hardened heart, even as she faces an unknown future.

My thoughts: I love how reading Biblical fiction can inspire one to dig deeper into Scripture or to see things in a slightly different light. I know it has been a popular thing among Christian women to liken themselves to Mary or Martha, so I enjoyed getting to "know" Mary a little better through this story. Heather Kauffman does a wonderful job of bringing the Biblical character to life and making it easy to relate to her. I can only imagine what I would have done in her shoes, to lose a beloved brother and feel like all hope is lost. This is an excellent debut novel and I look forward to reading more by the author! 

I received this book from Bethany House. This is my honest review.

These Tangled Threads

 Seven years ago, a hidden betrayal scattered three young friends living in the shadow of Biltmore Estate. Now, when Biltmore Industries master weaver Lorna Blankenship is commissioned to create an original design for Cornelia Vanderbilt's 1924 wedding, she panics knowing she doesn't have the creativity needed. But there's an elusive artisan in the Blue Ridge Mountains who could save her--if only she can find her.

To track the mysterious weaver down, Lorna sees no other way but to seek out the relationships she abandoned in shame. As she pulls at each tangled thread from her old life, Lorna is forced to confront the wounds and regrets of long ago. She'll have to risk the job that shapes her identity as well as the hope of friendship--and love--restored.

In this seamlessly woven historical tale, award-winning Appalachian author Sarah Loudin Thomas delivers a poignant novel of friendship, artistry, restoration, and second chances.

My thoughts: I haven't been to the Biltmore, but this book has me wanting to take a trip to see it now! I thought that the author did a wonderful job of weaving this story together, though fair warning, it does jump around quite a bit between the events from seven years before and the current setting. It was hard to see how some of things would come together, but I thought that the overall themes of loss and forgiveness were handled beautifully. This is a wonderful, rich historical novel to pick up and enjoy! 

I received this book from Bethany House. This is my honest review.