#Pepper Basham

[libertyreads]

Book Review #41 of 2024--

Mistletoe Season by Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller, and Pepper Basham. Rating: 2.83 stars (averaged).

Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller--2.75 stars. The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham--3 stars. Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts--2.75 stars.

Read from June 30th to July 3rd.

Before I get into the review, a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at HarperCollins Christian Publishing for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. In Mistletoe Season we have three separate Christmas stories: Return to Mistletoe following two middle age main characters who are given a second chance; The Mistletoe Prince following a prince trying to change his ways and a down to earth country girl who impacts him; and Say No to Mistletoe following a writer trying to avoid her past mistletoe mistakes by just saying no to mistletoe this year. Mistletoe Season comes out on October 1st and is available for preorder now.

I want to start my review by saying that I had absolutely no idea this was a Christian based set of stories when I requested the ARC. I didn't even know for sure that it was until I went to look up the publisher for it. I wouldn't have requested this ARC if I knew that it was going to be so heavily influenced by Christianity. So, to a degree, the rating for this one is partially my fault. All of the stories feature Christianity and the main characters' relationship to their faith and their morals. Outside of that, I found that most of the stories were too saccharine for my tastes. Maybe it's because the stories weren't long enough to fully dilute it, but man, was it hard to read just how sickly sweet these romances are. I also found the characters to be over the top for me. None felt grounded in reality in any way--these characters were more like caricatures to me. I had trouble with certain topics the authors chose to sprinkle throughout their stories: one was discussing how she looked so much better now that she lost weight and every time she so much as looked at a cookie we had to hear about how she was resisting temptation, another was discussing how she was such a tomboy and how she had to grow up and become a real woman and wear dresses and heels. It all felt so narrow minded and unhealthy to me.

As far as the romances go, I felt like I could root for these characters and their love. I also felt like the stumbling blocks the relationships went through made sense for the characters and their struggles. For the Christmassy rating this year I would say I give Return to Mistletoe a 3 out 5 poinsettias, The Mistletoe Prince 4 out of 5 poinsettias, and Say No to Mistletoe 2.5 out of 5 poinsettias. Given how short these romance stories were and the other plot points the authors focused on, I'd say this still felt like a pretty Christmassy short story collection.

Overall, I think I'm just not the audience for this one (which, to be fair, is mostly my fault for not doing more research before requesting it). I think there is a definite audience for this short story collection. I think if you're looking for a holiday romance with no spice then this is just the book for you.

[theresalikesbooks]

Book Review | Positively, Penelope

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Positively, Penelope by Pepper Basham hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! About the Book Title: Positively, PenelopeSeries: Skymar #2Author: Pepper BashamPublisher: Thomas NelsonRelease Date: August 1, 2023Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance Told mostly through letters, texts, and email, this contemporary romance will charm its way into hearts as…

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Top Ten Tuesday: 11 Pink Books

[protagonistspub]

Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham

Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham was a buddy read with Tay from Tales and Treats with Tay on YouTube. This a dual timeline historical fiction novel and is a part of the Doors to the Past series. The historical timeline takes places in 1915 at the Biltmore and involves Sadie and Oliver. The modern timeline involves Clara and Max. Sadie is the great-grandmother of Clara. Clara runs the…

[wolfythoughts]

Book Review: Positively, Penelope by Pepper D. Basham

A grumpy/sunshine, no spice romance set in the theater world. Summary: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…

[meezcarrie]

Top Ten Tuesday: Exceptional Debut Novels From the Last Year

Over the last twelve months, I've read some pretty exceptional debut novels, and I'm highlighting them today on Top Ten Tuesday! #BookTwitter #readingcommunity #debutnovel #Debut #BooksWorthReading

Happy Tuesday! Today’s theme for Top Ten Tuesday (a weekly blog link-up hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) is “Debut Novels I Enjoyed”, submitted by Angela @ Reading Frenzy. There have been several debut novels I’ve thought were exceptional over the years, like The Thorn Bearer by Pepper Basham, The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright, Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes, All That is Secret…

[babamb]

Review: Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham

It doesn’t get much sweeter than this… Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham Skymar #3 Genre: Christian, Contemporary Romance Publication Date: May 14th, 2024 Story Rating: 4 stars ARC & ALC from Netgalley 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…

[snowbellewells]

For the Book Survey…

A B C L & O

Yay!! Thank you K for the ask!! I hoped I would get some, as this looked like a really fun list!!

A- Author you’ve read the most books from

That would probably be either C.S. Lewis or Nora Roberts (interesting pairing to answer the same question, I know) Though I have also read several Regency romances by Sabrina Jeffries, Lisa Kleypas, Kerrigan Byrne, and Anna Harrington, so they would be close behind as well…

B - Best Sequel Ever

That’s tricky, I had to think about that one for a minute! Maybe either Chamber of Secrets in the Harry Potter series, or New Moon in the Twilight series. Chamber entered up being my favorite out of all 7 in the HPs, and New Moon gives us a lot more of the Quileutes, the wolves, and Jacob, which was what I was all about by that point anyway! 😉🐺

C - Currently Reading

I get a lot of grief and disbelief for this but I have about 10-15 books going at most times. I switch back and forth depending on the mood I’m in. For a sampling though, I am currently reading Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie, The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham, A Certain Wolfish Charm by Lydia Dare, The Girl With the Make Believe Husband by Julia Quinn, The Thief of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep, Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck, Hooked by Emily McIntire, and I am re-reading Dracula to prep for my CSSNS fic.

L - Longest Book You’ve Read

Hmmmm, I don’t know that I particularly tend to take note in that way. But The Thornbirds was pretty long, and I have read all of it, so maybe I will say that. 🤷🏼‍♀️

O - One Book That You Have Read Multiple Times

I don’t know that there are too many books I have read completely over again - not that I wouldn’t want to, but there are just so many books in the world to read and experience. I have read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis more than once though. And I’ve read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series twice. I’ve read The Scarlet Letter more than once. Oh, and by virtue of teaching it, I’ve read The Great Gatsby MANY times.

[iambelievinggod]

I love the married sleuths Freddie & Grace

Pepper Basham has been writing books for awhile, but “The Juliet Code” is the first one I’ve read. Freddie and Grace Percy are on a delayed honeymoon in Italy and run into a friend, a private detective, who enlists their help in solving an art theft. This is the third installment of the Freddie & Grace Mystery series by Basham. Although I didn’t read the first book, it wasn’t hard to catch up on…

[therealimintobooks]

Book Tour Featuring *Positively, Penelope* by Pepper Basham @pepperbasham @justreadtours #giveaway

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Positively, Penelope by Pepper Basham hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! About the Book Title: Positively, PenelopeSeries: Skymar #2Author: Pepper BashamPublisher: Thomas NelsonRelease Date: August 1, 2023Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance Told mostly through letters, texts, and email, this contemporary romance will charm its way into hearts as…

[libertyreads]

July 2024 TBR--

It's finally time for my Christmas in July reading! I've been looking forward to it for months because I have FOUR NetGalley ARCs that fit perfectly into my Christmas in July M.O. I'll be reading three Christmas Romances and one Mystery/Thriller set during Christmas. I also have four other books I'm really looking forward to reading in the back half of the month.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay (NetGalley)-- The first of my Christmas in July TBR. This is a rom-com where Holly Beech and Ivy Casey, two best friends who are so in sync they even look alike, swap places after Holly's fiancé jilts her and leaves her with a nonrefundable honeymoon. Both find their own romantic matches this holiday season.

Mistletoe Season by Shelia Roberts, Kathleen Fuller, and Pepper Basham (NetGalley)--This is a collection of three Christmas stories: Say No to Mistletoe (author going home for the holidays + romance), Return to Mistletoe (returning home after spending time abroad renovating an Irish castle), and The Mistletoe Prince (Prince is sent to small town North Carolina to prove he's ready for the royal life). I think the one I'm most excited to read is the first, but I'm always down for some Christmas romance.

Christmas in Aspen by Anita Hughes (NetGalley)--Mourning her mother, Caroline Holt returns to her late mother's upstate cabin to spend the holidays. But when she arrives, she discovers a letter addressed to her mother from a man declaring his love for her and saying he'll be waiting for her in front of the Little Red Mailbox in Aspen, Colorado on New Year's Eve. Caroline decides to see her mother's mysterious lover and travels to Aspen. But once she arrives she keeps running into another man and things start to get complicated. This sounds like it's going to be super emotional and character driven.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson (NetGalley)-- Another book in the Ernest Cunningham series AND it's set at Christmas sign me the fuck up. I'm ready. I love ending my Christmas in July with a Mystery or Thriller set during Christmas. This one starts when a body drops in front of Ernest's feet during a Christmas pageant. It has the usual writing style that I enjoy so much and has the best end to a synopsis on GoodReads: "This Christmas everyone has a motive. So it's not a matter of who wanted the victim dead--but who got there first."

Teen Titans: Starfire by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo (July release)-- This is the next book in the Teen Titans graphic novel series. They each follow a different Teen Titan before they become a Teen Titan. They've also started getting more interconnected as the series goes on which I enjoy. In this one we follow Kori Anders, who takes part in a clinical trial designed to treat her Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and who discovers some strange powers she's never had before.

Sunny Disposition by Deanna Grey (Kindle)-- My hockey romance for the month. I realized a few months back that I've been reading at least one per month and decided to keep it going for the rest of the year. This is a book from an indie author following a sunshine gamer girl, Naomi, who shares a house with four hockey players and is drawn to a grumpy boy, Finn. There also seems to be a little bit of You've Got Mail Vibes in that he moderates for her online but neither know the other one is involved in the streams.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-- This one is a reread for me. I've been planning to reread this series since the beginning of the year, but struggled with where I would have the time. I also want to watch all of the movies because I don't think I watched Mockingjay at all (which is weird...that one may be my favorite book). I'm also going to be reading the prequel for the first time (and hopefully watching the movie as well. A dystopian world where children fight to the death. Social commentary. Food. (I swear I get so hungry reading Katniss practically starving in the Games).

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer-- One I am SO excited to reread before the next book in the series comes out. At least this time I'll go into it knowing it's the first book in a series. We follow a girl who decides to take an office job with a villain because a girl's gotta get paid. There are castles and dragons and a very Grumpy Villain (who's secretly a softy...shhhh). It's so campy and fun and I can't wait to get back into it.

I'm hoping my birthday month reading knocks it out of the park. I'm excited to get back in the holiday mood and end the month with some fun rereads.

[theresalikesbooks]

Book Review | Loyally Luke + Giveaway!

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…

[cameracourt]

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Recommended Romantic Quick Reads

[protagonistspub]

The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham

The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham was an Advance Reader’s Copy courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review. This is the third book in the Freddie & Grace series and is Christian historical fiction. Freddie and Grace are now in Venice for the next stop on their honeymoon. The book opens with Grace chase scene, this time from a Venetian canal through the center…

[vickihinze]

Nora's Review of: Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham

Authentically, Izzy By Pepper Basham Published by Thomas Nelson, 432 Pages NORA’S REVIEW: I was drawn in from the start, “Dear Reader, this is a cautionary tale. A tale of family, literary classics, podiatry, matchmaking, Shakespeare, and distance.” It’s all that and so much more. I loved the bookish setting, and the authors’ fresh voice in contemporary fiction. I found myself smiling all the…

[splashes-of-joy]

Tour and Giveaway for The Cairo Curse by Pepper Basham

About the Book Book: The Cairo Curse Author: Pepper Basham Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical Fiction / Romance / Adventure / Mystery Release date: February 1, 2023 Clue meets Indiana Jones with a fiction-loving twist only Grace Percy can provide. Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley have already experienced their fair-share of suspense, but when a honeymoon trip takes a detour to the mystical…