Authentically Izzy by Pepper Basham is one more example of why Basham is one of my favorite authors. I laughed so many times reading this book and that’s always a feature I enjoy, especially when serious stuff is interspersed.

What I Liked About Authentically Izzy

Basham creates memorable characters and Izzy (Isabelle) Edgewood is one of those characters. She’s a book nerd, and I can so identify with her. Brodie Sutherland is also delightful and is as big a nerd as Izzy. It’s easy to see why they would fall in love. Watching their relationship develop from an online friendship into a full-fledged romance kept me thoroughly entertained. I kept picturing the actor Stephen Hagan as Brodie and that made it even more fun for me. And, then there are the secondary characters – Izzy’s and Brodie’s relatives. They added another dimension to the overall story.

One thing I particularly liked was Izzy and Brodie quoted passages from great works of literature. This is one of my favorite things to see characters do in a book and I always enjoy it.

Finally, the faith element hit home. Izzy has carried a lot of fear for a long time, and she overcame it in a very authentic way. Giving our fear to God is difficult and trusting even the Creator of everything isn’t always easy when we’ve been wounded. I could so relate to her.

What You’ll Like About Authentically Izzy

If you like epistolary novels, you’ll adore this book. Much of the story occurs through text messages and emails. If you’ve never read a book like this, it may take a little getting used to, but you’ll really know the characters because of it. There is dialogue and narrative interspersed and this enriches the story and moves it along very well.

And, of course, there are several lovely kissing scenes. It wouldn’t be a Pepper Basham book if there wasn’t kissing tastefully presented.

Final Thoughts

I had read only one other epistolary novel before, which I enjoyed. But I liked Authentically Izzy even more. It’s a sweet happily-ever-after story that will leave you feeling glad you spent the time to read it.

I received an ARC, but I’ll be purchasing the paperback to add to my ever-growing Pepper Basham collection.

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