“I would only regret not starting forever with you as soon as possible.” ~Positively, Penelope
I cry.
No, truly, I did cry.
Dear humans, the lovely quote from above is only one of many. I was given an ARC of this book to borrow and, sadly, could not annotate (though, now I have an excuse to buy another book *cue evil laughter*). Positively, Penelope by Pepper Basham releases today, August 1st, 2023!
5/5 Stars
(Spoiler-Free Zone)
~Review~
(Briefing)
Castles, delicious pastries, irreplaceable history, unexpected love, and…sea monsters?
Penelope runs on positivity, movie references, and theater, all of which must come in one total package. Her love for fairytales and magical places becomes a reality when she takes on an internship in Skymar, an island full of wonder and history. As she begins to rebuild the once magnificent Darling theater, someone awaits behind the scenes, plotting to stop any success of reformation. Amid all the chaos and magic, Penelope finds herself falling in love, a plot twist not even she saw coming. With her heart in two different places, she is faced with choices promising to tear it apart. But, like in any movie she has ever seen, love stretches beyond distance, no matter how many sea monsters she has to battle to achieve a happily ever after.
(First Impression 3/5)
I loved this story SO MUCH, but the beginning started a bit strange. Pepper wrote the first hundred pages through the perspective of emails and text messages. It wasn’t poorly written, just a bit unrealistic at times, though Penelope was a great storyteller. I adored her from the first page and all her positive, fairytale-ness. I strive to be as positive as she is and as hilarious. Her humor carried the story, let me tell you.
(Character Development 5/5)
Penelope’s character structure was beautiful and so unique because, as Penelope said so herself, there aren’t many stories with positive protagonists, at least not like her. Her character was refreshing.
I loved Matthias. OMG. I- where are these types of men in the real world? Hello? (no offense intended towards the possible real-world men reading this, though that is highly doubtful). Also, is Skymar a real place? Because I swear, I’d travel there just to meet a Matthias of my own. Pepper wrote the supporting characters wonderfully, too, from adorable Iris to Grandpa Grey and Penelope’s hilarious siblings. Luke has got to be the definition of “best brother ever,” and Izzy is such a sweet and supportive sister. Pepper did an excellent job with the characters. They were genuine, intricate, and lovable. They completed the story into something delightful.
(World-Building 5/5)
*Satisfied sigh.* What a lovely place Skymar is. This little island of history, deep community values, castles, scenic views, and vintage architecture made the story all the more entertaining. Penelope was me whenever she went on one of her many expeditions venturing out into the town. Skymar was the perfect place to spread some positivity. I love small towns with hidden gems and natural beauty. Oh! And let’s not forget those sea monsters. I, of course, didn’t love them as much as the castles, but they are part of Skymar too.
(Emotions 5/5)
Whenever characters have to say goodbye, it rips my heart apart. This story was relatable in that distance between family and loved ones hurts. The grief and tangible sadness of being so far away from those you love is a pain sometimes too difficult to describe. But Pepper did an incredible job at expressing such emotions through this story. I loved the family concept and the love all the characters had for one another. Pepper conveyed the importance of authentic love and trustworthy relationships exquisitely (I’ve always wanted to use that word). It warmed my heart, even though it also made me shed a few thousand tears.
(Style 4.5/5)
If I were to rate Pepper’s writing style based on page one, I’d give it a 4/5. After page one hundred, I’d rate it a 2/5. But the last half of the book brought the rating to a 5/5, which rounded up—by my unreliable calculations—to a 4.5/5 (anyone else lost, or just me?). As I mentioned earlier in the review, Pepper wrote the first 100 pages from the perspective of emails and text messages, which honestly wasn’t much of a problem; it was an eccentric and intriguing POV. But when the perspective shifted into a regular third-person POV, I was caught off guard. My attention was almost lost and I found myself debating whether to finish Positively, Penelope or not. I wondered if it’d be worth the read. But, you guys, OH MY GOODNESS. I am so glad I finished this book. Positively, Penelope is now one of my favorite reads, and Pepper Basham is one of my favorite authors! Though Pepper’s perspective and style choice were unique and a bit unusual, it was perfect for the story she needed to tell. I do think this book would’ve been even better if Pepper introduced the POV change sooner in the story, but in a way, it made the book what it was, and I ended up LOVING IT.
(Cleanliness 5/5)
Positively, Penelope is classified as a Christian romance, and wonderfully clean. The romantic aspects contained just a smidge of kissing, though it was more passionate than what I’d recommend to, let’s say, a ten-year-old. It was a sweet romance that left me feeling warm and fuzzy. I do wish there were more Christian principles included, not to say there were zero. But they were minuscule enough to where the book could almost pass for a regular clean romance. I did see how Penelope’s positivity correlated with her relationship with God.
There isn’t any profanity, as to be expected, and no violence unless you count Penelope using her Super Ultra Hairspray as a self-defense mechanism. There are a few emotional triggers, such as divorce, broken relationships, grief, the death of a loved one, and overall heartache.
(Conclusion 5/5)
*Cue the sobbing*
Positively, Penelope was a delightful adventure and one I highly recommend. It was heartwarming, funny, sweet, thrilling, and left me smiling more than once. I loved the theatrics and creativity, especially the onslaught of movie, book, and musical references. Not only did this add depth to the story, but the characters as well. I’m not a massive fan of romantic comedies, especially cheesy and predictable ones, but I loved Positively, Penelope. I laughed and cried so much. It was honestly one of the funniest and most heartwarming stories I’ve read in a long time. Positively, Penelope concluded in the most perfect way, with lots of tears and the healing of old wounds. I look forward to reading more of Pepper Basham’s books, especially after reading this one.
Genres: Christian; romance; fiction; contemporary
!Trigger Warning!
Grief; broken relationships; emotional
“Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” Psalm 32:11 ESV
Julia Rose Books 