A review by bellesmoma2021
Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don’t know what to say. I mean, I have ALL the feels right now. I’m sad, I’m happy, I’m sad again. Izzy, Penelope, and Luke have become like family to me, and I’m genuinely going to miss them. I hate that my time with these characters is up. Isn’t that crazy? Or, rather, a testament to Pepper Basham’s stellar storytelling abilities. Her characters are SO well created I feel like they are a part of me. As much as each character’s romance became a thing I rooted for in book 1, 2 and 3, I found myself more drawn to Josephine’s, Izzy’s, Penelope’s, and Luke’s family dynamics. I love how they do family. They are clearly unique human beings with their own talents, passions, dreams, and foibles. And they each accept that about one another. They not only accept it, they encourage each other to be exactly their true selves. The love and support, no matter what, is my favorite aspect to this family. I love Josephine’s craziness and her matchmaking ways (And I have to say, there is a Josephine revelation at the end of Loyally, Luke that had me laughing so hard tears streamed down my face. Be prepared to laugh hard!). I love Izzy’s literariness and courage to follow her dreams. I love Penelope’s creativeness and zest for life. She is literal walking sunshine. But it has always been Luke who truly captured my heart from book one. And not because he is a hot book-boyfriend. Nope…it’s because he is the single best brother I have ever read in the history of books.

I am drawn to Luke because he is the brother I wish I had. He is so good. Yeah, he’s a boy, so he pokes fun and annoys and is sarcastic, but he is fiercely loyal, the right kind of protective, and genuinely kind, compassionate, and supportive. He sees who people really are and makes it safe to be that person. When you’re around Luke, there is no shame in being who God made you to be, quirks and all. If you made mistakes in your past, Luke doesn’t hold them against you. And when you are around Luke, there’s no room for fear. You see, Luke is a dragon slayer. Whatever the dragon may be — fear, anxiety, uncertainty, a broken door hinge, whatever! — Luke says and does what is necessary in order to help get a person back on track. Making a mistake in front of Luke is OK because he is never going to hate you, leave you, or think badly of you. He may have some manly sage advice to share, and it will probably be inspired by movies like Rambo and Jason Bourne, but he’s still going to love you. Izzy is right when she tells Luke that he is kryptonite to a broken heart. I wish more people were like Luke. The world would be a much better place.

Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham is an exceptional conclusion to what has been one of the best Contemporary Romance series I’ve ever read. I will absolutely miss my time with these characters, but I am super excited to see what Basham has in store for us readers next. I’m positive it will be as amazing as this Skymar series has been.

I received a galley copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, via NetGalley, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.