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hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing me with a free audio e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Luke Edgewood has no need for what he calls “the fru-fru” of Hallmark movies in his life. But, when he gets tasked to spearhead a major renovation for an orphanage in Skymar, Luke’s life turns into one.
Loyally, Luke is a heartwarming novel that left me grinning from ear to ear. Readers who love Basham’s swoon-worthy romance in the previous two books of the Skymar series will have their fill of swoon as Luke falls in love with a Skymarian princess, Ellie, and he doesn’t even know it.
Since I have listened to each book in the series on audio, I definitely noticed that Basham and her team went all out with the narration/production. Narrated by a full cast of narrators, each of the narrators brought their own narration styles that made the characters come to life from the page in Basham’s least epistolary novel of the series. However, I do note that the only downside to having this many narrators on hand is that you don’t get that duet narration between the love interests as you would have if you were listening to Authentically, Izzy or Positively, Penelope.
What I love most about Loyally, Luke is how Basham is able to get you swept in the heart of the story. Feeling the characters’ emotion from the book’s narration to the book’s main themes of grace and hope, it’s hard not to get invested in these characters and in this story. As it may be the last book of the Skymar series, Basham also takes time to nicely wrap the character arcs from the other Edgewood family members as they all get their HEAs.
That being said, you need to read Loyally, Luke if you’re looking for a Christian romance full of heart and an audiobook narration that will get you completely swept away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Classism
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
4 Stars
One Liner: So sweet!
Luke Edgewood is not the rom-com type hero, or so he says. He is a builder who loves his work and a supportive brother to his sisters. When Luke goes to Skymar to work on a project, he doesn’t expect to come face-to-face with royalty.
Elliana St. Clare (Ellie) is a princess in hiding after things went awfully wrong the last time, and the press is still hounding her for juicy news. She finds peace in working with the orphanage, the same one which Luke has to renovate.
Ellie wants to keep her identity a secret and plans to do what her parents want. But meeting Luke puts her at a crossroads. Moreover, Luke wants nothing to do with fame or royalty, so Ellie isn’t sure what to do.
The story comes in the third-person POV of Luke and Ellie, with email and chat snippets between different characters.
My Thoughts:
While the story can be a standalone, I strongly recommend reading at least book #2 (like I did) to understand the character arcs better.
You need to meet Luke in the previous book(s) to know that he is a cuddly teddy bear and a kind-hearted darling. Otherwise, he is more likely to annoy you with constant references to ‘manly movies’ and ‘hating romance’.
Of course, since I was waiting for his book, I enjoyed this one a lot. Luke is so adorable, and his relationship with his sisters is perfect! In fact, the chats between the siblings are wonderful.
Penelope is a side character here, but she is being herself, so it’s almost like she is one of the main characters; an extra dose of sunshine with a steady diet of Hallmark movies and romance tropes, which get constant references (this is a series thing) in their chats.
The book has limited epistolary stuff, which works well for me. I know this is an ARC, but I hope they add appropriate scene breaks to indicate POV changes. The jumps will be too confusing to follow otherwise.
Ellie’s dilemma is well done. She makes some wrong decisions but has the strength to acknowledge them. Her doubts, vulnerability, and hesitation come across clearly. Her dynamics with Luke are funny and cute. They do make a lovely couple!
Naturally, there are a few faith-based elements that never overpower the story or sound preachy. This is exactly how I like faith in books (if it is present).
We do have a sweet and happy ending. I did feel a little sad, but since there’s news that there will be a novella from the same series, I’m happy to meet the characters (Luke) again. Can’t wait for it!
To summarize, Loyally, Luke beautiful, funny, sweet, and heartwarming read. It also has the flavor of a small-town community, so pretty much a package deal. No steam except for a few kisses and flirting.
Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #LoyallyLuke
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P.S.: The author said there will be a novella, The Mistletoe Prince, later this year with Luke as a side character. I’m guessing it would have Arran (the Prince) and Maeve. What do you think?
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer