Just the Way You Are by Pepper Basham

• Series: A Pleasant Gap Romance
• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (April 2, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 153969903X
• ISBN-13: 978-1539699033

About the Book:

Single mom, Eisley Barrett, takes a vacation from her Blue Ridge Mountain "mom" life to travel to the English countryside in search of answers to an ancestral mystery. Burned by romance, she certainly isn't planning to stumble into her own fairy tale. 

Leading man and former rogue, Christopher Wesley Harrison is fighting to rebuild a new reputation after a tragedy introduced him to the power of redemption. His self-protective avoidance of romance crumbles at Eisley's two left feet and her authenticity send his heart into unscripted territory. 

When his past threatens to ruin their second chance at love, can some Appalachian matchmaking and letters from the grave salvage their unexpected romance?

My Thoughts:

Many of my reading friends adore Pepper Basham's historical novels, and they really are quite good.  But my heart is passionate about her contemporary fiction, and her newest novel is a keeper (just like Pepper Basham is!).

Why, you ask?  

Three words: hilarity, heart, and hope.

"Just The Way You Are" shines the spotlight on broken hearts and disillusioned people.  Both Eisley (don't you just LOVE that name?) and Christopher have been betrayed and crushed by love, and both are quite skittish about romance in any shade or on any continent.

That's right, reading friends!  Basham takes us across the pond for a good chunk of the story, exploring family history and those uber romantic landscapes, tossing in a few hidden passages as a bonus.  Makes me want to update my passport, it does, it does!

Both Eisley and Wesley (go ahead and think Princess Bride, but better!) have a suspicion that more than family histories are the current topic in their respective families, and soon enough their suspicions are proven correct.

Matchmakers are afoot, and they are the most delightful characters I've encountered in quite a few reads! Daniel, Eleanor, and Uncle Joe are hilarious and quite instrumental in healing Eisley's heart.  And I cannot wait until you mean the entire Jenkins clan!

From the mountains of Appalachia to the hills of jolly old England, you're in for a real treat with "Just the Way You Are"!  This is a book I will be reading again and again...maybe one of those 'once a year pick me up' reads, I'm thinking.

Either way, get thyself to a bookstore and pick up your copy of "Just the Way You Are", available both in ebook and print format.  But paper absorbs tears, and I was letting them flow from both laughter and heartache.  Still, I'm seriously thinking about purchasing a 'real' copy so I can hold it in my hands.

"Just the Way You Are" receives my "Oh, the Feels!" award, and I am eager to read whatever Pepper Basham creates next!  Until then...

Mark Your Place,

Deena