Just the Way You Are by Pepper Basham

Just the Way You Are by Pepper Basham is firmly planted on my all-time favorites list and I highly recommend it to all fans of fairy tales and happily ever afters.

 

from the author

Thank you so much for featuring my newest novel, Just the Way You Are, on CelebrateLit. I am THRILLED to be a part of this and to share a story that is very dear to my heart.

Just the Way You Are is my first ‘true’ Britallachian romantic comedy. Even though I’ve written comedy in some of my other novels and included elements of both Appalachia and Britain, this one embodies the tag #britallachian to the core. For those of you who’ve read some of my previous books, you know I’m a big fan of my native Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian culture. You may also know that I’m a proud Anglophile.

Those two loves met in Just the Way You Are – and I tossed lots of other things I love best into the mix. What are those ingredients, you might ask?

Well, let me just tell ya! Just the Way You Are is a blend of Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian culture, big (hilarious) family dynamics, matchmaking, Britain, a swoony English hero, a quirky, magnanimous heroine, a bunch of adorable kids, Scooby Doo and Indiana Jones references, lots of humor, a historical mystery, a devious villainess, stately manor houses, secret rooms, love letters, and matchmaking all rolled into one…oh, and did I mention brain-numbing romance?

(Did anyone else feel the need to add “fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, miracles, true love….” From the Princess Bride?) 🙂 I don’t think I included torture, giants, or monsters in Just the Way You Are… but I may have the other elements in this novel 🙂

Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating about the brain-numbing, but I do have a tendency to err on the side of overly dramatic 🙂

Within the pages of Just the Way You Are, you’ll meet people from my own family, people from my imagination, and some people who stepped into the story without one ounce of my planning to ever meet them. This story came out of my desire to write something I love reading – spicy romance, clean humor, culture clashes, the big love of family, and redemption.

How did my heroine Eisley Barrett evolve? Out of thin air. I was washing dishes one afternoon and staring out the window into our small backyard with the Blue Ridge Mountains painting a purplish-blue frame on the horizon when I closed my eyes. Into my imagination came this ginger-headed woman walking through Heathrow International Airport pulling a hot pink bag behind her…and then, she tripped and fell. That was it. That’s how I was introduced to my insecure, hilarious, romance-loving, single-mom heroine.

And the dashing hero? Okay, this may sound ridiculous, but I was watching an interview about Richard Armitage (Thoron Oakenshield, Guy of Gisborne, etc) regarding his lovely costume drama North and South where he plays a very dashing British hero. Anyway, he was SUCH a gentleman to watch during the interview. So polite. Kind. Funny, in a sweet way, and then, out of the blue, he said the word ‘gosh’. I know, that may not be a big deal to anyone but me, but after watching celebrity interviews where every other word needed a censor, the very fact that this elegant man used the word ‘gosh’, sent my writing brain into motion. My first internal question? What if a movie star with a tender heart had been burned by the pretension and expectation of celebrity status? What kind of woman could touch a heart who’d lost his faith in love’s authenticity?

Enter my red-head single-mom toting her pink bag through Heathrow and you have the very beginning of Just the Way You Are – a story of forgiveness, second chances…and a little bit of movie magic.

 

 

my thoughts

In addition to fun, adorable, and swoony story elements, Pepper Basham has a charming knack for creating families that readers adore. Just the Way You Are is a modern-day romance that has it all, humor, mystery, depth, extended family members, children, and exes, too… the author even incorporates a few scenes at the kitchen sink.

Eisley Barrett is such a delightfully relatable character. She’s a country gal with big dreams and a big heart. Eisley’s honesty, enthusiasm, and whimsical creativity are endearing and authentic. Her children and family warmed my heart (especially once I got the Jenkins clan all straightened out in my mind) and the Appalachian culture brings the whole story down to earth.

Wes Harrison is a Ghiradelli dream boat, despite his stormy past, he has definitely altered his course for more peaceful waters. From his sweet terms of endearment to his fierce protection of loved ones, Wes is sure to have readers hanging on his every word. This contemporary hero is perfectly capable of just about anything from ballroom dancing to wrangling energetic children.

So, whether you relate to a small, reserved family like the Harrisons or the big boisterous Jenkins clan, this is a story worth revisiting again and again. Just the Way You Are by Pepper Basham is firmly planted on my all time favorites list and I highly recommend it to all fans of fairy tales and happily ever afters.

I requested the opportunity to read and review this title through the author and Celebrate Lit. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

tour giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away a Grand Prize consisting of:

A ‘chest’ – in JTWYA historical letters are discovered in a chest that relates to the historical storyline, so all of these lovely goodies are going to be safely inside this chest. Chocolate – several references take place in JTWYA that compare the hero to chocolate ???? A plaque about family – because that’s a main point of importance in JTWYA A Spider-man zipper pull – Pete, the heroine’s son, is a major Spider-man fan English Breakfast Tea – The hero is English…swoony English A dishcloth – again, something that relates to a scene in the book regarding the hero and dishes (twice) Stirring spoon and measuring cups – food and cooking are a big part of Appalachian culture and fellowship, something celebrated in JTWYA A notebook – Eisley (the heroine) is taking notes about a historical family mystery A lovely container full of cloth flowers (for fun, and beauty) – the container says – Love and you will be loved. Loving others has an amazing way to find its way back to us (as is what happens in JTWYA) A little plaque that reads “You are Loved” – a theme of this story A beautiful lace doily from England (the English part of the story) Some “Pixie Dust” – a fun visualization of the ‘magic’ of romance in this story and A copy of Just the Way You Are by Pepper Basham!!

Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!

Enter using PromoSimple below.
US only. 

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Goodness gracious, this book is fabulous! Even my blushing nonfiction loving mother enjoyed this story!
Be sure to add Just the Way You Are by Pepper Basham to your tbr!