Secret identities, enemies to lovers, and Historical Romance scenes; what could possibly go wrong?

In On The Same Page, by Penelope Janu, the reader meets Miles Franklin, a successful lawyer by day and a secret romance author by night, under the pseudonym Emma Browning. When Miles’s assistant, Pippy nominates “Emma” for a literary award, she has no clue she’s also nominating her boss for a prize that involves revealing her identity! It also means Miles has to cooperate with Iconic Publishing and their CEO, Lars Kristensen, who is anything but the romantic type.

While the supporting characters of this novel are lovable and hilarious, they do not make up for the major missteps in this novel. The writing is very hard to follow, as snippets from Emma Browning’s historical romances are randomly dispersed through our main plot. There are also moments when the main characters go from arguing to embracing without any build up beforehand, or at least an explanation to why it was so sudden.

The most disappointing moment involves a spoiler, so please skip this paragraph if you would like to read without them (Content Warning: Ableism). Near the end of the novel, Miles offhandedly mentions that her physiatrist believes her panic attacks are due to her “overreactive imagination”. It is hard to enjoy a book that brings anxiety into the plot to only throw it away in an unbelievable and- most importantly- dangerous manner.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Escape Publishing for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for an opposites attract story! This was such a cute and witty story and I really liked the dynamic between the two main characters. The cover also drew me immediately. Everyone who is in the mood for a sweet, dynamic romance should read this!

From a literary family who looks down on the romance genre, Miles Franklin hides that she’s a successful indie romance novelist while holding down a respectable (if not financially successful) legal/literary agent career. She does pretty well keeping the two worlds separate until her PA Pippy nominates Emma Browning, who she knows as a reclusive client and *not* the secret identity of her long time friend, for the Stapleton Prize and the publishing deal that comes with it.
From then on Miles is pulling out all the stops, trying to avoid the coming publicity and keep her secret. Lars Kristensen, Iconic CEO, is of course working just as hard against her trying to introduce Emma to the world and revitalize his business in the process.
Even though I thought the story was a little slow to start, once it got going I was hooked. There are plenty of entertaining and ridiculous scenarios, but also a good deal of heart. And drama, yes, especially when she gets to the two big questions - Just how secret is her secret identity *really*? And how can two people working at cross purposes be together?

Thank you to NetGalley and Escape Publishing for the arc

4.5⭐️

This was a brilliantly written, warm and fun read! The ending especially had me in my feels. I loved the little snippets of Miles’ work, as well as the overall subject matter of the importance and integrity of romance novels. I loved the characters, though at times I did find it hard to connect to Miles. I think maybe it was a little long in the middle because at times I didn’t really understand the MC’s decision to push the love interest away. I also would have liked to have seen the fall out with her parents. I feel like the writing style reminded me of Boyfriend Material in some ways.

However, I thought this was a very clever and interesting read and I especially liked the reference to what chapter 45 means in Miles’ books and the mirror of that in On The Same Page.

“Three, I don’t want anyone to discover I write her novels”
“Sorry to bother you again, God. Emma is deserving, but please don’t let her win”
“Enigmatic? … I like the sound of that. Mysterious yet strong”
Please say it’s not the end!!!!
Please tell me it’s not over already !!!!
I absolutely loved this book!!!
The story, the themes, the characters were so captivating I fell instantly for them all!!!!
This book gives perspective to all those authors out there who thinks they have to hide their passion for a certain genre because it’s not generally acknowledged as a literary genre when even the smallest word out on paper can be a literary masterpiece!!!!
Miles is an amazing, strong willed, confusing, frustrating woman. Half the times I couldn’t understand why she tortured Lars so or why she was behaving in a certain way. But reading her story I got to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter !!!
The only thing that matters is the passion and dedication she puts in her writing.
Although more than once her relationship with Lars was giving me headaches!!!!!
At the bottom of it all there was just the firm belief that in loving we should be completely seen and in turn love the other for every aspect of their personality !!!!
And they experienced even some spicy scenes !!!!!
Also , let me just openly appreciate the attention the author puts in giving chapter 45, and 54 a peculiar and fundamental role in the story !!!!!!
Great, beautiful and heart-warming … I needed it and you all should check it out!!
“Just like Mr Darcy when he came across Lizzie and Wickham”
“Lars is conventional and in control … You are unconventional and out of control”
“I cannot give you space. It is impossible to do so”

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"On the same page" is the first book I have read by Penelope Janu and I have to say that I didn't like it.

The first thing that caught my attention was the plot, as I really like to read books in which at least one of the main characters is a writer. In this case, Miles writes under a pseudonym, which made it even more appealing to me.

However, although the beginning of the book does have a good pace, I don't think it is maintained throughout the book, and it gets boring at some points.

On the one hand, I didn't believe the relationship between the main characters. I don't see their evolution clearly, nor how they go from hating each other to loving each other from one page to the next. I think the problem is that it's a bit "instalove" and that's something I don't enjoy in books.

On the other hand, I didn't really understand the drama of the book. I think it's something that would have been fixed if the characters had talked things out from the beginning. And that's one of the main problems of the book, Miles refuses to talk to Lars for most of the book so how is it possible for them to get to know each other? I see it as a big inconsistency.

In short, a book that had a lot of potential but as it develops it loses steam.

Read this if you love:
the enemies to lovers trope
secret authors that will stop at nothing to keep their anonymity
A protagonist that is clumsy, quirky with guts and an open vulnerability about mental health
A love interest that is mysterious and tender
Love and laughing!

This is my first read by Janu and I was invested from the start. I have never read a historical romance before but loved learning about the genre and the process of writing one through Miles. She does research for her novels that had me blushing and laughing out loud.

The witty banter, the relatable heroine, the supportive and loving friendships, the push and pull of Miles and Lars as well as the experts of Miles’ historical romance stories woven into the story made this book so enjoyable. I felt like I was watching a rom com that had me rooting for Miles and Lars until the very end. I also really loved the portrayal the vulnerabilities of mental health can be met with tenderness and compassion truly allowing a person to be seen and supported.

I liked Janu's writting style (this is my first by her) and the story got me hooked from the beginning. The characters were well rounded and their personalities were clear and recognizable; and though I can understand Miles (our mc) view on keeping Emma a secret, it did felt a bit too stubborn when it came to Lars, like the conflict stretched a bit too far. Lars, on the other hand, got me mad at him at times with his attitude, but for me this is just an example of good writting. I also feel that the portrayal of the publishing business was on point (I don't know much about it, just felt like it), and the friendships were heartworming, the whole pole dancing stint was really entertaining. I enjoyed it a lot!

I really liked the concept of this and the cover of the book really pulled me in but the actual storyline just wasn’t gripping enough.

I felt bored and even cringed a few times and really didn’t understand how a lot of things just got ignored. Including how her friend forged her signature, completely ignoring the main characters anxiety and feelings about it.

I liked that it wasn’t a Insta love situation but I just couldn’t enjoy their relationship.

I really did want to like it as the idea of it was really unique and I really liked the mention of anxiety and panic attacks; but this book just wasn’t for me

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this early and to give my full honest review

Miles Franklin is a lawyer by day, but by night she is Emma Browning, romance writer. When her work is secretly submitted to a prestigious prize, Miles has to square off against publisher Lars to keep her anonymity. Will these adversaries become lovers?

I liked it! (Three stars is a like in my book). This book is a true love letter to romance novels. Janu infuses the book with Austen, Brontë and more. It points out that romance novels are often ridiculed because they are for women. I loved the cast of characters and if you enjoy enemies to lovers, this book is for you!


Enemies to lovers
Stubborn alpha male lead
Strong heroine

I was unable to finish this book. The main character's constant back-and-forth between real-life experiences and passages from her historical romance novels was very confusing for me and I was lost. I had a really hard time getting into this.

I did not connect with this book very well. I thought the main character Miles was frustrating and inconsistent. Many of her actions made no sense to me, especially with the main conflict regarding her identity. It didn't seem believable that she and the love interest, Lars, would fall for each other. I felt like the book set up the conflict between their characters without earning the resolution; I didn't buy their chemistry. The side characters also didn't add much to the story for me to make it any more enjoyable or interesting.

I do love romance novels, but I'm not huge into the historical romance genre. If that is something you enjoy, you'll probably get a kick out of the excerpts Emma writes within the story.

One great thing I did appreciate about this book was the sentiment that romance should be taken seriously as a genre and has great value.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy!

I really enjoyed the premise of the book. It had romance, a main character who writes books, and slight regency romance. However, the FMC was a little annoying. Her hot then cold act got old half way through the book. Most of the problems she encountered were her own fault and if she would ha e just calmed down for 5 minutes and told the MMC the truth it would have went a lot smoother. I also wish the main problem would have been between her and her parents rather than with the MMC. Overall, it was a decent read.

Thank you Netgalley and Escape Publishing for this ARC!

3.5 rounded up. This was a cute book. I was in a bit of a book slump when I started this but those first 9 chapters had me laughing out loud. It was a very strong beginning but the middle and end unraveled a bit for me. Miles is extremely immature. The way she handles things with Lars became old quickly. They were hot and cold and then, when they got to their chapter 45, the author barely gave us any details. I don't need multiple pages of spice but if you build it up for over half of the novel then I expect some juicy details. The ending was also a little out of left field but I won't give any spoilers. I enjoyed the aspects of Miles working on her novel. Overall, it wasn't a bad read but it could have been better.

I’m sorry but i have to declare this as a dnf, i didn’t like the characters especially Miles aka Emma nor the plot (there isn’t much of it tbh it was pretty boring) the concept was so intriguing at first and i really wanted to love this book but i have to say i was disappointed i was literally forcing myself to read it and the writing didn’t help either.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

I wanted to like this book, but nope, it didn’t work for me. Miles comes from a literary family but disappointingly to her parents she became a lawyer. She also writes successful steamy romance novels under an assumed name. When her latest novel wins a national publishing prize Mile’s world changes. By winning the prize the publisher gets writes to her latest book and back catalog and insists she must help promote the novels. Honestly that part of the story doesn't make sense to me at all.

I could get over the silly premise if the characters are likable. They are not. Miles has a lot of anxiety from her childhood. She chooses to deal with things by ignoring emails, phone calls etc. Instead of finding a way to lawyer out of the contest she stalls and stalls some more. Peoples jobs depend on her. Lars is the publishing house CEO and I have no idea why he wants or is attracted to Miles. And he isn’t kind or courting he is obsessive. At one point she blacks out after a panic attack he is there comforting her when she comes to her senses. There is some kissing and when he invites her to back to his hotel she declines. He gives her a big F###-You! She literally had been unaware minutes before. Yup, I have no need for him.

I did like the cover and Australia as the setting. Unfortunately my dislike of the main characters made this novel seem endless. There are side characters; horrible parents, stereotypical gay best friend, employees that Miles is trying to help. They add interest and some depth but not enough to make the story enjoyable. I wish I had liked the story more. Thank you to NetGalley and Escape Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

On The Same Page is a story that explores the snobbery of the publication world. In this book, the author has tried to bring about the views contemporary romances get from an elitist writer. I cannot say how much of that is true but it is nearer to reality. Throughout the book, there is a parallel romance running while the author discusses the relevance of writings of all kinds. The slow-burn romance was a treat to read about.

The writing style of the book is easy to read but at places, the context of the dialogues is lost. This book is just like the criticism of the historical romances of Emma Browning from the novel: genius in between average works. There were some parts that I loved to read and then there were certain cliched and confusing parts. The plot of the story was really good and a little bit of work upon the writing style would have had brought out a new best seller for us.

While reading this book, the author has referred to a lot of classics and briefly discussed the summaries and characters. I used to skim over the classics which I am yet to read to avoid spoilers of any kind even though the mention was brief. I got the feeling of these new historical romance web series that are coming out recently while reading about the brief glimpses of Emma Browning's novels.

Overall, it was a very difficult book to review properly because there were so many voices and so many styles in the story. I was reading a fiction written by Penelope Janu in which the protagonist was writing romantic fiction under the guise of a fictional person who was supposed to be her client as well. So much fiction, and there is a slow-burn romance as well, which seemed a bit rushed up to me in its arrival and conclusion. The pause before the love would have been an interesting course.

I will give this book 3 out of 5 stars. I want to give more but the confusing parts of the story make it a bit difficult to up the ratings. I will recommend this book to romance readers who want to read slow burn romance along with other parts of the plot as well. This is not only based on romance, rather romance comes out as a by-product of the plot where the author is discussing the snobbery of elite writers and their prejudices towards romance readers. It briefly explores the world of publication and contractual working of the law world.

I always believe that if you don’t have nice things to say, don’t say it. So this review is going to be very short.

This book was ambitious. I liked that it was. I wish the author had enough time or space out of the romance book conventions to actually act on her ambitions. I don’t think she did.

What I liked about this book is its premise- two people who really are sexually attracted to each other trying to stay away because they are idiots. It’s frustrating and oh-so-amazing when done right. But that’s exactly where this book falls short. It doesn’t do it right.

I thought Miles, the FMC was (forgive me for cursing) fucking annoying. Like how does a person be so rude to literally everyone ever? Leave the quirky shy thing to Jessica Day and Taylor Swift. PLEASE. Don’t attempt these things if you can’t pull it off?!

The FMC Miles is also so unreliable! Like why does she have a job? Why does the MMC (who is also kind of her boss, honestly) keep pursuing her for no reason? And why is the MMC so… forceful in his physical attention? She’s passed out, buddy! Don’t try to make out with her when that’s happening!

Ugh, and a gay best friend (GBF)? I hate the gay best friend trope! That’s perhaps a personal preference, but usually the GBF trope usually reinforces the stereotypes of gay men: they love drama and gossip and they are wise orcs. At least this one was a bit messy, but also very tropey.

As you can tell, I really did not like the book. I could go on and on about why, but I won’t

Janu crammed so many of my favorite things into this book:
Book about books - Check
Enemies-to-lovers romance - Check
Regency romance - Check

Miles is a lawyer by day and steamy Regency romance writer by night (but only in secret.) Her alter-ego, Emma, is her way of dealing with a host of family issues and crippling anxiety, but when Emma is thrust into the spotlight Miles must figure out how to navigate the web of deception she so carefully curated. Iconic publishing is taking her on, and she is taking on the romance cover model-esque, swoon-worthy new CEO. Will she be able to keep her secret or will she be found as a fraud? How will those closest to her handle this revelation? This book will be impossible to put down until the end!

SLIGHTLY SPOLIERY BELOW!!!!




I loved Miles as an author and all the work she put in to researching her stories. Her relationship with Jack, while maybe somewhat unhealthy, was really cute to watch. I read this book in 4 hours in one day because I didn't want to put it down and it was really easy to read. The only hang-up I had was wanting more interaction and dialogue between Miles and Lars. When it got to the steamy scenes I had no idea how Lars had arrived at those feelings and it felt abrupt and a little bit suspicious like it was a trick and not authentic. I liked the side stories of the other characters like Ruby, Crystal, Maurice and April but I wish more time had been given to Lars' inner world. I also struggled a bit with Miles and her secrecy regarding Emma with certain people in her life and feel like she could have saved herself some anxiety and it didn't have to be as dramatic as it was for her. Overall, this was a fun read.

An entertaining an quirky read.
Miles is a lawyer by day, and also secretly a novelist. When her book is entered into a competition it looks like she might have to admit to her writing, but she fights against it, and the CEO of the publishing company Lars.

First book I heave read by this author and really looking forward to more