This was a funny, witty, sweet little romance about friendship and romance that I enjoyed reading. The author sis a superb job of fleshing out the characters and I enjoyed each one of them. The secondary characters were just as witty and great as the MC's.

This was an ARC read for me, special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

Book tropes: historical romance, slow-burn, enemies to lovers, secret identity.

I liked this book! I thought it was captivating, intriguing, and unique. I loved the premise, that a lawyer is secretly a best-selling author and wins a prestigious award but hides her identity under a pseudonym. I loved the historical romance excerpts from Miles/Emma's previous novels sprinkled throughout the book. I loved Jack, heroine's best friend and knight in shining armor, always coming to Miles' aid.

I admired that Penelope Janu addressed the snob in literature and how romance novels are looked down on compared to other works. It's important to respect and admire romance novels, so I wholeheartedly agreed with this motif throughout. I also liked how the topic of girls at risk was introduced, and how extending a bit of kindness and compassion can change someone's life.

I found the book repetitive at times -- the need for Emma's true identity not being exposed was reiterated many times. Miles' severe anxiety and frequent anxiety attacks were concerning, since she did not have a solid foundation for dealing with her anxiety other than refusing to answer phone calls, emails, push everyone away, and live in her own world where she writes romance novels. It's hard to wrap my head around a successful lawyer's practice staying afloat when she does not deal well with confrontation in any part of her life. Her parents' belittling treatment toward Miles throughout the novel was tough to read, and she never really stood up for herself. Her anxiety was never fully addressed (she sometimes (?) had a therapist and a hypnotherpist, but neither professionals could correctly help treat Miles' condition). It's not believable to the reader to assume Miles' crippling anxiety just goes away, especially since the aftermath of Miles' confession about Emma's true identity is not shown. Also, the romance between Miles and Lars was at times difficult to believe since they had limited interactions but somehow that was enough for Lars to end his engagement with another woman, proclaim his love for Miles (even though he often yelled at her and cussed at her), and suddenly wanted to get married at the end. I found Lars abrasive at times and cold toward Miles, not really showing empathy or support. I think their physical attraction was apparent but not enough to distinguish love. Also, he had no problem kissing Miles or holding her hand in front of Cassandra and his mother at the party? He *just* ended his engagement to Cassandra and was already willing to put his attraction to Miles on display for everyone to watch, which seemed very impulsive, and again, hard to believe.

Anyway, overall, the book was a quick read and was enjoyable.

Miles Franklin is a lawyer that writes romance, but she doesn't want anyone from her family or the publisher she now works with to know she is Emma Browning. After she wins a prestigious literary award she does everything to keep herself anonymous. Lars, is the CEO of the publishing house and tries all sorts of different ways of finally meeting Emma until he figures out who Emma really is.

Cute story! I like that the main character is a romance writer. This books has all of the regular romcom tropes in it. It is set in Australia and the author is Australian, so at times I had to figure some words out or whatever they were talking about actually was. I don't mind. It helps me to learn about other places.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. I found Miles endearing and very real. I relate to her less desirable traits like being anxious and out of shape. This may have also contributed to me finding her a tad annoying at times, but I was willing to push past it because I understood the struggle with her family and related to that too of course. I felt like this was an easy read and very cute. Lars was just a literally dream come true. He was the standard grumpy, intelligent, hottie that we all hope for. All in all, it was a decent read and it was engaging enough for me to finish it with a smile.

I like reading about writers, and based on the blurb it sounded like a fun, sweet story. I liked the premise of a lawyer with a pseudonym secretly writing romance novels. Unfortunately, I didn't like the author's execution of the idea.

First of all the book is quite repetitive. Yes we get it, Miles is actually Emma and she doesn't want to tell anyone. Second, I like enemies to lovers but this went there too abruptly without time for the characters to actually spend time together and get to know each other. Sure they had attraction and chemistry from the start but suddenly he loves her and it's like what? How did that happen?

My biggest issue with this book is that our heroine, Miles, suffers from severe anxiety and it isn't really addressed. She has panic attacks so severe that she passes out! Frequently! It's practically a running joke. She goes to a hypnotherapist who tells her to put peppermints under her tongue when she's feeling anxious. *facepalm* This is written by an Australian author, so perhaps there is a cultural difference I'm not aware of when it comes to mental health and medications. The people in her life are compassionate and take care of her when she has these episodes but no one is ever like, hey maybe there's a medication that could help you or perhaps you should see an actual therapist. (That's not to dismiss hypnotherapy because I've had success with it myself)

I almost quit reading at 50% but I wanted to give it a chance to get better but it never did. I can't recommend this one.

Penelope knocked it out of the park on this one! On the same page is a cute rom-com book that will leave you in your feelings.

Cute story but I found it to be a bit flat at times. While I like the premise behind being a "secret" author I feel like it lacked a bit of depth. I did appreciate the "excerpts" from the fictitious book within the book - reminded me of Bridgerton. Quick read

I loved it! It was catchy and cute, fun and impossible to put down. I haven't liked a romantic comedy this much since I've read The Love Hypothesis!

2.5⭐

DNF @ 28%

I really wanted to get into this book, but I couldn't. There was no chemistry between the main characters. I couldn't like Miles no matter how hard I tried to. I wanted to finish it but I would just be wasting my time if I did. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was so much fun, I really loved the back and forth snappy dialogue. It's been a long time since I read a book that made me smile so much. I definitely recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this eARC to review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted to love this, but sadly, the lack of plot twists and tension between the MCs are the weakest points for me.
Miles isn’t particularly likeable, and it has nothing to do with her condition—I suffer from anxiety as well, so I understand—and more with her not having a flashed-out personality. The side characters were unremarkable, a few of them could have easily been omitted because they didn’t help take the plot forward. Miles and Jack’s (her best friend) relationship was…weird. I can’t think of another word, because it made me slightly uncomfortable at times. There are so many literary quotes, which I would normally appreciate; but the general amount was disproportionate to the rest of the narration. There were also a lot of excerpts from Miles/Emma's actual novels , which I didn't feel provided necessary information.
Now, the romance. The potential for a good enemies to lovers was there, but I would have enjoyed more thorough development between them. Why did they fall for each other exactly, except for physical attraction (which I think is perfectly acceptable for the first stage of the romance), was unclear. It felt very insta-love, which I don’t think was intended. The stakes were high in theory, but it didn’t feel like it when it came to the final conflict and resolution. Overall, I would give it a ⭐️⭐️ 1/2 or 3 stars, because although it took a while to pick up pace, it was still enjoyable once it did, and Miles and Lars made a cute couple and I was still rooting for them in the end.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

DNF @ 80%

I was trying so hard to push through this book because I really wanted to like it, but it just wasn’t it for me. I struggled to connect with Miles. She comes off as bratty, weak, and immature, to the point where I wasn’t even rooting for her any more. Lars isn’t perfect by any means, but he is at least attempting to act like an adult. The tension between the two was good, but then when they actually get together it was quite lacking.

There were so many elements in this book that could’ve made it great, but it fell flat for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me. I was confused a lot throughout the book and the timeline and writing style just did not make sense to me. I LOVED the idea of the book. The storyline is so unique and the characters are fun and sweet. However, the book fell flat for me, but I can see how others enjoyed it!

I was really excited about this book. The premise called to me - I love a book where the main character is an author or works in publishing, and enemies to lovers is always a hit! Unfortunately, this didn’t live up to my expectations. It was difficult to see the book as a romance when there was no real romance. Miles and Lars developed a physical connection as their paths continued to cross, but there was no emotional connection there. We (and Miles) know next to nothing about Lars as they never delve into personal matters - it’s all business. What does he like? What makes him tick? Who are his friends? What does he like about Miles? I’ve been left hanging! The pair never went on a date but were discussing marriage by the end of the book - it all seemed a bit back to front, like their relationship had skipped ahead and missed out all the key steps that would make their romance convincingly based on anything more than lust.

The idea of including the excerpts from Emma Brown’s books was inspired, though. It was a great addition to the story to be able to understand what she was talking about when she referenced her books, and to feel like we’re reading along with Lars. I also enjoyed the way the chapter structure Emma uses is mimicked in On the Same Page - with key events happening in certain chapter numbers. However, I found Miles (and her odd relationship with her author alter ego, Emma) incredibly frustrating and combative - making it hard to relate to her and to truly get to know her, beyond her issues with her parents. I sympathise with Lars’ irritation with Miles throughout the book but don’t feel we were shown the qualities that could endear Miles to Lars - who seems to only experience her being petulant, wilfully uncooperative and unprofessional in their working interactions.

I would have loved to see more of the romance and a spark between Lars and Miles and have them build an emotional connection (the first seduction scene came really out of the blue) outside of their working interactions. And a date! I don’t count the ballet. It felt like this couple didn’t get a chance to know each other and develop a true relationship, and we readers don’t get to know them either.

On The Same Page by Penelope Janu

This is a tough one to rate. I was really excited by the premise but I didn’t enjoy the execution as much as I hoped I would.

I really enjoyed Miles’ inner monologue, her reasons for not wanting to reveal her true identity and how she researched and wrote her books. Anytime a book includes some behind the scenes of the publishing world, I really enjoy it. I also liked how the author stands up for romance readers and writers in the story.

The rest of it was a bit of a mess, honestly. The writing was choppy and there were times when I couldn’t figure out what was going on. The two main characters had barely interacted before they suddenly started making out, which was jarring and almost uncomfortable. Miles' behavior was also very frustrating. I found her to be very unlikable and hard to relate to.

I really wanted to like this, but it was a miss for me. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Escape Publishing for the advanced copy to read and review.

Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (very descriptive sex scenes)
Trigger Warning: panic attacks, cheating, dementia

Miles Franklin has a secret. She's been writing historical romance novels under the name Emma Browning for years- something she can't afford to have revealed. When Emma's receives a prestigious literary award, Miles must work with Lars Kristensen to plan speaking engagements and publicity material to finally reveal Emma's identity. As Miles continually tries to avoid sharing the truth about Emma, she and Lars find themselves engaged in a tension filled battle of wills that will ultimately ruin one or both of their careers.

This book was a really good example of enemies to lovers. I'm not talking about one person hating the other over some immature disagreement and then getting over it within the first five chapters. Miles and Lars had actual, valid reasons for disliking each other and spent the first half of the book arguing until they finally made out and addressed the underlying sexual tension between them. And even then, Miles continued to hate Lars and fight him as he tried to expose her as the author behind Emma Browning's novels. As much as I loved this true portrayal of enemies to lovers, I found myself getting frustrated with Miles near the end because she was pushing away the protective and passionate man who was overwhelmingly attracted to her. I really struggled with how to rate this book because of Miles, but in the end I felt like it still deserved four stars despite the issues I had with her. One of the things I loved most was the snippets from Emma's novels that were interspersed throughout this book. I kind of wish they were real novels I could read- especially the story of Rupert and Evangeline. I was also amused by Lars unintentionally becoming the body model for Rupert's character and Miles taking pole dancing classes as part of her book research. It especially touched my heart when Miles took some of her classmates under her wing to get them out of bad life situations. All the positive moments in this book helped me to look past Miles's faults and appreciate the story as a whole.

Thank you to NetGalley and Escape Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Escape Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

2.75⭐️
I’m going to start off by saying I was very excited by the premise, of a young lawyer who anonymously writes historical romance novels. Unfortunately, I was let down because the plot did not pull through and I did not enjoy the main character or her love interest. It felt as though the plot had potential, but lacked. The MC and LI had multiple interactions but it felt as though was based on their sexual, angry tension and lacked emotional depth and romantic substance. I also REALLY disliked how whenever Lars got upset with Miles there was name calling.

Additionally, something I noticed and did not like was the random usage of weight in conversations. I noted multiple times where there were random comments about gaining weight. I tried to ignore it at first thinking it was going to go somewhere bigger, but by 85% it just seemed as though they were filler comments.

I did give this book 2.75 ⭐️ because there was something I really enjoyed. While I was not a fan of the characters or the romance, I liked reading parts of Miles inner monologue where she talked about the books she wrote from the research she did, the way she connected them back to herself, and planning future scenes and novels. For me, the small snippets of her romance novels was the most interesting part and, honestly, what I stayed for. Personally, I felt as though being introduced to the complexities of her book characters added some depth to her character: how she perceives herself, how she feels, and how others perceive her.

3.5🌟 this was a fresh take on a contemporary romance novel! taking elements from historical romances and bringing them into modern day was super interesting and fun to read. I was also happy to see the discussion surrounding readers of romance be taken on within the novel, as this is something romance readers continually face. the side characters were fully fleshed out and I enjoyed how they were utilized throughout the story.

however, the writing in the beginning was a little choppy for me & I found myself being a little confused at what was going on at times. I also wish Miles hadn't let her parents walk all over her for the whole novel. it didn't seem consistent with what we knew about her character.

*thank you netgalley & escape publishing for the eARC!

enjoyed this story! It was a fun, quick read. If you're a fan of rom-coms please read this. It was a bit slow at first but as soon as I progressed, it was good!

2.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Escape Publishing for providing me with an ARC.

The book started off strong and kinda went downhill from there. At about 50% in, I kept asking myself when the main characters were finally going to actually interact, but then they just started making out without ever having had a conversation. Seemed weird for them specifically.

And then all this talk about how Emma writes incredible sex scenes and then there was…none? Huh.

I wish I would have liked it more than I ended up doing. I’m sorry, but it’s a meh for me.