Book Club Book Review: On the Same Page by Penelope Janu

On the Same Page

by

Penelope Janu

 

Publisher: Brio Books (XO Romance)

Publication date: 1st October 2018

Pages: 352

Format Read: Paperback

Source: Publisher via Beauty and Lace Book Club

Sometimes a girl just has to do what’s in her heart …

By day Miles Franklin, named after the famous author, is a successful lawyer. But by night she writes historical romance novels under the pen name Emma Browning. When Miles’s assistant covertly enters her boss's novel in one of Australia’s biggest literary awards—and it wins—Miles’s perfectly ordered world is torn apart.

Lars Kristensen smells a rat. As the CEO of Iconic International, the company publishing Miles’s prize-winning novel, he’s determined to meet the author and uncover her true identity. But Miles is equally determined to protect her privacy—and to keep writing. Even if it means mastering pole dancing, and choreographing a love scene in the back of a horse-drawn carriage … Well, she is a romance writer, after all.

Miles has the grit to keep her secret, but Lars has the smouldering looks and arrogance of any romantic hero she has ever imagined.

Hmm. Sometimes a girl just has to turn the page …

Janu brings up the issue of literary snobbery in On the Same Page. Does it exist? I'm sure it does but I've never come across it.

Miles Franklin is the daughter of two acclaimed authors. She was sent to a psychiatrist in her early teens as she was reading and writing historical romance stories. Her parents thought there was certainly something wrong with her. She was wasting her literary talent.

Miles is a lawyer by day and a successful Historical Romance author by night. Hiding her secret behind the pseudonym, Emma Browning. However when her latest novel wins a literary award there is much disapproval in literary circles, including that of her parents.

I loved Miles! A relatable character; she was uncoordinated, out of shape, anxious and had a chronic blushing problem. She put a lot of herself into her characters and also a lot of the things she wanted to be.

Janu ties the classics cleverly through the narrative with references to many of the greatest literary romances of all time. I loved the snippets of Miles' Historical Romance stories which gave the reader stories within a story.

There is a minor but powerful subplot of teenagers in crisis and how a little attention and caring can make a huge difference in their lives.

The story is filled with humour usually at Miles expense. Written in the first person we learn a lot about Miles' hopes and fears. I would have liked to learn a little more about Lars.

On the Same Page is a wonderful story that will make you laugh and also sigh

My Rating 4.5/5                🌟🌟🌟🌟.5 

*This review is part of the Beauty & Lace Book Club. You can read the original review here

  On the Same Page is book #32 in the Australian Women Writers challenge

and part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge

  

photo courtesy of Goodreads

Penelope Janu writes contemporary fiction about clever and adventurous women who don’t mean to fall in love, but do. Penelope’s novels, whether coastal or rural, celebrate Australian communities.

Penelope is a lawyer with an interest in social justice issues and the environment. She, like her characters, is up for anything, even though she has a terrible sense of direction. She has six children, big dogs, a distracting husband and never enough time to write.

Penelope hopes readers will fall as passionately in love with her heroines and heroes as she invariably does. She has travelled to many places in the world but has lived most of her life in Sydney, Australia. When not reading or writing Penelope can be found walking the coastline, or in the bush (though she's not much of a walking companion as she plots as she walks).