Layla and Luke both work at West Oak Publishing, where they both have different dreams and are def working under their pay grade BUT, do they have fun? YES! Layla, an aspiring author, and Luke, a kinda aspiring bar owner, become best friends and of course....are in love with each other but don't know that the other feels the same!👀🥹

👀To be completely honest... I've been a little iffy with some friends to lovers books in the past... 🥴BUT this book had a spin on friends to lovers that was SO refreshing! It felt like the focus wasn't really "we're friends and I'm never going to say anything cuz it could mess up our friendship", Per My Last Email focused on "I'm getting out of the friend zone now or never", which was a SUPER fun concept!!!🤩 I think this book was also super refreshing to a chronic romance reader, like myself, because THERE WAS NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP!!!🥳 It was a slow burn romance story all the way and I also think that this book was the PERFECT length because I wasn't sitting there like "CMON get together already!"😂, I think it was justtttt perfect the way it is! 💖

There are a LOT of pop culture references to things like Star Wars, Harry Potter, and even a lil ACOTAR action, which made me love the book even more because I also love all of those things!!😍🥳😂 There was also an ending lead up for more books following this one and I CANNOT WAIT!!!😆

I dooo wanna note that this book doesn't have any spicy scenes in it BUT that doesn't detract from the story AT ALL because of the amount of tension, chemistry, and banter that we get to see between the two characters!🤩

I cannot wait for release day in a couple weeks and for everyone to get to read this AMAZING workplace romance!

This review was posted to the instagram account @mandj_bookalicious on April 23, 2023.

3.75 stars rounded to 4

“Thank you, Layla,”
“For what?”
“For just being you, I guess.”

this book was definitely super fast paced and fun to read! i love the office map at the beginning, it’s one of my favourite things about this book. the banter between nathan, luke and layla was brilliant and truly made this book. i’m a sucker for a good friends to lovers and the way juliana wrote this was so perfect for luke and layla it’s unbelievable!

this was for sure a slowwww burn, however, i love a good slow burn and the pining that was going on between both of them was incredible, i have no idea how they didn’t get together sooner when they’re both so clearly in love!! anyway, it was such a cute romance and even better, it was closed-door, which i so appreciate in romance novels! i laughed so many times in this book and also screamed so many times, i was so invested. luke is so whipped it’s adorable.

i will for sure be reading more from juliana in the future and definitely want to check out her other novel ‘baggage claim’! thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review!

this review will be published to goodreads and instagram (@readingwith.leah).

Juliana Smith is quickly becoming one of my favourite rom com authors 💞 This book is sweet, charming, and features two delightful leads, Luke and Layla. I absolutely adored the misunderstanding that led to Layla putting herself in the friend zone. Any couple whose introduction to each other channels Lizzie and Mr. Darcy is bound to become an instant favourite of mine.

This book has:
• Dual povs so you can see all of the angst from both leads ✨
• Friends to lovers and mutual pining
• An office romance with plenty of hilarious pranks
• Forced proximity

This was such a cute, fun, and feel good read! I can’t wait to see what the author does next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Rating: 5 stars ⭐️

Tropes:
workplace 📁
friends to lovers 💋
slow burn ✨
closed door 🚪

This was such a cozy feel good romance! I really enjoyed her first book, Bagage Claim and I was really grateful to receive this arc.

Can we talk about what an amazing best friend Luke was?? He was so caring and did EVERYTHING to make Layla happy!! 🥰

Everything about this book gave me butterflies and I just couldn’t stop reading. I’m happy that this is gonna be a series because Luke’s family was so caring and sweet. Those are characters I want to read more about. ✨

This story starts with Layla’s first day at a publishing company. She meets her new collegue Nathan and when there's another job opening, he suggested his roommate Kyle for the position. They quickly became close friends with each other and that makes work more fun. Luke struggle’s with his feelings for Layla but when they go on a office retreat, everything changes..

Thank you to Netgalley and Juliana Smith for providing me with this copy. All opinions are my own.

Luke and Layla have been work BFF's for 3 years. Each of them secretly harbors a crush on the other, but neither one wants to risk their friendship. When a work conference takes them to a cozy, oceanside town, everything changes.

This book was cute and I appreciated that there was no unnecessary third act breakup. Other than that though, this book just wasn't for me.

This book felt incredibly cheesy and cringey. I felt like the characters weren't fully developed and I didn't find myself getting attached to any of them. There were also just a lot of characters and it was hard to keep track of them all at times.

Certain things also got repetitive very quickly, and I saw several plot holes that didn't make sense. For example, Luke won't leave West Oak because he wants to be with Layla, but they also can't be together while working there because it's against their HR policy.

I really enjoyed Baggage Claim, so I'm bummed this one didn't work for me.

Nonetheless, thank you to Netgalley and the author for this ARC!

As a visual person, I really appreciated the graphic/layout of the office.

Kayla’s summer internship at a publishing company doesn’t turn out what she hoped. Mostly admin work with her cubemate Nathan.

Nathan’s best friend, Luke, has just gotten out of a long term relationship when he starts at West Oak Publishing.

👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏽 Workplace romance
3️⃣ Triple POV
⏳ Time gap (3 years)
👨🏽 He falls first
🙅🏼‍♀️ Forbidden romance
💬 Family group text threads
💋 Forehead kisses
📇 Cutesy Nicknames
🔥 Slowwwww burn

The Game of Thrones and Star Wars references went over my head but that’s a me problem for not keeping up with tv/movies.

The slow burn was a bit too slow for me, and I didn’t know that was possible.

It's such a good book, I'll have to go read the other two books she currently has out before I declare another insta-buy author.

The writing style just works, like work place best friends who pull pranks on eachother the whole time. Everyone can see it expect them trope. But they're tension and the way they still flirt but then round it back because there's acutal risk about their jobs. Sometimes the they both like eachother but can't see it trope gets frustrating but this one was anything but.


also Starwars references if you're into that and some bookish references one of the side characters accident texts thst she's reading about big blue aliens lmao

Thank you NetGalley, the publishers, and Juliana for the review copy.

The premise of this book is two friends who work in the same office have feelings for each other and they both think they will only be best friends forever. They are both okay with this as long as they get to continue spending time with the other person. I was interested in this book because it gave The Office/Pam & Jim vibes. I think it leaned too much into that and it was sad that both characters were willing to stay at dead end jobs to spend time with one another instead of pursuing their dreams. For me that's not something I would want a younger version of me reading and thinking that was how people should approach relationships. Ultimately at the end the relationship was healthier but for that majority of the book it felt like Layla and Luke were very codependent on each other.

The love story in itself was tough for me to believe. How were both main characters so oblivious that the other was in love with them when ALL of their friends and family were telling them otherwise? I love a slow burn but this one felt like it went on forever. It did take 85% of the book according to my Kindle for either of them to make a substantial move.

I will say outside of my major problems with the main story, I did enjoy the supporting characters and their personalities. I thought they added to the story and Nathan was one of my favorite people.

If you are into slow, slow burns, friends to lovers or found family you should pick this up and see what you think.

This book is available May 6! Thank you Juliana Smith & NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Layla and Luke were such fun characters! I loved all the little pranks and jokes in the work office. They had amazing banter! I also adored the relationships Layla has with not only Luke but also the side characters Nathan and Rachel. Who doesn’t love some good side characters??

The beach holiday setting was so fun! There were so many movie and tv references and I loved that the book included text messages as well! 💌

This book was amazing! I seriously was smitten. The characters were so cute, the story was so funny and intriguing. I could not put it down. Will recommend to everybody!!

*thank you to the author, Juliana Smith, for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

This was such a cute rom-com. I thought the friends-to-lovers trope was perfect in this story, but I always seem to have a hard time believing that friends really just ignore their feelings for each other for years, and then all of a sudden, they both realize they love each other. It was definitely more of an insta-love book instead of a slow burn. I did appreciate that there was no third-act breakup because that definitely would've been too much since the characters were already struggling with miscommunication with each other.

I am a sucker for dual POV and I am so glad this book had that. I absolutely loved the side characters in this story, and I am really looking forward to reading the next books in the series. This is a quick and easy read!

This book was so cute! Luke and Layla were everything that I could’ve hoped for and more. Each chapter felt like the first chapter of the book. The first lines hooked me and I couldn’t stop reading this book. Luke is such a sweetheart. Layla, god bless her, is like a little deer in headlights.

The friends-to-lovers storyline was beautifully done. If you LOVE The Office, this is the book for you. The trio, Nathan, Layla, and Luke, are hilarious and chaotic at the same time. This book is perfect for any rainy day when you need a little pick-me-up.

Thank you to the Author and Netgalley for the early arc in exchange for an early review.

An amazing story about two co workers who are best friends but also they are secretly in love with each other the past three years . Layla works in the West Oak Publishing so she will learn how it works because she wants to publish her own novel . Luke's dream is to open a bar and craft his own beer but he stays in West Oak to be with Layla . When the company takes them to a week work conference it is the perfect opportunity for them to change their status of their relationship .
I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own .

Per My Last Email is a sweet rom com about young adults who slowly fall in love. The novel is a slow burn a bit too slow for my taste but it’s my personal opinion! In general book is very well written, there are many sweet moments between main characters Layla and Luke. Luke knows that he’s been friend zoned for too long. He tries to be supportive friend for Layla but at the same time show her his feelings and finally risk it all. The task is difficult because Layla is sure that Luke doesn’t think about her in the context of potential girlfriend. She treats Luke as her bff although inside she still feels strong connection to him. Luke is kind supportive coworker in publishing that brings best doughnuts everrr! He finally sees opportunity to be closer to Layla during work conference. Are they ready for the new chapter in their relationship? Will they end up together or fall apart? You’ll have to find out yourself!

Another adorable book by Juliana! I loved all the unique characteristics about the characters. This has alllll the Jim and Pam office vibes you could want (without the love triangle, which I LOVE). I can’t wait to read Nathan and Calla’s story :)

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc.

‘Per My Last Email’ is a cute friends to lovers romance following Layla and Luke. As soon as I started reading this rom com, Layla, Luke, the publishing office they work for- screamed ‘The Office’ and Pam and Jim’s relationship. Being my favorite tv show, I was instantly drawn in. It was definitely a slow burn for their relationship to change and I wanted to see them a little more in the relationship before the book ended. However, I was very happy there was no drama that lead to them breaking up and getting back together that often happens in romance stories. Overall a quick and fun read, I finished in a day. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

If you're in the mood for a sweet, romantic comedy with a friends-to-lovers trope that will give you all the Jim and Pam feels, then this book is for you. The story follows two office buddies who work in a small company with a wacky boss and a cast of insane colleagues. The author does an excellent job of capturing the humor and lightheartedness of "The Office" series while also adding her unique twist to the narrative.

One thing to note is that this book doesn't have any spicy scenes. So if you're looking for steamy moments to heat things up, you won't find them here. However, the slow-burning romance between the two main characters is captivating, and the chemistry between them is palpable.

The dialogues are witty and engaging, and the pranks will have you laughing out loud. It's clear that the author has a great sense of humor and knows how to write comedic scenes that are both hilarious and endearing.

The supporting characters are also a highlight of this book. Each character has their own quirks and personality, making them feel like real people you might encounter in your own workplace.

The only downside to this book is that the story becomes a bit too cheese and cute once the main characters get together. The ending also feels a tad too long, but it's forgivable considering the amazing chemistry moments that come before it.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a light and fun read. It's a feel-good story that will make you smile, especially if you have a work-related crisis.

I was lucky enough to be part of the cover reveal for Per My Last Email, and the notes I got with the reveal were enough to make me so excited to read this one! Jim and Pam vibes? Yes please!

Layla and Luke have worked together at a publishing house for several years and have become best friends. Friends who prank each other, bond over nerdy Star Wars jokes and their dislike of HR rep Janise, tuck each other in after drunken escapades, and maybe, just maybe, love each other. Both are terrified to make the leap out of the friend zone, even when their attraction is obvious to their coworkers and family members. On a work trip to Ocean City, both are determined that this is the time they will flip the switch and become more than friends...or maybe throw themselves in the ocean if it doesn't work out.

The banter and inside jokes were fantastic, the chemistry undeniable, and their family and friends add so much extra humor (Oh Rachel, repacking that bag with sexier clothes!) I'm excited this is book one in a series, and I loved the excerpt from book two and think I might love Calla even more than I loved Luke and Layla.

The book definitely gave some office vibes with the work romance, the practical jokes Luke and Layla constantly play, the meetings no one wants to attend, and that tug of attraction between two of the members.

I loved the whole part set in Ocean City and kinda want to go walk the boardwalk now. The conference bonding was hysterical, and I loved when things flipped and Luke and Layla suddenly realized that maybe the other one was into them too. The vibes were smoldering on that beach!

My one complaint is the way the ending jumped forward several times. I would have preferred just one time jump to show what was happening in the future rather than a couple of short pieces.

Thank you to NetGalley and Juliana Smith for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

When Layla started working, she thought it would only be for a short period of time, hoping she’d get ideas on how things were in the publishing industry and eventually write and publish her own novel. But few months turned into three years. Until she found herself in a routine that was hard to get out of.

Luke’s dream was to run his own bar. But he stayed in the same company for three years because of one person, his best friend, Layla. Believing they could never be more than just best friends, how long would he be willing to sacrifice his own dream just to be around the only girl he’d ever liked?

A work-related out of town was about to change things for Layla and Luke. Would they be willing to take the risk and make that jump to finally have the chance to go after their dreams, and at the same time, get out of the friend zone they put themselves into?

Per My Last Email is told in first person, dual POV.

This was the best slow burn, best friends to lovers, workplace romance I have ever read so far. Their relationship, fears, emotions and actions at work felt almost real. Like we all know real people who experienced the same things as them. Their story was almost close to reality.

And that’s the thing I love the most about this book.

Luke and Layla were both so relatable. They sounded and looked cute together. I enjoyed their friendship. But their individual characters were also so easy to love. Their personal character developments as well as their relationship development were also worth mentioning because they were just perfect. (I just wish everyone in real life has the same courage as them🥺🥹)

But here are a few things that I thought was weird though.

While I was reading Luke’s side of the story, it sometimes felt like I was missing something. Like was there a book one that I should have read before this? I just wished the author added few more details about Luke’s background, especially his family. The names of his siblings and his parents were just thrown out there like I was supposed to know who they were already. It would have been better if the author introduced his family so I wouldn’t have to guess who was who.

Next is regarding its title. If I wouldn’t read the blurb and would just read the book right away, I would have thought that this was an enemies-to-lovers trope based purely on its title.

But these were just minor(to me) things for improvement. Overall, this was still a good and highly recommended book.

3.5 stars 🫶🏻

This was such a cute romance!
Let’s break down what you get from this book:
-office romance
-friends to lovers
-funny characters
-angst
-slow burn

I really liked the build up in this story. I loved Luke’s character and how he showed his love through his actions more than anything. You can tell how much he cares for Layla. I also love Layla. I think she’s such a cute character and I love her outfits honestly. I like that she wears what she’s comfortable with! And Luke loves her for it. I kinda wish Nathans character was developed a little more. I couldn’t really gage what type of person he was. At first I thought maybe he was grumpy, and then I thought he was goofy. Then I felt like he was a playboy. I couldn’t get an idea of who he was and I would have liked to understand him more!

The main reason this isn’t five stars is the timeline. I didn’t like how they finally admitted their feelings and then ~boom~ it’s 6 months later. I would have liked to see some more development with their romantic relationship. We saw the friendship so I was hoping for more of them as a fresh and new couple. Other than that I did really enjoy the beginning and middle of the book. It took me a little to get into it but once I did, I read it in one night! It was a very easy read. I’ll definitely be reading the second book because I want to know more about Nathan!!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC🫶🏻