4.5 stars!

This slow burn, office romance, friends-to-lovers was such a quick and adorable read!

I loved the 3 friends, Layla, Luke & Nathan. The pranks at work were fun.

The ending 🥺🥺 I loved it.

So excited for Nathan's story coming in the fall!!

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

this was a fun, quick friends-to-lovers story! however, it did not fully hit the mark for me due to the sheer amount of miscommunication that occurred throughout the book.

I thought that layla and luke were super sweet and I loved seeing their friendship progress into more, especially as they figured out how to show each other their love. the friend dynamic between layla, luke, and nathan was so fun and I really enjoyed all of the side characters and how they contributed to the story. I liked how both their friends and family were plotting to get them together and the text convos were a great addition

however, there were definitely a few things that detracted from the story, especially the simple miscommunication that lasted almost the whole book. it was simply so evident how they felt about each other from the beginning of the book and they were already super possessive so I wish they could have revealed their feelings faster. there were a few other minor plot points that also simply rubbed me the wrong way after a while. the conflict at the end also seemed very staged and could have honestly been left out in my opinion.

overall, I do think that fans of friends-to-lovers stories could enjoy this novel though as it is a light and fun read - the trope just simply did not work out as well for me this time

This was not for me. I didn't like the characters, the chapters were too short and there was just a little too much ridiculousness, even with this being a romcom. It was a very quick read though, and it had no spice, so if that's what you're looking for, go for it. The writting was okay.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publishers. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the banter between Layla and Luke. I loved the office setting for this book. I also am always a little hesitant to read dual POV's but this book has changed my mind about romance Dual POV's. It was perfection and showcased even more then stunning character development. This story gave me all the happy warm fuzzies. 4.4 Stars Pick this up ASAP on May 6th!!!

Okay so I am really not sure on this one, the romance was sweet and usually i love a friends to lovers however how hard is it to talk? Like i know there needs to be some miscommunication however for the years this has been going on, surely SURELY you can see whats going on.

✨ ARC | R E V I E W ✨

Per my Last Email by Juliana Smith

⭐️⭐️4/5⭐️⭐️
Highly recommend!!

Layla works a job she isn’t thrilled about, but wants to learn the publishing game. Writing her own novel seems to be on hold, as she can’t find inspiration. Luke is an aspiring bar owner, but finds himself taking a not-so-dream-job until that can happen. The coworkers quickly become friends over pranks they play on their mutual friend. After years of secret feelings, will Luke and Layla take the jump to become more than friends?

•Dual POV•friends to lovers•office romance

I found myself laughing out loud so many times, and swooning at the pure sweetness of both Luke and Layla. The characters are relatable, they feel so genuine; the dedication they show to each other-and their pranks-is like no other. The end felt a little rushed, but still such a witty, funny, light, and sweet read! ❤️

This was a super cute, lighthearted, & easy read! As a fan of The Office, this book gave me major Jim & Pam vibes which I was totally living for. Huge bonus because this took place in Philly & Ocean City which just so happen to be two of my favorite places! I loved the dynamic & slow burning romance between Luke & Layla. I do wish we got to see their romantic relationship progress a little further rather than just jumping into six months later. But overall, this was a super cute & sweet read!

Publishing on Wednesday, April 26th to Goodreads and Storygrah. Additional content will be posted to Instagram and Tiktok.

4⭐️

This was such a cute book! This book is a workplace, she falls first he falls harder book that followed Layla and Luke who both work at a publishing company. Luke has just got out of a long term relationship but after setting his eyes on Layla he becomes obsessed. Both Layla and Luke pine over each other until it all comes together in a work trip. This book was so adorable and both characters were so sweet and caring. Luke knew everything about Layla and would go out of his way just to see her smile! I am obsessed with the nickname little one and wish someone would call me that. The playlist he made, made my heart melt. Both of their roommates were so funny and amazing additions to the book! I really enjoyed this book! It was fun and lighthearted! Definitely recommend!

Favorite Quote:
“Whatever she wanted from me, she could have.”

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute story. Friends to lovers trope. I loved the characters, but it is definitely a slow burn. It had some funny moments which I enjoyed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for my arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publish Date: May 2, 2023

When I started reading this, I must admit that I found myself wondering if I'd picked the wrong book. I'd read a previous book by this author and enjoyed it, and had seen this one mentioned by several others who tend to read clean romances, so I was excited to read it. Fairly early on there was a joke about making a 'trip to no pants land' that took me by surprise and had me wondering if this was in fact a closed-door romance after all. There was also a fair amount of language as well-- it's still probably not what most people would consider a ton and it was nothing too major (no f-words, no using God's name in vain, etc), but it was certainly more than I'm personally used to seeing in the types of books I prefer to read. Thankfully, it WAS closed-door, and a few slightly inappropriate jokes aside, it was actually fairly tame in the romance department... though perhaps not one for the most conservative of readers.

This was a sweet workplace, friends-to-lovers romance. Layla and Luke were super sweet together, and even when they were painstakingly oblivious, I enjoyed their characters very much. They were kind of nerds--- and I mean that in the best way possible. I am NOT a Star Wars fan, but I'm married to one/the mother of one... and I'm slightly ashamed to acknowledge how many references I understood throughout this story. Those who ARE fans will likely appreciate that all that much more. The end felt perhaps a bit more rushed than I would have liked, but overall I thought it was an enjoyable story.

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

“I don’t know,” I said, “My dreams changed.” They became you.

THIS BOOK.

I was so excited when I saw that Julianna Smith was coming out with another story. I have loved her other novels. And then I saw the title and the cover and knew I needed to read immediately. The Office is one of my favorite shows of all time and seeing the little connections between Luke / Layla and Jim/Pam was so much fun. (Also the diagram of the bull pen?? AMAZING).

I loved how their friendship evolved and they spent time with each other and respected each other. There were some points I wanted to shake them both so that they would just communicate but it happened in their own time and was beautiful.

I cannot recommend this enough. For fans of The Office, people who love friends to lovers and anyone who wants a story where they will laugh and blush and fall in love.

Fun, light, and easy enough to read. I’m sure this is a 5* for someone but just not for me. I didn’t really gel with the characters but there were some funny moments for sure

Here are some of my favorite things:

📎The Office
👫Friends to lovers trope
🔥Slow burn romance
🍩Donuts

This book had them all and more! Luke and Layla's friendship, office pranks, and banter gave me total Jim and Pam vibes from The Office, which is literally my all time favorite show. I love friends to lovers and the pining that comes with that and that was done so well. The slow burn was soo perfect too! Also, it was super funny. Nathan is amazing and I'm excited to see more of him in the future!

Overall, this book literally had all of my favorite things all in one place and it was total perfection!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Layla and Luke are friendship goals from almost day 1. Everyone is convinced they love each other but neither wants to forgo their friendship though both are wanting to explore further.
This book was just hilarious and well done. I wanted to stay in their story and can't wait for other glimpses of them in future books.

#arc
#netgalley,
#permylastemail

2.5 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley & the author for this arc.

i won't say much because this book just wasn't for me. it was way too corny for my taste. for the first 30% i was rlly excited and was having a good time but it became kinda repetitive and the characters came across as very juveline imo. it was rlly funny tho so that was a plus.

im sure other people will enjoy this but it's jus not for me

First of all, I will admit I requested this book due to the title, I got an enemies to lovers Hating Game vibe. I was highly disappointed that it was in actuality a friends to lovers. For that, I still enjoyed what it was but once we got to the confession, I feel the pace in the book sped up tremendously.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the early review. All opinions are my own.

With a fun and endearing friendship trio, Per My Last Email by Juliana Smith is a story about two best friends who harbour a crush on each other for three years but are too afraid to act on it... until now. The story also briefly touches on choosing to do what you want.

Summary: Three years ago, Layla Wright meets Luke Wells at work. They, along with Luke's best friend Nathan, become very close friends over the years. But they also happen to like each other romantically and are afraid to lose their friendship.

Tropes/Genres:
• best friends to lovers
• workplace romance
• travelling! (for work, but still)
• fun friendship trio <3
• contemporary rom-com
• aspiring author

Review: Before I start talking about the romance, I want to talk about this beautiful friendship trio that Layla, Luke and Nathan have. I love it! Literal friendship goals. I love them from the start of the book, with how chaotic they were even from the moment they met. They're such goofy friends, and it's nice to see such fun energy in an environment full of boring people – work. Oops! But they really breathed so much life into their workplace. It's really the people that make the atmosphere.

Now, Layla and Luke were so cute. I was just waiting for them to finally confess their undying love to each other and have their happily ever after, but this way worked fine too. From the beginning to the end, I felt them. I understood why they acted the way they did. For Layla, it's not easy to think a person likes her despite their actions because he's stated all those years ago that she's not the one for him. And for Luke, it's not easy to get out of the friend zone, especially when the friendship is just so precious to him. And here's a shout-out to Nathan, the best wingman! I also love Luke's family. They're such a fun and healthy family <3

It pained me to see the struggles they had to go through. They're not earth-shattering, but it was still sad. Regardless, I'm glad these changes helped to propel them towards the path meant for them. I guess some things do happen for a reason. We should try and see things in a positive light, and sometimes, we should just do what we want instead of what seems right. The heart wants what it wants.

I recommend this book to readers who love a good best-friends-to-lovers workplace romance with a fun friendship trio as good seasoning. It's light-hearted and easy to read. Perfect for readers who want to sit back, relax, swoon over our three best friends and yell at the annoying characters in the story who just get in the way of everything :D

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book!

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the character dynamic so much. I found them relatable and absolutely hilarious! It was such a quick and easy cute read.

Thank you NetGalley, and Juliana Smith for this ARC copy of Per My Last Email - in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Oh my god! Friends to lovers at its absolute finest! This quirky, wholesome, and hilarious book had me hooked. I think I just found a new author to add to my favorites list. I loved Layla and Luke's story, and I am incredibly excited to read the next installment!

I love Luke’s family. The hilarious banter between them was so wholesome and warm. Their relentless teasing and longing for Layla to be a part of their family was incredible.

I love how nerdy and comfy Luke and Layla are. The Star Wars, and Harry Potter references and love for Disney were so relatable!

The adorable angst obsession they both have was cute. I felt like Luke’s family wanting to shake them and plan their wedding haha.

Trust me, take the jump and simply read this one… you won’t be disappointed😄

"Then, yes. I'll be there. Wherever Layla is, that's where I'll be." 🥲

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley & Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for my e-ARC copy of 'Per my Last Email'.

When looking through titles on NetGalley, three things caught my eye:
1. The cute cover
2. The title (how many times do we all say "per my last email" as a big f u in the workplace?! 🙋🏼‍♀️)
3. The author - I had seen sooo much love for The Baggage Claim around Christmas time, I had to put my hat in the ring to read this one early.

I thoroughly enjoyed this light read, it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside 🥰 we get dual POV of Luke and Layla who started working together in an office three years ago. In that time they have become best friends and are both clearly harbouring feelings for one another.

The book carried so much tension between our two MCs. I was desperate to knock their heads together so they could just get together already. Everybody could see it and feel it, including themselves, they just couldn't admit it to one another😅

I adored the surrounding cast, Luke's family are everything. I love the big family vibe, but also they seem to have a genuine big-family relationship that I can relate hard to. I already can't wait for book 2 to see more of Nathan 🤭

Number one favourite thing (aside from Luke being the cuuuuutest book boyfriend, obvs): the adorable office map at the front! I hope each of the books in this series feature some kind of equivalent map!

What I'd have liked slightly more of: a little bit more angst (yes I like to feel pain 😅) and also more of how they're friendship developed.

Aside from that, I loved this book, would definitely recommend and can't wait for the rest of the series 🤍

Some other favourite quotes:
""That sounds great, Nathan. Find me a man who loves all my favourite movies and doesn't live in his mom's basement, and I will hop on him faster than you can say forever alone." If only I had a t-shirt with big, bold letters that said OPEN YOUR EYES."

"That wasn't technically a lie; she probably was busy. Busy doing Layla things such as talking to her plants and crying over fantasy novels."

"You're my person, Lay."

"She was it for me. She was everything."

"But we're just..." "Say we're just friends, Layla Wright. I dare you."

"All I know is that I want to be there for all your big moments."

Review will also be posted on issie_reads on Instagram on Thursday 27 April