On the Same Page

by N.D. Galland, Nicole Galland

A romantic comedy that tells the story of one journalist secretly juggling two bylines for competing newspapers on a small island.

Distorting the facts just a little can’t hurt - except when falling in love…

Martha’s Vineyard has two distinct “personalities” - one characterized by its tanned and polished summer people; the other represented by the small-town, salt-of-the-earth year-round residents. The island even has two newspapers, each appealing to its distinct readership. Over the years, an intense rivalry has grown between the two papers; in fact, neither paper will work with writers who have any relationship to the other paper.

Johanna Howes is a Vineyard girl who left the island at the age of eighteen and never looked back. She went to college on the mainland and moved to the Big City to start a career as a journalist. Now she’s returned to take care of her aging Uncle Hank. As neither paper can pay her enough to live on, she creates a false identity so that she can write for both papers at once. Often this means writing the same story twice, coming at it from opposite ends of the spectrum.

Before long, Johanna finds herself caught up in a messy Island political situation. A wealthy, seasonal resident is suing the town government for the right to land his private helicopter on his property. When Johanna agrees to go for a cup of coffee with the handsome man she meets at a zoning board meeting, she has no idea that she has just made a date with Orion Smith, the wealthy off-Islander who is causing all the ruckus. And what he doesn’t know is that Johanna has been assigned by both Island papers to cover the story.

Scrambling to keep her various identities straight and separate from each other, Johanna desperately tries to find a graceful way out of the mess she’s created. But doing so will likely get her into trouble or cause her to lose her writing gigs…not to mention jeopardize her chance at a budding romance with a man she’s doing her best not to fall for.

 

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Summer Reads, Summer, Adult

320 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2018

About the author

pen name of Nicole Galland

Reviews

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the Same Page is just the kind of contemporary romance novel that I want to read. I read mostly thrillers and crime novels. However, now and then do I like to change genre and read something less deadly. I picked this book because I thought it sounded funny and charming. I love stories with a lot of heart and funny problems like trying to write for two different newspapers without either knowing it. It would have been a lot easier for poor Joanna if she had not happened to fall in love with the worst possible candidate. The most hated man on Martha's Vineyard.

I alternated between listening to the audio version and reading the book (as usual) and I really liked the narrator. Amanda Dolan did a great job. Storywise did I feel that the author really managed to not only make lovebirds Joanne and Orion come alive. She managed to do so with the rest of the characters as well. I wouldn't mind reading more books set in this world because I came to really love the characters.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with the (eARC) copy of the book through Edelweiss for an honest review!

[MaryKaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Goodness, goodness. When I read a book I do not expect to have a dictionary by my side. I like the sentences to flow without going, "What?" Here are a few examples:
1. Grudgingly cognizant
2. homeland transmogrify
3. hither or yon with a capriciousness
4. gave him a gossamer nimbus
5. Hanks jumbled gallimaufry miscellany.
This is what makes a reading experience difficult. Most people do not talk this way and the character Hank, whom I did not like, certainly would not have this vocabulary. Nothing seemed to fit. I am sorry, I just could not like this book and struggled to finish it.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

On The Same Page
By
N.D. Garland


What it's all about...

Johanna leaves her work and her life in NYC to care for her beloved but grump and gruff Uncle Hank on Martha’s Vineyard. While on her extended stay she needs work so she freelances for both Vineyard papers and gets involved with a fascinating wealthy man who is having issues with the town. Orion wants permission to land his personal helicopter at his front door but the town says no. He does it anyway.

Why I wanted to read it...

I love books that take place on Martha’s Vineyard. This one was lovely. I loved the writing, I loved Martha’s Vineyard in the winter. Johanna was a cool character...she easily slipped back into her uncle’s small antiquated house and fed chickens and chopped wood and fed with her uncle.

What made me truly enjoy this book...

I loved the snarky relationship between Johanna and Orion. I loved the way Johanna worked for both town papers even when she wasn’t really supposed to. Uncle Hank was also quite a character to deal with.

Why you should read it, too...

Readers who love a romance book with some backbone and bite to it should enjoy this book. It was a lovely slow winter reading experience.

I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss and Amazon. It was my choice to read it and review it.

[Amelia]

My whole reading of this book was colored by the fact that I live on Martha's Vineyard and have known the author since childhood. I read it as I read every book set on the island, with a predator's scan for inaccuracies (I found some) and a gossip's eye for who's who. Naturally, the characters are not actual local people, just familiar types and mash-ups of X and Y. In this one, I was also keenly aware that the protagonist and the author are not the same, but do have some things in common. As for the newspapers, I write for one of them and therefore am black-listed from the other, and that's what I know about that.

All that aside, it was a pretty entertaining book. The midwinter romance was a stretch -- the idea that anyone would play such patient games in the cold, lonely winters here is absurd to me -- but certain aspects of it (the goddamn secrecy and sneaking around) were quite true to life. No, there's no way I can say anything about this book without stacking it up against my own experience of Island winters, so if you're reading from off-island, you'll have to see for yourself.


After writing my initial thoughts, above, I took a quick look at the other reviews. Those of you who were dismayed at the negative slant on the Vineyard made me laugh. It's not all fresh-painted white picket fences and beach parties out here! We have lots of difficult personalities to deal with year-round and we're stuck on a small-ish island with them. I challenge you to spend January-February out here and not grumble about things.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good but it just seemed like nothing was happening for the longest time and then towards the end it finally picked up.

[Cookie M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Fergus,
Don't feel sorry for me because I had to read another sappy romance novel. Just because two characters in this lighthearted story about a woman who accidentally ends up writing for both the Martha's Vineyard newspapers fall for each other, that doesn't make it a romance novel.
The fact that the man she for doesn't know that his enemy on the town zoning board, who hates his guts, is her uncle with whom she lives, and that she is both of the reporters whose work he admires, adds up to screwball comedy in the hands of N. D. Galland. The people are real, believable and quirky.

Oh, I hope they make a movie out of this one. If they do, I have some casting ideas.

I want to thank the author and William Morrow publishing for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

It now goes to my mother, 86 years old and still reading up a storm.

[Nandika | Booktrovertgirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I liked the character of Joanna and the author was able to convey the dilemma faced by her really well, the story struggled with adding anything more to it. I liked that the author was trying to dispel the myths that tourists generally have about a place like Martha’s Vineyard, briefly mentioning the cocaine problem in youth and unemployment issues on the island off-season, but I felt that real substance was lacking in the book. Also, there are unnecessarily difficult phrases used throughout the book, where you have to whip out your dictionary to understand whatever is happening.

[Karen Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you simply need a beach read that reconnects you to a simplistic time and place in your life. Set in Martha’s Vineyard, this novel is a great escape, starting with a hard look at the childhood you left, and ending up home again. This book will have you connect with Joanne, Hank, and the island of Martha’s Vineyard in a way you’ll likely see characters from your past. It nearly comes to a charming end, but not before the journalist Joanne tries to make ethics a spectator sport.
Enjoy the book, as it is easily read and hard to put down.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanna (aka Anna aka Joey) returns to Martha's Vineyard in winter to care for her irascible uncle Hank who fell off a roof and finds her life turned upside down. She left the Vineyard years before for college and life as a freelance journalist in NYC, where she also has a significant other, Brian. If there's a fault with this well written novel, it's the relationship with Brian, who really isn't felt at all, which might be sort of the point. Once she realizes she's going to be on the Vineyard for a while, she finds work as a freelancer for both local papers, mostly covering local politics. Much to her surprise, she finds herself in a pas de deux with Orion Smith, the wealthy man who wants to land his helicopter on his property. This is a very mature romance with some chuckle worthy moments but note that they also spar over some of the class and economic issues on the Vineyard. You won't know Orion's story til the end, or will you? The charm of this lies in the community who pull together to help Hank, and by association, Joanna. Hank's a crank for sure but I'll bet you'll recognize him. You will also wish for friends like Helen, Celia, and Everett. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. It's a lovely book and a very good read.

[Jacqueline Langille · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5. I thought this novel was going to be a romance, but it was about a woman falling in love with her hometown -- and its people -- after having to return from NYC to help her injured, sick, elderly foster-father. I blasted through it because the writing style was pretty good and easy on my reader-brain: another okay summer read. (Notes from editor-brain: The author used the word "truculent" too many times; mentioning Portuguese or Brazilian people a bunch doesn't make yr novel diverse; and I don't think Scrabble can end in a "draw.") I'm certain I would have enjoyed it more if it had featured the romance between Joanna and Orion. The Martha's Vineyard schtick got a little repetitive.

[Aakriti Pandey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started a bit too slow for my taste, but when it picked up (around a third of the way in) it made quick work of gripping my attention to the plot as well as my investment in the characters. 7/10

[Julie Stauss · Rating 3 out of 5]

She worked hard at being different to please everyone.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

brutally bad. so boring. everything was terrible

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story of a 30 something freelance journalist that leaves NYC to return home to Martha's Vineyard and take care of the uncle who raised her. Her uncle was fixing his roof during a storm, fell off and broke his ankle. He ends up facing more health challenges, so Joanna pieces together jobs at the two competing newspapers to make ends meet. She wrestles with keeping this from each paper's staff, as well as reporting about a rich summer inhabitant, Orion Smith, who wants to sue the town over his right to build a helipad in his yard. Orion wants to get to know Joanna better and she struggles to keep her relationships ethical in such a small community where she is related to many of the year-rounders. Joanna grew up aching to leave the island and is also struggling with a new sense that despite the exorbitant price of housing and lack of rentals for year rounders, she may want to live there full time.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because it was set on Martha’s Vineyard, and I wanted that setting and those people. I got glimpses of what I wanted, but overall it seemed too often to be written by someone who hates Martha’s vineyard. I think that was sort-of the point: the narrator was supposed to be disillusioned with the place she grew up (at least at the beginning), and it was supposed to dispel myths of romantic island life, but for me it made the book unpleasant to read.
Adding to this, I didn’t like any of the characters. I found them all to be jerks, or selfish, basically. I at least didn’t find them too stereotypical, but not liking them made it hard to connect with the story and their relationships.
So, unfortunately, this was not a book for me. It had a cute plot/story idea, and hopefully others will enjoy the ride.

[Megan Oneail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I will start off by saying that this book had a lot going for it; the plot itself was such a fun concept, and I enjoyed getting to learn more about Martha’s Vinyard from the POV of the year-round residents. However, once I had finished I was left wanting more, and I’ll break down the reasons why.
The Plot: this was definitely the book’s saving grace. Joanna is a freelance writer come back to the island to help her ailing uncle, and the only way she can make money to keep her NYC apartment is by working for the only 2 newspapers, which are bitter rivals. This was a very interesting storyline, although I REALLY wanted it to be a little more humorous. Instead it was very dark and Joanna spends the whole book stressed and guilty and arguing with herself about her morals.
The Characters: I did like Joanna, and found her very interesting to get to know. However, everyone else was either super one-note or a complete asshat.
Take her ailing uncle: Joanna was raised by him, so this is her father figure, and instead of coming off as a crotchety old New Englander who is reluctant to admit he’s getting old, he’s just a mean old alcoholic who takes things beyond cranky and into abusive. It just yet again brought the tone into a dark place.
Then we have the love interest: I felt absolutely zero chemistry between the two of them, and his character was so blandly written that I couldn’t even get a good mental image of him. And the few “steamy” scenes were barely tepid. Nothing to get my heart racing.
The Writing: you know when you were younger and you thought you’d make a report sound fancier by using a thesaurus to change all your words to long complicated ones? This book was that. The language was so flowery and pretentious that often found myself having to read a passage 3 times just to figure out what it said. It was totally unnecessary and took away from the book for me.

All that being said, if you love Martha’s Vinyard or are interested in learning more about life there, this book does a great job! Based very much in fact, I learned a TON about the island and it’s inhabitants. The author has even said that the book is almost autobiographical in how closely the events resemble life on the island. I also think that if you go into the story knowing it’ll be a little dark with little humor, you will find a totally different experience than mine. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

[Meg Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this audiobook, with multiple conflicts and a satisfying resolution, to be quite an enjoyable listen. Set on "The Rock" as islanders call it, Martha's Vineyard is the setting for this story. Joanna Howes, a native, grew up in her uncle's home, traveled to New York, wrote newspaper articles, and made a very comfortable life there for herself.

Returning to care for her grumpy, widower, uncle after he fell off the roof and shattered his leg, Jonna is in need of a paycheck and begins writing for a local newspaper, and then for it's competition using a pseudonym. Keeping her dual identity a secret becomes problematic as she takes notes for both papers at zoning board meetings, a other events.

Contentiousness and a possible law suit arise as a wealthy resident argues for the right to use a private helicopter to get to the mainland while the townspeople argue against him. Jonna's uncle is the most argumentative of the townspeople. Awkward for Jonna, since she unknowingly agreed to have coffee with the very handsome and gracious helicopter owner, Orion Smith.

Now Jonna has even more secrets to keep and the complications increase as an attraction grows between Orion and Jonna. Jonna wrestles with her lies of omission, outright lies she must tell in order to keep all her plates in the air and not drop a secret. She wrestles with having disappointed people she respects and loves, knowing it will only be by their grace that she is forgiven.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from Goodreads Giveaway. I would actually rate it as about a 3.5 so I rounded up in the rating.
Johanna Howes left Martha’s Vineyard to make her name as a journalist and she’s become known for her one-on-one interviews with celebrities. After her uncle who raised her falls and breaks his leg, she has to return to take care of him until he heals. She was hoping her return would be short but her uncle has complications and she realizes it will be at least a couple of months. The Island has two rival newspapers and, needing money, she starts freelancing at both but under different bylines. Neither editor knows she is writing for the other paper. She gets more entangled in deception as she meets a handsome man at a political meeting, finds out he is at the center of a hot political situation which also involves her uncle, and tells neither the man nor her uncle about the other. Johanna also finds herself questioning her feelings for going back to New York or staying on the Island.
The book is supposed to be a romantic comedy but I found it more stressful than funny. I did enjoy reading about Martha’s Vineyard and the year round residents. It was not a book I rushed to get back to whenever I stopped reading; perhaps I was just not In the right mood for it.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you ever get the chance to pick up a book that has "P.S." on the bottom, right cover, be sure to pick it up and read the added information. I thought it added much to my enjoyment of the book by this author.

Joanna Howes grew up in Martha's Vineyard and went off to college and life in New York City. She works as a freelance writer and has achieved some stature in her calling. However, the man who helped raise her has fallen and broken his leg and needs her assistance and so she returns to Martha's Vineyard.

The author highlighted the amusing fact that there are two newspapers in MV, that seem to hate each other. This is a problem because Joanna easily gets a part-time job at one paper but cannot meet her bills with a single paycheck. So she manages to work concurrently on the other paper, without their knowledge. The trouble comes when each paper sends her to cover the same story.

Not satisfied with this growing problem, Joanna manages to get involved with the man who is stirring up the community with his helipad proposal and lawsuit. Keeping her identities separate and her relationships straight starts to take a toll on Joanna. This is an interesting situation with opportunities for gentle humor. This is a pleasant way to while away a few hours dreaming of Martha's Vineyard's locals versus the summer crowd.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in a goodreads giveaway in exchange for an unbiased review.

What I enjoyed about the book: I liked the premise of Anna trying to juggle both newspaper jobs and keep the truth hidden. Of course it was going to blow up in her face. I liked the characters and enjoyed the descriptions of island life. I felt the book captured both mentalities.

What I disliked about the book: it takes its time and there is no huge build up. It all just goes along and I was never excited about any of it. Sometimes you get so involved in the plot that you just can't wait to turn the page to see what happens next. There was none of that for me. It was too easy to put the book down and pick it up again.

The sudden blowup by Hank. Anna dropped her life in Manhattan to come nurse her uncle and jumps right into doing chores and taking care of his every need. There is no sign of friction apart from the scene with the axe, and then he explodes and their relationship is fractured. I didn't get it.

The vocabulary. There were a lot of big words. I don't have a problem with that but it could be very off-putting to a casual reader.

So overall, I wasn't sorry I read it but I don't know how well I will remember it a few months from now.

[Claudia Cheyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanna Howes returns to Martha's Vineyard after years of living in Manhattan to care for her injured uncle. She earns a living as a freelance writer. It turns out Uncle Hank will need assistance for a while. Joanna needs money to pay for her apartment in Queens so she gets a job covering local events for one of the Vineyard newspapers. Then she starts writing for the competition. She also gets involved with a man who has stirred up controversy by requesting zoning to allow him to build a helipad. She manages to hide her identity from the three by using different versions of her name. I was afraid the story would turn into a bad episode of "I Love Lucy" but the author gave Joanna a conscience and she suffered the consequences after telling the truth.
I enjoyed reading a story about writing for newspapers and living on Martha's Vineyard in the winter. I kept jotting down words I was not familiar with so I could look them up later. This is the first book I've read by N.D. Galland but it won't be the last.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book as a FirstRead.

Joanna Howes grew up on Martha's Vineyard and has made a name for herself off-island as a feature piece writer. When Hank, the uncle who raised her, breaks his ankle, Joanna has to return to Martha's Vineyard to take care of him. To keep herself afloat financially while on the island, she ends up taking jobs at the two competing newspapers on the island under different aliases. One of the stories she is tasked with covering is the helipad summer resident Orion Smith wants to build on his property, something the year-round residents are absolutely against, with Uncle Hank leading the charge. While attending a public hearing on the helipad, Joanna agrees to a coffee date with a handsome man who turns out to be none other than Orion Smith. Suddenly, Joanna is struggling to keep her two work personas separate and hiding the fact that she is Hank's niece from Orion.

This story kept me entertained while I was reading it but didn't stay on my mind between times to read. I think the word I would use to describe this book is steady.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read about a dutiful “daughter” who came home to Martha’s Vineyard to nurse her uncle who had broken a leg atop his house during a storm. Joanna has a dilemma because she needs to earn an income as a writer, but there is not enough work for her at either one of the two newspapers in town. The solution is to write for both papers, which is never done. Joanna encounters many conflicts of interest during this story and doesn’t handle all of them well, but she does earn enough to live on while she nurses her uncle. Meeting and being attracted to the town’s and her uncle’s arch enemy makes the story more interesting.
There is a lot of islander local color and history in this story. It makes you appreciate Martha’s Vineyard and realize that it is no longer accessible for the average American.

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the setting ( Martha's Vineyard ), I really like the cover, and I like that the main characters was focused on her job. I did not like how the author did not put Martha's Vineyard in a good light, Hank was not likeable, and it was really hard to read.

N.D. Galland writing style was difficult to read. I felt like she was trying to make each description very detailed. I think she opened the thesaurus and found the most obscure word to replace an ordinary word. It made some of the joy go out of the story for me when I had to reread a sentence to figure out what she was trying to say.

I did like Johanna. I really liked that her job was the focus of most of the book. Her relationship came later and wasn't the center of her whole world.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was quite an unusual book. Johanna Howes was raised on Martha's Vinyard but now lives in New York. Little pieces of her life are revealed as the story moves along. It seems she ran from her old life and now is back because her "Uncle" needs help while he recovers from an accident. She creates a a web of lies by omission and life becomes very complicated. As are her feelings for the Island and the people there.

The story moved along fluidly. Some of the characters are irritating, but there is always some part of them that is likable. This is a story about finding your calling and relationships with those around you. It kept me turning the page, wanting to see what would happen to Johanna and those around her.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced readers copy in a Goodreads giveaway.

So I was a quarter of the way in and what no love interest yet? Isn’t this supposed to be a romance?

The story moved along and I thought it was great how Anna got to work for two competing newspapers. But where was the guy?

He finally showed up and the back and forth was fun.

And then the truth came out in so many ways. I was surprised it didn’t go worse for Joanna but then it wouldn’t have been as much fun.

A pretty fast read. I did it on a day off from work. Of course I didn’t do anything else but oh well there is next week.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what it is about ON THE SAME PAGE, but it felt like the longest novel ever! Maybe it's the long chapters or the extraneous detail or the fact that not much happens. All those things, I guess, combine to make the story feel endless. I also didn't care for Joanna, whose dishonest and immature behavior never seems to come with any real consequences. She doesn't really learn any lessons or grow as a character, so yeah.

On the plus side, ON THE SAME PAGE is an atmospheric story that shows another side of Martha's Vineyard. I liked learning about the place's own duality. I also think Galland is a skilled writer—this particular story just dragged and bugged for me.

[Nisha Malik · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was pleasant but not exciting or with high tension. The characters were okay, the protagonist was not my favourite because of her ethical hypocrisy but I guess her flaws are what made the story. I wish there was more description about people’s features but the details on the physical landscape was beautiful to read. It is a slower read but you really understand the town and the local politics. Yes, there are big words, many of which I did not understand but it challenged me in a good way :) the romance was very very vanilla but in the sweetest way possible!! Now, if I only knew what happened with Brain……

[Nancy Purdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the development of each character. I felt I knew them and would enjoy spending time with most of them. I've never been to Martha's Vineyard and after reading this book I don't know if I want to ever visit. Winter, which is several months, sounds miserable and the summer crowds described sound miserable. I can see why a true Islander would be in love with the wildness of the place and want to protect it. I do know enough about how tourism and encroachment destroy or damage places to know the dire descriptions of the cost of living for the locals are true and that is heartbreaking.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to HarperCollins for this ARC.
I honestly struggled with the writing style at the beginning of the book and some of the detailed descriptions of Martha’s Vineyard were hard to follow. I started to get into the story, but found the reporting of the Zoning Board meetings very dry and uninteresting. It just didn’t grab me. The story of Joanna and Orion’s developing relationship was the best part of the book - unfortunately it didn’t go far. I’m not sorry I finished the book; I just didn’t love it.