My Double Life

by Angela Pearse

Emma McTavish likes nothing better than curling up with a good book. But sometimes she just wants to be a little bit naughty…

Struggling to make ends meet, librarian Emma McTavish takes on a side gig as a life model to earn some extra cash. Knowing her straitlaced realtor boyfriend won’t approve, she keeps it quiet.

But her spur-of-the-moment decision starts making life complicated. Suddenly she’s juggling her job, her boyfriend, her sexy new flatmate, and posing nude for a bunch of strangers. Then, one night, she accidentally overhears a conversation that changes everything.

As her life begins to fall apart in spectacular fashion, Emma realises that giving her alter ego the reins isn’t such a bad idea. Actually, it could be the perfect way to get out of the mess she’s in.

A high-spirited heroine who can’t help getting into trouble. Expect shocking secrets, hilarious mix-ups and a heartfelt romance!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Fiction, Amazon, Rom Com, Ebooks

380 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 4, 2022

About the author

ANGELA PEARSE writes contemporary and historical romcoms, and has recently added paranormal romance to her lineup. Known for her quirky humour, Angela’s books are often described as "page-turners", ranging from lighthearted escapades to darker satire.

A freelance editor with an MA in English, Angela is originally from New Zealand but now calls Edinburgh home, finding endless inspiration in its rich history and atmospheric streets.

Dive into her new vampire romance series - Fanged and Flirty!

Book 1: Flossed In Love - available now (read for free with Kindle Unlimited)

Book 2: Enthralled By You - available now (read for free with Kindle Unlimited)

Book 3: Biting My Knight - coming 4 February 2026 (available for pre-order)

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Reviews

[Belle Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this witty, quirky romcom.

The story is a modern tale set in Edinburgh following the life of Emma the librarian. Emma finds herself fed up and hard up so consequently goes looking for a way to make ends meet. The result of her search opens up a whole lot of opportunities and a big can of worms. Despite her prudish side she forces herself to takes risks and dabble in a world she isn't used to.

Angela has a wonderful way with words so much so that you find yourself picturing things so vividly that it feels as if you're watching not reading. I loved the sticky situations the main character, Emma got herself into. The hilarious accents she sometimes used to get herself out of these situations were very funny and entertaining. Nathan was a dream man chiselled by the gods, the perfect book boyfriend to settle down with.

My double life was an enjoyable fun page turner. I would highly recommend this book if you're looking for a quirky romcom to get your teeth into. It was brilliant in every way.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost every character in this book has a secret. Emma is our main character. She is hiding the fact that she started life modeling (modeling for artists) to help make ends meet. Her boyfriend, co-worker/friend, boss, and roommate are all hiding their own secrets.

This is mainly a rom-com but what I enjoyed most was how everyone's secrets come out. At the end of the day, when you share something personal about yourself, how the other person reacts makes all the difference. We all just want to be able to be ourselves and accepted by those closest to us. Will we be accepted or rejected?

Overall, there was a lot of humor and I really liked following Emma on her journey.

Thanks to BookSirens and Angela Pearse, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Annette Dahl "Old Vicarious Reader" · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
Just not my cuppa... Maybe the English thing just couldn't grab my interest.

[Dun's · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Double Life is about Emma, a librarian who is in a relationship with a successful realtor. They live separately and follow a quite rigid schedule of when they spend time and do things together. To pay towards her living costs, Emma lands herself a weekend side gig as a life model and takes in a flatmate.

I was in need for a light reading and this book was perfect for the purpose. I really liked the author’s writing style - the characters were well developed (with some surprising quirks), and the topics were mainly focused on personal and professional relationships. Some parts made me laugh out loud. The icing on the cake was that the story was set in Edinburgh, one of my favorite cities.

[Rose Grabowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma is a quiet librarian involved with Callum, a local realtor. He is unaware of her part time job modeling nude for art classes. Somewhat controlling, he decides she should have a roommate to help her with finances. He finds some candidates, but she finds one of her own. She decides on Nathan, a friend of a friend. Callum doesn't want her to have a male roommate, so she convinces Callum that Nathan is gay. The rest of the story is predictable but very funny and entertaining. The side characters were interesting enough to make me hope for a sequel.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fun, quirky romcom!

The story is set in Edinburgh following the life of Emma.
Emma is a librarian but with promotions and pay raises denied, Emma finds herself struggling to pay for her apartment.

This results in her finding not only a secret second job (Life Modelling) but she also has to get a new sexy flat mate. One that her pedantic, rude and arrogant boyfriend disapproves of. (I really don't like him)

What I found really interesting and exciting was that everyone in this book has a secret and of course by the end all the secrets are out.

I loved reading about the hilarious predicaments Emma gets into trying to uncover everyone's secrets and while hiding her own.


Overall I loved the humour, wittiness and the romance of the story. Nathan is definitely book boyfriend material. My Double Life was an entertaining and enjoyable read that I'd highly recommend if your looking for a quirky romcom!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Angela Pearse and Book Sirens for providing me with an ebook copy of My Double Life for me to read and review. It was a truly wonderful read with many laugh-out-loud moments. I loved the fact that this was a true Rom-Com through and through but the characters all had such unique secrets that kept me on my toes the whole time I was reading. Once I was sucked into the story, I did not want to put it down and definitely read way too late into the night. The growth and development of the main character was excellently portrayed and inspiring. Definitely one I will be recommending.

[C.J. Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it was hilariously cringeworthy in parts - no spoilers so I'll leave you to find out where. I think 'pipe maintenance' has got to be the best euphemism I've ever read - just great. I loved the characters, so well written, even the ones I suspected were up to no good. I had my suspicions early on but I was delighted by the twists. Definitely recommend and definitely worthy of 5 stars. Just started You Had Me at Ice Cream by the same author, already loving it.

[Engrossed Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

That's life: relationship issues, lies, misunderstandings

Read this book in almost one sitting, started just before I fell asleep. When I woke up, read the rest in bed. Thank goodness for weekends.
Very readable, rom com, chick lit, whatever you want to call it. My only gripe would be that everyone had a secret that was driving the plot, some more interesting than others.
Emma was a pushover in her relationship and at work. The latter she could have raised with HR.
Callum was a stereotypical irritating estate agent and Nathan was too good to be true ergo sad backstory.

I smiled a few times but no chuckles, even with the escapades that Emma got up to. In the moment fun, but on reflection sad.
Sad that it took a while and a guy, flatmate Nathan to recognise her self worth and advocate for herself.
It was obvious from the beginning that Callum was a pretentious creep and Emma would be well rid.

However there is a happy ending where all receive their just rewards.

[Lauryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it! I felt the story was really relatable and uplifting, honest and also sexy! It is a romantic story but I love how much realism and important themes are woven together. Emma is a strong and optimistic character who it's easy to want happiness and a spicy ever after for!

[Sue :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I had insomnia last night and this was the perfect book to keep me entertained. While I disliked Collum from the on set he was a bigger jerk than I expected.

[Cindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank goodness this was a freebie on Amazon. Not what I was expecting at all & not in a good way!
This is supposed to be a Rom-Com, but I refuse to put it in my romance shelf. It's not all that funny either.

The female lead is lusting after her new flatmate. They even took a naked bath together, but at chapter 20 she's still with her boyfriend! She thinks he's cheating on her, so it's ok to cheat with someone else? Just break up with him already! Not sure why she's with him anyway (he's a douche).
There's a big deal made about her life modeling (in the nude), but frankly I was ok with that. she's barely holding on to her librarian job, so she needs some cash flow.

I DNF at chapter 20 in a 28 chapter book - 60% of the book. I was done with the ditzy female lead.

[Isabella May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulously and effortlessly funny and exceptionally written. I totally devoured this romcom and I am thrilled to have discovered another (new-to-me) favourite author in this genre. Highly, highly, highly recommend this story and now off I go to download Angela Pearse's backlist!

[Halla Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet.

This was a sweet and semi spicy rec i got in between my dark, dark romance. It's a good read. The mc is a sweetheart that is stuck and finally finds her voice again.

The plot is solid and had a few moments i gasped. I enjoyed it.

Plot is 4 ⭐️
Spice is 2 🌶

[Cátia Lopes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Um romance leve, divertido e rápido de ler.

Emma é uma bibliotecária que tem de lidar com o preconceito associado à sua profissão, quer pela forma de vestir, quer pela postura mais séria.

Com tudo isto, Emma é uma mulher insegura. Numa relação há dois anos, sente que não é realizada. Desesperada por dinheiro, entra numa aventura que irá mudar a sua vida e a forma como se vê.

Não fiquei fã do Callum, a arrogância e sexismo dele deu cabo de mim. Gostei muito do Nathan e da forma como ele respeitava a Emma.

Adorei ver a evolução de Emma, a forma como aprendeu a conhecer-se e aceitar o poder como mulher. Houve algumas coisas que, na minha opinião, podiam ter sido melhor desenvolvidas e não tão rápidas.

Um romance importante sobre o poder da mulher e como este vai para além do que se veste, como se comporta e da sua profissão.

!! Foi-me cedida uma cópia avançada deste livro em troca de uma opinião honesta. e uma opinião honesta.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read through thus book quite quickly. What I didn't do is post my review right after I finished reading as I wasn't sure how I felt about it.

The female character, Emma is naive when it comes to her relationship with her boyfriend of 2 years, Callum. A sex life that consists of a quick 4 minutes that Callum classes as 'cleaning the pipes', with no release for Emma, it should have been obvious to her that something else was going on. I didn't like that Emma didn't see it. I found her a little irrational at times too. I am happy she found her HEA.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tania Courtine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down. A great read for lovers of rom com. Laughed out loud a lot during this book. Sexy hot flatmate definitely a bonus. Highly recommend.

[Dearbhla She-Her · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

When other people's reviews for books I've read mention that they had laugh-out-loud moments I usually find I've been mildly amused: I may have snorted at some point, or appreciated the humour in a general way. That's as LOL as I get… usually.

For this book, however, my laugh-out-loud moments involved me being creased over and crying with laughter, to the extent that I expected one of my kids to come and check I was OK. I haven't experienced that from a book in so long - thank you Angela Pearse!!

Emma McTavish is the single POV for the book - a librarian in her early 30s who's living & working in Edinburgh and is in a staid/stagnant relationship for two years with her Real-estate boyfriend, Callum. I really appreciated that Emma never really describes herself, we get a sense of how attractive she is from other people's comments and reactions. I also appreciated her having more self-esteem and sense of self-worth than she gives herself credit for despite being in an abusive relationship. This is handled by the author with a light touch and plays directly into the moment of crisis so well that I found I was as blindsided as Emma.

Being "the boiled frog" of her relationship, Emma hasn't got full line-of-sight on the fact that Callum is abusive - manipulative, controlling and gaslighting. She knows she's unsatisfied and under-appreciated but it's not until she's facing the reality of an alternative relationship - with Nathan - that she confronts how her experience of an abusive relationship has affected her ability to trust another man.

I have small quibbles about how Blaire is handled - as a character and as a McGuffin - she's has a non-credible transformation in how presents to the world and how she interacts with Emma; but more importantly it's not credible that other people don't tell her things. If they had, of course, Emma wouldn't have her catharsis. However, I feel there was a way that Blaire could have been a fully informed character but for some other reason or added layer, Emma could still have reached her plot-point. Anyway, small point and I'm trying to be as non-spoilery as possible.

This is Angela Pearse's 2nd novel and I'm delighted to have discovered a new-to-me Roscoe author. I've no hesitation about getting her 1st novel "Travel & Mayhem" ASAP.

[Angela Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty, clever and absolutely enjoyable.

I really loved this book. Emma is everything you want in a heroine - quirky, relatable and so funny.

After her landlord puts her rent up yet again, Emma is forced to look at ways of supplementing her income to avoid moving out of the flat she loves. These include either finding a flatmate and or a second job, both of which need to meet her boyfriends approval.

When she manages to secure both a new flatmate and a new job, both of which definitely do NOT meet her boyfriends list of requirements, things start to unravel for Emma as she tries to navigate her new double life.

Add to this a friend who she suspects may not only be gay but also a little bit into her personally and a boss who seems to have it in for her and a boyfriend with secrets of his own and you have no end of hilarious and intriguing misunderstandings.

Over the course of the book, Emma is forced to look at her different relationships with all the people in her life and decide who she really still wants in it and what her future is going to look like.

This is one of those "just can't put it up down books" that kept me up much later at night than I should have been .

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Am I glad I read it - yes
Was it a waste of my time - absolutely not
Would I sit down and read it all over again - I definitely would
Would I read more by this author based on this book - without a doubt - have already checked her out on Amazon and added her previous title to my TBR pile

[Nalou · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review

4 stars

I was too lazy to write a review right after finishing this book, then forgot, so here we go, a few days after finishing it, and right now, without reading the blurb again, I can't say I remember much. Oops. I do remember that I liked it, though.

Now that I've read the summary again, it all came back. Damn I can't believe I forgot. This book was packed with a looooot of things. And in itself, my lack of memory right there is the reason I can't give it 5 stars: it was so much that I couldn't remember right away what this book was about apart from it being a romance. That would be my only complaint: maybe I would've really loved it if it had been a bit dialed down. Or maybe that's not the right way to put it. It's that there is a lot of drama, going back and forth, and spur of the moment decisions that are actually really rash, especially from the heroine, and since we have her point of view only, sometimes it feels too quick. I would say that it did a good job of capturing her character in that way! Also, what happens with the new roommate seemed quite fast to me.

Apart from that, it was a great romance, with lots of different events and even when I felt like I knew what was coming, I still ended up surprised a few times. So things I had guessed, but that didn't spoil it at all for me. I also really liked the fact that Emma was life-modeling. It gave an opportunity to have the message about being at ease with your body - and owning it with confidence - given quite differently from what I usually see. I actually wish there had been even more of the focus on the life modeling part, because it's so different and interesting to know! But not putting that much emphasis on it also showed how it is just a part of her life, and she has plenty else going on as well. So in a way, it worked quite well too.

I liked a lot of the characters, even ones we didn't get to see all that much, or those Emma wasn't fond of. They all made the story more realistic in my eyes, and easier to follow. I'd be really interested in seeing a bit more of the side characters actually!

All in all, a very nice romance, that I'd recommend giving a chance to.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy from Hidden Gems.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma, the librarian, is in a long term relationship with Callum her former relator. While the relationship is steady and constant, it's also gotten boring. Emma realizes that she needs to also find another income stream which leads to her taking in a roommate and discovering modeling for artists. Throughout the story, Emma finds herself and you can feel her self confidence growing. Will she stand up for what she wants and deserves? How far will she go to find out if her suspicions about her best friend and Callum are correct? Who can she really trust? Overall, I really enjoyed the book and wanted to smack Emma a few times but loved how her story ended. I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[S Paschal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma has been with Callum for a couple of years. For some reason, she's still resisting moving in with him after all this time. As we see more of Callum, we learn about his somewhat controlling ways. He's a workaholic, tries to force Emma to fit his idea of what's proper and has some unusual hobbies that he keeps hidden from everyone, including Emma.

Emma sort of fell into her job as a librarian. Frustrated that she can't seem to get ahead at the library and stuck in an apartment just slightly out of her reach financially, she decides to take on some extra work as a life model. This is so far outside of her comfort zone, it's quite funny the first time she disrobes for an art class. To make ends meet, she also takes on a roommate - one handsome Kiwi construction worker named Nathan. He's sweet, respectful and considerate, if not uncomplicated. Immediately attracted to Emma, he tries to hard to keep his hands to himself and be her supportive friend.

Emma's tendency to the dramatic and willingness to go to great lengths when she deems it necessary leads to some funny scenarios. Her hijinks get her into a couple of painfully funny situations. For such a strong and sassy lead character, it's amazing she's stayed with Callum for so long.

This book has the elements a reader will look for in a rom-com: sassy heroine, embarrassing situations, a handsome male lead and a slightly smarmy pseudo-villain. All in all, a pleasant, four-star read.

This is an honest, voluntary review of an ARC of the story.

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely could make this into a fun rom com movie. Emma is totally likable and her boyfriend of two years although looks good on paper seems to have his own double life. Emma's search for a flatmate is very true to life and when she does find a flatmate, the fun really starts.

The secondary characters were interesting and just enough quirky to see some follow up books. I really enjoyed the idea of the librarian having this complicated a life but then I passed it on to a few librarian friends of mine.

A fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I highly recommend.

I received a free copy of the book but the review is my own opinion.

[Gin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall it was a cute story and I liked how all the different threads came together at the end.

Details I didn't like: 1. While I'm definitely not in favour with Callum cheating on Emma, and I get her discovery of his kinks was a shock, it's not cool that she basically shamed him for them. Yes, he should've told her about them directly so she could've said 'Yeah, that's not for me' and they could've ended their relationship sooner rather than having things blow up so dramatically. Then again, he shouldn't have shamed her for life modelling (especially given his kinks). I don't know, it's just a big mess.
2. This is something that a lot of writers (and people in general) get wrong: not everyone that works in a library is a librarian, despite the title they may have (and this can be a contentious issue in the library world). Unless you have that Master's of Library Science or equivalent, you are not a librarian. Library technicians also work in libraries, and some may do librarian-level work if there are few or no librarians work at that library. Technicians may simply roll with it if you call them a librarian because laypeople get testy when you correct them. Based on Emma's level of education, she would be a technician. I agree that Blaire's treatment of her was unethical and unfair, and that Emma deserved a raise (and a promotion of some sort), but she shouldn't expect to become a senior librarian without the proper education and training. I don't believe she is 'practically doing everything a senior librarian does,' especially when a lot of what she is seen doing is shelving.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Jennifer Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. At first I had a hard time getting into it. But after a few pages I was hooked. This book had me laughing throughout. Especially when Emma is thinking of doing the life modeling. Right from the start I knew I didn’t like Callum. He treated Emma like she was a second thought. And was possessive, and controlling. On the other hand I loved Nathan from the start. He was like such a sweet guy. I definitely recommend this book, it was sweet, and funny, and a perfect easy read.

[R Huiszoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angela Pearse, ‘My Double Life’.

As an Hidden Gems ARC reader I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily wrote an honest review. Here it is.

Rating: 4 (of 5 stars).

In general: Romantic comedy with many twists.

Main characters:
- Emma McTavis (32).
She’s a librarian living in Edinburgh with her boyfriend for two years, Callum.
Emma is living in a vey nice house with a rent that’s slightly too high for her income, so she looking for a flatmate

- Callum Stewart (36).
He’s a real estate broker (workaholic). In his relationship with Emma he often behaves self-centered and a bit dictatorial.

- Nathan Ellington.
A construction worker from New Zealand. He lodges with an aunt of Emma’s girlfriend. But has to sleep on a couch in the living room. So he’s looking for a better boarding house.

On the recommendation of her friend Emma chooses Nathan as her new flatmate. Boyfriend Callum isn’t amused.
Then the author, Angela Pearse, describes how Emma has to chose between Callum or Nathan.
Almost all the characters in the book are not exactly who they seem to be: Emma is more than the solid, boring dressed librarian; Callum has unexpected free time hobbies and Nathan is not the uncomplicated Kiwi construction worker he looks to be at first sight. Even some additional characters have double lives.
The result is a funny book with many unexpected twists in the plot. Wonderful characters, sassy dialogues and a few sweet love scenes. For me the plot isn’t always quite credible (strong heroine for a rather long time accepting her boyfriend’s ‘instructions’ she dislikes?), but all in all this romantic comedy was a pleasure to read.

R. Huiszoon.

[Karen Elrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comical and heartwarming

Be prepared to binge read and giggle and laugh out loud. (choose your reading spot carefully! ;) ) Hits all the right spots whilst reminding us to believe in ourselves. I enjoyed this book immensely and somehow feel 'lighter' for reading it. A gem.

[Gail smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

O.M.G

If she had any more problems I think she would ended up in padded cell Ha Ha. Beautiful story well written could have been complicated but, the Author kept it clear and precise on all levers.

[Mika Story · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was my first smutty(ish) rom-com & at first i was like ‘this is cringe, it’s gunna be so bad, i’m gunna hate it’ little to my knowledge, i stayed up until 3AM basically reading the whole book with only an hour left on it for my after work time…. this was truly so messy & just so good! i thoroughly enjoy my time!

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Story

New to me author and I thoroughly enjoyed her story telling. Highly recommend this book. Spice level is on the lower end of the graph.