Spoilers:

This love story within a love story is an absolute delight! It is the second contemporary romance I’ve read by Lauren Kate, and i hope she continues to write these sorts of love stories since I’m not a fan of the romantasy genre she’s better known for.

After reading Noa Callaway’s first book in college, Lanie Bloom was so inspired by her brilliant take on love that she gave up on the idea of following her parents’ footsteps into medicine and decided to pursue a career in publishing instead, becoming assistant to Peony Publishing’s editorial director Alix. After seven years of emails between Lanie and Peony Publishing’s top author Callaway (who has never been seen by anyone but Alix), in which she plays good cop to Alix’s bad cop when trying to get Noa to accept editorial changes to her manuscript, Alix decides to quit after having a baby. Lanie is “provisionally” promoted to editorial director so long as she can get Noa, who is four months past her deadline for her next book, to deliver a manuscript within 3 months. When they finally meet, Lanie is shocked to find that the real Noa(h) is a man, making her question everything she thought she knew about what constitutes “real love.”

As a way to break Noah out of his writer’s block and find inspiration for what he hopes will be a book that covers the entire spectrum of love, not just the beginning, Lanie proposes a series of encounters of lesser-known New York City landmarks like The Cloisters, Pomander Walk, and Gapstow Bridge in Central Park. It's pretty obvious from the first meeting at the Chess House in Central Park that, despite Noah’s true identity, they’ve become friends of sorts over the past seven years, playing virtual chess, sharing bits of their lives, and Noa even sending tulips to Lanie after each new book is published. So, it’s fun to see how Noah incorporates parts of their story and his feelings into the new book he’s writing.

In an author’s note, Kate says “I wanted to explore how Lanie and Noa(h) can have a stimulating intellectual argument one moment, burst out laughing the next, and share each other’s grief in the third.” I’d say that she achieved this beautifully as Lanie and Noah’s relationship segues from emails to impromptu meals where they challenge each other to train trips down to D.C. where Noah opens up about his mother’s worsening Alzheimer’s and Lanie talks about losing her mother at age 10 whose last bit of advice to her was to hold out for someone she’d “really, really love.” Noah learned about love from his romance-loving single Mom and his two “aunts” and, from that first book he wrote at age 20, Lanie discovered someone who outlined the elements that make up real love.

In addition to the central slow burn, clean romance written from Lanie’s POV, this is also a love letter to New York City, and I never tire of learning more of those out-of-the-way places that make the City so fascinating. I also really enjoyed Lanie’s grandmother, BD, a holocaust survivor and sex-positive septuagenarian who provided the maternal guidance Lanie so sorely needed. My only slight criticism is that I felt it ended a bit abruptly. I would have liked to have seen what the reaction was when Noah finally shared his true identity with his readership and what came after their kiss that we waited until the last page to get. Still a lovely romance, though, so I recommend it.

This was a fun and different book! I love enemies to lovers and this one was well done. I loved the plot and it was well executed.

I enjoyed this book so much.
It started out a little slow and I was about to lose interest, but I’m so glad I stuck it out.
I could totally see this being a sweet rom-com movie.
A entertaining, sweet and fun read for sure.

I liked this enemies to lovers romance, but it could have used some more editing in my opinion. Overall it was enjoyable, just could have used some more finesse.

By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate is a delightful fit for readers who adore lighthearted, emotional, and humorous romances with a touch of whimsy, particularly those who enjoy enemies-to-lovers tropes, hidden identities, and wholesome stories that explore the complexities of love and self-discovery.

"By Any Other Name" by Lauren Kate is a delightful romantic comedy that adds a fresh twist to the genre. Lanie, a successful romance editor with a meticulously planned life, faces a challenge when she's given the task of curing the writer's block of her idol, the elusive Noa Calloway.

Kate's novel explores the complexities of love and the importance of letting go of expectations. Lanie's journey of self-discovery is at the heart of the story, and Kate skillfully navigates her character's growth with depth and authenticity. As Lanie delves deeper into Noa's world, she learns valuable lessons about love and life that challenge her beliefs.

The pacing of "By Any Other Name" is steady, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the story. While some aspects may feel familiar to fans of the genre, Kate's witty dialogue and engaging characters breathe new life into the narrative. With its charming premise and heartfelt message, "By Any Other Name" is a captivating read that will leave readers smiling.

A cute, fun read! I enjoy the characters, the story, and the locations. I am a sucker for books set in NYC. The romance needs a little more convincing, there was not enough chemistry between the characters which made it harder to engage in the story.

I was so excited to download this on my kindle, and it did not disappoint! One word of warning - if you're looking for spicy, open door then this is not the book for you. This one is a sweet, G-rated novel, and you'll LOVE Lanie!

This was so cute and fun! I loved the relationship between the Lanie and Noah. The dynamic was fantastic and the way the story unfolded was so beautiful!

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

This was a sweet romance and I really enjoyed it, I will read more by this author. It was a fast ready and kept me engaged.

Loved this one - thanks to NetGalley for the early access. This was a great setup, character arc, all around cute book.

Very well written book. Really enjoyed this author, would definitely read more by this author and recommend on my book IG

Sweet and engaging. This is recommended purchase for collections where contemporary romance is popular.

My first book from this author and it was absolutely adorable! I loooove the author/editor trope, plus enemies to lovers?? Yes please. It was a super quick, easy read!

Starts off with an engagement and I was not sold on their relationship.. especially ending the engagement after meeting another man…

I could not get into this book.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Although I have never read anything by Lauren Kate (even though I thought I had), this book was a hit. I enjoyed the mistaken identity and how it played into the overall storyline. Noah and Laney have undeniable chemistry and I couldn’t believe they didn’t actually hook up til the end. But I felt like that added to how organic their relationship was. It was unlike anything I’ve read before.

Classic “enemies to lovers” and how they grow into each other in the end because they just enjoy each others company, they have their own “love language” and I think that’s some of the best parts of this book!

Give me all the books set in publishing!!

By Any Other Name gave me such thrills with the enemies-to-lovers storyline. This novel is a good mix of Hallmark movie (ish) set up and The Hating Game all in one. I breezed through this book as I also fell in love with the characters and setting. Great palate cleanser!

Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for this arc!

Imagine my surprise when I picked this up to learn that Lauren Kate is the author behind the Fallen series, a fantasy series that I read in high school that made me sob. This book is completely out of left field for her and I'm so happy she went for it.

This was such a cute and quick read, exactly what I needed in between other books in my rotation. It felt like a good, sweet romance scrub of my brain. I read it one day because it was such an easy read in the best way. Both Lanie and Noah were interesting characters and I did appreciate the cast of characters behind them as well.

I described this book as "a mid-2000s romance movie in book form in the best way" and I find that to be a fitting description. Will definitely be keeping my eye out for more of her work!