This is a tricky book to review without giving away spoilers. Let’s say that Lanie has idolized author Noa Calloway for her entire professional career. She has worked side-by-side with Noa’s editor, and has become friendly with Noa. Quirky Noa, however, is basically a hermit, and while Lanie’s boss has met the recluse, Lanie has not.

Until Lanie’s boss decides not to return from maternity leave, and Lanie herself is assigned to Noa’s latest book release.

Once they meet, however, Lanie is shocked to find that Noa is *nothing* like she thought.

However, Noa has some pretty serious deadlines looming, and some pretty serious writer’s block, so Lanie has to dig in despite her personal feelings and help get the book finished. She does this by taking Noa on a series of outings in the city, trying to inspire the author to a happy ending.

That things then get complicated is…expected.

What is less expected is the warmth that this book brings, both to their friendship, and to Lanie’s relationship with her family. The book just…it just feels good from beginning to end. And even when Noa and Lanie are the most angry with each other, the friendship that they had built over email over the last few years still comes through.

So, ultimately, this is a novel about friends who become enemies who become friends who become more.

My only real complaint about the book was its very abrupt ending. Never has a book needed an epilogue so badly!

Overall, though, a very charming story which I would recommend highly to readers of light romance.

You know the old adage “Never judge a book by it’s cover”? Well let’s be honest 95% of the time that’s what is drawing me in, and was the first thing I noticed (it’s super cute!) about Lauren Kate’s By Any Other Name. The book tells the story of Lanie, a successful romance book editor, with a fiance who checks off her list of requirements for the “love of her life” – she’s flying high, until she’s not. She’s given the opportunity of a lifetime to work with the hottest author in romance books, “Noa Callaway”, but all is not as it would seem. All Lanie has to do is help “cure” Noa’s writer’s block and there’s one slight little problem, no one has ever actually met Noa. This chance encounter will end up changing both of their lives, and make Lanie reconsider everything she ever thought about her “list”.

If you're looking for SUPER slow burn, then this book is for you. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s a fun, light, super quick read, but leaves you wanting just a little bit more. The side characters (Meg, Rufus and BD are all fun, loving, and supporting to Lanie) also really make the book even more fun to read. There are also so many “small” moments throughout the book that end up tying together that just really left a smile on my face when I finished reading this one. The final 2 chapters were *chef’s kiss* and then it just ended, when I would have loved another chapter or five, or maybe even an epilogue – I’m not salty, but it felt like it was just getting started, and I wanted to keep reading.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the author (Lauren Kate) and Penguin Group Putnam books for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

This is such a sweet lighthearted read. I really enjoyed Lanie and Noah and seeing their relationship grow. I loved the setting and the sneak peek into the world of an editor. Overall this book wasn’t my favorite. There was just no excitement or……I don’t know what word I’m looking for but there wasn’t anything that really kept my attention and had me wanting more. If you’re looking for a light read then definitely check this one out.

By Any Other Name is a fun enemies-to-lovers rom-com. The story follows romance editor Lanie as she takes over as editor for big-name, never-seen-in-public author Noa Callaway. For years Lanie has been corresponding with Noa via email, but as Noa’s new editor, she finally has the chance to meet her idol. Unfortunately (fortunately?), Noa isn’t at all what Lanie expected. The instant chemistry between Lanie and Noa had me hooked from their first encounter.

*Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse @putnambooks for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I’m honestly flabbergasted. This book is impeccable. I literally wouldn’t change a thing.

The writing is so smart and genuine. The nuance and wit won me over completely. I literally cannot believe how much I loved this one.

I’m going to buy my own copy and then force everyone to read it. Like what the hell? I was expecting this to be a 3 or 4 star read and now it’s my favorite book ever.

Don’t let the cutesy cover fool you— this outranks any Emily Henry romance out there— and no steam whatsoever, which if you know me means a lot that I’m giving it 5 stars.

I stayed up until 2am reading it and then immediately preordered it so that I’d have my own copy once my NetGalley version was archived. It’s a book for book lovers and hopefully a book for you!

⚠️CW: death of a parent, cancer, Alzheimer’s

This was a very enjoyable read. The concept of having a list for your perfect mate then finding maybe you tried too hard to make them fit that was great. Also love the idea that meeting your heroes may be quite a surprise. Lanie is a fun feminine lead with some great friends & grandmother. They make the book a lot of fun. Noa Callaway is also a great character. This isn't your typical meet cute romcom & that's what makes it unique. All in all I highly recommend reading this book! Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have been a reader my whole life, I have been a sucker for romcoms set in NYC since adolescence AND my favorite part of NYC is the Gapstow Bridge. So long story short, this book seems made for me. Loved it!

Thank you @NetGalley and Putnam's Publishing Group for the ARC of By Any Other Name in exchange for my honest review.

I honestly didn't think I would have another 5 star read this early in the year, but I tell you this book consumed me heart and soul.

The writing was fantastic; it had what I call "classy" vocab. The premise was so perfect and the timing of the main characters was impeccable. There were no holes in the storyline, and oh my goodness the ending! There is so much I want to say and reference, but don't want to spoil the read for anyway. I NEED other people to read this book so we can chat.

As I have said in previous reviews, I usually do not like reading fade to black rom-coms, but this book is now my romance read standard. It's perfection!

Lauren Kate, you outdid yourself with this book!

📚Book Review📚
Title: By Any Other Name
Author: Lauren Kate
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
NO SPICE Clean
👩🏻🧑🏻‍🦱 Enemies to Lovers
💼 Workplace Romance
📝Editor-Author Romance
🌃 Set in NYC
✈️ 🇮🇹 Travel to Italy
👵🏻 Cute Grandma Figure Present
📖 RELEASE DATE: Mar 01, 2022

With a successful career as a romance editor, and an engagement to a man who checks off all ninety-nine boxes on her carefully curated list, Lanie is killing it. She’s given the opportunity to work with world-renowned author and her biggest inspiration in love -THE Noa Callaway. All Lanie has to do is cure Noa's writer's block and she'll get the promotion she's always dreamed of, but there's a reason no one has ever seen or spoken to the mysterious Noa Calloway and why her identity has remained a mystery. That reason will rock Lanie’s world and yours too! It will make her rethink her entire life.

What I liked…
* Loved the NYC setting and travel to Italy
* Lanie’s friends Meg and Rufus. We all need a set of supportive friends like them that are a pain in the backside, but we still love them 😂
* The way Noa’s writers block was ended. I SWOONED when the final chapter was written and what it represented.
* LOVED Noa ❤️

What I didn’t like:
* Plot twist was obvious, thankfully it was revealed quickly and not dragged out. Additional sweet surprise at end.
*How her Finance went from Hero to Zero instantly, yet she was the one lying to him all along (major pet peeve alert)!
* The abrupt ending! Why? The ending with the final written book that Noa writes was beautiful and I melted, and then we got cut off! I would have given this 5 stars if not for that. All the build up to the final event and it was just left to your imagination. I’m a little bitter because I wanted more 😂

Even with the abrupt ending I still really loved this story. I enjoyed the slow burn and build up. The Romance was sweet and I just adored Noa. This is a clean book so there was ZERO spice, just lots of angst. I’m totally okay with that if the rest of the story is interesting and written well, which this was. It’s worth a read. Thank you @netgally and penguin Group Putnam books for this #ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A sweet enemies to lovers, workplace romance. I enjoy a slow burn with lots of angst and By Any Other Name delivered. Overall a fast paced and entertaining read.

I did not want this book to end, but I also stayed up late because I had to finish it. Such a sweet love story! Perfect for fans of Nora Ephron not only for the banter and romance but also the fact that New York City was a sort of character in and of herself.

This was a closed door romance.
CW: Alzheimer’s, memories of the death of a parent

I loved this book! It was such a fun read, and the I absolutely adored the characters. Everything about it was perfection. I can't wait to read what this author writes next!

This book left me frustrated. The kind of frustrated that's sort of a compliment to the author, but still frustrated. As I watched the percentage remaining tick down, down, down with so much of the story I wanted to read still untold, my anxiety ticked up, up, up.

Lanie has been a fan of reclusive romance author Noa Callaway for years. As she moved into a publishing career, she even became pen pals with her for several years. Now, she's offered a big promotion at work with one catch: she has to get Noa to deliver her next book, which is already woefully late. When the two meet in person, Lanie is shocked to find that Noa is not at all who she was expecting, but, with so much riding on the next book, she needs to push past that and get the job done.

Somehow the pace of this story seems both rushed and dragging. We get so much detail of Lanie's publishing work and her friends, but so very little of her actual relationship with Noah. Their history is long, but mostly just mentioned in tossed-off asides. Their growing real-life connection is compressed into a few outings punctuated by long separations. The culmination of their story happens in less than a chapter in barely one conversation and we never really get to see them together.

What I liked about their story, I really liked. They were so sweet and had lovely chemistry. I just would have loved so much more of that and was sad that we didn't get it.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Nooooooooooo. It can’t end like that. No, no, no. I need more. What happened after the Noa bomb hit the press? I just feel like this story needed to be about, oh, a thousand more pages. I loved this story line. So unexpected and fresh. The characters are colorful and well developed. To say I enjoyed this is an understatement. I devoured it in one sitting.

So surprisingly cute! Such a unique idea that I've never seen done before. At around the halfway mark, I literally couldn't put the book down! I loved how it immersed the reader in New York City and I'm obsessed with Meg, Rufus, and *especially* BD!

Overall a super cute and unique romance read that I would recommend to fans of all things bookish, NYC, odd house pets, and slow burn romances!

A charming rom-com with heart-warming characters and just the right amount of witty banter, By Any Other Name is a 2022 must read!

This was really great and heartwarming! I loved the romance and the main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet love story. I loved every minute of it. The romance between the two main characters was done at the right pace to where it never lacked for me. I loved the ending and how everything came together. Highly recommend!!

While reading this, I caught myself smiling the entire time. This story was so heartwarming. I enjoyed getting to read about the characters and getting to see Lanie and Noa fall for each other. I loved the writing style and found myself not wanting to put it down. Romance wise, this was definitely a slow burn. There wasn’t any spice but it worked in this book. Definitely recommend getting this when it releases March 1st!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!

That last line in the second chapter one, you know the one I mean, had my heart exploding and wanting to read more. More about love, about life, just more.

Lauren Kate's By Any Other Name shows us a unique story to fulfill all your slow burn romance dreams.

Although marketed as an enemies to lovers story that part is a mere blip before we move into friends territory and later so much more. I would recommend this to anyone looking for love in unexpected places.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin Random House for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.