INCREDIBLE this was amazing and so funny and so sweet and so great it is one of my favorite books of all time and I am so lucky to have received it early

A sweet, enjoyable read -- I was really invested for the majority of the book, but I thought that the pacing fell off about 80% of the way through. The connection between the two MCs became a little dull as a result -- the stakes seemed to vanish towards the end.

I want to start out by saying, this book is not a romance book and it being marketed as one might actually hurt it more than help it. That isn't to say the book is bad, but it should be categorized as contemporary fiction rather than romance.

I liked the premise of this book. Lanie is an editorial assistant at a publishing company that just so happens to represent one of the best romance authors in the business, Noa Callaway. The twist? Nobody knows who Noa Callaway is except two people at Lanie's work who have signed NDA's. Lanie is a HUGE fan of Noa's work and has actually become friends with her through years and years of emails. So when Lanie gets promoted to Noa's editor and they officially meet, she finds out that she is actually a man, Noah Ross, writing under the guise of the female Noa Callaway. And another issue? Noah is late with his next book. Lanie needs to help inspire Noah to write his next book or she gets the boot.

I found this book so very predictable, and honestly a little boring. You could skip whole chapters of this book and still know what is going on. One of the biggest plot points is the reveal to Lanie that Noah is actually a man, and she ends up getting very upset about this, so much so that she walks out on him. I just don't see why that matters so much. I feel like it was made out to be more of a betrayal than it really needed to be. So what, he's a man? How does that change the way you see a book? Suddenly you don't like it anymore just because the author isn't who you expected them to be? Sorry, no. The rest of the book is basically just Lanie and Noah going around the city to try to find inspiration for his next novel. Nothing really amazing happens. The characters and plot just kind of fell flat.

Sorry, I really thought this was going to be a good one, the synopsis sounded like it's every book nerds dream, but I just didn't click with it. It is a quick read, I finished it within a day. I feel like if you are strictly a fiction reader, then this might be one you would like. But I wouldn't recommend it for a contemporary romance fan.

*Thanks to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*

An interesting rom com that I didn’t love but I also didn’t hate. I was kind of meh about it the whole way through.

I loved this book! Yes, it contains many tropes, oversimplifications, and many unrealistic serendipitous meetings, but it's also funny and sweet, and filled with wonderful New York landmarks. I found myself looking up pictures of the various places mentioned, such as Pomander Walk and the Cloisters, and it added to the atmosphere of the book. Plot-wise, it was very similar to Beach Read by Emily Henry, except instead of 2 authors engaging in various romantic non-dates to cure writer's block, it's an author and an editor. Despite the already-used storyline, the writing was very good, it had a nice slow burn throughout, and I loved getting an inside view of the workings of a publishing house. The ending was very sweet and satisfying as well. This is not a steamy romance AT ALL, but for what it was, I thought it was great.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book really enjoyable. It was a light, fun kind of book that could be read on vacation. I really liked the two main characters and the plot kept me interested the whole time.

If I was writing this review
a la Noa Calloway style, it would be titled "17 reasons" and it would list in vivid, descriptive detail all the reasons you should add this book to the top of your TBR list. It would be heartfelt and funny and just the right amount of tender to make you swoon and maybe shed a tear or two. You'd bring it up at dinner parties and cry about it with your friends at Girls' Nights, and your therapist would never hear the end of how much this review just *gets* you. But since I'm not a tall, dark, and handsome man living in Upstate New York, and since I've never masqueraded as a grandmotherly New York Times bestselling author, and since I've ~definitely never ridden a bright red motorcycle off the Amalfi coast, I'll save us all the embarrassment and just say this instead: Read! This! Book!

From page one Lauren Kate crafted a story I was giddy about, and I loved following Lanie and Noah through their relationship. It didn't feel like a true enemies to lovers plot, and usually I'd be irritated that I was promised is-this-hate-or-do-they-actually-want-to-kiss banter, but I actually really enjoyed that the main conflict between the two was resolved fairly early in the book, and we do still get plenty of teasing back-and-forth. My only complaint with By Any Other Name is I could have easily read another 100 pages of Lanie and Noah's story; the ending snuck up on me, and I wasn't completely satisfied with how the book ended so quickly. All in all though, Lauren Kate wrote a stunner of a book and I'm fully anticipating By Any Other Name taking Booktok by storm come March.

I know it's supposed to be an enemies-to-lovers story, but I didn't get the impression that they were enemies whatsoever. Nonetheless, this is a nice and entertaining rom-com. The relationship between Lanie and Noa was fascinating to read about.

Lanie works for author Noa Callaway as a romance editor. She recently received a promotion at work, but the only issue is that Noa Callaway's manuscript is four months late. Lanie is keen to assist Noa in overcoming her writer's block. The only problem is that no one has ever seen Noa, with the exception of a few people. But what happens when she discovers who the actual Noa Callaway is?

This. Was. Fantastic! Was the love story great? Yes! Was watching the female main character be a mature adult consistently throughout the book just as great? Also yes!

Lanie is our female MC, and I think she perfectly fits the mold for the majority of women in their 20s and 30s. We follow her through her own self-discovery of her career, her love life, and her desire of a close family. The big difference between Lanie and many other MCs, though? Lanie is bold and unapologetically true to herself throughout the entire story. We see how she's bold in choosing her career that's drastically different from her family's, as well as her mother's legacy. We see her reflect upon her relationship with her fiance and what it means to love someone for who they truly are versus what they represent and the past that has been shared.

This book is refreshing in that there's no miscommunication that makes you eye-roll, jealousy or having the fiance's role solely to be there for conflict at a later time, or other trivial issues that could be resolved with an adult conversation. There are also no constant reminders that authors sometimes rely too heavily on when writing about an adult woman - the biological clock, the comparison game between side characters if one is married with children, or the frequent reminders from others that women "can't have it all" when it comes to romance, family, and a satisfying career. This book is, in a word, mature.

Watching Lanie stay true to herself, and of course finding love along the way, was a refreshing treat!

This book gave me everything I knew it would, and more. While I read it, it played like a movie in my head. From the scenery, the characters, and what they felt, it was easy for me to picture it. It was super sweet, very romantic, and it was eye opening. I could really see myself in Lanie and her list because at one point in my life, I had a list of my own (it's probably somewhere in an old diary). I loved how we get to see Lanie grow as a character and change her view of life and love, and she takes us on this journey that left me feeling as if I was there with her going though it too.

This is the first book I've ever read by this author and based on her writing style it won't be the last. I loved the concept of this book so much and i really loved Lainey and her tribe of friends. My only "gripe" with this book as i wish we had spent more time exploring Noah and Lainey's relationship. Although, I did understand it based on previous mentions that they had been "friends" for years, i would have love more in person interaction. That being said, i really did love it and couldn't put it down. So if my only critique is that i wish there more i guess that's not so bad.

This was such a cute little romcom! I loved the characters in this story. The banter was so cute. This is a feel-good story!

This is a short but sweet read that was overall enjoyable but I ultimately found to be lacking in depth. I actually really liked Lanie and Noah but found myself wanting more on all fronts. I still liked the story overall, but if you were looking for a passionate romantic storyline this isn’t it. This is more of a story about self discovery and friendship - which I still really liked!

ARC kindly provided in exchange for my honest review.

It was quite an enjoyable read for me. However, in my opinion, I think it fits more into the the category of women fiction than the contemporary romance. That being said, I really liked the main characters, they were fun, genuine, humorous and most importantly sincere. Along with that, I really liked the secondary characters too, they were all cute and entertaining. But, I felt the ending a bit rushed. And it would have been more satisfying to have a prospective epilogue. However, I still enjoyed it, nonetheless!

Do not go into this book expecting a romance. It's not, and I wish it weren't being marketed as one. By Any Other Name is contemporary fiction or a chick lit genre read. If I were reviewing this as a romance, I'd give it 1 or 2 stars.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy this book. Because I really did! It was sweet and touching, warm and comforting. It felt like wrapping myself in a cozy blanket on a cold day. I stayed up super late on a work night to finish this book, which doesn't happen all that often.

Lanie, Rufus, and Meg were wonderfully written characters--charming and smart and funny. Their interactions were delightful. I also enjoyed the various settings and descriptions.

Lauren Kate's prose is pitch perfect, but the storytelling fell somewhat flat. There was very little tension and the tension that was there resolved too quickly. I wanted more, so much more.

What happens when your favorite author, who single handedly changed the course of your life and relationships, turns out to be someone completely different than you had expected?

Lanie has loved the romance novels of Noa Callaway as far back as she can remember. When Lanie is promoted to editor, if and only if she is able to get Callaway’s next novel produced by the deadline, she is shocked to discover the author she knew and loved is not who she thought she was, at all. And as she develops a plan to get the uninspired writer writing again in order to save her new promotion, she begins to question all the decisions she has made since reading Callaway’s first novel, Ninety-Nine Things I’m Going to Love About You.

Yet again I find myself reading a book by an author I’ve never read, which of course makes my bookworm heart incredibly happy. I wasn’t sure what to expect of this book going in. And although Lauren Kate writes in the romance genre, this is her first foray into women’s fiction/chick lit. Turns out, she is a natural.

I really, really enjoyed this book (I finished it in a day which says a lot for me). As a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, I found myself utterly charmed by Kate’s bantery (is this even a word?) dialogue. My only criticisms of this book are that the relationship between the main characters was not fully explored and that this book simply wasn’t long enough. I wanted more, but perhaps that is me being greedy.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up

Honestly this book was a bit underwhelming and the writing felt spacey at the beginning. It took a few chapters for the author to find her footing, but when she did the book really took off. Lanie was too much of a romantic initially. She loved too hard and expected her life to mirror the romance novels she grew up reading. She lived in the fantasy of romanticizing cliche moments rather than living in actual moments of her life. I loved that Noah showed her that her reality and history is worth more than any fiction could ever write.

The last half of this book really shined for me. Lanie's growth shined through the pages and the chemistry between Noah and Lanie was sweet. I loved how this book centered around the publishing world and how that provided a unique way to tell this love story. This was a really fast and easy read that I devoured in one day. Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC and all my opinions are my own.

My first book of 2022 and it was ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!!

My heart was so happy y’all don’t even understand. I highlighted so many moments in this book that made my heart melt and ugh I almost shed some tears from the heartfelt moments.

I’ve never read a book with this plot so I was a fan!! We have hidden identities, author/reader romance, etc. it was AWESOME.

Spice: 0.01🌶 (aka none but I’m not even mad about it)

I do wish this book was longer and that we could’ve seen how things turned out and the future but nonetheless, it was still such a great romance.

The newest book that Noa Calloway (the author of focus in this novel) wrote was literal perfection. I’m still sitting here thinking about it’s characters. AHHHHHHHHHHH. Love love loved it. Add it to your TBR. Seriously.

Thank you to netgalley & Putnam for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

pub date: 03/01/2022

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

When I saw that the author of the Fallen series was writing a rom-com, I knew I needed to add it to my TBR right away! By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate is a delightful rom-com that will have you laughing and sighing at the same time. The story revolves around Lanie, who is about to be promoted to be an editorial assistant as her publishing company. The catch is, she has to make sure that elusive bestselling novelist Noa Callaway gets her latest manuscript ready by publication date. It should be a piece of cake, since Lanie and Noa have corresponded by email for a long time. But what will happen when she finds out Noa's secret?

Here is a humorous excerpt from Chapter 1:

"In the hours before a big Noa Callaway event, we sometimes forget that we’re not performing an emergency appendectomy.
I think this is because, well, the first rule of a Noa Callaway book launch is . . . Noa Callaway won’t be there.
Noa Callaway is our powerhouse author, with forty million books in print around the world. She is also the rare publishing phenomenon who doesn’t do publicity. You can’t google Noa’s author photo nor contact her online...
And yet, you know Noa Callaway. You’ve seen her window displays in airports. Your aunt’s book club is reading her right now. Even if you’re the type who prefers The Times Literary Supplement over The New York Times Book Review, at the very least, you’ve Netflix and chilled Fifty Ways to Break Up Mom and Dad."

Overall, By Any Other Name is a laugh-out-loud rom-com that will appeal to fans of Melissa Ferguson's Meet Me in the Margins or Sophie Kinsella's Love Your Life. One highlight of this book is that it's a book about book publishing, since I am fascinated by the behind-the-scenes info about book publishing. I love "meta" books like this that talk about the process of writing a book or about the process of how a book gets marketed by its publisher.

Another highlight of this book is that it's an enemies-t0-lovers workplace romance. I find plots like this to be a lot more interesting than regular romances where the two characters start off as strangers, because we get to see the characters' relationship change to the complete opposite. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of rom-coms, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in March!

I couldn’t put this book down! I read it in one sitting.
As a romance reader this story hits home so much. The author was truly able to put in words what someone feels about their favorite romance books/ author.
Laine’s love for Noa Callaway’s was so sweet to read about. I loved her relationship with grandmother. Those scenes cracked me up.
I couldn’t get enough of Noah! He was so sweet with Laine and I love how he opened up to her. The story he writes is so beautiful it moved me to tears.
I definitely recommend reading this book!