This was cute, but it definitely could have given me a little more in the romance department.
The big twist is definitely revealed early on, and from then on, things kind of spiraled.
A lot of ideas in a short space and each one needed a little more fleshing out.
The end was a little abrupt, almost as if there was more that could have come and things just wrapped up.
It was cute, I just wanted something else, something more.

By Any Other Name, by Lauren Kate was one of the most fun books I've read in the last year. At around 260 pages, it was a light read that packed a punch. The protagonist was relatable enough that anyone could connect with her, while also interesting enough to be uniquely herself. And the love story was beautiful enough to make a reader cry. But what I loved most was showing a girl boss in struggle, because being an impressive woman doesn't mean everything comes easy to you. Like Lanie, you might have to fight for it.

This just wasn't for me unfortunately. I found that there were a lot of jokes about mental illness, which in 2021, is unacceptable. We're past that.

Premise is cute but the whole plot was executed poorly. It wants to be an enemies to lovers and the second time they meet Lanie is internally ranting about what a jerk he was at their first meeting, but he wasn't. If anything she was the one being a jerk for the first part of the book.
Also she got a manuscript, read it, edited it and sent it off for ARCS all in a single day. I don't think that is how editing works at all.
I think it needed to be longer to flesh out a bunch of things but instead it all just felt surface level and a bit of a mess.

I very much enjoyed this romance by Lauren Kate. I’m a sucker for books about books and loved the twist that this novel provides—definitely different than the usual! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Editor Lanie has a successful career and is engaged to the man of her dreams. She has one job to do to secure her promotion - get the latest book out of reclusive star romance writer Noa Callaway. When Lanie discovers the reason for Noa being a recluse, she questions everything on her carefully curated list.

By Another Other Name by Lauren Kate is THE romance book of 2022. Lanie is an editor who seemingly has a perfect life topped off by a perfect fiancé. Tasked with securing a manuscript from the mysterious bestselling romance novelist Noa Calloway, Lanie faces an unprecedented challenge- one that will change everything she thought she knew and open her heart to true love. From New York City picnics to a dazzling confession along the Italian coast, By Any Other Name is the perfect novel for fans of Nora Ephron’s You’ve Got Mail and The Proposal. It had me beaming at the novel’s gorgeous ending and is the perfect meta novel for all romance readers.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read and review this book.This book was not something I was expecting to love as much as I did. It is a romance, however, I would say it is also a women's fiction because its more about the heroine's journey/adult life. I loved the imagery, the profound quotes and family/friendships. However, I felt there were moments that made the book go faster yet slow at the same time. Also I thought it was going to be predictable but it turned out not to be but thats more because of the journey. The ending was also very unsatisfying for me personally because I don't really understand other than them being in love, what will happen to their careers next (will she depend on him and not edit anymore or vice versa). I'm just particular so I understand why it's not but at the same time I don't. Theres also some negative discussion about marriage and kids throughout the book so if that doesn't work for you, don't read this. Overall though, it was a cute story and I would recommend it if you need something cute yet profound at points. Because of these points, I have to give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars

I saw this twist coming, but was delighted to be on the ride anyway. I loved this title, the development of the characters, the synchronicity I saw, and just watching the story unfold was beautiful. I loved the characters and wish it was even longer!

So yes, this book is very cheesy and predictable but overall the story was cute. The plot was a bit slow but I think both Lanie and Noa are created to be loveable characters who’s story you will enjoy. If you’re I looking for a quick romcom then I would recommend this book.

I agree with several of the other reviewers that that set up takes way to long and doesn't have nearly enough of Noah and Lanie's story. It really does weight down the first half of the book. Also I don't think Noa being a Noah is that big of a deal... Look at Nichole Sparks? I think there definitely could have been more sparks between the main characters and possibly even a kiss sometime before the last page. Basically, this was a romance novel with VERY little romance.

I couldn't finish it. I found the plot predictable and the main character annoying and simplistic. This one fell flat for me.

First things first: this is not a romance, this is chick lit. There is no romance that happens on the page other than a bit of pining and I think there was one kiss. I had so many problems with Lanie as a character. She starts off the book with her fiancé Ryan, who she claims is basically perfect, but she conveniently blocks out the massive issue in their relationship (she lives in NYC, he lives in D.C. and expects her to quit her job and move to D.C. with him when they get married, which she clearly does not want to do). Then as soon as Noah enters the picture she just chucks Ryan in the trashcan like he’s a rotten sandwich. Oh and I didn’t misspell the name...Noa is actually Noah. And apparently it’s a massive shocker to Lanie that there are actually authors who use pen names and are different in real life than the persona they project to the public, because she goes off on Noah when she finally meets him. Oh the horror, someone with a penis who writes and reads romance!! Except he doesn’t actually write romance either, he writes chick lit. One of the most problematic passages for me was such a short one, but it’s where there’s a little recap of Noah’s book listing the ninety-nine reasons to love someone. The main character of his book has been hospitalized in an inpatient psychiatric facility, and there’s a humorous little note about “well since I have all this free time now why don’t I read these romance novels they have here, ha ha“. This is NOT okay to joke about. I have many more critiques but suffice it to say that I was deeply disappointed with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Man, I really wanted to love this, but unfortunately it just did not do it for me. Thank you to Edelweiss for providing a digital ARC for an unbiased opinion and review.

I DNF’d at 62% which I felt was pretty generous; I gave it plenty of opportunities to turn around before jumping ship.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review. This book is a DNF for me, I could barely read 30% of it because Lanie is a terrible character. So we are told Ryan is the perfect man but the moment he appears the MC starts picking off vibes from him and explain all the reasons why they are not compatible. The psychiatric ward joke didn’t feel right and the have her think Noah doesn’t look gay and sometimes gay people read romance novels but also implying that’s weird,. Yeah, that pretty much told me Lanie is a terrible character and then we reach the point of her reaction of how Noa is (spoiler alert: it’s a guy) and she throws a tantrum and I decided to stop reading at this point.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group/Putnam for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved this book. I pulled me in from the start. I loved Lanie and getting an inside look at life as an editor. I loved her friends, Meg and Rufus…the three of them together made me laugh and the friendship was so REAL. I loved the relationship between Noah and Lanie. I would have loved MORE though. The story seemed to end too abruptly, even though it wrapped up nicely.

I want to scream to the entire world how cute this book is. I finished it in one day - and absolutely loved it. The last few pages had me crying tears because I thought it was so beautiful and touching. I loved the characters - and love how this wasn't a romance centered around some seemingly trivial miscommunication.

I will be telling everyone to preorder this one, because wow. I haven't read a romance book that has made me feel so much in such a long time.

This was an easy-going romance with easy to like characters and an expected plot. I enjoyed reading through this novel but felt it fell short, literally too short, especially towards the middle/end. I wanted more romance, more relationships, more time spent with these two characters so we can lead up to the last page and really feel as though it's earned. Otherwise, I loved the concept and the easy quick read it was. I was just hoping there would be more to it overall.

BY ANY OTHER NAME by Lauren Kate is a sweet romance about self-discovery, loss, and the power of love.

As a child, Lainie lost her mom so when she discovered Noa Callaway’s books about love and relationships, she felt like she’d been given directions. Noa Callaway’s books had such a huge impact that Lainie switches from a medical career to being an editor at Noa Callaway’s publishing house. She’s thrilled when she strikes up an email correspondence with Noa, the elusive author that never does interviews, social media, or even an author photo on her books.

But now, Lainie’s boss isn’t coming back from maternity leave so it’s Lainie’s responsibility to get the six-month overdue manuscript from Noa - her promotion and the publisher’s bottom line are depending on her. When she’s given the opportunity to meet Noa face to face, she’s thrilled and hopes to help her idol overcome her writer’s block. But Noa has a secret identity that could bring everything crashing down.

This tender story deals with how loss shapes our lives and expectations. How love isn’t just a checklist of wants to be filled. How friendship means listening and wanting what’s best for the other person.

Lovely writing with lush and beautiful descriptions. I want a balloon full of edible confetti and angel food cake now. Lainie’s friends with their bar and brunch excursions are total perfection. The banter is on-point and smile-inducing. And Lainie’s grandmother BD is who we’d all pick for our own grandmother if we could.

This is a charming, heartfelt, and sweet love letter to love. For fans of Kate Clayborn and Tom Ellen.

This is easily one of my favorite romances of the year. I loved Lanie and Noah and they were surrounded by a great cast and an intriguing premise. I do think the ending wrapped up a bit too nicely but I love how the book idea tied into the end. Definitely will be looking for more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.