From the title, I was expecting a story with a Shakespeare theme and I was disappointed. I think I might have requested this book on Netgalley for that reason alone and SHAKESPEARE WASN’T EVEN MENTIONED! (I’m obviously still salty about that.)

Plot: Lanie is a romance editor for a romance author that no one has ever seen or spoken with, Noa Callaway. ​When she learns the identity of Noa, it rocks her understanding of love. 

What do you look for in love? Did anyone else make a list of all the things you wanted in a partner? I know I did and the last time I read it I was so embarrassed that I quickly buried it in a box with all the other cringe-worthy journals from my youth. Lanie lived by hers and found a man that checked off every single item on that list. That was unrealistic to me especially since her list was like 99 items long. Her list was born from a romance book she read that changed her whole life.

Characters: Lanie felt immature and underdeveloped. The way she responds to the reveal about Noa Callaway’s identity felt over the top and unnecessary. I also feel like it pushed a narrative that men can’t write romances which is kind of sexist. I understand that the point of her reaction was to set up the enemies-to-lovers trope but I’m not sure it works. Especially since the publisher that she works for is female-run and prides itself on that, yet their biggest author was a man. 

Noah, on the hand, is why I kept reading this book. I enjoyed his banter with Lanie even when she was inappropriate and unprofessional. I immediately felt like he was a better fit for her than the fiance she had at the beginning of the book even if that didn’t translate well across the page. The chemistry between the two of them was off but I think that came from Lanie mostly.

I think this book should be classified as a clean romance and I’m discovering that they are not my jam. I just was not sure I liked the language used in this book. It was a little cheesy in the beginning and maybe over time I adjusted to it because it was less annoying in the end. I was however ready to quit when there was a fade to black sex scene.

I think this might be one of the first books that I’ve reviewed on here that I didn’t love. There were parts that I enjoyed, scenes that made me laugh, and even one (near the end) that made me cry and those are the scenes that factored into the 2.5/5 rating I gave this book. However many people loved this so read this book for the following: 
-NYC setting
-a character who works in the book industry
-enemies to lovers (even though I think it’s a stretch) 
-clean romance

okay this was cuter than expected. I love a romance book about books and this was sweet and unique. I love that they were sort of pen pal friends for so long - although its kind of weird she thought she was talking to an older woman? BUT we'll ignore that and focus on how sweet their relationship develops, his eventual book idea and that chapter 1!!

Unfortunately, I didn't get around to this one before publication, but I am SO HAPPY to have finally read it. It got me over a massive reading slump. I couldn't put it down.

So, so sweet. So cute. So fun, so light, so perfect.

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a light read with a touch of romance. It's also a book about books, which is always fun, very meta.

My only complaint is that I wish I had more. Maybe if we got an epilogue or a special online extra chapter or something like that.

Also - let me be involved in the movie if there ever is one! Ugh. My heart.

Thank you to Penguin group & NetGalley for early access to this adorable book.


Can I just say I love quick and cute romance books that can be devoured in one sitting? This book was exactly that. No crazy plots, just a girl who’s obsessed with books and has a challenge along the way that makes her fall in love with the hero!

Now I will say, this book gives the funny side characters, the cute banter, but one thing I did love about this book is the relationship building between Lanie & Noah. This book really was a friends-enemies-lovers in a short span. This is the kind of book that Hallmark makes into a movie because it’s so dang cute and you binge it while in your pjs with a glass of wine.

I won’t dive too much into the actual synopsis because that will give away a key part of the story but please read this if you love a good quick romance with banter and an adorable tour of NY.

Lanie and Noah were adorable in this closed door romance. Noah was swoon in all the right way and defiantly gave me butterflies reading!! It was a little hard for me because so much time passed before they meet in real life but still their connection felt so raw and real. This story packed an emotional punch but defiantly hugged you afterwards! Even though there wasn't any spice this book was still so raw and beautiful!! (Even though I would have also loved the spice!)

This felt like a love letter to romance books and romance readers. Lots of avid readers fantasize about what it would be like to live through some of the scenes in the books they love. This book does that! I loved this quick read!

Lanie is an editor at a romance publisher and recently gets a provisional promotion--it will become permanent if she is able to get the finished draft of the publishing house's biggest author, which is 4 months late. Noah Ross is a wildly popular romance author, yet no one knows that since he writes under a pseudonym (Noa Callaway). He has kept his identity a secret, but as he gets Lanie as an editor (his previous editor's assistant, who he has been emailing with for four years), he decides to cautiously break the rules. Lanie had been told to just keep her correspondence with Noa to her editor and via email, but when Noa requests to meet in person, she cannot pass up the chance to actually meet her favorite author. When all is revealed, Lanie feels a bit betrayed and flustered, but her career goals are still paramount and neither wants to disappoint readers around the world. Lanie and Noah set off to find inspiration for the next Noa Callaway book and end up finding more than what they expected.

Such a cute book!

Who doesn’t love a book about characters in the publishing industry. You can relate to them and their love of reading.

I loved the main characters and all the supporting characters. A really good mix.

Overall, a great story about friends and finding love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

VERY cute story, and I liked it a lot!

Both main characters were charming, funny, and romantic. I particularly loved the male lead.

I also loved the floral shop element; it reminded me of It Ends With Us, but with a much happier feel to the story!

This is such a fun read! I loved the characters, and especially how they met!

I LOVE a found family type story, and I feel like that's what the male lead got here. It was so heartwarming!

I don’t know why, but I LOVE books about books. This one is about an editor who has idolized a certain author all her life and career. When the opportunity presents itself to finally learn the true identity of this person who has up until that point remained a mystery, things get interesting.

I thought the banter was good, this book was sweet and fun, and I just really enjoyed it!

Thank you to Netgalley and PRHAudio for the copies!

This book was so cute! Perfect for anyone who loves reading romance books or books in general. I loved the premise of this book - bestselling romance author turns out to be a man. The perfect feel good, easy read for when you just want a book you can finish in a day that gives you all the adorable cozy feelings. Two things I wanted more of from this book: (1) I wish we would've gotten another writer's block date. I feel like the idea came too quickly and I needed more in person connection between the two main characters and (2) I wish we would've seen the Italian launch party or more of the fall out from the identity reveal. The ending felt a bit rushed.

Overall, super cute. I think the pacing was off and I would not call it an enemies to lovers, but it was a fun read! Loved the relationship between the couple

I’m such a sucker for NYC settings…

Things I loved -
book within a book
low angst
secret/not so secret(?) identity

Things I didn't love -
This was definitely more women’s fiction than contemporary romance
I wanted/needed to see more of Noah’s side so a dual POV would have made this better
The whole fiance point could have been dropped…bye boy
THEY HAD 7 YEARS OF EMAILING BACK AND FORTH-THAT'S LIKE BEST WORK FRIEND LEVEL AND IT WAS JUST BRUSHED OVER

Synopsis -

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’s more than good. She’s killing it. Then she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to work with world-renowned author and her biggest inspiration in love and life—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. Simple, right?

But there’s a reason no one has ever seen or spoken to the mysterious Noa Calloway. And that reason will rock Lanie’s world. It will call into question everything she thought she knew. When she finally tosses her ninety-nine expectations to the wind, Lanie may just discover that love By Any Other Name can still be as sweet.

This was so delightful and pleasant. I loved the remise that started off Lanie and Noah’s relationship and how they both evolved through the book. This was a quick read and I felt it had a great pacing.

I will say that I did expect this to be a bit more of a steamy romance and it was definitely a slow burn with a lot of tension and no steam.

I feel like this was a well thought out story and I think a number of people would enjoy it. I think adored the literary aspect as well as the layered romance.

Very well done and I would read something in the future by this author as well. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin/Putnam for the opportunity to check this one out.

This was a very well done and well rounded novel. I really enjoyed the characters and the development of the plot throughout.

This is was one of those books that I had to read in one sitting. The story was compelling, the scenes believable and the characters easy to root for. Lania is an editor and her love of Noa Callaway has guided her for the past ten years but is destined to change her life in ways that she hasnt dreamt of yet. The novel is clean with no explicit scenes which I personally appreciated a lot!

This was a very cute rom-com, replete with slow burn and some clever surprises. Lanie & Noa start off in conflict and their relationship builds through what we learn of their histories. I'll admit that there were some aspects of Lanie's character rubbed me the wrong way, but overall this was an enjoyable and quick read.

Loved! Such a great rom-com. It was short and sweet and I just wanted to keep reading to get the end. It felt like the perfect Hallmark movie - and that's my favorite channel!

I love Lauren Kate's books. This one did not disappoint. It was such an easy, fast read. I got so involved with the characters. I did wish that there was a little bit more interaction between the characters. I understand there was a lot of pre-story communication that we didn't get to see that led to their chemistry. However, I think that if we were able to see a little more interaction than we might have been a little more invested in the characters. Overall, I loved the story. I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Publishing Group for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely love this book! I finished it with a smile on my face that lasted the rest of the night. The book is such a feel-good novel with a lot of heart. While it was a bit slow to start, I really loved the way the plot turned around through the second half of the book. Though the ending is a bit frustrating at first, I think it made the most sense for the characters and the plot. I would absolutely recommend this one to anyone who wants a cute, uplifting romance.