I wanted to love By Amy Other Name, but I just couldn't. While it was a fun read, it felt like so many other books I have read before.

Lauren Kate shines once more in "By Any Other Name", a romantic comedy that will have you flipping the pages and wanting more.

Lanie is the girl with a list of 99 things she wants in her dream guy, based on a book by her favorite author: Noa Calloway. When Lanie gets the opportunity to be the editor for Noa's upcoming release, she feels the thrill of the lifetime. The issue? Noa has NOTHING turned in to show publishers and is on a tight deadline. The other issue? Noa is NOT what Lanie pictured, at all.

Yet, Lanie HAS to publish this book to keep her job and show her boss that she has what it takes. Filled with adventures in New York City and miso soup, Lanie sets off on an adventures to get Noa to publish the book on time. And in turn, she learns that you should never judge a book by it's cover.... The right one may be waiting right under your reservations.

Readers will enjoy Kate's novel for her buzz line worthy characters, knowledge of New York City and binge worthy scenes. By Any Other Name is the perfect book for book readers who love reading about editors, chances at love and that Hollywood scene ending. While I found myself fast flipping the pages, I screamed at the ending because I wanted MORE.

The struggle of telling you all how much I loved this book, without giving any spoilers, is real. But I will try.😅

Lanie is a romance editor who just landed the job of her dreams, editing the newest novel of her favorite author. While Lanie and Noa have never met, they have developed a very good friendship over the last 7 years. All over games of chess and emails.

When they finally meet, Lanie is completely blindsided, hurt and betrayed. But the promotion she's been waiting for is on the line. Cue the adventure.

This story had me from the first page and by the last, it became my new favorite feel good story. It belongs on a shelf to be read time and time again. It was just that good.

Thank you @laurenkatebooks , @netgalley and @putnambooks for my gifted copy.

“By Any Other Name” was so good! I was telling my friends about this book part way through reading because I was enjoying this book so much.

Lanie is perfect as a character trying to navigate work and her personal life.

Lanie’s relationship with Noah was top tier slow burn and I loved every single moment of writing inspiration and sharing of pets. (I loved that the pets were a tortoise and a rabbit. These pets were adopted pets whose owners were unable to care for them any longer and I love that we got to see this in a book.)

This was one of my favorite books so far this year and I cannot recommend it enough.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥/5

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this copy in exchange for an honest review.

A quick, sweet read with a slow-burn feel. This is a romance novel, but is PG. It features foes-to-lovers and is told from Lanie’s point of view. It had many laugh-out-loud moments and I loved the side characters, especially BD. I thought Ross and Lanie were so cute together and I loved their banter!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

After a bit of a slow beginning (for this reader) I was drawn in and rooting for Lanie and her author. The loss of her mother when Lanie was ten had a profound effect on where life has taken her. As a college student she was introduced to the books of Noa Calloway which formed an ideal for finding her true love. Fast forward several years and Lanie is in her dream job as book editor for a publisher of romance novels when fate presents her with the opportunity to edit her favorite author! No more details from me.
I enjoyed this story of discovering what you want in life differs from what you'd thought you wanted. It's about taking chances and trusting yourself. An enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Publishing Group for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was more like a 4.5 for me.

I absolutely loved this book. It was so adorable! Such a cute romance. I think it's supposed to be an enemies to lovers but it really doesn't feel like that. More of a friends to lovers.

I really enjoyed watching Lanie and Noah fall for each other. They are so cute that I couldn't put this book down. Lanie is thrown into a book editor position and is now able to meet Noa Callaway, a romance writer who she has corresponded with for the past 7 years as an assistant. Thinking this author she considered an online/email friend she is surprised to find out that Noa is actually Noah. She feels betrayed at first but through trying to get Noah through his writing block ends up falling for him.

This is such a great romance. The writing is good with a fast pace. Before I knew it I was finished with the book. There are some LOL moments and the side characters are the best. Recommended to any one who likes contemporary romance.

I loved this book! A love story for romance readers.

Lanie got into publishing because she fell in love with Noa Calloway’s romance novels. When she is promoted to be the elusive author’s editor, provided she can coax a best-seller from Noa amidst a bout of writer’s block, Lanie’s life gets turned upside down once she finally meets her idol.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced copy. This book released March 1, 2022.

When the book promises you steam and then closes the door in your face. GAH!

Listen, I loved 𝗕𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘! Loved. It. HOWEVER...There is a lot of sexual dialog in this book from the lead female, her friends, and her family. It got me all revved up for some steamy scenes. Then I got....a single kiss. What the WHA???! Don't tease me like this!

Lanie is such a sweet character. She is a bit starry-eyed about love and I loved going on the journey with her as she realized that real love was a bit different than she first thought it was. She is gutsy and smart and a nerdy bibliophile. So much to love about this character!

Noah is just perfectly swoony. I loved the pull between his more serious side and the light-hearted banter between him and Lanie. He has a wonderful backstory and it adds so much to this book!

The foundation of this relationship was emails exchanged between Lanie and Noah over the course of seven years. And, sadly, the author spends almost no time exploring that really pivotal foundation. I really wished this book had fewer pages dedicated to Lanie's life and relationship pre-Meet-Cute and more background on these wonderful email exchanges. It was the swooniest part of this love story and the reader gets short-changed.

Even with those minor issues I really liked this book. The glimpses into the world of a romance editor and the publicity that goes along with modern publishing was really fun to read! 𝗕𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘 will make you laugh and maybe tear up a bit. It will make you consider taking chances and redefining what true love is.

If you are looking for a low-steam read that will make you believe in love then you'll want to add 𝗕𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘 to your

typically i am not a fan of books where one character starts in a relationship with another person, but this book was an outlier. i really enjoyed reading lanie and noa's story.

Most readers can empathize with finding out something surprising about a favorite author. Unfortunately for Lanie Bloom, this happens when she is the new editorial director for said favorite author and she must now help them crack an intense writer's block. What follows is an unexpected love story where both individuals reckon with their pasts while trying to build a future they've always hoped for. Highly recommend this book.

The main characters and all their interactions are charming. The side characters of Meg, Rufus and BD will make you laugh out loud. Alice and Javier Bardem are also the best pet characters I've come across in a book.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book would appeal to those who like a love story along with a journey of self discovery. The book also offers the component of glimpses into the editorial world. With a nice plot and character development, Lauren Kate has a winner.
Thank you to Net Galley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advance readers copy and opportunity to provide my review.

What would you do if Nora Roberts turned out to be a man? This is what I thought when I realized Noa Calloway wasn’t who Lanie thought she was, and in fact, was a he. If I were a romantic like Lanie I would probably be upset, shocked, angry, etc. and eventually also realize that I love my job regardless and needed to focus on helping Noah get over his writer’s block. Lanie goes all in, showing Noah her favorite places in New York and helping inspire him on his next story. What she doesn’t realize that this real life plot shift also brings to life some imperfections in her own relationship. In this way, she grows from her youthful expectations of love to realize a more adult outlook on both love and life.

This friends to lovers romance was sweet and very satisfying! Despite the bad feelings, these two cared too much about their friendship to let that one thing stand in the way of their relationship. There was a LOT of initial tension but there’s nothing I like better than when that tone shifts from anger to begrudging respect, adoration, and even love. These two had such great chemistry it would’ve been a crime if they hadn’t found a way to be together.

If you love friends to lovers slow burn romances, this is the perfect book for you. Set in New York, this story felt like a fairytale, and their slow growing romance was fun, sweet, and led up to a fabulous conclusion. What more could a romance reader want? ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate is a contemporary romance that is sure to sweep you off your feet. The storyline was fresh and entertaining. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. This book left me with happy, feel-good vibes.

If you love a NYC work-centered romance that's sassy and real, then By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate should definitely be your next read.

I've read a lot of work-related romances filled with New York City landmarks and a whole bunch of enemies-t0-lovers dialogue. However, Lauren Kate manages to pull off something different with this installment. Every bit of the book was surprisingly refreshing!

Lanie is ridiculously happy in her career as a romance editor - she even gets to work with her favorite author of all-time, Noa Callaway. She gets the promotion that she's been working for, but it's only a three-month trial. But Noa, the mysterious author who Lanie only communicates with online (though she's based her on romance expectations off this author's work), is, unfortunately, experiencing writer's block. The pressure is on!

One plot twist: Lanie is engaged for about 45% of the book.  For me, this engagement dragged on a bit too long. I really wanted more interaction between the two leads and less of Lanie figuring out that her engagement wasn't working. I'd prefer her to get that in the first 25% so that we can spend more time building the tension (and seeing real, in-person conversations) between the main characters.

However, the interactions that we DO get between the leads are just wonderfully charged. What's more, Lanie's personal journey to find love really touched me. We get to watch her refine what she sees as a "good" relationship as she struggles to follow her heart and follow the advice/wishes of her deceased mother. Lauren Kate did such a good job of portraying the lingering grief that a girl may feel when her mother isn't there to guide her through romantic pitfalls. I found myself rooting for Lanie more than anyone else. In many ways, I would almost categorize this book as Women's Lit because that part of the story just feels much more poignant.

The ending between the main characters is darling and feels well-deserved. Overall, we get to see a woman grow into her truest potential and decide what she wants instead of following the arbitrary rules that she feels are correct. It's a really empowering, sweet, and sassy read!

*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Noa Callaway was the reason Lanie became a romance editor. Noa's first book inspired Lanie to write her 99 things she wants in a romantic partner and Lanie stuck to that list to find the most perfect fiancée. It doesn't matter that no one has seen Noa Callaway in the flesh before. Her stories impact millions.

When Lanie receives a promotion and gets the opportunity to work with Noa Callaway herself it's a dream come true. However, Lanie's promotion hinges upon getting Noa to turn in her latest manuscript which is uncharacteristically late. But nothing can prepare Lanie for actually meeting her literary idol. Expectations are shattered and Lanie's own belief in love and romance are called into question.

It's been awhile since I've read anything by Lauren Kate as I'm mainly familiar with her YA Fallen series. When I saw this adult rom-com novel written by her, I was immediately interested.

Without giving too much of the "twist" away - although reading other reviews I think the cat's out of the bag - I felt like the story was somewhat predictable. I had this thought a little over halfway through the book.

That doesn't mean the book wasn't enjoyable, it really is and it was really easy to fall into the story and connect with the characters. But I also guessed a lot of what was coming pretty early on.

What really raised the stakes for me on this one was actually the ending. I loved it, I loved the ambiguity and where Lauren Kate decided to take the characters, namely Lanie.

It's all about reconciling our expectations and kind of figuring out that shared experiences, such as love, can cross boundaries and don't particularly have to be relegated to one group or another. I loved seeing Lanie discover who she is one her own without having to rely on a list to tell her. How your wants and needs can evolve and how that is ok.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and I like the what ifs and the questions it left me thinking about. About who gets to tell stories and if we have to leave off our expectations in order to open ourselves up to bigger and better experiences.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for an early copy of By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate.

Lanie comes from a line of doctors, so it was obvious it was her path. The first day she meets her college roommate, she and her roommate's friends are reading the new book by Noa Calloway, a romance best-selling author. Lanie decides to read it when they leave and devours it. At the end of the book, she writes 99 things she's looking for in love. Her mother passed when she was young and Noa becomes her mentor in love. She doesn't pursue med school, and goes into editing instead. As an assistant editor, we can see her passion for her dream job-- she gets to be *the* Noa Calloway's muse! She has been able to have a rewarding relationship with her by helping her cut out extraneous writing by doing stunts to ease the pain of deleting them.

During an extravagant party for Noa's newest book, she locks eyes with "The Man of the Year" as she calls him during a speech. There's just something about him that she can't put her finger on...

Her life is picture perfect, even has a boyfriend that ticks off all her 99 things (except one), with the perfect meet cute and everything. She has a block though and can't seem to plan their wedding. In her career, she has a provisional promotion to be *the* editor of Noa Calloway, dependant of unblocking Noa's writer's block!

This book is very enjoyable. The writing is fun and engaging. Lanie learns what she really wants in life and Noa Calloway learns the gift of authenticity. Would a rose be as sweet by any other name? 🌹

Three stars. Quick, easy read. Good for if you're in between reads. Lanie finally gets two big chances to both meet her all favorite author and a promotion to edit the latest book of said all time favorite author. Only problem is author Nao Callaway has writer's block and currently has no book to speak of. When Lanie has a chance to meet the elusive author, her world is flipped upside down.

Ultimately, this book, while predictable, was fun and light. The love story progresses at a fairly quick rate, especially given her break up timing. I feel like the story would have been better served by more flashbacks of their previous communication and more scenes of them falling in love.

"While Ryan is still all of the ninety-nine things I thought I wanted, it turns out that isn’t enough.”

A short but super sweet story on the true meaning of love. I really enjoyed this. Lanie, a book editor with a seemingly perfect fiance who checks all her boxes, discovers that her favorite and bestselling romance author is not who she thought. This turns her world upside down and she has to reassess everything she thought she knew about love.

The romance in this was super cute, and I also appreciated how much of a love story this was to New York City. I’ve been to most of the “off-the-beaten-path” places here and can attest to the sense of magic they have. Now I just need my own Edward-and-Elizabeth Central Park romance!! (Or Brooklyn Bridge Park will do, since that’s what I’m close to lol)

I’m rarely one to wish a book was longer, but here I do wish we had gotten a few more scenes between the two leads, and maybe an epilogue. But that’s a minor gripe. I read this in a day and heartily recommend it.

(I also want to read all of Noa Calloway’s books - all those premises sounded so fun.)

Actual Rating: 3.5/5

I thought this book was a cute, fun read. I will say that the twist of her favorite author being a man was a bit predictable, but I doubt that it's supposed to be this big reveal. At first, it's supposed to be giving enemies-to-lovers, but I say it's more like friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers. Lanie and Noah have been friends for years, even though Lanie doesn't know it. I liked the dynamics between Lanie and Noah and the eventual build to their relationship. I don't know if I'd say this plot is super original or one of the best romance books I've read recently, but it was a good, quick paced read to get me out of a reading slump.