On our podcast there are a few things that we love, one being constantly harassing Safe Lite into eventually sponsoring us and romance novels based on or centered around the publishing business. I think the last few books that I've read either for the podcast or for 'funzies' have included bibliophiles of some sort. It book nerds loving other book nerds in some weird romance novel ouroboros.
As I’ve indicated a number of times my dislike of angst laden storylines and am happy to report that while By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate features a NYC publishing house, the level of angst stays relatively low. My little grinch heart can't take too much turmoil.
Unfortunately, due to the ambiguous nature of the plot, this review will be brief. Spoiler free zone!

A Little Bit of Plot
Lainie Bloom (who I continually kept hearing Laney Boggs in my head - shout out to all my fellow She's All That fans) has become the youngest romance editor at Peony Publishing - but on a contingent basis. Her client, the best selling phenom, Noa Calloway, is 3 months behind on their manuscript and suffering from the worst case of writer's block. For 7 years, Lainie and Noa communicated strictly via email or through their online chess games; no one (besides Lainie’s boss) has ever laid eyes on the elusive writer. As Lainie struggles to keep Noa on track and the upcoming deadline looming, she also begins to question whether or not her fiance truly checks off her ‘99 things’ love list. Will love win out in the end?

The Compliment Sandwich
The Top Bun (The Pro)
This is going to be a difficult review for me, not because I didn’t enjoy the book, but because I am loath to spoil anything regarding the plot. Although, I’m sure if you’ve read the description, you can get an idea of the twists involved. Needless to say, I loved the final revelation of this book. This is an extremely slow burn, so please be aware, however, the ending is broadcast quite loudly around the ½ way point. When I realized which direction the book was taking I immediately brightened. Not to say that I didn’t like the book up to that point, it was like a puzzle piece settling into place. It truly is difficult to describe the main protagonists without spoiling anything, so I'll just say that I loved everyone in this book - except Ryan. Ryan can EAD (not in a good way).

The Meat (The Con)
The book is a bit of a cock tease, and I mean that in a non-malicious manner. Lainie and her friends constantly discuss sex, masturbation, one night stands and we see none of it. For Lainie’s own sanity, I only hoped that the girl would get to log jammin’ with someone, but alas…no such luck. It doesn't downgrade stars for me, but it is kind of a small let down.

The Bottom Bun (The Pro)
The Delightful Side Characters
Between Lainie’s two closest friends Rufus and Meg and her delightful grandmother, BD (Bubby Dora), the side characters in this novel are quite engaging. A number of times during this novel I yearned to be adopted by BD.
“Yes, but that was fictional kismet,” BD says and winks at me. “You are my real, live granddaughter, whom I’m proud of and believe in. You are going to rise to this occasion like a Tinder date with a pocket full of Viagra”.

FYI, BD is extremely sex positive and not afraid to push Lainie into being uninhibited too. Together with Rufus and Meg, the three create a little cheering section for Lainie’s sexual health.

“Is that eyeliner I see? And a hint of bosom! Are you in a Lyft?”...”You know,” BD says with a wink, “sex with a stranger is double mitzvah on Shabbat!”
“I’m not sure the ‘stranger’ part is actually in the Torah,” I say, “Hey, can I ask you something?”
“You can always ask me about sex toys-”
How could you not love this lady?

If you are looking for a very romantic and touching slow burn romance with just a hint of spice, look no further. One other thing I would say is that I’d have loved an epilogue or a follow up book. It takes so long to get to the denouement, that I wanted to sit with the couple a little longer.

By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate explores what happens when the author romanticized by a young woman is someone completely different than she expects. Kate’s premise and my love for books about writing and romance novels piqued my interest in it. Kate’s vivid description and lively dialogue pull you into the book. She wonderfully develops and evolves Lanie’s character. I love Lanie’s friends and her interactions with them and how Kate uses them to further her character’s evolution. The novel’s all about romance and a nicely written journey of self-discovery and finding love. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. While I get why Lanie may have fallen for the hero, the narrative and hero’s character development didn’t allow me to fall for him too. However, I did enjoy the second half more. It feels like a different novel with a better pace and flow. After Lanie finally spends more one-on-one time with the hero, helping Noa get past her writer’s block, and actively self-reflecting to discover what she really wants and needs, the narrative becomes more interesting.

Lanie lacks real-life experience with love, but in her mind and heart, she’s held onto her mother’s dying request for her to promise to find someone she really, really loves. After reading a romance novel in college, she’s inspired to compose a list of 99 attributes she wants in a man. She locks onto that list as a guide for life—modeling her life after her romance novels and heroines—and a road map for her search for love. Lanie feels content working as a successful romance editor, which she loves, and a fiancé who checks all 99 requirements. She’s beyond excited to edit for renowned romance author Noa Callaway, her biggest inspiration in life and love, and if she cures Noa’s writer’s block, she’ll get her dream promotion. However, when Lanie discovers the reason no one has ever seen or spoken to Noa, it makes her question everything she thought she knew about love and shakes the foundations of her life. Can it inspire her to live her life free from a checklist of requirements and expectations, finally discovering the love her mom wished for her?

Most diehard readers, especially romance readers, have a novel (or two) they hold dear to their hearts because it helped them through, or spoke to, a particularly rough patch in their life. I think that’s what happens to Lanie. As much as Lanie thinks about Noa, feels connected to her, and uses Noa’s work as a blueprint for life, she never gives much thought to who Noa the person is. I think that’s why Lanie’s bewildered and hurt when Noa’s identity is revealed. If you don’t know the truth, you can put your own ideas, wants, needs onto that person. Kate brilliantly captures this and the emotions expressing how deeply Lanie feels personally betrayed by Noa in the scene where she discovers Noa’s identity. Fair, based on their seven-year online friendship formed while Lanie assisted with editing Noa’s books.

By Any Other Name didn’t live up to my lofty expectations for a tension-filled romance where the romance and both characters are fully developed and explored throughout the entire novel. However, readers interested in a cute, funny, slightly angsty novel about a young woman's journey of self-discovery and finding her own path to love may enjoy it more.

Lanie is a romance editor in New York City. She is given the opportunity to work with her favorite author Noa Callaway, whose manuscript is late. When Lanie finally meets Noa, who nobody has ever seen, she is shocked at what she finds.

I really enjoyed this slow burn, secret identity rom-com. I instantly felt connected with the author's writing style. The storyline kept me intrigued right to the end. There were many little unique plot points that I thought were special. Lanie's relationships with people in her life was a huge part of the book but I also loved seeing her quirky side. Some of the side characters were just so much fun. They added that extra something to the book.

I would have liked to feel a little more chemistry between Lanie and Noa. Noa still seemed a bit of a mystery to me even to the very end.

The last chapter really ended this book on a high note.

I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you G. P. Putnam’s Sons and Netgalley for the [gifted] eARC of BY ANY OTHER NAME.

When Lanie’s boss doesn’t return from her maternity leave, Lanie inherits her favorite romance author Noa Calloway as her author. Lanie is thrilled to work with and finally meet the woman whose books are such an important part of her life and shaped her to be the woman she is today. When Lanie finally finds out Noa’s true identity, her world is absolutely rocked. Plus Noa has a wicked case of writer’s block. Can Lanie get over her shock and anger to help Noa write another hit novel?

When I started this book yesterday I wasn’t expecting to greedily inhale it in practically one sitting… but that’s what happened!

I loved the premise of an infamous romance author actually being a man. For some reason I kept wondering if it’d matter to me if someone like Nora Roberts turned out to be a man, and you know what, I don’t think it would. I also started wondering why men don’t write romance novels? We’ll blame toxic masculinity for that one. But I would love to read one!

BY ANY OTHER NAME was exactly the sweet romance I needed during these stressful times. It felt like a comforting and cozy hug.

BY ANY OTHER NAME is out today 3/1/22!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4567598498
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CakYVehpDFk/

I adored this book. The characters were engaging, supportive adults. There was no flimsy misunderstanding to cause the obligatory conflict 3/4 through the book. I really liked how the pacing of the story went along with the arc of getting a book to market.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC! By Any Other Name is my first Lauren Kate book, and I was so excited to read it!

Our main character, Lanie, just got her dream promotion as a NYC romance editor, but her new role comes with more than a few strings. Mainly, getting her favorite author and client/kind of friend of 7 years, Noa Calloway, to deliver their latest book that's already 4 months late. When the mystery of Noa Calloway's identity comes to light, Lanie realizes everything she thought she believed about love might be wrong.

I really loved Lanie's character and thought she was courageous even while facing so much change and questioning what she thought she knew about love and relationships. I love a good slow-burn romance, so I really liked seeing Lanie's relationship develop. I definitely recommend By Any Other Name if you're looking for a sweet and calm read!

This is such a nice, fluffy, romantic read. Lanie takes over as editor for the famous romance author Noa Calloway, whom she has idolized and been in friendly communication with for years, only to find out he's a handsome man with writers block, Noah Ross. Exactly what you would expect to ensue ensues. The writing is engaging, the chemistry is charming, I had such a nice time with it.

My only issue is that it all seemed quite surface level. There were deep things the characters were going through but they felt glanced over, as though they were just set dressing. I also felt the beginning third dragged a bit, it was only in the middle that I started to feel truly engaged. And the ending, while sweet, is marginally anti-climactic. So I can't be fully satisfied with it as it is, but I will keep an eye out for the author in the future.

This book will on my favorites list for a long time. I absolutely adored this story of enemies-to-lovers.

If books about working in publishing as an editor of a romance author interest you, then this release is perfect.

It follows the love story of Lanie as she realizes what she is looking for isn't what she expected. It's fun to read and adds a lot to the story.

Aside from that, her all-time favorite romance author is now under her and she's responsible for ensuring she gets her manuscript in on time. Secrets have a way of making themselves known though and Lanie is in deeper than she thought. The way that her love story and work-life intermingle will have you smiling and so happy.

The writing is beautiful and this novel was hard to put down. Five stars all the way!

Lauren Kate’s adult romance debut was fantastic as well as wholesome. I found Lanie’s voice to be both comforting and relatable and Noah’s an absolute babe. The pores and dialogue was beautifully crafted.
I gave the book 4 starts because to me, personally, the ending seemed rushed. I would have liked to see Lanie and Noah together.

Books about writers and books are an another level of awesome. Anyone who wants to read a nice, fluffy, romance about an editor and author should definitely pick up, By any other name.

By any other name is absolutely adorable!!


I love the premise of the mystery behind Noa Calloway and their romance books, Lanie is an editor at Peony Press and has always been inspired by Noa.

When Lanie is suddenly thrust into being the main editor for Noa Calloway she has no idea what to do, the manuscript is 4 months late and for the past seven years they’ve only communicated through email.

Once Noa Calloway identify is revealed Lanie is shocked and isn’t sure if she’s okay with it, how can someone she’s felt so connected to have been lying about something so big to everyone who looks up to them?

This book is a journey of chasing after your dreams, finding love and inspiration, and creating lasting memories!

“If faith in love were a source of energy you could power a small planet”

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Lauren Kate for writing this amazing novel!

Lanie, the MC, just got a promotion and part of that promotion is to get another book out of her romance idol and agency’s number one romance author. But no one has met Noa Calloway so how is Lanie going to help break Noa’s writer’s block? And what happens when they finally meet in person after 7 years of email exchanges?

This is a really cute storyline with a predictable ending. But I loved the chemistry of the main characters and there were a few “swoon worthy” scenes. It’s a light and fluffy read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lanie Bloom is a romance editor and despite her family wanting her to become a doctor, she found her passion in the publishing industry partially because of romance writer Noa Calloway. For years Noa's words have spoken to Lanie. When Lanie gets the chance to work with Noa for real it is the chance of a lifetime for her career, but little does she know the things she will learn about Noa will change her life in more ways than one.

From the beginning of this book it was set up to be one, very predictable story. I was actually pretty excited about the direction I thought the book was going especially since Lanie and Noa had been playing online chess together and writing to each other for years. But as the book unfolded it didn't really play out the way I had expected. The story was sweet and the characters interesting, but it was kind of off-putting the way the story didn't go the direction it obviously set itself up for.

I really enjoyed Lanie as a character and I loved the looks into the publishing and editing world through Lanie's eyes. I will also say that her tolerance for her fiance in the beginning was nauseating. He was AWFUL. But all the little things kept me reading and wanting to know what was going to happen. I just wished that there had been more of the story that had originally been forecasted to the readers.

Overall I would give this one a solid 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the chance to read this one.

Lanie has a successful career as a romance editor, she’s engaged who checks all of her ninety-nine boxes. When she gets a promotion to work closely with the author who is her biggest inspiration in love and life, Noa Callaway, she can’t pass it up. But it comes with troubles as Noa has massive writer’s block and is late in turning in her manuscript. All she has to do is get Noa to give in a manuscript within three months… But the thing is that no one really knows who Noa Callaway is. And when Lanie loses her ninety-nine expectations, she finds that love By Any Other Name can still be just as sweet.

Lanie is living her own dream, I love how much she just loves love. And I enjoyed this book so much given the pace, it is a bit of a slow burn and yet you can feel the chemistry between Noah and Lanie on almost every page. I liked the modernness of the story, the way that Lanie and Noah connected with each other, even if Nosh could be reluctant with love. The conclusion was so romantic, I like books so slow burn that when you reach the last few pages you start to doubt if they’re together or not. But my heart was so happy in the end.

I definitely recommend By Any Other Name!
Thank you Netgalley for sharing a digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a fun read about books and the power that those stories can have over us with a cast of side characters
who added a lot of life to the tale. Though marketed as an enemies to lover story, it's more of a friends to lovers for me. I mean, they wrote emails back and forth for years (albeit when Lanie thought Noah was Noa)! Talk about sloooow burn. A lot of this book felt like a love letter to NYC and it was fun to see the city through Lanie's eyes.
My main gripe is that there is so little of Lanie & Noah together once they realize their feelings for each other. I would have loved at least an epilogue.

Many thanks to Putnam & Netgalley for the ARC.

After receiving her dream promotion to editor for the famous and idolized author Noa Calloway, Lanie’s world comes crashing down when she learns who Noa really is. Everything she thought she knew about love (based on Noa’s romance books) is questioned. Now she has to cure Noa’s writers block to meet a deadline or she loses her job.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one! I’m a sucker for a good publishing story set in NYC, and I loved the main character. This quick read is filled with the sweetest romance, adventures around New York City, the cutest grandma (BD) and a totally predictable but cute HEA. I do wish there was an epilogue or something, the ending felt a little rushed and left me hanging at the end there.

Overall I do recommend it for a sweet, quick read! Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC!

This book was so fun! The enemies to lovers trope worked perfectly and the banter in this book was 10/10. AND LANIE'S GRANDMOTHER 10/10. She was so funny! By Any Other Name is a quick and entertaining relaxing weekend read, but it reminds me a lot of the many other books about books and I highly doubt this one will stick with me in the long run. I recommend to all who are fans of enemies to lovers, rom coms, or lovers of books about books!

Many thanks to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the idea of Lauren Kate venturing into a different category, I love her YA quite a bit, so I was looking forward to reading this one. I liked it but I know she can do way more. In this story, we get Lanie, a book editor, and Noa a romance author. They have never met in real life, and Lanie thinks she is an older woman, everything is from her POV so you get the story from her side only. The plotline was a great idea but I felt it was a bit short, to be honest to what I was expecting. I am certainly going to continue reading and supporting the author in her future projects.

Ugh this was so cute! Practical Magic-esque minus the actual magic but add the romantic magic.

Lanie is an editor in New York City who suddenly and unexpectedly becomes the editor for her favorite author, who has never been seen in public. Said favorite author turns Lanie's whole world on its axis.

I loved Noah and Lanie so much as individuals and together. Their earnest love and respect for their families, books, love, and each other was so heartwarming and had me smiling the entire time. I loved that Noah deeply understood and respected Lanie for the essential pieces of her.

Such a cute and sweet read - I only wished we had an extra chapter at the end, an epilogue or SOMETHING! I needed them to experience the magic of Positano together.

Throughout the book, you get to see the ways Lanie tries to cure Noa's writer's block. They end up going to a bunch of fun places throughout NYC searching for inspiration. New York City is always a fun backdrop for a book and I loved seeing it through their eyes.

My favorite part of the book had to be seeing the behind-the-scenes of the writing process. You get to see the whole process from conception to finding the right name, writing and editing, publishing, and the media aspect on top of that. Reading is my main and pretty much only hobby so it was really interesting to take a step back and look at how much work it takes to create the books I love.

Lanie definitely loves love and is a romantic at heart. I loved watching her personal growth and development; her view on love and the "perfect relationship" changes a ton. She also finds a lot of self-confidence and connects to her personal life in ways she never imagined before. She had a phenomenal relationship with her love interest and I loved every minute. Enemies to lovers and slow burn are some of my all-time favorite tropes so this book was captivating right away. I adored the banter between them and couldn't get enough of watching their relationship morph into the final product. This book surprised me in the best way and impacted me more meaningfully than I expected.

***I received an advanced copy of this book (thank you NetGalley & Putnam) but all thoughts/opinions are my own honest views

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD

2.75/5 ⭐️
No Spice Rating

Lanie Bloom thought she had her whole life planned out. In a long line of doctors, she was the most recent pre-med student. Until one fateful day she read a book that inspires her to chase a new dream. Fast forward 7 years and she is now an editor for the romance author that shaped her whole idea of love. There’s only one problem; the woman she thought had become her best friend is actually a man writing behind a pseudonym! And now, not only does she have to deal with her own sense of betrayal but cure his writer’s block in time to save her job.

The book starts off on a strong premise. I think it’s safe to say this story has been the fantasy of many romance readers. To have not only the opportunity to work with your favorite author but then to fall in love with them 🤩 it’s the stuff of dreams.

My favorite thing about this nook are the quirky details. All the plots of Noah’s books could be on my TBR instantly. And I laughed out loud so many times, especially when Bubby Dora had something to say 😂. I also liked both of the characters. Lanie is equal parts a romantic idealistic and a realist. I also admire how good she is at her job. And all the ways she goes above and beyond for Noa Calloway are the cutest (the Sharpie shoes!) And in the same vein, I love all the little things Noah does for Lanie. From the tulips to the telescope overlooking the park, it’s clear how much he’s loved her for so long. I also appreciate that even though NYC was the setting, the author didn’t overuse cliche/ famous sites.

The most glaring issue with this book was that it’s too short and feels unfinished. The Ryan situation resolved early with little conflict. Also, we barely see any of the ‘dates’ from Lanie’s list even though they’re supposed to be integral to their agreement. And some scenes are too convenient and fully explored (ex. Noah and Lanie on the same train to DC). I also think it’d would’ve been worthwhile to see the fall out from Noah’s op-ed, at least at the Italy event. And on larger scale, it’s like the essential moment where Noah and Lanie fall in love is missing and we get a grand epiphany in the last few pages. This is definitely a sweet story and a very quick read; I finished it in one sitting. The plot was entertaining I just had high hopes for it that felt unfulfilled. It has the potential to be great but falls short of the mark without more time for the characters to fall in love.

*personal preference: I wish the book had an epilogue

CWs: death of a parent, illness of a parent, controlling partner

No explicit content/ spice scenes