It was a very simple, easy and cute book. The main characters were quirky and funny and brought brilliant one - liners even though I still don't feel like I really got to know them - except for Lanie, I think. But she was the main main character. And even though her reaction about meeting NOah took me greatly but surprise and was absolutely inappropriate, immature and unprofessional. I really don't care if my favourite author is woman or man. The writing was good, easy to follow.
Somehow though I feel, I don't know, cheated, as the plot was so simplistic. Those places that the main characters were supposed to visit together were so promising and I would love to see them going there but well, sorry, not the case. They've visitied how many of them? One? Two? And ta-dah, OK, we have this. Ugh. It simply seems chopped and so many aspects of it on the surface. There was a huge potential to this story but overall, I think, it lacked depth.

A huge, huge minus points for the publisher for formatting - I've been trying to start the book for a few times and all the times I've been getting the same text, chopped and not logical, for many, many pages to come. I've even downloaded the book again and again, hoping there was some problem that they've perhaps solved, but nope. I know it's "only" an ARC, but well, we - readers, reviewers, etc - are also people and it somehow seems as if the publisher really didn't care about us.
But I preserved, digged through this labyrinth of nonsense and eventually was able to find a story.

If you enjoy a fluffy slo-burn romance with angst, this is the novel for you. There were moments that made my heart flutter, made me cry, had me kicking my legs with joy, and smiling like a love-sick 15 year old. Lanie and Noah are both leads, with depth and backstories that make you care about them as if they were your friend. I believe that we all have that one romance author who moved us and made us think deeply about love. I feel that if I suddenly had the rug pulled from beneath me and said that my favourite author was not who they lead everyone to believe, I would have to have way more time than Lanie to process that. This novel teaches us not to put stereotypes and project our perceptions onto them, or we may end up surprised (sometimes in the best way). I would say that this is a beautiful novel about love, loss, and understanding yourself. One comment is that I feel like it ends abruptly. I would have loved an epilogue at least with Noa's reader's reactions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review will also be published to Goodreads and is scheduled to be posted to Instagram on Saturday 19th February .
This review may contain spoilers.

The first few chapters of this almost reminded me of 'Don't You Forget Me' by Mhairi McFarlane and 'Am I Allergic to Men?' by Kristin Bailey due to what I felt like was an excessive amount of unnecessary characters.

This is also another novel that takes a long time to bring the main characters together; I don't mean a slow-burn romantic build-up but just the first real in-person interaction. I don't quite understand books that are written like these - they are aimed to target an audiences that enjoys romance but there is a lack of it for the majority of the novel so it feels misleading.

The style of writing wasn't too bad but again it could have been better without the excessive descriptions around her day and role as an editor and instead applied to the interactions between the supposed main characters. For example, all the drama with her finance - it was odd; much of the first half of the book was focused on them and their engagement abruptly coming to an end.

The enemies to lovers trope didn't quite sit right with me either as the main character Laina was no longer Noah's fan because he had kept his identity hidden for year. His gender should not matter (as he himself pointed out) but her approach to the whole reveal was highly unprofessional and unreasonable. Noah's character didn't appeal to me either - at least not right away (he wasn't as swoon worthy as Aaron Blackford or Josh Templeman). I'm guessing he wasn't completely my type but I do feel he wasn't done enough justice based on his descriptions so it's more of a writing flaw than anything else; Lauren Kate didn't quite create a character that would target several audience groups (for example, his hair is always described wet so not quite sure what that was about).

BUT with all that being said, Noah was still attentive to her and remembered a fair amount about Laina as a result of their email exchanges over the span of seven years. The more we learnt about his character, the more he grew on me; I can't say I felt the same way about Laina though. The moment they finally expressed their mutual interest in the last few lines - yes it took that long, - that was a cute scene. Overall, this story could have had more depth to it but the lack of character development and passion throughout held it back from its full potential.

If you don't mind a very light romance with minimal scenes between the lead characters, then this might be perfect for you.

I'll give it three stars simply because Noah was sweet and I did enjoy the plot itself.

This is the first book I’ve read by Lauren Kate and I sped through it. It was a really enjoyable read. There are definite nods to Nora Ephron movies and I liked the backdrop of NY. It’s a feel-good romance with characters you care about and can invest in. I wish we could have had a little bit more of the romance and a bit more of Noah’s back story.

Thanks the NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I couldn't get past the awful formatting -- it made it too difficult to read and the writing wasn't as captivating :( which is a shame because I remember loving the Fallen series in my early teens.

“I AM IN A FUNK NOT EVEN TAYLOR SWIFT CAN PENETRATE.”

2.75/5 rounded up.

It is a well-known fact that you should never meet your heroes. Except that Lanie Bloom has to meet Noa Calloway - the author she has loved since she first picked up one of her books in college - if she has any hope in keeping her temporary promotion. Noa Calloway is a notorious and hugely successful ghostwriter, whose romance novels have topped the charts and attracted attention globally. Lanie Bloom is now Noa’s publishing agent, which would be fine if Noa hadn’t been lying to Lanie for seven years about who they really are … or, rather, who he really is.

I loved the concept of this book and it reminded me so much of writers like Emily Henry, which is why I was initially drawn to it. However, I would argue that this book would sit far more comfortably in Women’s Fiction than in Romance, nor is it really an enemies-to-lovers story (more an online-friends-to-slightly-annoyed-at-you-to-friends-to-lovers situation).

Firstly, I was impressed by the leap that Lauren Kate took in releasing a character from the plot within the first third of the book. It opened up an interesting narrative of ambition and self-discovery that I thought was very refreshing and avoided any cliche tropes. Here is where the book veers more into Women’s Fiction than Romance, as Lanie tries to salvage her career. Of course, there is a simmering romance under the surface but as this doesn’t really transpire until the last part of the book, it really would find its place more in Women’s Fiction.

Secondly, I really liked the allusions to Noa Calloway’s other work and, to be honest, I’d be interested in reading a lot of them! I also greatly enjoyed the final piece which was the truly romantic and most satisfying part of the book.

My only criticism would be that the plot seems to simmer on a neutral baseline for the majority of the time. There is the impending book deadline, of course, but the stakes never felt very high and I do think the book will be rather forgettable. Accepting the book for what it is - a sweet read - is all I can do in the initial aftermath of this book.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC*

Oh my goodness.What a clever ,witty and refreshing read. I absolutely loved it. this was my first read from this author and I read it in one sitting . I loved the writing style ,the characters ,the setting and the banter,Honestly such a feel good and easy read .I will definitely read more from this author. ps. Noah….oh dear.I swooned about 12 times .Perfect !

Tried to read but the layout wasn’t working on my kindle for some reason. So I will wait patiently for the paperback release.

This is one of the quickest books I’ve read in a long time. I found it really easy to read and I throughly enjoyed it. I wanted to find out what happened with the main characters. The storyline worked really well. I can’t wait for the next one.

It was my first book from this author but will definitely read another book from her.

A slow burn romance with snippets of New York and a true book lovers romance story. I even loved the non characters, book characters of Elizabeth and Edward, a true love story that made me want to read the Noa Calloway story too!
Not really an enemies to lovers trope just a finding love in an unexpected time and place I guess, mistaken identity, self discovery, supporting characters in the best friends and family made this book such a quick read because all of it was a joy to read

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Lauren Kate. It was a quick and easy to read, slow burn romance. The characters were likeable with a believable and well thought out plot that kept me reading. Whilst the story between Noah and Laine was enjoyable I feel this book was also supported by some great side characters too such as BD. In addition I enjoyed the plot of Noa’s new book and loved the excerpts that were included. I would love to read a book similar to this as well!
Overall a great read and highly recommended bookish romance!

This is one of the quickest books I’ve read. I found it a really easy read and wanted to find out what happened with Lanie and Noah. The storyline worked really well set alongside Noah writing his own love story. Lanie felt like a believable character. I wish it had carried on a little more after they got together.

I really enjoyed By Any Other Name, Lauren Kate’s first rom-com. It’s a wonderful bookish, slow burn romance, following a writer and editor.

Noa Calloway is THE bestselling romance author, an author who Lanie (our MC) has always loved. Lanie’s career has been shaped by Noa’s works, and it’s now up to her to help Noa get over her writer’s block and hand in her latest manuscript. Only it turns out Noa isn’t actually a her, but a him. Lanie is now faced with the shocking revelation that her beloved reclusive author is in fact the very handsome Noah Ross. Can Lanie help Noah through his writer’s block and will she find that the author who stole her heart through his stories, may yet steal it other ways.

I really enjoyed the bookish nature of this story. It was great being granted an insight into Lanie’s world as an editor and how she worked with Noa/h to craft these bestsellers. Equally I enjoyed reading about Noa/h’s writer’s block and his breakthrough in finding his story.

I very much liked both Lanie and Noa/h as main characters. Lanie was a great leading lady; she knows what she wants, she works hard and she’s funny. I loved her interactions with her friends Meg and Rufus, they were great friends to her and were so very humorous together. I think her grandma BD may have been the star of the show for me, she was just so special and just absolutely hilarious. Noa/h is a solid leading man, he’s handsome, thoughtful and rather mysterious. It was fun to learn more about him along with Lanie.

This is a love story, but it’s also a love letter to New York. Each of Noa Calloway’s books were set there and in helping Noah out of his writer’s block, Noah and Lanie explore the city together. In reading Kate’s New York you really get a sense of place and a feeling of being there with them, especially at Gapstow Bridge.

Overall, this was a lovely romance that was also a quick and easy read.

Embarrassingly, whilst Lauren Kate is the #1 New York Times bestselling author, this was my first time reading one of her books. And I have to say straight away, that I went into it with little to no expectations, since I didn’t really know what to expect. I was expecting this to be an average 3-star book - fine but not particularly memorable. But man, was I completely wrong. Because not only did I merely “like” this book, I LOVED it.

Firstly, about the actual plot. I found it refreshing and quite different to any of the other romance books I’ve read, really. While it’s got the trope of the characters working together, I usually read romance books where they’re mostly about colleagues going up against each other for a promotion and just happen to fall in love along the way. So the fact that this was different in the sense that they weren’t against each other, they were actually working together and spending time with each other, was really unique and refreshing to read for me, and I really enjoyed reading how the story unfolded.

There is nothing I enjoy and appreciate more than reading a book with healthy, unproblematic characters, who are actually really sweet and entertaining to read about. And Lauren Kate totally delivered in yet another department. From Lanie and Noah, to Aude and BD, I really liked reading about each and every character. There were no annoying arguments, no stupid misunderstandings that could have been cleared up with a single conversation, and no main or important characters who were just irritating. Even if there happened to be an annoying character, we didn’t have to read about them for long.

Moving on to Lanie and Noah. While she initially felt betrayed due to the entire image she created in her head of Noa Callaway over the years being abruptly broken down, I really liked that she was able to move past that and start appreciating him as a person all the same. They shared some genuinely wholesome and meaningful moments together, and they seemed like soulmates from like 30% into the book. They had retained everything they had learned about each other in their years of friendship, and only added to that once they had started to spend time again. I also really liked how they seemed to be on the same wavelength - like how they both appreciated and saw the beauty of the relationship between Edward and Elizabeth. It was an adorable slow-burn, and it was TOTALLY CLEAN, but I do wish there was a bit more of their chemistry and romance throughout.

One thing I will say, however, is that I didn’t really see the enemies-to-lovers trope in here. I understand that at the beginning, because of the way they met and the interaction they had, it wasn’t super pleasant and so they became “enemies”. But they were able to move on from that really quickly, and more than acquaintances or enemies, they were genuine friends who had been talking to each other and sharing parts of their lives with each other for years.

But despite that, I LOVED reading By Any Other Name. It was a feel-good, comforting, clean romance - and I purposely took my time to read it, just because it brightened my day every single day.

By Any Other Name is hands down one of the most adorable romances I've read in a long time. Lanie is an editor, and an unexpected promotion leads to her finally meeting her favourite romance novelist... And HE is nothing like she'd ever imagined.

Noah and Lanie are so sweet, and even though the book is fairly short I believed in every single second of the friendship and romance, and was totally gutted when the book ended! If you're a lover of romance, this is a must read!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lanie is an editor, a profession she was drawn to after reading the first book by Noa Callaway. Now she is the editor for Noa, but finds out that Noa is actually Noah. As they spend time together she falls for him, but who is he really? Overall this was a fun, exciting book that gave me several hours of escapism and enjoyment. Id definitely read other books released by this author.

This is such a lovely read, light, heartwarming and funny. I always enjoy reading characters who work in publishing since that has long been a dream of mine, so I enjoyed living vicariously through Lanie!

I would highly recommend to those who enjoy romance!

Lanie Bloom is the number one fan of bestselling romance author Noa Calloway, she is also assistant to the reclusive novelists editor so when her boss decides not to come back from maternity leave Lanie is given the opportunity for promotion all she has to do is get Noa Calloway to deliver her late manuscript in three months and the job is hers. Noa, however turns out to be nothing that Lanie expected.
This was a fun, light read. It is very light. I enjoyed the initial concept but I thought Lanie’s reaction to finding out about Noa was overblown considering the mystery surrounding Noa was well established. I thought that was weird all through the book, how Lanie took that so personally. The plot of this book is thin and the only character we really get to know is Lanie, I know next to nothing about Noah’s actual character and I wanted to know more about Lanie’s friends. A lot happens in this book and it moves at a super fast pace but I could have done with a bit more emotional meat. And more BD. Always more BD.

By Any Other Name is a cute romantic comedy that was adorable and heartwarming. Lanie's boss doesn't come back from maternity leave, abandoning bestselling author Noa Callaway to Lanie, with a nearing deadline, whilst they haven't even started writing due to severe writers block.

With an adorable premise that hooked me, the novel definitely did not disappoint. Lanie, despite a few awkward encounters, was relatable and genuine, as well as a true romantic at heart, and Noah, the love interest, was endearing. I felt Lanie's reaction to finding out Noa was actually Noah was over dramatic, however this problem is smoothed over and I loved the elaborate backstories planned out that added much depth to the novel. Apparently the novel is marketed as an enemies to lovers, but it isn't, so don't go into By Any Other Name looking for that. Moreover, the actual issue of Noah writing under a pseudonym was, I felt, a bit unnecessary, yet I loved the rest of the novel.

BD, Lanie's grandmother, was hilarious, and her encounters with friends were fun (although I found Meg to be stereotypical and slightly annoying). The romance was captivating (I read the novel in a couple hours), and the slowburn was enhanced with incredible chemistry. New York was also wonderfully interwoven into the story, and now I need to visit!

The book also deals with life's journey, and I felt the message is gently relayed throughout incredibly, leading By Any Other Name to be an incredible novel I really recommend as a loveable read.