By Any Other Name

By Any Other Name is a sweet without any heat romance set in the world of publishing. It's a very slow burn but heartwarming romance between Lanie, a book editor and one of her authors, who unbeknownst to her, is a man who has been using the female pen name for years.

My likes: This use of a pen name reminded me of real-life author Viola Shipman - a male author who uses his grandmother's name as his nom de plume. The publishing setting is a book nerd's dream, the city of New York is beautifully described for the reader, and I loved Alice the tortoise (how can you not love this delightful reptile?) and the banter between Lanie and Noah. 

My wee beefs: The connection between Noah and Lanie is sweet but it takes most of the book to get going and if you love spicy bedroom scenes, this is not the book for you. We also only get Lanie's POV, so the reader is stuck in her head, her job, and her toxic relationship with her fiancé. It's too one-sided and I would have loved to hear Noah's POV.

Chaste and cute, this book is an easy-going, predictable, and oh-so-adorable romance that was the quick and enjoyable read that I was hoping it would be.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Lauren Kate

Genre: Romance, Light Read, Not Spicy

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from public library

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

First Published: March 1, 2022

Book Description from GoodReads: From # 1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Kate comes an enemies-to-lovers romance about an editor, her bestselling author, and one life-changing secret.

What she doesn’t know about love could fill a book.

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.