By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate

Standalone Romance/Women’s Fiction

I love books that take place in the romance book world, so I grabbed By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate as soon as I saw it. I recommend you don’t read the blurb on this one, and I’m going to keep the review very short (for me) so as not to spoil the major plot point.

Lanie just got promoted to editor for her favorite big-time author, the author that has inspired her outlook on life and love. The author is, unfortunately, having writer’s block right when Lani takes over the account. She has dealt with Noa Callaway via email for years as an editorial assistant, but she has never met the reclusive author.

By Any Other Name isn’t just a love story. There is so much personal growth in Lanie as she realizes that her outlook on life is based on fantasy. It’s also a bit of a love letter to New York City as there are many locations visited to help inspire Noa Calloway.

The romance was very slow-burn with a bit of an enemies-to-lovers feel, complete with banter. There was no on-page sex, and the book felt more like a cross between women’s fiction and romance.

Likes:

Takes place in Romancelandia.
I LOVED the central theme of the story.
I really liked all the characters, especially BD.
Lots of character growth.
Some nice banter.
The book within a book…I WANT THAT BOOK!
Discovering secret spots in NY.

Dislikes:

The pacing seemed off. The beginning was a bit too slow, and then it wrapped up too fast.
I wanted a little more intimacy and romance.
There weren’t any stand-out moments or quotes.

The Down & Dirty:

If you love reading books that take place in publishing, especially romance publishing, By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate will be right up your alley. While it wasn’t an epic, memorable read, I did enjoy reading it as a nice, light, easy read.