Title: The Name GamePages: 384
Publication Date: April 7, 2026
Publisher: Berkley
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Synopsis:
Charlie Jones has her dream fresh start.
But Charlie Jones is trying to steal it ...
The Isle of population 500, soon to be 501.
Charlie Jones has landed on the island to embark on her brand new life. As the manager at Ormer's only farm shop, this job will be her perfect next chapter. Good riddance to the mainland, this is it - fresh air, and a clean slate.
Except there is one small issue ...
Charlie Jones has also just arrived on the Isle of Ormer, to embark on his brand new life. His job at the farm shop feels like fate, and could not have come at a better moment. On Ormer, Charlie has promised himself he'll escape old friends, bad habits and heartbreak.
This second chance is the best thing that could have happened to Charlie . . . and Charlie.
That is, until they are introduced . . .
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The Name Game has such an interesting premise, and I was so excited to get an early copy to read. The story’s about two people with the exact same name showing up for the same job on a tiny island. I really enjoyed both Charlies.
O’Leary always has a unique way of telling a story, and this one is no different. The dual POV through diary entries and emails made the story feel really personal, like you were getting direct access to Jones and Charlie’s thoughts and feelings. On top of that, the alternating timelines slowly reveal pieces of their past, which adds so much context to who they are and why they react the way they do.
Charlie and Jones (So glad they did this, or I would have been REALLY confused. lol) were compelling characters with their own struggles and reasons for needing a fresh start. Watching them handle the mix-up and work together, while also competing for the same job and dealing with everything that brought each of them to this island, was intriguing, especially with the unique way in which the story was told.
Since they’re sharing a job, an apartment, and are living on a very small island, the forced proximity between Charlie and Jones is at the forefront of the story. It creates a lot of tension for these rivals, but as Charlie and Jones slowly get to know each other and the community, their connection turns into something more. I loved it. They actually complement each other really well.
I also really enjoyed the side characters and the role the island played in the story. Ormer is a small island with no cars, and it sounds charming and isolating all at once. It’s a close-knit community, and some are wary of outsiders, which isn’t so great for Charlie and Jones. All of the characters, and the island to some extent, had such distinct personalities, and they all added so much depth to the story.
The story balanced the lighter moments with heavier topics like grief, anxiety, and addiction well. There’s also a mystery running through the story about how the job mix-up even happened, and I liked how that question slowly got answered. I was definitely curious to find out how they both got the same letter for the same job. Altogether, it made for an entertaining read. Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
- enemies to lovers
- found family
- small town charm
- workplace romance
- dual pov
- dual timeline
Beth studied English at university before going into children’s publishing. She lives as close to the countryside as she can get while still being within reach of London, and wrote her first novel, The Flatshare, on her train journey to and from work.
You’ll usually find her curled up with a book, a cup of tea, and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).
Great review! I got an ARC of this one as well and absolutely loved it!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it too!
I’ve only read one book by this author (The Switch) and liked it. While it didn’t blow me away, I liked it enough to read more some day. This sounds like it may be the one. I love epistolary elements in books.
I haven’t read The Switch, but I read a few others. This wasn’t my favorite of hers (The Wake Up Call is my fave), but I still really enjoyed it. I hope you do too!