REVIEW: The Name Game by Beth O’Leary

In The Name Game by Beth O’Leary, Who knew there were two Charlie Joneses both looking for a fresh start and who decided it would be on a remote island in the English Channel? And who would have guessed they’d both get hired on as the new farm store manager? But that’s exactly what happened when Charlie (female) and Jones (male) showed up on Ormer Isle one hot, sunny day. It boggled their minds. And it perplexed the handful of locals who were ready to welcome new help to the fray. However, instead of sending both Charlies packing, people decided to let them both “try out” for the manager job and then a choice would be made at the end of the season which one to keep on.

‘The best way to give myself a future here was to trust the woman beside me. You can trust someone and still keep them at a distance, right?’

Only it isn’t so easy for the locals to accept the changes Charlie and Jones want to implement. And even the co-managing gig is tough on the newbies, having to share responsibilities as well as accommodations while not truly trusting each other. It gets even more complex when the truth about who Jones and Charlie are comes out. They had just admitted their growing feelings when the details about both of their pasts and the reason they each moved to the island hits everyone like a two-by-four. Shocked isn’t a strong enough word. But thankfully everyone on Ormer has been through their own personal issues or demons. And somehow Charlie and Jones are allowed to grow into their friendship-turned-romance while looking their own futures in the eye to determine exactly what they need.

‘When did everything get so messy? It’s all lies and secrets and people pretending to be things they’re not. Where’s my beautifully simple new life gone?’

THE NAME GAME took all of the elements I’ve come to expect from author Beth O’Leary’s work and ratcheted them up to a thousand. The quirky characters, the charming settings, the complex storylines, the almost-fated quality of her romances. But it was the mind-bending plot twists (yes, more than one) that threw me for a loop about three-quarters of the way through and left me reeling.

I’ll admit that even after finishing the book I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything that happened as well as trying to piece together the characters and their backgrounds after so many truths came out toward the end. I obviously knew there was a story behind two Charlie Joneses showing up on a remote island in the English Channel for the same job. But I did not expect how invested I became in them–or to Ormer Isle itself and its smattering of residents.

Then there was the slow burn that took the animosity between Charlie (female) and Jones (male Charlie) that had them looking out for each other while finding any reason to spend time together. Their relationship started with bickering and ended up with a romance that was solid as well as growing in a healthy direction thanks to months of them learning to stand on their own feet while doing some serious soul searching. The locals on Ormer all had been through their own issues. So, they took in both Charlies, maybe with a bit of skepticism at first, but before long, considered them part of their found family on the island. Something I think readers will find the most satisfying of all.

TROPES/THEMES:

🪪 Mistaken identity
🏠 Forced proximity
😱 Huge plot twists
🏝️ Remote island life
🫶 Found family
✨ Diverse characters

CW: View Spoiler »Alcoholism, anxiety, depression, grief & loss, fertility issues, adoption « Hide Spoiler

THE NAME GAME was the diverse type of story where you’ll want to pay very close attention to the details for the twists and turns to (maybe) make sense in the last quarter of the book–and one that focuses on substantial personal growth, including mental health.

QOTD: If you were starting over somewhere new, would it be quiet & remote like Ormer Isle or somewhere busier with more people?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: April 7th, 2026 | Berkley |

A man and a woman with the same name are looking for a fresh start only to discover they have landed the same job in this charming new romance by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.

Charlie couldn’t be happier to take the job of farm-shop manager on the remote, wild Isle of Ormer. She’s grieving, a little lost, and in desperate need of a fresh start.

Jones has come out of a difficult breakup and is looking forward to some peace away from the noise of his city life. Moving to Ormer couldn’t have come at a better time.

But when Charlie Jones and, ahem, Charlie Jones both turn up at Ormer’s one and only farm shop, claiming to have been offered the role of manager, everyone is baffled. How could this have happened? And just who is the real Charlie Jones?