This was just fine for me - I saw some friends really love it so I was excited, but it left me wanting more. I didn't find either character particularly endearing or relatable, and the tension/reason for conflict seemed obvious, and it felt like it was defending the romance genre too hard. I read this a few weeks ago and I can't remember either character's name. There wasn't anything BAD about it, but it also didn't blow me away at all.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Katie Holt for providing me with an ARC of Not in My Book in exchange for an honest review.

What a debut! From reading Not in My Book you would have no idea this was Holt's first published novel, everything was just so lovingly crafted and felt so well-developed. Rosie and Aiden were incredible characters who felt so real - they were multi-dimensional, flawed, and kept bickering even after they stopped being enemies/rivals (which I love!).

I don't want to spoil too much, but Holt offered a unique aspect to this story by including excerpts, as well as writing scenes, of Rosie and Aiden's manuscript submissions. I adored the way you could gain subtext from their writings and the way they would use their chapters to communicate things to each other they were too afraid to say face to face.

Not in My Book by Katie Holt releases 10 December 2024 and I strongly implore you to check it out!

from the beginning, tension and anger between the main characters was far too strong. i can’t believe they actually had any “good” feelings at that moment. however, throughout the book they quickly changed and became the softest, kindest couple.

even though reading the book in a book was kind of awkward… i loved how they expressed their emotions while working together.

Not in My Book was a super fun, flirty, and steamy romance read! The story follows Rosie and Aiden, both of whom are the other's literary nemesis in the creative writing program at NYU. Rosie is a romantic at heart and writes strictly romances; while Aiden writes "sad boy" literary fiction. These two and their contrasting genres have made for a very distracting class, so their teacher/mentor comes up with a plan to teach them to respect one another's writing skills: make them write a literary romance piece together, romantic but without the HEA. Thus comes the tension-filled pairing of Rosie and Aiden.

The sexually tense build-up in this novel is supreme - I loved every minute of that! This is the perfect enemies to friends to lovers trope that I have been longing for. Rosie and Aiden have just enough in common as they don't and it works so well - they aren't exactly opposites attract, nor are they exactly grumpy-sunshine, but just enough to be the sweet and sour blend of two real people who genuinely are attracted to one another and want to be together. The sex scenes are incredibly steamy and HOT HOT HOT, the tender moments are soft and sweet, but interweaves between is fun banter and realistic folly.

The cast of side characters is vast, and perhaps not all are completely necessary to the story, but they aren't a total distraction either. If the author had wanted, she could have set a story up for a follow-up novel featuring Tyler and Jess, instead of having them get together during this novel.

Not in My Book is such a lovely debut! A true rivals to lovers romance with so much great banter. I also thought the formatting was really fresh and interesting by having them write their true feelings into the book they were writing together and including those passages for the reader. A really fun read!

This was really cute! I really liked how Aiden and Rosie went from rivals to lovers. I’m a big fan of good banter and it was done pretty well in this one. And I’m in love with the cover.
I would definitely recommend this one. It was fast paced, fun and light.

Not In My Book by Katie Holt had such a cute concept that I was sure I’d love it—especially since I have an MFA in creative writing myself, and the nostalgia factor was strong. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

What really worked for me was the workshop setting. It was such a fun way to explore the characters’ inner worlds through the stories they were writing, and those moments added a nice layer to the plot. The spicy scenes were also well written and kept things engaging.

However, Rosie was a tough protagonist to root for. Nearly every conversation she had revolved around Aiden, to the point that it became repetitive and dragged down the pacing. It felt like her world revolved entirely around him, which made her character feel a bit one-dimensional.

The third act didn’t help either—it was predictable, but not in a satisfying way. Rosie’s reaction to the situation felt more like a middle schooler’s meltdown than something you’d expect from a 26-year-old grad student, and it really threw off the tone of the story.

If you’re into light and easy romances and enjoy stories about the writing process, this might be worth picking up. But overall, the characters, chemistry, and pacing missed the mark for me.

I thought it was an excellent debut for Katie Holt, I follow her on Instagram and I love seeing her love for books, for the genre that we are so passionate about, emerging in a magnetic love story, an Enemies to lovers where the banter was a thousand per cent, perfection, the chemistry was amazing and that kept me in the book the whole way.
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Aiden was the perfect introverted grumpy that no one understands but is an excellent writer and student. While Rosie is the romantic dreamer with a very close-knit and super extroverted family, but what is great and fun about her is stubborn and it bothers me to see such powerful and strong characters fall into waiting for the other character.
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Spoiler alert: she didn't even make an effort, she was very rude to him, she always had a preformed idea of ​​him and she spent her time judging him even after asking a thousand questions and getting him to open up little be little.
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What I'm saying is...don't give me a strong, powerful character who knows what they want but when it comes down to it, recognizing where they did go wrong and fighting for their love, they simply stay on their pedestal, letting the Golden Retriever character (a very beautiful golden retriever and grumpy character) , the tortured hero with a sad past who is learning to love and forces himself to be better and learn of every error be dragged to their feet… because in my head that story does not have a happy ending no matter how many epilogues it has. Is no way that relationship works well when a simple “Im sorry too” from her, and a happy ending in a contemporary romance or a romcom are so important, because it’s shows the possibility that romance reader want and hope for
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I’m sorry, I really get carried away with that…but Rosie would understand, she’s a romance reader and talk really well about of the genre. I'm going to give it 3.5 stars because from the middle of the book until the end Rosie started to annoy me. And for me the characters are so important. I really think that Rosie is going to attract an be loved to others readers and I'm sure that many will become fans of her.
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I loved seeing New York from Rosie eyes, the story of her friends and her family is so well captured, as a Latin woman I know how important representation is and it is in a few books that it is so well captured like in this one.
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I'm going to mark four stars on my rating because I think it's incredible work from Katie and I'm dying to see what else she's going to write.
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Thanks to Katie Holt and Alcove Press for give me a copy of this beautiful in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion.

Loved this book! All the banter and well rounded characters were just swoon worthy. Easily a five star read for me and I look forward to the Kaite's next book!

Katie Holt’s Not in My Book is a sparkling debut that blends humor, heart, and heat in an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance. Rosie, a passionate romance writer, and Aiden, a brooding literary fiction author, are forced to collaborate on a novel that reflects their clashing perspectives—and growing attraction.

With snappy banter, swoony chemistry, and deeply relatable characters, Holt captures the creative highs and emotional challenges of chasing dreams while navigating love. Rosie’s journey as a Peruvian American writer adds depth, while the romance delivers all the sparks and feels.

Perfect for fans of The Hating Game and Beach Read, this story is as witty as it is heartfelt. A 4.5 star read!

Thank you NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Katie Holt for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

The slow burn, enemies-to-lovers trope really had me hooked! I read this in less than 24 hours. I liked the concept that the two main characters were also co-writing a novel that used their real-life for inspiration. Especially fun scenes to read were the two characters switching back and forth in the writing of their novel.

Formatting was a little wonky on my kindle, but overall, this was a really great weekend read. 10/10 recommend if you're in the mood for a romance book.

I enjoyed this book and it was exactly what I wanted from a romance novel. I thought the pacing of this book was well done and really enjoyed the plot of them writing a book together but writing themselves into the characters. The third act break up scene with their fight did feel a bit out of place in how it occurred but I understand it was need d for the gesture of their HEA in their novel. I do wish there was Spanish translations in the book so hopefully that’s included when it’s fully published. Overall though I enjoyed the plot of the story and thought Rosie and Aiden’s chemistry and tension was well written.

When Rosie and Aiden have disrupted their class once again their professor tasks them to work on a project together or be kicked out. As they cowrite this book together their story and characters start to mimic real life. Battling over the writing of the book turns into something more. The cowriting of the sex scene was fire. I really enjoyed this grumpy vs sunshine read. Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove press for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily

Rosie and Aiden are grad students at NYU studying creative writing - Rosie writes romance, and Aiden writes literary fiction. I'm their workshop class, all they do is criticize and bicker. According to Aiden, romance is a cop-out, fluffy, unrealistic, too happy. Literary fiction, says Rosie, is sad and boring. Their professor forces them to work together on a co-writing project (it's that or lose their spot in class...), and they'd rather do just about anything. As the two work together, they learn a lot about each other. Rosie reveals she's hoping for a fellowship because she really needs the money and misses her family. Aiden opens up about his troubles childhood and relationship with his father. As their characters begin to fall in love, the lines begin to blur. Will both stories have a happily ever after?

💭 What a debut!! I loved this one. The build up to their relationship and the tension was perfect. They made me sad, frustrated, and I absolutely cheered for them to figure it out. I loved that they developed a friendship and mutual respect despite their clear differences. The dates they went on as "research" were sweet, and the little moments, touches, gestures had me at the edge of my seat waiting for one of them to go all in. This was perfectly tense slow burn, and the balance of sweet and spice was just right. This was interspersed with excerpts from the novel Aiden and Rosie were co-authoring, which was genius and added to my understanding of them both. This was like a love letter to romance novels, proving they can be deeply emotional while also being happy, funny, and optimistic.

Such a great debut and I can't wait to see what else Katie writes in the future!

This book has the perfect pitch of, "what if we got to read January and Gus from Beach Read in their college writing classes?". The banter is amazing and sharp and the enemies to lovers feels grounded and not over the top here.

I loved the meta-commentary here on the romance genre and also addressing some of the stigma romance readers and writers receive. So much of the writing here was so romantic and gooey and put a big smile on my face.

My two criticisms of this book are that I feel like there was some convenient writing going on at how Aiden and Rosie would run into each other...in New York City...multiple times. I love a chance encounter or two, but truly they were just popping up into each other's lives all the time. And two, the conflict at the end wasn't my favorite (then again what conflict is). I just feel like the crime wasn't that bad and the response to it was maybe more intense than I expected.

Overall though, I thought this was so cute and sharp and I'm so happy it exists!!

DNF @ 10%

Couldn't get into the story and couldn't stand the characters

Thanks to NetGalley & Alcove Press for an advance copy

This book awesome blend of enemies to lover plus workplace romance. Aiden and Rosie take you on ride of spice, humor, and sweet love on every page. If you love to read rivals to loves trope go for this one.

I love a good self-referential, metafiction type of novel and this did not disappoint. A romance novel where the protagonists write an enemies-to-lovers romance novel together? Such a cute premise! It could’ve fallen flat, but Holt pulled it off to perfection and made us enjoy the ride despite knowing exactly how it would end. The secondary characters were also robust enough to warrant their own stories, so here’s hoping that’s in the works. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! It was easily one of my favorite reads in this genre this year.

Not In My Book by Katie Holt is an absolute gem that I can’t recommend highly enough! Following the tumultuous relationship between Rosie and Aiden, both students in an MFA program, this novel beautifully balances rivalry and romance, creating a dynamic that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Their constant bickering and competitive spirit lead to a dramatic ultimatum from their professor: they must either drop the class or work together on a book. This premise sets the stage for a delightful journey filled with tension, growth, and unexpected chemistry.

One of the standout aspects of this book is the representation of Latin culture through Rosie’s character. I appreciated the authentic portrayal of her Peruvian heritage, complete with mentions of delicious traditional dishes and vibrant customs. The incorporation of Spanish throughout the narrative adds depth and richness to the dialogue, making the characters feel even more relatable and real.

As for Aiden, he’s a character that’s hard to forget! His mean yet charming persona kept me hooked, and there were moments where his vulnerability shone through, showcasing how deeply he feels beneath that tough exterior. I found myself cheering for their relationship, even as I relished the playful banter that defined their interactions.

Katie Holt has crafted a story that is both entertaining and heartfelt. The chemistry between Rosie and Aiden is electric, and their journey from rivals to collaborators is beautifully portrayed. I was left breathless, rooting for them as they navigated their complex feelings and the pressures of their writing project.

Not In My Book will undoubtedly be one of my favorite reads of the year! If you enjoy a captivating enemies-to-lovers story with strong cultural representation and witty dialogue, this book should be at the top of your reading list. Katie's writing is sharp and engaging, making it impossible to put this book down. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this delightful tale!

Not In My Book is an enemies-to-lovers romance. Aiden and Rosie are rivals in a writing workshop and their fighting in class has gotten out of control. Their instructor gives them an ultimatum: team up to co-write a book, or get kicked out of class. They reluctantly agree but, as they learn to work together they see different sides of each other. Now they just need to figure out if they can ever truly let go of their rivalry.

I’m so glad I requested this book! It reminded me of some of my favorite books and still had its own twist on the tropes. Definitely worth the read for a romance lover!


Read dates: 11/10/2024- 11/12/2024
Goodreads review: 11/12/2024
Instagram review: 11/13/2024
Blog review: 12/10/2024