This is a romance book lover’s dream.

Katie Holt’s debut is easily one of my favorite contemporary romances this year. Her writing just pulls you in and the tension between the characters makes you want to just keep reading until you are on the very last page. I read this in two sittings: one into the late hours of the night and the second in the wee early hours the next morning. So worth the loss of REM cycles.

I found the romance storyline fresh, unique, and creative. It’s between two academic rivals forced to co-write a romantic story together….but they end up just writing themselves into the story and eventually falling in love. There is so much angst and banter and argument, but it’s hot? Like think Danny and Mindy from the Mindy Project hot. They can’t stand each other, but they also can’t stand to be without each other. Makes for some delicious romantic tension!

This book is a perfect December read. While the story takes place across an academic school year, many of the major plot points occur around the winter holidays, and you know what they say: Christmas in New York City is unlike anything else. Just as much as this is a love letter to the romance genre and romance lovers everywhere, it is a love letter to New York City and the magic that can be unlocked by following your dreams.

One of my favorite literary elements is when a bilingual author infuses code-switching into the dialogue. Rosie, the FMC, is partially Peruvian, and we get tons of untranslated Spanish on the page when she is talking to her family. I don’t speak Spanish but I truly loved this choice and loved the dimension it added to Rosie’s character.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the e-ARC! I can’t wait to read what else Katie Holt has in store for us.

A cute cover that you least expect to have spice..and plot?! Yes please! This was so so cute! The ending got a bit annoying with the FMC but overall I could not out this book down. I had such a wonderful time reading it! Highly recommend! 4.75⭐️

⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not In My Book
Author: Katie Holt
Romance

Thank you so much Netgalley and Alcove Press for this ARC! This book is releasing 12/10/24! This is about two feuding writers that are in a class together. They very publicly feud and get kicked out of their class they both desperately need. The teacher decides to give them a chance to stay if they agree to write their assignment together. I really liked both of the characters, and felt the story flowed seamlessly. Loved the enemies to lovers trope, and as I have previously mentioned in my reviews I love books about authors. This book was also about a 🌶️🌶️/5 on the spicy scale. Definitely check out this read!

not in my book is such a witty, flirty, and cozy romcom. the two main characters, rosalinda and aiden, are in the same creative writing program at NYU. rosie writes romance, aiden writes litfic, and neither of them can seem to make it through a single workshop without hurling insults at the other. so much so, that they land themselves in quite the predicament: write a novel together, or drop the workshop course and retake it the following year.

not in my book is the romcom equivalent of what scream is to the horror genre. it simultaneously critiques/reflects on romance as a genre while also embracing every cliché that makes it so well loved. the story doesn’t take itself too seriously and leans into the absurdity and goofiness of certain tropes, yet rosie and aiden will burrow themselves under your skin and leave traces of themselves in your heart nonetheless. they are easy to love because they are flawed, and raw, and vulnerable, and real.

i will leave you with two standout moments to encourage you to pick this up: 1) having the mcs write a smut scene. TOGETHER. this was SUCH a creative way to spice things up while also still allowing the actual storyline to be a slow burn. my jaw was on the floor for that entire chapter and i absolutely could not get enough. a whole new level of tension and pining and i fear no other smut scene will ever compare. 2) “use your words, baby, you’re a writer aren’t you?” i don’t even need to give you context just go buy the book my GOD.

review shared to bookstagram account 12/3 and goodreads 12/4.

Easily one of my top books for December! The FMC was strong which is a huge win for me. I loved seeing their relationship grow. This was an incredibly quick read as the story sucked me in from the start.

Both writers. Both with different styles. When they butt heads the sparks fly! This is a really cute romance. That has you rooting for them to get together!

Not In My Book is a contemporary romance set in an Ephronian New York, and follows grad students and academic rivals, Rosie Maxwell and Aiden Huntington as they are forced to coauthor a novel as their final thesis for their MFA program.

Rosie Maxwell is your typical ingenue—a half-Peruvian southern belle from Tennessee who’s just moved to the big city to pursue her dreams to be a romance writer after a rattling breakup. Aiden Huntington, on the other hand…let’s just say romance doesn’t suit his palette.

We follow Rosie’s perspective throughout the majority of this story, with brief but punchy excerpts from the untitled novel cowritten by the duo punctuating the end of each chapter or so, offering us insight into Aiden’s perspective without overextending the plot the way a dual-POV tale might have.

The tale takes place over the course of the second academic year, with a heavier emphasis on the autumnal and winter months, making it the perfect cosy read for this time of year, with references and visuals to classic romantic scenes from Nora Ephron films we all hope to actualise. Ultimately though, this book aims to unravel the ticking nerve behind our protagonists—their love/hate for all things romantic, and their greatest obstacles when finding love in reality.

Whilst Rosie’s past relationship plays a huge role in why she’s been unlucky in love, Aiden’s family, and the palpable absence of a Joan Didion-esque mother informs his rebuke of whimsy, romance, and Happily Ever Afters.

Everyone’s got their baggage, and like all writers, its funnelled into their art.

Rosie is a romantic who writes romance. Aiden hates romance and writes the more academically lauded, though often perceived as pretentious (by Rosie), literary fiction, and the two must reach a middle ground where Aiden disposes of his jadedness and literary elitism, and Rosie must take the cotton candy-like wool off her eyes.

I enjoyed this story for its straightforwardness. Given genre standards, I appreciated that it knew what it was and still surpassed expectations by also acting as a love letter to writing, and the genre of romance itself. It followed a comfortable pacing that picked up where needed, and slowed down when the adrenaline high inevitably had to crash.

There were aspects that could have brought my rating up, however. I’ve given this book 4 stars for being an entertaining read I would recommend if and when asked. However, I don’t know that I would go out of my way to recommend it due to some of the confusing writing I believe could have benefitted from an extra round of edits. Without spoiling any of the plot, some character motivations become convoluted and confusing as a reader without any indication that prior motives were merely a veneer for what is later revealed. Resolutions come about based on concessions rather than what is deserved or earned by the characters, in my opinion. Thirdly, I believe the side characters deserved greater space and agency in the story for their implied importance to the central couple. These issues, I’m sure, could have easily been identified by an editor and rectified before publication.

Overall, though, these weren’t issues I couldn’t look past or get over. They informed my rating, but not the level of fun I had following Aiden and Rosie’s love story. I think it marks a successful debut and excites me greatly for what author Katie Holt will bring to the table down the road.

This book was adorable, it had me laughing, giggling and kicking my feet. But it also held deeper topics that were very relatable. Rosie was EVERYTHING. I loved how strong and smart and talented she was. She always stood up for herself and what she believed in. Now Aiden? Preppy, grumpy, I can fix him vibes? Love to see it. But also he turned out to be the sweetest character. I really ate this book up. I loved their dynamic and thought they worked so well together. I’m so SO thankful I was able to receive this amazing book as an Arc from NetGalley. It is so worth the read!

This is a grumpy/sunshine, rivals, hate to love romcom and it was a very fun read.
Rosalinda and Aiden are both NYU grads willing to become writers, and they detest each other (or that’s what they say), but then they’re forced to work together.
The mc’s have a strong chemistry and the sexual tension between them is off the charts.
This was fun, cute and a little steamy at the same time, and I’m completely in love with Aiden. Seriously, every time he called her *Rosalinda* I swooned a little.
The lasts 3 or 4 chapters legit made me cry, it was great, thank you, Katie.

After the first few chapters I wasn’t sure this book was for me. The characters seemed a bit immature and I didn’t know if I could tolerate them for an entire novel, but then Katie Holt did a thing and I was completely and totally hooked. What is that thing, you ask? She wrote a book within a book and both books were better as a result.

Rosie is an aspiring romance writer. She believes in the possibility and power of happy ever afters. Aiden is a brooding author of literary fiction - the darker the better. They are both students in the NYU MFA program and their hostility toward each other and their preferred genres is legendary. It’s so disruptive to their workshop, their professor intervenes with an unusual solution: Work together to write a novel or be removed from class.

This is where NOT IN MY BOOK became a standout piece of fiction. While both Rosie and Aiden are gifted writers, neither excels at communication. Their task seems impossible. They agree to write a romance without the requisite HEA ending featuring characters (professional colleagues Maxine and Hunter) who despise each other and are forced to work together on a presentation. Rosie and Aiden project their relationship onto Max and Hunter and, through those characters and writing alternating chapters, they get to know each other and their big feelings are transformed from animosity into something unexpected.

The banter is top notch. The burn is slow, but when it ignites, it is blistering. The emotion expressed through writing is superb. While there was a predictable bit of angst toward the end, the conclusion was completely satisfying. I fell in love with love throughout this book. It’s a winner.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

I liked the book-within-a-book angle of this story. I found myself enjoying the book within more than the actual book, but I ended up loving the ending.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The author did a good job of taking the well known enemies to lovers trope (often not done well) and did a good job of establishing the relationships needed to explain the reasons behind the feelings of hatred and why it changed. Of course, to establish the plot points there were very contrived reasons on why Aiden and Rosie had to converge, but the story flowed well enough it didn't bother me. I do wish there had been more exploration of Rosie's Peruvian background and Aiden's relationships with his parents. I really enjoyed the sprinkling in, especially at the end of each chapter, snippets from Rosie and Aiden's story. That was a nice touch that I found myself really appreciating at the end of each chapter.
This was a solidly entertaining read. I would read another book by Katie Holt again.
Many thanks to Net Galley for the copy.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

4,5 ⭐️

This was such a cute story and a lovely debut!! I loved the concept of the story and the development. I’m a sucker for rivals to lovers and this one didn’t disappoint!

🩷 rivals to lovers
🩷 writing a book together
🩷 forced proximity
🩷 grumpy x sunshine

This one was not for me. I found both MCs to be extremely childish and hated the way they were "communicating" through their writing but still weren't sure where the other stood. Like, you're literally reading that the other person has feelings for you but you're still waffling on whether to have a freaking conversation in person. It was exhausting. It also just felt like it draaaaagged while all that was going on. I did not enjoy the book within a book concept.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you @netgalley for this advance copy of Not in My Book. This was such a fun book to read. I really liked the concept of reading a book while the characters are writing their own romance novel in between. I’m a sucker for a loving romance. It was a slow burn but once it got heated it was no stopping it.
This was the perfect romance book to get you in the mood. It included the enemies to lovers, forced proximity, one bed, he falls first, and spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️.
Aiden and Rosie were so meant for each other, you just have to be patient and wait for it to play out. I was getting impatient at some times lol 😝 but it was worth the wait.
Definitely recommend this book for all my romance lovers. 💕🫶🏽

I enjoyed this book so much! Holt’s story is so much entertaining and has some great banter between the main characters. The enemies to lovers trope is perfect for this book. The situation they find themselves in tests the bounds of fiction and reality.

Holt has two very strong characters in her book that are also extreme opposites. The character of Aiden is so swoony with his deep, broody personality. He is closed off, plus he does not believe in happily ever afters. Rosie is also a great character. I liked her passion about writing romance and everything else she valued. However, I loved her strength the most. Holt’s characters are so solid and perfectly matched against one another.

I enjoyed the overall storyline and became invested in this book very quickly. I love it and highly recommend it!

I really enjoyed this book until the 3rd act conflict. Rosie's reaction felt over the top and she came across as so immature. It was also pretty obvious throughout the book what was going to happen, although I wasn't expecting Rosie to be quite so dramatic.

The rest of the book was great. I loved the slow burn enemies to lovers. I loved the grumpy x sunshineTheir banter was hilarious although I don't know how they got away with behaving like that in their class for so long. There are some great side characters and I loved learning more about Rosie's Peruvian heritage and her adorable family.

The book within a book did slow the pace down a bit because the plot was pretty much Aiden and Rosie's relationship. It made it a bit repetitive but it did mean we got some insight into what Aiden was feeling. The shared Google doc and co-writing the spicy scenes was so good. I was impressed by their confidence to read their chapters out loud in front of everyone who knew it was about themselves.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Katie Holt

I love the premise of this rivals to lovers book—two competing grad students in a novel-writing class are forced to cowrite a romance novel. The tension from writing romantic scenes while they can’t stand each other is delightful. The romance is slow burn but very spicy once it gets going. And let me tell you—when the super reserved MMC turns out to be a dirty-talker… <fans self> Let’s just say the spicy scenes are good ones.

Aiden and Rosie are grumpy/sunshine personified. And their banter is top-notch. Watching their relationship unfold across a shared Google doc was really fun. The side characters were a great mix as well. And the setting of a year in New York City was a great backdrop to the story. I appreciated the small nods to Rosie’s Peruvian heritage as well.

I did feel like the ending was a bit drawn out. But otherwise I really liked this romance and thought it was a great debut.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @alcovepress and for the chance to review this ARC.

Enemies in the classroom, lovers while they write their novel. Rosie and Aiden's chemistry burns bright from the very first page. Rosie is an optimistic romantic, while Aiden is a brooding literary snob. Their fighting in class has their professor forcing them to co-write a novel that is equal parts romance and literary fiction. This book has the banter. It has the slow burn that sneaks up on you. This book had me laughing, blushing, and rooting for these two as they write their love story in their novel. This book is perfect for lovers of enemies to lovers, opposites attract, and slow burn. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free eARC. All opinions in this review are my own.

Instagram review will go live on 09-Dec-2024

"People say there's a thin line between love and hate, and you know what? They're right."

I absolutely adored this book. It was such a fun read. I loved the book within a book concept, and it really lent itself to moving the story forward. I enjoyed the writing style and felt like the characters & world were effortlessly fleshed out. This was my first Katie Holt book, but it won't be my last.

"You don't have to lower your expectations. You deserve more than your highest one. Any guy you're with should be falling over himself to make you happy."

I loved Adrian and Rosie. As someone who is obsessed with the enemies to lovers trope, this book was great. Getting to see the FMC & MMC move through the phases of hate to love was perfection. Rosie is our romance obsessed FMC who sets her expectations too high to keep herself from getting hurt, and Adrian is our romance hating MMC who has only ever seen the bad side of love so he avoids all things love. From the moment they meet, they're drawn to each other, but they're complete opposites. When their arguing gets out of hand in class, they are forced to work together. Little do they know that their prohect may result in them finding more than just common ground. They are the perfect balance of grumpy & romantic.

"Love wouldn't seem worth it without the risk of losing it."