First off thank-you so much to whoever deemed me worth of this ARC in the Alcove office! May your life be full of blessings!

I wish I this had a higher rating system. If it did I'd give this like 100 million stars that's how much I adored this book!
Was I expecting to enjoy it? Yes, I love me some enemies to lovers, work place romance! But this was something else entirely!
Whatever I write won't give justice to how much I love this book.
So when I say that Not in My Book saved the romance genre for me I am being deadly serious! I spent the better half of Saturday and Sunday either crying or sending my friends voice memos that ended up sounding more like a podcast about how much I oved this book. Also they've preordered it now so yay!
The prose in this book is amazing, descriptive but never rumbly. Heck this book made me like NYC and I'm one of those that have seen too much SVU to fantasize about the city but now I want to go and take touristy pictures with this book. I loved the characters so much, they were realistic and flawed, and I felt the "hate/dislike" they had for each other! It made the journey they go on all the better.

God, the structure of this book! Having them write the story together! PERFECTION!
I won't mention more because spoilers but OMG!

The way the leads Latinidad was so refreshing to read about other Latino cultures. Although not the same me being Mexican American and the lead being Peruvian American the similarities were so great to see.

I'll end it by saying this was prefect and it's become one of my favorite books if not actually taken the #1 spot. This is a love letter to romance novels, but most of all a love letter to romance readers.

This book would make for a very fun Romance Bingo game as it deftly and knowingly indulges romance readers in a number of tropes. I especially liked the friends and family sidecharacters here - maybe even more than the MCs but that's just cos i don't LOVE miscommunication and it was all over the place in Aiden and Rosie's rivals-to-lovers relationship! Slow burn high drama, and sure to please a lot of romance lovers.

I loved the premise of this book, an enemies to lovers where two writers from different genres clash. Reminiscent of one of my favourites, Book Lovers, this story has Rosie and Aiden, both postgrad students forced to collaborate on a book. While I was hooked by the concept, I struggled with the pacing, particularly in the first third of the book, and I found Rosie annoyingly immature for a good half of the story. However, I enjoyed the snippets of the book they were writing that appeared at the end of each chapter. It was a clever way of revealing the inner feelings of the two real life characters through their alter egos Max and Hunter. I preferred the writing style of these bits and loved it as they increased in length, and became interspersed within chapters. I’d love to read that book! So overall, fabulous story, not perhaps perfectly executed, but redeemed by the clever concept, satisfying ending and the addition of some great side characters. Rosie’s friends and family were lots of fun.

A slow burn that is full of angst. It has some of my favorite tropes. I can't believe this was a debut and I can't wait for more work from this author. I absolutely ate this book up!!

This was really fun, and I loved the banter of the two main characters! It was also fun to have a bit of the writing process within the book! Kind of meta in a way. There were lots of cute scenes, and the emotions were put forth in a way that I really felt them while reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for sending me this ebook. All thoughts are my own!

A rivals to lovers done SO WELL! Both Aiden and Rosie were very likeable and had depth. I always appreciate realistic and entertaining dialogue that flows nicely, and this definitely had that! Their dynamic was easy to understand and they were easy to root for. Plus, the concept was so fun. Having them write the book together and featuring the text on page was such a clever way of giving us Aiden’s perspective in a single-POV book. Not to mention how good the scenes were when they actually were writing the book together line-by-line. I feel like I need to make it clear how much I LOVE the trope of authors writing about each other. Makes me smile.

“No reason to read in between the lines then, huh?”
“None at all,” I answered sweetly. “Then I guess I’ll see you in the next chapter.”

I really did love this book and was surprised to find out it’s the author’s debut. Would definitely recommend this and read any future works by them!

I think I have just found a new favourite romance book. This book had me in a hold so quickly!

When I love a book I find it hard to find the words to explain why. This has the enemies to lovers trope but the tension is so so good. This book is a reminder of why I love romance books. It celebrated and explores the genre in not just the couple but in their writing and ughhh I’m in love with this book. I love the main characters so much, they are flawed and messy but so lovable. This definitely got steamier than I ever imagined it being.

As a person who did creative writing at college and still dreams (very distantly now) off being one, I loved how this book was so focused on the writing aspect, and the way the two main characters begin to write together is chefs kiss. I am not often able to envisage things in a book so clearly but felt I was right there with the characters the whole time.

I love the romance, the fact the book is about books and writing books, I loved the peacoat and the curls and ahhhh please I need more!

Only criticisms <spoiler> are that I don’t think they needed the marriage aspect in the epilogue, I think although it does give that Happily Ever After aspect that is talked about so much it cuts off any more story about them and I just wanted more from them… I didn’t want to stop reading about them /spoiler>

⋆˚࿔ not in my book review 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

4.5 stars! What an amazing debut! Aiden Huntington and Rosie Maxwell had amazing chemistry, this was a great example of the rivals to love dynamic I enjoy. Their contrasting dynamic and interests really added to their banter, it was always fun to see them roast each other. At the beginning Aiden really was getting on my nerves as a fellow reader of romance. But as I continued to read and he opened up to her more he really started to grow on me 🥺 Seeing their own romance involve as their book character's (Hunter and Max) romance involved was such a fun way to see their dynamic shift. They were able to be more open with each other through their art of writing. Ultimately, it was a great read! I was kicking ang giggling my feet the whole way through and will definitely keep an eye out for this author's future books!

“The only thing every love story really has in common is that it's worth it.”

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

Thank you netgalley and alcove press for an arc in exchange for an honest review <3

❤ Rating: 3.5/5❤
This was a charming, fluffy romance that’s easy to dive into and enjoy. Plenty of lighthearted banter, fun side characters, and reads like a love letter to romance books.

❤The Pros:
- I LOVED the book inside of a book concept, it was an exciting and refreshing way to read romance, allowing Rosie and Aiden to express themselves through their book characters before the were able to in person. And the spicy writing scene???? 100/10
- The spice overall was really goooood ❤️‍🔥
- You could really tell that Katie is a massive fan of the romance genre, her joy for it shines on the page and was truly a pleasure to see.

❤ The Cons:
- I couldn't totally connect with Rosie or Aiden. I didn't really buy into the enemies aspect, Rosie's personality seemed a little one dimensional and I ended up not really liking Aiden much by the end 😭
- The dialogue read forced at times and didn't feel super realistic

❤ Tropes
✯ Enemies to lovers
✯ He falls first
✯ Forced proximity

❤ Overall
A fun and quick read if you love romcoms, great for fans of Beach Read ❤

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-Arc of "Not in My Book" by Katie Holt.

This book is an absolute delight—a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance that’s impossible to put down! The dynamic between Rosie and Aiden is compelling. They are both authors working together on a book. I loved the parallels between their own story and the one they were writing; it was a creative way to build tension and develop their relationship.

While some scenes repeated almost word-for-word, it surprisingly added to the charm, emphasizing their growing connection. The scene where they write together, both in person and over the phone, was incredibly well done!

Overall, this book was binge-worthy and wonderfully relatable. The forced proximity trope was executed perfectly, creating a fun and romantic journey for book lovers. Definitely a must-read!

I loved this book and devoured it in a sitting.

Rosie and Aiden were easy to connect with and I love me a good slow burn! I loved how their relationship grew as their story grew and they are so dang cute. I love when he falls first and gosh, I loved watching this unfold for Aiden. Dual POV was also *chef's kiss*

Thank you for the opportunity to read this!!

4.5 star!

Enemies to lovers is literally my favourite trope ever and this book did it so much justice!
Loved the banter between Rosie and Aiden, their chemistry was so evident from the very beginning.

Highly recommend,

4.5 stars

QUICK GLANCE-
My format- eARC
Other formats 📖Physical (320 pages) 🎧Audio (10 hrs 30 min)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️(closed door modifications skip Ch 17, 24, 26, and 27)
Language: 🤐🤐🤐

My THOUGHTS
I absolutely loved Not in My Book by @readinromance from the start! It had amazing banter and chemistry. The main characters were also realistic and relatable, and their backgrounds felt fully fleshed out. I rooted for both of them from start to finish. I would say the book's first half was 5 stars for me. The second half was a bit predictable but I still ATE it up!! I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future!

Books about Books
Enemies to Lovers
Taylor Swift and Christina Lauren Shout Outs
Forced Proximity
New York City Setting
Grumpy/Sunshine

QOTD: What’s your favorite romance trope??

Thank you to @netgalley and @alcovepress for this eARC in exchange for an honest review
Pub Date: 10 December 2024

Rosie left her Tennessee town to live in New York and attempts to make her dream of being an author come true. But her arch nemesis is in her class: obnoxious Aiden Huntington, who always picks her work to pieces in workshops and who is unfairly attractive. An(other) argument in class leads to ultimatum from the lecturer: work on a novel together, or drop out.

I ABSOLUTELY loved this!

It was such a fun romance. There is a great dynamic between Rosie, who believes in romance novels and happily ever afters despite never finding one, and Aiden, who is more of a literary fiction realist.

I loved the parallel between their developing relationship and the relationship of their characters in the novel; and that spicy scene they wrote! Phew! The fact that we also got snippets of their novel at the end of each chapter was so adorable too.

This was definitely one of the best romances I've read so far this year!

Thank you to Alcove Press for the e-arc of Not in my Book! All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4/5
Spiciness: 3/5

The way this book had me screaming out loud, giggling and kicking my feet, it was crazy. Ok picture this, you're a romance girlie, you love it so much you decide to be a romance writer and you're getting your masters at NYU. Your dreams are happening except there's this guy in one of your classes that rips every piece you present to shreds all because its a romance and he's too good for them as a sad boy lit-fit writer. But you go tit for tat with him and you don't miss a chance to give it right back to him. But things get a lil out of hand and your professor informs you she is sick of your guys lil spats and taking over her class. She decides you either write together or you get out of her class. And thus begins a quarrelsome coauthor relationship.

This book is sooooo good! The fun and tension when Rosie and Aiden write as their book's characters Maxine and Hunter is crazy. I love how they use their characters to express themselves as two people who find more comfort in written word. I also like how Aiden wasn't your typically cold and confident guy. The more we got to know him, the more we say his nerves and caution. This was a beautiful story about two people trying to open themselves up to each other and be what the other needs.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me a copy of this arc! All thoughts in this review are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was so engaging, and the premise of the entire book was super fun.

I was worried reading some of the scenes be repeated, pretty much word-for-word, would be boring, but I actually didn't mind! The parallels between the book and the story Aiden and Rosie were writing was such an interesting way to tell a story. There wasn't much reading between the lines needed, but it definitely helped to build the tension between the two characters.

The scene where they were writing next to each other in Aiden's house, and over the phone had me losing my mind!!

All of the side characters were unique enough that they could be told apart, and I enjoyed that they had sideplots without becoming distracting. The relationships all felt genuine. I wished there was more interaction between Rosie and her friends during the workshops though, because with a big group of friends like that, I think there would've been more constant interactions between them all. It felt like Rosie ignored her friends for almost all the workshops and only focused on Aiden.

Definitely such a great read, and a cool take on a romance novel!

It is honestly hard to pinpoint what exactly about this book didn’t work for me but I’ll give it a shot.

First off, the plot was basically Beach Read but in NYC and then I just struggled to not compare. I found the MC pretty immature and it was hard to root for her. The book within a book thing didn’t work for me either, I found it repetitive and I sometimes skipped those parts.

I think the author has promise and I would give her another try but this one just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Not in my book follows a pair of rivals in a graduate writing workshop. Rosie is a romance author who is incredibly passionate about her genre, and Aiden is a lit fic author who hates romance. When they can’t stop fighting in class, their teacher gives them two options: either write a book together, or get kicked out of the class entirely.

Overall I thought this was a pretty fun read. If you’re a big romance fan, this book will absolutely give you what you want. It’s packed with the tropes we all know and love. I really enjoyed the slow burn aspect and thought Rosie was such a fun, strong character.

Where it loses some points for me is the reliance on miscommunication. It felt a little unbelievable that two graduate writing students couldn’t find words to express their feelings to each other’s faces. The third act break up also did nothing for me. It felt like a pretty flimsy reason to push them apart.


I think this was a great debut though! I’ll be interested to see what Holt writes next.


Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the arc!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review!

My, oh my!! What a fun little enemies to lovers romance. This book was a slow burn and so, so cute! I loved the way Rosie and Aiden were both authors. I felt that they had such a good dynamic, first being almost rivals in a sense, and then working together to create a book. This was definitely. binge-able and I felt myself unable to stop reading. I felt like both of the characters were going through such realistic things and had a great, healthy dynamic. Rosie was really relatable and Aiden was down bad for her. I'm always a fan of forced proximity, so what a great way to force two characters to be together than to write a book!! This was created for book lovers. Really enjoyed it!!

This story is one of the best romantic stories I've ever read! I really enjoyed the dynamic of the characters, two completely different characters full of passion. The dialogues between them are delightful and so you just can't stop reading! I highly recommend it!