Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a cute read! I will admit it took me a bit to get into since the conflict between the MCs is very similar to some other books I have read but it grew on me. There were some very cute moments and spicy moments but if you are not a fan of third act breakups, maybe skip this one.

I really enjoyed the New York atmosphere and the way the characters communicated through the writing. Sometimes their miscommunication bugged me but not enough to stop reading.

So cute! I loved this one! The characters were great and I really enjoyed reading the story. I was giggling and feeling what the characters felt. Definitely a good read!

Normally I love a little cringe in a romance book but this book was almost painful to read. It was so awkward to read about the in class interactions and then the way their lives were weaved into their story. Picturing them reading their passages to the class & their professor made me feel the worst kind of ick. I just could never get behind the romance or the situation.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

The first half of this enemies to lovers was cute, and fun and I was absolutely loving it! Sadly the second half is where I felt a bit of a disconnect with the story. I felt at times the overall plot was lacking and the second half break up felt unnecessary and honestly left me feeling upset/angry. There was some good spice in this book, but the characters felt young and immature which led to the spice feeling odd and slightly out of place. This was not a bad book, but it was not exactly what I was hoping for either.

I really enjoyed this romance novel. Although I think the first half was the strongest.

"Not in my book" is about two characters who apparently hate each other. They are in the same creative writing program and are constantly fighting with each other. This results to them being forced to write a romance novel together, although our MMC looks down on romance novels.
I really loved how the author blended here romance novel and the characters comments about their romance novel. This meta level was really well thought-through. Many times I caught myself chuckling because the characters would comment on something in their romance novel that was obviously also going on in their lives.

The "enemies to lovers" element works really well in this novel and I really enjoyed the banter between our characters a lot.
For all the "spice"-lovers: There are three spicy scenes in this book. While I really enjoyed the first one, (I didn't know it would be so hot to read about two people co-writing a spicy scene while being in the "we hate each other" moment, but damn...) I found the other two to be a little cringy.

All in all this was a great romance and I will definitely check out more books by this author.

I was really enjoying this at first but Aiden was so mean at first and I get it I don't mind these type of mmcs but the way he went to being a prick again when the third act conflict happened at the end it just felt weird and unnatural like he is not the same person who cared for her also Rosie's take on romance felt a bit annoying and the way she thought but overall this wasn't bad at all it was an enjoyable rivals to lovers but I wouldn't really call this similar to beach read in any way this wasn't even close to my January and Gus.

Book Review: Not in My Book by Katie Holt

Katie Holt’s Not in My Book is an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance that captures the spirit of classic romantic comedies while injecting fresh energy into the genre. With sparkling dialogue, electric chemistry, and just the right amount of literary tension, this debut novel is an absolute delight from start to finish.

The story centers around Rosie, a Peruvian-American romance novelist with big dreams of making it in New York, and Aiden, a brooding literary fiction writer who scoffs at the idea of happy endings. When they are forced to co-write a novel that merges their contrasting genres—romance and literary fiction—the result is equal parts hilarious and heartwarming.

What sets Not in My Book apart is the depth of the characters and the genuine emotional journey they embark on. Rosie is a vibrant, optimistic dreamer who wears her heart on her sleeve, and Aiden is her perfect foil, cynical and emotionally guarded. Their personalities clash spectacularly, creating witty, tension-filled banter that often sparks both humor and sexual chemistry. Holt does an excellent job of developing their relationship, with the progression from enemies to reluctant partners to something more feeling organic and well-paced. Their banter is sharp, often laugh-out-loud funny, but it’s the moments of vulnerability between them that truly resonate.

The novel deftly plays with romance tropes, particularly the enemies-to-lovers dynamic, but it also offers thoughtful commentary on the tension between literary fiction and genre fiction. Aiden's disdain for romance novels represents a broader critique of how literary circles often look down on "lighter" genres, but Rosie passionately defends the value of happy endings and love stories, creating a fascinating meta-discussion about the worth of different types of storytelling.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the book is how the characters' personalities bleed into the novel they’re co-writing. As Rosie and Aiden work through their differences on the page, the lines between their fictional romance and their real-life relationship begin to blur, adding layers of tension and introspection to their budding romance. The novel-within-the-novel concept is cleverly executed, and the "accidentally steamy" scenes they end up writing together are both humorous and filled with sizzling chemistry.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City and the world of aspiring writers, Not in My Book captures the highs and lows of creative ambition while also exploring cultural identity. Rosie’s Peruvian-American background adds richness to her character, making her journey in the predominantly white literary world a poignant subplot. Holt touches on the challenges of balancing heritage with career ambitions, adding depth to the novel’s romantic core.

In true rom-com fashion, there are plenty of moments where readers will find themselves rooting for Rosie and Aiden despite their frequent clashes. When the stakes rise—thanks to a writing competition that pits them against each other—their personal and professional lives collide in a way that tests the limits of their newfound connection. The question of whether they’ll find their way to a happily-ever-after feels genuinely suspenseful, despite the romance genre’s usual predictability.

Overall, Katie Holt’s debut is a delightful read that will appeal to fans of The Hating Game and Beach Read. With its blend of laugh-out-loud humor, sizzling romance, and thoughtful commentary on love, identity, and the nature of storytelling, Not in My Book is a novel that lingers long after the final page. It’s a love letter to both romance novels and literary fiction, celebrating the magic of stories—and the people who write them.

Verdict: 5/5 A charming and sexy debut filled with sharp wit, sizzling chemistry, and an irresistible enemies-to-lovers dynamic. Katie Holt has crafted a standout romance that’s sure to win readers' hearts.

A sweet and spicy enemies to lovers book! Loved the writing aspect within the book. The steamy scenes worked so well! Getting hotand bothered while writing together? Sign me up!

I was so excited for this one, because I love a story within a story and bookworm or writer characters, but unfortunately this wasn’t really for me.

I really loved the premise and the writing was good, but unfortunately this novel just had a couple of things that didn’t sit right with me.

First of: the relationship and development of it was cute but borderline childish? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the enormous switch from that to the smutty scenes where Aiden has a downright filthy mouth (which I normally wouldn’t mind) was a little jarring. It didn’t mesh well, for some reason.

Next, the plot wasn’t plotting. The book was way too long for what actually happened. The snippets of the book our MCs were writing were cute, but didn’t really add a lot.

I would’ve loved to see more depth to these characters. Besides their backstories/personalities relating to their stance on romance, there isn’t an awful lot of personality within these two characters. For Rosie it definitely didn’t help that all she could think or talk about was Aiden throughout the entire book.

And don’t let me get started on the second act break up. That was infuriating, and I don’t think the relationship could, or should, have recovered from that.

While I liked the idea of them communicating their real feelings for each other in the book they’re writing together, Aiden’s an absolute pussy for <spoiler>having lied to her! And yes, a lie by omission is still a lie. He knew the fellowship was important to her, he admitted that’s why he felt it was difficult to confess, so he definitely knew!</spoiler> And the things he said… <spoiler>Rosie was right to walk away when he disrespected her craft like that.</spoiler> The apology mainly consisted of some vague stuff about their differences in philosophy. I’m not sure the apology measured up to all that was said, to be honest.

And finally can we please talk about their first time together? Girl confesses about feeling pressure to O with someone else, and the thing Aiden decides is the best thing to say is: “we don’t stop until you come”?? I get that he’s trying to place as much importance on the her pleasure, but damn, way to increase the pressure, my guy!

Overall, the book has a great premise and a great base. I just feel like this book needed some more finessing. I would read more by this author. I want to know what she does next and how she improves!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

This title was just not for me. The author created 4 unlikable characters, that I dislike. I was however able to finish it so it gets a 3.

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this one— the premise was sweet, and the writing was fun. At times, though, the pacing felt off, and the payoff maybe didn’t match the build up.

This was such a new way to write a romance!! I loved aiden and rosie and max and hunter!
It was exactly what i needed with the weather getting colder and more cosy.

The only part I didnt like was the reason for the third act break-up … I saw it coming miles away, hoped for a u turn, was disappointed.
But miscommunication is one of my least fav tropes so I do think others will enjoy it.

Still a solid and entertaining read!!
Looking forward to see more from the author

Thank you to NetGalley and Katie Holt for providing an ARC for review!

Not in My Book follows two graduate students, Rosie and Aiden, in a writing program at NYU. Rosie and Aiden bump heads at every turn. Aiden gives Rosie a hard time about writing romance which causes Rosie to push back just as hard. When their disagreements begin to disrupt class, their professor gives them a choice of dropping the class or working on a writing assignment together. They will have to write in the each other's genre.

The book brought up an interesting discussion around the importance of romance in literature. It is often thought of as lesser (maybe due to the large female audience). I wish there was more of a debate with reasonable conversation around the topic. The book also introduced the differences between the struggles of the lower/middle class vs upper classes when it comes to accessing education. Anther topic that I wish was explored more. As pointed out by their professor, their discussions are really arguments that were not productive to their work and was disruptive to the rest of the class.

The book as a whole felt uneven. Rosie and Aiden felt really young even though they are in their mid-20's. Rosie allowed Aiden to bait her at every turn. Aiden's ultimate reason for baiting her was that he liked her and didn't know what to do with his feelings. It felt very school boy pulling a girl's pigtails because he likes her. When the romance started to kick in and the spice was introduced, it was all of a sudden a very adult book. I felt like it changed from YA/New Adult to Adult on a dime.

I'm not a fan of third act breakups but can handle them if done well. There was absolutely no reason for this third act breakup. It was totally avoidable and should not have even had the chance to be an issue.

A slow burn, rivals-to-lovers romance story. While I loved the premise, and some parts of the story were fascinating, I found this one really hard to get into and found it didn’t hold my attention as I would have liked.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC

Thank you, NetGalley, Publisher & Author, for giving me an opportunity to read this arc! I really enjoyed this book. I'm really sad I didn't have an opportunity to read it until now. And it only took me 2 sittings to finish it!  The storyline was giving more rivals to lovers rather than enemies to lovers. There were times where I wanted to climb into the book to shake mostly Aiden but sometimes Rosie. However, it did make the characters more realistic. I love Rosie's friend group it made the story more enjoyable. Personally I would've loved more interactions (e.g banter dialogues) between Aiden x Rosie. The spicy scenes were fine but I did skim some of those (I'm sorry!)

I don't usually love the 3rd arc breakup in a book. But for this story, it made sense. I did predict the conflict had to do with the fellowship. However, I'm glad it wasn't as drastic as I thought it'll be. I thought there was going to be thief/stealing  involved. Rip pea coat too bad you didn't make it to the wedding haha.

This was like a hug in book form. It was full of wisdom and warmth and really made me smile. Katie's humour and story telling felt really honest. Loved it

Firstly, the cover is GORGEOUS. Congratulations to Katie on her gorgeous debut! Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book! I'm not usually a contemp romance girlie, but I was drawn in by the cover and overall ended up having a great time. I love a good nemesis/enemies to lovers trope, and when they have to work together in a forced proximity setting? DELICIOUS. Aiden and Rosie had really strong chemistry and I loved their story. It was a fun, light read that I'd recommend to anyone that likes the genre, and definitely see the similarities to the hating game!

Thank you Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely adored this book. Rosie's hopeful nature and Aiden's jaded outlook made the perfect complement to each other, and I ate their relationship up! This was a believable enemies to lovers story that I would happily purchase.

Thank you again for the ARC!

Academic rivals to lovers, forced proximity, dual POV… all the good things. Could have done with less spicy scenes – I always find them so cringe.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this one!

I actually received this awhile ago, and it expired, requiring me to renew it… then I finally started it and finished it in less than 24 hours 🤷🏻‍♀️

Did this book have some problems? Absolutely - Rosie was a bit immature at the end, and Aidan was a pompous dick when it came to shitting all over the romance genre that Rosie loved to write - but you know what? I don’t care. I devoured this book, and quite enjoyed it.

I know it’s not for everyone, but I liked the book within a book aspect of this. We didn’t actually get any chapters from Aidan’s POV, but we were able to pick up on his feelings from the chapters he wrote for their co-write project.

This one definitely had Beach Read vibes - so give this a shot if you’re an Emily Henry fan!