3.5✨ this was a cute, cozy book! Let’s get into it.

First off, I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and Katie Holt for this ARC.

I think this book started really strong. I was obsessed with the dynamic between the characters, and it truly felt like enemies to lovers. It was super fun to read, and I was invested in what was going to happen next.

I do think it got a little more boring as it went on. This book is a victim of Mid-book slump syndrome, and it didn’t pick back up for a bit. I think it was all of the conversations? I’m all for witnessing the characters get to know each other, but I do think every conversation in a book HAS to be intentional, and I don’t think that’s the case with this one. Rosie’s ex was a narcissist and it clearly fucked her up, but I don’t think she *really* had a conversation with Aiden about that at all. She mentioned Simon, but it was only once or twice and it was about his perception of romance and how they weren’t meant to be, not what he actually put her through. There were entire dialogue dedicated to random stuff that I can’t even remember.

I also feel like it was corny sometimes but I’m just picky with romcoms. I hated all the NYC references, it very much screamed I’m not a native New Yorker and it’s just a pet peeve of mine. For instance:

“as soon as I heard you went back to Tennessee I went straight to LaGuardia” just say the airport

I do think the ending was kind of cute. I feel like so many things were strong, like the characters, the plot, the book, but there were certain misses that made it mid for me.

I also LOVED the book concept. How meta. The excerpts were so fun to read, and it was cute the way it reflected their relationship. I loved the scene where they wrote the sex scene together over the phone. Legitimately sooooo good (and hot ngl🥵). This concept made the book stand out!!

I would recommend this to romcom lovers!

This book

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!

Rosie is a true romantic, and Aiden is a grumpy sceptic - of course their destined to butt heads when their forced to write a book together. A must read for any hopeless romantic.

You ever want to root for two characters so goddamn badly but they just keep doing everything in their power to stop you from doing that?? Yeah...

Plot
The plot in this book is just really solid - I mean, a hopeless romantic and a cynic have to write a book together?? It was so fun to watch their feelings develop on page before they manifested in real life. And yeah, writing a smut scene back and forth was way sexier than it had any right to be. Honestly, it did more for me than any of the actual smut scenes lol. I think the timeline of this book could have shrunk just a little bit because by the third act the conflict was starting to get pretty repetitive. I think this would have been a lot stronger without the third-act break up and instead Rosie and Aiden started facing their outer challenges as a team.

Aiden
While I didn't mind the enemies-to-lovers of it all, and he would definitely be my hate-to-love crush if I had to share a class with him, there were points when Aiden crossed the line from being grumpy and just went straight into being a huge dinkwad, which made it hard for me to root for him as a love interest. I could definitely see the potential in his character, I just wished he was fleshed out just a little bit more. At times, it was clear he was reduced to the archetype of "grumpy jerk-face" because it better furthers the plot. I had a hard time connecting with him and unfortunately his backstory didn't really help when we did come to understand why he's so against romance.

Rosie
I really enjoy female main characters who are allowed to be bright and feminine and silly, and Rosie was just that! She was a perfect amount of quirky without giving me the ick. However, she was just a liiiiitttlllleee frustrating with the choices she continuously makes throughout the book. Her character growth was a bit start and stop and it gave me a bit of whiplash.

Overall this was such a solid debut novel and I will definitely be looking out for the next book from this author! It's clear she's a romance lover herself and I for one love to feel that connection to an author when I read. And can we talk about the cover??? I'm in love.

Rosie is a girl like all of us, she loves romance books and looks for that “perfect” love that only exists in books. And well, Aiden, his college classmate, doesn't believe in real love.
Therefore, when it is their turn to present their work, they both attack each other, calling Rosie's romantic work naïve and Aiden's work depressive. When the atmosphere in the class becomes unbearable and their behaviours begin to affect the other students, the teacher decides to force them to work together to overcome their differences. Now they must write a love book but with a tragic ending.

Tropes:
🔏Rivals to lovers
🛏️Only one bed (one of the most credible and natural one beds that exist)
👩🏽‍🤝‍👨🏻Forced proximity
🔥Slow burn

The only thing that seemed a little “wrong” to me for the story was that Rosie and Aiden tend to act childish when they fight and they are meant to be graduate students. That made me doubt the book but in the end, I was able to put it aside because the plot was everything. Hence the -0.25.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.75)

Note: the book comes out in December, and it's set in winter which is perfect.

This book was an ARC gifted from @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

From the outset, Katie Holt's "Not in My Book" captivated me with its vibrant prose and intriguing premise. The novel's exploration of the literary world, particularly the clash between tradition and innovation, felt both timely and timeless. The characters, Alex and Charlie, were immediately compelling, their contrasting personalities promising a dynamic and engaging narrative.

The plot centers around two rival booksellers, Alex, a young and ambitious idealist, and Charlie, a seasoned veteran with a deep-rooted love for the classics. When their beloved bookstore faces closure, they are forced into an unlikely partnership. Their journey, filled with both professional and personal challenges, serves as a microcosm of the larger struggle within the literary industry.

Holt's writing is a standout feature of this novel. Her prose is both elegant and accessible, effortlessly weaving together humor, pathos, and thought-provoking commentary on the nature of storytelling. The characters, particularly Alex and Charlie, are remarkably well-drawn. Their complex personalities and evolving relationship provide a rich tapestry of human experience.

While the novel's pacing is generally well-executed, the conclusion felt somewhat rushed. A few more chapters could have allowed for a more satisfying resolution, providing greater depth to the characters' arcs and the overall themes explored.

"Not in My Book" is a delightful and thought-provoking novel that celebrates the power of literature. Holt's skillful storytelling, combined with her engaging characters and insightful commentary on the literary world, make this a must-read for book lovers. While the ending could have been more expansive, this is a minor quibble in an otherwise exceptional work.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Alcove Press for sharing a digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Not in My Book sounded awfully similar to both The Hating Game and Beach Read, which made me hesitant to read it at first, but I'm glad I did! The comparisons are accurate, though Not in My Book was different enough that it didn't feel like a rehash of either. I enjoyed the rivals-to-lovers romance which felt like it progressed naturally, and I loved the element of Rosie and Aiden having to write a book together (and that book reflecting the state of their relationship). It was a clever, different way of portraying what was going on with their emotions. I loved that Rosie was Peruvian-American and that I got a glimpse into her culture (I was also extra delighted to find out I had retained more high school Spanish than I'd previously realized!) One of the most special parts of the book for me was the depiction of New York City. The city came to life on the page in a visceral way that made me feel like I was there--and made a part of me want to revisit NYC at Christmastime! Not in My Book is definitely worth a read for romance lovers, and a wonderful debut by Katie Holt.

I loved this twist on enemies/annoyed to lovers! It was so cute and gets extra love for the main female character being a swiftie!!! Can’t wait to get the physical copy for my bookshelf!!

Long story short this was perfect!!

It’s witty, it’s soooo cute, it delivers on the romcom vibes, it’s very unique + creative and it’s one I think y’all should read!! Katie— 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

I read this in a span of about 4 days and it would’ve been shorter had I not had a busy week/weekend.. Once I started I couldn’t put it down. I loved the whole book within a book thing and I especially loved Aiden! 🥹

⭐️ 5/5 easily!

I loved the tension and history between both characters. You can tell they have a level of respect to each other even when they pretend not to.

I really liked this book and it would've been a five star for me if not for the third act conflict. In my opinion, the book started out great and you could really feel the tension between the main characters but something was lacking by the end of the last chapter. I didn't mind the book-within-a-book aspect of the story, I think it was actually fine and added a little fun twist to the plot, but I wished they would've talked and communicated their feelings better after pouring everything they had on their shared work. The only thing I have to point out is that the last chapters felt rushed and like some sort of filler just to get their HEA, which didn't resonate with the characters we were reading about for the rest of the book.

I desperately wanted to love this one. The premise sounded cute… enemies to lovers? I’m sold! However, the execution fell flat for me. I couldn’t connect to the characters and the writing wasnt my style.

I loved this book!! I was hooked immediately, and I finished it in a day. Their romance was so soft and sweet, the slow burn was so good. The concept of writing a book together was so unique to me, I loved the dynamic. The conflict at the end was a little bit unresolved? What is Aiden gonna do with the fellowship money... Other than that, I thought it was amazing.

Holt’s writing was almost too convincing; the hatred Aiden and Rosie had for each other was so strong it made the romance seem unbelievable… The redeeming part was how they wrote the love story together and in doing so got to see a totally different perspective of each other.

Enjoyed the banter and drama, the supporting characters were also adorable. Would recommend as a quick read and quite steamy!
Thank you NetGalley, Alcove and Katie Holt for the ARC

4⭐️

guys! i loved this book oh so much! i absolutely love enemies/rivals to lovers, and this did it perfectly!

this debut novel by katie holt has:
📖 academic rivals!
📖 grumpy x sunshine!!!!!
📖 he falls first and HARDDDD!!!!!

rosie and aiden are academic rivals, and in order to stay in one of their classes, they have to work together and co-write a novel that blends their genres! rosie is a romance writer, and aiden writes literary fiction!!!

i absolutely devoured this book!!!!!! thank you so much to katie holt, netgalley, and alcove press for the arc copy of not in my book!

Loved the excruciatingly slow burn of the rivals to lovers trope. The characters were actually relatable and likable, it was easy to root for them to be end game. It didn’t change my life, but was thoroughly enjoyable!

Not in My Book by Katie Holt 📝

“I want to be the person you picture when you’re reading and dreaming because you’re who I picture every single time.”

I’m sorry but reading a romance book about two people who are writing a romance book with characters that mirror them!? It was done so well. I loved it.

Rivals to lovers and banter are two things I can always get behind. I was hooked on the story from the very start and felt all the feelings.

It was fast paced, easy to read, and had high moments and low moments that had me wanting to know more.

A brilliant debut novel and I will definitely look out for more by this author in the future.

This is going to be all the rage for contemporary romance this fall! The two main characters are academic rivals with two different styles of writing. And when they get paired together, well… let’s just say they bump heads a lot before they do anything else. This is a cute read for sure! Definitely recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for the eARC.

OOOH the tension! Great enemies to lovers read about writers!

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read this eARC

This was a cute read, I enjoyed the whole book within a book concept, really original. Some common tropes here, enemies to lovers etc. nothing groundbreaking but a cool read all the same. Not a fan of the third act breakup (although I know it adds a level of tension to the read) and some of the spicy scenes were a little cringey. But it was a really cute romance and I do recommend it it to romance readers. Thanks netgalley and the publisher for the read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Didn’t love this one. While the premise and overall plot points had cute elements, the fmc was pretty juvenile and annoying. I didn’t get much growth from her and it disappointed me.

Not in My Book was an okay read! The whole book within a book plot was interesting. I actually found myself more interested in the fake book than the actual one. I thought the fake book's dialogue was stronger. I liked the scenes where the main characters were writing their fake book. I especially liked the first writing together scene after their dinner date. It was cute! The story starts off with Rosie and Aiden as enemies. I personally thought the "hating" each other bit was too harsh and intense. I had a hard time believing Rosie's reasons for "hating" Aiden. As a graduate student in a writing program, Rosie handled Aiden's critiques immaturely. Luckily, the hating each other act got better towards 18% of the book. Once Rosie and Aiden let their guards down, their relationship was fun to read. I liked how the author developed their relationship. Rosie and Aiden had some cute scenes together. I particularly enjoyed the cookie making scene. The classmate side characters were fine. It seemed like their only purpose was to help Rosie with Aiden. Every conversation with them always revolved around Rosie and Aiden...which got old over time. I did find their group chats funny! I wasn't a big fan of how the third-act breakup played out. I didn't like the whole twist or how Rosie handled it. I thought she handled everything childishly. The ending knocked this book down a peg for me. Despite the ending, I had a decent time reading this. Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.