I want to thank netgalley for allowing me to read the ARC, Not In My Book! It was a cute romance/comedy that had me invested in Rosie and Aiden's rivals.

I give it 3.5 stars because i wish it had more comedy, and the slow burn was very slow for me. I have to admit that there was spice in the book, but I wish it had more romance!

Rosie and Aiden are in a literature class together. They have such a fury with each other that in order to stay in class, they need to work together. They can't stand each other and keep trying to change their book to what they want. Rosie is a romantic and Aiden is not!

I do love that it takes place in the Big Apple. I also liked that it's a great Christmas/winter read. Not in my book makes you want to have a blanket and hot chocolate while you read.

I adored this book. The banter was strong, the growth from enemies to friends to more was well timed and they both admitted to their own issues. While, of course, there was some lack of communication (gotta have conflict) they did finally figure themselves out and the payoff was great. Aiden and Rosie are really lovely together and challege each other while also supporting one another. Adding snippets of the book they write together in as chapter segues or within chapters was so charming (I want to read that book too!) and I love the play within a play/book within a book idea. So fun.

The side characters are also excellent, both meddling and observing while not being overpowering by any means.

I cannot wait to read more from Katie Holt!

Not in My Book
By: Katie Holt
3.5-4 stars

What a fun, interesting story. I loved the New York vibes and the writers storyline!!

So Rosie and Aiden are both writers at NYU and have had some overlap in classes. Rosie thinks he's a jerk and thus the enemies to lovers start! They are constantly at each other's throats and their professor tries to kick them out of her class. Rosie begs for them to stay and swears they will get along. The professor allows them to stay but only if they co-write a novel that blends both of their genres. They reluctantly agree and slowly a friendship blossoms.

While they write the process allows them to confess their feelings for one another through the characters in the book. This was angsty, good banter, slow burn, enemies to lovers, and a curve ball thrown in at the end. Rosie and Aiden find themselves competing against each other in a career changing scholarship.

Overall this was such a fun read but it was only Rosie's POV and I would have loved to have gotten Aiden's POV. That probably would have bumped this to a 4.5!

this debut novel was sooo cutie! omg there was so many moments that I was just giggling over!! Some tropes include enemies to lovers, forced proximity, secret crush, THE PINING!!!! ugh it was perfect!! Aiden is such a little grumpy grump and Rosie is our helpless romantic💕 our man was sooo down bad for her and that really stole the show for me! There’s just something about the pining and yearning!

This is v niche but if you absolutely loooved beach read but ever wondered what they would have been like in their writing program, this is it!!!

The banter was top tier!! The friend groups and supporting characters were amazing and overall this book was such a fun, light hearted cute book!!

Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press for proving me an arc in exchange for this review<3

Aiden: “I’m writing for an audience that cares about more than overdone tropes and unrealistic men.”

Rosie: “I lived and breathed the rules of romance novels and rule number one was the Happily Ever After.”

“Love wouldn’t seem worth it without the risk of losing it.”

Not in My Book is the debut novel by Katie Holt with a book inside a book! Calling out all romance novel tropes, this book will have you invested and swooning quickly!

Rosie is a Peruvian American from Tennessee, trying to make it in school in NY as a writer. She is a dreamer who never met a trope she didn’t like or a Happily After Ending she didn’t find fitting. Aiden, on the other hand, is a smart, good-looking realist, literary fiction writer who doesn’t believe in romance. When their “arguments” become too much in class, their professor assigns them the task of writing a book together that combines both romance and literary fiction. But as their writing begins to express their feelings for each other through their characters, the “thin line between love and hate” still remains begging the question – which side of the line will they fall on?

What a new, fun, creative way to write a slow-burn, close proximity, leave-you-wanting-more novel about what goes into writing a book! I loved the supporting characters and the texting conversations – there was a real feeling of friendship and comradery that flowed off the pages. I think Rosie got a little too “woe is me” at times, and Aiden too hard around the edges, but it worked for this “rivals turned lovers” theme. I did find it a tad unrealistic that they would put their feelings in words that then would be read out loud to the whole class, however. (I also, do not speak Spanish but was able to infer what was being said.)

There was one scene closer to the end where Rosie and Aiden were writing their book together, and it was SO GOOD! The epitome of a good romance book scene without them even being in the same room! Holt definitely has a bright future in front of her – and I will be buying whatever she writes next.

4 adorable stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for this creative arc! All opinions are my own.

“Love is always worth fighting for.”

“Words were the deadliest weapons Max and I had.”

(As a fun side note, I read Is She Really Going Out With Him by Sophie Cousens right before reading this, and some of the similarities - with romance novel tropes - were fun to see back-to-back!)

Rosie and Aiden hate each other with a burning passion, but when they are assigned the task of writing a manuscript together, sparks fly.

What a treat it was to read this absolute gem of a book!!! Katie Holt has created one of the most unique romance books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I loved that we are able to see the characters and their flaws so clearly. Was there a third act break-up? Yes, but it was not your run of the mill split. The way these characters messed up is exactly how they knew they would, and they still got their HEA!!! As a fellow southern, Swiftie, romance reader Rosie is a girl after my own heart. This was truly one of the best debut books I’ve ever read, and I am so excited to see what else Holt has to come!!!

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

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

3.5 stars

"But know that every single time I fuck up, I'll come home to you. We'll work together to make it better because we won't abandon each other. We'll make mistakes, we'll learn lessons, and we'll be tested. But we'll come out so much stronger on the other side."

This was a fairly cute read that I got through pretty fast, but it didn't knock my socks off.

Aiden was a great MMC, though I thought he could be overly aggressive at times and it was almost a shock to the system, some of the stuff he would say to Rosie. But his development was pretty great and I loved where his character ended up by the end.

But most of my issues are with Rosie. In the beginning, she came off pretty young to me and that wasn't what I was looking for in this book. As time went on, she seemed better to me and I was cruising through the book, but the end was a big red flag for me. I really didn't enjoy the third act breakup. It felt pretty late in the book, and I think Rosie was being absolutely ridiculous. Not that Aiden didn't have his fuck ups, but her reaction was way overkill imo.

Overall, this was a lukewarm romance that got some additional points because Aiden had some 🤌 moments.

Not in my book was so cute and the perfect palette cleanser. Loved the characters in this and their banter and the beginning was so fun to read. Really enjoyed how the author made New York City a character in itself. And any book that talks about books with enemies to lovers I am there. I had a great time reading this book. Was a quick read too. Thank you @stmartinspress for the chance to read

I really wanted to like this book and from the description it sounded like a great premise but something about it did not work for me.

Rosie and Aiden are in a grad school writing class together and cannot get along. When their professor becomes frustrated with their constant fighting she tells them they need to work together to write a book.

This book includes some of my favorite things to read about -- New York, especially during the holidays and writers. I felt very annoyed with Rosie and a lot of her actions -- she felt pretty immature and inconsistent. They did have some good chemistry and I did enjoy the parts about New York a lot.

While this one wasn't for me I will read the next book by Katie Holt!

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

This is a delightful read that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a sweet and sassy rom-com. It creatively blends several classic romance tropes—rivals/enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract, and forced proximity—infused with a charming mix of Southern and Peruvian vibes, all set against the lively backdrop of New York. The book is full of quotable moments, and I found myself revisiting certain scenes to savor the clever dialogue. Fans of traditional romance themes will love this one.

There were moments when Rosie’s stubbornness felt a bit exhausting, but in the end, it only made the payoff of her and Aiden finally embracing their feelings that much more satisfying. You know that feeling when you just want characters to "shut up and kiss already"? Yeah, it’s like that, in the best way. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I hope you give it a read!

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>

❤ 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!!