The concept of this book immediately grabbed my attention. A romance centering around a romance book was something I just could not pass up. While the book is from the perspective of the FMC, Rosie, you get snippets of the MMC(Aiden) perspective through excerpts of his writing. I love how this gave a window into how Aiden was feeling during the book.

The plot developed at a nice pace and I really liked how these two grew together through the timeline of the book. It was nice seeing their friendly small moments of doing everyday things together. I think seeing the growth between them allowed you to better appreciate where they end up. I thought the banter and rivalry these two had was witty and very entertaining.

I think the ending was really sweet in so many ways. We get to know so much more about Aiden and his origin in his love of writing. The book also gives a brutal twist that brings the book forward to it's close. I do think that this was a sneaky plot development that I had a suspicion was coming but what a great way to bring about a bit of turbulence before the end! I think my only wish was that the resolution had been a bit longer. More groveling before the very sweet finale.

I really enjoyed this one and will absolutely be recommending to friends once it’s out! I can't wait to pick up my copy in December!

I liked that this was a true enemies to lovers with tension so thick you can cut it with a knife but I did feel like some parts might have been longer than they had to be? I found myself a bit bored at moments. I also don’t know how I feel about the problem they had towards the end? To me that felt a little unnecessary.

I was able to easily envision this book as a hallmark movie lol I loved the little Christmas in NYC

Not in My Book is an enemies to lovers romance about two students in a literature workshop who cannot seem to get on the same page. Rosie adores romance while Aiden has no patience for it, and they are quick to defend their stances.. When their bickering becomes disruptive to the class, their professor gives them an ultimatum. They have to write a manuscript together and it has to be a romantic story without a happily ever after.

This was a cute read. Parts of the manuscript they coauthor are included, propelling the story. If you’re looking for a good enemies/rivals to lovers story, give this one a try.

5-star slow burn romance! ✨

Not in My Book was a perfect slow burn romance that had me giggling, emotional at times, and always excited for the next chapter. It was unputdownable and had me staying up until 2 AM because I couldn’t put it down!

Katie’s writing made me connect with the characters and root for them all the way through, taking me on a heartfelt rollercoaster that I didn’t want to end. 🥹💕🎢

This book is a vibe for anyone who loves:
✨ Grumpy x Sunshine
✨ Enemies and rivals to lovers
✨ Dual(ish) POV
✨ Family dynamics
✨ Forced proximity
✨ One bed (yes, please!)
✨ Academia setting
✨ Taylor Swift references
✨ NYC / NYC at Christmas backdrop
✨ Unexpected spice (in the best way) 🔥❤️‍🔥

Two of my favorite quotes:

💫 “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.”

💫 “You haven’t said pretty please a day in your life, especially to me. If you want me to do something, it comes with a death threat.”

I loved this book, and it is the perfect book to cozy up with through the holiday season! 🥰

Thank you to NetGalley, Katie Holt, and Alcove Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

THE TENSION in this book was so good. I adored the main characters and felt they were very realistic and well done, did I mention the tension? The fact that they spoke to each other through the book they were writing was so creative and really added a layer to their dynamic. I was sad to let this one come to an end,
This is a true rivals to lovers slow burn that really didn't feel like they were going to ever be lovers in the beginning. When they start writing together is when things truly start to take a turn and I got deep in my feels. However, I could see some people give up or DNF before that point because it takes a second to get there.
Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Perfect Fit has everything I look for in a five star romance, and so much more.

Amazing empowering FMC? Check.

Supportive, caring MMC? Double check.

No third act breakup? CHECK!

Did I mention that @authortarahdewitt did the blurb for this book? So yeah, it has her seal of approval too. 😘

Whenever I stumble across an ARC like this, I feel like I struck gold and want to hoard it like gollum. This book is my precious. 🥹

Believe me when I tell you this is a book you won’t want to sleep on pre-ordering. It is absolute perfection.

My Favorite Quotes:
🚲“Nobody ever gets anywhere interesting when things are comfortable.”

🚲”I want my existence to be meaningful,”

🚲”You have to get through something, come out on the other side of it, before you’re allowed to admit how bad things got.”

🚲”You have to grab the pieces of yourself you want to hang on to and let go of the rest of it, then move forward anyway, the best you can.”

🚲”You deserve to be treated with kindness,”

🚲”It’s always been like this. Anxiety equals productivity. You’re panicking? Do something. Don’t do something about it.
Just do something.”

🚲”I’ve been self-medicating with work ethic.”

🚲”For once in your life, stop worrying what strangers think of you.”

🚲”Which feels like a fate we deserve and a peace we earned.”

Thank you so much to @smpromance, @claregilmorewrites , and @netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review

Not In My Book is an enemies to lovers romance that follows Rosie and Aiden, a romance writer and a literary fiction writer, who are forced to write a book together after their workshop professor is fed up with their bickering during class. However, as they begin to write their part romance, part litfic novel, the lines between fiction and reality start to blur and Rosie and Aiden have to decipher between their real feelings and the ones they are writing on the page.

I loved this book! I know when a romance is good if 1) makes me cry or 2) makes me feel like there was an elephant sitting on my chest. And this book made me feel both. Even though this was a contemporary enemies to lovers romance, the enemies part actually seemed real. The qualms Rosie and Aidan had with each other made sense with the plot of the story and for the characters. My favorite part of their romance was the banter. The way Rosie would insult Aiden and then in her inner monologue compliment him was a treat to read. Holt did a great job creating tension between Rosie and Aiden, even when they weren’t in the same room (if you know you know…)

Though this book was very fast paced, spanning over a whole school year, every single character was fully fleshed out. I would recommend this book to any one who dreams of having their own enemies to lovers romance or a writer who is longing for love they write in their own books.

Omg, this book is amazing! From the moment I read the blurb, I knew I had to read it and it did not disappoint at all!!

Aiden and Rosie are two graduate students and arch-nemesis forced to write a novel together. As they slowly get to know each other and use their novel to explore their feelings for each other, the lines between reality and fiction start to blur. It was fun to see their characters mirrored in the novel they were writing and I loved the build up in Rosie and Aiden’s relationship.

I couldn't stop reading and grabbed at my kindle every chance I got. I really liked the characters and the way everything was structured. This book was adorable and swoon-worthy! I was hooked right from the beginning - the banter, the tension, and the lovable side characters had me devouring this book in one sitting. I'm looking forward to read more from this author in the future.

If you enjoy rivals-to-lovers with some humor and lots of romantic tropes, this book is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

This was a true enemies to lovers novel. 2 grad school students in the same writing class that constantly bicker about their respective writing genre choices, when the teacher finally had enough and said either they drop the class or write together. It was a fun and engaging read. I found myself not able to put it down! I would definitely recommend this book!

In Not in My Book by Katie Holt Rosie Maxwell and Aiden Huntington are exact opposites who can't seem to see each other eye-to-eye because they completely hate each other. It all started with their different preferences for the kind of books they write. Aiden wrote literary fiction books but Rosie preferred romance books with happy endings. Aiden never missed a chance to berate Rosie in every lesson that Ida their teacher was presiding over, and Rosie came to loathe him as well. It became so bad that the class could only witness their unpleasant insult exchanges until their teacher could not take it anymore and so she had to find a way to make this work. The only way she could think of was to put the two enemies on the same side for the class to find much-needed peace The only way she could think of was to make them write the same book, and if not, they had to quit her class, which they could not afford to do. So they take on the difficult task of trying to work together to avoid being kicked out of class.

I like the high level of hate the author has managed to put between these two main characters; it leaves the readers wondering where this huge line of hate will lead them, making them anticipate what will happen next. The level of anticipation is likewise being heightened by the twists and turns of the story, When the readers think that now things are so bad and it is all over, the author takes a different path. Also, with the characters being writers of books whose endings should be different, readers were left wondering whether it would be a happy ending or otherwise and this makes the book exceptionally charming.

I did not like the level of profanity in the book, but the book is still interesting.

I rate this book, Not in My Book by Katie Holt, 5 out of 5 for the above reasons.

I recommend the book to those readers who love enemies-to-lovers stories. They will like this one in particular because the author has heightened the level of hatred between the main characters, They will then judge for themselves whether 'there’s indeed a thin line between love and hate.

Format: Ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Release Date: 10th Dec 2024

📚Enemies-to-lovers
📚Opposite attract
📚Intercultural romance (Peruvian vs American)
📚Grumpy-Sunshine
📚Dual POV
📚Fiction writer MMC - Romance writer FMC

The description perfectly captures it: this story is *The Hating Game* meets *Beach Read*—two of my all-time favorites in one book! I was destined to love it.

I adored how Rosie and Aiden’s story was intertwined with their book characters, Max and Hunter. It was beautiful, fun, and romantic. I loved every aspect of their journey from enemies to friends to lovers. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.

However, I did feel that the story fell a bit short during Rosie and Aiden’s third-act breakup. It could have been handled more maturely, and the added drama felt unnecessary.

Despite that, this book is one of my most interesting and unique reads of the year.

I loved this so much! Such a refreshing and unique story. An enemies to lovers trope and a slow burn love affair - just my type of books. I laughed and cried and felt a hundred other emotions.
Thank you for this arc & wonderful love story!!

This book was so good. Their dynamic, banter, the tension building periodically, it all kept me in the edge of my seat. Reading those tiny details showing that he was obsessed with her before they started the book together? amazing. A romance book about writing a romance book was not in my bingo card for this year, but Lord, am I happy I got to read it.
I think the author giving tips in how to approach a slow burn romance for their "assignment" was so funny, but it worked out in the long run, moreover when the enemies to lover started, and their book started forming as their love story. Completely and disgustingly cute, and I am living for it.
I ended up emotionally stunt after finishing the story.
I cannot put into words how good this book was, how it immerse me in their story and everything felt so natural, flowing like a nice breeze in the Tennessee mountains, not like some fictions books that sometimes feel forced.

I really enjoyed the authors writing style and it writing flowed really well.

I struggled with connecting with the characters and their banter was more of bickering and I just couldn’t get invested in their love story.

I think others are definitely going to love this book even if I struggled with the characters! This is definitely a fun romance. Who doesn’t love a book about romance books!

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

The truth was I liked her no matter what she did, no matter what she said. - Aiden Huntington

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review :)

Wow, that was amazing 😭 This was a true rivals to lovers experience where they DID NOT hold back when hurling insults at each other despite feeling initial attraction towards each other. Now this, I was a bit apprehensive for honestly because I always feel like the trope doesn’t show their initial hatred well enough and dives straight into the romance and also because we got to see Rosie’s pov first, we understood that she still felt some attraction towards him internally (understandable). However, there wasn’t any clear romantic tension between the two for quite awhile so I was worried their romance wouldn’t live up to my expectations (I was wrong 🥳).

The number of times I swooned from Aiden’s lines, or related to Rosie being such a hopeless romantic at heart, or her feeling as if she wasn’t ‘full peruvian’ due to being unable to speak the language fluently and being raised in the states would be immeasurable 😭 I exceptionally LOVED the concept of this book, I’ve never actually seen this ever done before and you best believe I was eating that uppp. The way that they were indirectly confessing their feelings through the perspectives of their characters?? (🥹🥹) THE GROVELLING?? okay the grovelling I did like and felt like it was strong but at the end, I felt like Rosie forgave Aiden too fast? I feel like if that was prolonged justtt a little bit longer or if they had communicated more and established an idea of their relationship being secured if that makes sense? I know Rosie and Aiden are endgame but I would’ve just liked to see more, I felt like the ending was too rushed. All in all, this was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, especially considering this is a debut!! I really really enjoyed this book, and am so excited to have discovered such an great author! Excited to read more of your work!!

I wasn't so sure what to expect coming into this book and I have to say, I was not disappointed. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I really enjoyed this book. It's a romance but it's not too romance-y if that makes sense. And I just found it very easy to read. I think my patrons at the library will love this book!

“Romance had shaped my world view, molding how I lived with optimism and hope. I wanted to give that to someone else.”

It was cute. Just not as special as i thought it would be. I really liked the concept of a book within a book, but if we are talking about the character’s writing skills… well just writing yourself into the story lacks creativity. So i would have liked if the book within it was more fleshed out too. Also some things the characters in that book within a book said didn’t make sense in their story but just in the main characters.

I did like the main characters. Their development was sometimes good but other times it felt weirdly paced. (needing chapters of chapters for her to realize something just to immediately be really bold about it even though that doesn’t mach her personality)

In general the pacing was really random. I did enjoy the romance of the characters, but the fight in the end wasn’t necessary at all. It was just annoying.

Overall fun little read!

2.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Honestly, I was expecting to love this book. I mean a book within a book, “meets beach read” and the cover is so cute. However, maybe because of my high expectations, this book did not do it for me.

Though this book is super easy to read, and has some adorable moments between the characters, I just could not connect with them. The mmc specifically was not very likeable. While, I believe, the idea was for him to be grumpy, he ended up just coming off as being mean. And, as for the fmc, a lot of the times it was frustrating to be in her head as she was intolerable.

Not in My Book is pure, unadulterated fun. Rosie and Aiden’s fiery chemistry ignites the page, and their witty banter is like a delicious rollercoaster ride. i love this kind of enemies-to-lovers duo that makes you want to fan yourself and roll your eyes at the same time. Their chemistry is off the charts. It's like the perfect blend of The Hating Game and Beach Read, with a dash of Peruvian spice. Katie Holt has created a world that's as addictive as your favorite guilty pleasure TV show. If you love a good laugh, a swoony romance, and characters you’ll never forget, then Not in My Book is an absolute must-read.

You know when you're reading a book and can almost immediately tell how much you're going to love it, how perfect the story is going to hit, and how connected you'll feel to it?

That was me with Not in my Book. I'm finding words hard to describe how much I adored this story - Aiden and Rosie are everything to me and it's hands down now one of my favorite reads of the year. The vibes are PERFECT - reminiscent of a Nora Ephron movie with Swiftie undertones, a blend of culture and classics.

Fans of Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, and Ali Hazelwood: please read this book!