I think there will be many who enjoy this book. I found that having the couple write the story together and having it be so directly aligned with their own story that it took away any suspense for me. I love enemies to lovers for the tension, but this didn’t have any because they told each other what they felt too clearly in the manuscript. It just didn’t work for me.

WOW! For a debut novel, this one really sparked in my books. I loved it!! I think the rivals to lovers was well done, they fall in love realistically, the boy messes up of course, and the girl runs away of course, and they get together in the end perfectly tied together. I was actually really impressed by how many times I laughed or smiled or giggled at this book. It's so hard to find a true academic rival to lovers and yet here it is as a DEBUT book. I can't wait to see what Katie Holt comes out with next! For now I'm gonna go rave about this one on social media!

• Thank you to NetGalley, author Katie Holt, and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read this book early •

I have many mixed feelings about this book.

First, I would like to note that the premise of the story had me! I was so excited to read this as it had somethings I enjoy in romcoms, like academic rivals to lovers as well as writers cowriting a book.

The book started out great, laying down the foundation of why our MC's are rivals and hinting at some tension and chemistry between Aiden and Rosie. However, at around 12%, our FMC Rosie started to annoy me as she was really acting very childish. But her saving grace in my eye was that she knew that she was being a pain. As the story progresses though, she starts to become a little less annoying, but I still found myself routing for the MMC, Aiden, more.

Things I liked in this book:
- it truly conveys rivals
- the relationship evolution from rivals to friends to lovers was very well done and believable
- the way New York was described during the different seasons
- how they write their true feelings in their book
- first person POV but the MMC's POV is included in the form of a chapter he has written

Things I did not like in this book:
- the number of grammar and spelling mistakes
- Rosie making being a romance writer her whole personality
- the book being waaay longer than it should have been
- OMG!! the bedroom/sexy talk was really painful to read! I hated it and the MC's at the same time.
It's like they were two different people!
- also, I was not that into the third act breakup; it felt forced, like we had to have it

HOWEVER!
With all that being said, I did want to finish the book, I didn't feel forced to pick it up. All in all, the book did pass the time.

Read this book if you want a light-hearted, fun romcom with nice banter and a well-done rivals to lovers trope.

I loved this book. 4.5 stars rounding up to 5! The beginning starts off very strong with grad school rivals Rosie and Aiden outwardly despising each other and being assigned to write their book together or get kicked out of class. The middle continues to hold my interest with the characters not being able to communicate to each other except in their writing. It is very sweet and fun to read. It falls apart a little at the end and why I take off a half star. The ending didn’t have a good flow as the rest of the book, but I understand the need for conflict and resolution with only so much of the book left.

Read this if you like:
*rivals to lovers
*NYC
*grad school characters
*both MCs are writers
*forced proxitmity
*slow burn
*grumpy/sunshine.

Thank you NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Katie Holt for an advanced digital copy of this book.

I recognized Katie's name from Bookstagram when I saw this on @netgalley and knew I had to request it. She loves romance, as I obviously do, and she always has these great recommendations on her page so I was excited to see what a romance straight from her brain would be like.

Rosie is living her dream of attending NYU in NYC and being a writing masters student. Sure, the cost of living is quite a bit more than her Tennessee hometown, but she's working to help finance her education. In one of her writing workshops, she always gets flack from Aiden because he hates romance as a genre. He's a lit fic guy, so of course. If it isn't sad, it isn't for him. The two are constantly at war when discussing each other's work. So much so that their professor assigns them a very special project to work on together. No way can they do this when they write such different things. The project forces them to get to know one another better and well, there's a thin line between love and hate. Very thin.

This had me hanging on every word. 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. Highly recommend!

Read it if you like:
✅ Enemies to lovers
✅ Forced proximity
✅ Only one bed
✅ Angst
✅ Banter
✅ Grumpy sunshine

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was cute. I love a book within a book plotline, it's always an interesting play and so fun to see how it's executed.

I will admit the beginning felt more like a high school romance than grad students. They were wildly immature and it was hard to wrap my head around them being in their late twenties.

As the book went on, it got better.

I personally liked the insight into their book and Hunter and Maxine more than Rosie and Aiden story, despite its intention of being a parallel.
I also wish we had gotten into things a little more, like Aiden and his dad, or their book, or how Aiden moved on after the later development. I feel like quite a few things were left unanswered, but I almost always want more info about the characters I get invested in.

I would rate this book a 3.5.
I would recommend it to others because it is a cute book, but it's not my favorite.

Thank you, NetGalley, Katie Holt, and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read and review Not in My Book!

Not in My Book by Katie Holt is a fun take on the classic enemies-to-lovers trope. Rosie and Aiden are academic rivals forced to collaborate on a manuscript blending romance and literary fiction. The rivalry felt authentic, with the characters constantly at each other's throats in a way that was entertaining and true to life.

The concept was intriguing, though I initially struggled with Rosie’s repetitive inner dialogue, which made it hard to feel any genuine romantic tension at first. As the story progressed, however, their relationship grew naturally, and you could really sense the chemistry between them. While I found Rosie’s character frustrating at times—stubborn and not very self-aware—I appreciated her determination and belief in herself, which added depth to her motivation as a writer.

The book was easy to dive into with straightforward writing and a mostly fast-paced narrative. While it slowed a bit in the middle, it ultimately remained an enjoyable, light read. Though it’s not a groundbreaking romance, the banter between the characters and the feel-good ending made it a cute and entertaining story overall.

This was such a fun read. I didn’t love the final argument between them. Some of that dialogue didn’t make sense to me. And I hate when someone is trying to explain themselves and the angry person cuts them off. Otherwise I devoured this book.

4.5⭐️

"Not in My Book" is a heart-warming standalone romance and also Katie Holt's debut novel.

The reasons why I loved this book are many, starting with Katie Holt's impeccable and mature writing style, It is almost hard to believe that it is the author's first novel.

"Not in My Book" is a true slow burn. Rosie and Aiden's relationship develops slowly and gradually, page after page, making it impossible not to become passionate about their story.

Rosie and Aiden seem incompatible. She is a force of nature—a positive, sunny girl who firmly believes in happy endings. In contrast, he is detached, cold, and lonely, finding Rosie's positivity almost irritating. At the beginning of the book, they consider themselves rivals, constantly poking and insulting each other. However, as they are forced to spend more time together, they begin to discover that they have a lot in common.

I found their interactions beautiful (the winter chapters were my favorites), so much so that I got butterflies in my stomach and in the end Rosie and Aiden also managed to make me emotional.

I acknowledge that there were times when they both made me angry (damned the miscommunication trope), but it's impossible not to fall in love with two characters who open up to each other through the pages of the book they're writing together.

I would have preferred a dual POV to better understand Aiden's feelings, but the author did an excellent job of capturing them through the text excerpts Aiden writes and sends to Rosie.

To sum up, 'Not in My Book' is a fantastic romance that deeply affected me emotionally, and for that reason, I am certain I will always have a beautiful memory of it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, no doubt about it. Finished it in two days. Really liked the banter between them and also liked the fact that they didn't start jumping on each other from the get go. Having said that I do feel that the behavior of our hero was many of the time really rude, borderline disrespectful even. At the last I do feel she forgave him way sooner I my liking. These are just some personal preferences.

I absolutely loved this book! I found Maxine and Hunter’s story more engaging than Rosie and Aiden’s, even though they’re the same characters.

The book offers a refreshing take on classic romance tropes—opposites attract, enemies to lovers—while adding Southern charm, Peruvian authenticity, and holiday magic. Set in New York, it perfectly captures the city’s romantic essence.

The familiar romance formula worked well for me, providing a comforting escape. The slow-burn romance, family moments, and witty banter between Rosie and Aiden were highlights.

The ending was heartwarming, and although some character stubbornness was frustrating, Maxine and Hunter’s chapters were nearly perfect. Overall, it’s a 4.5-star read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the digital review copy.

Katie Holt’s ‘Not In My Book’ is a stunning debut that I absolutely adored!

The story follows aspiring authors Rosie and Aiden, who find themselves sharing the same post-graduate writing course. Rosie is an optimistic romance writer, driven by a love for happily-ever-afters, while Aiden is a serious, grumpy literary author who dismisses the romance genre entirely. When they're forced to co-write a novel that blends their opposing styles, these rivals slowly begin to explore their undeniable attraction.

What makes this book truly stand out is the “book within a book” aspect, which adds a unique and refreshing twist to the classic enemies-to-lovers trope. Rosie and Aiden’s initial animosity makes for an incredibly slow burn, but I found myself savoring every moment as their relationship unfolded—first through the characters in their novel, then in real life. The chemistry between Rosie and Aiden is electric, filled not only with sharp banter and palpable tension but also with tender, intimate moments that gave me all the feels. I giggled, teared up, and smiled my way through this read.

Katie Holt’s writing is compelling and deeply emotional. From the very first page, I was drawn in by her ability to balance angst with lighter moments, making the story feel rich and well-rounded. Her characters, both main and supporting, are well-developed and layered, with each interaction adding depth and meaning to the narrative.

This debut exceeded my expectations in every way. I went in expecting something light and fluffy, but instead, I was treated to a story that was deeper and more emotional than I anticipated. For anyone who loves a well-written, emotionally rich romance, Not In My Book is an absolute must-read.

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

Cute rivals to lovers novel!

An easy romance novel to read with an interesting POC as a fmc and a kind of forced proximity trope.
I really enjoyed the university backdrop and the rivals to lovers side of the book. Maybe the bickering was a bit much, but it didn't run the book for me.

4+ 🌟

Thank you Alcove Press and NetGalley for my ARC.

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Katie Holt. I loved the romance between the main couple and the NY references made the city feel like one of the main characters. This is an excellent enemies-to-lovers that packs a ton of heat ( 🌶️!!) and heartfelt swoons.

I found this a touch slow to get into but once the main couples starts their book together, I couldn’t put it down. And the MMC’s bedroom persona wasn’t for me, but it wasn’t enough to turn me off the book.

Overall, I’m excited to see what Katie writes next!

I ate this book up. It was so good. I really loved the concept of adding some of the two main characters book at the end of each chapter. I felt like it really added to the story line. I loved Rosie so much and I was so happy she got her HEA. This book reavers so love and hype because I just adore it so much!

I devoured this in five hours.
The concept of this romance felt so fresh: Two up-and-coming authors are tasked with writing a manuscript together after an outburst in class forces their professor to intervene with an ultimatum.
The only issue? This pair hate each other. Will they be able to set aside their differences, and allow the manuscript to bring them closer together?

The characters are really well developed, the plot was great. I loved the addition of having manuscript excerpts in each chapter also. And I love that these develop into Rosie and Aiden confessing their feelings to each other.
The ‘slow burn’ and ‘enemies-to-lovers’ elements are well executed, considering this book is only 277 pages long. Nothing felt rushed.
I adore the cover art, also. It’s super cute!
I’d recommend this book.

Where to begin? For me, this book is a romcom masterpiece. Maybe I'm biased because I’m absolutely obsessed with enemies-to-lovers, but Rosie and Aiden’s relationship had me hooked from page one. Rosie is determined to chase her dream of becoming a romance writer and, after much sacrifice, finally gets into the writing course of her idol and mentor. The catch? Her biggest nemesis, Aiden Huntington, is also in the class—another aspiring author who’s just too "brooding" and "perfect" to write something as "trivial" as romance. The lessons quickly turn into fiery battles of critiques on each other’s novels, until their instructor gives them an ultimatum: co-write a romance without a happily ever after. But as they dive into chapter after chapter, they might just discover that the line between hate and love isn’t as wide as an ocean...
Can I give a million stars and my undying loyalty to the author? I hope so! The banter is spot-on, the chemistry between the protagonists is off the charts, and reading a book within a book is both clever and wildly entertaining.

I love a bookish book. Writers Rosie and Aiden hate each others genres. Romance for Rosie, Literary Fiction for Aiden. Their critiques reach a crescendo when they begin insulting each other. Getting to know each other these characters was so much fun...you have Rosie who's a fish out water in New York and Aiden who's a city native, their backgrounds and personalities clash, until they're forced to get along.
If you love books about writing books, passionate tempers, and peacoats this book is definitely for you.

This book did have a lot of promise, I was drawn to by the blurb and I'd heard about on Instagram. Unfortunately I didn't like the writing style so I did DNF.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the banter was cute, the characters were relatable and it hooked me from the start! I would definitely read more from Katie Holt!