What happens when opposites write a book together? Read Not in My Book to find out. It was a fabulous romance read.

Read this if you like:
- Enemies to lovers
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Co-writing partners
- Spice
- Dates at bookshops

A bit predictable for my taste and the general tone felt immature, but overall I had a great time reading it.
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Pub Date Dec 10 2024

Thank you to the author, Alcove Press and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

**Thank you for the ARC!! All opinions are completely my own.** 4.5 stars. Sizzling, magical, and rewarding. I absolutely loved and flew through this read. Recommended for enthusiasts of enemies-to-lovers and aspiring authors. I know is a giant overlap, and if you’re in it, this is the book for you!

Loved this book! I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers and absolutely loved the plot of this book. The romance and chemistry between the main characters was perfect! I'm typically not a huge fan of third act breakup, but I did not mind this one as much. Overall, this was a fun and steamy book that I'd definitely recommend to others!

What to Expect:
- Enemies to lovers
- Writing rivals
- Co writing partners
- Steamy scenes
- Peruvian fmc
- Dates at bookshops

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the chance to read/review this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So I love the characters of this book. Rosie being a romantic while Aiden is a kinda cynic makes the story feel real.

Pros:
-The way they communicated their feelings through the book was adorable and I was hooked on every word.
-The friendships Rosie had with her group felt like a real group chat I would have with my friends, making it feel more relatable
-The slow burn of the relationship between Rosie and Aiden left me wanting more every chapter and I had a hard time putting it down

Cons:
-Sometimes the conversations between Rosie and Aiden felt kinda juvenile for their age.
-I could see the plot twist of Aiden entering into the writing competition a mile away so I was not surprised by that
-The teacher didn’t contribute much to the story line as I wanted her to

Overall I love the story and how well written it was. I do wish some scenes felt more age appropriate for the characters but in the overall grand scheme, I loved the story and the plot was something I haven’t seen before

This was a really satisfying, slow-burn enemies to lovers. I loved the main characters, their personalities and their banters!!

"Not in My Book" follows the unlikely collaboration of two upcoming authors. But there's a catch: They write in completely different.

I was so excited to read this because academic rivals to lovers is one of my favorite romance genre. I really did try to like this book, especially since I liked the author's writing. Ultimately, this book had so much potential, but it felt flat for me. I enjoyed the book within a book concept since it allowed us to see a glimpse of the other character’s perspective. I found myself getting giddy over their writings for their book. While the writing was engaging and well-done, the characters fell flat for me. Strong characters are a must-have in my romance novels, and unfortunately, this one didn't quite deliver in that area. I had a tough time connecting with the characters– I found them immature for their age to be honest. As much as I love rivals to lovers trope, their banters felt disrespectful and off-putting.

If you enjoy light-hearted romance books, especially with the rivals to lovers and forced proximity trope, you might still like this! I still find this a decent book since I enjoyed the writing and concept. Unfortunately, it just isn’t for me. I am still excited to read more from Katie Holt in the future tho. Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Reviews posted in Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6675732724) and Instagram story.

This was a fun book. I read it over a short flight and I enjoyed the dual narrative of Aiden and Rosie.

Rosie's family were great and cracked me up every time they popped up. The enemies to lovers trope was done well and I believed that they really hated one another from their outbursts in class.

The side characters were well thought out - I'd happily read a whole book about Alexa!

I liked the elements of their novel cropping up at the start and end of each chapter. The way they talked through their writing was pretty cute.

Katie, Katie…Katie!!!

WOW. I’ve read numerous enemies to lovers in my days, but this one is just WOW.

If you’re into these, this is for you:
💋 Enemies (rivals) to lovers
💋 Grumpy sunshine
💋 He falls HARD
💋 SPICE with a hint of secondhand embarrassment

First, my compliments to making our couple actually despise each other. It genuinely felt like they hated each other with very little tension. It was like my skin was lit on fire every time they started throwing insults at each other I really thought they would give in and just hate fuck already. Oh boy was I wrong, the slow burn for this couple was everything I could’ve wanted and more.

A little background (with no spoilers):
Rosie and Aiden are two writers who basically despise each other's genres but have to team up to write a book together. The way that this book is written is through the perspective of Rosie, but there are snippets of their book throughout which is based on their own relationship. A good portion of the slow burn aspect occurs through these scenes, and I felt so connected to both of them. I never questioned Aiden’s feelings because even though we didn’t get anything from his perspective, you saw it come to life in his writing. So seriously big kudos to that. Some books fall flat trying to write a book inside a book but this one, NOPE. I was blushing and binging this book as a specific scene (iykyk) 😉

The only scene I think I had an issue with was their final fight before the makeup. I can’t explain it but it didn’t feel as explosive as I thought it might be. It’s explained later in the makeup, but honestly, I think it should’ve been more Rosie and Aiden.

I loved that this book was gripping but also an easy read. It was the perfect way to distract myself from the evils of work. I cannot believe that this is her debut novel. CHEFS KISS MAAM 💋

Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc!! i was initially interested in this book due to the adorable cover, i wont lie. this is a cute college set story that did not disappoint :D

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rosie is a Taylor-Swift-loving, happily-ever-after-writing romance author with big dreams of making it as a writer in New York. Aiden Huntington, Rosie’s nemesis and brooding literary fiction writer, has his career all figured out. That is, until a very public fight between he and Rosie lands them in their advisor’s office with an ultimatum: co-write a novel or say goodbye to the class. Despite their supposed hatred for each other, Rosie and Aiden can’t seem to stop writing themselves into the story. As they become more vulnerable with each other and romance begins to bloom on the page, Rosie and Aiden can no longer deny the feelings that have grown between them.

Not In My Book thrives on the contrast between Rosie's optimism and Aiden's cynicism. Their witty arguments are a highlight, transitioning seamlessly into genuine vulnerability as they reveal more of themselves through their co-written story. The concept of a romance blossoming within a collaborative novel adds a unique layer, making you invested not only in their relationship but also in the fate of their fictional world. (And that spicy collab was 🥵)

Enemies to lovers writing about enemies to lovers. Such a raw read that made me enjoy the characters. I slowly got into the book until I couldn’t put it down.

Book review will be posted on the podcast

The characters are wonderfully relatable. The author’s vivid descriptions and engaging dialogue make it easy to get lost in the story. This novel is a delightful read that leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling and a renewed belief in the power of love. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a feel-good romance!

This book is SO cute. The author writes so well. Rosie is so easy to relate to. As a reader, she definitely reminds me of myself. Aiden is pretty much perfect. He fights for what he wants, and he KNOWS what he wants. Even the side characters were memorable. There was nothing wrong with this book and I will definitely be purchasing it for me and maybe my friends.

Okay, let me start by saying: WOW. "Not in My Book" by Katie Holt is an absolute gem and easily one of my top three favourite romance reads ever! If you're looking for a fresh, fun, and unique romance, grab this book ASAP.

So, the premise? Total book-ception. We’ve got Rosie, a passionate Peruvian American from Tennessee who heads to New York with big writing dreams. Enter Aiden, her archnemesis, a literary fiction snob with zero patience for the romance genre. They’re stuck in the same writing class, and thanks to their fed-up professor, they have to co-write a novel. Cue the tension!

The whole co-writing a novel thing? Genius. Seeing Rosie and Aiden pour bits of themselves into their manuscript made their journey even more personal and engaging. Plus, the added tension of them competing for a career-changing opportunity kept the stakes high and the pages turning.

The banter between Rosie and Aiden? Top-notch. I was laughing, gasping, and eagerly flipping pages to see what snarky remark or steamy moment would come next. The chemistry between these two is electric and so well-developed that you can't help but root for them.

And let’s talk about the spice. Yes, there’s spice, but it’s not just thrown in for the sake of it. Every spicy scene adds depth to Rosie and Aiden’s relationship and fits perfectly into the storyline. It’s hot, but it’s also meaningful—exactly how it should be.

What I absolutely loved is that this book kept me guessing right until the very end. You think you know where it's going, and then bam! A twist. It’s refreshing to read a romance where the ending isn’t totally predictable.

In short, "Not in My Book" is an absolute must-read. It's available on December 10th, 2024 - so keep your eye out for it! It’s fun, fresh, and filled with fantastic characters and a plot that keeps you hooked. Katie Holt has nailed it with this one. Five stars all the way!

Such a good beach read! Loved the characters, i laughed, cried! Really enjoyed it!
I give this book 4.5stars! And will definitely recommend it to my friends!

I'm actually obsessed with this book. I read it in one sitting, and even though it had a few tropes I'm not too keen on, like grumpy sunshine, and it did remind me a bit of Beach Read at first, but I really liked it! I loved how the love interest and the main character worked through everything together! The LI was so swoony and cute, and I absolutely loved starting this book after a long day and finding the escapism I needed. It really is something I'd come back to if I wasn't having a good time, and I think that's the best thing a romance novel can do for me!

NOT IN MY BOOK

Katie Holt

After a long-term relationship break up Rosie leaves Tennessee to start her masters in NYC. Where Rosie meets her writing nemesis Aiden. Rosie is planning her Romance Novel for her class while Aiden tries to break down her genre with harsh critiques. After endless fighting their Professor has had enough and they are forced to work together on their thesis novel or get kicked out of the class.

The banter in Not In My Book is amazing. I loved the plot and how the main characters communicated. I also loved the side characters. I really appreciate it when the Author puts work into the side characters, it helps to round out the story.

As a reader who loves romance books and reading about an Author who writes about romance, you are cheering Rosie on while she fights for our genre. But it is hard not to fall in love with the broody fic-lit writer, Aiden, as well!

I give Not In My Book 5/5 stars! I really enjoyed the whole book, and would recommend it to any friends who love a great romance book with a little bit of spice.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read Not In My Book, I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy!!

Graduate school rivals forced to pair up to write a romance novel for a writing class while simultaneously falling in love themselves??? I was SCREAMING for the majority of this book 🤩😍

This book has:
•Academic rivals to lovers 📖✍️: The heroine is a hopeless romantic romance writer, and the hero is a massive romance skeptic who writes literary fiction
•Grumpy x sunshine ☀️
•He falls first and harder! This man was truly down bad from the second he saw the heroine

The leads giving us dual POVs through their characters was *chefs kiss*. I have never read anything quite like this, and I can't wait to see what the author writes next.

Thank you to Alcove Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Holy s***!!!!!! Not sure if I can cuss here but this book deserves it! In the best way possible. Also writing this at 2 am after starting it at 9 pm last night. Words cannot describe how obsessed I am with Rosie and Aiden. The beginning started to sound like Beach Read by Emily Henry but it quickly morphed into something all its own. The enemies to lovers was hitting hard. Sure, the tension was there but no action to become more. Then they had to work together. GASP. And it just went up hill from there. The little stolen moments. The touches. The writing SPICE together. Getting to know each other. Then there was conflict at like 90% in. We didn’t get much conflict after they got together so I did feel like it was needed. It was a surprise conflict but not that out there. It was resolved fairly quickly but not in a bad way and we get our HEA. And the way we got glimpses into Aiden’s head by way of excerpts at the end of each chapter was so genius. This book was absolutely incredible and I loved every single second. Can we talk about Aiden’s filthy mouth though!!! And his peacoat and sweaters?! SWOON. Please please please do yourself a favor and pick this one up in December for a short, sweet, banter-y, spicy, swoon-y book that will have you staying up till 2 am to finish.

My fave quotes. There were a lot of them but these made my heart pitter patter.

The last thing I ever expected was for Aiden’s laugh to make me feel like the drive home after a long day.

I don’t want to be everyone else to you.

You shouldn’t have to beg someone for the bare minimum.

There’s nothing wrong with closed door romance, but I preferred it when the door was taken off the hinges.

I’ve gotten good at pretending I hate you, but I can’t pretend I don’t know how you taste anymore.

I wish I was your shadow so I could never be apart from you.