This book was everything! It right away started with the tension and banter and I was HERE FOR IT!
Here’s the basic premise: two MFA candidates can’t stop bickering so are forced to write a novel together. He does litfic. She’s all romance. Hilarity ensues.
Holt perfectly nailed the right proportion of “I hate him” to “he’s attractive”. This is why enemies to lovers is my favorite. She hates him but she’s obsessed with him. And she’s obsessed with him because he’s attractive. Strong emotions are complicated.
Every enemies to lovers plot line needs a project to keep the two coming together, and the fact that these two have to write a book together because their mutual obsession is disrupting the class is such a well utilized literary device.
I also hate how some people harp on romance as a genre, when in actuality it’s one of the most profitable. I also find a lot of literary fiction to be dull. So, YOU GO GIRL, DEFEND THAT ROMANCE THING! Also always love a book within a book. I found myself becoming just as invested with that story. The book is used as a study into what makes a good romance novel, from character studies of emotion, to the Happily Ever After. And then it all is reflected back at us through examples both in the main story and the book within a book. I loved the fact that the author managed to fit in all the tropes without it feeling forced.
“The last thing I ever expected was for Aiden’s laugh to make me feel like the drive home after a long day.” How good is that line? It encompasses EVERYTHING about finding comfort in someone.
The cover art is super adorable. I would definitely pick this book off a shelf even if I didn’t get a free copy from Net Galley.
This book is so worth your time. Make it a must-read, NOW!

I was lucky to receive this book as an ARC reader from Net Galley. This book released in December of this year! This book follows Aiden Huntington and Rosie Maxwell who despise each other (or do they really). They are both striving to be published authors and making their way in New York. I loved how this book brought Rosie’s culture into it and really delved into that topic. I loved the topic regarding Aiden’s mother, however I wish it were discussed and explored a bit further. There were some really spicy scenes which I loved 🌶️. The only downfall this book has for me is the total lack of communication on both parts, it was almost immature at some points for me! Now just because I didn’t enjoy it doesn’t mean others won’t, it’s just a personal preference of mine! At some points, it felt like they hated each other just for the sake of it. It didn’t feel like there was strong character development on Rosie’s part but I feel Aiden did show some character development throughout the story. It was quite fast paced in the beginning but all the miscommunication really dragged it out towards the end. It wasn’t my favourite book but it definitely wasn’t bad by any means so I’d give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not in My Book is every romance reader’s DREAMMMMM! This book is actually everything to me!! A book within a book???? I’m THERE.

The plot is perfection….. academic/writing rivals Rosie & Aiden (who literally can’t stand each other) have to cowrite a romance book for their class. The duo basically writes messages (love letters) to each other throughout their book. As the novel progresses, Rosie & Aiden’s characters begin to slowly get to know each other on a deeper level & fall in love……… and the same begins to happen in real life.

“I'd lived in this city for my whole life. Every milestone and moment of my history was written into the streets here. But all of them had been easily replaced with memories of her…Even if it surmounted to nothing, and she left me only with memories, I'd take them all.”

Rosie made me feel so SEEN as a lover of the romance genre and a girly from Tennessee. Her passion for her art is so fun to read about. Aiden (or should I say Clark Kent) is one of my new favorite MMCs!!! He is so obsessed with his girl!!! The tension, bickering, and banter is so top-tier, especially for a debut?? I am in awe of Katie’s writing. All of the scenes were SO GOOD (I was dyingggg at the Christmas scenes). AND AIDEN BUYING HER BOOKS??? I also thought the setting is so well written it made me want to fly to New York immediately.

“I had the time of my life making you mad but loving you has been so much better."

By the time I got to the end, I had tears welling in my eyes. So so so so good.

I highly enjoyed Not in My Book by Katie Holt!
Katie wrote such an interesting male protagonist in Aiden. Great intrigue. I found his life interesting and the scenes written with the banter between them were top-notch. Katie is very good at dialogue. The classroom scenes are stellar and the part where they begin writing together.

The forced writing pairing was fantastic and it took quite a while for Rosie to find her footing but she did. I would have liked a stronger female heroine but perhaps Katie will in her future writings. This was a great debut start from the gate by Katie Holt.

Good story with great dialogue, and supporting characters.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher Alcove Press for the opportunity to read and review the wonderful book Not in My Book by Katie Holt.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for this ARC!
First of all, I want to mention how little I’ve slept because the only thing in my mind was I HAVE TO KEEP READING. Finished at 5:30 am and I regret nothing. Great book with flawed but lovable characters. I love that from the beginning I could imagen every scene that I was reading. One of the things that caught my eye about the book is that it said it have the grumpy sunshine/ enemies to lovers which was, in my opinion, executed really good! I loved all the bickering and every time something sweet happened it had me giggling. Another thing I liked it’s the mix of the story of the main characters and the characters that they are writing together. At first, I didn’t know how I felt with having their characters of their novel have essentially the same story line from theirs but it just made sense to have it that way!
Some things in the story were predictable but it’s not something I’m mad about. I got too attached to the characters and once I have the physical copy it’ll be underlined, highlighted, and written all over.

Some things I kept saying while reading :

* she left the books 😭
* Girl just tell him!!!
* I think I might need a book of Jess and Tyler 🫣
* I might need a Ronny Jr.


Quotes I like *without spoilers


“preferred fiction, but now I couldn’t wait for the rest of my new reality.”

“Thin line between love and hate, Rosie. Thin line.”
“Logan: i can’t believe we get to witness this for free”
“She was often larger than life, fearless.”


And that all I’m willing to quote because I don’t want to accidentally spoil someone 😅👍🏻

Rating: 3.9

When I saw this story advertised as "The Hating Game" meets "Beach Read," I knew I had to ask for an advanced copy on NetGalley. This is absolutely the perfect way to describe this story! Add in some "Book Lovers" vibes because both of these main characters are authors, and I was hooked into this sweet romance story. While I'm not the biggest romance reader, this book was perfect for when I wanted something lighter.

Rosie and Aiden are the fiercest of enemies in their writing classes, and being nice doesn't come naturally to them. As a romance writer, Rosie has her work cut out for her during her collegiate writing career, always trying to stand out and make a place for herself in the professional world (not just as a 'cheesy romance writer'). Aiden abhors all things romance, which includes extra-double critiquing anything Rosie writes. But when their professor has finally had enough of their disruptive bantering, she pairs these two complete opposites together.

Over the course of writing their midterm/final report together, Rosie and Aiden break the barrier in their friendship. They begin to learn about each other, their history, what's important to them, and why they were paired together. The story includes delightful snippets of their writing, giving readers a "book within a book" experience. Rosie and Aiden use their characters as gateways to their feelings—when they couldn't find the words, their characters did.

While the ending made me a little frustrated (Come on, Rosie facepalm), I really did enjoy reading about these two characters. As Holt's debut story, this one definitely didn't fail. It's a great lighthearted read, and Aiden is definitely swoon-worthy! With aspects of family, romance, and a little bit of spice, Holt pulls together a great debut story that readers will enjoy when it comes out in December 2024. Go ahead and preorder this story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Katie Holt, in collaboration with Alcove Press, for providing me with a copy so that I could provide an honest review prior to the publish date.

This was the perfect summer romance read, it was sweet (and definitely spicy!) and full of some of my favorite tropes (grumpy/sunshine, rivals to lovers).

In the book, two rival students in NYU’s writing program, Rosie and Aiden, who can’t stand one another, are forced to co-write a book together. She writes happy-ending romances, and he writes depressing literary fiction, but they have to work together to write a novel to avoid getting kicked out.

The plot set-up was fun, but in the beginning I was struggling a bit to get on board. The reason they “hated” each other felt a bit thin, and the required first date definitely felt forced and a bit inauthentic, like really? Does that even make sense to do that so they can “experience the romance their characters will have”? But as the book progressed I grew to love Aidan and Rosie’s relationship much more, and how much they really did like each other. The banter between the two was fun, sarcastic and really well paced. The scene with Rosie’s family was adorable, and there were so many sweet parts of the book.

I also really loved the blurring of the lines between fiction and reality with the book scenes finishing off the real life scenes. It felt epistolary in so many ways with them writing to each other through their characters in the excerpts from their manuscript placed throughout the chapters.

I was thinking this was going to be a five star read for me, but then I didn’t love the 3rd act break-up, it felt like they got too mean too quickly, after they just spent so much time being decidedly NOT mean to one another. It felt like they just reverted back to the old versions of themselves, and that didn’t feel healthy/good. It felt like it undid so much of what they had just built. I also wish there were some better resolution for Aiden and his dad’s storyline, it just felt unfinished and unresolved, like why include it? Was it just so she could “save” him? Or was it so that he would submit his book too?

The spicy scenes are definitely spicy… so if close door romance is your thing, then this book is NOT for you. I loved the spicy scene where they are writing their spicy scene, I thought it was really original and fun and the tension was WILD. Loved it!

Thanks so much NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! What a solid debut! I will definitely be reading the next book she writes.

“I've never second-guessed what I feel for you. I know you prefer what's in your books, and I pretend I don't want to be like them, but I do. I want to be the person you picture when you're reading and dreaming because you're who I picture every single time. I love you. In light and dark, in romance and litfic. In this lifetime and the next.”

Ahh this was such a good read for me I enjoyed it so much. So we have the main characters Rosie and Aiden, they’ve always disliked each other Rosie loves and writes romance while Aiden hates romance and writes fiction. They disrupt their creative writing class so much the professor tells them that either they have to work together or quit the course so they start cowriting a novel together. As they write this novel which is basically about them lol they start spending time together and going out on fake dates for the book there’s a bit of attraction going on despite the rivalry.

I ate this book up, I thought the enemies to lovers was fun and the writing plot was great. I loved the main characters like they were such opposite and it was nice. The chemistry and romance was so cute, I loved the bookshop dates and the scenes where they were writing back and forth to each other. I loved when they were writing the kissing and smut scenes together and practicing 🤭. The smut scenes in this book were for me, it never overdid itself and it was subtle yet hot and Aiden talking her through it is what I’d expect a writer to do lol. There is a third act breakup that I did not mind even though there was miscommunication because of the backstory of the characters. All in all this was a great, lot of fun, romantic and steamy. I’m sad that this comes out in December cause I want everyone to read it now lol. Thank you Alcove Press for this arc for an honest review.

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

"I was shameless in my wanting. I tried to commit every little thing, the way her eyes fell closed, the way she tasted, to memory. There was no metaphor I could write, picture I could paint that would even come close to comparing to the magic of her."

Didn't think I'd bawl my eyes out at the end but here we go. This made me cry so hard at some parts near the end. 😭

Loved the book, it was like a book inside a book, so perfectly done, something totally new for me.

It's a book with Rosie's pov, but we get to see Aiden's as well, but in a different way. Loved seeing it like that tho. 🥰 The feelings got me hard, such a way with words Aiden had in those little excerpts from their book, so totally cuute. 😍

This was a very cute, often meta, romance novel that romance readers will enjoy. Some fun banter. It leans into the tropes but the writer knows that. I liked the parts that blend the book the couple is writing with what’s happening to them. Super cute! I’ll mention it to friends.

Katie Holt's debut novel, "Not in My Book," is a delightful blend of humor and romance. It tells the story of Rosie Maxwell, a Peruvian American with big dreams of becoming a romance author in the Big Apple, and Aiden Huntington, her literary nemesis. Their journey from rivals to co-authors to lovers is not the typical enemy-to-lovers trope, but instead a testament to the power of understanding and passion. As they navigate their growing-up differences and personal ambitions, they create a manuscript that's as much about their own burgeoning love as it is a compelling narrative. Holt's novel is a fresh, vibrant addition to the contemporary romance genre.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, where I was hooked from the opening chapters. When I wasn't reading, all I could think about was the story! It progressed fluently and remained engaging from start to end. Will be watching for Katie's future releases and cannot wait to own a real copy of "Not in my Book"!

5 🌟 Read
How do you review a book when you don't want to give any of its secrets away. I think everyone should come in blind and be swept up in the story.

Not in My Book has everything I love about romance had its moment but I never felt I knew what was going to happen next.

Rosie and Aiden are in the same NYU writing program and saying that they don't get along would be an understatement. In an attempt to get them to respect each other is class, their professor puts them on a project together.
These two need to figure out how to put their harsh words aside and start figuring out a way to understand each other.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Rosie and Aiden and seeing it change over the course of the book.

This novel’s greatest strength and weakness is in the snippets we get of the fictional novel that the two co-write.

On one hand, I loved how open, honest, and vulnerable they allowed themselves to be in their written works .Seeing Aiden’s perspective through his writing really endeared me to him and without this plot device I am not sure I would have liked him as quickly or nearly as much. Additionally, the tension was incredible during a certain scene (if you know you know) that they wrote concurrently.

On the other hand, their fictional novel felt cliché and didn’t seem like realistic MFA work—despite the beautiful prose. I am not sure how they would have been able to turn in a project that was so blatantly based on themselves and their dynamic.

Despite this I would still recommend reading this book and I look forward to reading more from this author!

I absolutely loved this book. Enemies to lovers will always be the superior trope in my book and this book delivered exactly that! Love the push and pull between the male and FMC. I will absolutely recommend this book to all my friends!

I enjoyed this read! I felt the banter between the two MCs was spicy, and I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers aspect of being forced to write a book together. I thought it was very meta to get to see their feelings for each other through the characters in the book they write together. I like how you got to read snippets of their book throughout and finally get the title of it at the end. Plus, as a Swiftie, I loved all of the Taylor Swift references. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

2.5/5 ⭐️

Thank you Alcove Press and NetGalley for the advance copy of this sweet romance.

It’s the perfect read if you are searching for something very romantic and love a workplace enemies to lovers.

Starting from what worked really well for me:
I liked how the book was told from her pov, and we got his pov at the start/end of the chapters through pieces of the novel they were writing.
I also very much liked how they used their writing to communicate at the beginning, even if I felt like it was a bit unnecessary and repetitive towards the end.
I overall really liked Aidan, his character had flaws that humanize him.

Why this book is not for me and why I couldn’t rated it higher:
I’m not a fan of workplace romance enemies to lovers because the trope is always “I actually loved you from the beginning and I was being mean to you for no reasons”.
Their banter was borderline rude at times.
I couldn’t get past how the main character was obsessed with romances, I had an hard time and it was strange because I genuinely enjoyed books focused on writers MCs.

That said I did enjoyed it and I would recommend it, it was just too sweet (sappy really) for me 🤭

Firstly i would like to say a massive thank you to Katie Holt and Netgalley for providing me with an Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review.

wow oh wow, for a debut novel, this is PHENOMENAL. Aiden and Rosie are put together to work on a literary piece that combines both of their passions for a workshop. within this book, the academic rivals with slight enemies to lovers and forced proximity tropes are used amazingly.

I am a big contemporary romance reader and this didn't feel like anything I have read before, I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. the storyline was written so incredibly well and I think it is one that people will love to read when it releases.

Releasing 10th December 2024

While there were cute moments in ‘Not in My Book,’ it ultimately wasn't for me. The characters were okay, but I felt the plot did not move along at a timely pace. Many things were repeated multiple times in slightly different ways, which made the narrative feel redundant.

That said, I always admire debut novels because completing a book is a significant accomplishment. This book will definitely resonate with some readers who enjoy light-hearted romance. However, I need more than just a romance. I look for a great plot that follows through with strong character development, and unfortunately, this story didn’t have that for me.

The book had potential, and I appreciated the effort the author put into crafting moments of sweetness and humor. Still, the lack of depth in both the storyline and character arcs made it difficult for me to stay engaged. For those looking for a simple, feel-good read, ‘Not in My Book’ might be a great choice. However, if you’re like me and crave a more intricate plot and complex characters, this might not fully satisfy your reading desires.

I really, truly LOVED this book! I love books about books/writers writing books and this was just top notch for me! Aiden and Rosie are are two of my favorite characters I've ever read and I absolutely adore them and God that ending! I'm in tears, it was so perfect! I can't wait to have a physical copy of this amazing book and please do yourself a favor and read it when it's released on Dec 10! Thank you to NetGalley and to Alcove Press for my digital ARC!!! ❤️

3.5 stars for this fun, debut romcom.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5 stars for this fun, debut romcom.

Pursuing her passion to write romcom's, Rosie moves to NYC to attend graduate school where she encounters surly litfic writer Aiden. Aiden's disdain for romance and happily ever after's irks Rosie. The two quickly become sparring partners in their writing workshop, wreaking havoc in their brutal criticism's of each others work. On the verge of being kicked out of the workshop, the professor instead assigns them to work together to write a rom-com with a litfic ending (a not so happily ever after). Aiden and Rosie grow closer as they work on their novel and reveal their own true feelings using their fictional counterparts.

I enjoyed this book. It's well-written and the characters are engaging. It's clear from the beginning that there is fiery chemistry between Rosie and Aiden. I know it's supposed to be a "slow burn", but it did feel like the enemies part of this enemies to lovers story dragged on a bit. Once the main characters finally started connecting a bit more, the story became much easier to read and I was invested in their growing relationship. I also liked Rosie's relationships with her 4 friends from class. The way the name of the text group chat kept changing was funny!

I liked Rosie and admired the chance she took in moving to NYC to pursue her dreams. I do wish the "Peruvian-American"ness of her character had been detailed a bit more. I know nothing about Peruvian culture, food, customs; or what it might be like for her to have grown up in Tennessee. I would have liked to see Rosie explore more deeply what it meant to be Peruvian-American for her. There are a few mentions of traditional food without explanation of the significance of that food, how it's made, or what it signifies culturally. It didn't seem like Rosie was struggling or upset about "growing up without strong ties to her culture". Since it's mentioned in the introductory blurb, I expected Rosie's exploration of her ethnicity to play a bigger role in her character development.

My main criticism is that the whole book is a bit too "meta" for my taste. A fictional book being written within a fictional book that mirrors the relationship between Aiden and Rosie a bit too closely. It's a bit too self-aware without doing anything truly groundbreaking for the enemies to lovers romance trope, IMHO.

Overall, it's an enjoyable romance and easy to read in a day or two.