Where to begin? There is SO much to unpack in this review.

Aiden and Rosie are such lovable characters. They both share a competitiveness that is undeniable throughout the whole book. Their identities felt so fully formed and I loved how much of Rosie's Peruvian culture was referenced. The balance between different personalities but then also this commonality they shared of initially despising each other was such a good mix!

Aiden's character is one of my favourite MMCs I've ever read. He is not a grand gesture guy, he is a quiet love kinda guy who shows his interest and care through small gestures. The scene where he offers her some of his pasta and the scene where he remembers her coffee order just made the inner romantic in me swoon. The chocolate cake scene felt super indulgent, in fact I love how much food there was in this book altogether. I felt like I was exploring NYC with Aiden & Rosie through almost a food tour! Eventhough this wasn't central to the plot, it was a nice consistent thread.

Katie has cracked the ultimate way of storytelling. It is SUCH a clever device to have them write a book together and it felt like a show and tell of their own diaries to each other at points. What a wonderful way of blurring the lines between fact & fiction and capturing the reality of falling in love. This anxious/ exciting feeling of not knowing if the reality you're experiencing is being reciprocated in the eyes of someone you like is executed perfectly in this book!

The kiss scene honestly exceeded my expectations. It felt really well paced and super satisfying once we started to get some of the spice trickling in. My only critique is that when Aiden calls her 'baby' it just felt a bit random initially and kind of made me do a double take. It felt kind of unrealistic that he graduated from calling her 'Rosie Rosie' to 'baby' without anything in between that. Having a bridge of some sort between how Aiden sees Rosie (regarding intimacy) would have made it a bit more seamless I think.

The ending was really good, felt like eating a warm chocolate chip cookie (it was that satisfying). On reflection, it would've been nice to get some of Aiden's culture in the character development as it felt like whilst we got his backstory I didn't feel as attached to it. This is obviously hard because it was told from Rosie's POV but still!

I honestly really enjoyed this! It was cute but had some depth that I really enjoy in my romance books. Excited to see more from this author!

Books about books is kinda my Achilles Heel, so I was so excited about this book. I loved <i>The Hating Game</i>, and always dig a good enemies to lovers, and this definitely fit the bill.

Pros:
-There was heat in this book. The fights and enemies parts made for real good tension, which easily translated to sexual tension. This part was spot on.
-Rosie had a nice quirky side to her, being Peruvian from Tennessee, you definitely could see it shining through with slips of accents, how she talked about her family, etc. It added depth to her.
-The concept of co-writing a book was a new idea to me, and I loved to see it play out. It was well written and interspersed throughout the book as a growing, evolving beast, much as their connection evolved as well.
-The ending fight, the hurt Rosie felt so real to me that I did actually tear up reading it. It was the most emotional depth the book had. Even if there were parts about the fight I didn't like, the hurt was so good.

Cons:
-For a book about epic romances, their story felt a little flat. Not even that it was missing grand gestures, it just felt like everything that went on in the book were ordinary things, nothing that made their story any more special than any other couple.
-Aiden didn't have as much depth to him, and by the end, I don't feel he really had any character growth. In a sense, I was hoping for Rosie to find someone better.
-I had Kindle read aloud to me for portions of the book, and it doesn't distinguish between the main story and the story they're writing together. Besides font, it felt like this transition could have been done better.

Overall, I enjoyed the book! Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for allowing me to read a digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

An enemies-to-lovers, where the enemies write an enemies-to-lovers, and then become friends, briefly slip back to enemies, and eventually... become lovers. This book was *chef's kiss* delightful!!

It's like somehow Katie went inside my brain and wrote a book just for me. This has Taylor Swift and classic RomCom references, it's a book about writing a book (a favorite of mine!), aaaaand is the first book I've ever read that mentions Inca Kola and alfajores. Swoon, swoon, swoon.

The way it feels like the characters were almost writing their own story was really well done, and they are so easy to root for! This story had just the right amount of spice, too. Was the ending a little predictable, sure, but gosh this was just a book that makes you happy. And then where you walk away a little sad because you aren't ready to say goodbye to the characters. <3

I'm officially a Katie Holt fan, that's for sure!

Thank you to NetGallet and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

So glad I got to read this ARC! I immediately connect to Rosie the FMC because she was from TN like me. But then even more because of her Peruvian heritage because my bff married a man from Peru. So I was very invested. But also I’m a huge fan of enemies to lovers and was all ready for it when Aiden the MMC was rude and snarky to her about her romance writing. They ended up having to work together to write a book with both their styles. Oh boy I was like holy crap this hot as was reading their writing. And I couldn’t wait until they got together too! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Definitely, would read more by this author.

Thank you @alcovepress for this ARC of Not in My Book by @readinromance !!!

This was so cute and clever and fun and distressing and wonderful and infuriating!!! I had a blast and you will too 😌

You know we love when it switches to his POV and he’s yearning. But I raise you this: they are forced to write a romance together and he does the yearning RIGHT THERE ON THE PAGE BEFORE HER VERY EYES.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Rosie and Aiden have absolutely nothing in common except that they are both writers. And they’re both in the same small college course. And they’re both passionate. And they both hate each other.

Rosie writes romance, which Aiden turns up his nose at. And Aiden writes sad-boy lit fic, which Rosie wouldn’t normally turn her nose up except that it’s Aiden w it.

When the two are unable to keep their verbal sparring constructive and get into a vicious spat that spiral far beyond chapter criticism, their professor offers them two choices: get dropped from her class, or… write their final project together, cohesively. And it has to be a love story.

Their attempts to keep each other on their toes by writing each other into the story takes a (not unexpected) twist, and the two find they’re able to be much more vulnerable with each other on the pages. And the more they learn about each other, the less hateful the heat between them starts to feel.

But when an opportunity arises that could change their lives, and the two find themselves at a crossroads, that rage and indignation is brought back to the forefront with a vengeance. And it seems less and less likely that their story - or they themselves - will get a happy ending.

This was so cute. It you enjoyed Beach Reach or The Roughest Draft, this book is for you. Rosie and Aiden are a new staple in the rivals-to-lovers, co-writers genre and I loved every second of it. Such a wonderful debut. Will definitely keep an eye out for future Katie Holt stories.

This book had me at a book within a book. I am a sucker for books that are a little mind boggler, especially ones that can successfully pull off the distinction between the things that are mixing together. Rosie and Aiden were so... pining and wanting and it made me want for them so badly. Holt has a way of writing slow burn that makes you ache for more, and more, and more. Each word spun makes you spiral down a trip of inability to put the book down. You just want to eat it up and never stop.

So. Many. Tropes! I love a good romance, and I overwhelmingly liked this book. The pace was good, the chemistry felt largely realistic between the characters once they became less enemy, more lovers, and I really enjoyed the plot of them writing a book together.

***Spoilers below!:***

A few notes:

* I found Rosie to be a little self absorbed and all about her wants and needs and not as in tune to what Aiden's likewise valid wants and needs were.
* This isn't unique to this book, but it really bugs me when people won't use a person's preferred name (e.g. Rosie vs Rosalinda), especially after being asked not to. It's really disrespectful, and not endearing.
* I found some of it to generally be unbelievable (such as Rosie forcing the check on Aidan's dad) but rolled with it because it advanced the plot
* The spice was perfect for my spice-loving heart.
* I liked her friend group a lot
* Did Aiden have any friends?
* I feel like the advisor would have had a more professional relationship with them and 1) not forced them to write together and 2) not interfered with their relationship, but again... ok with it for advancing the plot.
* I, like other reviewers, found some typos, like 'now way'.


Thanks for the arc, Netgalley! Overwhelmingly I'd recommend this book to a friend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC!

"Not in My Book" by Katie Holt is a delightful and refreshing contemporary romance that combines humor, heart, and a dash of mystery. The story follows Emily Harper, a small-town librarian who discovers a series of love letters hidden in the pages of old books. Intrigued by the letters and their mysterious author, Emily embarks on a journey to uncover the story behind them, all while navigating her own complicated love life.

Holt's writing is charming and engaging, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere that draws readers into Emily's world. The characters are well-developed and relatable, with Emily's wit and determination making her an endearing protagonist. The chemistry between Emily and the other characters, especially her romantic interest, adds a layer of warmth and depth to the story.

The plot is well-paced, blending romance with elements of mystery as Emily pieces together the clues from the love letters. Holt skillfully balances lighthearted moments with more poignant reflections on love, loss, and finding one's place in the world.

Overall, "Not in My Book" is a heartwarming and enjoyable read that will appeal to fans of contemporary romance and feel-good fiction. Katie Holt delivers a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, leaving readers with a smile and a sense of satisfaction.

this was a cute little academic rivals to lovers set in NYC! Rosie and Aiden are part of the same graduate writing program and they do not get along. to fix this, their professor assigns them a project where they have to co-author a book together✨

i really enjoyed the setting of the story and it definitely added to the aesthetic. a graduate writing program in new york city would be the dream✨i also really enjoyed Rosie’s friend group and i was super invested in the secondary romance plot line! Rosie’s family was also super cool and i loved the multicultural/biracial aspect of her character🫶🏼Aiden had to grow on me a little bit but his groveling at the end was *chef’s kiss*🤌🏼

i saw some people comparing this to beach read but i would say it was giving me the hating game vibes with maybe a little beach read mixed in!

i will say that i feel like this story would’ve been more enjoyable if the characters were younger. i felt like some of the actions were really immature for people who were supposed to be in their mid/late twenties.

overall, it was a light, quick read✨💕

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of Not In My Book by Katie Holt. Rosie and Aiden are two graduate students who can't stand each other. Their constant bickering and rivalry set the stage for a tumultuous relationship that gradually evolves into something much deeper and more meaningful after being forced to work together.

At first, I thought I was not going to like the book because I felt like the main characters were too immature with their fighting in a grad-level classroom. However, once the story got going, I could not put it down. The banter between Rosie and Aiden had my cheeks hurting from smiling so much. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their journey from enemies to lovers is swoon worthy.

Not In My Book by Katie Holt is a fantastic debut novel that I highly recommend. For fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope, this book is a must-add to your TBR list. I am eagerly looking forward to what Katie Holt will write next!

I love a book that’s a winking love letter to romance novels, and this story is exactly that. I was so excited to get to read an ARC of this from NetGalley, and am thrilled to offer a review.
There are a ton of fun nods to classic rom coms in addition to the fan favorite tropes and lines that make bookish girlies go wild today. There are minor editing/continuity issues that I hope are cleaned up before the final publishing date which could be distracting at times.
The writing is fun and I would generally rate this story somewhere around a 3.5, but the spicy scenes are SUPERB and really push this to the next level. If you like Ali Hazelwood’s heroes but wish they talked so much dirtier, then you’re going to love Aiden Huntington.

I think if you have a pulse, you’ll like this book. It’s full of delicious banter that will make your toes curl, thighs clench, and also laugh out loud (sometimes simultaneously). I was literally hooked on this book from page O N E. Katie Holt did such a good job at developing the story and utilizing realistic interactions - it was witty, it was romantic, it was just simply sensational.

5/5 ⭐️

If I had one wish right now, it would be for me to reread this all over again for the first time! I am in ALL the feels right now after finishing this love story.

This book was just everything for me. I haven’t found a really good romance book in AWHILE, but this one does it for me. It puts you through all the feels throughout Rosie and Aiden’s love story.

Aiden is officially my current book boyfriend. The way he treats Rosie after he breaks free from his tough exterior shell MELTS MY HEART!

Enemies to lovers, two aspiring authors forced to write a novel together, speaking to each other THROUGH their novel… ya’ll I promise you this is WORTH THE READ!!

There were a lot of things I loved about this but also places where it wasn’t what I dreamed. Enemies to lovers, sweet banter, just wished the ending wasn’t so rushed.

this is my book!! so grateful for everyone who's read it and even semi liked it!! i can't wait to see this out in the world!

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes, and “Not In My Book” had the perfect enemies to lovers story. Rosie and Aiden’s chemistry was off the charts from the beginning pages.

I really liked this novel; the premise of two beginner writers finding their voices seperate and together was so unique. This story sucked me right in. I would definitely recommend “Not In My Book”!

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the ARC of this novel for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was every book lovers dream. I loved the witty banter and the setting. I felt like I was actually in New York walking along side the characters

“The truth was I liked her no matter what she did, no matter what she said.”


Aiden and Rosie had my heart from the start and it was so relatable, I could definitely see portions of my own personality reflected in some of the characters. The witty banter, they were the perfect mix of cute / enemy's to lovers and Grumpy V Sunshine couple. Based around academia and tackling challenges, this book was highly enjoyable and a light hearted read. Definitely something to snuggle up with on a day off or a rainy day.