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.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I will start by mentioning, I loved so much about this book. I remember running to find my daughter and telling her about how much I loved every bit of it. I will even take the comparisons to Beach Read and the Hating Game....two of my favorites.

Rosie, a small town Tennessee girl, moves to New York City to attend school and dreams to become a romance writer, all while trying to support herself bartending. While she quickly finds a small group of friends in her writing workshop courses, and also finds one significant enemy in her short lived crush, Aiden. Not only does he hate romance, he shreds every word she writes in their workshops.

When their battles become too much to handle for her mentor and professor, Aiden and Rosie are forced to work together and write a novel together, both stepping out of the comfort zones and learning more than the glimpses they see in class each week.

Enemies to lovers: check. Forced to work together: check.

I already cannot wait to re-read, six stars??

Oh i ate this book UP. Enemies to lovers will always be the superior trope and i will die on that hill.
My favorite moments are when they're trying their hardest to fight off their attraction and feelings for each other and then give in heheh.
I will be recommending this book to all my friends!

I wasn't expecting to like this book this much. I downloaded it because the description said that the main character was Peruvian American and as I am an immigrant from Peru, I was interested in seeing how the character was portrayed. I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the friends from massive enemies between Aiden and Rosie. This book is about graduate students in a master's writing program at NYU. Rosie is paying her way to her master's and due to the cost of living in New York, she can only attend classes part-time. It is her dream to be a successful romance writer and she has a very loving and supportive family. Aiden grew up in New York with his mother. His father also lives in the city, but is very disappointed that his son is choosing to write instead of following in his father's footsteps and taking over the financial tech company that his father founded.

Aiden and Rosie are forced to write a novel together for a class. Aiden is a fiction lit author and Rosie is the romance author. Aiden wants to kill off one of the characters and Rosie is determined to not disappoint the readers. As they write their novel, they learn more about each other and develop less of a hate and more of an admiration for each other. The sexual tension build up is very strong and the reader finds himself/herself rooting for them to get together. There was one part at the end of the book where Rosie really annoyed and bothered me, but the author tidied it up, so I'll forgive her for it.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Alcove Press for my honest opinion. I will definitely be reading more books from this debut author. She's funny and the characters are likeable. I could not put down this book because I wanted to see how it ended. I highly recommend it.

I LOVED THIS! It’s enemies to lovers, funny, comforting, bookish and oh so romantic. It’s life imitating art and vice versa. One of my fave reads of the year!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

Rosie Maxwell and Aiden Huntington don’t just seem to dislike each other… their disdain for each other seems to border on loathing. Rosie, a romance writer, dreams big about grand gestures and all the trappings of a romance novel. Aiden is more pragmatic, a writer of literary fiction and a true skeptic of the romance genre. Both part of an MFA program at NYU, Rosie and Aiden exchange barbs and snipes during their workshop class, constantly providing harsh critiques of each others work, creating a hostile work & learning environment. Eventually, their professor has enough of their bickering in class and slaps them both with an ultimatum: write a book together and fix their attitudes, or they’re going to be kicked out of her class. Will Rosie and Aiden’s disdain keep them at odds? Or will they be able to set aside their differences for their shared love of writing?

This book y’all… it had me in ALL my feels! I loved how self-aware the book was, mixing in the story of the book itself with writing from Rosie and Aiden’s novel. The parallels between the stories were SO STINKING CUTE and created some truly delicious spice. My heart was hurting in the end, but I really, really loved our main characters and their journey!

I recommend this book for lovers of the enemies-to-lovers trope, those enamored with the writer’s plight and those who love a man in a peacoat.

Tropes in this story:
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Fiesty & stubborn FMC
✨ Grumpy, dirty talking MMC
✨ Slow burn

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via NetGalley, but my review is all my own.

2.5 rounded up to 3 stars

I am so conflicted about this book. It started off strong, introducing us to the characters and I felt the tension between the two of them from the Very first chapter. I was so intrigued, wondering what would happen, why they hated each other. But then at the end of each chapter we get the chapters they write in class, and it was like reading the exact same scene again, and I got nothing from this.

The book I also think dragged in the middle, the pacing felt a little off and at times the writing took me out of the story.

The third act breakup also didn't make any sense to me. I found it quite unrealistic and childish.

However I would read another book by this author. This book just wasn't for me I'm afraid.

Oh my goddddd! This was so so good! I loved the characters and how the fmc was in touch with her culture, the depth given to her character through her friends and work, she was so much more than just a character on a page! The MMC was dreamy and irritating in all the right places and the way they came together through bickering turned banter turned flirting?! I ATE that up!!!

Highly recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cute read that served as such a great love letter to romance stories. Definitely felt the tension and passion with all the characters in a way that had me invested. The way the book they cowrote worked as a vessel to showcase Aiden's POV was brilliant--can we talk about that sex scene they wrote together??? I need a swooning couch.
There are a couple things that didn't make it a five star read for me and these are all personal preferences :
-The amount of times the word "baby" was used. I can handle nicknames and do not mind "baby" at all, but the AMOUNT of times on a page took me out of the book.
-Sometimes the characters reactions felt a little TOO reactionary. More caricature personality traits rather than feeling like they were true responses that might be amplified slightly to move the story where it needed to go. (ie I get the passion and the "hatred" between the love interests, but the way they behaved in their class was truly appalling and how it happened SO many times was awkward)
Overall, I did REALLY enjoy the book-- those bits right there are me being particular and fresh in my mind since I literally just finished the book. Thank you for allowing me to read this!

Not in My Book by Katie Holt is a hate-to-love romance about two writers in New York. This is Rosie and Aiden‘s story.
 
I absolutely love the concept of this book and Rosie and Aiden are both aspiring writers who study together at NYU. They are in a course together and criticize and tear apart each other‘s work. Their banter is top tier and sometimes over the top and therefore they are forced to work together in order to continue their class.
 
Rosie is from Tennessee, and she came to New York to follow her dream of becoming a romance novelist. I absolutely loved how she saw the best in people and how she is looking for her own hea. She is also half-Peruvian, and I really liked seeing more of that culture.
 
Aiden is the opposite in a lot of ways, and he is focused on literary fiction and looks down on the romance genre. I liked how the book dealt with the stereotypes romance readers and writers are faced with and during the story he is willing to learn more about it. This aspect was done so well and even for that fact alone everyone should pick up this amazing book.
 
I also loved how you get to see glimpses of the book they're writing together and it was perfectly woven into their story. To collaborate, they need to get to know each other and become friends at first. The romance was absolute perfection and from their dates and first kiss and it turned into so much more. One of my favorite scenes was when they went to the Strand bookstore and picked out books for each other and I swooned so much. Sometimes the line between hate and love is very slim and I loved how this story showed that and blurred this line to create this masterpiece of a romance.
 
Overall, Not in My Book is a love letter to romance books and I’m completely obsessed with Rosie and Aiden‘s book and more than highly recommend it. 5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)