Member Reviews
3 stars
This book has a great premise with a book within a book, and I love that. What I didn't love was how childish our characters were. Maybe interact like adults? Also, I didn't like that as soon as the spice started, the romance started lacking. At that point, I was cheering more about the character from the book within the book rather than our own mcs.
Overall, this was good but could have been great.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rosie lives for romance. To Rosie, everything can be romantic if you just look for it. Unfortunately, her classmate Aiden does not agree. Aiden writes literary fiction and seems to despise the romance genre — and consequently, Rosie.
When the two get into one of their classic sparring matches during one of their writing workshops, their professor has had enough. Either the two drop her class or they write a novel… together. The two must write a romance, but without the HEA.
As Rosie and Aiden begin to write, they put little pieces of themselves into the novel. The lines begin to blur and soon enough, they can’t decipher what’s real and what’s fiction.
I absolutely devoured this book and I need everyone to read it ASAP. Go pick this up I am BEGGING.
WOW! I’m so incredibly proud of Katie! Fun fact, I read her manuscript of this book a few years back. I am so happy that she got this published!! Congratulations on your debut!!
Katie did an awesome job of bringing these characters to life. I felt every emotion and could picture these characters so vividly. The banter and dialogue flowed so well and the TENSION!!! 🥵🥵 What a stellar debut!
Aiden and Rosie have my heart.
Read if you like:
• academic rivals to lovers
• men in peacoats
• grumpy/sunshine
• forced proximity
• only one bed trope
• banter!!
• a book about co-writing!!
Two writers go head to head and kiss for kiss, in this steamy rivals-to-lovers book following graduate students, Rosie and Aiden, as they are forced to write a romance together and admit that they may feel emotions other than contempt for each other. This was such a titillating and sincere romance, I loved Rosie and Aiden together! The two showed their love so well and I love how it came out so raw and vicious; their love language is for sure banter and barbs. Beyond that, the plot and writing was very unique, I loved how their relationship bled into the story they wrote and helped them communicate what they were too afraid to say. The connection between them was just so sweet and enigmatic, Aiden was completely gone for Rosie and it was adorable watching him fall all over himself. This debut romance delivered everything and more; from witty banter, chemistry, yearning, tension, and relatable characters. I cannot wait to see what Katie Holt writes next!
rosie is a graduate student at NYU, with big dreams of becoming a romance writer. whereas she knows romance is a wonderful genre, though, not everyone seems to agree, especially when it comes to her archenemy and ex-crush, aiden. she thinks there’s nothing worse than having writing workshop with him…until she and aiden are told by their professor that they have to draft a manuscript together, or else they’ll get kicked out of the class. but as rosie works with aiden, she realizes that maybe he’s not so bad, after all…and that maybe her crush never fully went away.
i was shocked to randomly get the netgalley widget for this one day, but after a friend read and loved it, i was convinced to go ahead and download it. i’m so glad i took her advice, because this was so lovely! although i do enjoy romance, it’s more common for them to get four stars from me, so the fact i gave this one five stars says a lot. i just really loved rosie and aiden🥹 they weren’t perfect by any means, but that’s what made them so real. and although i don’t have the same money problems as rosie, her depiction as a poor graduate student really struck a chord with me. she worked so hard to achieve her dreams, and she had family backing her all along the way (though i would’ve loved to see even more of them).
This book Started out really well and had a fun concept. However, for whatever reason I found myself having a hard time finishing the last few Chapters. I think it's because I knew what trope we still had to experience and I knew how it was going to happen that I just fell out of the story. I'm really not quite sure. ' think in addition to that, there was a little too much spice all concentrated into a few chapters for my liking. Once the spice Started it felt like that was all That our characters did. Physicality does not need to mean that romcans are ONLY physical from that point on.
Anyways, in this rivals-to- lovers, our two main characters are faced with a choice - either leave the class because their interactions were so disrespectful and pulled focus OR write a book together, blending romance with lit fic. Unsurprisingly, our characters decide to try to write a book together and even start to use their characters to say things they're too scared to say to one another.
The story has a good premise and I think it'll be of interest to fans of such books. I just think this book and I didn't get our own HEA.
4.25!
"The entire time we were together all I could think was you were better than any dream, any piece of fiction I could ever write."
This book is basically about two people doing a workshop where they have to co-write a book, the guy doesn't like romance novels and the girl doesn't love literary fiction novels and they both hate each other but secretly like each other 🤭. So, due to intense bickering and back and forth their mentor gives the guy the romance part of the book and the girl the literary fiction part of the book 👀and it just takes up after that. They write a book and a story about themselves...they warm up to each other and communicate through the characters of their book and it is so goddamn good, I cant even lie.
Katie really amazed me with this one, it wasn't perfect but it was so cute and likeable. Its just the way she wrote it was so easy to read and love. Her writing style felt really good and the pacing of the book was also a plus when it came to this book because it just made the book much more easier to read and honestly there are so many cute scenes that are worth gushing over and the chemistry between the characters is insaneee I loved them.
“I know you prefer what's in your book, 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 the light and dark, in romance and litfic. In this lifetime and the next."
Aiden, Grumpy, Broody and tall 🤭 (checking all the boxes so far) but I loved the way they would insult each other and would have the exact opposite thoughts going through their minds lol, I also loved how cutie patootie he became after the kissing scene they wrote together 🙂↕️ and when he had to pretend to be her boyfriend when their parents ambushed her for Christmas and their domestic moments were sooo cute like making cookies and hanging out on Christmas also the way he would communicate about himself through his character in the book ahhh it was everythinggg!! Rosie, was a hopeless romantic 🤭, highlighting the importance of HEA!!! and I liked how she struggled writing a tragic ending and how she helped Aiden with romance, she was so understanding at times and I loved how relatable at times she was especially during the third act lol but the way both of the characters changed and developed into better versions of themselves and the way we actually experienced it and saw it was so good!!
"No one meets the same way and falls in love the same way. Sometimes you know just after an hour with a person. Or it can span decades. The only thing every love story really has in common is that it’s worth it. Love is always worth fighting for."
The romance 🧍🏻where do I even start?? easily the best part of this book, it was so well balanced between cuteness and spiciness because they would eb doing cute stuff like looking at each other in secret and like subtle touches and stuff and then they would be cowriting a smut scene together which would lead them to be horny and become bunnies 🤭🤭 yeah it was soo good even the spice was good. I feel like I was so fond of them that it made the third act break up feel okay towards me but hey at least we got cute confessions after that and I was all for it 🙂↕️
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book!! It can also count as a festive (?) book ig.
This was a great book. Turned out so much better than I was expecting. You got the grump and you got the "sunshine". They are supposed to co-write a book, one loves romance, the other pretty much hates it. I loved how they had to work together and their banter.
The book was well written and held my interest. It was a bonus that Rosie was from Tennessee and that Johnson City was mentioned , since I live 90 minutes from there in South west VA.
In all this was a cute feel good book. :)
I did not expect to love this one as much as I did! This book is perfect for the lovers of ‘Beach Read’ by Emily Henry (myself included). I adored the idea of a book within a book, and the concept of two writers who are rivals writing said book had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the progression of Aiden and Rosie’s friendship then relationship, it felt so authentic to their characters and had the room for necessary human flaws. I can’t wait to reread this one again once it’s published, and read whatever this author releases next.
I loved Not in My Book. I was invested in the story really quickly, I read it in one sitting. I honestly couldn't put it down.
I love a good romance, and Not in My Book definitely didn't disappoint.
Katie has a very engaging writing style, it just draws you right in.
Rosie and Aiden had fantastic chemistry. They were very likable and memorable characters.
This is the first book I've read from Katie Holt. I'm looking forward to reading more from her.
I highly recommend.
4 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Netgalley, Alcove Press, and Katie Holt for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book so much that I ordered a physical copy of it so I could read it again!
Oh how I adored this book, everything about it was wonderful. It’s like reading a book inside of a book, such a great read! I love that the author is a Swiftie, putting Taylor references throughout the book, it made it so fun!
Rosie and Aiden are in the same writing class at NYU, Rosie writes romance and Aiden hates romance. Rosie is a hopeless romantic, Aiden is rude as can be to Rosie. These two bicker during class, causing a disruption. The teacher tells them the only way they can stay in the class, is by writing a book together. Will they be able to write together? Or will the differences between them get in the way?
I love this book and these characters so much, Aiden came off as such a jerk. Deep down he’s a really sweet guy, he’s just been through a lot. Rosie is adorable and so fun, I adored her character. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you Katie Holt and NetGalley for the ARC!
Another FABULOUS debut romance author that I will now be automatically reading for the foreseeable future!! I could not get enough of this enemies to lovers romance between romance loving Rosie and lit fic writer Aiden who are in the same MFA class and find themselves forced to co-write a book together or drop the class they both want to be in.
Set in New York City, this book takes place over the holidays, has SIZZLING tension and chemistry between the main characters and an awkward grumpy hero with a secret cinnamon roll heart. Rosie and Aiden reluctantly find themselves becoming friends the longer they work together on the book and readers will NOT want to miss the part where they take turns writing a love scene.
SPICY, full of emotional depth and PERFECT for fans of authors like Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood. Narrated by Frankie Corzo, the audiobook was also a great listening experience and honestly I just having nothing bad to say about this book. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
OHHHH MYYY LORDDD
This book is now in my top 3 of the year, totally crushing my book bracket, lol! Absolutely adored it. Smashing debut from a fellow Tennessee author. Everything about it was right up my alley—enemies to lovers, NYC setting, Christmas scenes, one bed, SO MUCH TENSION, banter, a dirty talking peacoat-wearing MMC...and as a member of a cowriting duo.. can i just say I LOVED all the little cowriting details!? perfection.
and the SPICE?!?!? holy crap. so good.
Rating: 5⭐️!
Release Date: December 10th, 2024
Rosie and Aiden are rivals in their writing class. She writes romances with happily ever afters, while he writes lit fic with sad, realistic endings. Naturally the two basically want to kill each other. They become such a disturbance to the rest of their class their professor gives them two options, be forced to drop the class, or be co-writers on a book together. The two start to slowly overcome their differences for the sake of their book, but when they start to get to know each other more, they realize the other isn’t as bad as they thought. This is such an amazing contemporary romance with all the banter and feels you could want. Also, debut author alert! I cannot wait to read more from Katie Holt!
More Spoiler-y personal review 😊
Something about this book just spoke to me. I read this so quickly but also managed to absorb it and this is easily in my top romances of the year. Rosie and Aiden’s academic rivalry x enemies to lovers tropes are addictive and keep you wanting more. The characters just have so much undeniably chemistry and from like page 50 i was having “just kiss already!” moments. I rarely give 5 stars out anymore, but man this just did it for me!
Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press for this E-Galley in exchange for my honest review
This is a romance book lover’s dream.
Katie Holt’s debut is easily one of my favorite contemporary romances this year. Her writing just pulls you in and the tension between the characters makes you want to just keep reading until you are on the very last page. I read this in two sittings: one into the late hours of the night and the second in the wee early hours the next morning. So worth the loss of REM cycles.
I found the romance storyline fresh, unique, and creative. It’s between two academic rivals forced to co-write a romantic story together….but they end up just writing themselves into the story and eventually falling in love. There is so much angst and banter and argument, but it’s hot? Like think Danny and Mindy from the Mindy Project hot. They can’t stand each other, but they also can’t stand to be without each other. Makes for some delicious romantic tension!
This book is a perfect December read. While the story takes place across an academic school year, many of the major plot points occur around the winter holidays, and you know what they say: Christmas in New York City is unlike anything else. Just as much as this is a love letter to the romance genre and romance lovers everywhere, it is a love letter to New York City and the magic that can be unlocked by following your dreams.
One of my favorite literary elements is when a bilingual author infuses code-switching into the dialogue. Rosie, the FMC, is partially Peruvian, and we get tons of untranslated Spanish on the page when she is talking to her family. I don’t speak Spanish but I truly loved this choice and loved the dimension it added to Rosie’s character.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the e-ARC! I can’t wait to read what else Katie Holt has in store for us.
A cute cover that you least expect to have spice..and plot?! Yes please! This was so so cute! The ending got a bit annoying with the FMC but overall I could not out this book down. I had such a wonderful time reading it! Highly recommend! 4.75⭐️
⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not In My Book
Author: Katie Holt
Romance
Thank you so much Netgalley and Alcove Press for this ARC! This book is releasing 12/10/24! This is about two feuding writers that are in a class together. They very publicly feud and get kicked out of their class they both desperately need. The teacher decides to give them a chance to stay if they agree to write their assignment together. I really liked both of the characters, and felt the story flowed seamlessly. Loved the enemies to lovers trope, and as I have previously mentioned in my reviews I love books about authors. This book was also about a 🌶️🌶️/5 on the spicy scale. Definitely check out this read!
not in my book is such a witty, flirty, and cozy romcom. the two main characters, rosalinda and aiden, are in the same creative writing program at NYU. rosie writes romance, aiden writes litfic, and neither of them can seem to make it through a single workshop without hurling insults at the other. so much so, that they land themselves in quite the predicament: write a novel together, or drop the workshop course and retake it the following year.
not in my book is the romcom equivalent of what scream is to the horror genre. it simultaneously critiques/reflects on romance as a genre while also embracing every cliché that makes it so well loved. the story doesn’t take itself too seriously and leans into the absurdity and goofiness of certain tropes, yet rosie and aiden will burrow themselves under your skin and leave traces of themselves in your heart nonetheless. they are easy to love because they are flawed, and raw, and vulnerable, and real.
i will leave you with two standout moments to encourage you to pick this up: 1) having the mcs write a smut scene. TOGETHER. this was SUCH a creative way to spice things up while also still allowing the actual storyline to be a slow burn. my jaw was on the floor for that entire chapter and i absolutely could not get enough. a whole new level of tension and pining and i fear no other smut scene will ever compare. 2) “use your words, baby, you’re a writer aren’t you?” i don’t even need to give you context just go buy the book my GOD.
review shared to bookstagram account 12/3 and goodreads 12/4.
Easily one of my top books for December! The FMC was strong which is a huge win for me. I loved seeing their relationship grow. This was an incredibly quick read as the story sucked me in from the start.
Both writers. Both with different styles. When they butt heads the sparks fly! This is a really cute romance. That has you rooting for them to get together!