Thanks to Net Galley and Alcove Press for this advanced copy.

WOW. Five hundred stars. This might be my perfect romance novel. Aiden and Rosie were both deeply beautiful, flawed, opinionated, stubborn, etc. Rosie was, is, ME. As a romance reader and writer myself, I understood her insecurities deeply, and her yearning for her own HEA was one I’ve felt at many times in my life. The setting of NYC was rich and lush, exploring the different seasons without shoving them down your throat or making it seem like a travel fic. The novel idea (pun intended) was so cute, and surprisingly steamy. I can’t wait to have this book on my shelf one day for inspiration.

I tried to like this book but it really wasn’t for me. I appreciate banter but Aiden just came off like a condescending jerk. Which could be other peoples vibes. Just not mine. Had to DNF a few chapters in because of this. The writing is captivating though!

If I could rate this infinity stars, I would! I loved every minute of this book! I didn’t want it to end! This author will be an autobuy/download author for me for future books without hesitation!

Likes
First person POV
Fake dating, enemies to friends to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, he falls first, fake dating, only one bed
Text convos and book excerpts in different fonts
Angst is on point
Christina Lauren references
Book within a book/life imitates art
Falling in love on the pages of their book
“I don’t want to be everyone else to you” 😍
That we get to see Aiden/Hunter’s POV in the snippets of the book they’re writing together


Dislikes
Needs more grammatical editing (which doesn’t have any bearing on the above rating)

I loved this so much! Perfect corky romance. It’s basically a book within a book. Such a refreshing and unique story. An enemies to lovers trope and a slow burn love affair. I laughed and cried and felt a hundred other emotions.

Rosie attends NYU’s writing program. Her main genre is romance. She is a sweet, hopeless romantic. Aiden is also in her class but he hates romance. He is snobby, rude, and arrogant. He is especially rude to Rosie. Rosie and Aiden hate each other and can’t help but bicker and banter in class. They are so disruptive that the teacher forces them to write a book together. Rosie and Aiden now must work closely together for the rest of the semester. Will they continue to hate each other or will they get over their differences?

I loved everything about this book and can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Alcove Press and NetGalley just sent me an ARC of the best book! Not in my Book is Katie Holt’s debut novel and it’s a stunner! This story features Rosie and Aiden who are both in NYUs graduate writing workshop. Rosie writes romance and Aiden writes literary fiction. They are constantly volleying insults at each other during workshop-throwing jabs at each others preferred writing genres. The insults become so vicious, that Professor Ida threatens to throw them out of her class. When Rosie begs not to be thrown out, Professor Isa says they can remain in her class on one condition. They must co-write a manuscript blending their two genres together. They each have to write one chapter per week to share with the class for critique and at the end of the semester, they will have a completed novel to turn in for a final grade. Let’s the fun begin! This book was a perfect blend of enemies to lovers with a sprinkle of fake dating and a dash of forced proximity. The banter was top tier! You think Aiden is a grumpy guy, but really he’s just a shy sweetheart. I loved the concept of duel writing a manuscript. Everytime they would pull up their shared google doc-I would giggle and smile. The shared manuscript served as an outlet for them to air their true feelings for each other but written as the characters in the book. The steamiest part of the book was when they had to write an intimate scene together. The tension just kept ramping up as each took a turn writing a sentence. The tension was palpable and electric. I want more books written by Katie Holt! This debut was spectacular! 4.5 stars!! Not in my Book releases 12/10. Go out and buy this book when it releases! Don’t sleep on this one!!

'This one was just really forgettable. I honestly forget I had even opened this one until I saw the "marked as read" on my Kindle.

The book's tension between the characters had me a the edge of my seat, I kept reading and waiting for them to FINALLY get together and was NOT disappointed.

this was a rollercoaster ride from being enemies to friends to lovers then back to enemies AGAIN?!? the interactions between rosie and aiden was cute, i liked their back-and-forth banters.

i found the plot very promising and had a lot of potential. i liked the idea of rosie and aiden co-writing a novel and i think the author did a great idea of putting the excerpts of the novel that the leads were writing at the end of every chapter. i think that was refreshing, and through the excerpts the readers can somehow get aiden's pov.

honestly, there were moments at the start when i considered to dnf this because the connection between the characters wasn't resonating with me. i felt like the reason they didn't like each other in the beginning was forced, just for the sake of the plot (or the trope). thankfully, as the story developed, the pace quickened, and the relationship between rosie and aiden started to evolve. however, the pacing of the book dragged towards the end, and it became predictable, too.

overall, this could be perfect for people who loves rom-coms and a cute love story.

not in my book will be out on december 10, 2024.

thank you netgalley, alcove press, and katie holt for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this read!! I didn't know what to expect from the start of the book, but quickly really started enjoyed how Rosie and Aidens story was in parallel with their books storyline and how the book they were writing was helping to see eachother more than just the "romance girl and litfic guy"
It was so nice to see how both Aiden and Rosie grew as they were working together and making eachother to be better people and writers and that their banter didnt completely fizzle out when they started liking eachother more than just tolerating for the class.
i think only thing i might have enjoyed was to see more Aiden's people because I assume that 20smth guy must have some friends around him, but he just had writing and strained family relationship.

4.5 rounded up to a 5!

Tropes:
rivals-to-lovers
one bed
sloowwww burn
opposites attract
Grumpy/sunshine

The plot was reminiscent of Beach Read by Emily Henry (one of my favorite books). Rosie and Aiden have TONS of chemistry - it's a rivals-to-lovers trope in which they channel all their feelings into their characters in a book that they are forced to co-write, and it's FIRE (AHEM, a certain scene that they write together at the same time). The tension really builds up and it's a definite SLOW burn, and when they get together, it's like "FINALLY!". I think Rosie and Aiden balance each other well in not only the types of fiction that they write, but in their personalities. Rosie is the romance writer who hopes for some proper toe-curling romance of her own in real life, while Aiden is the cynic who doesn't believe in love. I love that when they couldn't express their feelings out loud, they could write it down and let each other read it. Writing was their love language.

This was a lot of fun to read and I liked how we kind of got a book within a book.
Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance access!

The great:
I really, really enjoyed reading this book. The tension was great, the enemies-to-lovers was just harsh enough to be real enemies but childish enough to be believably forgivable, and I was smiling or laughing practically the whole time I was reading it due to how cute the romantic parts were or how funny some of the character interactions were.

The good:
The ~spicy~ scenes were pretty normal beach read romance novel stuff, but definitely good enough to not lose my interest. The characters also grew believably and I was invested in the friendships, professional, and romantic storylines in the book.

The bad:
The book ends pretty abruptly - I would have liked to take a little more time on the conclusion/reconciliation, it felt a little forced. I also think we could have fleshed out the family relationships/background a little more, Rosie loved her family but they ultimately played a really small role in relation to how much they seemingly matter to Rosie, and even with Aidan's less-positive family situation it would have been nice to have some closure.

Ultimately, I'd read more by this author and I REALLY enjoyed the "two idiots completely desperate for each other trying to hide it by being mean" trope, and having them writing together was a really inspired way to implement it. Very fun read!

Quick fun read but my main point was a book within a bolk. Every readers dream, forced proxamity,fake dating you name it this books got it! Highly reccomdened

4,5 ⭐️

Book Summary
Rosie is a romance reader and writer, born and raised in Tennessee. She leaves her family and hometown behind and with her southern charm she is ready to conquer New York.

She applies for the MFA programme in NYU and she has the mentor of her dreams. The only problem seems to be Aiden, a fellow student at the workshop, who hates everything about romance and by extension her

Rosie knows how to handle criticism but with Aiden she doesn’t have much control. After a huge fight in the classroom, their professor declares that they have to put their differences aside, work together and write a book or they will have to drop out of the lesson.

How hard and challenging could it be to work with your nemesis? For the rest of the year Rosie will find out.

Review
I loved this book soooooo much! It has everything I want and more in a romance book! It might be one of the best books I have read in 2024 so far!

The tension between the main characters, the actual plot, the element of a book within the book, the character development, THE SPICE, everything worked perfectly well.

Nothing seemed forced or out of place, predictable or cringey.
It was just perfect.

I am really looking forward to read another book by Katie Holt in the future!

Mark your calendars on December 10th!
You won’t regret it!

8.5/10

Review has slight spoilers. Nothing huge.

I had so much fun with this! Finished in two sittings. Total of 5.5 hours.

Loveeee the chemistry of the main leads. This felt like watching a 12 episode tv show, tbh. SO MUCH stuff happens in one book. The concept of them writing together is genius and the tension is insane! I really like how it was focused mainly in them. Sometimes romance novels squeeze in too many subplots with side characters but this one did not, which I prefer. The parts showing her family and her culture, well done. Comedy was also good, I laughed out loud a lot.

Things I did not like as much: Well I am not a fan of romances where they have multiple "low points" like break ups or angst. This one had like three different low points and I wish it was just one. The third one was obvious, I knew it was coming but she overreacted to what happened. It made me wish Rosie was a bit more mature and same with Aiden. I wish they could have communicated more.

Btw, the spice was top tier, especially the chapter where they... Collaborated the writing LOL. I have never seen that in a book. So creative. The spice writing style reminds me of Ali Hazelwood which I also like. The guy is intense.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher who gave me an early copy of this book.

Not In My Book by Katie Holt
Rating: 4/5
Release Date:10 December 2024

Rosie, a Peruvian-American with a fervent passion for writing, leaves her Tennessee roots behind to chase her dreams in New York. However, her journey takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself in class with Aiden Huntington, her former crush turned nemesis. Aiden, a literary fiction purist with little patience for romance, clashes with Rosie in their writing workshop, much to the chagrin of their professor.

In a bid to quell their constant conflict, the professor tasks Rosie and Aiden with co-writing a novel that merges their respective genres. Reluctantly, they embark on this collaborative venture, infusing their own experiences and quirks into the story. As they delve deeper into their joint project, they begin to unravel each other's layers, finding common ground amidst their differences.

Their manuscript becomes a canvas for confession and exploration, allowing Rosie and Aiden to confront their growing attraction. Yet, as they navigate their complex emotions, they find themselves vying for a career-defining opportunity, reigniting old rivalries, and jeopardising their budding romance.

With the stakes higher than ever, Rosie and Aiden must decide whether to succumb to competition or seize control of their narrative. Their once-in-a-lifetime love story hangs in the balance, waiting for the final chapter to be written on their own terms.

Rosie and Aiden's dynamic is captivating, and their personalities shine through until the very end. Despite Rosie's initially perceived immaturity, the discussions around literary genres and the portrayal of romance novels are remarkably insightful. It sheds light on the creative depth required by romance novelists to weave intricate love stories while tackling complex themes and character struggles.

I found immense enjoyment in this narrative, especially in its embrace of a happy ending. In a world often filled with complexity, there's nothing wrong with seeking solace in a realm where possibilities exist. Particularly when these stories, though fictional, often resonate with our own experiences and emotions.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Alcove Press and the author, Katie Holt , for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This book was SO CUTE! It totally exceeded my expectations. I loved that it included so many different tropes - enemies to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity, even a little one bed. It was a super quick read and I felt like it was very well paced as well! I felt myself swooning, tearing up, and laughing throughout the book as I zoomed through and stayed up WAY past my bedtime!! I totally recommend this book as a light, fun read for book lovers!

Thank you to Katie Holt, Alcove Press, & NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. The banter, the romance the rivalry was amazing.
Thank you to Netgalley and alcove press for the ARC

when i tell ya'll i ate this book up i mean it!
things i loved:
~ he falls first
~ enemies to lovers
~ spice
~ discussion around the importance of romance novels (!!)
what i didn't like: the ending was just not my favorite. don't freak out, it's still a HEA but the main conflict arises fairly late within the novel, which rosie (in my opinion) really overreacts to <spoiler>like you do not mean to tell me you would drop out of nyu because of a boy girl no</spoiler> and then the resolution was a bit ?? like she just changed her mind and suddenly saw his side of things. which on the one hand, idk if it was ever really that serious, but on the other hand, if she was that upset by it how did she just pivot completely? love works wonders i guess.
down to 4 stars because of those issues but the majority of this had me blushing and giggling!!

The banter between Rosie and Aiden is so fun, you can't help but root for them. A classic enemies-to-lovers story that keeps you engaged the whole time. I also loved the friendship between Jess, Tyler, Logan, and Rosie - their text exchanges were a guaranteed laugh!

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for an ARC!

Not in My Book is a quick, fun read that has forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and a splash of fake dating. I loved watching the characters' relationship evolve alongside the characters in the book they were writing together. The author did a great job of incorporating side characters that had their own personality and sub plot in the book.

I was having a little trouble feeling connected, though. I really didn't understand why they were enemies to begin with, which led to a rocky start. The relationship progressed through the book, but it fell a little flat so I had a hard time rooting for the characters and leaning into all the ups and downs. The final turn at the end happened a little later than the traditional 75% mark so I wasn't sure if we'd even have one, then the reactions of the characters seemed out of proportion to the situation. That being said, it was still a fun read that was good just to sit back and relax while reading.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves rom-com romances and is someone who loves romance with all their heart, just like the female main character. The book does have a couple spicy scenes, so proceed with caution there.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.