I was disappointed in this book. The main character was annoying. This book should have been a perfect match for me because it was romance with a bit of humor. I enjoy romance and humorous books so this should have been right up my alley. This tale reads like an old formula. The plot was unoriginal. The characters were weak, dull, boring and flavorless. Rosie was obnoxious and immature. While Rosie may claim to dislike Aiden, she spends all her time thinking about him. She is obsessed with him. Neither Rosie nor Aiden are capable of holding a conversation. The two main characters are taking a literary class. Their bickering has the professor at her wits end so she assigns them to write a book together. They use the book to communicate. Through the book they express their desire for each other. The method of using the book to communicate made much of the writing repetitive. There are no twists or turns in this book. It is easy to see where the plot is going. I do think this book ha
has potential but it needs work.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

4.5 stars rounded up

A delightful enemies-to-lovers rom-com set in the world of writing! Rosie is a Peruvian-American sacrificing everything to pursue her dream of writing, attending a Masters program at NYU. She is optimistic and loves to write romance, recognizing that while it's not always taken seriously, it's a huge part of the publishing market. Aiden is a snooty writer of literary fiction and with his heavy criticism and dismissal of her work, is her arch-nemesis in class. But when they take their rivalry too far, the only way their professor will let them stay in the class is if they agree to write a novel together! It has to be a love story, but the ending does not have to end happily.

Honestly this is a pretty great setup, and the book they write together is really a thinly veiled repetition of their own relationship. It's very much a grumpy-sunshine dynamic, and I think it works. It's funny, cute, and eventually gets quite steamy (at one point they co-write a sex scene while on a phone call...). I think this is going to be a crowd-pleaser and will especially hit for long time romance readers or writers who are sick of the genre not being taken as seriously as it deserves. The audio narration is really excellent with dual narrators that get the vibe of the characters, and then also read excerpts from the book being written. Definitely recommend this one! I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Not in My Book by Katie Holt is a sparkling debut!
Rosie Maxwell is a romantic Peruvian-American from Tennessee now living and working in New York City. Rosie is a romance writer currently in a graduate program and she’s got the best friends. Rosie and her friends attend a writing workshop for school that’s taught by her favorite professor, the only problem is her nemesis is also enrolled in this class. Aiden Huntington is Rosie’s ex-crush and current thorn in her side. The pair can’t help but throw barbs at each other in class. Aiden thinks his literary fiction is superior to Rosie’s romance and Rosie makes it clear that she finds his lit-fic boring and gratuitously sad. Their distain for one another becomes quite the distraction in class and the professor threatens to remove them both unless they work together on the final project, a novel. Now forced to write together, Aiden and Rosie are encouraged to go on fake dates in order to write a believable story. As they spend more time together, this duo can’t help but writing pieces of themselves into their story and maybe they have been wrong about each other all along.

I loved this book and never wanted it to end. I enjoyed the witty banter, the fun and supportive friend group, and the depth of the main characters. Rosie and Aiden were complex characters and interesting to read. I was very invested in each characters life. I’m incredibly impressed by this debut novel and can’t wait to read what Holt puts out next!

I was given an advanced listeners copy by NetGalley and thoroughly enjoyed Frankie Corzo’s narration. I would definitely recommend this audiobook to all my audio loving friends!

Read this if you like:

-academic rivals to lovers
-secret crush
-he falls first
-forced proximity
-slow burn
-only one bed
-fake dates
-snarky banter

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley, RBMedia, and author Katie Holt for this advanced listener copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

****FAVORITE ROMANCE OF THE YEAR****

HANDS DOWN! And I've read hundreds! I will definitely pick up more from this author. The narrator of the audiobook did a fabulous job as well!

The characters in this book, Rosie and Aiden, are so relatable that I feel as though I know them. The build-up of this enemies-to-lovers romance was perfection. I will own this book when it comes out.


Many thanks to Net Galley and Alcove Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The fact I got both the ARC and ALC made it so I could read this book twice in a month. I LOVED this book so so much! It had all the right tension in all the right places. The love they had for eachother is unmatched. I want every single person to read this book. I will scream it from the rooftops. The narrator was perfect for how I imagined Rosie in my head! She nailed it.

This book surprisingly surpassed my expectations. I got this book purely for the title and cover art. It’s no surprise that I don’t read descriptions by now and it’s been working for me everytime! It makes my reading experience better when I don’t know the plot before reading.

If opposites attract was people it would be Aidan and Rosie. What stood out the most to me was the fact that Aidan and Rosie had to work together to write a short story. Aidan wrote literally fiction and Rosie was a hopeless romantic. Their professor was at her breaking point and had them fake date as their characters to make their story more realistic because they couldn’t agree on how the story should be written. The book trope was enemies to lovers but their characters was pretty much enemies the whole time. This is why I love fake dating tropes, I knew that when the professor wanted them to go on a date to spark their creative writing process, that their true feelings will come out towards each other.

I love how the author included excerpts from their untitled novel at the end of each chapter. We got a glimpse of what the story would look like as they wrote it and it was sooo freaking cute! Little do they know, they are writing their happily ever after 🥰

The narrator did an outstanding job with the audio. She brought the characters to life and I really enjoyed listening. I had both the ebook and audio for Not In My Book and primarily listened to the audio because the narration was so good!

Thank you, NetGalley for this audiobook ARC.

This follows two aspiring authors Rosie and Aiden. Rosie writes romance and Aiden writes literary fiction and they both despise each other's genre while being secretly obsessed with each other.

This enemies to lover , academic romance was beautifully written. After being forced to write a book together, they slowly write their own love story together. It was really cleverly done - I love the ~untitled excerpts that were perfectly placed throughout the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the narrators but I did feel that it was slightly longer than necessary.

4.5 rounded up to 5 :) Such an awesome debut.

Not in My Book by @katieholt
Genre: Romance & Multicultural Interest
Pub Date: December 10th, 2024

**Thank you to NetGalley, Katie Holt, and RBmedia for free audio ARC copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

Rosie and Aiden have two things in common; they are both amazing writers and both dislike each other...or so they originally thought.

Rosie and Aiden attend the same college and have a writing workshop together. They bicker constantly. One day, though, they take it too far and risk getting kicked out of the class. Their professor, however, will overlook their outburst if they can successfully co-write a book. The problem is that Rosie is a romantic and loves writing romance, and Aiden is a realist who writes literary fiction. He doesn't believe in happily ever afters. Can these two write a compelling story, or are they doomed?

I honestly hadn't caught that this was a debut til my friend mentioned it. I never would have thought by the way the the author easily kept me engaged and wanted to continue listening. Grumpy vs. Sunshine is easily one of my favorite tropes, so I quickly fell for Aiden. He really is such a loveable guy. Sure, he's grumpy, but he has a heart of gold and does anything for those he loves. I also really enjoyed the Latin flare the author included. The narrator's smooth accent when speaking Spanish in the audio was very pleasant. The sprinkles of Peruvian culture and customs made this a very unique listen. Had me craving some tacos and burritos.

Just a warning that this might possibly make you cry. I don't cry easily from books, but Katie Holt got a few out of me with this one. Thanks again for such a sweet book ❤️

I got this book from NetGallery.

It is an enemy to lovers story.
The book is about Rosie and Aiden who both follow a writing workshop course. They can't stand each other. Aiden hates the genre romance that she is writing, she thinks that he feels better than the rest. After the umpteenth fight they have to appear before the teacher. To prevent them from being thrown out of the workshop they have to write a book together. Slowly they get to know each other better and grow closer.

I thought it was a nice book. At some points it is a bit predictable, but you still want to know how it ends. It is nice how the story merges with the book they are writing together. In the beginning I sometimes found it unclear whether it is about real life or the story they are writing. Later in the book you get used to it and it becomes more clear.

The group chat that Rosie is in with her friends is hilarious.

I thought the first sex scene was really original. Can't say much about it but you will know what I mean if you read the book. ;)

This is the first time I have listened to an audiobook. It is well and clearly narrated. Maybe it would have been better if it had been narrated by a man and a woman so that the distinction is a bit clearer. But in itself it is well mentioned who says what.

Thank you for letting me read this book. I really enjoyed it.

First of all, amazing concept! I loved the workshop, and it has me longing to join one too where I can improve my writing skills. The plot was beautifully written. Not gonna lie, it was quite predictable, but I enjoyed it nonetheless, which made the book better in my eyes.

Secondly, I absolutely loved the narrator. Frankie Corzo did a great job in not just portraying Rosie's voice, but also all the other characters interacting with her. The voice modulations, accents... god, I loved listening to her.

It was creative the way each chapter had an excerpt from Rosie and Aiden's novel. It was wonderful to read the story within the story.

I'm quite happy that I picked this ARC. If you are a romcom lover like me and have a soft spot for enemies-to-lovers romance, then do consider reading this book.

I absolutely adored this book! I listened to it on audio and fell in love with Rosie and Aiden. Aiden was the perfect amount of grumpy/smoldering and I loved Rosie’s fire. She did not hold anything back, and their banter was great. The book within the book was really good as well. I would love to read the finished product! Highly recommend for romance lovers and writers!

Thank you, Alcove Press and NetGalley for this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was FLAWLESS. He’s a smug aspiring literary novelist (iykyk) and she’s an aspiring romance writer, and they are tasked to write a book together. This book has everything: grumpy/sunshine, excellent banter, and spice all presented a way that makes the whole thing feel like a love letter to romance novels. I loved it.

If you love romance, or love to write, or just need something light, delicious, and super sweet, then this is your perfect next read.

I listened to this on audiobook and am pre-ordering a physical copy. I’m eager to read more from this author!

Not in My Book by Katie Holt (Audiobook)
This enemies-to-lovers, slow burn romance is set in NYC and revolves around two writers who are forced by their professor to write a novel together. Here's what stood out to me:
• The Latinx representation was well-done.
• Loved the forced proximity and the NYC at Christmas time backdrop.
• The unique premise of the story was intriguing.
• Spice Level: It was a bit too spicy for my taste.
• I didn’t enjoy the last 10% of the book because Rosie was pmo
• I requested this audiobook because Frankie Corzo narrated it. As always, they brought the story to life and did a fantastic job.
Overall, this is a great debut novel, and I will definitely check out future works by Katie Holt. Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
3.75 stars

Thank you NetGalley for a ALC of Not in My Book in exchange of my honest opinion.

This is an adorable debut of two rival writers who obviously are attracted to each other. They must put aside their skewed views of each other and work together.
I really enjoyed the main characters' family dynamic, relationship with friends (or lack thereof), and life responsibilities. It's good to see characters who don't live in a bubble and have a network around them, which just shows that they really live in the story.

The narration was quite good. However, I sometimes got confused when it was dialog between the characters or between the characters of the book they were writing together. It didn't detract from my understanding and following the story at all, but sometimes, it blended the characters to me. I wonder if it was on purpose or not.

Overall is a great romance that - mind you- is quite spicy. For those who like tropes, we have here rivals-to-lovers, one-bed trope (it was a very funny scene, by the way), and forced proximity.

WHAT A DELIGHT!!!!!! SO EXTREMELY HAPPY I had the chance to read this one!

First and foremost, thanks to Netgallery and Alcove Press for the ARC of Not In My Book, in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't had the best of lucks with ARCs recently, BUT oh HOW I LOVED, this one! Such a sweet story with lovable characters and a very interesting premise, because while the whole "academic rivals turned lovers" has been done a million times, I don't think I've read a book like this one, where theres a story within a story, one that is used to not only make the very stubborn main characters communicate, but also to let the reader know what the mmc is thinking and feeling without actually having his POV throughout the book. Am I making sense? maybe not, but what is important is that you give this book a chance ones it is out on December 10, 2024! It's sweet, lighthearted without feeling empty! Characters that are FLAWED, STUBBORN, but with a need to grow and make their happy ever after a reality. I truly enjoyed this one!!!! Narration was GREAT, kept me entertained and engaged with the story.

I would first like to thank NetGalley and Rbmedia for giving me the arc audiobook for this.

„Not in my book“ by Katie Holt is the love story of two Characters, Rosalinda Maxwell and Aidan Huntington. These two really cannot stand each other and are constantly fighting during their creative writing class at NYU. Eventually their teacher gets fed up with them and tells them that they have two options: get kicked out of the class or write a book together (obv they choose the writing assignment)
Writing their book should be quite difficult for them, as Rosalinda specifies in romance and Aidan exclusively writes literary fiction, however throughout the school year the two end up becoming closer and eventually falling in love.

In my opinion this was a cute book, that would probably be good as a palette cleanser. The Christmas scene was just adorable, so if you’re in the mood for that I‘d definitely recommend it.
I really liked how the unfair treatment towards romance writers and readers was portrayed, and that the characters had very understandable reasons for their behaviour (money, upbringing,…). As I am personally not a big fan of smut, this really dimished the book for me. Luckily there weren’t very many smut scenes (I believe it was only 3), but each one of them was quite long and detailed, which made me slightly uncomfortable. Please do remember, that this is only a personal preference, if you like smut I‘m sure it won‘t bother you.

This book follows Rosie and Aiden, who can't stand each other but are forced to work on a book together. They both have reservations about being in a relationship and struggle to overcome their past trauma.

The way the author develops the romance through the characters' writing is AMAZING! I couldn't get enough of them, It's such an original take!

Rosie's family and friends are funny and supportive and they add so much to the story, I felt so inmersed while reading the book!

The narrator for this audiobook was really good at portraying the banter between the two, giving each of the characters their own voice.

I can't wait to read more books by this author!

Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for the arc

Writing students who hate each other and are forced to write a book together? And it’s based in New York? Say less. I loved that Rosie’s experiences and struggles felt real - like I could actually see someone living her life.

I don’t always love audiobooks (especially romance audiobooks can be a little cringey) but I thought this one was narrated well - a little confusing with the manuscript parts at first but I figured it out after the first one. The spice in this book wasn’t really my jam but I think I would have thought the same about it if I was reading these scenes as well. I usually listen to audiobooks and podcasts at 1.25x speed and that’s what I did for this one, I’m sure 1x would be fine too though. Overall, I enjoyed this as an audiobook and would recommend but I think I would have enjoyed it the same amount reading the book as well.

I liked the writing style and I would read more from this debut author…but I just can’t get over (what I found to be) cringey spicy scenes and that’s why I would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars (I rounded up to 4). The description says “The Hating Game meets Beach Read” but I have to say it’s giving Book Lovers to me (which is my personal favorite Emily Henry book).

dnf @ 61%

this book felt way too childish and cringey to me 😭

thank you netgalley and rbmedia for providing me with an audiobook arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!!

A book about writing a book, providing reviews about said book and exerts about the book that mimic real life moments in real time? Sign me up! A book about two opposites attract authors and classmates starting as enemies forced to team up-where one is a romance connoisseur and the other thinks the genre isn’t real? Yes, please! I binge listened to Rosie and Aiden’s contemporary, open-door, enemies to lovers romance story…it was so good and enjoyable! The narrator did a great job, portraying the different characters and accents with ease. I received an eALC from the author and RB Media via NetGalley. 4.5 stars