Not in my book tells the story of Rosie and Aiden, someone could define them as some sort of academic rivals but in college (post-graduate), trying to write their books. She is a romance writer while he's a literary fiction one and they always fight, so their professor assigned them to write a book together that is going to be a romance without the happily ever after (which is a weird thing by the way, both the decision of the teachear and the assignment per se).
The book was overall okay, but I have some complaints to make: first of all the FMC was really annoying especially when they had to work together and she wanted him to write the smuts scenes (that is literally part of her genre only). Also being a reader that mostly read both literary fiction and romance I feel like i have a lot to say in terms of how the literary fiction genre is generalizes and talked down of, a big part of the plot was the underestimation od the romance genre but it was just judging the other genre represented. The ending felt off as well, since the MMC acted a bit out of character and even if it was really realistic, i feel like then the two main characters shouldn't have an happy ending like they are supposed to in a romance book. For this reason i didn't really like it and i couldn't wait to be done with the story.
However i think is really important to highlight the good parts of this book: first of the relationship between the two main characters was really enjoyable even if at times a bit too cheesy for my likings. I really loved both of their back stories and how they felt real after getting to know each personality. The narration was one of the best that i heard of the year and it made me always interested in what was next.

Thank you Netgalley and Rb media for this arc!!!

As a person who also has autism and adhd, I found this book so extremely relatable. I appreciate that it wasn’t announced every five seconds that the FMC was autistic and that we were shown her struggles, not just told. Especially the scene when they had sex and Rosie gets very in her head. The overthinking can make things so overwhelming and the way Aiden helped assure her that he was there with her was written beautifully. There were so many other nuances that if you don’t live with it every day you may not notice but I really appreciated seeing that in Rosie. It made me feel seen and that it’s okay.

So, this might be an unpopular opinion, but I actually appreciate how realistic Rosie’s character felt with her stubborn/pettiness—especially at the end. She was very real and all of her emotions felt so believable, like I would do the exact same if put into her situation.

However, some of the dialogue felt unrealistic and forced. I don’t think I liked all of the excerpts from their manuscript throughout the book because it was basically just a rehashing of what literally just happened between the two of them, or a peek into what was about to happen, just reworded. So I kept getting confused. The only time things played out differently was right before the epilogue.

I got to listen to this as an audiobook, and I loved the narrator as she was playing Rosie. But I feel like this book could’ve benefited from a dual narration because I feel like her performance as Aiden did not match. I feel like he deserved a much deeper voice than she was able to give him.

All that being said, I did love this book. There were just enough clichés thrown around to make it funny and relatable, and I loved all the 10 Things I Hate About You references. Overall, I’m a fan. It was really well done.

Where has Katie Holt been? She's definitely one to follow. With one book she has made it to my never skip list for new releases.

Not in Book is an enemies to lovers slow-burn about two MFA grad students(Rosie and Aiden) going to NYU who naturally have to write a love story without the HEA for their class.

This was fast paced, had good secondary characters and a believable plot. I thought the characters were well thought out, the banter was great and while I've read similar stories(who hasn't) this one was so well done. This is definitely a book I would re-read because of how much I liked it.

My only complaint about this was that I received this book an audiobook and I wasn't a fan of Aiden's voice(aka just a deeper tone for the narrator but that's so many books, I can't really legitimately complain about it.)

This review was posted on GoodReads on 11/26

I loved this book so much. The writing style (a story within a story) immediately pulled me into the plot. The narrator did an amazing job connecting me to Rosie. Katie Holt was able to explore the Romance genre through her characters. I found the relationships outside of the romance endearing and heart warming. The romance itself was swoon worthy, yet realistic. This was a true, slow burn enemies to lovers.

4-Star: A Festive Treat for Book Lovers

Not in My Book by Katie Holt is an absolute delight for fans of enemies-to-lovers rom-coms, especially those who love stories steeped in the literary world. Rosie, a spirited romance writer, and Aiden, a self-assured literary fiction writer with very strong opinions about romance novels, clash in a way that is both entertaining and endearing. Their fiery exchanges and undeniable chemistry are the backbone of this charming story.

When the two are forced to collaborate on a class assignment, sparks fly in more ways than one. Their journey from adversaries to something much more is packed with witty banter, heartfelt moments, and just the right amount of spice to keep things sizzling. The holiday themes sprinkled throughout the story make it the perfect cozy read for December, with its scheduled release date aligning perfectly with the festive vibes.

The audiobook narration deserves special mention—it enhances the tension and humor, making every interaction between Rosie and Aiden pop. The narrators brought their personalities to life, keeping me fully engaged from start to finish.

If you’re looking for a heartwarming, spicy, and festive read that celebrates the literary process with a side of romance, Not in My Book is a must-read!

What do you get when two enemy writers are forced to write a book together? In ‘Not in my Book’, Aiden and Rosie are both passionate about writing. But when Aiden constantly critiques Rosie much harsher than the other writers in their class, they throw their toys out of the cot in front of everyone. Now, if they want to stay in the program, they have to work together and write a book that encapsulates both writing styles. Can they get over their differences?

This was a sweet romance that, for the most part, is paced really well. I liked the banter between Aiden and Rosie, and felt the awkwardness as they began to write these romance scenes together. The dates were super cute and made me want to be in their world.
When they began to write the first spicy scene together, it was a bit awkward. Things moved from 0-100 very quickly and then went back like it hadn’t happened. There wasn't much internal dialogue discussing what had happened.
The narration was done well. It was easily understandable at 2x speed. My only critique is that I think there needed to be more chapters in Aiden’s perspective, and I wish there was a male narrator. When there was quick dialogue between the two of them, sometimes the deepness of Aiden’s voice didn’t come through, and things got muddled.

There wasn’t anything too unique about this book. It was a typical romance that followed a very typical structure. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it would have been nice to read a romance that bent the rules a bit.
This is a great, quick read that I think anyone can pick up and find enjoyment. It is a relaxing read that is easy to follow along with, and I gave this a 3.5 star rating.

Thank you to Netgalley and RBmedia for the Advanced Listener’s Copy (ALC) of this book. All opinions are my own.

Much enjoyed! Definitely gave Beach Read vibes but in NYC. Authors writing was enjoyable, and will definitely pick up another of the authors in the future

I really enjoyed this rivals to lovers novel. It felt like the perfect mix between lighthearted and sincere. Rosie and Aiden are taking a workshop in writing for their MFA program at NYU. She's a Peruvian southern belle with a desire to make it in the big apple. He is a grouchy, reclusive native with more money than kindness. There's forced proximity, shared bed, and so many more clichés that we all love to see in our HEAs. I liked the meta of writing within a book. The spicy scenes are not for me; I found myself skipping a bunch of scenes. It wasn't problematic for me, but it does limit the demographic for book recommendation in my world. The audio is great and an enjoyable production!

Thank you Netgalley and RBmedia for this audiobook! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of the audiobook for review.

I honestly really loved the overall plot of this book. Rosie and Aiden are rivals in their creative masters writing program and to ease the tension it creates in their class they are partnered together to complete a manuscript. I enjoyed the way the story played out by including chapters of their manuscript as a way of getting Aiden’s side of the story since it was not a dual POV story otherwise.

My issues with this book lie in the characters themselves. Everything about them was just so immature. Their actions and even their thought processes would’ve made more sense if this was set in a high school as a YA romance. When they mentioned at one point that both characters were at least 25 I actually had to stop and roll my eyes. I was so bummed because I felt like the potential of the idea for this romance was wasted on silly miscommunication and childish bickering that didn’t make sense for grown adults to be a part of.

I was really impressed with the audio narration of the book as well. I listen to a LOT of audiobooks and I picked up on the narrator making the FMC’s southern accent thicker at times and it’s even mentioned later in the book that her accent gets thicker when she’s angry or excited and I loved that it felt like I already knew that about the character because of the narration!

Overall I think this is an AMAZING first showing as a debut novel. Super interesting premise and some really sweet moments that had me smiling, overall I just think it would’ve made more sense if the characters either were set as high schoolers or just acted more mature.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

this was such a fun romcom about two academic rivals/aspiring authors that write in completely different genres. when an argument between them in their grad class goes too far, rosie and adien are forced to write a book together or else face academic probation. i absolutely ate up the way both rosie and adien spoke to each other through the characters in their book 💗

of course, there were a few scenes that i totally saw the outcome to, but that’s not the point; not in my book was sexy, goofy, and realistic.

however, one thing that truly annoyed me was 85% into the book, rosie comments that she expected to see the students in adien’s creative writing class to leave crying from his harsh criticisms, but was SURPRISED that they were all laughing and felt creatively safe with him. that didn’t sit right with me, ESPECIALLY after rosie has come to learn adien’s background and behaviorisms.

the narrator did an excellent job!

This book was such a good debut novel. I loved Rosie and Aiden so much. If the author releases the novel the characters wrote I’d buy it in a heartbeat.

There was a point where I genuinely thought this was a full five star book, no notes, no complaints….and then at 90% on I wanted to scream. The idiocy of that fight, and how it caused Rosie to completely give up her entire life because she didn’t win???? Someone never played sports AND IT SHOWS. This is the fight of a high school couple not grad students. Just felt so forced and it made me mad because I lovedddddd everything else.

I finished this book in under a day, because of how happy it made me to read. What a smart story, where our heroes write their own fate and a book about their alter egos too. For the first 20-odd chapters it's a slow burning clean romance, then wham come the steamy scenes. Loved the chemistry of the protagonists and how real they were written. Story was wonderful, took me to New York over different seasons, and I felt like I was part of the story too. Bravo to the author and narrator!

this debut novel was phenomenal..

life imitating art, and art imitating life was such a great touch in this story.

i loved all the tropes, i loved that they were writers who were talking in length about their different processes.

the audio was also very seamless and it read very well with the tone of the given scenes.

this is one of my new favorite romances, i haven't read a romance this good and i dont know how long.

everything about this book was amazing, i cannot wait to see what else this author comes out with.

Another favorite romance this year- spicy romance book inception! The characters were well developed and the enemies to lovers / secretly pining tropes were well done. Dual writing the spicy scene together was brilliant 🙌 thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia for the ARC of the audiobook!

"Not in My Book" by Katie Holt is a fantastic listen. I literally flew through this audiobook in less than a day. I found myself intrigues by the characters interaction and the awesome banter. The narrator's performance brings the characters to life. The combination of spice, romance and anger make this audiobook a hit. Chef's Kiss for "Not in My Book". I'm sad it's over but I enjoyed it immensely.

What a fantastic debut! Rosie and Aiden couldn't be more opposite in their genres. Aiden writes literary fiction and Rosie is a hopeless romantic. They are forced to work together in a creative writing course to forward their careers. Can they work together to create a collaborative story?

This was such an unexpected delight. Thank you to NetGalley and Katie Holt for the opportunity to review an Audiobook ARC of this book. Also, unexpectedly, a holiday read! I enjoyed Rosie and Aiden's banter as rivals to lovers. Their back and forth was hilarious and fun. As the story progresses, they both have layers that I enjoyed uncovering. For those who read a lot of romance novels, everything you love is here including commentary on writing and the process itself. The narrator did a wonderful job balancing dialogue vs written manuscript text that Aiden and Rosie were working on together. A quick and fun read for those who love the romance genre.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

I was cleaning everything I set my eyes on just so I could listen to this book in it’s entirely, I was captivated from the first chapter.

You’ve got angst, tension, slow burn. I frothed this up, like a giraffe at a watering hole. I never wanted this story to end.

If you are a fan of Emily Henry, Abbey Jimenez, etc then you definitely get along with Katie Holt.

Big round of applause to the narrators, I was so infused in this storyline and I loved the idea behind this story, you really got to understand both characters backgrounds and childhoods with the details your given.

And that first spice scene, 🥵, I was shocketh, I was giggling, I was squirming 😜😂, I was kicking my feet I was that giddy.

Also I loved the little exerts we got of their book and then got the title of it at the end, made me have the biggest smile on my face.

This book is told in 1st person perspective from the FMC’s point of view.

I will say the only thing that I will say is when the epilogue came up, it wasn’t made clear that it was one year later then part way through the chapter.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for this audiobook advanced reader copy of “Not in My Book”. This romance book was the perfect winter read that beautifully took all my favorite romance tropes and found a way to weave them in so naturally. From enemy to lovers to fake dating to the meta of writing a book about a romance in a romance book, it was all so well done. I found the pacing to balance the slow burn without losing the reader — which I think is very challenging to do! I also appreciated the small references to Taylor Swift (as a huge swiftie myself I was lowkey hoping for even more Easter eggs!!).

You follow Rosie and Aiden through their creative writing workshop where you learn quickly that they are definitely rivals. They are faced with the ultimatum of becoming workshop partners to write a book together OR drop the class. Following their relationship felt fun, low stakes, and easy to believe.

From an audiobook perspective, I found the narrator / performer to be fantastic and I thought she executed the switching of voices so naturally. I was a big fan of the performance- I should also admit that I tend to listen to my audiobooks with a multiplier and this narrator checks those boxes for me too!

If you’re looking for a read for the holidays, Not In My Book delivers an engaging romantic narrative that you can fly through in a couple sittings (or drives if you’re listening).

(4/5 stars)