I love this book. I read a lot of contemporary romance and I found myself laughing, crying, and giggling my way through this story.
Katie Holt, I just have to say. I hope you continue to write fun and creative stories like this one. I loved the characters and how their relationships molded who they became in adulthood, I also loved that we as readers where able to see how just because people have had bad experiences does not mean that they will never change because of them. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to read this story.

DNF at 90%. I think the premice of this book was fun and there were some good moments, but there was something missing for me with the connection between the main characters. I wasn't really mad at it and was still having a gooid time, but by the time the characters actually got together, it felt like the spice overwhelmed the story to a point that I did NOT vibe with, and even 90% in I really didn't care enough about them to want to see how it ended.

Adorable!! Academic rivals to lovers set in NYC with mentions of classic romcoms? Yes, please! Katie Holt executed this tension filled trope so wonderfully and I love how throughout the story Holt fiercely defends and champions romance and its readers throughout.

I really loved how Holt began each chapter with excerpts from the book Rosie and Aiden were co-authoring. Since the story is from Rosie’s POV, the chapter excerpts written by Aiden were so helpful in rounding out the story and giving us a peek into his feelings, especially since Rosie is of the believe that he strongly dislikes her.

One thing that always makes me nervous with rivals or enemies to lovers is how the verbal sparring can sometimes border being mean (a hard pass for me), but Holt kept the sparring sharp without having the characters verbally assaulting each other.

While not a holiday book, a good portion takes place over Christmas and it was so magical adventuring around NYC and taking in the sights of the season. And! If you’re a classic romcom lover, there are lots of callbacks to You’ve Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally, and more!

I really loved the narration and would definitely recommend this format, but with the excerpts from the book Aiden and Rosie are writing it did take some getting used to at first separating the excepts from the actual story.

Looking forward to reading more from Holt!

Katie Holt’s "Not in My Book" is an utterly cute and heartwarming enemies-to-lovers romance that will leave readers smiling from ear to ear. Rosie, a starry-eyed romance writer, and Aiden, her brooding literary fiction rival, are thrown together in a reluctant collaboration that challenges their writing styles—and their hearts. Their banter is sharp, their chemistry electric, and their growth both as writers and individuals is beautifully rendered.

What makes this story shine is its depth beneath the humor. Rosie’s experiences as a Peruvian American chasing her literary dreams in New York add layers of cultural richness and relatability. The progression of her relationship with Aiden, from rivalry to partnership, feels organic and deeply satisfying.

A standout moment captures the novel's essence:<b> “I’d always preferred fiction, but now I couldn’t wait for the rest of my reality.”</b> This quote perfectly encapsulates the book’s blend of romance, creativity, and the magic of embracing life beyond the pages.

Frankie Corzo’s narration adds charm and emotion, bringing each character to life.

Such a cute book! I loved the concept and the characters growth. The end was a little slow and not as enjoyable for me because I hate when characters have so much growth and after one bad thing they revert to square one. But the epilogue was great! My only complaint audiobook wise was that it was hard to figure out when it was an excerpt from their book until it was over. I imagine this transition probably goes over better in the physical book.


Thank you for NetGalley and RBMedia for this ALC!

This book started out well and was alright for the most part but I didn't enjoy the last quarter, the FMC seemed kind of childish, whiny and annoying.

The rivals to lovers part was done well!

The story within the story was fun to read but as someone who listened to the audiobook it took some getting used to to realize the POV had switched, after a couple of chapters the pattern became clear and easier to follow.

<spoiler>
My pettiest bone to pick with the book?
Which broke college student would ever tell a market vendor "20 dollars? Pfft I would've paid 50" (paraphrased) regarding buying a poster?
</spoiler>

The narrator did a great job!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an audio-arc in an exchange for an honest review.

Oh, this is a good one. You want a yummy, rivals-to-lovers modern romance that'll take your breath away? Grab Not in My Book, a phenomenal debut by Katie Holt, and thank me later.

Rosie and Aiden have been in the same NYU writing workshop for the past two years. He writes lit fic, she writes romance. And they got off on the wrong foot. They both take enormous pleasure in critiquing each other's work to within an inch of its life, until it comes to a breaking point and they're forced to write something together or get kicked out of the class.

They're marketing this book with a comp for Beach Read, my favorite Emily Henry book, and I have to say...I see that. It's Gus and January: the college years. The romance, once it gets popping, is electric, and it gets spicy as hell. It isn't a fast thing though. I wouldn't exactly call it a slow burn, but she makes us wait for the good stuff, and I loved every minute of it!

This book has a story within a story, with excerpts of the book the two characters are tasked with writing between all the chapters. At first I didn't think it added much to the experience, but by the middle I was eating those up too.

Both Rosie and Aiden are great characters. They have depth and history and goals and desires...I really found myself caring about them early on, and I love how their story ended *swoon*. Rosie had quite a big group of friends, and I wonder if this will turn into a stand-alone style series.

I am so thankful to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to review this one. It was a pleasure!

Loved it! The narrator of this audiobook was just great, and I loved the relationship. Definitely will be looking out for more of Katie Holt's book <3

This was my first ALC and I really enjoyed it! Loved the relationship growth between Aidan & Rosie. The enemies to lovers trope is one of my favorites and this book perfectly captured it. Loved them writing the book together as well and building the romance through Hunter & Maxine.

Jumping right into the rivalry of to novelist and the tension is real!
They are both struggeling with there written and have to write together!

She's a romance writter and he only writes literary fiction. A hate to lovers kind of troupe and lot's of great heartwarming moments.
I like how you slowly learn more about the maincharcters and how there relasionship evolves.
In the beginning I thought they both were kind of annoying but still funny, and then they got right under my skin 🙂

In other words: a rom-com with forced promixety, great banter and a New York setting. Uh and it's spicy!

Not in My Book is an enemies-to-lovers novel about two aspiring writers who clash over genres. Rosie wants to write romance novels and Aiden prefers to write fiction novels. Their rivalry gets so intense in class that the teacher requires them to work together to write a book in order to remain in the class. As they write their story, they start to learn more about each other and fall in love.

I love that the heroine is Peruvian-American! Her parents, a Peruvian mother and Tennessee-native father, make for amazing supporting characters who give Rosie her passion for writing about true love. You see little bits of Rosie trying to honor her mother's heritage, even though she grew up in the US with a Caucasian father. Aiden's character has his own depth, having grown up in very different conditions, with an abusive, controlling father. The journey they take to discover and understand each others differences is inspiring! I hope to read more by this author soon!

I listened to the audiobook version of Not In My Book. I have a lot of feelings about this book. I will start by saying I am glad I listened to it because by the end of it I was in tears, and a book that makes me cry is a very good book in my opinion. Aiden and Rosie's chemistry was simply delightful. I will admit I was shocked when the age of the main characters was revealed. In all honesty these two 26 year old's acted like they were 17. They were very immature in the beginning. The way they antagonized each other, although understandable due to the "enemies to lovers" trope really felt like these were two kids acting out. That sort of upset me at one point but I stuck with it and once they got past the enemies portion of the story, it definitely got better. They acted more like adults and less like spoiled brats. The romance at the end was very good. The spicy scenes were great and even felt realistic. The third act breakup we all dread and it's resolution made me cry, which doesn't happen often. It was a great emotional moment that tug at my heartstrings. It did leave me with a few questions but overall left me quite satisfied. The narration by
Frankie Corzo was really good, kept me involved and gave me all the feels.

this was such a special, loving story!!! Rosie and Aiden are such fun academic rivals who are forced by their teacher to write a book together to overcome their hostility. it’s like a fun literary twist on forced proximity— instead of physical proximity they are forced to share intellectual and emotional proximity by being cowriters of a romantic tragedy.

Rosie and Aiden have such deep connection with each other, once the haze of their rivalry fades, what’s left is beautiful friendship, respect, and love. I especially loved how this story is in Rosie’s POV except for the excerpts from their cowritten story which are written in their MMC/ Aiden’s POV. it’s a clever and special way to get to know his perspective. Aiden holds his feelings and wants so close to his chest, it makes perfect sense for Rosie, and us as the reader, would only get glimpses of his inner most thoughts through his passionate writing.

overall, this story is filled with so much love, passion, respect, and tenderness. I absolutely loved the narration of the audiobook, it felt like I could fully engage with this story. I loved this book so much, thank you for the alc!!!

First of all thank you net galley and also the author for this book. I loved this book so much I will be buying a physical copy just because that is how much I did love it. I loved the Latino/Hispanic aspects of it. As someone who is mexican i really loved how we got to see some of that through Rosie and I loved everything the banter, the slow burn, and everything about Aiden and Rosie.

Okkk this boook 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 so cute so adorable a little spicy at times *helloooo the writing scene together* friends to enemies, enemies to lovers boy oh boy this was everything I didn’t know I wanted in a book. The vibes are rom com banter all the way and the audio has me hooked!! Was I a hater at first because the fmc seemed whiney YES but I’m sorry I take it back Rosie

Thank you NetGalley for the audio arc

Loved this book... My favorite troupe! First book by this author and great writing style, easy to read. did the audio book and the narrator did a wondrous job. I enjoyed the Hispanic FMC representation. Like me not fluent but can get by in Spanish especially when don't want other people to understand me.

4 1/2 stars

For a debut novel by Holt, this was fantastic!

This book had all the classic romance elements: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, he falls first, and a secret crush. It truly delivered the full package. You could feel the slow burn and the tension leading up to their developing romance. Both characters were likable, making the whole book incredibly enjoyable. I loved how they discovered each other’s strengths and vulnerabilities in such an unconventional way, which ultimately helped them realize they might not be so bad for each other after all.

The audiobook was decent as well, though I wish it had been more of a duet. Having a male narrator for Aiden would have made it even better and helped me picture him more vividly throughout the story.

Overall, this was a great read—definitely don’t miss it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC and advanced audio!

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO NETGALLEY and & Penguin Random House for this ARC. I can't say enough good things about this read. It's one of my favorite romances this year. The enemies to lovers? On point. The scene setting? Unmatched. I wrote down so many lines that resonated deep with my heart. Also, from a Tennessee girl to another, this is EVERYTHING.

What to Expect:
📚mf contemporary romance
📚hate to love
📚forced proximity
📚reluctant co-authors
📚opposites attract
📚own voices (author/fmc are Peruvian-Tennessean)
📚New York setting
📚slow burn
📚standalone

CWs for death of a parent, toxic familial relationships (particularly father/son), homesickness, financial insecurity

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4). I’ve seen this book pitched as Beach Read meets The Hating Game, and I think that’s a fairly accurate comparison. I was initially drawn to this by the cover and luckily I ended up liking the contents just as much!

This story follows Aiden and Rosie, two aspiring authors that can’t stand the sight of each other. Aiden writes literary fiction, and is cynical about all things romance (in addition to his own emotional baggage). Rosie writes romance, and loves love in all its forms (despite feeling like she hasn’t really experienced it herself). They’ve both been dealing with a serious case of writer’s block and have been taking their frustration out on each other during this college seminar class. As a result of their inability to get along, their teacher ends up paring them together to co-author a manuscript.

This book was an ode to romance novels (and books in general), but it also included some heavier themes. The balance of the two worked really well together. I liked how it really felt like they hated each other at the start. Rosie was initially attracted to Aiden when they first met, but that desire was quickly tampered as soon as he opened his mouth. I liked how we got to see so much of the writing process, especially when they were both writing in their shared doc at the same time and bouncing ideas off of each other. I loved the inclusion of Rosie’s culture and the close relationship she has with her family.

While there were some elements I really loved, I still had some major issues that prevented me from getting fully immersed in the story. I found the characters themselves (and the eventual 3rd act conflict) to be a little frustrating. Both main characters were incredibly immature, to the point it was a little hard to believe or root for them. I mean, they were literally yelling insults at each other during a college seminar. I think I could have overlooked that had there been a ton of character development by the end, but I never really felt like we got that. While they did have moments where they were able to express themselves through their shared doc, I never felt like they effectively communicated verbally in a healthy or mature way. Especially given the nature of the 3rd act conflict, I struggle a little to see how these two would last long term (or at least last without some form of couples therapy lol).

Regardless, highly recommend if you’re looking for a good hate to love romance!

Story: 3.5/5
Audiobook: 5/5 (narrated by Frankie Corzo)
Length: 11h30min

I thought it was a cute story line, but was not unputdownable. The characters were likable. It was a little too steamy for me. I don't. mind a little steam but I think a book like this doesn't need a ton. Audio book was a little harder to follow with the Book with in a book bits.