Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was really cute and I really enjoyed the banter! At first I wasn’t sold on integrating the excerpts from their book but it became one of my favorite parts as the story evolved. Even though I saw the 3rd act break-up from a mile away I still hated it, but no one will ever sell me on a 3rd act break-up so that’s not really a judgement of this book 😂.

I loved everything about this story! Rosie and Aiden are great characters, and their antagonists-to-lovers arc is filled with sparky banter and romantic tension. The narrative's pace is spot on, too. The Nora Ephron rom-com references and the NYC setting add to the fun, as does the light humor brought by some of the secondary characters in Rosie's friendship circle and family. The emotional issues that both main characters deal with ring true but are never over-angsty, just heartfelt. I love how the novel that Rosie and Aiden are writing together for their NYU course, quoted and referenced during the course of the story, mirrors their own relationship so closely. I would absolutely read another book by this author and will watch for her future novels!

You know those two people that are meant to be together and everyone sees it but them?
That’s this book! I found myself laughing at numerous points because of the way they would completely drag each other but it was clear as to why it was happening to everyone else but them 😅

Not in My Book by Katie Holt is an enjoyable but somewhat uneven read. The premise is interesting, and the characters have moments of charm, but the plot occasionally feels predictable and lacks the punch needed to fully engage the reader. While there are some touching and humorous moments, they don’t always feel fully developed, leaving certain aspects of the story feeling a bit flat. The pacing also felt slow at times, which took away from the overall flow. It’s a decent read for those who enjoy light romance, but it doesn’t quite stand out in a crowded genre.

*Not In My Book* by Katie Holt is a fun enemies-to-lovers romance set in the heart of New York. Rosie and Aiden are both writers forced to work together in their university class despite their very different styles—Rosie loves romance, while Aiden sticks to literary fiction. Their professor, tired of their constant bickering, gives them an ultimatum: co-write a novel blending both of their genres. Slowly, through working together, they begin to understand each other, and what starts as rivalry gradually turns into something more.
The banter between Rosie and Aiden is hilarious, and their character development feels natural as they move from enemies to friends to lovers. I really enjoyed the creative concept of including excerpts from the book they were writing together. It was such a clever way to show their growing connection and inner feelings, even when they weren’t quite ready to admit them in real life. The setting in New York, plus the Christmas and winter vibes, adds a cozy charm to the story, making it a perfect light read.
While the slow burn romance was a little too slow for me at times, the chemistry between the characters made it worth the wait. Some parts felt a bit predictable, like the third-act breakup, but the satisfying ending and clever storyline kept me invested. Overall, *Not In My Book* is an enjoyable, heartwarming read with great side characters and plenty of witty back-and-forth.

I want to thank netgalley for allowing me to read the ARC, Not In My Book! It was a cute romance/comedy that had me invested in Rosie and Aiden's rivals.

I give it 3.5 stars because i wish it had more comedy, and the slow burn was very slow for me. I have to admit that there was spice in the book, but I wish it had more romance!

Rosie and Aiden are in a literature class together. They have such a fury with each other that in order to stay in class, they need to work together. They can't stand each other and keep trying to change their book to what they want. Rosie is a romantic and Aiden is not!

I do love that it takes place in the Big Apple. I also liked that it's a great Christmas/winter read. Not in my book makes you want to have a blanket and hot chocolate while you read.

I adored this book. The banter was strong, the growth from enemies to friends to more was well timed and they both admitted to their own issues. While, of course, there was some lack of communication (gotta have conflict) they did finally figure themselves out and the payoff was great. Aiden and Rosie are really lovely together and challege each other while also supporting one another. Adding snippets of the book they write together in as chapter segues or within chapters was so charming (I want to read that book too!) and I love the play within a play/book within a book idea. So fun.

The side characters are also excellent, both meddling and observing while not being overpowering by any means.

I cannot wait to read more from Katie Holt!

Not in My Book
By: Katie Holt
3.5-4 stars

What a fun, interesting story. I loved the New York vibes and the writers storyline!!

So Rosie and Aiden are both writers at NYU and have had some overlap in classes. Rosie thinks he's a jerk and thus the enemies to lovers start! They are constantly at each other's throats and their professor tries to kick them out of her class. Rosie begs for them to stay and swears they will get along. The professor allows them to stay but only if they co-write a novel that blends both of their genres. They reluctantly agree and slowly a friendship blossoms.

While they write the process allows them to confess their feelings for one another through the characters in the book. This was angsty, good banter, slow burn, enemies to lovers, and a curve ball thrown in at the end. Rosie and Aiden find themselves competing against each other in a career changing scholarship.

Overall this was such a fun read but it was only Rosie's POV and I would have loved to have gotten Aiden's POV. That probably would have bumped this to a 4.5!

this debut novel was sooo cutie! omg there was so many moments that I was just giggling over!! Some tropes include enemies to lovers, forced proximity, secret crush, THE PINING!!!! ugh it was perfect!! Aiden is such a little grumpy grump and Rosie is our helpless romantic💕 our man was sooo down bad for her and that really stole the show for me! There’s just something about the pining and yearning!

This is v niche but if you absolutely loooved beach read but ever wondered what they would have been like in their writing program, this is it!!!

The banter was top tier!! The friend groups and supporting characters were amazing and overall this book was such a fun, light hearted cute book!!

Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press for proving me an arc in exchange for this review<3

Aiden: “I’m writing for an audience that cares about more than overdone tropes and unrealistic men.”

Rosie: “I lived and breathed the rules of romance novels and rule number one was the Happily Ever After.”

“Love wouldn’t seem worth it without the risk of losing it.”

Not in My Book is the debut novel by Katie Holt with a book inside a book! Calling out all romance novel tropes, this book will have you invested and swooning quickly!

Rosie is a Peruvian American from Tennessee, trying to make it in school in NY as a writer. She is a dreamer who never met a trope she didn’t like or a Happily After Ending she didn’t find fitting. Aiden, on the other hand, is a smart, good-looking realist, literary fiction writer who doesn’t believe in romance. When their “arguments” become too much in class, their professor assigns them the task of writing a book together that combines both romance and literary fiction. But as their writing begins to express their feelings for each other through their characters, the “thin line between love and hate” still remains begging the question – which side of the line will they fall on?

What a new, fun, creative way to write a slow-burn, close proximity, leave-you-wanting-more novel about what goes into writing a book! I loved the supporting characters and the texting conversations – there was a real feeling of friendship and comradery that flowed off the pages. I think Rosie got a little too “woe is me” at times, and Aiden too hard around the edges, but it worked for this “rivals turned lovers” theme. I did find it a tad unrealistic that they would put their feelings in words that then would be read out loud to the whole class, however. (I also, do not speak Spanish but was able to infer what was being said.)

There was one scene closer to the end where Rosie and Aiden were writing their book together, and it was SO GOOD! The epitome of a good romance book scene without them even being in the same room! Holt definitely has a bright future in front of her – and I will be buying whatever she writes next.

4 adorable stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for this creative arc! All opinions are my own.

“Love is always worth fighting for.”

“Words were the deadliest weapons Max and I had.”

(As a fun side note, I read Is She Really Going Out With Him by Sophie Cousens right before reading this, and some of the similarities - with romance novel tropes - were fun to see back-to-back!)

Rosie and Aiden hate each other with a burning passion, but when they are assigned the task of writing a manuscript together, sparks fly.

What a treat it was to read this absolute gem of a book!!! Katie Holt has created one of the most unique romance books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I loved that we are able to see the characters and their flaws so clearly. Was there a third act break-up? Yes, but it was not your run of the mill split. The way these characters messed up is exactly how they knew they would, and they still got their HEA!!! As a fellow southern, Swiftie, romance reader Rosie is a girl after my own heart. This was truly one of the best debut books I’ve ever read, and I am so excited to see what else Holt has to come!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Alcove Press for the opportunity to read this book!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars

"But know that every single time I fuck up, I'll come home to you. We'll work together to make it better because we won't abandon each other. We'll make mistakes, we'll learn lessons, and we'll be tested. But we'll come out so much stronger on the other side."

This was a fairly cute read that I got through pretty fast, but it didn't knock my socks off.

Aiden was a great MMC, though I thought he could be overly aggressive at times and it was almost a shock to the system, some of the stuff he would say to Rosie. But his development was pretty great and I loved where his character ended up by the end.

But most of my issues are with Rosie. In the beginning, she came off pretty young to me and that wasn't what I was looking for in this book. As time went on, she seemed better to me and I was cruising through the book, but the end was a big red flag for me. I really didn't enjoy the third act breakup. It felt pretty late in the book, and I think Rosie was being absolutely ridiculous. Not that Aiden didn't have his fuck ups, but her reaction was way overkill imo.

Overall, this was a lukewarm romance that got some additional points because Aiden had some 🤌 moments.

Not in my book was so cute and the perfect palette cleanser. Loved the characters in this and their banter and the beginning was so fun to read. Really enjoyed how the author made New York City a character in itself. And any book that talks about books with enemies to lovers I am there. I had a great time reading this book. Was a quick read too. Thank you @stmartinspress for the chance to read

I really wanted to like this book and from the description it sounded like a great premise but something about it did not work for me.

Rosie and Aiden are in a grad school writing class together and cannot get along. When their professor becomes frustrated with their constant fighting she tells them they need to work together to write a book.

This book includes some of my favorite things to read about -- New York, especially during the holidays and writers. I felt very annoyed with Rosie and a lot of her actions -- she felt pretty immature and inconsistent. They did have some good chemistry and I did enjoy the parts about New York a lot.

While this one wasn't for me I will read the next book by Katie Holt!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

This is a delightful read that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a sweet and sassy rom-com. It creatively blends several classic romance tropes—rivals/enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract, and forced proximity—infused with a charming mix of Southern and Peruvian vibes, all set against the lively backdrop of New York. The book is full of quotable moments, and I found myself revisiting certain scenes to savor the clever dialogue. Fans of traditional romance themes will love this one.

There were moments when Rosie’s stubbornness felt a bit exhausting, but in the end, it only made the payoff of her and Aiden finally embracing their feelings that much more satisfying. You know that feeling when you just want characters to "shut up and kiss already"? Yeah, it’s like that, in the best way. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I hope you give it a read!

First off thank-you so much to whoever deemed me worth of this ARC in the Alcove office! May your life be full of blessings!

I wish I this had a higher rating system. If it did I'd give this like 100 million stars that's how much I adored this book!
Was I expecting to enjoy it? Yes, I love me some enemies to lovers, work place romance! But this was something else entirely!
Whatever I write won't give justice to how much I love this book.
So when I say that Not in My Book saved the romance genre for me I am being deadly serious! I spent the better half of Saturday and Sunday either crying or sending my friends voice memos that ended up sounding more like a podcast about how much I oved this book. Also they've preordered it now so yay!
The prose in this book is amazing, descriptive but never rumbly. Heck this book made me like NYC and I'm one of those that have seen too much SVU to fantasize about the city but now I want to go and take touristy pictures with this book. I loved the characters so much, they were realistic and flawed, and I felt the "hate/dislike" they had for each other! It made the journey they go on all the better.

God, the structure of this book! Having them write the story together! PERFECTION!
I won't mention more because spoilers but OMG!

The way the leads Latinidad was so refreshing to read about other Latino cultures. Although not the same me being Mexican American and the lead being Peruvian American the similarities were so great to see.

I'll end it by saying this was prefect and it's become one of my favorite books if not actually taken the #1 spot. This is a love letter to romance novels, but most of all a love letter to romance readers.

This book would make for a very fun Romance Bingo game as it deftly and knowingly indulges romance readers in a number of tropes. I especially liked the friends and family sidecharacters here - maybe even more than the MCs but that's just cos i don't LOVE miscommunication and it was all over the place in Aiden and Rosie's rivals-to-lovers relationship! Slow burn high drama, and sure to please a lot of romance lovers.

I loved the premise of this book, an enemies to lovers where two writers from different genres clash. Reminiscent of one of my favourites, Book Lovers, this story has Rosie and Aiden, both postgrad students forced to collaborate on a book. While I was hooked by the concept, I struggled with the pacing, particularly in the first third of the book, and I found Rosie annoyingly immature for a good half of the story. However, I enjoyed the snippets of the book they were writing that appeared at the end of each chapter. It was a clever way of revealing the inner feelings of the two real life characters through their alter egos Max and Hunter. I preferred the writing style of these bits and loved it as they increased in length, and became interspersed within chapters. I’d love to read that book! So overall, fabulous story, not perhaps perfectly executed, but redeemed by the clever concept, satisfying ending and the addition of some great side characters. Rosie’s friends and family were lots of fun.

A slow burn that is full of angst. It has some of my favorite tropes. I can't believe this was a debut and I can't wait for more work from this author. I absolutely ate this book up!!

This was really fun, and I loved the banter of the two main characters! It was also fun to have a bit of the writing process within the book! Kind of meta in a way. There were lots of cute scenes, and the emotions were put forth in a way that I really felt them while reading.