If you love rivals to lovers and slow burn this is the book for you. Rosie and Aiden had all the tension, the journey from rivals to friends to lovers was so well done that I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to see where they were going! I loved the story within a story elements too. The supporting characters made me feel like I was a part of their friend group. Overall a great book and I’ll definitely be reading anything by Katie in the future!

Ok the sparks between Rosie and Adrian were sparking!!! Loved the representation in this book and the way the author showed how different family dynamics can be. Loved the premise that the two of them had to partner up and learn about each other in order for their project to be a success.

Absolutely LOVED it. Perfect enemies to lovers story. Cannot wait to read more books by this author. It was easily one of my favorite reads of 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! 🎉

This book did two of my favorite things: enemies to lovers AND a writing-based backdrop. This book was truly catnip for the soul. I loved the rivalry tension, the way we’re thrust into the burn between characters right away, and that the tension/breaking point was believable and SO fun. This is definitely a book I’ll be revisiting on the days where I just need to feel something and get lost in a story 🤌

What I loved:
•I love that it was immediately into tension and argument between the two main characters. We love a story that starts with action.
•I love that the characters and storyline are so different and to me specifically they’re so relatable. But it’s unique in the way that it’s not the basic romance.
•The author does a great job of showing the way people act vs the way they feel and how different that looks and why. When she talks about how she would be angry at her mom and knew she was going too far but couldn’t stop herself I think that was so relatable and then Aiden in Rosie’s POV when she confronts him about the fellowship vs his internal thoughts were a great example of that as well.
•their banter is hilarious
•I love so much that she is Peruvian and talks about it throughout the story.
I love that she stood on business with Ida and Aiden and walked away from both of them when she found out.

Things I didn’t love:
•She started by admitting pretty early on that she used to have a crush on him.. I think this would have worked better if that turned to pure hate and her not still liking and complimenting him in her head.
•She was talking to too many people about him like her life revolved around him in every aspect of her life. Again this would work if she actually hated him but there was still too much of her liking him and how he looked.
•Her not being able to afford a plane flight home was reasonable but her not wanting to tell her family seemed like a not so good excuse for the plot line to continue
•The story of her name being Rosie would have been cute without it also being the grandmothers name. That felt like too much. Like the author couldn’t decide if she wanted it to be the flower shop story or that it was her grandmothers name. Pick one.
•It’s believable that Aiden doesn’t like romance and makes fun of her for it but the fact that like every guy in the book have a comment on it to me is just too much. It makes it sound like she’s the only person in the world who likes romance. I think I would have liked that problem better if it had stayed between them two. For the sake of it working for the story, just him being a hater on romance would have been better.
•the lying would have worked better if he did it with purpose like because he had something to prove to his father that he was a great writer and could do it.

Review: Not In My Book by Katie Holt @readinromance
Pub date 10/12/24
My Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Not In My Book is a delightful rom-com that offers a playful twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope, with a witty cat-and-mouse dynamic between Rosie and Aiden that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Rosie, a passionate romance writer, and Aiden, a brooding literary fiction writer are thrown together to co-write a book—sparks fly, tempers flare, and the chemistry is undeniable!

The banter between them is hilarious, with every verbal jab serving as a chance to test each other’s limits. Their “cat and mouse” fights are pure entertainment, blending irritation and attraction into something that feels electric. The underlying sexual tension adds heat, but what I love most is how they weave their frustrations into their joint writing project, taking their rivalry to new levels. It’s like watching enemies-turned-lovers unravel their feelings one witty comeback at a time.

Rosie’s character is vibrant—strong, talented, and carrying the baggage of a bad past relationship that makes her wary of love. Meanwhile, Aiden expresses himself brutally but truthfully through the character of Hunter in their novel, offering a unique look into his complex feelings. Though I wished for more of Aiden's POV, his emotions shine through the story they’re crafting together. It’s like getting two stories in one, and that layering made the experience richer.

Katie Holt’s writing is full of laughs, sweet moments, and just the right amount of spice. Even though I’m not usually into spicy scenes, they were well done here and added to the romance. The friendship group, Logan, Tyler, and Jess, made everything even more enjoyable, and the Christmas setting made it feel warm and cozy.

This book is perfect if you love enemies-to-lovers stories. It’s funny, romantic, and has some great tips for beginner writers too! I couldn't stop giggling and swooning, and I’m still wondering where I can find an Aiden in real life!

Thank you @netgalley For The ARC copy 💖

#NetGalley #NotInMyBook

First thing first, I love the cover! Second, i cant believe it's Katie Holt debut, to be honest as this managed to captivate my attention from the 1st 2 chapters, It's good y'all!
A bit of synopsis, the MCs are rivals, they known each other from Grad school , then they graduated & now, are writers but in different genre. The tension between them is undeniable, with plenty of unresolved sexual tension simmering beneath their arguments (which i like!!) As they usually do in Rivals to lovers, of course it, will lead to forced proximity in terms of collaborating on a book. The way their relationship unfolds and Katie Holt’s writing makes it fun & hot. Cos they are writing romance together, when they start writing steamy scenes together, the chemistry between them just sizzles & let say is all good!
I LIKE THIS BOOK A LOT, and I'm so grateful. to be given a chance to review!
Thank you Net galley for the Arc, i believe i just met an author I'm excited to read more!

Thank you Alcove Press and Netgalley for the ARC!

Let me start out by saying I was in rough shape with all my recent reads falling flat. My goal was to put this one off until closer to the release date (December), but I was so antsy to read something good that I started this one and went into it blind. I'm so glad I did, this hit all the right buttons for me in a contemporary romance.

One of the big things I crave from a romance book is if it gave me heart flutters a few times. Aiden and Rosie's chemistry was so good that I got heart flutters for about 60% of the book.

I will say, Rosie was painfully immature (like sink into the earth after reading her dialogue immature). But as soon as she finally got over her pride, the book took off and I could not put it down. Stayed up till 4 am to finish it.

Aside from some insane (AND I MEAN INSANE) coincidences and parallels between my life and Rosie's life (no but for real, Katie Holt, do we know each other???) I give this book five full stars and I can't wait to read more from this author.

SPOILER:


KATIE GIRL A THIRD ACT BREAKUP AT 91%??? AND YOU PULLED IT OFF?? YOU MAD WOMAN. I LOVE IT.

This book is such a good rival to lovers with a a dash of slow burn. I became so invested in the relationship between Rosie and Aiden. They definitely made me swoon.

This was a great, swoon-worthy debut! Rosie and Aiden were compelling characters and the farther along I got the more hooked I was. I thought the character growth in this was excellent and the relationship was realistic. I also thought the romance was on point! I loved all of the "cliche" romantic activities the characters did in pursuit of research for their book (and after) and thought that them writing a romance novel that mirrored their own evolving relationship was an interesting plot device. Overall, a great read and I would recommend this to patrons looking for something fun, romantic and new!

I love reading debut authors who rock, and Katie Holt doesn’t disappoint. Rosie is Peruvian American and writes romance, and her nemesis in class is Aiden, a writer of literary fiction! They are both in writing class and can’t help but scrape against each other, though it’s obvious that there’s some underlying UST. When they go off the rails in class once more, their professor makes them write a book together. How can they though, when romance and literary fiction can feel like oil and water, just like these two? Well, a love story with a sad ending, of course. Rosie doesn’t want to at first, but the more time she spends with Aiden she starts to like him and when they start to write steamy scenes together, well, the chemistry goes through the roof.

I also love the cover, it so cute!

Wow! This book blew me away in a way romance hasn't been able to do for me in a while.

Rosie and Aiden are classmates at NYU in the MFA writing program. Rosie writes romance, and Aiden thinks romance is a lazy genre while he writes litfic. They bicker and fight constantly in class, until their professor has had enough. She gives them a choice, either drop the class or partner up to work on their writing project. This might be the most realistic version of forced proximity I've ever read!

The writing process forces them to see each other in a new light at every turn, which leads to friendship, and eventually romance. Each step they take is so natural, and Katie Holt's voice as an author is so much fun to read. Every element just works. From the fighting, to the friendship, to the spice, it all flowed together wonderfully.

I laughed. I gasped. I cried. I grinned like an idiot. I can't wait to read Katie Holt's next book!

This was a fun romance about two young authors who seem to hate each other from the start. Rosie and Aiden meet in grad school in a creative writing workshop. She writes romance, he thinks that’s a waste of time. He writes litfic, she finds that boring and sad. But their hatred of each other soon leads to sparks, and that leads to a lot more. I liked the premise, and I loved Rosie’s friends and family, but I would have liked more from Aiden’s life. The snippets from their book, woven into the chapters, was a fun idea. 4 ⭐️

I love an enemies to lovers storyline! Rosie and Aiden are both writers and for their final assignment, in their shared creative writing class, they have to write a book together. Grab some popcorn and get ready to enjoy all the banter! Good read!

Firstly, Not in My Book was such a fun read and a love letter to New York and to romance fans. While it played with some typical romance novel tropes (grumpy x sunshine, miscommunication, he falls first etc) it didn’t feel too cliche, and although I knew where the plot was going (Aiden winning the lit mag review was obvious from a mile away, but I never doubted that there’d be a HEA) this did not affect my enjoyment of the novel at all.

I loved the slow burn rivals/enemies to lovers premise between Rosie and Aiden and thought this was particularly well done. Their forced proximity under the guise of their shared writing project was realistic, and at times I just wanted to shake Rosie and make her see what everyone else in the novel saw - that Aiden was totally in love with her from the beginning and she was letting her insecurities get in the way of her happiness.

Overall, this was an easy, enjoyable romance with some well written spicy scenes that didn’t feel forced or gratuitous. I would definitely recommend this novel to romance readers and will be picking up any future novels by this writer.

I am obsessed! This was amazing from beginning to end and I will definitely be reading anything else Katie Holt writes. This was an excellent debut! I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

4.5 stars

Not in My Book had me completely engrossed. I loved how Rosie and Aiden grew from rivals, to being forced to write a book together, to tentative friends, while the attraction between them kept growing. The chemistry and tension were palpable between them, and falling for each other was inevitable. Not in My Book story was refreshing.

One little thing that I liked less was that I didn't really believe in Aiden's reason for <spoiler>keeping things to himself</spoiler>, which is why this is less than 5 stars. But other than that, I truly enjoyed this story.

An absolutely promising debut! I will definitely be reading more from the author.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Very cute read!!!!
The dialogue between Rosie and Aiden was great. I found myself laughing out loud while reading the book. I didn’t want to stop reading it.
Definitely recommend if you like romance, books set in NYC, and a fast/easy to read book that makes you laugh.

This is one of those times where I wish star ratings didn't exist. I fell in love with certain parts of "Not in My Book" & other parts I feel like the story could've done without. That being said, I don't actually know what to rate this.

"Not in My Book" has a couple of my favorite tropes; enemies to lovers and (slightly) academic rivals. Our so-called enemies, Rosie & Aiden, are both writers and for their final assignment, in their shared creative writing class, they have to write a book together.

I really did enjoy Rosie & Aiden being "enemies". Something about that push and pull tension just gets me.

Katie Holt actually puts the excerpts of their untitled book assignment in each chapter. I wonder how that's going to look like when it is printed. At first the format felt out of place, but I started to like them as I continued through the book. Basically, they are having conversations with each other through the characters (who are just copies of themselves). One of my favorite moments involve them writing a sex scene together. It was chef's kiss.

Now, even though I loved that scene (I am going to have to reread that again soon lol) I feel like we didn't need that many "spicy" moments. They weren't bad and it wasn't overly done its just for some reason I didn't expect it. This could've been a good adult novel without the smut. Like, it wasn't needed but I get it. Sometimes I feel like authors feel the need to convey to us, the readers, that the story is about adults by adding sex. However, I love fluffy, cute, and swoony romances too!

Lastly, I saw the ending conflict from a mile away. Very predictable and the argument was kind of stupid. However, the things Rosie & Aiden said to each other afterwards were really heartwarming and made me reflect on my own relationship.

So, yeah, I did like this book, and I just might pick it up when it releases. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I was super impressed with the writing in this book. Pretty much telling two love stories where one could feel like it was repeating itself but it didn’t actually feel like that. Part of me does wish that I had a little more insight to Ida’s reactions and thoughts throughout the book, but it was still done so well.

I usually prefer clean romance because I don’t want the spice to take over the entire book. I thought the spicy scenes in this book were very well done. They felt realistic and didn’t have to use intensity or gimmicks to make it stand out.

I plan to share this book with my Instagram audience early December, shortly before pub date.