I was so excited for this one, because I love a story within a story and bookworm or writer characters, but unfortunately this wasn’t really for me.

I really loved the premise and the writing was good, but unfortunately this novel just had a couple of things that didn’t sit right with me.

First of: the relationship and development of it was cute but borderline childish? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the enormous switch from that to the smutty scenes where Aiden has a downright filthy mouth (which I normally wouldn’t mind) was a little jarring. It didn’t mesh well, for some reason.

Next, the plot wasn’t plotting. The book was way too long for what actually happened. The snippets of the book our MCs were writing were cute, but didn’t really add a lot.

I would’ve loved to see more depth to these characters. Besides their backstories/personalities relating to their stance on romance, there isn’t an awful lot of personality within these two characters. For Rosie it definitely didn’t help that all she could think or talk about was Aiden throughout the entire book.

And don’t let me get started on the second act break up. That was infuriating, and I don’t think the relationship could, or should, have recovered from that.

While I liked the idea of them communicating their real feelings for each other in the book they’re writing together, Aiden’s an absolute pussy for <spoiler>having lied to her! And yes, a lie by omission is still a lie. He knew the fellowship was important to her, he admitted that’s why he felt it was difficult to confess, so he definitely knew!</spoiler> And the things he said… <spoiler>Rosie was right to walk away when he disrespected her craft like that.</spoiler> The apology mainly consisted of some vague stuff about their differences in philosophy. I’m not sure the apology measured up to all that was said, to be honest.

And finally can we please talk about their first time together? Girl confesses about feeling pressure to O with someone else, and the thing Aiden decides is the best thing to say is: “we don’t stop until you come”?? I get that he’s trying to place as much importance on the her pleasure, but damn, way to increase the pressure, my guy!

Overall, the book has a great premise and a great base. I just feel like this book needed some more finessing. I would read more by this author. I want to know what she does next and how she improves!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

This title was just not for me. The author created 4 unlikable characters, that I dislike. I was however able to finish it so it gets a 3.

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this one— the premise was sweet, and the writing was fun. At times, though, the pacing felt off, and the payoff maybe didn’t match the build up.

This was such a new way to write a romance!! I loved aiden and rosie and max and hunter!
It was exactly what i needed with the weather getting colder and more cosy.

The only part I didnt like was the reason for the third act break-up … I saw it coming miles away, hoped for a u turn, was disappointed.
But miscommunication is one of my least fav tropes so I do think others will enjoy it.

Still a solid and entertaining read!!
Looking forward to see more from the author

Thank you to NetGalley and Katie Holt for providing an ARC for review!

Not in My Book follows two graduate students, Rosie and Aiden, in a writing program at NYU. Rosie and Aiden bump heads at every turn. Aiden gives Rosie a hard time about writing romance which causes Rosie to push back just as hard. When their disagreements begin to disrupt class, their professor gives them a choice of dropping the class or working on a writing assignment together. They will have to write in the each other's genre.

The book brought up an interesting discussion around the importance of romance in literature. It is often thought of as lesser (maybe due to the large female audience). I wish there was more of a debate with reasonable conversation around the topic. The book also introduced the differences between the struggles of the lower/middle class vs upper classes when it comes to accessing education. Anther topic that I wish was explored more. As pointed out by their professor, their discussions are really arguments that were not productive to their work and was disruptive to the rest of the class.

The book as a whole felt uneven. Rosie and Aiden felt really young even though they are in their mid-20's. Rosie allowed Aiden to bait her at every turn. Aiden's ultimate reason for baiting her was that he liked her and didn't know what to do with his feelings. It felt very school boy pulling a girl's pigtails because he likes her. When the romance started to kick in and the spice was introduced, it was all of a sudden a very adult book. I felt like it changed from YA/New Adult to Adult on a dime.

I'm not a fan of third act breakups but can handle them if done well. There was absolutely no reason for this third act breakup. It was totally avoidable and should not have even had the chance to be an issue.

A slow burn, rivals-to-lovers romance story. While I loved the premise, and some parts of the story were fascinating, I found this one really hard to get into and found it didn’t hold my attention as I would have liked.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC

Thank you, NetGalley, Publisher & Author, for giving me an opportunity to read this arc! I really enjoyed this book. I'm really sad I didn't have an opportunity to read it until now. And it only took me 2 sittings to finish it!  The storyline was giving more rivals to lovers rather than enemies to lovers. There were times where I wanted to climb into the book to shake mostly Aiden but sometimes Rosie. However, it did make the characters more realistic. I love Rosie's friend group it made the story more enjoyable. Personally I would've loved more interactions (e.g banter dialogues) between Aiden x Rosie. The spicy scenes were fine but I did skim some of those (I'm sorry!)

I don't usually love the 3rd arc breakup in a book. But for this story, it made sense. I did predict the conflict had to do with the fellowship. However, I'm glad it wasn't as drastic as I thought it'll be. I thought there was going to be thief/stealing  involved. Rip pea coat too bad you didn't make it to the wedding haha.

This was like a hug in book form. It was full of wisdom and warmth and really made me smile. Katie's humour and story telling felt really honest. Loved it

Firstly, the cover is GORGEOUS. Congratulations to Katie on her gorgeous debut! Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book! I'm not usually a contemp romance girlie, but I was drawn in by the cover and overall ended up having a great time. I love a good nemesis/enemies to lovers trope, and when they have to work together in a forced proximity setting? DELICIOUS. Aiden and Rosie had really strong chemistry and I loved their story. It was a fun, light read that I'd recommend to anyone that likes the genre, and definitely see the similarities to the hating game!

Thank you Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely adored this book. Rosie's hopeful nature and Aiden's jaded outlook made the perfect complement to each other, and I ate their relationship up! This was a believable enemies to lovers story that I would happily purchase.

Thank you again for the ARC!

Academic rivals to lovers, forced proximity, dual POV… all the good things. Could have done with less spicy scenes – I always find them so cringe.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this one!

I actually received this awhile ago, and it expired, requiring me to renew it… then I finally started it and finished it in less than 24 hours 🤷🏻‍♀️

Did this book have some problems? Absolutely - Rosie was a bit immature at the end, and Aidan was a pompous dick when it came to shitting all over the romance genre that Rosie loved to write - but you know what? I don’t care. I devoured this book, and quite enjoyed it.

I know it’s not for everyone, but I liked the book within a book aspect of this. We didn’t actually get any chapters from Aidan’s POV, but we were able to pick up on his feelings from the chapters he wrote for their co-write project.

This one definitely had Beach Read vibes - so give this a shot if you’re an Emily Henry fan!

Not in My Book by Katie Holt is a captivating and thought-provoking story that tackles issues of representation and identity in literature. The protagonist embarks on a journey to challenge societal norms and expectations, prompting readers to reflect on the importance of diverse voices in storytelling. Holt’s engaging writing and relatable characters make the narrative both enjoyable and impactful. This book serves as a reminder of the power of literature to inspire change and foster understanding, making it a must-read for young adults and advocates of inclusivity.

˚₊‧꒰ა 4 stars ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

༉‧₊˚. « People say there’s a thin line between love and hate, and you know what? They’re right. » ・₊✧

ahh this was even better than i expected!! i was thrilled to get this arc because i knew i would enjoy reading this seeing the other reviews and i can say that this was so cute 🥹

Rosie Maxwell and Aiden Huntington are rivals in a writing class they both attend. they’re basically insulting each other’s writing whenever they can. rosie writes romance, meanwhile aiden writes literary fiction. she believes in happy ever after’s, he believes in sad, realistic endings.

starting the book, i found it hilarious because they would roast each other 99% of the time, when the whole class is like: “guys 🧍🏻‍♀️🧍🏻 get a room.”

anyways, since they’re constantly fighting in the class, the professor tells them they have to write a book together in order to stay in her class. they decide that the book won’t be entirely romance or literary fiction. it will include aspects from both genres.

rosie and aiden starts to spend more time together and try to get to know each other, so they can create a better relationship between their fmc and mmc in the book they’re writing. their character’s names are Max and Hunter, inspired by each other’s surnames.

i loved the language of the book, the dialogues kept my attention and i didn’t get bored while reading it.

one thing bothering me was the fact that they added all of their interactions into their book without changing it. it looked repetitive and also sounded unrealistic that they would share these experiences with the whole class. the format was interesting though, i liked the idea of including annotations from the book they’re writing together.

rosie and aiden’s banter was fun to read! i was laughing at the scenes where they’re fighting like 5-year-olds. their relationship development made my heart swell, i’m glad that they slowly started to understand each other. towards the end, aiden’s demeanor annoyed me but he made up for it, so i can’t complain 🫶🏻

i loved Jess and Tyler. jess is such a great friend and her energy was amazing! tyler is the guy every girl needs. he doesn’t judge anyone and he doesn’t make abrupt comments. he shows that he cares and checks in whenever something’s wrong. he’s so respectful!! however i wish we saw more of their relationship… maybe we’ll get a second book about them? 🥹

overall, this was a very cute book! i loved reading about rosie and aiden’s relationship and i recommend this to anyone who loves books with the “rivals to lovers” trope, it’s really worth it <3

༉‧₊˚. « I’d always preferred fiction, but now I couldn’t wait for the rest of my new reality. » ♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧


Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for providing me this digital arc in exchange for an honest review!

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