hot hot hot! i really liked it 🥹 a roller coaster of a slow burn and unique read. their communication could go a long way to make less issues for them but i really loved it! would be great to read around the holidays when it releases. thanks netgalley for the ARC!

4.5⭐️ rounded up!

I was hooked on this story right away, and couldn't put it down all the way through to the very end. I can't believe this is this author's first book, and every book after will be a must read for me!

Their banter was so good and so fun to read. For a while, it didn't always feel like what it was, banter that covered up their true feelings, but I loved that the end of each chapter had excerpts of the untitled book Aiden and Rosie were writing together. Those excerpts from Aiden helped to get into his head a bit and see how he felt about Rosie. He was guarded and rude to her for a long time, so reading how he felt about her in his words was a really cool and unique way to help their story, which I loved since this isn’t a dual POV book.

The emotions were so well written, I FELT every one. During the [very predictable] third act break up, my heart hurt like it was me going through it. I felt the anticipation with their banter, and the love during all the good moments.

Parts were a bit unrealistic, like how they didn't admit, or acted like they didn't realize, how the story they were writing was identical to their relationship. As well as using similar names and their classmates not calling them out on any of it.

But when they wrote together (especially when they wrote that spicy scene together 🥵), the chemistry was incredible. I loved these two a lot and really rooted for them from the beginning. I loved every detail that came out by the end- about why he was a jerk, his difficult past, how she loved that coat, how she had a crush on him from the first reading, etc. Every detail was addressed and the book is wrapped up in a perfect little bow. The side characters were also a big compliment to the story, and I appreciate that there weren't too many to keep track of. Lastly, I loved the detail that Ida had involvement in them fixing their relationship. She was a catalyst for their relationship, after all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC! 🤍 All opinions are my own.

Absolutely adored this book! This was my first Katie Holt and I quite enjoyed this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️character development was on point and I loved the dynamic between the MMCs

I absolutely adored this book. Loved all the characters. The premise was a bit far-fetched (it would be more likely that a professor would make one of them switch to another seminar), but I loved watching the relationship unfold as the main characters wrote their book together. And the ending was perfect.

This book was incredibly far-fetched. A college professor forcing two feuding students to work together and go on fake dates? Come on.

The characters were okay. Neither of them very likeable or easy to connect with.

I couldn't get over how ridiculous the story line was to enjoy it.

Have you ever wished that the bridge from The Way I Loved You by Taylor Swift were a book? Because boy do I have good news to you. Rosie and Aiden despise each other and take any opportunity for a dig at each other's writing. Their arguments in class are so bad that their professor asks them to write together or they can get out of her class. They start writing together only to realize how much they actually like each other.

This book has everything! Enemies to lovers, really good cheesiness, slow burn, sexual tension, classroom romance, New York, Tennessee, cozy vibes, holidays, a plot within a plot, Taylor Swift, a peacoat, I'm telling you, it has everything! I was eating this book up the whole time. The entire book is sexual tension and a slow burn. While I love tension sometimes, I hate slow burn and I hate third act breakups but this one made me like them. I think this book altered my brain chemistry because I genuinely don't understand how tropes that make me so angry work absolutely perfectly here. I had a fantabulous time reading this book. I am so mad that it is over because I want to read a 600 extended edition of this book. Is the book perfect though? Yes, because what works, works so well that I don't see anything else. I will hear no criticism, thank you very much.

I recommend this book to everyone. I cannot express how much I want people to read this book. I will be campaigning now to get this book on everyone's TBR. This book is Katie Holt's first book, I cannot wait to read what she will write next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Katie Holt for giving me the opportunity to review this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Academic rivals, enemies to lovers, and wow did this create so much tension. It was fun and different to read about two characters writing about two people who don’t like each other or do they, as we’re reading about two people who may or may not like each other (they do). I loved everything about it, the banter is everything, and I was giggling and kicking my feet the entire time. Aiden is this obsessed loser who can’t help but argue with Rosie, and Rosie has this little crush on Aiden (it’s not that small) but can’t stand him because she thinks he doesn’t like her. The kiss scene, that was everything. Rosie is a lot better than me because I would have kissed that man from the very start. The tension, oh my god, I felt the tension every time they argued, which was always, but especially when they were writing the chapters for their book. The sexual tension in that one part in chapter seventeen, woah I was fanning myself. Making them write about two people who don’t like each other falling in love made everything interesting, it wasn’t just the characters in their story going and doing all of this it’s them too. Or at least what they wish they could do.
Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love a rivals-to-lovers slow-burn, and this one was pretty good at delivering. The pacing was good and I enjoyed getting to know the characters quirks. I liked the twists and found this to be an easy and sweet read and hope to read more by Holt!

WOW WOW! I love love a slow burn! A academic slow burn with enemies to lovers! Tell me that isn’t perfect!! Rosie & Aiden are such so cute! I love them so much!

It took me less than two pages to realize that I am the exact target audience for this one. As a fellow creative writing-focused Master's student, I immediately related to Rosie and was consumed by her world (not to mention Aiden... my gosh, that man!!). Just the workshop setting alone was perfection. The camaraderie I felt for this girl also extended to her overall plight as a romance writer. I'm a genre fiction writer as well, and I think Rosie did an excellent job articulating the beauty of that medium, as well as defending the merit of this important realm. The fact that Aidan was a lit fic writer and that difference was a point of contention between the two, well that was just a genius move!

I adored the characters in his novel, but even more so, I loved their interactions. This book had 100/10 banter. Holt truly delivered on the nemesis dynamic. Their initial dynamic and hatred was so deliciously perfect, and I felt the tension from the first page. She did a great job of keeping it a part of their dynamic as their relationship changed, which I also appreciated. The banter morphed, but it was still there in all its wonderful glory. I was kicking my feet, giggling to myself, and losing my mind throughout the entire story. Not to mention their actual writing?!? Stunningly done. The premise of this novel allowed for such a unique interaction between the main characters, and it employed one of my all time favorite micro tropes: the book within a book. This one, though, might be my absolute favorite execution of them all! The scenes of them cowriting may just be some of my favorite romance scenes in a loooong time, and the excerpts added such a beauty and richness to this story. Seeing these writers fall in love through the medium they both treasure was such a gift and a delight.

Another element that I appreciated was the acknowledgement of tropes. It's another specific thing I love in books, and this one applied it perfectly. Whether it was acknowledging their own 'enemies to lovers' arc or their 'slow burn romance,' Rosie and Aiden did a great job of being self-aware writers. On that note of them leaning into their craft, I loved how many pivotal moments actually came from their writing. In a way, it allowed for them to be even more believably eloquent as they got to know one another through their "totally fictional" characters.

This was such an incredible debut, and I will be obsessed for a long while to come. Thank you to NetGalley and Katie Holt for allowing me to read this ARC. I cannot wait for the world to discover it and fall in love just as I have!

There is no way that this is Katie Holt's debut! The story was breathtaking and a true enemy to lovers. After continually causing disruptions in their literary class their professor gives them the assignment of working on a literary piece together with equal parts of both of their genres. Rosi and Aiden were some of the best love interests I've read in a long time. Their chemistry was emanating off of the page.

Fantastic debut by Holt! This was a unique enemies to lovers, forced proximity, slow-burn romance. I loved the banter, the tension, the writing excerpts. Reading Aiden’s chapters about Hunter was a unique way to get his POV.

3.5 ⭐️ for the co-writing book scenes (I almost liked Hunter and Max more than the real characters), Aiden’s bedroom personality (HOT!), and realistic friend & family dynamics/scenes.

Thank you NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Katie Holt for this advanced e-copy!

A TRUE rivals-to-lovers book, but with a good, heaping helping of “it was always you”!!!

I will preface and say that there is a third-act breakup, but do not let it deter you from picking this beautiful book up to read it and love it and scream and cry and read it again because oh my stars, it was THAT GOOD!!

Rosie and Aiden write in different genres and have very different views of the world, but eventually their banter creates enough problems that they have to write a novel together. I love the juxtaposition of the two MCs and the way they help to mold each other.

The author does an absolutely amazing job of writing a book within a book and letting you see her MCs through that inception. She also does a fantastic job of making the reader itch to hop on a flight to New York.

Thank you Katie Holt for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I also thank you for writing such a stunner that I read it all in <24 hours.

When I saw that this book was a mix of "Beach Read" and "The Hating Game" I knew I would love it!!

"Not in My Book" by Katie Holt is a romance that had me hooked from start to finish. Rosie, an aspiring romance author from Tennessee, moves to NYC to chase her dream. Aiden, is a grumpy NYC native who’s all about literary fiction and is not a fan of romance at all. Their heated arguments in a writing workshop lead to them being paired up to write a book together. As they collaborate, they start to see their own feelings reflected in the characters they’re creating, which leads to some unexpected personal revelations.

The chemistry between Rosie and Aiden was so good! I loved the forced proximity and enemies to lovers feel.. The setting of NYC added a vibrant backdrop to their story, and watching their relationship evolve was so great!. I loved both of these characters, and thought the ending was just perfect!

If you’re a fan of romances with great characters and heartwarming moments, this book is definitely for you.

Some of my favorite tropes:
*Enemies to lovers
*Grumpy/Sunshine
*Forced Proximity
*Slow Burn

I can't wait to read more Katie Holt books in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the chance to read this ARC!

This book was excellent! I really enjoyed this. Actually finished it over the course of two days. Could not put it down! The characters were incredibly well done and I loved the enemies to lovers storyline! I was incredibly invested in the storyline and in these two characters!

If you are looking for some good rivals to romance, then look no further than Not in My Book. This novel is a tale of two writers whose books and writing styles may clash, but their chemistry and growing admiration for one another tell a very different story. If this book sounds like something you'd like, then what are you waiting for? Pick it up today and see for yourself.

There is just something about a nerdy boy that talks dirty in bed that will get me every time. The banter in this book was so good and had me giggling out loud. This story is like a book within a book and there is a particular scene where Rosie and Aiden are writing together and they take turns writing sentences back and forth and it is just sooooo good (and hot). You can tell they are just writing to each other at one point and I loved it so much.

I really liked how the relationship between Rosie and Aiden progressed. I hated their fight towards the end and I felt like it was unnecessary but I always hate a 3rd act conflict. I do like the eventual HEA and the "breakup" was worth it. The slow burn, enemies to lovers was done very well and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. I cannot believe this was a debut novel and I have to give kudos to Katie for such a wonderful first book. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for the giggles!

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Who doesn't love a good slow burn, enemies to lovers? That's exactly what we were given with this story! This was such a cozy, romantic beach read. The characters did feel boring and dull at times and I did find this more slow than I prefer but it was still enjoyable!

Rosie loves romance. Aiden loves literary fiction. I think you can see where this is going. Rosie is an aspiring author who moved from Tennessee to NYC to pursue her dream. Aiden is a grumpy NYC native who loves literary fiction and hates all things romance. When their fighting in their writing workshop lands them in trouble they are forced to work on a book together. But they slowly start writing themselves into the story...and find themselves exploring their feelings for each other through the characters.

What I liked: I loved these characters, I love their forced proximity and I especially love the setting. I really enjoyed them having to write together and how that allowed their relationship to grow. I loved watching Aiden grow and open up. No spoilers, but I thought the ending was perfect.

I definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves a good romantic story filled with cutesy moments and has amazing characters. I can't wait to read other books by Katie Holt because I am obsessed with her writing!

4.5 stars!
I read this book in less than 24 hours, because I just couldn't put it down! The description was really appealing to me, but I definitely did not expect that I would like it this much.
Enemies (Rivals) to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and it was really really well done in this book. Other tropes were: slow burn, forced proximity, grumpy x sunshine. The chemistry and tension between the two characters was amazing and I loved reading all the short excerpts from the book that they were writing together and seeing how both stories were evolving alongside each other. Them telling each other through their book characters (Maxine and HunteR) what they were feeling but were afraid to say out loud was really cute. The line between them and their book characters was definitely blurring more and more. This book made giggle, laugh, smile, cry.. all the emotions. I just loved Aiden and Rosie together, I enjoyed their bickering and being mean to each other, and it was amazing to see how they slowly became friends and then more.
I loved Rosie and her family, the scene at Christmas was so cute and wholesome. All in all it was a really great book, and I'd definitely recommend it.


Thank you for letting me read this book in advance, I was pleasantly surprised and I will check out future books by this author.