Katie Holt’s ‘Not In My Book’ is a stunning debut that I absolutely adored!

The story follows aspiring authors Rosie and Aiden, who find themselves sharing the same post-graduate writing course. Rosie is an optimistic romance writer, driven by a love for happily-ever-afters, while Aiden is a serious, grumpy literary author who dismisses the romance genre entirely. When they're forced to co-write a novel that blends their opposing styles, these rivals slowly begin to explore their undeniable attraction.

What makes this book truly stand out is the “book within a book” aspect, which adds a unique and refreshing twist to the classic enemies-to-lovers trope. Rosie and Aiden’s initial animosity makes for an incredibly slow burn, but I found myself savoring every moment as their relationship unfolded—first through the characters in their novel, then in real life. The chemistry between Rosie and Aiden is electric, filled not only with sharp banter and palpable tension but also with tender, intimate moments that gave me all the feels. I giggled, teared up, and smiled my way through this read.

Katie Holt’s writing is compelling and deeply emotional. From the very first page, I was drawn in by her ability to balance angst with lighter moments, making the story feel rich and well-rounded. Her characters, both main and supporting, are well-developed and layered, with each interaction adding depth and meaning to the narrative.

This debut exceeded my expectations in every way. I went in expecting something light and fluffy, but instead, I was treated to a story that was deeper and more emotional than I anticipated. For anyone who loves a well-written, emotionally rich romance, Not In My Book is an absolute must-read.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Cute rivals to lovers novel!

An easy romance novel to read with an interesting POC as a fmc and a kind of forced proximity trope.
I really enjoyed the university backdrop and the rivals to lovers side of the book. Maybe the bickering was a bit much, but it didn't run the book for me.

4+ 🌟

Thank you Alcove Press and NetGalley for my ARC.

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Katie Holt. I loved the romance between the main couple and the NY references made the city feel like one of the main characters. This is an excellent enemies-to-lovers that packs a ton of heat ( 🌶️!!) and heartfelt swoons.

I found this a touch slow to get into but once the main couples starts their book together, I couldn’t put it down. And the MMC’s bedroom persona wasn’t for me, but it wasn’t enough to turn me off the book.

Overall, I’m excited to see what Katie writes next!

I ate this book up. It was so good. I really loved the concept of adding some of the two main characters book at the end of each chapter. I felt like it really added to the story line. I loved Rosie so much and I was so happy she got her HEA. This book reavers so love and hype because I just adore it so much!

I devoured this in five hours.
The concept of this romance felt so fresh: Two up-and-coming authors are tasked with writing a manuscript together after an outburst in class forces their professor to intervene with an ultimatum.
The only issue? This pair hate each other. Will they be able to set aside their differences, and allow the manuscript to bring them closer together?

The characters are really well developed, the plot was great. I loved the addition of having manuscript excerpts in each chapter also. And I love that these develop into Rosie and Aiden confessing their feelings to each other.
The ‘slow burn’ and ‘enemies-to-lovers’ elements are well executed, considering this book is only 277 pages long. Nothing felt rushed.
I adore the cover art, also. It’s super cute!
I’d recommend this book.

Where to begin? For me, this book is a romcom masterpiece. Maybe I'm biased because I’m absolutely obsessed with enemies-to-lovers, but Rosie and Aiden’s relationship had me hooked from page one. Rosie is determined to chase her dream of becoming a romance writer and, after much sacrifice, finally gets into the writing course of her idol and mentor. The catch? Her biggest nemesis, Aiden Huntington, is also in the class—another aspiring author who’s just too "brooding" and "perfect" to write something as "trivial" as romance. The lessons quickly turn into fiery battles of critiques on each other’s novels, until their instructor gives them an ultimatum: co-write a romance without a happily ever after. But as they dive into chapter after chapter, they might just discover that the line between hate and love isn’t as wide as an ocean...
Can I give a million stars and my undying loyalty to the author? I hope so! The banter is spot-on, the chemistry between the protagonists is off the charts, and reading a book within a book is both clever and wildly entertaining.

I love a bookish book. Writers Rosie and Aiden hate each others genres. Romance for Rosie, Literary Fiction for Aiden. Their critiques reach a crescendo when they begin insulting each other. Getting to know each other these characters was so much fun...you have Rosie who's a fish out water in New York and Aiden who's a city native, their backgrounds and personalities clash, until they're forced to get along.
If you love books about writing books, passionate tempers, and peacoats this book is definitely for you.

This book did have a lot of promise, I was drawn to by the blurb and I'd heard about on Instagram. Unfortunately I didn't like the writing style so I did DNF.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the banter was cute, the characters were relatable and it hooked me from the start! I would definitely read more from Katie Holt!

The banter and tension are high

Tropes:
The enemies to lovers, the slow burn, the banter, the enemies to friends, the rivals, the 'she's mine', romance within romance, feels, love and a little spice, too...

Opinion:
This book is plenty of tropes on one couple, and it all makes sense. I like the well written story and its characters. Even an non native reader had it easy to follow the story. We got both POV's through the third person. I think it's sometimes intriguing to get more into the protagonists through the third person, but this time, it felt right. I was more than invested in this couple and read the story nonstop. I simply couldn't put this book down.

Rosie came to New York City to become a romance writer. She has some insecurities as her life went through up and downs (no spoilers). For me, she's very relatable. I could feel what she went through and understand her actions.

For Aiden, can we please take a minute to just think about what this man is doing? It might seem so clear why he is the way he is, but it's not? When I got to his part, it's revealing.

I love that we got few glimpses of their cowritten book and would love to if we get a special edition of that.

Conclusion:
This book is for everyone who loves romance, enemies-to-lovers, slow burn and a little spice.


What's the book about?
The Hating Game meets Beach Read in this sexy and hilarious contemporary romance from a debut Peruvian-Tennessean voice.

Rosie, an idealistic and passionate Peruvian-American who has grown up without strong ties to her culture, leaves her Tennessee hometown to pursue her dream of making it in New York as a writer. But her plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her arch-nemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington—an obnoxious, surly, and gorgeous literary fiction writer who doesn’t have much patience for the romance genre, or for Rosie.

Rosie and Aiden regularly go to verbal battle in workshop until their professor reaches her breaking point. She allows them to stay in her class on one condition: they must co-write a novel that blends their genres.

The reluctant writing duo can’t help but put pieces of themselves into their accidentally steamy novel, and as they slowly get to know each other, they try to put their differences aside. Meanwhile, their manuscript-in-progress provides an outlet for them to confess their feelings—and explore their attraction toward each other.

When Rosie and Aiden find themselves competing against each other for a potentially career-changing opportunity, the flames of old rivalry reignite, and their once-in-a-lifetime love story is once again at risk of being shelved—unless they can find a way to end the book on their own terms.


Info:
I've got an advanced reader copy through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book was phenomenal! 💜 I loved reading it (I finished it a few days ago actually, but I still can't stop thinking about the story). The perfect book for any book lover! 🤩 And I don't even want to get started on the characters - absolutely perfect. It starts as enemies to lovers and from the first page you are hooked on their banter. It's so much fun. Just what you'd expect from enemies to lovers. 🔥 And the way Aidan and Rosie's story intertwines with the story from the book they were writing... Chef's kiss. 💋 I am so excited about this book and can't wait for it to come out! It should be a hit 🎯 ✨

Absolutely loved this sweet romance read. I completely devoured it. Once I picked it up I could not put it down. Highly recommend.

4.5 stars rounded up.

I loved this book! It immediately grabbed my attention and I didn’t want to put it down. A book about books - you can’t really go wrong. This definitely had vibes of other books but who cares. It stood on its own for me. I loved Rosie and Aiden’s enemies to lovers story and how they wrote them into their book. It made for a fun story with a lot of banter. The ending felt slightly rushed but it worked with the story.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Oh. My. God. 🥰🌹

I freaking loved this book. The best enemies to lovers romance I’ve ever read - super unique in that it’s a book within a book. Rosie and Aiden are just so damn cute and I just can’tttttt. I literally want more of their story! Not to mention Rosie/the author are Swifties like me - loved all of the Taylor Swift music references. 🫶🏽

Huge thank you to the author, Alcove Press and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for my review!

A cute love story between two writers, one who writes romance the other lit fic. Rivals to lovers with lots of angsts and slow burn. A unique love story with a concept that will hook a lot of book lovers.

okay, this one started off SLOW and I wasn’t sure I was going to even stick with it, but I can safely say now it was a true enemies to lovers romance. It really picked up about 20% of the way through and didn’t slow down. I loved the banter between the two MCs especially when they were writing their book together. However, I wish there was a translation for all of the Spanish and that the “fight” happened a little sooner, it felt a little rushed at the end but it is a romance, so of course there’s a HEA.

The one quote that sums this whole book up: “Don’t you two ever get tired of fighting?” “It’s our favorite pastime.” Like come on!!

I am excited for other people to read this when it officially comes out, they wouldn’t be disappointed! Thanks NetGalley for letting me read this early, and congrats to the author because this is a heck of a debut!

not in my book es una joya de comedia romántica. Rosie y Aiden, dos aspirantes a escritores, no pueden soportarse al principio. Ella ama el romance; él lo odia. pero cuando los obligan a escribir un libro juntos, la chispa entre ellos se enciende de una manera súper divertida y llena de tensión.

lo que más me gustó fue cómo la relación de enemigos a amantes se desarrolla de forma natural, con un montón de momentos divertidos y tiernos. además, los personajes secundarios, especialmente los amigos y la familia de rosie, son un gran plus.

el libro me mantuvo enganchada de principio a fin, con una mezcla perfecta de humor, romance y un final que deja el corazón calentito. si te gustan las historias con química explosiva y un buen slow burn, este libro es para ti. ¡no lo pude soltar!

📖📖📖📖📖📖

not in my book is a gem of a romantic comedy. rosie and aiden, two aspiring writers, can’t stand each other at first. She loves romance; he hates it. But when they’re forced to co-write a book, the spark between them ignites in a super fun and tension-filled way.

what I loved most was how their enemies-to-lovers relationship develops naturally, with plenty of funny and sweet moments. plus, the secondary characters, especially rosie’s friends and family, are a big plus.

the book kept me hooked from start to finish, with a perfect mix of humor, romance, and an ending that leaves your heart warm. If you love stories with explosive chemistry and a good slow burn, this book is for you. i couldn’t put it down!

I received an arc in exchange for honest feedback.

I read a review for this saying it was a romance within a romance and I really think that’s the best way to put it
I absolutely LOVED the banter and (and it’s such a little thing) how realistic the texts were
The spicy scenes were 🤌🏼
The only thing I would say is I had a hard time like really connecting with Aiden he definitely had potential but it felt like a thousand piece puzzle with one piece missing. Still, 999 is pretty good

"I know you prefer what's in your books, and I pretend I don't want to be like them, but I do. I want to be the person you picture when you're reading and dreaming because you're who I picture every single time. I love you. In light and dark, in romance and litfic. In this lifetime and the next."

"Not in My Book" by Katie Holt was a sweetly crafted read that exceeded my expectations. I'd like to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press and the author for providing the E-ARC and giving me the opportunity to experience this gem before its release.

This novel is a real slow-burn, rivals-to-lovers romance where the main characters, Aiden and Rosie, both aspiring authors share a writing class in university. Aiden is your typical grumpy guy who thinks literary fiction is the superior genre and has no regard for romance, while Rosie, true to her name, sees life through rose-tinted glasses and wants to succeed in her career to prove everyone wrong about romance.

In the beginning, Aiden and Rosie can't stand each other, and their constant bickering disrupts the class so much that their professor, Ida, asks them to leave. However, she offers them a chance to redeem themselves by writing a novel together. This compromise marks the beginning of their truce, and as their collaboration progresses , they peel back the layers of their own hearts and their relationship slowly evolves into something truly special.

I was surprised at how well-written this debut was. The angst and banter were perfectly balanced, and I found myself giggling and kicking my feet often, though I did get frustrated with the characters from time to time. We gain real insight into Aiden and Rosie’s characters through the book they’re writing because they base their fictional characters on themselves, revealing what they can't say in real life.

The chemistry between Aiden and Rosie is top notch and I couldn’t get enough of their sweet intimate moments.
Also as someone who doesn’t enjoy smut found their steamy scenes entertaining and actually add depth to their connection.

The story is significantly enhanced by well-developed side characters, including Rosie’s friends and family. Alexa, Rosie’s Peruvian roommate, helps her maintain a connection to Peruvian culture, while Rosie’s parents nurture her love for romance and are proof that the love she reads about can be real . The narrative also highlights the importance of friendship through her group of friends, Jess, Logan and Tyler. Their unwavering support and vibrant dynamics contribute to enriching the story.

There were a few minor errors, and at times, the story felt a bit repetitive due to the scenes from Aiden and Rosie’s book mirroring their real-life experiences. It might have been better to cut down on some of these repetitive scenes and focus more on the way they felt during them.

Overall, I’m very happy with this book and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written bookish romance that is both fun and meaningful!

This book really took me by surprise. It was cliche in some ways but relatable in many others.

The story follows Rosie our hopeless romantic FMC who wants to be a romance writer. Her biggest rival is Aiden, a lit-fit enthusiast and obviously the one who hates romance genre. How stories like these normally go, Rosie and Aiden are forced to work together and write a romance book (Rosie’s expertise) without happily ever after (Aiden’s specialty). This gives origin to Max and Hunter’s story.

I really enjoyed Max and Hunter’s snippets that we got throughout. At some points I enjoyed them way more than the OG couple. It was like our OG MCs poured in all their angst and tension into their work which eventually led to their story to develop as well.

I especially loved Rosie’s character development. I’ll admit I was not a huge fan of her in the beginning because of her black and white approach to Aiden and everything regarding him. The amount of times she said she “hated” him for petty things was a bit too much. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the book and Rosie got progressively better. I loved when she realised her flaws but also stood her ground when needed. In the end I found myself more team Rosie than team Aiden!

I did however find several typos and errors throughout the books. Moreover, the transitions, especially in the first half were a bit weird. I got confused couple times because some scenes were so rushed that I couldn’t figure out when one scene ended and the other began. I was genuinely happy to see flawed characters and not some grandiose gestures of self sacrifices made in the name of love (which normally happens in these kind of rivals to lovers book). Characters got more realistic as the story progressed and by the end they fit perfectly.

ARC provided by NetGalley. My opinions are based solely on my reading experience.

Review posted on goodreads on August 16th, 2024