
Member Reviews

I enjoyed the storyline, it was witty and funny. An enemies to lovers story with a MMC who hates enemies to lovers. Characters in a book working on their own book. I enjoyed the excerpts of the story within the story as wel. There was just too many errors in this copy and it was oddly formatted on my Kindle. There also was no chapters listed. It was like reliving the Internet era of pop-ups. DNF.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I was blown away by this book! It was an engaging and interesting read. The characters were nicely fleshed out. Don't hesitate on this one!

This book was definitely a good read. The way it was written was different then any other book I have read. The way the characters communicated to each other was very different and interesting. It flowed very easily a flawless. I read this at the same time as a friend and we both were intrigued on the writing style that was chosen. I would recommend this book to my friends.

Absolutely loved this book! I made the mistake of reading it during work so got a bit teary in public 😭 Finished in a few hours! Would love to read a complete versions of Aidens and Rosie’s book 👀🫶🏼

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
“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.”
This books plot is one easy question: what would you do if you were into writing your final project with your nemesis in order to stay in class and pursue your dream?
Rosie is a Peruvian-American who moves from Tennessee to New York to attend NYU so she can become a writier, specifically a romance writer. She is ambitious, a dreamer and a sweetheart. Aiden Huntington, is New York born who writes literary fiction in the same class and despises romance. He’s critical yet handsome and doesn’t believe in the unrealistic expectations of romance and his forte is tragedies. When continuous dispute over their writing gets too much for their workshop leader, they get given an ultimatum - write their assignment together, fusing their writing styles into one story and learn to repect each other’s art or get kicked out the class altogether.
This book was such an easy read and perfect for when you want to just read a sweet romance for fun. I will always love an academic rivals to lovers and grumpy x sunshine so this was my cup of tea in terms of tropes.
I loved how they are forced into dates in order to feel much more connected to their book and characters. The slow burn, the obvious development as they begin to write and understand each others lives was done so well and I admit slow burn can often bore me. It’s a thin line in how their fictional characters begin to represent their own feelings to one another in real time. Their hate-fuelled banter is slowly transformed into flirty passion where they cannot deny their feelings for the other and i ate it up The writing felt so natural for the development.
My *only* critique was the 3rd act break up. I just don’t know how to particularly word it but I just didn’t like how it happened and it went from 100-0 so quickly. I get the “betrayal” and why Rosie was hurt, but I just didn’t like it. I honestly think the last quarter of the book was fairly rushed and could have been fleshed out much better.
For a debut novel, Katie delivers a pretty solid fun romance and I really look forward to upcoming releases!

✨ Grumpy/Sunshine
✨ Peacoats and Chocolate
✨ Only One Bed
✨ Fake Dating
✨ Steamy
✨ Romance writer vs Lit Fic writer
✨ SO MUCH BANTER IT'S INCREDIBLE
Okay, this book is my 2024 BOTY so far. It's witty, clever, humorous, heart wrenching, honest, optimistic, full of family and friendship and rivalry. I just loved this book. Rosie is perfect, a loud and silly Peruvian-American just trying to make it as a romance writer in NYC. Aiden is a lit fic writer with a past and a determination that HEA isn't real. When their fighting gets in the way of class, their teacher does what they couldn't imagine happening, she pairs them to write together.
I am not kidding you when I say this book was perfect. It's not necessarily a duet, but when they end up writing together it blurs the lines of reality and fiction and I just adore how Katie wrote this. It's perfect. Just the right amount of spice ( 2 or 3, maybe 4 scenes but nothing wild) and its so romantic. I will shout this one from the rooftops until December 10th when it releases. Thank you for this one Katie and NetGalley, yall are the best.

Omg I freaking loved this book. The charters in this book were so cute💜 the only thing I wish I could improve is that it be a bit longer

God lord the secondhand embarrassment I felt every time they read their fictional name journal entries masquerading as their joint novel to their classmates like 😭😭😭 I could NOT. Write from experience, sure, but let it compost first 😭
The enemies to lovers journey was cute, I loved the scene when he met her family, the third act breakup felt forced, but at the same time - its a romance novel about writing a romance novel, it had to be there For The Plot.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I had high hopes for this book with its enemies-to-lovers theme and unique book-within-a-book concept, but it fell short. The fictional dialogue became overwhelming, and Aiden came across as unkind at times.
Rosie and Aiden, both aspiring writers, have a complex relationship. Rosie loves romance novels, while Aiden prefers literary fiction and looks down on romance. Their rivalry disrupts their writing class until their professor forces them to collaborate. This pushes them to confront their issues and possibly find romance.
While I enjoy exploring new genres, Holt's story felt predictable and had pacing issues. Rosie's stubbornness made her a frustrating character, and she seemed younger than her age, overly fixated on Aiden. Even in conversations with friends and family, Aiden dominated the discussion.
The book includes excerpts from the story Rosie and Aiden write together for class. These mirror their real-life relationship struggles, where they argue frequently. In their story, the characters, Hunter and Max, express feelings similar to Rosie and Aiden's.
If you enjoy light-hearted romance with familiar themes like enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity, you might still find this book enjoyable. However, I found the characters lacked depth beyond their romantic entanglements, which detracted from my overall enjoyment despite the book's competent writing.

This book was super good I really appreciated reading this book because of the amount of details and especially how well put together the book was. I love how the relationship played out and how protective Aiden ended up being over all it was just to cute of a relationship.
Great book Thank you!

A really Cute, fun romance read. I enjoyed it a lot and would definitely recommend checking it out! I just love anything that takes place in the world of publishing.

Not In My Book debut Novel by Katie Holt
✏️ People say there is a thin line between love and hate...
✏️ 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.
✏️ 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.
✏️ I thoroughly enjoyed this enemies to lovers romance by Katie Holt. The banter between Aiden and Rosie was angsty, and I appreciated the growth of the characters throughout the book. It was as if their emotional growth parralled the growth they made as writers in the story. I also loved when Rosie and Aiden wrote a section of the book together, especially the steamy love scene 🔥
*Enemies to Lovers
*Forced proximity
*Slow burn
*Shared project
*Open door spice
Thanks to @netgalley and @alcovepress for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I’m slowly clawing my way out of a reading slump and this book was so good I finished it in two days! I loved the Beach Read x The Hating Game vibes and the idea of all the unsaid things between them being written in their novel? genius.

THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A ROMANCE!!!! THIS THIS THIS!!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley & the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ♥️
This was actually a delicious read…like, I literally savored every single page. Rosie has such a sweet, intelligent, and cheery voice…I want to be BFFs with her. And Aiden is majorly hot to the point where it’s almost offensive. Their rivalry and overall dynamic? Heavenly. The enemies to lovers trope is that girl and will forever be that girl…(& so is friends to lovers🥹).
The writer’s aspect of this story was so fun, plus, we got treated to 2 parallel enemies to lovers stories. Aiden & Rosie’s real story accompanied by excerpts of the fiction they’re forced to write together is a brilliant fusion. The way that they flirt and fight through their characters is delectable. I’ll never be over them pouring their feelings out to each other and disguising it as fiction. AGHHHHH!!!! Compliments to the chef!! Also, I just love the writerly banter and seeing how a master’s in writing (I’m considering pursuing it more now after reading this because what if there’s an Aiden clone in my class? I want to stare at him) works and to explore the very real genre discourse in the world of literature. It’s so true that romance or more “optimistic” world of literature are devalued, especially when they are written by women. This novel did a good job of opening that conversation about how important all works of literature are and showing that genres like romance can hold a multitude of truths & have philosophical depth.
I can’t possibly put all of my thoughts and feelings about this novel into words…so I’ll just say:
This novel is everything. I actually can’t believe it’s a debut because it just checks allll of the boxes. It offers gorgeous dialogue, crackling humor, earth shattering passion, pointed angst, HOT NERDS, adorable supporting characters, strong women, stunning city imagery, Taylor Swift references (don’t worry if that’s not you’re thing, there aren’t too many! I felt so seen tho), and an intimate look at what it means to write, and in turn, what it means to feel.
If it came down to it, I think I would die for this novel😇

Ohhhhh, man. The slow burn is STRONG with this book, and a touch of enemies to lovers trope? Man, this book has it all. Little bit of spice, some really great friends, and some comedy all rolled into one!
I enjoyed the plot of the book too. It was actually so cool how you could see our guys POV from the book they wrote, but the storyline itself was from our girls POV. Confusing, but you'll see once you read it.
It would be a five star if it wasn't heavy on the miscommunication trope sometimes and having a third act breakup. Man, (slight spoilers) I really wish Rosie didn't act like such a 3rd grader at that point.
All in all, it was a adorable book and I'm so thriller I got to read it.

From the beginning of Rosie and Aiden's story, I was sucked in. Katie Holt had a way of making her characters feel like real people, and I honestly felt like I was a bystander in New York watching Rosie and Aiden fall in love through the pages of their manuscript for their class. When they bicker too hard during class one day, their professor forces them to work together on their manuscript project or drop the class. During the course of the semester, Aiden and Rosie grow closer as the characters in their manuscript slowly fall in love. There was something so refreshing about this take on an enemies to lovers romance that I just loved deeply. And the sex scene they cowrote while on the phone with each other?? HOT STUFF!!!

I would like to start by thanking the Author and Netgalley for letting me read this ARC in advance🙂
This book is absolutely one of my favorite reads of this year! I love this book so much and I am so happy that I got the chance to read it because it just really became that one book that I will obsess over lol. It is a rivals to lovers trope , forced proximity . The banter ? I love!! This book had me laughing, tearing up , getting frustrated and all the emotions,
It had me giggling and rubbing my feet together lol. I enjoyed that our main characters had to write a story together . I enjoy when books have characters who are doing book related stuff together. The Author did a wonderful job on the writing , it is absolutely going to be a comfort read and I already want to read this book again even though I just finished it!
I have some favorite quotes from this book that may convince you to give it a read !!
“I know romance novels can be unrealistic, but there are Happy Ever Afters. And, I don’t know … sure, love can be messy, and it can hurt, but I think it’s supposed to heal, too.”
“Love is always worth fighting for. I mean, that’s why there’s all the songs and poems and movies about it. It has to be something spectacular if everyone’s chasing it.”

Fabulous debut novel!
What would you do if your teacher issues an ultimatum: write your final project with your sworn enemy or wave the opportunity of a lifetime goodbye? Rosie, a Peruvian-American aspiring writer moves from Tennessee to New York in hopes of becoming a writer, she works day in and day out to make ends meet and study under her idol's eye and craft her debut novel...she's living her Big City dreams with one exception...Aiden Huntington and his annoying commentary on every single piece she turns in. He writes literary fiction, she writes romance, they can see eye to eye on anything so, of course, the solution is to work together...keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right? Wrong. Will Rosie and Aiden finally make a truce or will they end up losing their chance in the publishing industry because of their discrepancies? Read and find out!
I adored this debut. The first half of the book was the best romance and passion build up/foreplay I've read in a while. Who knew co-writing a novel could build intimacy so well? When you can't say it, write it. The characters felt real, therefore flawed, they were passionate with always a hint of hidden emotions shining through. I loved reading between the lines of their interactions and deeply appreciated the author's creative way to give us some of the main male character's headspace. Even though this book was single pov, I felt I got to know Aiden through his character's eyes and thoughts. I found this resource unique and interesting.
That being said, the second part of the book felt rushed, I would have preferred the book was longer just so we get more emotional development from both characters. I lost a bit of interest in the Male Main Character after some dialogue he has and could not empathize with the Female Main Character after some actions she takes, considering these characters are meant to be over 25 years old, some behaviors felt childish and immature. I understand not everyone has the same emotional intelligence and I always adore flawed characters who need help to grow and develo. In fact, I sometimes prefer to get to know an immature character if, in the end, we get to see them come into their own, this was not the case for me in this book. I would have appreciated more insight into their motivations and psyche.
However, this did not take away from my overall enjoyment from the book as a whole. I consider the character's family dynamics and history to be reason enough to explain certain behaviors and understand where they are coming from. I would've just liked to see it more on page, not making it up intuitively.
I'm looking forward to read more from this author in the future. I loved the Peruvian-American representation. This was Own-Voices and I enjoyed getting to know their traditions and culture through the author's eyes. I believe the author has much in store for us and would definitely recommend you give this one a try!

If you are a fan of Emily Henry’s “book lovers” or a fan of Ali Hazelwood you’ll really enjoy this novel!
I loved the enemies to lovers trope and the chemistry between the two was great. A little stiff at times but overall really good banter.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange of an honest review.
Me gustó leer esta historia, es un cliché romántico, pero de esos que igual da gusto leer, aunque a penas lo comienzas sabes cómo va a terminar.
Lo especial de este libro, es el ambiente en que se desenvuelven los protagonistas. Ambos son estudiantes de un curso de escritura en la NYU, y ambos aman escribir, aunque en géneros literarios y con estilos muy distintos.
Aiden detesta el romance, en libros, películas e incluso no cree que exista en la vida real; mientras que Rosie lo ve en todos lados, en la relación de sus padres, en cómo se miran los vendedores de comida en su parque favorito y en las miles de romcoms que le gusta ver y leer.
La historia de ambos comienza cuando coinciden en el mismo workshop de escritura creativa un año completo en NYU, pero no es hasta que su profesora guía los obliga a escribir un libro juntos, que su historia REALMENTE comienza.
Esta suerte de rivals to lovers (aunque ellos creen que se odian, no es cierto), avanza poco a poco, en forma armónica y orgánica hasta que se dan cuenta de lo que para el lector es obvio desde un inicio: sus sentimientos el uno por el otro son inevitables.
En fin, esta lectura es bastante ligera y entretenida, a ratos hasta me sacó un par de sonrisas. En algún punto igual me identifiqué con Rosie y sus momentos de ansiedad pensando en la familia, los estudios, el trabajo y el amor.
Recomiendo esta historia, especialmente a aquellos amantes del romance y de los libros.