This book had me at a book within a book. I am a sucker for books that are a little mind boggler, especially ones that can successfully pull off the distinction between the things that are mixing together. Rosie and Aiden were so... pining and wanting and it made me want for them so badly. Holt has a way of writing slow burn that makes you ache for more, and more, and more. Each word spun makes you spiral down a trip of inability to put the book down. You just want to eat it up and never stop.

So. Many. Tropes! I love a good romance, and I overwhelmingly liked this book. The pace was good, the chemistry felt largely realistic between the characters once they became less enemy, more lovers, and I really enjoyed the plot of them writing a book together.

***Spoilers below!:***

A few notes:

* I found Rosie to be a little self absorbed and all about her wants and needs and not as in tune to what Aiden's likewise valid wants and needs were.
* This isn't unique to this book, but it really bugs me when people won't use a person's preferred name (e.g. Rosie vs Rosalinda), especially after being asked not to. It's really disrespectful, and not endearing.
* I found some of it to generally be unbelievable (such as Rosie forcing the check on Aidan's dad) but rolled with it because it advanced the plot
* The spice was perfect for my spice-loving heart.
* I liked her friend group a lot
* Did Aiden have any friends?
* I feel like the advisor would have had a more professional relationship with them and 1) not forced them to write together and 2) not interfered with their relationship, but again... ok with it for advancing the plot.
* I, like other reviewers, found some typos, like 'now way'.


Thanks for the arc, Netgalley! Overwhelmingly I'd recommend this book to a friend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC!

"Not in My Book" by Katie Holt is a delightful and refreshing contemporary romance that combines humor, heart, and a dash of mystery. The story follows Emily Harper, a small-town librarian who discovers a series of love letters hidden in the pages of old books. Intrigued by the letters and their mysterious author, Emily embarks on a journey to uncover the story behind them, all while navigating her own complicated love life.

Holt's writing is charming and engaging, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere that draws readers into Emily's world. The characters are well-developed and relatable, with Emily's wit and determination making her an endearing protagonist. The chemistry between Emily and the other characters, especially her romantic interest, adds a layer of warmth and depth to the story.

The plot is well-paced, blending romance with elements of mystery as Emily pieces together the clues from the love letters. Holt skillfully balances lighthearted moments with more poignant reflections on love, loss, and finding one's place in the world.

Overall, "Not in My Book" is a heartwarming and enjoyable read that will appeal to fans of contemporary romance and feel-good fiction. Katie Holt delivers a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, leaving readers with a smile and a sense of satisfaction.

this was a cute little academic rivals to lovers set in NYC! Rosie and Aiden are part of the same graduate writing program and they do not get along. to fix this, their professor assigns them a project where they have to co-author a book together✨

i really enjoyed the setting of the story and it definitely added to the aesthetic. a graduate writing program in new york city would be the dream✨i also really enjoyed Rosie’s friend group and i was super invested in the secondary romance plot line! Rosie’s family was also super cool and i loved the multicultural/biracial aspect of her character🫶🏼Aiden had to grow on me a little bit but his groveling at the end was *chef’s kiss*🤌🏼

i saw some people comparing this to beach read but i would say it was giving me the hating game vibes with maybe a little beach read mixed in!

i will say that i feel like this story would’ve been more enjoyable if the characters were younger. i felt like some of the actions were really immature for people who were supposed to be in their mid/late twenties.

overall, it was a light, quick read✨💕

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of Not In My Book by Katie Holt. Rosie and Aiden are two graduate students who can't stand each other. Their constant bickering and rivalry set the stage for a tumultuous relationship that gradually evolves into something much deeper and more meaningful after being forced to work together.

At first, I thought I was not going to like the book because I felt like the main characters were too immature with their fighting in a grad-level classroom. However, once the story got going, I could not put it down. The banter between Rosie and Aiden had my cheeks hurting from smiling so much. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their journey from enemies to lovers is swoon worthy.

Not In My Book by Katie Holt is a fantastic debut novel that I highly recommend. For fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope, this book is a must-add to your TBR list. I am eagerly looking forward to what Katie Holt will write next!

I love a book that’s a winking love letter to romance novels, and this story is exactly that. I was so excited to get to read an ARC of this from NetGalley, and am thrilled to offer a review.
There are a ton of fun nods to classic rom coms in addition to the fan favorite tropes and lines that make bookish girlies go wild today. There are minor editing/continuity issues that I hope are cleaned up before the final publishing date which could be distracting at times.
The writing is fun and I would generally rate this story somewhere around a 3.5, but the spicy scenes are SUPERB and really push this to the next level. If you like Ali Hazelwood’s heroes but wish they talked so much dirtier, then you’re going to love Aiden Huntington.

I think if you have a pulse, you’ll like this book. It’s full of delicious banter that will make your toes curl, thighs clench, and also laugh out loud (sometimes simultaneously). I was literally hooked on this book from page O N E. Katie Holt did such a good job at developing the story and utilizing realistic interactions - it was witty, it was romantic, it was just simply sensational.

5/5 ⭐️

If I had one wish right now, it would be for me to reread this all over again for the first time! I am in ALL the feels right now after finishing this love story.

This book was just everything for me. I haven’t found a really good romance book in AWHILE, but this one does it for me. It puts you through all the feels throughout Rosie and Aiden’s love story.

Aiden is officially my current book boyfriend. The way he treats Rosie after he breaks free from his tough exterior shell MELTS MY HEART!

Enemies to lovers, two aspiring authors forced to write a novel together, speaking to each other THROUGH their novel… ya’ll I promise you this is WORTH THE READ!!

There were a lot of things I loved about this but also places where it wasn’t what I dreamed. Enemies to lovers, sweet banter, just wished the ending wasn’t so rushed.

this is my book!! so grateful for everyone who's read it and even semi liked it!! i can't wait to see this out in the world!

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes, and “Not In My Book” had the perfect enemies to lovers story. Rosie and Aiden’s chemistry was off the charts from the beginning pages.

I really liked this novel; the premise of two beginner writers finding their voices seperate and together was so unique. This story sucked me right in. I would definitely recommend “Not In My Book”!

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the ARC of this novel for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was every book lovers dream. I loved the witty banter and the setting. I felt like I was actually in New York walking along side the characters

“The truth was I liked her no matter what she did, no matter what she said.”


Aiden and Rosie had my heart from the start and it was so relatable, I could definitely see portions of my own personality reflected in some of the characters. The witty banter, they were the perfect mix of cute / enemy's to lovers and Grumpy V Sunshine couple. Based around academia and tackling challenges, this book was highly enjoyable and a light hearted read. Definitely something to snuggle up with on a day off or a rainy day.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not in My Book by Katie Holt is one of my favorite reads so far this summer. Rosie and Aiden are part of NYU’s masters program, and they cannot stand each other. After one too many fights in class, their professor gives them an ultimatum- they can co-write a book for their project, or they can drop the class. As they work on the book, the lines of their feelings and their characters start to become blurred. Can they put the fighting behind them, or will their competitive nature get the best of them?

This had a lot of my favorite tropes, enemies to lovers, one bed, forced proximity, grumpy-sunshine, competition for a job/prize.

Aiden and Rosie are taking a creative writing class, and after 2 years of college being stuck listening to each other’s opinions on their writings, things start to get personal. After a major blow out in glass, which included insults, the professor took it upon herself to find a creative solution to their continuing interruption and disruptions of the class; write a romance together.

Aiden hates romance, and specializes in literary fiction, Rosie specializes in romance and has little interest in writing, or reading any other type of book.

The die-hard romantic and the jaded opinionated Litfic writers must write together to avoid being removed from class. Challenged to write true to life romance novel, the love you were instructed by their professor to go on dates, to spend time together.

Without going into further detail, the conflict of this book surprisingly isn’t JUST their different writing style, but also Rosie was tight on money, and talked about a fantastic opportunity for her future, a submission to a literary magazine, it was an open submission call, and Aiden entered without communicating it with Rose.

The spicy scenes were great, the tension was great, the way they communicated with their book characters when words fell short in their daily life was sweet and well thought out.

This book is a high 3 stars low 4 stars for me.

I honestly had a blast reading it. I absolutely loved the dynamic between the main characters and their banter and I’m never going to be mad at book where the main characters communicate their feelings through their writing.

The reason this isn’t five stars is that I didn’t like the way Aiden lashed out whenever they fought, especially because it continued late into the book. I also didn’t feel like his disrespect of the romance genre was resolved. Given the parallel between this and Aiden’s conflict with his dad in the book, I expected more from Aiden’s redemption on that point and it kinda made the ending fall a little flat for me.

Really enjoyed this one! The characters were well developed and the story kept a me entertained all the way through

Thank you Netgalley for giving me early access to this book! I loved this book. it was amazing. The premise of two people merging their genres together I’d really cool and unique. I loved that they put their own story into the book and used it to express the feelings they were scared to tell each other was a really sweet gesture. It did get confusing at times when reading Hunter and Max’s story, it was hard to distinguish which story was which at times which made the book a little less enjoyable. I loved the smut, it was really well written, I only wish there was more. I felt really connected to the characters, even though I didn’t have much in common with them except the love of writing and fear of failure. I loved Rosie’s friends, they were so funny and supportive of her and I really want a Logan love story at some point. Overall, this book was a little hard to read at times but was a really great book and I recommend it!

God did I LOVE THIS book! Rosie and Aiden gave me so much in this fun and unique book. It had romance, slowburn, banter, character GROWTH and just cozy feelings! This is why I read books. Thank u so much for this arc!

Thank you NetGallery and publisher for the ARC.

This book started a little slow for me, however once I got into it I really started to like it and I didn't want to put it down.

I am a abit of a sucker for an enemy to lover story and this was it! There was so much chemistry and I couldn’t help but root for Aiden and Rosie.

Such a lovely books!