
Member Reviews

Thanks NetGalley, Alcove Press, and tve author for the Audiobook-ARC in exchange for my honest review!!
I really enjoyed this fun easy read. It was cute the characters bickered with one another, some of the scenes were really cute.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ there was some really spicy scenes!! They were very well written.
Overall I’m giving this one 4.5 stars because their main argument was really dumb 😅 but everything else was lovely so I have to be fair and still give it that high rating!
Can’t wait to read the authors next book I believe this was her debut ❤️🔥

Rival students forced to write a book together in opposite genres? Beach Read meets The Hating Game?
Rosie is at NYU, set on getting a creative writing degree and become a bestselling romance author. But she ends up in class with her archnemesis and ex-crush, Aiden - an obnoxious, surly, unreasonably gorgeous literary fiction writer. He likes causing the most pain to his fictional characters and doesn’t believe in happy endings. He doesn’t want to give the time of day to the romance genre or Rosie.
However, they are forced to cowrite a novel that blends their respective genres after their professor threatens to throw them out of her class for their disruptive barbed comments.
Honestly, I can imagine my own lecturer doing this and rubbing their hands together.
I also liked how important Rosie’s Peruvian-America identity was, having neglected it in her past but wanting to connect.
I did find that after the 60% mark the plot was overtaken by spice which slowed the book down and I found myself skipping a lot, eager to get back to their actual lives rather than this honeymoon period.
The third act break up was predictable, but I did like how it was handled (and it had a really good resolution).
<b>I’d always preferred fiction, but now I couldn’t wait for the rest of my new reality.</b>
Audiobook arc gifted by RB Media.

I loved reading this book, and loved it again while listening to it. Thank you for the chance to read. Cannot wait to have this book in my hands!

Are you kidding me, this was a DEBUT?! It was so good! This truly was enemies to lovers at it's best and it made me so happy! I had so much fun reading this book, and it gave me so many giggles (especially when they wrote the spicy scene together). The only thing I didn't like was the third act breakup. I know that's kinda formulaic of these types of romances, but it was just very mean. Other than that, this book was absolute perfection!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book (via audio).

This book was so fun! I absolutely loved the main characters Aiden and Rosie.the banter between the two was amazing. It had some 🥵 scenes that were not over the top but just enough. Loved the creativity the author put into this with the two different writers.
I will definitely be getting a physical copy

Not in My Book is a enemies to lovers book with lots of banter.
Rosie is a romance writer and Aiden is a literary fiction writer and they are in the same writing class in grad school. When their bickering proves too much of a distraction, their teacher forces them to write a book together. As they write a romance between their two characters, they uncover the feelings they have in real life for each other.
I was so excited to read this book. I loved the premise and it seemed so up my alley. And at first it was, I liked Rosie's sunshine demeaner and Aiden seemed misunderstood. Their writing together was interesting to watch and developed their relationship well. In fact I enjoyed the first 75% of this book, but then Aiden massively crossed a line and by the end of the book I felt the relationship was toxic and they should not have ended up together. There's grumpy/sunshine and then there's actively being dismissive of your supposed partners dreams and life ambitions. He claimed he just wasn't romantic, but it felt beyond that for me to a point of cruelty.
Another nitpicky thing, with the audiobook it was super hard to tell what was the book and what was the book within the book, and I didn't like that it was one narrator for a dual POV book.
Tropes
* Enemies to lovers
* Forced to be partners on a project
* Secret crush
* Slow burn
* Academic rivals
* One bed
3.5 stars

Rosie and Aiden are arch enemies. Their bickering in class has finally gone too far and their professor insists they drop her course. They balk and the professor comes up with an alternative- write a book- together. As Rosie and Aiden are forced to spend time together, their walls come down.
The beginning of this is rough. I nearly DNFed it because Rosie is a complete brat. She acts like a child, not someone in her mid/late twenties. Thankfully, it did get better. But I never could get that first quarter of the book out of my head.
Frankie Corzo narrates the audiobook.
I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This had me swooning! I love an academic rivals to lovers and this did not disappoint. I loved the building of the relationship between Aidan and Rosie and I loved how their relationship mirrored their work. It was so very sweet and swoony and spicy. So excited to read more from Katie Holt! Thank you so much to NetGalley for the Audio ARC!

I am blown away by how cute this book was! I adored the enemies to lovers/author storyline, but the banter was top-tier! And then that fun, witty banter turns into the spicy scenes and oh GEEZ was I invested. I nearly died when Rosie typed Aiden instead of Hunter when they were co-writing. Halfway through I went to find out what other books Katie Holt has written and I found out this was her debut and I was shocked. This book is an amazing debut!
I loved the audio and was so excited to get a copy of this ALC from NetGalley!

I enjoyed reading this book and getting to know the characters. It was the perfect balance of romance and humor. It was far too easy to enjoy being in this world and relating to the main character. Rosie and Aiden's back-and-forth banter was perfect throughout the book. I am excited to read more books from Katie Holt in the future. I know they will be a lot of fun but still give me the romantic feelings I love.

Both writers. Both with different styles. When they butt heads the sparks fly! This is a really cute romance. That has you rooting for them to get together!
The audio book was really enjoyable and kept me engaged throughout!

4.5 Stars! This book was incredibly cute while also containing some spicy scenes. It was meta in the sense that it is a romance book about a write writing a romance book. I loved the references to other authors, tropes, etc. Also, loved the scenes that correlate to what is happening to the actual characters of the book through the characters in their book. I loved the representation of a Peruvian family, with some Spanish sprinkled in. I loved the cute Christmas scenes as well! We all know how all romances go, in fact that is referenced in the book itself, but the author did it in such a fun and new way that it did not feel clichéd. Personally, I do not like spicy scenes, and that is my only critique as I had to skip a few parts but I know others love them. Narrator was great as well!

The way I ate this book up!! I stayed up late last night to finish this audiobook, because it is that good! The banter, the hate, the swoony love story they put into their joint writing project that spoke volumes about their truest feelings, the sexual tension made this book the perfect enemies to lovers romcom. Many readers may not enjoy the third act breakup element, but I absolutely love the drama and the chase, and I felt it was a good fit in this plot.
The narration by Frankie Corzo was wonderful. I would definitely recommend getting the audiobook as well!
I'm so grateful to receive the ALC over Netgalley!

Thank you, RB Media, NetGalley, and Katie Holt, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rose is a hopeless romantic and desperately wants to be a romance author. Aiden is her grumpy classmate who prefers a more general fiction. They are academic rivals, and they definitely can't get along. When a fight in their course gets them in trouble with their professor, they are forced to work together to create a novel.
The summary says it's like the hating game and beach read had a baby, and I completely agree with that. Their is forced proximity, academic rivals, and the banter is actually elite. This book was so cute, and it is true rivals to lovers. You could really feel Aidens' love for Rosie. I definitely highly recommend this book.

OK. So…I’m going all in on this one!
Debut novel? ✔️
Enemies to lovers? ✔️ (Never thought I was a big fan of this genre, but maybe I’m changing??)
Will make you both laugh AND cry? ✔️
Totally different backgrounds and upbringing? ✔️
Want to hate a character, but maybe, just maybe, you’ll have to accept him? Maybe even like him??!! ✔️
College/Post-graduate studies with main characters earning a degree in writing, but with very different genres/writing styles, and opinions ? ✔️
Rosie Maxwell and Aiden Huntington HATE each other. I mean they are arch enemies!! They can’t even be in the SAME classroom when the professor is having the students critique each other! (I mean they can, but someone might get slaughtered!) 😮🫣
It’s hysterical! 😬🤣
It’s also heartbreaking …❤️🩹
So, after their umpteenth fight, in front of the whole class, their professor is going to have to expel them! From school! UNLESS, they can prove that they can work together…like adults! 😄😩
This is where the story really TAKES OFF! This is where they both learn to SHINE!! ⭐️
As they go along, writing their story, they actually begin to open up a bit…and this marks a changing point…for them both!
🛑 I’m going to STOP here, so I don’t give anything away…. 🛑
This one had me laughing out loud, and also crying real tears…running right down my face… 😭
Also…. 🛑 **** I’m going to put this as a Trigger/Warning! **** 🛑
They. Are. Writing. Sex. Scenes!!
They. Are. HOT!!!
I. Mean. Smoking…. 🔥🔥🔥
If you’re ok with that, please pick this one up!
And, if this is their debut? Holy crap!!!! 😮😮😮
Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #RBMedia and #RecordedBooks for an ARC of the audiobook!!
***** RELEASE DATE IS IN ONE WEEK….12/10/24!! *****
Look 👀 for it then!!
#NotInMyBook by Debut Author #KatieHolt and narrated beautifully by #FrankieCorzo.
4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 stars for me, happily rounded up to 5⭐️!!!!
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Aiden’s and Rosie’s emotional depth and growth are what make this story so warm and authentic. Watching Aiden transform from a reluctant collaborator to Rosie’s comfort person was beautifully done, and their slow-burn chemistry felt completely natural. I especially loved the writing-a-novel-together premise—it added a unique layer to their relationship, especially during that spicy scene when Rosie accidentally wrote Aiden’s name. While the plot had predictable elements, it was as enjoyable as watching a good Hallmark movie: cozy, sweet, and deeply satisfying. Their witty banter had me giggling and kicking my feet, and the tension between them was so palpable it kept me turning the pages. Although the book skims over some of Rosie’s deeper struggles with identity as a romance writer, it touches lightly on her cultural background, adding a personal touch. Fans of romance and heartwarming stories will adore this one—perfect for curling up under a blanket on a chilly day!

I worship the altar that Katie Holt writes on. I ate this shit up. It felt so much like the early TikTok romances that I loved reading (ex. The Hating Game) and it made me feel so nostalgic. Not in My Book is the perfect winter-time romance since the majority of the plot takes place during a NYC winter. So atmospheric and lovely. Perfect for fans of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore, or Daydream by Hannah Grace.
The relationship between Aiden and Rosie developed so nicely. I started the book unsure of how Katie would ever make me believe the two of them were in love because they were constantly bickering like children. I was ready to smack them upside the head and tell them to get over themselves. I should have had trust in an author so well versed in the romance genre, because Katie served up a romance so rooted in classic tropes. I could feel the love and yearning jumping off the page.
The character development that both Rosie and Aiden experience throughout the course of the book is some of the best that I’ve read. They both learn important lessons and come out stronger characters for it.
It did take me a bit to become fully invested just because of how juvenile a lot of Aiden and Rosie's fights were. The first 20% was rough because I was so annoyed by the bickering. But hey, that's why I'm not the author, because Katie ended up pulling it off brilliantly.
I did listen to the audiobook and I have THOUGHTS! Rosie is from a small town in East Tennessee (coincidentally, the same small town I am from). This presented two issues for me. 1.) The fact that I thought that Rosie's southern accent was too much. It leaned really far into some stereotypes that I don't love, and the narrator of the audiobook overdid it, in my opinion. 2.) Rosie mentions a coffee shop in her hometown that doesn't actually exist there. It may be creative license, but it just bugged me a little.
Overall, I did have the best time with this book and can't wait to see Katie grow as a writer with her next book!

I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between the main characters. Side characters helped the story move forward. My only issue was how obvious the last third break up was in the story. Still cute and worth a read. Narrator was fabulous.
I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher.

Bitterness and hate sometimes feel like a thin line between love and passion. This love story shows that they can genuinely connect when the characters learn to move past their differences. However, if they don’t work on their communication, things can start to unravel—turning a once-loving relationship into something toxic. It's a reminder of how vital good communication is in keeping love alive!

I love that you have a story within a story! For the author to be crafting two pieces that have to work intandem really had me excited for this book.
The plot and story as a whole was executed perfectly and I couldn’t get enough of Rosie and Aiden! This story was so good and I love how things came together for these two and all the amazing secondary characters. It was a very fun and enjoyable read. Aiden and Rosie had so much to overcome, but they did it together. Of course tons of arguing and angst galore but that just added to the book’s charm.