Not in my Book by Katie Holt

e-Audio, 11:30:10
Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
Release Date: December 17-18, 2024
Published by: Alcove Press
Read from: December 16-17, 2024
Stand-alone
Source: Library’s Libby 
Content Warning: Sexual Content, Bullying, Death of a Parent
For Readers Interested In: Contemporary, Romance, Books about Books, Rivals to Lovers, Racial/Ethnic Diversity (Latinx-Peruvian), Realistic Fiction

      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.

*MY THOUGHTS*

I can’t lie. I didn’t request to review this one from Netgalley because the first sentence contains a title I DNFed back in the day lol And I was terrified that it would be too much the same from the part that I HAD read.

But now I’ve finished it and it was also bad, but the writing was what kept me there. Idk, but I LOVE when there’s a book in a book. And this was co-written by two rivals and I thought that was the funniest thing. Because how in the world were they going to come to a conclusion. Because I can’t lie I didn’t see any redeeming qualities in Aiden. As someone who is a huge lover of the romance genre, some of the things he was saying hurt ME. I can’t imagine how I would’ve felt if I would’ve been the one to write it. But Holt kept me involved with her writing style.

As for the characters, I think I’ve finally figured out my problem with enemies to lovers and rivals to lovers. It’s not so much that I hold grudges, but words of affirmation and Acts of Service go hand in hand to me. When my person is speaking into my hobby or something I enjoy and hyping me up, that seems to hit both of those for me. Relationships should be supporting the other in all things. And of course doing the opposite kinda deflates me. So the way he was talking to her in this was kind of pissing me off. I almost didn’t want him to end up with her. And like, there wasn’t a good amount of groveling? I guess everyone isn’t me, but I would have told him to shove it lol Because wtf you mean you did that because of THAT? Are we in kindergarten? I thought Rosie deserved better, especially from someone that was a writer? He should have known that words mean things.

The romance was cute. This is the second book I’ve read where two people are forced to write a book together and they find each other in the end and Idk, but I am eating this micro trope UP! It’s true alcohol is liquid courage, but writing things is just courage period I guess lol They were trippin because I knew they’d never say these things out loud, but once you get into the flow, these things just come out. I loved seeing them at their most vulnerable. Especially Aiden who didn’t want to show that side of him at all. Also, I think when her family showed up that was perfect. It made him come out of his shell and he really needed that. His dad was a dick and he needed to know that not all families are like that and that it was ok to just be kind and loving to others. He didn’t have a REAL example, so I was glad he got a glimpse of one.

Despite my hang ups, I thought this was really good. I don’t think I would have prioritized it because of that title in the beginning of the synopsis, but I heard some good things and wanted to give it a try. I’m glad I’ve read enough to know not to always trust that lol

Overall, I give this

I rounded up for the sites that won’t let me use the half.