Not in My Book by. Katie Holt | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Not in My Book

Author: Katie Holt

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 12/10/25

Categories: Romance Contemporary

Rosie Maxwell has a move to New York, get her creative writing degree from NYU, become a bestselling romance writer. But that plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her archnemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington, an obnoxious, surly, unreasonably gorgeous literary fiction writer who has no patience for romance – or for Rosie.

Exhausted by Rosie and Aiden’s constant verbal sparring, their professor gives them an leave her class, or cowrite a novel that blends their respective genres.

As Rosie and Aiden collaborate on their (accidentally steamy) novel, they try to put their differences aside. Could their manuscript-in-progress be just the outlet they need to confess their feelings – and explore their mutual attraction?

But a potentially career-changing opportunity soon reignites the flames of their old rivalry. Rosie and Aiden’s 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…

Content Warning: complicated relationship with parent

+ I had borrowed this book last year and didn’t get a chance to read it. So I borrowed it again because I needed to read a contemporary romance and this hit the spot!

+ Rosie and Aiden are writers taking a workshop class at NYU. Rosie writes romance, and Aiden writes literary fiction. They do NOT get along. They fight so much that their professor asked them to drop of out of her class or they can stay but work on a story together. This forces them to hang out together and work out their differences and it mostly works.

+ I loved the secondary characters: Rosie’s friends, her roommate and also her family. I loved the Peruvian representation since Rosie is half.

+ The romance was very rivals to lovers, almost enemies to lovers, but the tension is so strong that their attraction is as strong also, which made the spicy scenes unexpectedly spicy! Who knew Aiden had it in him 😅. Throughout the book I didn’t think he would turn out to be a dirty talker in bed! When they eventually give one another a chance, they have a fun and lovely relationship.

~ Aiden is grumpy and Rosie is sunshine but sometimes they both got on my nerves! The third act break-up actually made me so pissed off at Aiden that I didn’t want her to go back to him. But also, Rosie, really went off accusing of him of lying when really if they could just both control their tempers and talk, things wouldn’t have had to take a dramatic turn. He did do a big gesture at the end so I eventually forgave him but yeah both of them got on my nerves at times!

Final Thoughts:

I’m glad I finally read this book and I enjoyed the rivals to lovers, academia world (writer’s life), the setting of New York and how it also had some holiday scenes. Sometimes their fighting was immature or they could have had better communication but overall, I enjoyed the story.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Seven Deadly Thorns by. Amber Hamilton | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Seven Deadly Thorns

Author: Amber Hamilton

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 11/4/25

Categories: New Adult, Romantasy, Fantasy, Dark Academia, Paranormal, Snow White Inspired

In the cursed Kingdom of Aragoa, the punishment for magic is death.

Even the students at Vandenberghe Academy aren’t spared. When Viola Sinclair’s deadly shadow magic is discovered, the queen gives her assassin a new assignment and a new cursed tattoo: seven-thorned rose on his arm for the seven days he has to hunt Viola down and kill her. If he doesn’t, he will be the one to die.

The assassin is Roze Roquelart–entitled prince, arrogant fellow student, and the one person Viola hates more than anyone. Roze should revel in the chance to end her life, but he desperately needs something from Viola and her magic. And he’s willing to spare her life–and fake their engagement–to get it.

Forced to work together, Viola and Roze must contend with deadly threats, dangerous secrets, and an impossible attraction. Will they give in to their deepest desires, even if it means destroying Aragoa–and risking both their lives?

HER WORST ENEMY. HIS ONLY CHANCE.

Be swept away by the sizzling, irresistible enemies-to-lovers romantasy with magic more destructive than your darkest nightmares.

Content Warning: violence, death, body horror

+ I didn’t realize this was a Snow White inspired story until I was reading it. Funny that the MMC’s name is Roze of all things (lips as red as a rose – yes his poisonous lips are red and he loves to eat apples). Viola is a student at Vandenberghe Academy and she’s hiding that she is a meiga (witch) to avoid being killed by the Queen but it’s hard for her to control her shadows. When the Prince, Roze, who is the Huntsman is assigned to kill her since the Queen already knows what she is, he gives her a chance – he won’t kill her if she can help him find out who killed the King, his father.

+~ I think there is a lot going on in the story. A little bit of romantasy, horror, paranormal – all thrown in. Also, there is a matter of a secret society that Roze is a part of and Viola demands to know the secrets of. World-building is really interesting because a war with another kingdom basically trapped them in their own kingdom, the Mists, keeps them in. I think most of it worked, but I did think the last few chapters was kind of wild with everything going on. It went off the rails and fast.

+ There is a cute gargoyle pet named Waffles. 😍. Viola as a character, she’s feisty and stubborn, and killing people accidentally a little too much. Someone needed to teach her control, but there was no one really. The Queen is evil and she has a magic mirror, but the twist I enjoyed was Roze’s sister being the “dwarves” but here they are vapid princesses. Everyone is under the Queen’s power, except Roze, who sometimes defies her.

+ The romance is enemies to lovers and the animosity between them is very present in everyone of their interactions. There is a fake engagement between them to help with the plan of Viola helping him find out who killed his dad. Roze’s touch is poison so there is no spice until it comes on all of a sudden near the end. I was not expecting any spice which is why at first I thought this was YA. I bumped it up to NA after that spicy scene.

Final Thoughts:

I liked the enemies to lovers romance and the Snow White inspiration. I think there is a lot going on but I kind of went with it. Overall, even with the wild ending and twist, I think this was an entertaining story!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Wings of Ash & Flame by. Jocelyn Bleu | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice:

Title: Wings of Ash & Flame ( Winged Wars, #1)

Author: Jocelyn Bleu

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 594

Publication Date: 9/25/25

Categories: Fantasy, Academia, Romance

Rivals by design. Lovers by choice. Enemies by destiny.

Alaire Aerendyl has survived by her fists, her wits, and sheer defiance. An orphaned human, unjustly imprisoned by the powerful fae houses that rule her world, she’s never truly known freedom—only how to fight for scraps of it.

So when she’s offered a place at a brutal fae academy known for its deadly magical trials and bonded mythical winged creatures, she doesn’t hesitate. Freedom is worth any risk.

Alaire is meant to fail. But when she bonds with a legendary phoenix, reviving the long-lost House of Ashfyre, everything changes. Memories awaken. Magic stirs. And Alaire becomes the target of powers far darker than she ever imagined.

Bound by duty, fae prince Dawson Knox is broody, lethal, and infuriating. Forced to train alongside him, Alaire finds herself pushed to every limit. He’s the last person she should trust…and the only one who makes her burn.

The blistering tension between them is a distraction she can’t afford. Because the academy’s trials are merely preparation for what lies ahead, war is brewing between the fae and vampires, with humans caught in the crossfire. If Alaire can’t uncover the secrets of her past and conquer her traitorous heart, there might not be a future worth fighting for.

Content Warning: violence, death, survivor’s guilt

+~ The world in Wings of Ash & Flame is one with Fae and humans, and vampires are the enemy. There is a lot of world-building and lore. A lot of the beginning of the book is spent in class lessons and training. But I think because there is so much of it, this story does feel like is has a slow start. I felt like the book was a mix of other popular series out there, but instead of say, dragons, this book as different winged creatures like Griffins, Owls, and a Phoenix. I like the different creatures a lot! The story does start of slow and it doesn’t pick up by very much but I did like the medium pace it held. I thought the ending had a nice twist.

+ Alaire is an orphan, surviving on the streets when an act of courage – saving a boy from the whip of a Fae, lands her in prison. She’s given a chance to leave prison and enter a Fae Academy, but without real answers as to why she, a human, is allowed to study and train there. I think the missing information was a little bit frustrating and again, made the beginning slow because there was little information coming from the Fae who wanted her at the academy. At the academy she is threatened and bullied, but Alaire is a voice for the humans – so she lets it be known as much as she can, how awful humans are being treated by the Fae. I like that she’s strong. She does have survivor’s guilt and missing memories though, so she does have moments of self-loathing and low self-esteem. She hides it by appearing very tough.

+ I enjoyed all the action and scary creatures that Alaire had to encounter in this book. There is also some politics. I also liked some of the secondary characters like her new best-friend Kaia. Archer is also part of their crew, but I don’t feel like he stands out a lot.

+ ~ The romance is a very, very slow burn between Alaire and a Fae Prince, Dawson. It starts off as enemies to lovers, but then they are paired up as partners. There are moments of tension between them, some bickering, him exerting his authority over her, and she being stubborn – but then he would be gone from chapters. There is one kiss near the end of the book and that’s it. I just wanted more. There’s is a forbidden love and it will be interesting to see what happens next.

Final Thoughts:

I can’t say there is anything really new in this fantasy that hasn’t already been written by other authors in this genre, it’s filled with lots of tropes but it’s an easy read and I did like being in this world. I did enjoy the different flying creatures. I also enjoyed the action and fights between dangerous creatures, there are deadly trials also. I did guess Alaire’s past but I still liked seeing it play out. The romance might be too slow of a burn for me and I wanted more spice but I think the ending made sure I will want to read book two!