katie holt – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Katie Holt
Publisher: Alcove Press
Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A bookseller with a dream of running her beloved bookstore vs. the owner’s out-of-touch grandson who inherits everything. Game on.

From the author of Not in My Book comes another irresistible, bookish contemporary romance.

Ella has grown up at The Last Page, a charming local bookstore in New York City where she now works. Her first kiss was in the women’s health section. A boyfriend dumped her in comedy. The owner is like a second father to her and has begun training her to take over the store. So when he unexpectedly dies and his estranged grandson is left everything in the will, Ella is devastated.

Henry doesn’t know the first thing about running a bookstore. With his aging mom back in Tennessee, he plans to stay in New York just long enough to ensure things are running smoothly and then head back home. What he never could have counted on was the beautiful, funny bookseller who loves The Last Page more than any place in the world—and who sees him as the villain who’s come to ruin her life.

But when it becomes evident that the store is in deep financial trouble and Henry and Ella are both at risk of losing everything, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and team up—despite the inconvenient chemistry blossoming between them.

Fans of Christina Lauren and Ali Hazelwood will adore this rivals-to-friends-to-lovers bookish romance!

Thank you Alcove Press & Crooked Lane Books for the gifted ARC.

VERY SWEET.

Katie Holt does it again! I really enjoy the way she crafts romance. There’s such a level of joy I have reading her books that makes it easy to settle and take every word in. This was on the softer side, low angst in all the best ways. Ella and Henry go from rivals to friends to lovers in a beautiful slow burn. I loved seeing the walls come down and how both characters acknowledged wrong doing and a willingness to see different perspectives to work together and save The Last Page.

It also felt like an ode to books. Regardless of what genre you love this made me want to read all the genres honestly. The power and potential that opening each new book brings can be tangibly felt in this bookstore. With a quirky cast of booksellers the humor and found family senses are strong. I loved the stable family Ella and Henry both had in their corners. There’s something about reading a book with those kind of support systems that make my heart swell and I appreciated having that showcased too.

My small tidbit was that it was slow on the uptake for me. I was missing the *romance* throughout the first half and am very grateful that was ramped in the second half. I felt the swoon and the soft touches, the spice was not overdone and third act was genuinely reasonable. I loved that Henry discussed depression and how it effects him (relatable) and Ella with her very strong eldest daughter tendencies (relatable). This was all around a wonderful romance I can’t wait to recommend.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: mild
Romance: two open door
Violence: low
Content warnings: loss of a loved one (theme throughout)

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Rating: ★★★★.75
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Katie Holt
Publisher: Alcove Press
Release Date: December 10th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

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.

Thank you to Ro Romanello PR and Alcove Press for the gifted copy.

WHAT A DEBUT.

I honestly didn’t know what I would think about this book when I picked it up but it was absolutely a case of right book, right time. I devoured this in one sitting and the lack of sleep was so worth it. I loved the vibes and the NYU setting was great. I think their should be more college romances and this was fun to get a glimpse into writing classes and all of the holidays in New York.

The enemies to lovers trope was ACTUALLY enemies. I struggle to find this in contemporary books and oooo boy, these two brought the heated content. I loved that it felt true E2L but you could see those tiny little moments bringing Rosie and Aiden closer and closer together.

It is very meta with me reading a book about two characters who are writing a book that is basically about them too. And honestly, this usually bugs me a lot, and for whatever reason it didn’t here??? Big nod to the fact that I couldn’t be bothered because I was too engrossed in how the romance was playing out.

My little .25 issue was with the spice. It just wasn’t for me. The plot > spice, but I did think it was still a little much. I appreciated how much of a slow burn it was at least.

This does follow a true typical romance book with a third act that could make you cranky. I think with the whole atmosphere of the book already setting up for that, it didn’t frustrate me as much as I expected. I actually leaned into it and enjoyed waiting for that grand gesture.

It’s swoony and heated and charismatic. I loved this debut and will definitely read whatever Katie Holt writes next.

Overall audience notes: