This is a spicy romance with an interesting reshaping to the fake dating trope. It’s set in a small beach town in the outer banks of North Carolina which I enjoyed.

The book has Aspen trying to get her mojo back in order to write a sequel to her best selling first book. She goes to NC to visit her sister and there she meets tour guide owner, Brick.

Aspen is hoping that Brick who is such a heartbreaker that there is even a weekly support group of women that he has dumped will give her the that same heartbreak. An agreement is reached because Brick needs some capital to overhaul his grandpa’s tour company.

The book has some fun dialogue, the nature of the other banks, nice secondary characters, and a dog named Dug.

I thought the backstories of the character added a nice depth to the romance.

There is also a shoutout to some of my favorite bookstagrammers in here!

I look forward to the next book in the series which features Aspen’s sister and Brock’s best friend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed Book of the Month. Aspen the main character has written a hugely successful novel after a bad breakup with her fiancé. Her books following her big hit just didn't connect with her readers. Aspen believes that the only way for her to write another successful Book of the Month is to get her heart broken again. She decides to head out of New York City for the summer and visit her sister Sierra in North Carolina.

While in North Carolina she meet Brick. Brick is running his Grandpa's tour company after his death and struggling. He needs renovations and marketing, but doesn't have the budget. Brick also has a reputation around town as a heart breaker. Aspen decides he is the right man to break her heart so she is able to write another Book of the Month.

Pick up this read and find out what happens between Aspen and Brick. I'm already excited to read the next book based on Sierra (Aspen's sister).

Thanks to NetGalley for the complimentary copy.

Written in third person POV.

This is a story about a best selling author trying to find inspiration for her next book. She moves to the outer banks with her sister thinking if she experiences heartbreak again she will find the inspiration. She ends up fake dating the town playboy to hopefully be heartbroken and find inspiration. What she doesn't expect is the self healing and growth from past trauma that they help each other overcome leading to an unexpected ending.

4/5 stars
3/5 spice

I loved this book. Jennifer Probst has become un auto buy author for me after reading her meet me in Italy series. Her character development and story telling is so good you end up having personal connections with each of the characters. I couldn't put down this book and couldn't wait to see what happens. The way she writes a spicy romance but also keeps you invested in the characters is amazing. The spice was hot and not written in a cheesy way. So realistic and made me crave more! I can't wait for Kane and Sierra's story in her next book! I have it on pre-order.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed the writing style. Low key felt a little like inception - like a book within a book? I did love of FMC and MMC but I just not know how I felt about the last 10%…
This was less than 300 pages so it was a super quick read!

Aspen will do anything for her next story, and this was a cute romance. I really felt like it dragged in the middle, and I was constantly waiting for the next reveal. There really wasn't any conflict until the second half, but I'm curious to read the next one!

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Of The Month
Author: Jennifer Probst
Romance

Thank you so much Netgalley and Blue Box Press for this ARC! I absolutely loved it! Aspen is trying desperately to make the best sellers list again. Unfortunately, she is suffering from writers block after her last hit. Nothing she has written after has been anywhere near as good, and she is ready to take drastic steps to ignite her writing again. She sets her eyes on the towns resident heart breaker, and propositions him to help him financially with his struggling tour business in exchange for him to break her heart. I really enjoyed this. The setting of the book was my favorite part! The characters were both great. This may be my favorite ARC of the year! I highly reccomend if you’re looking for a feel good romance, with outer banks vibes. 🙏💕

Book of the Month is the first book I have read by Jennifer Probst and I really enjoyed it! Written in third person POV, the story follows NYC author Aspen who is struggling to write her next best seller and local Outer Banks tour guide owner Brick who is struggling to keep his business afloat. The story is funny, sweet, sexy, and emotional.

Aspen arrives in the Outer Banks ready to hunker down and write her next big hit. She's been struggling to deliver a solid book so she goes to stay with her sister for a change of pace and scenery. Brick has a reputation as a total heartbreaker, a "love em' and leave em'" guy who never allows anyone to get close to him. Aspen comes up with a plan to fall in love with Brick and have him break her heart so she can use the pain as a catalyst for her next bestseller. In return, Brick will get much needed money to save his business. What wasn't in the plan? Both falling in love with one another. Aspen and Brick had a ton of chemistry and while things started off slowly, they eventually ignited into a hot, steamy explosion. With lots of ups and downs, interferences from the outside, and a heroine who can't seem to get out of her own way, will Brick and Aspen find the happily ever after they deserve?

Book of the Month has wonderful characters, a well-developed storyline, and strong writing. I can't wait for Kane and Sierra's book! 4 stars

If you’re someone who appreciates books about books and writers, this one is for you. A solid mix of both sweet and spicy, I appreciated the slow growth of the relationship between Brick and Aspen. The push pull of the things we think we want from our life, versus what we actually need to make us happy is a running thread throughout the plot, leading out MC’s to make some difficult decisions. I am looking forward to the next book in this series, as several breadcrumbs were dropped about Sierra and Kane’s story!
Thank you to Blue Box Press and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

This was an ok read for me. I find that it lacked development, character and plot and had a typical ending.

Book of the Month centers around Aspen who is a writer with 3 books under her belt but only one best seller. People keep asking her when she will write a sequel but that's hard for her as her best selling novel was based on her own heartbreak. Visting her sister on the Carolina coast, she finds out about Brick who has a reputation as a heartbreaker. She pitches an idea to him that they "date" over the summer to help his business with a loan and to help inspire her writing as long as he breaks her heart. Real feelings get involved. Will their summer end in heartbreak?

I got where Aspen was coming from here. Her big need to be a success but not knowing how to do it again. She kind of plowed forward and I think it made it hard for Brick to keep up. Aspen had the feelings but felt like it just wasn't in the cards. She got very self involved at the end. Brick really wore his heart on his sleeve. I loved that he ended up not being who everyone was led to believe he was. I appreciated that he put his foot down towards the end where Aspen was concerned. It was a pleasant surprise.

I enjoyed getting to know all the fun characters in the town. I am excited to read the next book in the series. The spice level in this book was nice.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blue Box Press for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

I could not get past the premise and Aspen’s deal with Brick. I like a good fake romance trope but this missed the mark for me as their plan was to have a real relationship but it was also fake. I just couldn’t get past that — Aspen whole thought process was annoying.

Good steam for those that like steamy scenes. I liked Brick, I liked scenes with Aspen’s sister, and laughed with the brownie scene. I might give the next book a try since it focuses on her sister.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this early copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was is a delightful and entertaining romance novel with a unique twist. The story revolves around Aspen Lourde, a once-successful author who is now struggling on writing a new best seller. To reignite her creativity, she embarks on a fake dating arrangement with the brooding Brick Dalton.

I loved how the book sheds a light on the challenges of both writing a book and the publishing world. Aspen and Brick’s chemistry is undeniable and their banter is witty and endearing. My one problem was their miscommunication, which the plot heavily relied on. Other than that, it was a light and easy read, perfect for fans of romantic comedies.

I absolutely adored Book of the Month. The location was unbelievable and truly added to the story; I feel that I was able to fully immerse myself. I love that Brick was the opposite of what everyone portrays him as, and was a genuinely sweet and thoughtful guy. Their relationship development was steady and well paced, so it also felt very real.

I have never read anything by this author before, but I really enjoyed reading this book. The pacing was good and the character's were developed very well.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants fun, refreshing romance with spice sprinkled around. Anyone who is going through the reviews, should give this book a chance if you are interested in the various tropes and the premise. The book is written well and surprises you at times.

We get to understand the hardships of FMC as an author. I liked how the FMC and MMC communicated —it kept the story unpredictable but drama-free. I liked the various incidents included in this book: <spoiler>The "brownie bit" and the girls' club at the end</spoiler> added charm to the book.

Though I wasn’t a fan of the instant attraction or the character names, this was still an enjoyable read.

Thank you Blue Box Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC.

I went into Book of the Month wanting and expecting a fun, cute romance with some good characters and an interesting story. That is pretty much exactly what I got. I did get frustrated with the characters every once in a while, but it made them real. We are all a little stupid sometimes and I think it would have lost something if they were the perfect versions of themselves in the book. It was also not just ridiculous miscommunications, but actual issues and thoughts that drove them. I loved the setting. I have been to the Outer Banks many, many times and it is one of my favorite places in the world. It was an extra special treat to see it in a book and get to vicariously experience it again. I am definitely interested to read the next book in this series!

Story line was good and the emotions were raw but the writing left much to be desired- which is a bummer!

Honestly, I read this book because it was Jennifer Probst, and it was set in the Outer Banks, one of my favorite vacation spots. I enjoyed this story overall, though I wasn't a fan of Aspen all of the time. Brick is a different story, such a great character. A lovely sweet and spicy story.

Thank you to Blue Box Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun romance through the eyes of an author. It was a fun read even if going in you knew there was going to be heartbreak. I didn't know it was going to have a sequel and now I need that in my life. If you like spice and beach tours with horses and books, I think you'd like this romance.

I enjoyed the concept of the story and the characters but I struggled to get into the book. Some of the scenes made me cringe a little but it's definitely a book I would share with a true romance lover.