I love a book with an author as a main character so this one landed on my TBR as soon as I saw that. I think it’s the behind the scenes insight it provides that I really enjoy and the author showcased that type of thing well here. Brick and Aspen had great and believable chemistry and this made their banter and connection so good! If you wish it was still summer this would be a great pick as it’s a summer romance with a great small town setting and wonderful secondary characters. Overall a cute and steamy read

‘Book of the Month’ started slowly for me; HOWEVER, I’m so glad I kept going because 25% of the way through, things really picked up, and then I couldn’t put it down!

Here’s what I liked:
- They make a consensual deal - no miscommunication trope here folks! 🤝🏻
- Witty banter and laugh-out-loud moments 🤣
- Small-town ocean vibes, the outdoors, and wildlife advocacy 🌊🐴🐢
- Adorable dates that will have you swooning 💘
- A healthy sister relationship where they have each other’s backs 🦸🏼‍♀️
- SPICY spice! (believable buildable chemistry, plenty of dirty talk and encouragement) 🌶️
- Brick appears to be a gruff hottie, but he’s really a cinnamon roll hero 🫶🏼

Here’s what I didn’t like:
- The FMC, Aspen; however, as the MMC, Brick made up for her
- The name ‘Brick’ and references to Jason Mamoa and Helmsworth, but glad I kept reading

I’m excited that Sierra (the FMC’s sister) is also getting her own book! ‘The Reluctant Flirt’ is on my TBR and set to publish on June 10, 2025!

Thanks to Jennifer Probst, NetGalley, and Blue Box Press for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review!

If you are looking for a light summer beach read this is the one for you. Jennifer Probst does a nice job creating the characters and the storyline.

It's been a few years since I've read one of Probst's books, but I loved the blurb, so I was excited to check this out. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the story - there were some off-putting moments in the romance, and the women's fiction/romance crossover feel that I enjoy about Probst's work simply wasn't working for me this time. I ended up leaving the book unfinished, but I'm sure there are some readers who will enjoy this one.

Aspen is a successful author. The one problem is that it’s her first book that’s still wildly successful, not her most recent books. She knows she needs to write another smash hit or her writing career might be over. She concocts a wild scheme to get her mojo back and write her next huge hit. She just needs to get someone onboard to help her with her scheme. Brick is desperate to make his tour guide business a success. He has ideas but no money to make them happen. He has a reputation in town as a heartbreaker even though he hasn’t dated anyone in ages. When Aspen offers him money to become part of her scheme, he wants to say no but the money is just too tempting. Will they complete the contract and go their separate ways, or will they find out that love conquers all?

Aspen is a tough character to feel sorry for. I understand that she is fixated on keeping her writing career but to buy someone to help you write your next novel is kind of weird. I wish she had sought counselling to help her work on her insecurities. In the end, I like how her story ended. I am not going to give it away here but the author gave Aspen a way forward that would allow her to have it all including Brick. Brick is actually the better character of the two of them. He was successful in the big city until he wasn’t. He inherited a failing business that he is desperate to save. He inherited Dug, a truly ugly dog with no manners at all. Brick dated the women in town until he realized that it was wrecking his life. I felt so sorry for him once the author revealed how terribly the women were treating him. I like that he let his friend move in so her could get a fresh start after losing everything. I even like that he takes care of the guys who own the shop next door to his. Brick seems like a really nice guy. There is sort of a bad guy in the story. The conclusion to that part of the story was really nice and felt good.

This is a contemporary romance that takes place in North Carolina. There are family and friends and entire small town included in the story. I really enjoyed the story but I thought the end was the highlight. I will read more from this author in the future.

Aspen retreats to the OBX to figure out how to write her next book. She comes up with a drunken plan to pay Brick to have an affair and then break her heart. He readily agrees in order to save the business he inherited from his grandfather. They both get so much more than they expect!

Great romance and chemistry between our characters. The minor characters were as awesome - loved Dug the dog and Brick's business neighbors! I'm only sad I have to wait for Sierra and Kane's story!

This was my first read by Jennifer Probst and I think I've discovered another author I will love! If you are new to her as well - I recommend you start with this book.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and reviews are my own.

"Book of the Month" by Jennifer Probst is a light romantic journey about finding love and oneself in life's unexpected chapters. The story features a plethora of interesting secondary characters along with engaging main characters - an author named Aspen Lourde being the most prominent. Aspen needs inspiration to write a new bestselling book. She'll really go to any length to revive her writing career. Aspen escapes to the Outer Banks with a reckless plan to live a story that is worth writing.

The book is a fun and flirty summer romance, but I did find it frustrating at times. For me, the middle part of the book dragged a bit with the repeated trope of manufactured love and a blossoming relationship. I did appreciate how the characters developed and found themselves, but the slow burn romance could have sped up a bit for me.

To my own fault the title really pulled me in and I wasn't expecting such a focused story that included fake dating. I fear there is a trend in current publishing where if the word "book" is placed in the title, book lover's can fall victim to picking up a book on a whim.

Ultimately, "Book of the Month' was a great escape read for me. I appreciate NetGalley and Blue Box Press for allowing me an ARC to review. Although the story did not hold me attention, I truly enjoyed Jennifer Probst's descriptions of setting and character development. I feel like her writing stood out to me here and added pleasure to my weekend reading.

This is a story about a writer who is desperate to write a best seller like her first book but needs some inspirational heart break. She ends up using the town playboy for inspiration and they work through their trauma and challenges to make then double think the whole relationship pact.

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst is a good read for those who like book=centered and author-centered stories. I liked it but didn't love it. It just didn't capture my attention or get me invested in the story as much as I would have liked. Aspen is an author looking for inspiration for her next novel, and she comes to town to get some real-life inspiration in Brick, who is known around town as a bit of a playboy (there is even a club for women who have dated him and had their hearts broken...). I wanted to connect more with the story, but I found the dialogue unbelievable at times, and the ending came together nicely, but it was hard to believe the romance despite the steam and romantic language.

It is a good book, and I do recommend it to the right person. If you are looking for a book-centered story and enjoy themes such as fake dating, hesitant to fall in love, and SPICE, this might be right up your alley!

In Book of the Month, an author, Aspen, is struggling to write a novel as good as her debut so she heads to the Outerbanks to spend the summer with her sister and get inspired. And by inspired, she meets the town lothario and decides he will be her muse. This book was made for booknerds. Bookstagram shout outs, trope references, Book of the Month comments. It was so fun to see the behind the scenes of writing a book, showing how much work it goes into writing a book that we all cruise through in 2-3 days! Oh, and so spicy.

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst delivered a standalone small-town romance about an author looking to recapture the feelings that led to her first bestseller. Character growth, a slow burn romance, and finding yourself makes this the perfect book to curl up with by the fire.

The Book of the Month offers a fake dating scenario in a small-town setting with all the charm, humor and sweet moments wrapped in character growth. It’s the perfect low angst, comfortable romance to curl up with on a chilly fall afternoon by the fire.

Aspen Lourde wrote a best-selling romance based on her previous relationship and breakup. She poured her soul into the story and readers loved it. Since then, her last two books haven’t captured her readers and all of them are asking for a sequel. Feeling the pressure from her publisher and without any personal turmoil to fuel her writing, she escapes for the summer to the Outer Banks. Her sister lives there and it will be great to catch up & try writing.

When the writing doesn’t come, she hatched a plan to have a summer fling and use it to inspire her next book. Now all she needs is a willing guy. Enter Brick Babel, a local hottie with a reputation for breaking hearts. The tale that unfolds was sweet, funny and heartfelt as this arrangement becomes more.

Probst created relatable characters and while the story didn’t pack any surprises I connected, got excited about Brick’s business, meeting the locals and watching these two fall in love. It wasn’t without complications and growing pains, but the tale wrapped up nicely and left me smiling.

While this is currently a standalone, I am curious about the sister and hope we get her story next.

This book was entertaining enough but I did have a few issues with it at the very beginning. I didn’t like how Aspen kept trying to seduce Brick, even after he kept saying no. It felt icky to me. Like we could have just gone straight to their contract and not have all of that. Also what the heck was that with the club? It was so annoying.

However, besides all of that, I did like the overall storyline of somewhat fake dating and the town. Those moments are what kept me reading and liking the book.

Aspen was a bit insufferable and I hated how much she really thought she needed to heart broken. Like girl, please go get some therapy. 😅 Like I’m honestly happy Brick made her wait for his trust again.

Thank you NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

In "Book of the Month," Jennifer Probst tells a fun and touching story about love and creativity. The main character, Aspen, is a bestselling author who is stuck after a tough breakup. To spark her writing again, she decides to pay Brick, a local heartthrob known for his dating skills, to pretend to be her boyfriend—only to plan a dramatic breakup that she hopes will inspire her next book.

As Aspen and Brick go through their fake relationship, their chemistry grows, and the banter between them is lively and entertaining. The summer romance is filled with gossip and charm, keeping readers hooked.

Many thanks to Blue Box Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read Book of the Month!

Firstly, I like to thank Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

So, this was my first Jennifer Probst book, and I fear it might be my last. I made it through the entire book, but it was a struggle to get there. I was intrigued by the premise and had high hopes that I was going to like it. However, the storyline ended up feeling convoluted and drawn out. Also, the support group aspect was weird and unnecessary.

The FMC “Aspen” came off incredibly cringe worthy, not flirty the way I assume the author was going for. I had so much secondhand embarrassment that it was hard to get through. She keeps pushing herself at him over and over even though he clearly told her he wasn’t interested. If this were reversed and she was a man, it would come off very stalkerish with red flags everywhere. After Aspen tries to seduce the MC “Brick” into dating her and that doesn’t work she strikes a deal with him and pays him to fake date her. This part didn’t make sense as the whole premise is Aspen wants to have her heartbroken to write another bestselling book since she hasn’t had one since her first. How, is that a possibility if he is only with her because she pays him. But then bam it was an insta love situation which is not my favorite trope to begin with, but when done in this way it just missed the mark for me. I got whip lash from Bricks behavior.

Also, I hate third act breakups I find them tedious and most of the time if not all the time unnecessary. This story was like a train wreck you can’t help but watch, knowing that she wanted to be heartbroken for her work and then being upset that she got her heartbroken was confusing. Like ma’am I thought that’s what you wanted? That aspect of the book could have been changed as the story progressed and their feelings changed. But alas it did not, and we got the breakup and then like 3 pages of a reconciliation. It annoyed me.

Although, this book wasn’t for me plenty of people really enjoyed it based on some of the reviews I’ve seen. I may give Jennifer another shot after this because there are quite a few good reviews so maybe it was just this book that was a miss for me.

2.5⭐️ I went into this with high hopes, but unfortunately, it let me down. The beginning had me hooked—the banter was spot on, and it had all my favorite romance tropes. But the ending? Total disappointment. 👹I dislike a third act break up as much as the next person, but this one truly sent me over the edge with how stupid it was. And don’t even get me started on how they resolved it… I was seeing red by the end!

Aspen Lourde quickly shot to the top of the Bestsellers List with her book – Fifty Ways to Leave You Lover. Now she is struggling with writers block. Trying to get unstuck, Aspen leave New York City to visit her sister in the Outer Banks. Now she has come up with a plan: in order to match the success of her first, she needs to have her heart broken, again. On the hunt for a willing accomplice, she learns about Brick, who seems to have the reputation as a heart breaker. It doesn’t hurt that she is equally attracted to him.

Brick Babel, know as the town heartbreaker, has inherited his grandfathers failing business. He gives tours along the dunes and of the wild horses. At this point he needs a miracle if he is going to save it. Sierra’s little sister, Aspen, has a plan – pay him to be her boyfriend and then break her heart before she heads back to New York. Brick is hesitant at first and makes the stipulation that he will pay her back.

They start slow in building a relationship that feels real in every way. What neither of them expected was how well they’d actually get along, and how deep their attraction actually runs. So what happens? You’ll have to one-click to find out.

I really enjoyed this story and all the secondary characters. I can’t wait to read the next story in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Hmm, I went into this expecting something else...I typically love stories surrounding books/writers/romance. This just didn't do it for me, unfortunately.

Aspen is struggling to write another bestselling book and feels the reason her current publishing is not working is because it lacks the heartache (caused by her ex) that showed in her first book. Her idea is to get that "heartbreak feeling" again...enter her plot with Brick. Aspen just felt desperate and unwilling to change directions once she got started. She also bullied and pushed Brick into the arrangement. If the F/M roles were reversed, I think people would be in an uproar.

I just couldn't connect with our couple or truly root for them...:( The club of Brick rejects gave me some ick as well. Sigh. I would be willing to try this author again on another book.

2.5 stars

I like this one. The story of a one hit wonder so to speak of the literary world. Aspen wrote a great book, but now she's blocked. She can't come up with anything else so she decides to head out on vacation to see if she can experience another heartbreak that led to the first book. She goes to the outer banks and there. She finds an idea and the idea's name is brick (i mean come on is that not a romantic leads name) - she wants a romance so she can be heartbroken. He wants nothing to do with it. The only thing he wants to do is save his family business. So they make an agreement to form an alliance to both get what they need but I think that they both get a whole lot more than they bargain for

Thank you to Blue Box Press, Jennifer Probst, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

I always love a cute a spicey romance and this one fit that order. .Aspen is a writer who hasn't had a hit book since her last heartbreak a few years ago, and Brick, an infamous playboy who leaves behind a trail of broken hearts, and who everyone tells Aspen to stay away from.

The couple was great together, and I liked the fact that they both benefited from the fake relationship. There was great chemistry between both of the characters but it became pretty repetitive after a bit and I grew bored. At this point the book was a little hard to finish but since this is a new author for me, I kept going.

After a late in the game break up, where one character is so set on focusing on their goals instead of being happy and ruins something that they actually want, is not my favorite.

I liked Sienna as a side character, and am curious about her and Kane, so I can see myself checking out the next book and their story. And of course, Dug, the best boy ever, deserves the most love. I am hoping these characters will show up in a future book.

Aspen wrote a book after she was dumped, and it became a bestseller. Nothing she has written since then has had the same reaction, so she decides she needs to have her heart broken again in order to replicate the success. This book started out a bit slow, but it got more interesting as the story progressed. I got a bit frustrated with Aspen as she is so focused on writing this book she doesn’t see what is in front of her.