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.

Aspen needs to write her next best seller. She visits her sister Sierra in her small beach town. She makes a deal with Brick to fall in love and break her heart to bring on the emotions. Both of them spend the summer together but they don’t realize they are falling in love.

This was a cute story with cast of characters who make you smile. The story gives you the feels and hope for a happily ever after.

I like but didn't love this book. A great beach read, full of fun, banter, and chemistry, but I definitely found myself just wanting to shake some sense into the characters. The book is about a novelist who has writer's block, so she hires the local town hottie to make her fall in love and break her heart so she has something to write about. Interesting idea, but we all know how it is going to end, right? Nonetheless, it was a fun journey to go on, and I'd be curious to try more of Jennifer Probst's books.

Slow burn. I loved the concept of small town and redemption.

What wasn't for me: giving up the man that would do anything for her to get past her writing block. ICK.

I am happy with the ending the author got to eventually, but I did feel like all of that wasn't needed for this HEA.

This book took me a hot second to get through. I really liked the concept and storyline but the whole being on the book of the month list and how often it was referred to became redundant haha. As the story went on I really liked how the relationship developed between the two main characters. There was cute banter and I did chuckle a bit reading this. It was hard for me to understand the fmc toward the end but the way the author tied it up helped ease my irritation. All in all it would make a cute little hallmark movie, obvs minus the spice (because there IS spice but it’s easy enough to skip haha). Anyways, I give it a solid 3. Good. Not great. Enjoyable but probably won’t read it again. Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for this ARC!

2.5⭐️
I was excited to dive into this one. But by the end, I was just relieved to be done with it. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t much enjoy it or feel invested in the characters or far fetched story.

Alexander Cendese and Mia Hutchinson-Shaw did a fine job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Jennifer Probst, Blue Box Press, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC of Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst, in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I love Jennifer Probst's books and Book of the Month did not disappoint. This one is an adorable and heartwarming read that will leave you feeling uplifted. The book follows Aspen Lourde, a bestselling author in search of inspiration for her next book. When she meets Brick Babel, a local heartthrob, she sees him as the perfect muse. However, Brick is hesitant to become the subject of Aspen's potential heartbreak novel. As they navigate a fake dating scenario, their connection grows into something genuine, leading to a touching and emotional journey.

Jennifer Probst skillfully captures the emotions and complexities of love in this book. Through her heartfelt storytelling, she delivers moments of joy, tears, and personal growth. The characters, especially Aspen and Brick, feel relatable and endearing, and they will draw you into their world and make you emotionally invested.

Overall, 'Book of the Month' is a captivating and emotionally satisfying read that will warm your heart. It beautifully explores themes of love, vulnerability, and the power of genuine connections. If you're looking for a book that will make you smile, shed a tear or two, and leave you with a sense of fulfillment, this is definitely a great choice."
4.25 Stars!

The premise really hooked me with this one and I think this might have been the case of trying to read the book at the wrong time? This book tried too hard to have the FMC "not be like other girls." A bit boring for me. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.

Aspen wrote a best seller after having her heartbroken. With her fans clamoring for a sequel she takes refuge with her sister. Then she meets Brick, who has a reputation as a heartbreaker. What better way to write another best seller than having her heart broken again. Unfortunately, Brick’s reputation isn’t real, their feelings for each other are but Aspen can’t see beyond needing her heart broken.

Aspen is a bestselling author whose debut novel received rave reviews and a devoted following. However, her next two books didn't achieve the same success. With her fans clamoring for a sequel and her publisher focused on sales, Aspen feels she needs to experience emotional turmoil to recreate the magic of her first book, which was inspired by her own heartbreak. Meanwhile, Brick is trying to revive the struggling local tour business he inherited from his grandfather. Since arriving in Corolla, he has gained a reputation as a heartless womanizer, leaving a trail of broken hearts.

Aspen sees Brick as the key to unlocking her creativity and proposes a simple business arrangement: he will romance her over the summer, leaving her heartbroken so she can write another angst-filled novel, and in return, she’ll help fund his failing business. However, neither of them anticipates developing genuine feelings which definitely puts a wrench in their plans.

With a slower start, this book is much more than just a typical romance. Filled with a plethora of popular romantic tropes (fake dating, small town summer romance, etc), the romance aspect is almost secondary to the journey of self-discovery these characters encounter. One of my favorite aspects of small-town romances is they’re always filled with a cast of quirky and fun secondary characters, and this story was no exception. I’m interested to see who will be featured in the second book for this series!

3.5 stars rounded down. Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Aspen is suffering from major writer's block and decides to spend the summer with her sister in hopes of finding inspiration in the form of love... or heartbreak. Cue the town bad boy with a heartbreaker reputation, Brick. Unfortunately, Brick wants nothing to do with Aspen or her games. That is, until she makes him an offer he can't refuse - help with his failing business. They've both been burned by love, but maybe their scheme can lead them to the forever kind of love. This was a super fun read and I loved their banter and chemistry. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Jennifer Probst, Blue Box Press, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange of my honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

I adored this sweet, spicy romcom.

Aspen and Brick, like Mallory, deserve a sequel!

If you also enjoy a good, spicy romcom, I would certainly recommend checking this out.

This is the first book I’ve read from the author and I can’t wait to check out more!

I thought this book was cute and the story was fun. I liked the flow and how she made an impact in their small town. It was a really like for me and I'm sure it'll do really well.

Jennifer Probst has been a favorite author of mine for a long time, but I almost didn't read this. I seem to have picked up several books where the storyline was about an author trying to write another successful book. I'll admit that I'm not enjoying them as much. But I'm glad I stuck with this. Probst once again brought the characters to life. I enjoyed their bantering, as well as how real they were. Turned out to be a great storyline. I look forward to Aspen's sisters story!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This is my voluntary and honest review.

Raise your hand if you’d like to escape to a beach town when things aren’t going right in your life - right? Me too! Novelist Aspen escapes to a small beach town in the Outer Banks in an attempt to cure her writer’s block. Since her hugely successful first novel was rooted in autobiographical heartbreak, she must need … another heartbreak? It’s the only method she can think of, and she finds the perfect solution in the local tour operator.

Although he’s built quite the love’em-and-leave-‘em reputation for himself in town, in reality Brick is trying to dig his company out of debt and just isn’t interested in dating. Until Aspen presents an offer he can’t refuse - she’ll help his company if he’ll break her heart.

I felt like this book dragged, and despite a great setup, the characters didn’t click for me. And we had a third act breakup that didn’t make any sense. I’ve liked this author before, but this one didn’t work for me as well as her others.