I have to say I had a bit of love-hate going on with this one. I have never had that with a Probst book before this one. Overall, I really enjoyed this read.

This book took quite a while to get into and even when it did, the FMC just didn’t sit well with me. She wasn’t too likeable. I love this concept, but it didn’t quite work for me.

Aspen is a best selling author. Her debut novel was so well received, it reached an almost cult status. So of course, her next two books were disappointing. While her fans clamor for a sequel to her first beloved book, her publisher pushes for sales.

Aspen just wants to recapture the magic.

Trying to rescue the local tour business her inherited, Brick is a bit of a mess. He's gained quiet a reputation, and it ain't a good one.

Feeling that the only way to find her way back is to recreate devastation, Aspen in drawn to Brick. And so she offers this: romance her for the summer and them leave her heartbroken. This will get her creative juices flowing and he will get some much needed cash.

But neither of them counted on developing real feelings for the other.

The beginning felt slow and the instant attraction rushed, but once the reader got more information, it started to come together. I loved the colorful group of secondary characters who brought a lot of humor to the story.

A lively and engaging story of a writer searching for idea content for a bestseller and a guy she hopes will create the story within her. Aspen wrote an emotional bestseller but her two next books flopped. She thinks that if she recreates the emotions that triggered her first book, it will happen again. Enter Brick-desperately striving to revive his grandfather’s business and a willing player in Aspen’s plan. Brick and Aspen make a deal to both of their advantages but a contract does not guarantee the outcome.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Once a literary superstar, Aspen Lourde can't seem to write another bestseller like her first and only which was based on her own real life heartbreak. Aspen decides to escape the city for the summer and head to the Outer Banks with hopes that the change of scenery will help her draft her next book. She also believes that she needs to fall and in love and get heartbroken once again in order to deliver another best selling novel. Brick Babel is a down on his luck local heart throb whose tour company is on the verge of bankruptcy. Once Aspen learns that Brick's tour company isn't doing well she offers him a deal: romance her for the summer and then break her heart so she'll have the inspiration to write her next best seller. Of course, he's desperate to save his tour company, which was his grandfather's legacy, so he agrees. What starts as a business transaction quickly gets out of control when Aspen and Brick start falling for each other.

I really loved the story line, the fake dating aspect and the beach town setting but, unfortunately, I didn't love the main characters. Overall though, this was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series when it's released!

The Book of the Month is a fun romance with likable characters. I loved the atmosphere of OBX, beaches, wild horses, and of course our main characters Aspen and Brick!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

really cute and a perfect refreshing read - I thought the premise was fresh and the entire story was very captivating.

This was a cute, fun read. I liked how it was told from both points of view and the setting. If you're looking for a fun "fake romance" book, then I recommend this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was a cute, fun read. I chose it because I like the author and have read some of her other books. If you're looking for a fun "fake romance" book, then I recommend this one.

With her back up against the proverbial wall, Aspen has no choice but to submit a best seller by the end of the summer or she'll be dropped by her publisher and probably her agent. She's desperate to recreate the work that made her 1st book the top seller, award winner and book of the month pick. So much so that she settles on local moody bad guy Brick to help her feel the emotional heartache that made her first book so easy to write. IN the meantime, he is trying to keep his grandfather's business from failing and his reputation, smeared through the town by his ex, isn't helping his cause. With Aspen not only helping him financially but sticking up for him among those who keep spreading lies, it feels like all things in his life are clicking together. All he has to do is break her heart -- that was the most significant part of the deal. But is it really what they both want in the end?

#arc
#netgalley
#bookofthemonth

A great read. I liked how it was told from both points of view and the setting. Can't wait for the next book

This was a cute little love story and I enjoyed reading it. The characters were very likable, and I liked the overall plot. This was a good refreshing read.

The cover of this book and the description drew me to this book.
I usually enjoy a book about an author writing or trying to write a new book and how they get inspiration.
However once I was inside this book I found the 2 main characters unbelievably annoying, and Brick was unlikeable and they lacked chemistry. Brick just seemed like a condescending inappropriate jerk with a leg humping dog.
I felt that many parts of the story were repeating which had me confused as to if I went backward in the book. Because of that and the fact I wasn’t enjoying myself this book dragged to 50% at which point I read the last chapter and was done. Based on other ratings I Amin the minority as many people gave it 4 ⭐️.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Jennifer Probst’s latest novel is a fictionalized depiction of an author’s pursuit of the sometimes elusive second best seller and featured “book of the month”. Her novel crosses the genres of general fiction and romance.

Aspen Lourde poured her heartache out in a “novel” and became a best selling author. She cathartically used her real life experience to not only exorcise her demons but to gain fame and notoriety as an acclaimed author. However, in real life, she has sequestered herself in her New York apartment and built a brick wall around her heart. Her ability to dig deep and create an emotional blockbuster seems to have stalled, so she changes locations and tries to gain new perspective and experiences to push her to her next big hit. A summer spent in the Outer Banks with her sister might be just what Aspen needs…

Between the sauve, sensitive, misunderstood and much maligned Brick Babel, the vindictive, nasty single ladies in town, Aspen’s sister, Sierra, and Marco, the local cannabis store owner, Book of the Month is filled with interesting characters and secondary plot points. The plethora of interesting secondary characters along with the engaging main characters really make the story. The plot premise is unique but the angst/conflict felt contrived. The main characters are engaging but not overly compelling. I did enjoy the subtle shift of the hero falling in love first and being the more vulnerable of the couple.

A fun-enough read that I’m invested in the characters and look forward to the next book in the author’s series.

Book of the Month is a fun twist on the fake dating trope. Aspen is an author and after her mostly-autobiographical heartbreak first novel was a viral sensation she’s struggled to connect with readers. She moves in with her sister for the summer and hires Brick, the local heartbreaker, to be his next victim so she can use those emotions to write another hit. Brick reluctantly accepts, needing the money to save the bankrupt tour business he inherited from his grandpa. While this is a fake relationship, Aspen needs him to make her fall in love for real, and then break her heart, so she can tap into those feelings for her fourth novel. But of course, it doesn’t work out the way either of them expected.

You can expect -
Author x Tour Guide
NC Island Small Town
Wild Horse Refuge
Summer Fling
Grumpy/Sunshine
Fake Dating
Late20s MCs
Dual 3rdP POV

I loved the setting of this book and wish I had read it earlier in the summer. The characters were cute with a good supporting cast. It had a lot of current pop culture references and went into a lot of writing lessons, which made me over analyze the writing in this book and took me out of the story. But that went away more in the last half of the book and I enjoyed the relationship development. The ending was believable and I liked how it all worked out for the best.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for providing an eARC for my honest opinion.

I should have counted how many times this book used the words “female” or “animalistic” or “primal”. It was a lot.

The writing was…not good. The sex? Not good either. Character development? Where! Third act break up and make up? Completely unbelievable. Only read this book if you have no desire for anything remotely resembling real people. It was flat and cringey and hard to get through! There were so many plot points that were important for half a second and then never mentioned again. The town and side characters were not well-fleshed out or interesting.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC (and sorry for the bad review but the point is honesty!!)

What a unique twist on romance meet-cutes. I enjoyed the characters and the story quite a bit.

Aspen is going about this all wrong. She's convinced that the only way to get another best seller is to get her heart crushed again. That's how she got the really genuine feels in her first book. Her second and third books got good critical reviews but failed to sell well. She's made a lot of money off the first book and the movie rights so her motivation is for the acclaim of a successful book. To be recognized for her talent. To be validated as a writer. Brick has achieved fame as a heartbreaker. Gorgeous, he's easy for Aspen to be attracted to. Nice, he's even easier for Aspen to like him. He's the perfect guy to help Aspen get the intense emotions to make her next book gut wrenching. She strikes a deal with him to do just that and she'll help him with the funding he needs to really make his business take off. Brick is fascinated by Aspen. She's not like the girls who are spreading the rumors about him. She's also not chasing him. She's different. He takes her deal because he really does need the money. He considers it a loan even though Aspen doesn't want repayment. He's had an important career in the big city. He's a good businessman and a detailed plan of what the business needs to succeed is something he can easily do. He needs a few changes and to alter the way the public sees him and his business. And the wild horses. Aaah. They add lots of emotions for these two to share.

As the two work through Aspen's plan for their romance you know a real romance emerges and the two fall for each other even as Aspen tries to deny their ability to stay together, Brick knows what he wants long term. There's lots of stress and hard headedness to add to the book's tension and keep the reader engaged.

It was fun to watch Aspen very slowly work through her life issues. It's fun to watch Brick win her over. It's frustrating, in a good way, to watch them both struggle career wise. All making for a delicious story.. The HEA is especially; rewarding.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book but felt this premise was just too unbelievable. Aspen really made me crazy sometimes with her thinking about what she needed to write her book, it was incredibly obvious what the end game was going to be

Thank you for this eARC! When I first started this book, I was a bit nervous that I was going to be bored. But once the story picked up, IT PICKED UP!!!!!!! The chemistry between Aspen & Brick was FIRE!!!!!! The way he cared for her even though their relationship started as a "deal" for both was so cute! I loved that right off the bat when they agreed to this "deal" Brick was all in! He treated her like a real girlfriend from that moment on and he took care of her just like a boyfriend should. Plus their sexual tension was everything!!!! I enjoyed the ending and how the whole thing came together! Can't wait to read The Reluctant Flight (coming June 10, 2025).

Cute story about a best selling author, Aspen, who fears she is a one time wonder. To get over writers block, she leaves NYC to visit her sister in the Outer Banks. Coming up with a crazy plan to bail Brick, a handsome local tour operator, out of his financial problems by pretending to start a relationship with her, and then break up with her to give her ideas for her book. However, things get out of control for both of them. There are a lot of appealing and funny secondary characters, like Aspen’s sister, Sierra, and a surfer dude named Marco. The book was okay, out of my usual genres. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.