One of my favorite sayings is....men plan, God laughs. BOOK OF THE MONTH feels like it fits here. Aspen's boyfriend dumped her and broke her heart. She used the experience to write a bestselling romance. But now Aspen's publisher is expecting another book and she's got no idea how to start. So she decides to reset her life and experience a doomed romance again. This definitely reminds me of a HallMark movie. Her problem? The man she has chosen to break her heart is not cooperating. The rest of the story? I'm not telling. Jennifer Probst does an excellent job of building her characters into people you could believe. This makes her books so much better than a run of the mill romance. Yes, the story may be a little silly, but romance makes adults pretty silly, so read and enjoy this SIGH worthy story.

Aspen has a problem. Her debut novel was a smash hit but her next two books were dudes. If she can’t find away to recapture the magic her writing career may be over. That first novel oozed passion and authenticity. Why? Because it was based on her real life experiences. To recapture that magic she hatches a crazy plan to have a summer fling and milk it for authenticity. Too bad the man she goes fishing for isn’t biting. But he has issues of his own to deal with so instead of a real romance Aspen proposes a fake one. A plan so crazy it might work…unless real feelings start to get in the way. This was a really fun romance. I love stories where one of the main characters is an author, and fake dating is one of those classic tropes I can’t resist so this one really appealed to me. This definitely made me want to check out more of Jennifer Probst’s work. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of Book of the Month.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book-of-the-month-jennifer-probst/1145830075?ean=9781963135244&bvnotificationId=2146378d-90a8-11ef-b5e3-0ea8ad306d2b&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/321781889

Has potential to be very saucy, but was a little slow to start for me. I also found the meta commentary about being an author a little distracting from the main story. The side characters are very good and would have kept me reading. Ultimately I did not finish after getting 60% in, this plot was not for me.

3.5 Stars!

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst is a solid read. It is a well-written novel and the wild horses of the Corolla landscape left me breathless.

Aspen Lourde may end up a one-hit-wonder if she cannot write another profitable book.  She desperately needs a jolt of creativity and a change of scenery. So she leaves New York City for the Outer Banks to visit her older sister, hoping that inspiration will strike. Aspen believes her first book was successful because it was based on her own heartbreak and subsequent emotional upheaval.  So as sad as it sounds, she is prepared to fall in love again and end up broken-hearted for the sake of a bestseller. That is where Brick Babel comes in.

Brick is a very handsome local and his reputation with the women is well known, however it is exaggerated. He owns and runs an unprofitable adventure company that he inherited from his late grandfather. Brick is a bit of a grump and due to a past relationship, has no desire to fall in love. Deep down he is a softie. Aspen sets her sights on wooing Brick and overtime they fall in love.

I honestly did not like Aspen once she focused all her efforts on Brick. Her priorities were in the wrong place and I did not like her attitude. Brick turned out to be a warm and loving man and I especially liked his drooling dog. The secondary characters added a lot of personality to the story. The epilogue left me smiling.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

I thought this was a fun and light read!

The plot was great. I love when the main female character is an author, and I definitely love a fake dating trope. It took me a little bit to really get into it but once I was through the first 1/4 of the book, I didn't want to stop reading. The story was one that kept me engaged and I was excited get back into it after taking a break. There were definitely moments of out loud giggling while reading and there were also moments of complete frustration with Aspen (MFC). I feel like the ending was a little bit pushed, and Aspen was a little too pushy even when she was trying not to be. Right at the very end, I got the annoying post breakup girl vibes, and I didn't love that. Overall, I really did enjoy and would recommend! I absolutely plan on reading Sierra and Kane's story when it is available!

Thank you NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in return for my honest opinion!
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thanks netgalley and the publisher for the arc! I got to about halfway through the book, which was fun even if a bit absurd at times. I dnf it at 52% because it was quite slow, I was struggling to read it and I was really disappointed. While reading, I felt a bit of self-denunciation regarding what are now the standards of booktok and also of authors who want to be successful. I felt that this book, like those of the protagonist, also wanted to narrate with its difficulties the problems of today's authors. thanks again, I hope one day I can finish it and give a different valuation

I feel like this one had so much potential, but I just wasn’t in the right mood for it right now. It definitely feels like more of a summer read to me, and I feel like a spring/early summer release would have been better for it. But alas, it has an October 22nd release date. It was a good book, and I did enjoy it, but my inner mood reader wanted a bit more spooky and fallish vibes than this offered. That being said, I do recommend it for a light summer read next summer!!

This was a really fun read! A small town, fake relationship trope that was just the right amount of spicy. There was really good character development that had you routing for all the right people. The supporting cast was quirky, but fun, and left you definitely wanting to know more of their stories as well. I'll definitely be picking up the next book in this series when it comes out next year!

unfortunately, i had to dnf this at 22%. normally, i try to push to at least 30% but i was not able to. the writing style was just very cringey to me and the fmc is very annoying to read about. she is described as "not like other girls" and is basically harassing the mmc into dating her. there's a lot of info dump/description for things that add nothing to the plot (for example: animals using the restroom and the publishing industry).

this was just not my kind of book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review, and happy release day!!

When Aspen Lourde released "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," it was an immediate success. But with her newest release, fans are less than thrilled and she is struggling to sell books.
Now, fans and her publishing company are begging for a sequel to "50 Ways" that is just as good or better.
Aspen can't seem to find any inspiration in New York City, so she decides to spend the summer with her sister in the Outer Banks. When she meets Brick Babel (yes that IS his actual name), the area's notorious bad boy and struggling tour company owner, she comes up with a plan to help them both: fake summer romance, heartbreak guaranteed, in exchange for money to help his business. Brick agrees, but the more time the spend together, the more the lines of the contract blur.
Will Aspen's fake relationship scheme help her write another best-seller? Or will she be just another one of Brick's heartbroken conquests?

What I liked:
🌊 The rules of the relationship were clear from the start.
🌊 Aspen's sister is protective and hilarious.
🌊 Brick's respect for Aspen and his need to have consent and be perfectly clear.
🌊 Aspen's need to fight for her man's honor.
🌊 The resolution.

What I didn't like:
🌊 Brick's name. Brick Babel. A man of little words who is built like a brick house. So silly.
🌊 The conflict. Aspen's reason for leaving was so weak.
🌊The pacing. It was a little slow at times.
🌊 The club for girls whose hearts Brick has "broken." So juvenile. Y'all got rejected. Grow up.

If you like books with fake relationships, grumpy heroes, and heroines who need a muse, then pick this one up. Bonus points if you like the OBX.

🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Loved the literary drama despite so many authors writing about authors (lol) and want to read more from this author!

Aspen thinks that she needs heartbreak to write the perfect book. What she doesn't understand is that sometimes love cures all.

I am not sure if I have read anything by this author before, but this book was a delight to read. There was tension, bargains, sizzling sex, and a HEA.

Aspen and Brick are perfect for each other, but it takes time for them to break down the walls. Actually, it is an agreement for Brick to break her heart at the end of the summer so she can break through the writer's block that she has at the moment. Or at least one that will let her write a book as good as her first that everyone raves about. I don't think Aspen realizes that just because one heartache wrote a spectacular book, it isn't necessarily the recipe for another blockbuster hit.

There are some great supporting characters in this book. I have to say that Marco endeared himself to me. He runs a souvenir-type shop and believes in the power of weed. But he also believes in romance. The Brick hating club is an interesting bunch. They claim to have been traumatized by his actions, but when it gets down to brass tacks, they admit that they don't have these horror tales that the ringleader wants to believe. And, of course, there is Sierra. She is Aspen's sister, and I am excited to see her getting her own book. There are hints and tension with Zane, Brick's friend, but we don't know the whole story. I can't wait to see what that is all about.

I enjoyed watching Aspen and Brick's relationship grow, hit some stumbling blocks, and come back together. It wasn't easy, but why be miserable when you can be happy?

And I suspected something about the doodling she did while writing. You will probably figure it out, too, once you read the book, but I'll leave you hanging there! 

I will definitely be checking out the next book with Sierra and Kane's story. There are so many characters that would benefit from their own book. I hope we see that!

We give this book 4 paws up.

I enjoyed reading Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Amy has worst luck with men, second thing is everywhere she goes, chaos follows her. She decided, that men are off limits. she learns that she is the reincarnation of Pandora.
Dante is the keeper of keys, when he meets Amy, he knows his purpose.
Wonderful storyline, enjoyed very much

I found this book both delightful and insightful to read.

Aspen Lourde wrote a bestseller after a rough breakup, but her last two books haven't done well, and her editor is pressuring her to write a sequel to her Debut Book, which is the last thing Aspen wants to do. So she decides to take the summer and visit her sister in the Outer Banks, NC, and figure something out. Her answers come in the form of one Sexy Tour Guide with a reputation for breaking women's hearts.

Brick Babel inherited his grandfather's tour guide business, which has been failing, but he has a deep desire to make it a success; all he needs is a large enough loan to get things rolling. So when he is approached by Aspen and her ridiculous idea, he can only give one answer, and he's not happy about it.

I loved this story, not only because of the relationship between Aspen and Brick but also because of Aspen's career. We all know actors and actresses are only as good as their last project, or at least that's what we hear constantly, but I never related that to an author as well. Sure, we have all read books from authors we LOVED and then were disappointed by some of their future work, but that doesn't mean it's not good; it just means our tastes have changed. I, for one, can tell that I have given a book two or three stars in the past and absolutely love the author's work now, and that's because, at that time, those books weren't right for me, but they are now. To see that Aspen was constantly being asked about her first book and not her more recent ones told me her editor and publisher were probably not targeting the correct audience with her newer projects. It also made me think about how often this happens to Jennifer Probst herself. Do people still ask about books she wrote over ten years ago, even though she has published many more since then?

Brick and Aspen work great together. I love how they see things so similar yet different and their chemistry—chefs kiss!

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy STEAMY Contemporary Romances, Grumpy/Sunshine Romances, or Fake Relationship Romances.

Happy Reading!!!

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

Setting on this - the magical Outer Banks - was stellar. Everything else about this book was torture. Stereotypes abound, there is no depth to the characters, the writing is mediocre and the all-too abundant sex scenes are just pure cringe.

I liked this a lot!! While the aspen could be a little frustrating, I appreciated her growth. Brick was a hottie and I enjoyed their chemistry and it really cranked up for me once they started to connect emotionally. I also loved the side characters! Some convos/scenes got a little repetitive but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story. I'd definitely read the sequel with Sierra and Kane!! Overall this was a great romance with lots of heart and a good amount of angst. Would definitely recommend!

A writer, who is trying to entice her fans again by writing the next bestseller, and a heartthrob grump with a bad reputation, who is dodging bankruptcy after inheriting his grandfather’s tour business on OBX, come together come together in this fake-dating romance that is packed with heat and humor.

Jennifer Probst has created an emotional modern romance that immediately draws readers in. I found myself torn by choices made by both Aspen (the FMC) and Brick (the MMC). The levels of desperation and self-serving natures were a lot to work with. The chemistry, however, was on point. Thank you, Brick! Bonus for me was the setting in my home state of NC. I wanted to hop on over to the Outer Banks and enjoy tours of the area, including spotting some wild horses. I couldn’t help but think about Sanctuary Vineyards and their Wild Pony White blend.

Thank you, NetGalley, Jennifer Probst, and Blue Box Press for sharing this ARC. It was a great escape to the beach!

This book was good but honestly I got kind of bored and had to force myself to go back to the book. I am glad I did because I enjoyed it, but I don't know if I will be rereading.

This book is as melodramatic as it gets. The romance felt forced (which is kind of the point) and I did not especially care for the MMC. He was capital-B Boring. Prose was fine. There was so much sex though. Hard to believe these two fell in love when all they did was eat food together and fuck each other. The end was so melodramatic that I actually rolled my eyes a couple times. A sequel was set up with two side characters, but I will not be reading it.