Aspen is a best selling author, chasing her next great book. She is having a tough time getting getting past her writer's block. Brick is the hottie with a reputation the town heartbreaker, who is trying to keep his failing grandfather's tour company alive. Aspen hires Brick to make her fall in love with him and then break her heart. They both catch feelings, and drama ensues.

One nitpick. Aspen and Brick are dumb names. Having both MCs have nouns-as-names is just silly. I kept thinking of Brick as Rick.

The romance is decent. It's essentially a fake dating slash paid escort type of situation. It's sweet, and hard to put down. Brick, while he has a dumb name, the character is incredibly sweet and thoughtful, so your heart aches a little over his reputation as a jerk. Aspen is definitely delusional, and naive, thanks to a terrible ex. She's probably in her mid 20s, but acts like a clueless teenager when it comes to romance. That part annoyed me. The good news, I guess, is that the love interest is written as a gentle giant kind of guy.

This is cheesy romance. It's not intellectual literature. But it's definitely a fun adventure.

Aspen is a bestselling author who struggles to write her next book. She leaves NYC for Outer Banks to stay with her sister in hopes of finding inspiration. Her bestselling book was inspired by her own heartbreak, so Aspen thinks that to write another bestseller, she needs to experience another heartbreak. She sets her eyes on the local bad boy, Brick. At first, Brick does not seem interested in Aspen, but when she offers to help save his failing business in exchange for dating and then breaking up with her, Brick agrees.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, so I enjoyed the premise. Despite their rough start, Aspen and Brick had great chemistry, and I loved how their relationship progressed. I liked the small-town setting with its quirky characters. I especially enjoyed reading about the wild horses and sea turtles. The ending was very satisfying, with a promise of a second book centering on Aspen's sister's love story.
I look forward to reading the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
I thought this book was cute but it seemed more like a summer themed book than a fall book to me so I am curious as to why it was released during the fall months and not the summer months. I thought the romance was pretty good. While I didn't love this book, I also didn't hate it. It was just middle of the road for me. Unfortunately I was expecting to enjoy this book more than I did. Still if you are looking for a cute romance, I think this book is enjoyable. Something about it just fell a bit flat for me.

Many thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

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Book of the Month was such a pleasant surprise for me.

This book follows Aspen who is a writer that needs some heartbreak to inspire her next book because she has been struggling. She strikes up a deal with Brick who has a reputation for making women fall in love and then breaking their hearts.

This book was so sweet and I found myself smiling throughout reading.

I loved the setting, the side characters and the spice! There were some nit picky things I didn't love but overall I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a fake dating trope, summer romance or just a fast, easy to read romance.

Happy Publishing Week and Book Tour Review!

Book of the Month
Author Jennifer Probst
Publishes 10.22.24!

Thank you, @getredpr @authorjenniferprobst @netgalley and @1001darknights_blueboxpress, for my #gifted e- arc and printed copy!

How much do we all love books about books? One- hit- wonder author Aspen Lourde can't seem to write a book that was as successful as her first. Looking for inspiration, she drives to her sister's home in the Outer Banks to find her story. Brick Babel, the local hottie bachelor with quite the reputation, is who Aspen decides will make for the most perfect story... except, he's not interested. So, naturally, Aspen makes him a deal he can't refuse. Friends, I now love fake dating mor than I thought I could!

What follows is a fun and atmospheric summer of romance and excitement where our fakers find themselves maybe not faking at all and learning a little bit about themselves along the way. Book of the month is a wonderful novel with an inspiring message - live a life that's worth writing about!

This is a difficult book to review. There were parts I loved and I have to say that Jennifer Probst writes a damn good spicy scene. However, there were other moments where the writing pulled me straight out of visualizing and made me feel as if I were being told instead of shown. This was more common toward the beginning of the book.

The love story was cute although, the conflict was one that made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

All in all, it was a cute book but I think it could have used another edit to try and iron out those wrinkles that distracted me from the world it took me into.

I also found myself questioning the research into the location. I grew up spending time in the OBX as a kid and young adult (mostly Kitty Hawk or even further south) and the idea of there being a basement, left me confused.

Thank you to Net Galley and Blue Box Press for the eARC!

This is a generic rom com that didn’t grab me honestly. I appreciated the approach of the character being an author and trying to find her creative spark and write another smash rom com by channeling her own heartbreak but the characters seemed very flat and one dimensional, especially Brick. There wasn’t much chemistry between the two main characters and their relationship dragged for me.

3.5 stars - an enjoyable read
A fun, easy to ready small town romance. That said I struggled with the main character, Aspen, I couldn’t relate to her or her decisions. I know it’s a story, and it’s spun that way, but it doesn’t mean I have to like her. Now, Brick. That’s a different story. I loved him. He was my perfect character. Grouchy and stubborn, as well as a little bit vulnerable and a whole lot of the sexy. The scenes with Brick in were definitely my favourite. Their love story was doomed from the start, thanks to Aspen’s thought process, she too was a stubborn character, not in a cute way. I loved the support characters, and of course Dug, the cutest, ugliest dog. I did actually warm to Aspen in the last couple of chapters, I even had a tear in my eye at one point. The book club questions at the end were an added bonus. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Book of the Month is a great way for book lovers to discover new reads, offering a curated selection of titles each month that span various genres. The subscription service’s user-friendly app and website make it easy to browse, choose, and even skip months if needed. The hardcovers are high quality, and it’s exciting to receive a surprise package of books in the mail.

One of the biggest perks is the access to early releases and debut authors, which gives readers a chance to get ahead of the book buzz. However, the selection can sometimes feel a bit limited, especially for those who prefer niche genres or want a broader range of diverse voices.

Overall, Book of the Month is a fun and convenient way to add to your TBR (to-be-read) list, especially if you enjoy mainstream contemporary fiction, thrillers, and historical novels. It’s perfect for casual readers looking to be part of a community, though avid readers may wish for a bit more variety.

I seriously could not get into this book, I didn't like the writing or the style. The story started slow and I just had a hard time enjoying it.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for an Honest Review

I feel pretty awful DNFing an ARC but this book was not for me. Fake dating is a trope I usually enjoy, but this setup was a huge stretch. The premise of the male protagonist being so traumatized by his “reputation” was absurd, as was the female lead’s very aggressive attempts at flirting. I just couldn’t.

My new favorite Jennifer Probst book by far!

Aspen is a struggling NYC writer who finds her latest book flopping and needs to deliver on a new book that her publisher will want to buy. Hoping for inspiration, she travels to a small North Carolina town on the Outer Banks to stay with her sister where she meets the supposed town playboy, Brick.

The two strike up a fake relationship contract where Aspen will help Brick with his struggling tour business and he'll help Aspen find the emotional inspiration for her next book. Of course real feelings develop and things come to a head when its time for Aspen to return to New York City.

Will Aspen be able to take a chance on real love or will her desire to write the next best-seller stand in her way?? Good on audio with a great cast of secondary characters (I can't wait for Sierra's story next!) and a memorable setting. I loved misunderstood Brick and how much he cares for the Wild Stallions and sea turtles! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: some open door scenes

The synopsis of the book sounded interesting & was the reason I'd originally picked up this book. But when it came down to actually reading it, I couldn't get past the first chapter. It was a very "meh" way to start a book. The FMC is an author who previously had a hit release but her current release wasn't doing it with the readers that came to her signing. The author goes on to blame not hitting "#booktok" for the reason people aren't interested in her new book. Had it started with something a little more high stakes like a conversation with her editor or publicist, I may have been more inclined to push through. But unfortunately, this book just isn't for me.

Thank you to Jennifer Probst, Blue Box Press, and NetGalley for sending me an early copy!

Well, this was a DNF for me. I read about 50% and just couldn't stand it any longer. I thought I was going to get a fun, fake dating scenario but instead was met with a convoluted premise of a woman who essentially hired a man to break her heart. This girl needs therapy.

I was also so sick of hearing how the MMC was attracted to the FMC even though she wasn't his type and was not conventionally attractive or not as hot as her sister? Super unnecessary. The insta-lust was also extremely cringey to me, and seemed so forced.

Firstly, I'd like to thank the author and Blue box press for providing me with the e-Arc of this book via Netgalley for my honest review.

I was really intrigued by the synopsis of the book but unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. The main character Aspen, attempted to find inspiration for her book through a summer romance. While the concept was interesting at first, the writing soon felt bland for me personally.

The biggest issue for me was the dialogue, it just felt kind of forced and I didn't really feel the connection with the characters. Apsen's relationship with Brick felt predictable, and it was the same figuring out complexities and obstacles to find love and personal growth. It's a good trope, but the execution fell flat. It was just way too cringey for me and I honestly did not like the MC's character and personality. She had the "not like other girls" personality and NOT in a good way, and honestly, that trope is just old now. I felt second hand embarrassment while I was reading her pov.

However, I must admit that the idea of the book does have a catch to it but I think for me personally, the execution was the problem. Although, if you like light-hearted and predictable romances as a quick read filled with contemporary themes and pop culture references, especially those who are familiar with booktok trends, this book is definitely for you so go ahead and give it a try, you might just find your new favorite.

I liked the idea of the book and overall it wasn't awful. However. About a quarter of the way in, it all became very predictable.
I think it makes for a good weekend read.

Ii loved the premise of this book and almost everything about it, but unfortunately the ending just wasn’t for me! (Though this felt like the perfect end of summer read!)

I felt like Aspen’s choice to pull her sequel at the end didn’t align with her character throughout (and while I appreciate that she ultimately re-writes and publishes it, it feels like an afterthought in the epilogue), and that Brick’s decision to not take her back was a plot device to add a smidge more angst (but also didn’t align with all of the character development that had happened).

I’m still really excited to learn more about Sierra and Kane!

Thank you Blue Box Press and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced eARC to review!

This was a great easy read! The premise was interesting and I really enjoyed the well developed side characters, they were fun and I literally LOL’ed at times. The small town vibes were perfectly written. I love reading stories about authors and their writing process! It possibly felt a little too insta-love, but that’s the expectation when reading a story like this, so it was no problem for me. Definitely had a bit of spice that I wasn’t expecting. Would happily recommend this to others who love this genre and want a quick easy read! Excited to read the next book with Sierra’s story…really feel like I need to know what’s up with Kane.

Our FMC lead Aspen is a writer and her first books is well loved by readers and everything after didn’t meet expectations. For professional success your personal life should be in the toilet. Brick wants to save his family’s company from bankruptcy. So a deal is made each gets something they want and need. Brink is a grumpy man and I loved him the story was cute and definitely picked up. I was happy to see the journey these two went on. They go on cute dates there are small things done for each other that are heart melting. Spicy is very tame and tasteful.

Aspen wrote a hugely successful book based on a heartbreak and she was the darling of the literary scene. Unfortunately, she is no longer that darling and is fresh out of heartbreak for inspiration. She needs to come up with something to prove she’s not a one-hit-wonder, enter Brick, the local heartthrob whose affairs are legendary and a potential muse for Aspen when he breaks her heart. The only problem is Brick doesn’t want to play Aspen’s game but he’s in a spot of bother and Aspen has a deal he can’t say no to.

Desperation, small town, fake relationship, forced proximity, a broody man who falls hard and you now have a list of some of my favourite things.

I enjoyed this one but it’s not without its problems. I like books where the romance isn’t overdramatic and there isn’t some ridiculous miscommunication which leads to the third act break up. This situation seemed believable but felt rushed. Lately, I am all for the romances where adults are in the relationship and discuss the things that are going on in the relationship (this might be an age thing), and this book edges into an area that I really don’t like, Aspen became a bit too much for me, but Brick works it all out and that was satisfying.

This one could be a bit too instalove/instalust for some, but that isn’t an issue for me. There were some really fun and cute scenes brought on by the dialogue between the pair, but then there were parts which were a bit cringeworthy. The spice is spicing, but there was still an element of cringe. The romancing is realistic: little things that happen between the pair are things I can see happening in real life.

Now for the criticisms I have – these are my things, if you don’t feel that way, great:
• I don’t like the 3rd person POV. I like feeling like I’m with the character, rather than being on the outside of the story;
• some of the language, situations and the ideas seem immature, but then again, maybe I’m ‘old’ now and I don’t get it: i.e. reference to a
‘booty’, dog humping a legging, referring to animals ‘pooping’ and ‘peeing’ – not sure why those were even mentioned;
• I didn’t enjoy the sexualisation of Brick: let’s spin the way he is propositioned (yep, that is the word I am deliberately using) around, i.e. the man
approaches the woman the way Aspen does and think of the outcry;
• Aspen’s desperation was not my favourite. I thought she was often manic/scattered and so harassing of Brick all the time. Also, her
stubbornness seems exaggerated, or she seemed exaggerated, I’m not sure;
• the plot moves slowly and might be a little shallow.

This one is difficult for me to comment on because I was sucked into parts and enjoyed it and then I would be thrown out of the story by other bits and was frustrated.