DNF @ 30%

Nearly a third of the way through a book I'd like to have developed a connection with the characters but Aspen didn't give me any reason to root for her and a lot of her behavior would be decried if she were a man.

I really struggled with writing this review because I couldn’t find the right words to express how deeply I enjoyed this book and connected to it.

As a writer myself, I felt incredibly seen by Aspen’s character, relating to her in ways that I didn’t think I would. This book has all the romantic comedy fan-favorite tropes, but for me this story felt like more than just a silly little romance destined for my escapist mind, instead I was seeing my own thoughts and habits as a writer reflected through Aspen — something I didn’t even know I had long been searching for in the media I consume and the authors I meet.

I was immediately consumed by the world of this story and its cast of charming characters. It’s that perfect balance of quirky and beautiful with all the rare delights of a small coastal town. I wish I could have traveled directly into the pages of this book and experience it all firsthand, meeting these wonderful people and sharing in the fun. It was like Stars Hollow for summer people and I couldn’t have asked for a better setting.

I really enjoyed that the author chose to do dual POV because it immensely added to the story and my thoughts on the characters as whole, well-rounded human beings. This book was just a pleasant experience all around, and I can’t wait for Jennifer Probst’s story about Aspen’s sister.

Thank you, netgalley and Blue Box Press for this arc. All opinions are my own.

Please, break my heart!?😟

3.5🌟 stars
The setting was great, with wild horses and sea turtle nesting in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. That and Brick, the tour agency owner male lead who's got a reputation as a cruel lady killer that he can't shake, were the best elements of this romance. Brick's romantic devastation really got to me. I also got a kick out of Marco and his laid-back, t-shirt selling partners and the rivalry for clients between Brick and nemesis Maleficent (great name).

But the plot gave me some problems. Novelist heroine Aspen was pretty mixed up and I could not sympathize with the way she operated. Or understand why she had to practically be hit over the head to realize where her real joy and future lay. The whole premise of her bargain with Brick to help her get her writing mojo in gear by getting close and then breaking her heart just seemed odd and grew more unrealistic the more she saw his good side and the stories about his heartbreaker persona were knocked down. And, for me, the intimate scenes, even the kissing, just were over long.

Thanks to Blue Box Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley For this Advanced copy.
DNF'd at 40%

This one just wasn't for me. The book's premise sounded so cute like a quick fun read Our FMC Aspen is an author who had 1 successful book and has not been able to find that spark again since her one success was based on true events and real feelings in her life. She decides to take a vacation to stay with her sister in a small beach town to try and live a best-selling book-worthy experience for the summer. She meets our MMC and decides right away that he is the one tol give her that experience and ends up making a deal with him where they both win in the end. Sounds fun However, I just felt like the main character was too overbearing in a stalkerish way rather than a fun flirty way when trying to pursue our MMC whos name is Brick which describes his personality to a T and most of the encounters between her and the MMC made me cringe I just couldn't see myself reading it further though I do think there will be plenty of people that this book is for just not me.

I pretty much knew how this book would end but I liked that there is no insta love and no automatic attraction. I like how they slowly open up to each other and the who fake dating actually made sense. She needed inspiration and he needed an opportunity. I also liked that the side characters were pretty well fleshed out with struggles of their own. It made them all endearing in their own way. Of course I knew what the most likely outcome, but it was nice to go on a fun ride getting there. 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Aspen Lourde's debut book went viral. She put her heart and soul and every detail of her nasty breakup into it. Two novels later, and she cannot catch a break. All fans want is a sequel to her break out (breakup?) story. She just can't find the secret sauce on her own. Aspen decides that she is going to have to endure another epic and devastating breakup to fuel her next book. The problem is that she is practically a hermit, and is not keen to trust anyone like that again. While visiting her sister in Outer Banks, Aspen devises a plan to help the local heartbreaker rebuild his family tourism business in exchange for his promise to make her fall in love with him and end it badly. What could possibly go wrong?

Writer’s block is real for most authors. Aspen Lourde goes to the max for research for her next book. Her publisher is pushing for a sequel after her first book was a best seller. Writing what you know is always good advice for an author, but is heartbreak easy to replicate to keep the best seller vibe going? What happens when the next chapter in Aspen’s life doesn’t measure up to the heartbreak in her first book based on her hidden true story?
A change of scenery can stimulate additional works, but exchanging destinations for another heartbreak? The best laid plans, if you know what I mean. Does it all work out for Aspen? Or will Brick Babel (I love the name) let her down?
As a writer, I could feel the anguish of Aspen’s journey. This was a fun read. It had heart, kept me reading and most of all; after setting it down for a few weeks, I could remember the plot.

As someone who lives on the Outer Banks I have a love hate relationship reading books set here. Book of The Month nailed it. Every fact about the wild horses and the sea turtles was 100% correct. This was an incredibly well written and well researched book. I loved reading it. The characters are adorable, it was a delight to read about all of them. Very spicy! Very enjoyable!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Book of the Month publishes October 22, 2024 and is a must read!

Wow, when Aspen wants to write another bestseller she really comes up with a way to get it! Her first book was a hit, totally based on the disaster of her last relationship. The next two books didn’t get the same reaction on the bookseller lists, so she feels she needs another heartbreak to produce another bestseller. It’s the way she goes about it that makes the book so absolutely hilarious to me. The interactions between Hailey and Brick (new heartthrob). It seems that there’s going to be another book making this a series and I for one can’t wait! I need to see what happens with Kane and Sierra!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

This book was so adorable. I got sucked into Brick and Aspen's story so quick. Some of my favorite troupes were in this book and i got sucked in immediately. The fake dating troupe and grumpy male character of Brick made me swoon. I also love reading books about writers. It's special to me when a writer creates their character as a writer as well as it seems semi-autobiographical to me. I would suggest that you read this book. It was such a fun read and i can't read to the next book Jennifer puts out. *It's also blasphemy to not like a book by an author that shares the same first name..lol*

We love books about writing books!! We love when authors sign up to fake date someone to get their heart broken so they can use it for writing a book!! We love it when the love turns real!!

Aspen Lourde (a great name) needs a new idea for a book, stat. Maybe a summer visiting her sister in OBX will give her a new perspective. Enter, new perspective (or prospective): Brick Babel (a less great name). He’s the town bad boy with a bad reputation, but did he even do anything to earn it? Through wild dune tours, helping baby turtles hatch, and writer events, our two find just what they’re not supposed to find from their agreement!

This was a sweet summer book, and while I didn’t connect with all of Aspen’s vibes, I did really love the way that she wanted to see the best in others around her and felt connected to the imposter syndrome she dealt with in her career. She makes some questionable choices, but all with good intent- and that’s what I love in a heroine!

Thanks so much to Jennifer Probst and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Honestly, a hilarious plot. Why would a yearner ever think they could fake date and not catch feelings? Aspen and Brick were deep in their delusions, and it made for a fun story!

What I love about a good small town plot is how all the characters stand up for one another, so it was definitely different to read a small town romance where the (negative) gossip of townspeople was a driving force. But we always love a “he’s different with you” moment!

It was definitely a bit repetitive, and I could have done with more angst between the characters.

A light read that will be good on a rainy day. It's a trope-y one that sees fake dating turn to a real relationship between two very different people. Aspen needs inspiration for her new book and Brick needs to keep his business afloat so their deal should benefit them both but then their hearts get in the way. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Blue Box Press and NetGalley for an early e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book! The plot was fun and interesting and I loved the setting in OBX. I thought the fmc was sweet and funny and I’m curious to read her sister’s story!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a fun book!!! I loved the characters Brick and Aspen stole my heart. I also love that Jennifer poked fun at romance tropes a little. The spice was delicious! I can’t wait to read the next book and return to the characters.

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst is a fun story about a woman named Aspen who wrote a best selling novel but can’t seem to follow up with another success. It was based off a failed relationship that torpedoed her life, and now she’s scared to open herself back up to hurt. In order to write another best seller while she’s on vacation and a tight deadline, she comes up with the idea that getting her heart broken will solve all of her problems. Meanwhile, Brick’s tour company that he inherited from his grandfather is failing, and he’s doing his best to save it. Enter Aspen with her proposal - a relationship over the summer that ends with him breaking her heart, and she’ll give him money to save his business. But what will they do when the lines start to blur?

I thought this was a fun story and couldn’t put it down. Aspen wasn’t always likable, but it fit her character. I really liked her sister too. However, the one thing that really bothered me is when she first flirted with Brick and didn’t listen to him when he said no. She kept pursuing him, showing up at his job and buying out a solo tour to keep flirting with him, and he can’t say no because his company needs the money. That was a very uncomfortable start to the story. If roles had been reversed, his character would have been torn apart. The rest of the story once consensual, was a fun romp. Because of this, I would give it 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for access to an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

She’s desperate for another bestseller… and she’ll go to any length to get it. Even if it means sacrificing her pride to chase the hottest bachelor in town and get him to break her heart…

Aspen hasn't written a hit since her first book(after a terrible heartbreak). Cue Brick Babel, the small town heartthrob she wants to break her heart. His tour company is struggling and he doesn't have time for Aspen's shenanigans until she offers him a deal he can't say no to. A whirlwind romance that should boost his tours and help her with her book.

Book of the Month isn’t just about finding love where you least expect it.
It’s about finding yourself in the pages of life’s unexpected chapters.

Aspen and Brick must figure out what they're willing to lose in order to finally win.

How far will an author go to put out a best selling book? Aspen used a back breakup as the basis for her first best seller. The next two books don't do well. So she is determined to write a best seller she needs another heart break. Enter Brick that needs money and willing to provide the romance and the breakup. An enjoyable story of romance, relationships and endless stress and what goes wrong.

“I love you. I’m not sure how it happened or what I’m going to do, but I don’t care. I love you, and I’m yours.”

🩷Grumpy/Sunshine
🩷Fake Dating
🩷Beach Town
🩷Spice

Aspen is an author who is having writings block and needs another best seller.
She goes to The Outer banks where her sister lives in hope for inspiration.
In comes Brick. Everyone is warning her away from him. That he breaks every girls heart. But that’s what she needs. She needs another heartbreak to write the next book. But they didn’t expect they might actually start to fall for each other…
This was a fun read and I loved the OBX setting with the sea turtles. And also enjoyed the side characters. There were some cringe moments and the switch from grumpy to falling for you was a bit quick. But still had a good time reading and I’m super stoked for Sierra and Kane’s book!

What a great escape read! It featured two of my favorite tropes: books about books and fake dating.

Aspen is a writer pressured by her agent for another bestseller. But her last hit was all thanks to Aspen’s own heartache. She heads to the Outer Banks to visit her sister, looking for inspiration or a much-needed heartbreak.

There, she meets Brick Babel. He’s gorgeous and has a reputation for breaking hearts. But he needs money for his tour company, and Aspen needs a heartache, so she offers him a deal.

Aspen is pretty forward with Brick because she needs this book written, but when things get hot between them, feelings and emotions get all tangled up with the words she needs to write on the page. Suddenly, she realizes this isn’t fiction anymore; this is their love story.

This was so much fun, with a beautiful setting and delightful secondary characters - and it was spicy, too!

Thank you @getredprbooks @1001darknights_blueboxpress and @authorjenniferprobst for a gifted ebook.