Such a cute page turner!
- Dating for convenience ✨
- Attractive male lead with a supposed past 🧑🏽‍🦱
- Desperate female lead who would do anything to write her next best selling novel 💃🏼

Thank you Net Galley for this advanced reader copy!!

This book had an interesting premise and the beginning was entertaining. Once Aspen and Brick agreed on a contract, it lost my attention. It took me almost 2 weeks to get through this book when I can usually finish a book in a day or two. Brick was an amazing hero, but Aspen was a bit frustrating. The book also felt drawn out, but maybe that's because it took me forever to finish. I did like the role reversal where the heroine had to grovel in the end. Overall, this book was an okay read.

Such a sweet read! I loved Aspen and Brick’s story, although I wished Aspen had stood up for herself and been a little more assertive. But, overall, this was a fun read, & I loved the Carolina shore setting. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy!

This was a cute romance, but the first half was a little slow, while the second half picked up. This was my first Probst book and I didn't know what to expect but I did end up liking this one more than I initially thought I would.

This book follows Aspen Lourde, a writer who is desperate to write another page turning novel that her audience will devour. Her first book was a huge hit and she has been chasing the fame and success of that first book. But she wrote that book after a messy and dramatic break up and put her feelings and her whole self into her first book. So she takes a trip to visit her sister in the Outer Banks to see if that will inspire her.

Then we meet Brick Babel, hot and sexy tour guide who has a bit of a bad rep in town with all the ladies. He's grumpy and moody and just the muse Aspen thinks she needs for her new book. He isn't the most approachable guy and her sister and her friends all warn her away from him but she thinks he can provide the drama and heartbreak she needs to make her next book a success.

With a little convincing, Brick agrees to a deal that Aspen proposed to him because he needs to save his Grandfather's business, so they both come to an agreement on their "relationship" and how they can both come out ahead. But one thing neither of them anticipated was to catch feelings for the other.

The build up on this story took a hot minute so I had a bit of a hard time getting into this one, but then I was flying through that last half of the book to see what was going to happen. I feel like the emotions were pretty realistic in this one in a cutesy way. This isn't too spicey either but it did have a little spice. I could really feel the desperation the author felt in this one and it made me wonder if she took this from personal experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for providing this eARC!

A writer spends the summer with her sister in the Outer Banks. Looking to write a sequel to her best seller she makes a deal with a guy to be her muse. Her life becomes the plot twist. Although I enjoyed the storyline, this book is written with explicit detail.

A definite quick beach read, a romance novel filled with lots of steamy sex. Set in OBX, Aspen a writer experiencing writer’s block heads to her sister’s. Hoping the change in scenery will give her the inspiration she needs. Not my normal type of book, but I enjoy the change.

Thank you #NetGalley, #BlueBoxPress, #JenniferProbst and #BookoftheMonth for the advance readers copy for my honest review.

Aspen is a writer who had a huge hit with her first books which she poured her own heartbreak into. Her next two books were not as big so she makes a deal with Brick to break her heart so she can write the heartbreak into her fourth novel and recapture the magic of her first book. There is fantastic on page chemistry between Aspen and Brick. Love the dialogue between the two - perfect give and take. Even though Brick had flaws he is perfect for Aspen. The name Brick and the walls he builds around his heart was a little too on the nose for me (as was the name Maleficent).

Thank you to Blue Box Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

One hit wonder, the story kicks off with a writer who wrote an amazingly connected story and the remainder of the books she wrote are good but does not have the same Je ne sais quoi. The story starts with Aspen Lourde; she's a writer, and she writes the book Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover and other books. She's a funny and outgoing person. She'd just released a new book, but readers don't like it much. She is determined to put the same mojo into the next book she was paid an advance for so she visits her sister "to write". Her sister, named Sierra, who is friendly and funny, like they were really sisters. They visit a bar with her sister upon her arrival, where she first saw Brick Babel, a local who runs a tour place and the heartbreaker of Corolla. Aspen devises a plan to help both her and Brick. Brick will date her, make her fall in love with him, and then break her heart to give her inspiration for the sequel to her best selling book and in exchange, Aspen will give him the funds to save his business. It’ll be a clean break at the end of the summer when she goes back to New York. However, the summer is hot, and the line between fact and fiction becomes easily blurred. This story was off to a great start. For me, this was one of those stories that you take to the beach and/or curl up on the couch in front of the fire on the weekend and read, read, read. I have to say, I found this book thoroughly enjoyable. The dialogue was delicious, the location sublime, and the action was at times fast, fun, steamy and angsty. I did find it a bit slow but overall a great read.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Blu Box Press for the opportunity.

Aspen is a successful romance writer who made a killing with her first book. Unfortunately the next two have been pretty flat and she is out of excuses and ideas. Aspen heads home to Outer Banks to stay with her sister and regroup. Once there she hits on idea of hooking up with Brick … so he can break her heart and she’ll have the inspiration to write again.

Brick is in town running his late grandfather’s tour business. He’s not a natural and the business is in trouble. Their meet cute is excruciating when Aspen tries to chat him up and he rejects her. Eventually Brick and Aspen hatch a plan so she can have her heartbreak and he can fix the business - and hopefully his reputation. It's essentially complicated fake dating, which they do and of course, they open up to each other, enough to fall in love, but not enough for Aspen to put their relationship first.

There’s a subtext around gossip and the damage of seemingly harmless chatter in a small community - through a support group formed by all the women that Brick has 'dumped' - so Aspen is navigating his reputation as well as writing her next not-a-romance..

It’s very meta about romance authors and there’s a lot of detail about the writing process and book sales and how publishers and agents get invested. So much to enjoy - a cast of quirky side characters, a charming town, a romantic setting, baby turtles, wild horses, hash brownies, all the necessary ingredients for a light-hearted romance. I just wish I’d liked it more - I didn’t connect with Aspen who held her views so tightly she’ couldn’t pivot even when the whole landscape changed. Brick was a bit of a sad sack. It’s a gorgeous setting and everyone is lovely, but not enough substance for me.

Thank you Jennifer Probst, Blue Box Press and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

This book would make a great beach/vacation read or book club book. It actually comes with book club questions at the end, which I thought was really cool.

This book has fake dating, big town writer x small town wild horses tour guide, nicknames, he's obsessed with her, and was just a fun low stakes read.

The dialogue didn't really draw me in at the beginning, but I felt like that got better as the book progressed. I think overall, even though I enjoyed the story, it just didn't hook me or really draw me in. But if you are looking for a Hallmark style light and fun book, you'll have a great time with this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

I’m a self proclaimed artist , and aspen spoke to my soul ! The artist in me sympathized so deeply with aspen and her creative block! I was also blown away by the lengths she went to recapture her artistic flow …. Lengths I could not go to myself , thank you aspen for adventurous spirit inspiring me to push through my own creative block !

Author Aspen Lourde was left at the altar by her professor, and she’s translated all the hurt and betrayal into a best selling novel. Since then, she’s written 2 other non related novels, and they have not resonated with her readers. Her editor urges her to write a follow up to her hit novel, even though Aspen resists. Needing a break, she goes to spend the summer with her sister at the Outer Banks, NC. There, she finds herself entranced with the supposedly bad boy of the town, Brick Babel. Knowing she has an advance and a looming deadline, she sets about writing a sequel to her heart breaking first novel. But she’s convinced herself the only way to do that is to fall in love with Brick, and then have him reject her. A cute story of an author trying to balance what she wants in life, what she needs in life, and the sacrifices she must make to have that happen. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book; all opinions are my own.

Aspen is a writer trying to write her next big hit. She leaves NY and heads to the Outer Banks to visit her sister and to hopefully find some inspiration for her next book. She finds Brick, the unavailable bachelor that every female in town has attempted to snag.

Fake dating to lovers story. Super slow burn! Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

This one was decent but I didn’t love how much the FMC was trying to seduce and lure the MMC, it felt a bit icky to read about. This one was okay but definitely not my favorite

3.5 stars rounded up.

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst is about a writer, Aspen who is trying to write her fourth book without much luck. The first book topped the charts and books two and three did not. This is supposedly her last chance to get another book published. She decides to go visit her sister in OBX and hopefully be able to write another best seller. While visiting her sister she meets Brick who she makes a deal with. She helps him with hopes to get some inspiration for her book. What she doesn't count on is falling in love.

I liked parts of this book, the first part grabbed my attention. I did think that the attraction and love was fast. There were some spicy parts in the book that I felt were kind of out of place. I think the book would have worked without the random spice mid book. The FMC had some real unlikable moments.

Thank you NetGalley and Blue Box Press for an ARC of Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst for an honest review.

This was a cute small town romance! Set up as a relationship of convenience, the MCs quickly realize their relationship isn’t as fake as initially intended.

The cast of characters are fun, there’s an adorable ugly dog, and some small town nemeses.

The story didn’t fully pull me in, but I can’t help wondering about the characters from the sequel - I’ll be back to read more!

Somewhere around ⭐️4 stars for me! I typically love a dual POV romance so this was right up my alley. The concept of an author chasing their next emotional experience to inspire a best seller was very unique and cool to me. Liked being in the mind of an author and her experience felt relevant.
➕Instant attraction but not insta love
➕Well written intimacy
➕Humor

Took 30% or so to get into it but then the connection to the story and emotions really started to flow off the page.
❌A bit slow to get into, felt longer than 300 pages at times.
❌I would have liked to spend a bit more time with the characters together at the end but was typical of a 3rd act breakup romance storyline.

2.5/5 - There was so much about this book that was implausible or even downright ridiculous. I didn’t like Aspen or Brick as main characters and thus felt nothing about their relationship. This was the strangest, most convoluted “fake dating” storyline I’ve ever read. I also had an issue with the changing POVs. From Aspen’s POV she’s always awkward and stammering and unsure of herself. But from Brick’s POV, she’s confident and snarky—it’s seriously like the two Aspen’s are completely different characters. I did like the OBX setting, however and wish we’d gotten a little bit more of a sense of place.

Note: I received a copy of this book free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book of the month byJennifer Probst follows Aspen Lourde who is struggling to write a new book after her debut novel became a success. This was a cute, charming, fast-paced read. This was my first Jennifer Probst book and I absolutely loved it! I absolutely can't wait for the Sierra and Kane story!!
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I find stories about writers interesting. I always think writers must draw on their real life to create stories. In this case Aspen Lourde did just that. She wrote an angsty, heartbreaking bestseller that came from her own love experience. But now she is struggling to write a sophomore novel. Brick Babel is trying to save his grandfather’s tour business. He is a local hotty and Aspen thinks he’d make a great leading man for her book. A fake dating arrangement for the summer with plans for him to drop her will surely help her write the next heartbreaking novel.

Of course lines become blurred. I liked the characters but didn’t love them together. Brick says one too many times that she isn’t his type and I took him at his word. It doesn’t help a big deal is made of the fact that the FMC is considered not pretty. He is very sweet and thoughtful and I loved the descriptions of the beautiful Outer Banks. Also by the end I was not loving Aspen’s choices. So my feelings were mixed even though there is a HEA. I am new to the author although she has written many books.