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Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst is a quick beach read if you don't mind obsessive women objectifying good looking men who aren't interested at first. Aspen was told no by Brick (really, a well built man named Brick?) in many different ways but she continues to harass him. Aren't we past that yet in our society? Or is it okay for a woman to harass a man relentlessly? No means no! The story fell flat for me because of Aspen's obnoxious behavior and cringey personality. Maybe it's time for her to give up writing if she thinks the only way to do it is to mine her relationships for stories. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for and ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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This is my first Jennifer Probst book and I can tell you that it will not be my last! Not only does Jennifer bring the aspect of wanting to be a successful author into this story, but also bookstagram! Being able to see how writing successful stories can affect the mind of a writer/author was heartbreaking! To all wonderful authors: write what makes you happy and we will always support you 💗💗

Now the real tea, the fake dating trope is not always my favorite but by god, JENNIFER YOU KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK WITH THIS ONE! Not only is the romance between the characters so realistic and adorable, the struggles that each character goes through makes this book a masterpiece!

Thank you @netgalley and @authorjenniferprobst for the chance to read this ARC and support your upcoming release! 🫶🏻🫶🏻

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This was fine, if you can get over the male main character's name being Brick. Very hard to take seriously for me personally. I have never read Probst before and I will say I think her writing style here is the strong point while the actual story she is trying to tell is what felt a little underwhelming to me and just struggled to keep me intrigued. I would love to know what people think her best book is because I think she is clearly very talented.

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This one was not for me. I enjoyed the premise and the setting but could not connect with the characters or their romance.

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This book was a cute popcorn read. I am not a huge fan of insta lust and that normally takes me out of the story. But overall it was a sweet quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Wow was this book so much fun!

Aspen + Brick’s character development was one of my favorites in quite some time. I was drawn into their story and wanted to keep knowing how it was going to end. I loved the incorporation of Aspen’s book writing journey and being an author seeking that next “best seller.” It talked about the struggles of being an author and creative story development. It made me appreciate my authors SO much more! Plus a romance plot? Sign me up.

Ok but can we please make sure to talk about Brick and him READING all of her books to know her better? 😭 all while still being a grump and not showing his tender side? It was perfection. The setting of Outer Banks was amazing and I loved the small town feel. Aspen and Brick’s story does not disappoint and I would recommend to anyone!

Expect:
-strangers to lovers
-grumpy vs sunshine
-sister relationship
-outer banks
-wildlife preservation
-slow burn

Thank you NetGalley, the author and Blue Box Press for this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review! ✨

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I loved reading Aspen and Bricks story. You kind of want to yell at Aspen to be more assertive and think outside the box. But overall, a very sweet read. It’s a fast read with sweet characters. Can’t wait to read Sierra’s story!!

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Thank you to Blue Box Press and NetGalley for the advanced E-ARC of this title.

Aspen is a NYT best selling author who is grasping at straws trying to duplicate the success of her first book. The problem is her first book was a product of her own personal heartbreak and showcased her at her most vulnerable. She enlists the help of resident heartbreaker, Brick and propositions him to break her heart in the hopes that this will inspire her next novel.

Aspen is dead set on Brick and no one else. Instead of diving into the dating pool, looking for a heartfelt and "real" connection, she is unwavering in her pursuit of Brick. Their fake dating relationship becomes problematic when it becomes transactional for money.

I really enjoyed Brick's character. He wants to save his family business and while the transaction was a bit icky to me, his heart is in the right place. His relationship with Aspen went from 0-100. It was confusing if he even liked her to him wanting to see her naked. Typical man.

This chemistry of Aspen and Brick felt weak. Perhaps it was intentional, but it was hard to invest in their relationship when it was so forced. I wished Aspen had more character development and had more shown more vulnerability versus her defaulting to an easy solution to her problem.

The ending was the best part of the book. It was heartwarming and one of the only swoon worthy moments of the book.

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Thank you to Blue Box Press and Brilliance Audio for the review copies.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. I went in expecting a fun romcom, but it fell short. One issue I had was the sexualization of the male main character. In a time when we're moving away from objectifying women, it feels off to accept or normalize the same treatment of men. While it's natural to appreciate and talk about attractive people, the way Brick was portrayed felt dehumanizing, especially considering the female main character’s own past experiences with mistreatment.

The writing also felt underdeveloped. The pacing was slow—too slow for my taste—and not much seemed to happen. The characters didn’t feel relatable or well-rounded, and the overall tone skewed younger than I expected. While I don’t mind younger characters in romance, I needed more depth and engaging development to stay invested.

As for the audiobook, while the voice acting was fine, I struggled with the male voice actor's style. His narration was loud and rushed, to the point where I had to lower the volume in my car when his chapters played. I also found that listening made the repetitive and less polished aspects of the writing more noticeable. While I usually enjoy dual narrators in romance, the mismatch in style and pace limited my enjoyment of this audiobook.

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Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review, however, I'll have to DNF this one.

First and foremost, I struggled with the pacing of this book. The plot was established quickly in terms of why the romance developed, why the FMC was in the situation she was in, but very few actual events happened in the first third of the novel. This book would likely be more enjoyable for folks who enjoy a more small-town, slow vibe to a book. While I love a small-town novel, I need a much faster pace. It did not compel me to keep reading. I may have continued if the characters felt more devloped, but they fell flat. The over used "not like other girls" trope was worn out in 2015 and here we are...it's still tired out. It felt like a cheap, quick way to flesh out an FMC who had a lot of potential that, at least in the first third, wasn't realized. There were also moments of insensitivity that the editors should consider cutting entirely, like making jokes about authors all being schizophrenic.

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The cover of this book drew me in but unfortunately I ended up DNFing it about 45% in. It felt repetitive and flat and the FMC was just very .. weird to me for lack of better words.


Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive an ARC of this book

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This one took me FOREVER to get through and it really should’ve been a quick read. The cover and the synopsis drew me in, but the plot and writing fell flat for me. Thinking back, I hated the beginning when the author describes the lead male love interest, Brick, is not interested at all in the female main character, Aspen, and even writes that her looks are average. She makes a deal with him though and his first thought is sex? Not a fan. I also don’t like how innocent they had to make Aspen and how the majority of the book she only cares about fame. They try and make her seem like a savior of the town, when really she doesn’t suggest anything out of a basic realm of ideas. I thought some scenes could have been cut, the resolution could’ve been a little longer, and that the sex scenes had some cringy writing (swollen tissue?! Seriously?).

Personally I think that the story of Kane and Sierra is going to be better than this one, we’ll see when it comes out.

Thank you NetGalley, Blue Box Press, and the author for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: October 22, 2024

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📚 Faking Dating
🌊 He Fell First
📚 FMC is a Writer
🌊 MMC is a Tour Guide
📚 Beach Vibes
🌊 Small Town Romance
📚 Third Act Breakup
🌊 Summer Fling
🐢Sea Turtles🐢
🐎Wild Horses🐎

Aspen wrote a Bestseller on her first book. She is having trouble writing another bestseller like her first one. Aspen visited her sister at the beach town that she is staying for the summer. Aspen got this idea that would her help create another bestseller with the help from Brick Babel. Aspen made a deal with Brick in order for him to save his grandfather's legacy. Aspen and Brick started faking dating as inspiration for her new book. Aspen and Brick have great chemistry when real feelings develop. I love the scenes when they mention the wild horses and watching the sea turtle eggs. It was such cute moments they shared together. It was cute that Brick read her novels to have a better understanding of Aspen. I liked that Aspen realized that she became part of the community at the beach town more than when she lived in New York ever. I'm proud of Brick for considering his feelings before jumping back in like that. I'm happy for Brick and Aspen at the end.

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I initially liked the synopsis of this book so I grabbed it when the arc became available but as I started to read, the premise just did not play out how I imagined. Aspen wasn’t the most likable FMC and her reasoning for the fake dating trope just didn’t seem like a sound idea. The MMC was wonderful and I developed a huge soft spot for Brick, the clearly misunderstood and mislabeled playboy of the small OBX town of Corolla. I did enjoy the beach setting and love the OBX so that was a bonus to the storyline. I wanted to like this one so much more than I did. I found myself frustrated more than anything with the plot lines and not really rooting for the FMC because of her flawed logic. The book did seem to turnaround at about 70% and I even found myself getting a little teary eyed when the angsty moments presented but at that point it was too little too late. This was a very predictable storyline with lots of unlikeable characters. But Brick and his neighbor store owners were highlights of the book for me and of course the beloved mutt Dug. I’m not sure if I’ll read the sequel.

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Book of the Month wasn't for me. My biggest issue with this book was Aspen. To be frank, I couldn't stand her. I found her pursuit of Brick cringey. I didn't enjoy her interactions with him. I also wasn't a fan of how sexualized Brick was. It made the book feel icky. I simply didn't feel motivated to continue on and see what happened. This book felt super long and the descriptions were overdrawn. Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the ARC.

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This was such a cute book, I loved Aspen and Brick. I'm a sucker for fake dating and Brick was the perfect fake boyfriend. There were a few things in the book that nagged at me. For example he kept saying she was average/not the most beautiful girl but then he kept giving her compliments about her looks and it just seemed ingenuine. The ending also bothered me even though it ended up being HEA it just did not sit right with me. Overall, I enjoyed the book especially the romance and spice but it wasn't a 5 star for me because of the ending.

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This book is a quick, easy read with a fun plot that keeps you hooked! I absolutely loved the ending and the chemistry between Aspen and Brick. I'm really looking forward to reading Kane and Sierra's story next. A delightful read for anyone who enjoys light romance with engaging characters!

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This book was a quick, easy read, and I'm glad I read it! I love the Outer Banks setting, and the quips about romance books and tropes! I thought the pacing was done really well and I loved the ending. I didn't quite feel the chemistry between Aspen and Brick; it felt like their relationship moved very quickly in a way that I didn't quite understand. There were some aspects of the book that missed the mark a bit for me personally. I am curious about the next book/couple!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book prior to release date in exchange for an honest review!

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3.5 ⭐️ This book was slow paced up until 30% in then the story quickly turned around for me and kept me engaged. The plot was very silly but drove the readers to understanding both Aspen and Brick’s recent life struggles. I would say the supporting characters really made the book for me as well as the details of the OBX scenery, giving small town vibes. I am looking forward to Kane and Sierra’s story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Probst and her team for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

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What a fabulous and fun book! I couldn’t put it down and read it over two days! It makes me want to read more of Jennifer Probst! Thanks for the advanced read!

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