Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst is a light-hearted, yet emotional romance novel about Aspen Lourde, a once-successful author who is desperate to recapture her former glory. Her bestseller was based on a real-life heartbreak, but without new romantic turmoil, Aspen struggles to find inspiration for her next book. In a bid to stir up some drama, she embarks on a fake relationship with Brick Babel, a local heartthrob in the Outer Banks. The arrangement is supposed to be simple—he pretends to break her heart, and she writes the book—but as the lines blur between fiction and reality, both characters develop real feelings, complicating their plan.

The novel delivers a mix of humor and steamy romance, with Probst weaving in the charming backdrop of a small coastal town. Aspen’s journey is one of personal growth, but her character can feel a bit self-centered at times, which can be off-putting for some. Brick, on the other hand, stands out as a well-developed love interest—gruff, but with a soft side that makes him the true heart of the story. His emotional depth adds weight to the book, especially as he battles to save his family’s business.

The book strikes a balance between humor and deeper emotional themes, such as the pressure of creative success and the cost of sacrificing personal connections for professional achievement. While some readers may find Aspen’s desperation frustrating at times, others will appreciate her growth throughout the story. The chemistry between the leads and the satisfying conclusion make it a solid read for fans of contemporary romance.

Romance author Aspen is desperate for another bestseller. The trouble is, her heart just isn't in it. What she needs is a romance of her own -- and a broken heart -- to get her creative juices flowing. Enter Brick Babel, notorious heartbreaker in the Outerbanks, where Aspen is staying for the summer. His business is going under and he needs cash flow soon. Brick and Aspen strike a deal: They'll have an intense summer romance that ends in a broken heart. In exchange, Aspen will cover Brick's business renovations. Soon, they're both catching feelings. As the end of the summer nears, will they be able to keep the "broken heart" part of their promise?

This was a fun summer romance and very sexy. You could feel the chemistry between Aspen and Brick.

While Aspen and Brick were likable characters, I didn't think Aspen was particularly memorable. Also, I totally understand that the author will be focusing her follow-up book on different characters, but the set-up for the next book didn't really feel natural.

I unfortunately could not get into this book. I really liked the concept and at the beginning I was really enjoying. I felt like it lost its steam about 25% in, and I found myself put it down to do other things. It was difficult to connect to the main characters in my opinion. I just didn’t enjoy the fake relationship in this one and it is normally one of my favorite romance tropes. If that is something you look for in romance you may enjoy this book it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this early.

Aspen was completely heart broken when Ryan, her former fiancé, decided to leave her for a fellow student. She writes the best book of her life after sequestering herself and letting her heart break bleed onto a page.

After the biggest success of any book she writes, she struggles to chase the same success with two flops. Now she is striving to reach success once again. She has a contract to uphold with her publisher, so she decides to travel from New York to OBX NC for a change of scenery and inspiration.

Aspen is searching for heartbreak and total destruction of her heart once again to write another best seller. Insert Brick. Brick is the town heart breaker, or so thats the rumor mill with the ladies of the town. Aspen reaches an agreement and decides to give the relationship a go with a contract of heartbreak.

Overall, a pretty decent read. Enemies (more like enemy of the town), to lovers. Slow burn. A little spicy. Decent ending and set up for an additional book for Aspen's sister, Sierra. Thanks to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was good! It was my first from the author so I had zero expectations. I liked Aspen and Brick together and the OBX is always a good setting. Marco and the gang gave enough comedic relief to keep this a light read. I'd definitely read Sierra and Kane's story, which isn't always the case for me. There's enough intrigue to have me signing up.

Thanks NetGalley for the e-arc!

This was a cute book - an author who is stuck after writing less-acclaimed books after her highly-rated debut is trying to recapture the essence of her first one. Only problem is, she was completely heartbroken so the first book was really just a catharsis after her split with her college boyfriend. She goes to the Outer Banks to try to relax while writing her next book so she doesn't lose her publishing deal where she meets the local grump who is stunning (because of course he is). She decides to let him break her heart so she can write the follow-up book to her debut. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. OBX is a good backdrop and there's some detail in there about the wild horses and hatching of turtles which I enjoyed. The character cast is funny as well. I would recommend if you're looking for a beach read vibe.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the advanced reader copy!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cute and unique premise that started at 4 ⭐️ then went down to a 2 and ended up at 3 ⭐️. It was fun and easy to get into, but then really dragged in the middle. I also found the way Brick talked to be really cringey. Side note: I can’t stand it with men call women “baby”. Ick. I also wasn’t a fan of all the random names. Aspen Lourde, Sierra, Brick, Kane, Anastasia, Maleficent (seriously?!). Oh and the last minute encounter of two characters that suggested a significant back story was too forced. It’s a set up for the next book, and seemed like a half baked cliff hanger. Regardless, it’s a fast and entertaining read. Great for a vacation.

This book felt fast and slow for me. It took forever for me to be fully invested in the main characters. The FMC was fine. It took her forever to grow but she did in the last two chapters. The MMC was fantastic. Very swoon worthy and loved his backstory. Side characters were a highlight in this book. Ending felt a bit rushed but it ended on a sweet note. Can’t wait to read about Sierra and Kane.

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher.

Book of the Month was a very enjoyable romance featuring Aspen Lourde, a romance/women's fiction author struggling to write a sequel to her bestselling novel. Escaping to her sister's small town in North Carolina for the summer - she becomes adamant that in order to write another great love story full of emotion and heartbreak - she needs to have her heart broken again. Enter the town "heart-breaker" - Brick Babel has incorrectly developed a harsh reputation for romancing women into bed and then leaving them broken-hearted and joining the local support group of women still trying to recover. I had some trouble connecting with Aspen early on - her journey throughout the book was rough at times. Brick is perfectly grumpy on the outside but so damn kind and considerate that it would be easy for anyone to swoon. The small town quirky characters are always fun and entertaining - would definitely be interested in Sierra and Kane's story which is next, and any and all future moments with Marco which are bound to be hilarious. This was the first novel I've read by Jennifer Probst - but I would absolutely be interested in reading more from her. Thank you to Blue Box Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

I must admit that it took some time for me to get into this book. But I really enjoyed the premise and the story. Loved Brick so much! Anxious for Sierra and Kanye’s story.

The FMC in this one really had me struggling to connect with the book at first, and I almost put it down, but I’m thankful I didn’t. I ended up enjoying the story!

The male POV in this book can be summed up by one quote. She was completely average in every way. Am I too old for the bad boy? Brick gets better but only because the author pitted women against each other for his reputation to be saved. This book had funny parts and I liked the relationship with sister but hard pass on this romance. What the fuck? A club to bash him? Women in this town just throwing themselves at him? The author loves to defend a man and I guess in her world women in small towns get their feelings hurt and ruin one man’s life with all their power. It’s so cringe. Please do better. Thank you NetGalley fir this arc in exchange for my honest review 😬

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital review copy. I enjoyed Book of the Month. The premise was interesting and was delivered well.

This book was a mixed read for me. The first half went very slow for me and I struggled to get invested. The second half moved much faster and I enjoyed much more. I struggled with the characters feeling a bit late— of course, Aspen is able to instantly win everyone over and solve everyone’s business problems (despite her little business experience) and Brick leaned a bit too far into misunderstood male-written-by-a-woman. I also thought the world building left something to be desired. Overall, a fine beach read but not my favorite.

Book: Book of the Month
Author: Jennifer Probst
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Blue Box Press, for sending me an ARC. I had not idea what to expect when I picked this one. It was a solid read.

In this one, we follow Aspen, who is an author and looking for her next big hit. She had one, but her other books have not done so well. Everyone wants her to bring back the magic of her first book. The problem is her first book was based on her own life. In order to bring back the magic, she decides to go to her sister’s place in the Outer Banks and hope that something good happens. It does. She finds Brick, who is the local bad boy. If she has a fling with him, then, maybe, she will end up finding the spark her writing has been missing. They decide to do it and it ends up being more than either of them bargained for.

This is another case of people coming into peoples’ lives at the right time. Both of these characters have hit rock bottom-even if they don’t think they have. Aspen is struggling with her writing, while Brick is struggling with his own business. This is supposed to be a relationship of convenience, but it ends up turning into something more. Both of them find that the other brings something more to their lives. They end up inspiring each other. However, Aspen is still struggling to write the story the world wants, no matter how hard she tries. It’s not all peaces and roses, which is something I really enjoyed with this book. We get to see both characters at the very bottom. It takes time and it is not easy for them to rebuild from hitting rock bottom.

I found the writing to be engaging. I thought it did what the story needed. I thought it was fun when it needed to be and serious when it needed to be. It did keep me reading. Now, there were parts that I was not the biggest fan of-hence the three star rating. I didn’t like that the author kept bringing certain things up time and time again. Most of the time it did not really add anything to the story. I also did not like how Aspen harassed Brick. It was supposed to come across as cute, but it didn’t. If the genders had been reversed, this book would have been labeled as problematic. Gender does not matter. If someone is harassing you, it is harassment.

Overall, I thought this was a decent book. It just was not quite a four star read for me. I still did enjoy it.

DNF at 20%

I loved the cover of this book, and I love a good romance which is why I chose to read this one. Unfortunately the things I disliked about this book outnumbered the things I did like, and that was very apparent from the start.

What I liked: the setting. I love a good beach setting, and this was perfect for that. A coastal town the main character travelled to escape the city? Sign me up!

What I didn’t like: the main character. It’s not often an unlikeable main character causes me to stop reading a book but this unfortunately happened with this book. The main character acted so predatory toward the love interest, repeatedly doing things to get his attention (specifically to get him to have a summer fling with her) even though he did not reciprocate her enthusiasm and turned her down more than once. And everything she did, she did for the reason of writing a novel and profiting off of that? No thank you.

Though I am usually a fan of a quick romance read, this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

*Book of the Month* by Jennifer Probst is an engaging, heartwarming story about Aspen Lourde, a struggling writer searching for inspiration and love. Probst masterfully combines romance, humor, and self-discovery, making it a joy to read. The characters are relatable and well-developed, especially Aspen's journey toward personal growth.

While the plot is charming and enjoyable, some moments felt a bit predictable. Nonetheless, the book is a delightful read for fans of romance and stories about second chances. A solid four-star read!

It's a good read. I wanted to see how their feelings would evolve. How easy or hard it would be for Brick due to his reputation. How open Aspen would be to their arrangement. I can't say i connected completely with the characters. At times I felt like I could be reading the actual book Aspen was struggling with. But, it wasn't an issue. I was always invested in their relationship.

I enjoyed this unlikely story of two people who agree to "date" so she can write a novel and he can revamp his inherited story. Only Sparks fly and romance blooms. I enjoyed these characters and the story. Some graphic sexy bits, in case that's not your thing.

Once the literary world’s golden girl, Aspen Lourde can’t seem to produce another successful book, and the pressure’s on to prove she’s not just a one-hit-wonder. But there’s a catch: her bestseller was a heartbreak hit, straight from her own love life disaster. Without any fresh romantic turmoil to fuel her pen, Aspen needs inspiration quick enough to create a book her agent can sell to her publisher. So she escapes for the summer to the Outer Banks with a plan to live a story worth writing.

First things first: Outer Banks setting... A+! While I didn't particularly connect with any of the characters, I loved Marco, and the author sets up for there to be a sequel about Aspen's sister, Sierra, which I would love to read. I did appreciate the way Aspen and Brick's romance unfolded, and it did feel genuine. The way Aspen handles Brick and her feelings and a breakup wasn't my favorite. I thought the premise of the book sounded really interesting and unique, and I really wanted to love this story, but it took me a while to get through it.

If you love the fake dating, misunderstood bad boy, summer fling tropes, you might enjoy this one.