3.5 ⭐️

Aspen Lourde is an author who is struggling to write another bestseller after her last two books didn’t do very well. For a change of pace & inspiration, she visits her sister in the Outer Banks for the summer.

Brick Babel has a reputation in town for being a heartbreaker & is trying to keep his grandfather’s tour business going. Aspen sees him as the perfect inspiration to help her write her bestseller & strikes up a deal with him: she’ll loan him the money to fix up the business, & he’ll make her fall in love with him & then break her heart to provide her the inspiration she needs for the book.

I enjoyed the plot for this book. It’s not a “typical” romance book where it sometimes feels like the plot is recycled from another book, the characters are relatable, & there are plenty of other things going on besides just the romance. I will say it started off a little slow but I flew through the last half.

There are some funny moments & I really liked all of the moments with the side characters. It sets up for a sequel which I will definitely be reading.

Some things I didn’t like:
-long chapters: even though there are a few “stopping points” within the chapters I personally don’t like to stop in the middle of a chapter & do better with shorter chapters because it makes me want to read more
-repetitive descriptions: I can’t even count how many times his eyes were referred to as “ocean blue” or hers as “cocoa brown”

Overall, it was an enjoyable read & I would recommend it if you want a cute, short, small town summer romance but personally it’s probably not a book that I would read again.

Thanks to NetGalley & Blue Box Press for this ARC.

I will premise this review by saying that this book was a largely enjoyable read, funny in the right areas and romantic in others. I was unable to put it down while reading. I really enjoyed the side characters and can definitely see the potential for a sequel with Aspen’s sister.

Now for the negatives…

The beginning of Brick and Aspen’s relationship was icky to me. Fake dating is one thing, but her paying him to make her fall in love with him was too far since it came with physical requirements. It was even more unrealistic than fake dating where the couple falls in love unexpectedly; in this situation, Aspen created a plan to purposefully fall in love. Can you really plan to fall in love with someone like this? Methinks no.

I wasn’t very empathetic to Aspen’s strong desire for another bestseller. There are better ways to be inspired than paying someone to make him fall in love with you, and then breaking both of your hearts. Pretty cruel. I was much more of a Brick stan. The ending made me mad but the epilogue redeemed it somewhat.

This was a cute romance set in the Outer Banks, where the MC Aspen is trying to replicate the success of her first book after her following 2 books didn't appeal to her readers. She needs more emotion, more angst... so she "hires" Brick to be her summer vacation fling. He is supposed to make her fall in love with him and then break her heart, in the hopes of bringing back the emotional writing from her first book. Overall, it was a sweet story of 2 people that really needed someone in their life that wouldn't hurt them.

There were definitely some cringey parts to this book though. The way the dog Dug was depicted was awful, so I'm guessing the author is a cat lover. Poor Dug. Also, the Brick haters club? In today's world, I can't see that happening. It was an odd addition to the story. The writing style was ok, but I never felt a connection to the characters. By the end, I didn't really care if they got together or not. And we never found out about Brick's best friend Kane and his prison time, nor about the connection between Kane and Aspen's sister Sierra. Boo! I'm guessing there will be a sequel to this one...

If you want a HEA that’s sweet, romantic and has all the feels then this book is for you. I’ve read a few by this author now and just love every single one of them. So glad I had the opportunity to read this and can’t wait for a physical copy to put on my bookshelf

Thank you netgalley for the chance to review! 2.5/5 stars, rounded to 3.
This looks at least, on paper, like its going to hit every one of my favorite bookish-focused tropes: Aspen, a writer struggling with writers block, fake dates Brick, the local heartthrob/heartbreaker, to get her mojo back. They have a deal to breakup painfully when the book is over in order to jumpstart her career again. It's set in a bookish world, dual POV, just the right combination of spice, and a male lead thats a bit misunderstood.
This was fun but missing a bit of the grounded in reality spark I need in a good romance. I felt like Brick fell for Aspen way too fast considering his hard exterior, and her pushiness to set up this situation just felt...off? I also really was turned off by the other women in this book, who felt so catty and mean girl...while in the end it turns out ok, it just never quite sat right
I wanted to love this so much more than I did.

What a wonderful story! 
Aspen is seriously on the struggle bus of life, career, and love! She is such a well-thought-out and put-together character. She has her quirks and her determination. Brick was also so well done. Such an incredible MMC. He’s everything you want when he finally comes into his own. It starts as a fake dating scheme but grows so genuinely.

3 stars! I both found the concept of this book to be really enjoyable and also that it held the book back. I liked Brick and Aspens romance; it was definitely sweet and lovely to read. On the other hand, the terms of their deal made it difficult to ascertain whether any of Bricks words were sincere or just an adherence to their rules. All I kept thinking that if I were Aspen this would make me question everything and go absolutely bonkers. I also did not care for Bricks actions at the end. Overall I did enjoy the book but wish there were a few changes. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun read about a writer who writes a hit book and then can't seem to write another hit. She decides to take a summer away from everything and live a life worth writing. Off to the Outer Banks she goes. She meets Brick (no I am not lying about the name). He needs a way to save the family business & she needs a new book. Can their summer romance save their careers? Or will everything blow up?

Wonderful read based in a local town. Multiple facets of relationships keeps you wanting the next read. Based in NC, writers block finds business failure. Superstition and pride make life's challenges even harder.

Aspen is searching for inspiration for her new book. In somewhat of a slump, she finds herself approaching Brick and making him an offer he can't refuse. With Brick playing his part in a summer romance, Aspen finds herself getting more material for her novel. But of course, we all know feelings get involved...

I really enjoyed this book! Fake dating is my favourite and I always love the moment when our characters realize the fake part is no longer there and they want more. Both our main characters were likable and I loved seeing their relationship blossom. The ending was sweet and I am excited to see that Sierra will be getting her own story next.

sweet funny and adorable, the chemistry between the characters is so fun and palpable which made me enjoy it even more
the world building by the author was so original and it totally felt like a perfect summer read

This was such a fun read! I loved the setting in the Outer Banks and the romance was witty and adorable. Aspen and Brick made for the perfect couple despite their differences. I was looking for a cute contemporary romance to enter into the fall season and this was just the right thing.

A love story of Millennials! I’m new to the Jennifer Probst world but am so excited to read more by her. This story was captivating & felt like real life reading it. An easy read!

The book starts out with Aspen, who has recently published two less than stellar books after her larger than life debut. She is visiting her sister in OBX hoping to get the inspiration to needs to write another bestseller to satiate her contract terms.

Que in town heartthrob, Brick Babel, who recently lost his uncle and inherited his failing tour business, house, and slightly scary-looking dog. He has quite the reputation around town for being a player. Aspen decides this is just what she needs to produce another bestselling novel. Heartbreak was what gained her fame for her first novel after all.

Aspen presents Brick with a deal he cannot refuse. She bankrolls the funds to give Brick's business the revamp it needs to survive in exchange for an epic heartbreak at the end of summer. They both naturally fall completely head over heals for each other before the disastrous end of summer hits. Will their love prevail or will it crumble for the bestseller Aspen was hoping to achieve?

This book was so stinking cute. Honestly, I was worried that this would be just another run of the mill romance novel that is impossible to distinguish from the rest. The characters were unique and the book definitely seemed to touch on the normal romance troupes in a humerus light. Overall, I felt this book packed in sadness, laughter, heartbreak, and happiness throughout the book. I am so excited to read the sequel so I can finally know what happened with Sierra and Kane!!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this digital arc in exchange for an honest review!

Book of the Month…. You win! Aspen is an author who after striking gold with her debut album loosely based off her own experience with her ex. She’s written two books since then but the hype over her first book has overshadowed all of her other work. She decides to stay with her sister in OBX for the summer, hoping to be inspired to write her next big hit.

Brick is a known ladies man. So much so that there’s a support group that meets every week. Haunted by his ex, he meets Aspen at a bar where she was hearing all about him and his previous flames. Suddenly Aspen got inspired: agree to get her heart broken by Brick. On purpose. Use the heartbreak as inspiration to write a sequel to her most popular work. Seems like a great idea, right?

I loved Aspen but I absolutely fell in love with Brick. The story moved at a steady enough pace that I wasn’t constantly checking my progress. The spice was there, it was unexpected and sometimes felt like it wasn’t needed, but just a default to smut when they could have just moved the story along. All in all I’m very happy with it and would definitely read more of her work.

Thank you NetGalley for the book in exchange for my honest review.

This book and the main characters relationship felt realistic and not at all hard to imagine actually happening in a real life scenario. These two characters were both flawed and have pasts that they weren’t proud of but they loved each other no matter what. The side characters were a nice addition to add a “found family” aspect. Can’t wait for Sierra’s book next!!

Aspen Lourde is desperate to write another bestseller but has no inspiration. Since her bestseller was written from her own heartbreak, she escapes to the Outer Banks to visit her sister for the summer to find a story. Brick Babel is the town heartbreaker and Aspen is sure he is the answer to her writers block. She propositions him to have her help save his business in exchange for him to fake a romance her and then ditch her. Best laid plans!!



Thanks to Jennifer Probst and Blue Box Press for the book!

Aspen has been living off her first bestseller for years, and, although her two most recent books were well-written (even better than her first), they have lacked a connection with her fans. When her editor talks her into finally writing a sequel to her bestseller, Aspen reluctantly agrees, and leaves her NYC apartment and life of solitude to live with her sister for the summer, where she's swept into friend groups and living life. Knowing that experiencing a heartbreak will help her write another bestseller, she strikes a deal with the town's heartthrob, Brick, and through their growing relationship realizes that all the gossip may not have been true. But is Aspen willing to give up a chance to prove she's not a one-hit wonder for the love of a lifetime?

Book of the Month was such a pleasant read. It made me laugh, it made me think. Can there be a better combination? The style of writing is simple and creative, characters are well created and we are getting all needed information about them. I am really glad that this book has avoided some of the clichés I thought it could have. I would recommend it to everyone who is searching for a lovely book that will make you believe in people, but also teach you that sometimes it is the most important to love yourself if you want to love others.