Book of the Month is the first book I have read by Jennifer Probst and I really enjoyed it! Written in third person POV, the story follows NYC author Aspen who is struggling to write her next best seller and local Outer Banks tour guide owner Brick who is struggling to keep his business afloat. The story is funny, sweet, sexy, and emotional.

Aspen arrives in the Outer Banks ready to hunker down and write her next big hit. She's been struggling to deliver a solid book so she goes to stay with her sister for a change of pace and scenery. Brick has a reputation as a total heartbreaker, a "love em' and leave em'" guy who never allows anyone to get close to him. Aspen comes up with a plan to fall in love with Brick and have him break her heart so she can use the pain as a catalyst for her next bestseller. In return, Brick will get much needed money to save his business. What wasn't in the plan? Both falling in love with one another. Aspen and Brick had a ton of chemistry and while things started off slowly, they eventually ignited into a hot, steamy explosion. With lots of ups and downs, interferences from the outside, and a heroine who can't seem to get out of her own way, will Brick and Aspen find the happily ever after they deserve?

Book of the Month has wonderful characters, a well-developed storyline, and strong writing. I can't wait for Kane and Sierra's book! 4 stars

If you’re someone who appreciates books about books and writers, this one is for you. A solid mix of both sweet and spicy, I appreciated the slow growth of the relationship between Brick and Aspen. The push pull of the things we think we want from our life, versus what we actually need to make us happy is a running thread throughout the plot, leading out MC’s to make some difficult decisions. I am looking forward to the next book in this series, as several breadcrumbs were dropped about Sierra and Kane’s story!
Thank you to Blue Box Press and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

This was an ok read for me. I find that it lacked development, character and plot and had a typical ending.

Book of the Month centers around Aspen who is a writer with 3 books under her belt but only one best seller. People keep asking her when she will write a sequel but that's hard for her as her best selling novel was based on her own heartbreak. Visting her sister on the Carolina coast, she finds out about Brick who has a reputation as a heartbreaker. She pitches an idea to him that they "date" over the summer to help his business with a loan and to help inspire her writing as long as he breaks her heart. Real feelings get involved. Will their summer end in heartbreak?

I got where Aspen was coming from here. Her big need to be a success but not knowing how to do it again. She kind of plowed forward and I think it made it hard for Brick to keep up. Aspen had the feelings but felt like it just wasn't in the cards. She got very self involved at the end. Brick really wore his heart on his sleeve. I loved that he ended up not being who everyone was led to believe he was. I appreciated that he put his foot down towards the end where Aspen was concerned. It was a pleasant surprise.

I enjoyed getting to know all the fun characters in the town. I am excited to read the next book in the series. The spice level in this book was nice.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blue Box Press for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

I could not get past the premise and Aspen’s deal with Brick. I like a good fake romance trope but this missed the mark for me as their plan was to have a real relationship but it was also fake. I just couldn’t get past that — Aspen whole thought process was annoying.

Good steam for those that like steamy scenes. I liked Brick, I liked scenes with Aspen’s sister, and laughed with the brownie scene. I might give the next book a try since it focuses on her sister.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this early copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was is a delightful and entertaining romance novel with a unique twist. The story revolves around Aspen Lourde, a once-successful author who is now struggling on writing a new best seller. To reignite her creativity, she embarks on a fake dating arrangement with the brooding Brick Dalton.

I loved how the book sheds a light on the challenges of both writing a book and the publishing world. Aspen and Brick’s chemistry is undeniable and their banter is witty and endearing. My one problem was their miscommunication, which the plot heavily relied on. Other than that, it was a light and easy read, perfect for fans of romantic comedies.

I absolutely adored Book of the Month. The location was unbelievable and truly added to the story; I feel that I was able to fully immerse myself. I love that Brick was the opposite of what everyone portrays him as, and was a genuinely sweet and thoughtful guy. Their relationship development was steady and well paced, so it also felt very real.

I have never read anything by this author before, but I really enjoyed reading this book. The pacing was good and the character's were developed very well.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants fun, refreshing romance with spice sprinkled around. Anyone who is going through the reviews, should give this book a chance if you are interested in the various tropes and the premise. The book is written well and surprises you at times.

We get to understand the hardships of FMC as an author. I liked how the FMC and MMC communicated —it kept the story unpredictable but drama-free. I liked the various incidents included in this book: <spoiler>The "brownie bit" and the girls' club at the end</spoiler> added charm to the book.

Though I wasn’t a fan of the instant attraction or the character names, this was still an enjoyable read.

Thank you Blue Box Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC.

I went into Book of the Month wanting and expecting a fun, cute romance with some good characters and an interesting story. That is pretty much exactly what I got. I did get frustrated with the characters every once in a while, but it made them real. We are all a little stupid sometimes and I think it would have lost something if they were the perfect versions of themselves in the book. It was also not just ridiculous miscommunications, but actual issues and thoughts that drove them. I loved the setting. I have been to the Outer Banks many, many times and it is one of my favorite places in the world. It was an extra special treat to see it in a book and get to vicariously experience it again. I am definitely interested to read the next book in this series!

Story line was good and the emotions were raw but the writing left much to be desired- which is a bummer!

Honestly, I read this book because it was Jennifer Probst, and it was set in the Outer Banks, one of my favorite vacation spots. I enjoyed this story overall, though I wasn't a fan of Aspen all of the time. Brick is a different story, such a great character. A lovely sweet and spicy story.

Thank you to Blue Box Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun romance through the eyes of an author. It was a fun read even if going in you knew there was going to be heartbreak. I didn't know it was going to have a sequel and now I need that in my life. If you like spice and beach tours with horses and books, I think you'd like this romance.

I enjoyed the concept of the story and the characters but I struggled to get into the book. Some of the scenes made me cringe a little but it's definitely a book I would share with a true romance lover.

I really wanted to like this book, I soft DNF about 3 times until I finally gave in at about 25%. This book was just a little to cringe for me to push through right now. Thank you so much NG for the arc.

Book of the Month follows Aspen (FMC - needs to write another bestseller after 2 failures) and Brick (MMC - heartbreaker, grumpy.. you know, the usual). The book started out very slow and it took a lot of effort for me to keep reading. I'm glad I did since the later half of the book was much better paced and kept me engaged.

The characters were... fine. I liked Aspen a lot and thought she was relatable and lovable as a character. However, I didn't like her character development towards the end - very self absorbed and it felt icky to me. Brick, on the other hand, was kind of annoying, but only in the beginning. I'm not a fan of MMC being so grumpy for no reason. He redeemed himself by the end of the book for me.

Also, there was a lot of "masculine energy" thrown around and that didn't sit well with me. Not a huge fan of the ending but it is what it is. Overall, it was a somewhat heartwarming story with a bit of funny thrown in. I think it could've potentially been a lot shorter.

Thank you to Blue Box Press and Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone please stand up...

Jennifer Probst deserves a standing ovation for the true talent she exposed us to in, Book of the Month.

This book right here is going to be an instant bestseller and you heard it here first.

Aspen and Brick

I need more, please Probst, give us more.

This book is made for the big screen and I would be first in line.

Check out this teaser :

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…

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.

Brick Babel is a romance novelist’s dream: a local heartthrob with a reputation as wild as the horses running free in the town. He’s everything Aspen needs for a muse kickstart—gorgeous, moody, and notoriously unattainable. His affairs are legendary in the small town, and every woman warns her off, including her sister.

Too bad a good heartbreak is exactly what she needs to meet her deadline.

But Brick refuses to play the game, rejecting all of her advances. When Aspen hears his tour company is on the verge of bankruptcy, she offers him a deal: fake a whirlwind summer romance, then ditch her, drama guaranteed.

Desperate to save his grandfather’s business, Brick agrees to the ridiculous deal. What starts as a contractual fling spirals out of control as lines blur and real feelings emerge. Brick’s falling hard, and Aspen’s rethinking her plot twist. The novel might be her ticket back to the top, but at what cost?

Because Aspen’s finally found her muse, but some stories may be too true to share

Book of the Month is a clever romance based on the "fake dating" trope - but written and drawn out in an innovative way.

Aspen, our FMC, is a struggling writer - dealing with the harsh realities of the publishing world and facing a sea of self-doubt. She retreats to a sea-side town outside of NYC and meets infamous heartbreaker Brick, and convinces him to fake-date her to eventually break her heart, and break her writer's block in the process.

What ensues is a love story that sort of hits the mark - and sort of doesn't. Written in third-person POV, there were times where I felt the writing was a bit detatched, like the writer was viewing the story from 10,000 ft. There were a few inconsistencies, a few instances in which I felt like the author was writing from a formula or script. All in all, I liked the story and think it will stand out slightly in the sea of romances, but it didn't fully hit the mark for me.

many thanks to Jennifer Probst, NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the ARC opportunity. 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3.

Aspen wrote one great book. No really, it was a best seller and book of the month! The problem is it was based on her toxic relationship with her ex and she poured all of her feelings into it and her fans loved it. They loved it so much they won't read her new books and her publisher isn't happy.

So off to OBX she goes to reconnect with her sister and find her muse some inspiration. Enter town bad boy Brick Babel (yes, that's actually his name). With a reputation for leaving women so broken hearted they started a support group, Aspen is sure he's the emotional key to her next book.

But you see, Brick is not having a good time. He grandfather died and left him his failing, debt-ridden tour company complete with a nemesis hell bent on destroying him. The perfect opportunity for a little quid pro quo: Aspen can help with the tour company (spoiler alert she made bank after her first book), Brick can break Aspen's heart and give her enough material for her next book and make her publisher happy.

Now into the nitty gritty, this one was cute. The premise was new and exciting and I couldn't wait to read it. However, Aspen just can't see past her own nose. All of her troubles, there's only one answer and it's the answer that's going to make her miserable. Even though you as the reader will be able to come up with way better options. In fact, I can guarantee you will be able to come up with the end solutions suggested by the other characters early on in the book.

The characters themselves were fun! Aspen and Brick were cute when they were together and when they were apart you could see them falling for each other. Aspen's sister is the true voice of reason and thank goodness she's there. The beach shop characters are my favorite little pot heads! 😂 Every time they popped up, it was just a fun scene or chapter. Maleficent, the tour competitor felt like she was going to have a bigger role but was just "fixed" in a few paragraphs towards the end with a, "how does that make you feel" from Aspen and the fact that she's a fan of Aspen.

Overall the book felt a bit too long but then also rushed. Especially at the end of summer.

Thank you to Blue Box Press for providing me with a copy via NetGalley for an honest review.

Loved Aspen and Bricks story and I can't wait for the next in the series. Aspen had been hurt and needed to make her next novel not flop, the first sensation was wrote out of heart ache so does she need to be broken again to give her fans what they really want in the sequel? Brick is haunted by his past as well, and rumor mills aren't all they are cracked up to be. I really enjoyed learning about why the feud existed between him and Maleficent and may have grinned at that part. All in all a easy read that will keep you turning pages.