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.

So this romance was entertaining and spicy. An author needs a best seller and can only write one by being devastatingly heart broken. Enter the OBX hottie and everything should go off without a hitch, right? Of course there is conflict and out of this world sex that foils the plan. I wasn't crazy about the scheme behind the hook up but liked the characters enough to read the next book in the series.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst is a story about a writer trying to write her next book but is stuck with writer’s block. Aspen’s first book was a huge hit that came from something personal, but nothing seems to bring that same success. Maybe a change is just what she needs for her next book. Brick wants to save his business. Aspen is trying to find her way and is determined to make it happen. Brick has a reputation as a playboy and maybe just what she needs. What happens when she makes him an offer that would benefit them both? This story was charming, fun and emotional.

3.5-stars.
Happy reading!

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst caught me by surprise in the very best of ways. Aspen Lourde is fighting to write her next big novel and she is stuck. She concocts an interesting and gloriously farfetched plan to help her muse get back on track. Enter Brick Babel. The town heartbreaker. The current subject of the hot gossip. They agree to help each other and embark on a love story that is worthy of a book of the month run. We recommend this one if you enjoy: books about writers, small town romances, quirky side characters, and a relationship that starts off fake but ends up feeling completely plausible and actually perfect.

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst’s is book one in the Outer Banks series and I enjoyed this book so much!! If you like fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, struggling author, struggling inn owner, they fall at the same time, sea turtles, wild horses, contracts, and spice then you will love this book.

Aspen Lourde lives in New York and is an author who used her breakup to write a best selling book. Now that she needs to write a sequel she is struggling. She decides that she needs a break and goes to visit her sister Sierra in Outer Banks for the summer.

Brick Babel is very misunderstand and has the reputation of being a ladies man who goes around breaking women’s hearts. He is left heartbroken after his fiancée leaves him and trashes his name around town, there is even a support group for all who have been hurt by Brick. He is a tour guide at an inn, this his late grandfathers left him, this is struggling financially. Aspen thinks she needs a breakup to help her write her next book so she makes a deal with Brick that will help him with the money he needs for his inn.

I think Probst did an amazing job with this story. The plot was different and a very nice change. The storyline was great and I like that we got to understand the struggles of an author and what they go through to break their writers block. I loved the all of the characters, Brick and Aspen were so cute together. One has never been truly loved or experienced a relationship and one is still recovering from a heartbreak, they are afraid of falling but can’t help that they are. The side characters were just as amazing as the MC’s Sierra, Marco, Kane, and the locals. Marco is the owner of a cannabis shop. My favorite scene is when Marco tries to help Aspen with her nerves before a book signing, I was cracking up. This story was so much fun I wanted more. I can’t wait for book two…I wonder if it will be about Kane and Sierra, I have to know the story behind that awkward introduction. Please read this book you will love it. Thank you to Blue Box Press, NetGalley, and Jennifer Probst for letting me read this story in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

2.75 stars

A solid book, if a little boring at times. I was really into the start, but lost a fair amount of interest. I certainly liked Dug the most out of any of them. There is an abundance of specific publishing information that I imagine lovers will love or hate. I think if you’re looking for a “bookish” book, this will work for you; if a romance probably not.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.

A light, fluff read. I enjoyed it but didn’t love it. I feel like the “average, plain woman” (who ends up with the town hottie) is totally overused in romance books these days. The same thing with clumsy/awkward women. This book’s main character was awkward and average/plain which was definitely a turn off for me. The fake dating story line was ok. Hated the name “Brick” for the love interest. 2.5 stars

Book of the Month is the perfect read if you are looking for a small town spicy romance, fake dating, and a mysterious bad boy. At times, I enjoyed reading it, but then other times, I just wanted it to end. I just couldn't connect with the two main characters like I had hoped... Aspen was annoying at times, and some of the conversations between Aspen and Brick were a bit cringey. All in all, it was a good story that would make the perfect summer beach read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Aspen needs inspiration for her next book. Her first book was a best seller but it came from her real life heartbreak. So she just needs to find someone to break her heart. Enter Brick. He’s the town playboy and wants nothing to do with a relationship. These two strike up a deal to help each other.

I loved the chemistry between Aspen and Brick! The banter is hilarious and I couldn’t put this book down. There are definitely a few twists and turns and the spice was nice! I really enjoyed this book and think you will too!


📘: Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst
🗓️: October 22, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Probst, and Blue Box Press for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.