I enjoyed this one. I liked the premise and found the characters to be entertaining. It was a nice light read at night to wind down from work.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely.

What a fun and happy book! I liked the idea of this ridiculous fake dating plan, and this book didn’t disappoint! What a fun read.

I am sorry but I dnfed it. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

DNF @ 22%.

I wanted to like this so bad. I’m a sucker for books about books and the premise of this was so good! Unfortunately the FMC was so annoying I couldn’t handle reading anymore. There’s a difference between being assertive when pursuing someone and harassing them. Which is what she was doing. He was so clearly NOT interested. If a man was doing what she was doing it would be deemed absolutely unacceptable!

Anyway. Sad to DNF but I just couldn’t do it.

Transition Romance!!

Aspen is visiting her sister in the Outer Banks from NY, trying to shift her writer’s block. Her first book after a heart wrenching breakup, cannot seem to be repeated. Brick spent a few summers with his Grandpa Ziggy, and has now inherited his tour company.

Brick has an unwarranted bad reputation, and Aspen thinks he can help her feel. It’s always revealing, and entertaining, when an author writes about being an author. Small-town rumors, wild horses, sea turtles, competition, struggle, and romance.

An entertaining read.

Book of the month by Jennifer Probst was enjoyable hilarious entertaining and I'm grateful that I was able to read this I love the banter the characters were interesting and this was a good time.

Aspen Lourde is a down-on-herself writer. in New York City After finding success with her first book, Aspen's second flopped and she's on a tight deadline for her third (and possibly final). Her solution? To visit her sister in the Outer Banks and get her heart torn apart in a summer fling with the hope of inspiring her next novel.

Brick Babel is a gruff former suit-and-tie turned OBX townie after inheriting his grandfather's flailing tour company. He's also known for being the town's absolute heartbreaker.

When the two meet, Aspen makes a deal: she'll loan Brick the money he desperately needs for his business, and all Brick needs to do is break her heart. Sounds simple, right?

The chemistry between Brick and Aspen, which you would expect to be the best part of this book, didn't quite hit the mark. Considering this was a take on a grumpy/sunshine romance, Brick's immediate obsession with Aspen was a little hard to swallow. The side characters, such as Brick's neighboring business owners and Aspen's sister/friends are what made this story more enjoyable (so much so that I'm looking forward to Sierra's story). Some pieces of the story were also cringy: a club for women whose hearts were broken by Brick? Yikes. The writing could also be a bit cringy and repetitive at times, and the story really seemed to drag on for longer than it needed to be. If it were a bit more succinct, I would have liked it more.

Overall, this was a fun summer read that at times really spoke to the desperation that women, particularly successful women, struggle with, and the imposter syndrome that comes along with that success.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The title and summary drew me into this book. I really enjoyed the Outer Banks setting and the community engagement. The main female character, Aspen, is an author and I liked reading about her process with publishing. I questioned her plan to get over writers block which I think made me not enjoy the book as much as I expected to. It was a little slow moving at times for me, but overall was a nice escape read. Thank you Blue Box Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

Thank you, NetGalley and Blue Box Press for this book for review. This was a cute rom-com book about a struggling author who wrote a bestselling first book and now she can't seem to write another. The truth people don't know is that the first book wasn't really fiction, it was about her last real relationship and how he broke her heart. It really came from the heart and that's why everyone loves it. Aspen can't seem to tap into that emotion again. Brick is every woman's dream: he's beautiful, but the rumors abound. Word around town is that he's a love and leave 'em kinda guy. He's perfect to get the juices flowing for a new story. Aspen just needs to get him on board, and she'll have a new story in no time. So, Aspen gets Brick to agree to a dating contract, a summer romance and then he needs to break her heart so they can both get what they need. But will this really end how either of them wants or expects?

Thanks to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I’d say this one is a solid 3.5-4 stars

This is a about a writer who is desperate to write a best seller like her first book but needs some inspiration. She ends up using the town playboy to break her heart. They end up making an arrangement to where they can both get what they need out of the deal.

There’s great banter and a little spice and of course a happily ever after. I enjoyed the setting of the book and the horses.

I liked the characters in the story and their relationships. Looking forward to reading the sequel to this as well. Would love to read her sister and Zane’s story.
This was my first book I've read by the author but I do not think it will be the last.

This book centres on Aspen who wrote a bestseller which unknown to her readers based it on her own experiences.
She has written 2 others but they haven't been as successful.
She decides she needs another heartbreak.
I raced through this book it was a fun read. The author described the Carolina Shore really well. I felt I wanted to visit.
I liked Brick apart from his name. It would make a good beach read.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.

Loved the cover art, very beachy and the blues drew me in. As someone who lives close to obx I was exciting when reading about it but also nervous they wouldn’t do it correct justice. But let me tell you it made me fall in love with the book so quick! Loved the characters and the growth they went through on each of their own pasts. I knew the break up would happen and really hoped for them to come back together! Only down fall for me was I wish we could have had a chapter or two more of how they resettled into life back together or an epilogue from 2-5 years down the road. Was hoping for a Kane and sierra book and got to the end to see a little tease of it! Already looking forward to reading that one when it comes out! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the early read in turn for my honest opinion! Will be suggesting to all my friends and hopefully a book club read when it releases!

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst is a charming and relatable story about love, friendship, and the power of books to bring people together. The story centers on Riley, a bookstore owner navigating the ups and downs of her own life while creating a community for readers who find connection in the pages of her shop’s monthly picks.

Probst’s storytelling is warm and witty, with characters who feel like real friends. I loved how she captured the magic of bookstores and the unique ways literature can change lives. This book is a reminder that no matter what we’re going through, there’s always a story out there that can help us feel less alone.

If you’re a book lover, Book of the Month is a heartwarming escape that’s sure to resonate. It’s a love letter to readers, bookstores, and the transformative power of stories.

This is an emotional read of two characters working through traumatic parts of their lives. I don't care typically for super emotional books and I should have investigated further before I read this one.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

I love the behind the scenes look into the publishing industry. I think "Book of the Month" gives us a good viewpoint on how an author may feel when it comes to their writing and sales. The chemistry between Aspen and Brick was pretty good. The ending was predictable but overall, the story was enjoyable. I can't wait to read Sierra & Kane's story!

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I took a bit to get into this one, but it was worth it.

Aspen is struggling to write her next book. After massive success of a book she wrote following a personal heartbreak, her next books have not done well. And her fans are anxious for a sequel to her first book, wanting to see her FMC get her HEA. Her publisher is also champing at the bit for a sequel.

But Aspen has not been able to tap back into those emotions. She escapes NYC to visit her sister in a small town and comes up with a plan. She’ll have a fling, get her heart broken again, and be able to finally write another hit.

Enter Brick. His less-than-stellar reputation with the women in town makes him the ideal candidate. Brick is trying to save his family business, so when Aspen approaches him with her offer, he agrees, yet insists that the money Aspen wants to pay him is a loan.

Things go to plan, until they don’t.

I loved getting to know these characters as the facade of their initial arrangement faded away and we got to see who they really were, flaws and all.

I overall liked the book, but there were some cringe sayings that had me rolling my eyes at times. I appreciated the setting and all together would recommend for someone looking for a HEA.

Not a bad read, but not a great one either? I didn't DISLIKE this book, but I felt like I was struggling to get through it at certain points. I enjoyed the chemistry between Aspen and Brick, and all of the side characters fit really well in this story and were quirky and funny and interesting to read about. But the plot (the idea of essentially paying Brick to date her and break her heart so she can write a good book) I personally didn't love. And there being entire club of people that are dedicated to bashing Brick/protecting women against him was WEIRD. Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

I wish this book didn’t end! Solid 4.5 stars! I want to move to OBX and be friends with these characters!

Here’s to hoping for a sequel !!

Aspen needs some inspirational heartbreak to write her next book. Enter the town playboy who will woo her and hurt her and she will pay him for the plotline. Thing is, this is romance, so nothing ever goes according to plan. The setting of the Outerbanks was felt through the pages and these characters were great together. Aspen's desperation felt real, and so did Brick's anger, but together they presented an emotional, steamy story that gives us the happily ever after both so needed. Books about books are one of my greatest pleasures, and Book of the Month was a good one.