I loved reading Aspen and Bricks story. I really enjoyed the characters. Started off a little slow but overall, a cute read.
Can’t wait to read Sierra’s story!

Thank you to NetGallery for the advanced reader copy of this book. I was in the mood for a good romance, but this didn't really do it for me. I loved the setting of OBX because I've vacationed there several times and I do always love books about books. However, I found the fake dating aspect a bit odd and the relationship just kinda took off way too quickly. I think the character of Brick (which I found to be a very odd name) changed too quickly and Aspen kind of got on my nerves a little. It was a little too much good girl/bad boy for me and I totally skimmed over the sex scenes, because I found them a little cringy. Some of it seemed a little repetitive and very predictable. It's not that I didn't like it or enjoy it, but this book just fell a little flat for me.

It’s a cute and steamy romcom about books. As a general rule, I won’t pass up a bookish book! This is a quick & easy read. I enjoyed the supporting characters and small town vibes.

3.5 stars

If you’re a fan of bookish romances, Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst is a must-read. This romantic comedy captures the ups and downs of being a writer, blending humor and heart with a generous dash of steam. The story centers on the journey of finding love and self-discovery, a theme that Probst handles with both warmth and insight. It’s fun, sweet, and delightfully engaging—perfect for readers who love stories that go behind the scenes of the writing world. Whether you’re here for the romance or the process, this one packs a punch!

Book of the Month is one of the best books I've read of Jennifer Probst. I Really loved this amazing story and finished it in one sitting.

I Would rate it five stars and highly recommend it to all readers.

Jennifer Probst’s Book of the Month was a real mixed bag of a book for me. Let’s do a pros and cons list.

Pros:
* Brick, the MMC bad boy who is really a misunderstood sweetheart.
* The setting. Who doesn’t love the OBX and Duck Donuts?
* Sierra. I will be reading her book.
* Probst’s writing style. This is my first Jennifer Probst book and I enjoyed her style.

Cons:
* Aspen, the FMC. First she basically harassed Brick to get him to agree to her plan. Don’t we teach that “no means no,” and shouldn’t that extend to fictional men? Second, the idea of manufactured love leading to heartbreak as a vehicle to write her next best seller is kind of crazy. She would have benefitted from a good therapist.

Hmm. I guess my only con is Aspen I still enjoyed parts of the book but it’s hard to go more than 3 stars when you’re not rooting for the FMC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for an eARC. Opinions are my own.

This was a fun read and I would highly recommend people add this to their summer reading lists . Aspen is visiting her sister, Sierra in OBX for the summer to help fuel her creative juices and lead to her next great story idea. She spots Brick on their first sister's night out together — Brick is the town's "bad boy" and has a less-than-stellar reputation amongst the women there who are all connected to him in some way, and none of them good — they even have a support group where they talk about the trauma that Brick caused all of them. Aspen finally meets Brick and coerces him into a business deal of a "relationship" — she funds his struggling business and in exchange he has to date her for the summer and break her heart to help give her inspiration for her next big book, because she's been struggling to write another hit since her first book debut made her famous. There were certain parts of this book that felt very "The Last Song"-esque to me (in a good way) — times where my heart really hurt for Aspen and Brick, times where my heart was just so full of love for them, and scenes where they're watching turtle eggs on the beach together at night — that was verrryyyy "The Last Song" energy. I'm giving this four stars because there were some parts that felt a little too drawn and others that felt a little choppy, but overally, I did really enjoy this!

I like to think of this book as a fun and mindless summer romance. It really appealed to my NC loving heart - I loved the OBX setting and the countless mentions of Duck Donuts (which is truly the most magical place). Some chapters had me physically cringing while others had me laughing out loud. The FMC was a little hard for me to relate to and at first I didn’t love her approach for writing her new book (no means no, girly) but in the end I was rooting for her to find her happy ending. I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone who wants a serious life-altering romance…. but perfect if you need a quick, lighthearted palate cleanser.

3 Stars

I’m going to start off by saying that I KNOW there is a market for Book of the Month. I think for many this would be the perfect spicy beach read. Unfortunately, for my over-analytical self it just didn’t work out and I’m left feeling kind of befuddled because ultimately— part of me hated some aspects of this book while there were also things I really enjoyed!

Let’s start with the positives! Aspen & Brick had great chemistry and I enjoyed their relationship once it began. Brick was very swoony at times! I also loved the small town storyline of competing shops and saving the wild horses & baby turtles.

Okay, now to get into some of the things I didn’t love. First off, the synopsis of this book essentially lays out the entire plot & storyline. I normally wouldn’t give this much detail in a review (because spoilers!) but I feel like I’m not telling you anything the synopsis doesn’t!

I struggled to get into Book of the Month and at times found the main character, Aspen, absolutely maddening. Her hardcore pursuit of Brick in the beginning felt really out of character to how she acts in the rest of the book & also just borderline problematic? Maybe that’s just the mom in me who’s constantly pushing the importance of boundaries and consent onto my children but it felt a bit over the top to me how she went about it.

I also think marketing this as a “fake-dating” story is somewhat misleading as it never read that way to me personally. Brick’s total uninterest & refusal instantly switched into totally on board which felt weird to me. I understand there’s something in it for him to make him agree but he also seemed too agreeable and instantly I to dating Aspen even aside from his financial gain.

Clearly my feelings about this story are very mixed! But I’d say if the synopsis really interests you then you might as well give it a shot because you might love it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the ARC of Book of the Month in exchange for an honest review.

I love a book with an author as a main character so this one landed on my TBR as soon as I saw that. I think it’s the behind the scenes insight it provides that I really enjoy and the author showcased that type of thing well here. Brick and Aspen had great and believable chemistry and this made their banter and connection so good! If you wish it was still summer this would be a great pick as it’s a summer romance with a great small town setting and wonderful secondary characters. Overall a cute and steamy read

‘Book of the Month’ started slowly for me; HOWEVER, I’m so glad I kept going because 25% of the way through, things really picked up, and then I couldn’t put it down!

Here’s what I liked:
- They make a consensual deal - no miscommunication trope here folks! 🤝🏻
- Witty banter and laugh-out-loud moments 🤣
- Small-town ocean vibes, the outdoors, and wildlife advocacy 🌊🐴🐢
- Adorable dates that will have you swooning 💘
- A healthy sister relationship where they have each other’s backs 🦸🏼‍♀️
- SPICY spice! (believable buildable chemistry, plenty of dirty talk and encouragement) 🌶️
- Brick appears to be a gruff hottie, but he’s really a cinnamon roll hero 🫶🏼

Here’s what I didn’t like:
- The FMC, Aspen; however, as the MMC, Brick made up for her
- The name ‘Brick’ and references to Jason Mamoa and Helmsworth, but glad I kept reading

I’m excited that Sierra (the FMC’s sister) is also getting her own book! ‘The Reluctant Flirt’ is on my TBR and set to publish on June 10, 2025!

Thanks to Jennifer Probst, NetGalley, and Blue Box Press for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review!

If you are looking for a light summer beach read this is the one for you. Jennifer Probst does a nice job creating the characters and the storyline.

It's been a few years since I've read one of Probst's books, but I loved the blurb, so I was excited to check this out. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the story - there were some off-putting moments in the romance, and the women's fiction/romance crossover feel that I enjoy about Probst's work simply wasn't working for me this time. I ended up leaving the book unfinished, but I'm sure there are some readers who will enjoy this one.

Aspen is a successful author. The one problem is that it’s her first book that’s still wildly successful, not her most recent books. She knows she needs to write another smash hit or her writing career might be over. She concocts a wild scheme to get her mojo back and write her next huge hit. She just needs to get someone onboard to help her with her scheme. Brick is desperate to make his tour guide business a success. He has ideas but no money to make them happen. He has a reputation in town as a heartbreaker even though he hasn’t dated anyone in ages. When Aspen offers him money to become part of her scheme, he wants to say no but the money is just too tempting. Will they complete the contract and go their separate ways, or will they find out that love conquers all?

Aspen is a tough character to feel sorry for. I understand that she is fixated on keeping her writing career but to buy someone to help you write your next novel is kind of weird. I wish she had sought counselling to help her work on her insecurities. In the end, I like how her story ended. I am not going to give it away here but the author gave Aspen a way forward that would allow her to have it all including Brick. Brick is actually the better character of the two of them. He was successful in the big city until he wasn’t. He inherited a failing business that he is desperate to save. He inherited Dug, a truly ugly dog with no manners at all. Brick dated the women in town until he realized that it was wrecking his life. I felt so sorry for him once the author revealed how terribly the women were treating him. I like that he let his friend move in so her could get a fresh start after losing everything. I even like that he takes care of the guys who own the shop next door to his. Brick seems like a really nice guy. There is sort of a bad guy in the story. The conclusion to that part of the story was really nice and felt good.

This is a contemporary romance that takes place in North Carolina. There are family and friends and entire small town included in the story. I really enjoyed the story but I thought the end was the highlight. I will read more from this author in the future.

Aspen retreats to the OBX to figure out how to write her next book. She comes up with a drunken plan to pay Brick to have an affair and then break her heart. He readily agrees in order to save the business he inherited from his grandfather. They both get so much more than they expect!

Great romance and chemistry between our characters. The minor characters were as awesome - loved Dug the dog and Brick's business neighbors! I'm only sad I have to wait for Sierra and Kane's story!

This was my first read by Jennifer Probst and I think I've discovered another author I will love! If you are new to her as well - I recommend you start with this book.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and reviews are my own.

"Book of the Month" by Jennifer Probst is a light romantic journey about finding love and oneself in life's unexpected chapters. The story features a plethora of interesting secondary characters along with engaging main characters - an author named Aspen Lourde being the most prominent. Aspen needs inspiration to write a new bestselling book. She'll really go to any length to revive her writing career. Aspen escapes to the Outer Banks with a reckless plan to live a story that is worth writing.

The book is a fun and flirty summer romance, but I did find it frustrating at times. For me, the middle part of the book dragged a bit with the repeated trope of manufactured love and a blossoming relationship. I did appreciate how the characters developed and found themselves, but the slow burn romance could have sped up a bit for me.

To my own fault the title really pulled me in and I wasn't expecting such a focused story that included fake dating. I fear there is a trend in current publishing where if the word "book" is placed in the title, book lover's can fall victim to picking up a book on a whim.

Ultimately, "Book of the Month' was a great escape read for me. I appreciate NetGalley and Blue Box Press for allowing me an ARC to review. Although the story did not hold me attention, I truly enjoyed Jennifer Probst's descriptions of setting and character development. I feel like her writing stood out to me here and added pleasure to my weekend reading.

This is a story about a writer who is desperate to write a best seller like her first book but needs some inspirational heart break. She ends up using the town playboy for inspiration and they work through their trauma and challenges to make then double think the whole relationship pact.

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst is a good read for those who like book=centered and author-centered stories. I liked it but didn't love it. It just didn't capture my attention or get me invested in the story as much as I would have liked. Aspen is an author looking for inspiration for her next novel, and she comes to town to get some real-life inspiration in Brick, who is known around town as a bit of a playboy (there is even a club for women who have dated him and had their hearts broken...). I wanted to connect more with the story, but I found the dialogue unbelievable at times, and the ending came together nicely, but it was hard to believe the romance despite the steam and romantic language.

It is a good book, and I do recommend it to the right person. If you are looking for a book-centered story and enjoy themes such as fake dating, hesitant to fall in love, and SPICE, this might be right up your alley!

In Book of the Month, an author, Aspen, is struggling to write a novel as good as her debut so she heads to the Outerbanks to spend the summer with her sister and get inspired. And by inspired, she meets the town lothario and decides he will be her muse. This book was made for booknerds. Bookstagram shout outs, trope references, Book of the Month comments. It was so fun to see the behind the scenes of writing a book, showing how much work it goes into writing a book that we all cruise through in 2-3 days! Oh, and so spicy.

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst delivered a standalone small-town romance about an author looking to recapture the feelings that led to her first bestseller. Character growth, a slow burn romance, and finding yourself makes this the perfect book to curl up with by the fire.

The Book of the Month offers a fake dating scenario in a small-town setting with all the charm, humor and sweet moments wrapped in character growth. It’s the perfect low angst, comfortable romance to curl up with on a chilly fall afternoon by the fire.

Aspen Lourde wrote a best-selling romance based on her previous relationship and breakup. She poured her soul into the story and readers loved it. Since then, her last two books haven’t captured her readers and all of them are asking for a sequel. Feeling the pressure from her publisher and without any personal turmoil to fuel her writing, she escapes for the summer to the Outer Banks. Her sister lives there and it will be great to catch up & try writing.

When the writing doesn’t come, she hatched a plan to have a summer fling and use it to inspire her next book. Now all she needs is a willing guy. Enter Brick Babel, a local hottie with a reputation for breaking hearts. The tale that unfolds was sweet, funny and heartfelt as this arrangement becomes more.

Probst created relatable characters and while the story didn’t pack any surprises I connected, got excited about Brick’s business, meeting the locals and watching these two fall in love. It wasn’t without complications and growing pains, but the tale wrapped up nicely and left me smiling.

While this is currently a standalone, I am curious about the sister and hope we get her story next.