I love books about books, authors, the publishing industry, so I was excited to check out Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst. This is the story of Astrid, an author who had a very successful first book (that was inspired by her own personal heartbreak) and is struggling to prove herself in her sophomore novel. Brick is a local heartthrob, who is is every woman's dream- who Astrid desperately needs to get with her and then promptly break her heart so she can get some content for her next novel.

Astrid was honestly pretty unlikeable and was blatantly harassing the MMC, which I didn't find cute or endearing. They grew on me over time, but the romance element was kind of ruined for me with how much Astrid was bothering Brick and wasn't compelling enough for me to move past the likeability of the FMC. This one just wasn't for me.

Aspen is struggling to write her next best seller. She goes to visit her sister in the Outer Banks and to also find someone to have a romance with, who will break her heart, just like the real life storyline she used for her previous hit book. She meets the town heartthrob, Brick, who she convinces to enter into a contract to date and break her heart in exchange for money to renovate his struggling business he inherited from his grandfather. What starts out as a summer fling quickly becomes a hot and heavy romance, turning into a true life love story. Can she write her own happy ending and make her life her best work ever without the heartache?

There was some character growth from the FMC and MMC towards the end of the story, and the positive vibes theme throughout the plot made it an easy summer read. This was a quick and easy romance story with a HEA. It's actually a trope I didn't know I'd enjoy - girl has writer's block, meets cute boy who becomes her muse and love interest - and second one in a row I've read now. I would love to see a sequel with the sister, Sierra, getting her own story written.

Aspen Lourde is a bestselling author for her debut book, Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover, written as therapy after her fiancée left her at the alter. Her subsequent books have not resonated with her readers, despite being technically better, as she was not able to recreate the angst and what her fans really want is a sequel to the first book. Her agent advises her to take a vacation, which she does by going to visit her sister in OBX North Carolina. She is terrified of being a one hit wonder so gets this boneheaded idea to get over her writer's block by finding a man to have a summer fling with, fall in love and leave with a broken heart. She offers Brick Babel an offer he can't refuse- she will give him the money to do the renovations on the failing tour company that he inherited from his grandfather if he pretends to be in a relationship with her, make her fall in love with him and then dump her, so she can get her writing groove back. She hadn't planned on breaking both their hearts.

Well developed and written characters, an unusual plot, a hysterical book signing and a lot of information about saving the loggerhead turtle. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading TheReluctant Flirt.

I was gifted with an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased, honest and voluntary review.

I was hopeful going into this read. I thought the cover was cute. Unfortunately, the plot wasn’t predictable and the characters were exactly what you would expect. It was hard to find originality in the book when it felt like I’ve seen movies with the same exact storyline. It was a struggle to get through.

Things I liked:
The setting in the Outer Banks- especially when doing baby turtle stake-outs and finding the wild horses
Brick and Aspen's chemistry when they started fake dating
The relationship between Aspen and her sister- they have no one but each other and the love and care they have for each other is evident.

Things I disliked:
How Aspen kept blatantly propositioning Brick, even when he said he had no interest
The third-act break-up. Predictable and expected in most romances, but did not like the reasoning in this one
Brick's 'reputation' and how it came to be and why it had been propagated for so long

It was a fun, beachy romance. The setting was fabulous and the author made you feel like you were in the Jeep with Brick and Aspen going searching for the wild horses or sitting on the beach late at night keeping an eye on the turtle nests. Brick seemed like 2 very different people to me, was he moody and broody or was he charismatic and charming? He kinda jumped between the two. I also would have loved to know more about his family background, his relationship with his grandfather and his grandfather's relationship with the town. I think that could have maybe helped with understanding the situation he was in better.
3.5 stars

Needing to follow up on her hit book, Aspen escapes away her sister’s house to try to recreate the environment and feelings from her life while writing it. Heartbreak, drama, hot men are all on the menu in this rom/com/dram book that’s full of spicy scenes and great chemistry!

I’ve never read a book by this author before. The writing and pace was up and down for me; some parts were so fast and fun, and others dragged. I loved the characters and their chemistry/banter, but a few things were just too easily solved for my own personal taste. If you enjoy spicy stories taken place on the beach with a lot of descriptive writing, this book is definitely for you. Cannot wait for the second book to be released!

Cute scenes, good characters but a little long winded and had a bit of trouble getting into it and through it. Overall, a good but plodding read. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the read.

Aspen Lourde, a struggling author in need of another bestseller, strikes a deal with the town’s most elusive heartbreaker, Brick Babel, to stage a whirlwind summer romance and guarantee herself the heartbreak needed for inspiration. But as real emotions creep in, Aspen must decide whether success is worth sacrificing a love story that’s rivals the best romance novels.

A very middle of the road romance - decent writing, good spice, a great combination of tropes. I found the characters to be a bit cliche at times, and ultimately wasn’t super into their romance as it felt canned and predictable. With all that being said, I would consider picking up another book by Jennifer Probst in the future.

3/5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst
3.5/5
The author's writing is great, I loved all of the characters, however I wasn't a fan of the insta-love trope, and some of the other themes.
I had heard great things about her books, and definitely wanted to give this one a shot. I will still be checking out some of her other titles as well!

I will not be sharing a review to any other sites at this time. Thank you!

If you’re a romance reader, Book of The Month has all your favourite tropes - small town romance, a business that needs saving, forced proximity, fake dating and a bad boy. Plus, all the spice you could hope for. It’s a unique plot and I enjoyed the glimpses in to being a writer. I enjoyed reading this book but I wasn’t fully invested in the couple. I found the dialogue from the love interest a little patronising/cringy at times. Overall though, I would recommend this to fans of the genre. I think it would make a good beach read.

DNF'd this at 50% but don't want the DNF to impact my % -- so I will be giving one star. I will not be negatively commenting on the book or submitting a review to anywhere else.

3.75 stars
This was a great book. The main character is an author, her first book was a hit, and she can’t seem to write another one. The catch with her first book was that it was about heartbreak. She is determined to find a way to break her heart in order to write another best seller. She meets a guy and they come up with an arrangement but do they both wind up getting hurt?

While I don't always love the "wanting someone to break your heart" tropes, I still liked this book. Even though I knew there would be an inevitable break up (and getting back together) I enjoyed reading as they built their relationship. I liked the main characters and the supporting characters were quirky and loveable. Plus there was a very entertaining mistaken drugging! I also liked learning about the horses.

It was a good read.

This book was just okay for me. I loved the description of OBX but I wish that we could have gotten some of that for Brick. I also wasn’t a fan of the instalove. The spicy scenes were also a little cringy for me.

A delightful, bookish romance that celebrates love, literature, and new beginnings. Probst delivers a cozy, feel-good read for book lovers everywhere!

Book of the Month was my first book by Jennifer Probst but it will not be my last! I can't wait to go to her back list and see all the gems that are awaiting me! This would make the perfect beach read or anytime that you want to slip out of reality. I love books about authors/books, so I really enjoyed this. Aspen and Brick were a lot of fun to read about and now I can't wait to find out what's going on with her sister Sierra and Brick's buddy Kane. The setting was neat and it was great to learn about the wild horses.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 22 October 2024

BOOK OF THE MONTH - Jennifer Probst

Great characters! - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Aspen is 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.

Writing - 4 stars - I was drawn into the story right away. It was an intriguing concept, and I enjoyed watching Aspen struggle to overcome her writer's block while also building a relationship with heartbreaker Brick. It was easy to fall into the summer vibe of the Outer Banks, especially when participating in the turtle rescue, seeing the wild mustangs, and visiting with the laid-back Marco and friends in the store next door.

Characters - 4.5 stars - This is where the story shone for me. Brick is a great hero. Of course, he's the unattainable man, and his bad reputation precedes him. But Aspen is convinced that he'll be able to break her heart, providing her with the impetus to write a second bestseller. So, she chases him, despite warnings. And it was so fun to watch them learn about each other, grow together, and share themselves. Both of them are broken and wary, but they really work together, and I was definitely rooting for their success. I liked Sierra, Aspen's sister, as a strong backup, supportive even if disapproving. Marco, Patsy, and Burger are terrific as the hippie-dippie T-shirt store owners. They're cool and sweet and surprisingly helpful. Kane is a good friend to Brick, and I suspect (and hope) that he and Sierra will have a future book together. Even the smaller characters added to the story (such as Maleficent the tour guide, Sierra's friends, and the various townfolk).

Title - 4 stars - Aspen made it to the "book of the month" status with her first published book, but she's struggling to repeat that.

Cover - 4 stars - I like the fairly plain cover since it's eye-catching and a beautiful color.

Overall - 4 stars - This was a very pleasant read, and I enjoyed every moment of it. It has a conflict that makes sense (even if pretty unusual), supported by intelligent and caring characters. I loved the relaxed vibe of the Outer Banks, with beautiful descriptions of the area and the connection to nature.

DNF at 47%. The whole plot is too predictable and unbelievable. The weird stilted characters are all so eye roll inducing. The female MC needs a man to solve her problems, the overprotective (though already aware of the situation?!) sibling, the easily reached unreachable man. I just can’t.

Mmm. Not sure how I felt about this one, honestly. The premise sounded really fun, but it fell a little flat for me. I *wanted* to enjoy it more than I did. There were just a few things I wish had been handled a little better.
Overall, it’s not a bad book, so I’ll just say it’s not my cup of tea and a decent 3.5 stars.

I received an advance copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own, and a review was not required.

too predictable for my taste. put it down after about 20% of the book because i just didnt feel like itd be worth my time.
typical "hes the bad boy who doesnt fall for anyone but everyone tries to change him. she tries not to and is the one to do" cant be bothered