This one is one of the tougher books for me to rate. It was an easy read with a great setting, fun characters, and good premise. For some reason, I just didn't connect with the story as much as I expected. Some parts felt far fetched and I just couldn't really believe that these characters were making the choices that they did make - sometimes it seemed SO obviously wrong. I know there are tons of people out there who will love this and I think I might have a more favorable opinion if I was laying on the beach in Outer Banks reading this. I just know that I read and loved some of Probst's other books and I connected a bit better (which...after reading this story I feel terribly guilty writing in this review :))

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

If you enjoy small town, slightly meta romances this is the story for you. Aspen and Brick’s romance might have been built on false pretenses but you can see how their relationship grows, becomes real, and they start to support each other in both love and business. Perfect for reading on the beach! Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the ARC.

I was unfortunately unable to finish this book after about 25%. While I really liked the description and enjoyed the start of this book, the further along I got, the harder time I had staying interested. I didn’t really connect with the characters and had trouble with the dialogue.

While it was not for me, I know that there will be plenty of readers who will enjoy this one!

4.5 stars. I am a big fan of this author. I loved Aspen & Brick. They are such awesome characters. Their chemistry was sizzling and could not be ignored. I am a big fan of the fake romance trope because it always ends up becoming so real. The reason for the start of this fake relationship was so different from any I’ve ever read, which made it awesome! I just loved this story so much.
The characters are all awesome and it was very easy to relate to them and love them. Some of the ensemble cast are charming and funny.
Brick has a bad rep around town with the ladies. And that is pretty much the draw for Aspen to proposition him to date her while she is staying there so he can break her heart and she can get fuel to write her next book. But you know the best laid plans and all that.
This is a very enjoyable and entertaining story!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great read! I liked the character arcs and the plot overall.

After the first chapter and getting used to the character this book ended up being a pretty quick read for me. I enjoyed the setting, the goals and backgrounds on the characters but would have much more preferred to be shown instead of just being told about the scenes. It made it feel quite detached.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions in this review are strictly my own.
Aspen is a writer who has suffered writers block. Her first novel was a huge best seller a d her books since then have been so-so. She doesn't want to write a sequel to the first book but her fans and publisher is pushing hard for that to happen.
Aspen was heartbroken and angry when she wrote the first book.and has now decided she must go through all of that hurt and emotions again to write another great book.
Aspen decides to stay with her sister foe the summer and have a summer affair and get her heartbroken again so.she can write what her fans want.
Brick is known for being a womanizer and major Heartbreaker. Aspen sets her sights on Brick. They enter into a contract for the summer. He'll date her and she'll help him save his struggling tour business.
Needlessly, both Aspen and Brick got more than they bargained for.
A fun read about healing, hurt, romance and finding yourself..

3.5/5
Thank you @getredprbooks #partner for the gifted copy of this book!

What would you do to get over your writers block? Well Aspen has just the plan! Aspen’s first book was a number one hit, off the charts, top published book and that’s because she based it in her real life heartbreak. Since swearing off that situation she’s not been able to get the same emotion written into her next book due to not having this real life emotion! The best was she can rectify it is to take off for summer vacation to the outer banks, fake date (via a contract) and local hottie named Brick, fall in love and then force him to break up with her! 🤣 The local stud is actually in need of some cash since his business is going under so he hesitantly agrees. Love seems to come easy but the break up is even harder!

I thought this was such a fun summer romcom book! Aspen and Brick had some good banter and chemistry after Brick got over being so grumpy! I liked Bricks character and how he really tried hard to fill the shoes Aspen gave him. He ended up being sweet and I enjoyed his character the most! Although I really don’t think anyone would actually draw up a contract like this it was still funny to watch play out and the author proves why something like this would be a bad idea IRL! I had a little bit of a love hate relationship with Aspen because of her attitude at times but she had some funny moments that made me chuckle. Overall, this was a fun one and I can’t wait to see what Jennifer comes up with next!!

This was such a fun book, with a very unique and different type of fake dating (Which is one of my favorite tropes!) I enjoyed reading about Aspen's process as a writer and loved her introverted and shy personality. Brick was a mis-understood man who showed a depth of emotions that made him such a swoon-worthy MMC. I had never read any books by Jennifer Probst before, and I was happy to find that her writing kept me engaged , interested and wanting to keep reading to see what happens! If you are a fan of small tourist/beach town romances with fake dating and a lot of book and writing talk, you'll love this one!

Wonderful book! Can Aspen get the Most Wanted bachelor in town to help her find inspiration for her new book? Small town setting? Check. Fake relationship? Check. HEA? Check. This book took me on a wild ride and I loved every minute of Aspen and Bricks journey.

Unfortunately, this book did not work out for me. Thank you so much for the review copy. The premise sounded interesting but the more I read the more this arrangement didn’t make sense. The heroine wanted him not to phone it and kept asking if it was because she was paying him and but she is paying him so it was a bery big oxymoron to me.

I loved every second of this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Jennifer Probst for my ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a sucker for books about authors or other people who love books, so having Aspen's job be an author is an automatic draw for me and compelled me to read this book in the first place, but what kept me reading was the beautiful characters, swoon-worthy romance, and unexpected plot development.

I love that while this book is mainly a romance, both Aspen and Brick have very interesting plots and personal struggles outside of the relationship. Their goals are what drive them to create the deal in the first place, but I love that the goals continue to be a driving force throughout the story. I found it made both of them very relatable and more interesting as the romance was only an element of their story.

This book is so much fun and I highly encourage others to pick it up!

Aspen is an author who has struggled after her inial book was a bestseller. The problem is that book was birthed after Aspen’s heart was broken by a toxic relationship. After two less than stellar books, Aspen believes the only was to get her writing mojo back is to have her heart broken again. So she heads to the Outer Banks to spend the summer with her sister. There she meets the towns #1 heartbreaker, Brick. But Brick politely turns her advances down. Since he needs funds to save his grandfather’s tour guide company, he agrees to Aspen’s. Razz plans to to date for the summer, get her to fall in love with him, and then break her heart. He’ll get the funds he needs and she’ll get the heartbreak she needs to fuel another bestseller. What could possibly go wrong? Brick isn’t the man the town makes him out to be and he falls in love for real. So does Aspen. During the book, I kept wanting to give her advice. I’m so glad the book turned out like I want and can’t wait to read about Sierra and Kane next.

I have read many books from this author, and she is one of my favorites when I am searching for an HEA.

I have to admit that the beginning of the story took some time to gain momentum, but there was a point where the characters were developing, and you did not want to put the book down.

Aspen is a bestselling author who is experiencing writer's block. Her debut novel was an instant hit, but it was because the story was about her own heartbreak. while she survived the heartache, her next two novels did not do well, and the pressure was on to produce a hit. She decided to visit her sister to see if a change of scenery could give her inspiration. She learned through rumors that the gorgeous man who keeps to himself was the muse she needed to complete her novel.

Brick is running a business that he inherited from his grandfather. It is in bad shape, and he needs a miracle to avoid losing everything. He encounters Aspen while drinking alone at a bar and while she is attractive, he does not want to engage. She reappears and makes him a deal. She will pay him to be her love interest with the agreement that he will break her heart. She is transparent with her motives and because he is desperate, he agrees.

The two decide to take it slow so they can create get to know one another and while each understands what the end game is, they are starting to have feelings for each other. Aspen is getting under Brick's skin, and he is falling for her. But Aspen is determined to produce her novel and the story takes an unexpected turn. Without giving up any spoilers, I can share that this story had the "feels" and the supporting characters were a lot of fun. There is a second story to follow and given the introduction to the characters, I cannot wait to experience more with this series.

This is a story about a writer with its pressure to produce multiple best sellers. Although previously a best selling writer, Aspen Lourdes has hit a slump. To move forward, she moves to her sister’s beach home and devises a plan to recreate the conditions that enabled her to write the previous best seller. Predictively it backfires. During the course of the summer she learns about herself, relationships, and how to truly love. I really enjoyed Brick. He seemed genuinely charming. I found it hard to get into this book and the main character, but once I did it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for the preview read in exchange for an honest review.

I hate when I have to be honest about a book I vehemently disliked, so for that reason I won't be posting this anywhere else online apart from NetGalley.

The premise of this book sounded so fun and promising but I sadly had to DNF at 20%. It was unbearably cringey and not in a sweet Hallmark-y way but in a gross/ slightly disturbing way. The FMC was basically harassing the MCM. The dialogue was painful to read. Any attempt at humor fell completely flat. The characters (all of them) were very unlikeable. I really tried to like this but it was getting worse and worse so I had to stop.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Blue Box for providing this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Full of emotion and unexpected turns, this unorthodox romance novel includes some typical tropes and runs roughshod over others. I enjoyed the meta narrative, the beautiful setting, and the surprising plot points.

Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to Get Red PR and NetGalley for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This was fairly boring for me for almost the first third of the story where not much happened. I seriously considered having to DNF it but it picked up when Brick came into the picture. I really liked his character. Aspen, not so much. She got on my nerves pretty quickly and it didn't let up. Her "woe is me" attitude was annoying and I couldn't understand the insta-love from Brick. The "let's bash Brick club" was cringe worthy. What the heck was that about?? I could have done without that plot line altogether. But, I did like the small town community feel and the side characters, and especially the part about the sea turtles!

Thank you NetGalley for the early read. Aspen is having writer's block and having trouble producing another book that will be as successful as her first. She goes to visit her sister to look for writing inspiration. Enter Brick. He's local heartthrob and known as a player who has left many women brokenhearted. Aspen works out a business proposition: create a fake summer romance and dump her and she will give him money for his failing business. The premise seemed like it had a lot of potential, but there was a lot of repetition and the dialogue was just off to me. I also felt like he overreacted towards the end of the book (which was surprising since he didn't love the way all of the women in town gossiped about him and had a club named after him).

2.5 Stars (I'm rounding up to 3)

Book of the Month 3.5/5

Comfy beach read? Check.
Beautiful love interest? Check.
- Who has a past and isn’t perfect but is working on being better? Now we get interesting.
Wild horses and sea turtles? Check.

Personally I wasn’t as much of a fan of the FMC, who was a little too narrow minded in her focus on her goal, but it was an enjoyable, easy read. Perfect for people looking for a literal beach read while they’re on vacation and looking for a little summer romance.

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