I thought this book had an interesting premise and as a book lover, I enjoyed reading from the perspective of an author. However, I found the book to be quite slow and I wasn’t fond of the characters. I would try another book by the author though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for providing this book in exchange for a review.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an advanced look at this book. Aspen is a writer that poured out a popular novel after a bad breakup. While facing some writer’s block and an approaching deadline, she goes to visit her sister and see if she can conjure up a summer fling to give her the inspiration she needs for her next book. It took me a little bit to get into this one, but was excited to see there is going to be a sequel, so I guess I liked it more than I thought! I definitely flew through the last 2/3 of the book. It is quite spicy, lots of bedroom scenes, so keep that in mind. I give this book a 3.5 but I’ll round it to a 4 for the likable side characters and the goofy dog.

I really enjoy when we have a forced relationship situation in romances. It creates such good banter and that was what I really enjoyed in Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst. This was the first book that I have read from her and picked it based on the contract relationship between Aspen and Brick. The premise of needing a painful break up to write a new best seller is what starts the premise of a relationship between Aspen and Brick. Brick needs some money to turnaround his failing business and the fake relationship will achieve his goal. Enjoyed the spice between the characters
and their growth during the book. Book of the Month also had great side characters that added humor and perspective. I will be reading more from this author in the future. I thank NetGalley for this Arc.

This was a fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Books for providing me with a free Advance Reader's copy of this book. In Book of the Month, the main character Aspen is struggling with writer's block and the challenge of writing another best seller. Her first book was a best seller, but also was autobiographical. Her other books have not been successful, and she is under pressure to write another successful book. Brick is the "hottest bachelor in town", so she sets out to date him to help her write her book. A number of things didn't work for me with this book, but I really felt Aspen, and Probst's writing of her character and struggles is very real and authentic. I felt like Aspen pursued Brick in multiple ways, and he wasn't interested. This was depressing as it made her seem desperate. I enjoyed Aspen's relationship with her sister Sierra, who was a really fun character. The setting of Corolla really appealed to me as I have been there multiple times. Overall, this was a fun summer read and I appreciate the opportunity to read and review it.

Aspen Lourde is a best selling author whose stuck in a bit of writers block after some lackluster sales. She decides to spend the summer with her sister away from NYC and hatches a plan to fall in love (and heartbreak)to fuel her next book. Brick Babel is living in OBX trying to resuscitate his grandfathers business. He's running out of time and money to turn it around, while facing some pretty foul rumors of being a womanizer and heartbreaker. Aspen offers Brick the money his business needs in exchange for the relationship her next book is relying on. But what happens if they really fall for eachother? Will she end up choosing the guy or the book?

This is my first Jennifer Probst book and I can honestly say not my last. I was cheering these characters on, laughing at them, and crying for them. The spice was also delightfully spicy and not cringe. I highly recommend Book of the Month. Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this.

3.75
This book started slow- The middle was great and the ending upset me. It did get the emotions going though.
I liked it.
Give it a go and let me know what you think.

Maybe it’s on me that I thought this was less of a romance, but wow was this smutty and not what I expected (or really wanted). Aspen acts like a child; the way she approaches the entire setup and how she interacts in the publishing world is so vastly immature and unrealistic. I was not rooting for her and it made it hard to give a shit about anyone else (like Brick, what an absolute stupid name). Also felt a bit icky how they gloss over the fact her only other relationship experience was being groomed by her professor in what seemed to be a very ethically wrong situation???

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

the more i read, the more i discover how emotional i am toward books. character can literally say “i’m sorry” in a very dramatic way and i’m sobbing. interesting is… i’m a complete opposite in a real life. guess that’s why i like reading 👀 i’m mentioning this because i had tears in my eyes for at least 4 times while reading. the ending was too emotional for me and i definitely didn’t expected it; i thought he would take her back…

main characters chemistry. it was immediate but overfictional. i can’t quite understand how he turned into being obsessed with her so quickly. it was weird but considering it’s a fiction, i think? i’m okay with it. i found enjoyable side characters and the whole aesthetic of small town. the store and backgrounds of all characters were great developed and i’m actually so ready for sierra’s book. brick was soo sweet and i was so sad for him at the end.

club for people who brick rejected? that was sooo weird and a little cringy. i’ve never heard of that and i was laughing every time they were mentioned. to add, sometimes i wished this book was smaller because i was loosing interest in the main couple with 60% as nothing much was happening

I was excited to dive into Jennifer Probst’s latest novel, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. While the premise had potential and there were a few moments that shone, overall, the book felt predictable and lacked depth.

The characters, while charming at first, quickly became one-dimensional, and I found it hard to connect with their motivations. The romance, which is usually Probst’s strength, felt rushed and lacked the emotional build-up needed to make me care about the outcome.

The pacing also dragged in places, with repetitive dialogue and scenes that added little to the plot. I kept waiting for something to grab my attention, but it never quite got there.

I wanted to love this book, but in the end, it just didn’t stand out for me. Fans of the author may still enjoy it, but for me, it was a miss.

*Book of the Month* by Jennifer Probst is a captivating romance about a bestselling author who needs a fresh heartbreak to fuel her next novel. Aspen Lourde’s plan to use local heartthrob Brick Babel as her muse takes a twist when their fake romance turns into something real, challenging both their lives and careers. Probst skillfully blends humor, passion, and emotional depth, delivering a story that explores the price of love and the search for true inspiration. This book is a delightful read for fans of romantic escapades with a touch of self-discovery.

4⭐️ arc review - thank you to net galley for this advanced copy!

Book of the Month was my first Jennifer Probst book and definitely will not be my last! I loved her writing style and loved the adventure she took the reader on until the very last page - you really had no idea which turn it was going to take.

I agree with other readers, I needed more about Sierra but cannot wait for a book telling us the real story with Sierra and Kane!

Book of the Month follows an author a few years after her debut novel was a viral hit. Her last two books were a huge flop and she is grasping at straws. Aspen is stuck and believes she needs a change of pace and specific formula to create the sequel that her readers, agent, and publisher are needing. On the advice of her agent, Aspen moves to her sister's beach house in North Carolina for the summer, looking for inspiration and finding exactly what she thought she needed...

I saw this book and was immediately drawn to the cover and description. It hinted at the rom-com style of books that I have been devouring lately. All in all, it proved to be just that! The setting in OBX, NC among the wild horses was a charming choice and gave lots of plot worthy details. I loved the main characters' witty banter and how they were able to stand alone. The secondary characters were full of personality and extremely memorable. There are quite a few spicy scenes (about a 3.5/5 on the spice scale) and the plot moves along at a medium pace to keep me interested. The additions of current BookTok culture and even Duck Donuts made my little millennial heart so happy!

There were just a few things about this one that were not my favorite- overall, I truly liked reading this book and will happily pick up the sequel. Some of the phrasing surround the MMC was repetitive and off-putting at times, (specifically mentioning his "masculine energy" and "primitive, caveman brain" too many times for my liking) and the forced southern nuances because of the setting in the Outer Banks, NC were just a little too unbelievable for me at. (The mention of sweet tea as "cool, sweet liquid trickling down" everyone's throats was a little shutter-worthy.)

Overall, this book gets a 3.5 from me and I am looking forward to reading about Sierra and Kane in the future!

Desperate for another bestseller… and will go to any length to get it. Even if it means chasing the hottest bachelor in town...

Once a golden girl, Aspen Lourde can’t seem to produce another successful book. Her bestseller was a heartbreak hit, straight from her own love life disaster. Aspen needs inspiration.

Brick Babel is a romance novelist’s dream: he has a wild reputation. He’s everything Aspen, gorgeous, moody. His affairs are well known in the small town, and everyone warns her off. She needs it to write her book.

When Aspen hears Brick tour company is going bankrupt she offers him a deal: pretend a summer romance.
Brick need to save his grandfather’s business, he agrees. What starts as a fling, real feelings come out.

Book of the Month isn’t about finding love, t’s about finding yourself.

I picked up this book first because the cover reminded me of “The Seven Year Slip”, which I absolutely loved, second because I can never say no to a book about books, and third because a story about a struggling author thinking she needs a heartbreak in order to write another bestseller sounded to good to pass on.
Although the beginning felt a little slow to me, I really liked Aspen and Brick’s story. I think the part where things started to click for me was when they went on their first tour and we got to see the horses (I’m a horse girly at heart) and a slightly more vulnerable side of Brick.
I loved that all the characters felt very real and flawed, that make mistakes and struggle with their life decisions. Also, it was supposed to be a fake relationship but I liked that it felt real from the beginning, making me doubt as much as the characters if it was real or not.
All the side characters were really funny and I can’t wait to know more about Sierra’s story!
Overall, I think it’s a great story in a cozy summer setting with relatable characters, and if you like romcoms that may also break your heart, then this book is for you 😄

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read, and enjoyed, several other books by this author. I enjoyed this one as much as the others that I have read!

This was one of those books that I was either totally into or meh on at various times. Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate it. It'll be an all-around hit for many. I just couldn't fully connect to the characters or scenario. I mean, main character Aspen spends a great deal of time telling us she's not particularly attractive, just average, has a too large nose, etc etc etc, but at the same time she's confident enough to believe she can win over the town's seemingly hot guy. Brick? He did have a dog, though, so he won points from me. Grin.

The basis of the plot was both a bit egotistic and self-centered. Aspen needed inspiration for another potential book-of-the-month. Her plan was to have a hot summer romance with Brick, whose reputation for loving them and dumping them seemed to be legend, thus breaking her heart and giving her he perfect plot for her next novel. Brick earned a few more point with me for initially rebuffing her. It's only because he needs to save the business he inherited from his grandfather that he comes around when Aspen offers something too much needed to turn down. Let's face it. Albeit in different ways, both Aspen and Brick are under great pressure to produce results. He rather envies his friend Marco's seemingly carefree lifestyle while Aspen admires her sister Sierra's life choices that lead her to settle in the Outer Banks after the pain of a divorce from her cheating husband, so you know right away these two may have more in common than they think.

The story really begins here after he accepts and begins to actually like this wannabe-girlfriend. And, she likes him back. Plot twist. Only Aspen isn't quite ready to give up on her original idea that easy. That's when things get both hot and complicated. I won't detail the plot further other than to say that the sexual encounters seem to be what is now being tagged as open-door. I've reached the point where that doesn't really intrigue me much any longer, so I tend to lean toward closed-door, only in my imagination encounters, which may be why I found myself impatiently skimming through the sexual bits that may entice others. To each his own. We do get sections from Brick's point-of-view, btw, which is where he details not just his family ties/situation but Aspen's, uh, mind-blowing skills....and he doesn't mean as a writer, although he's quite supportive.
Bottom line, the book was alternately a 3.5/4.0 for me. I'd fall into a scene only to suddenly realize I was skimming and wasn't interested enough to go back and reread. Again, that's is probably on me, not the author. As noted, I enjoyed the story, especially as it spurred my thoughts on the pressure even best selling authors are under to constantly produce another best seller. There also seemed to be more telling than showing, if that makes sense. I definitely enjoyed the Outer Banks as a setting, especially the idea of wild horses. What can I say? I was a horse crazy girl. So, while I didn't love the book, I enjoyed it. Thanks #BlueBoxPress for sharing the story of Aspen and Brick with me. Looking forward to seeing what happens with Marco and Sierra.

The beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina is the perfect setting for “Book of the Month”, the latest romance from Jennifer Probst. Her heroine, Aspen, is a successful author who gained instant fame with her debut novel. Since then she has written two more books that just didn’t live up to the standards her fans were expecting. The reason behind this was that when she wrote her first book, she was coming off a terrible break up that left her broken, depressed and ready to give up, but surprisingly this mind set resulted in a deeply personal story that spoke to the masses. Aspen went on a whirlwind book tour and was the darling of the literary world, but even now, her fans only wanted to talk about “that book” and what it meant to them. Her current ideas are stale, her motivation non-existent, so she decided to escape to the beach to find her mojo once again.

Who would have thought Aspen would find inspiration with a very handsome, local business owner, who needed her help as much as she needed him? Brick was the most popular, single man in town, but romance was not on his agenda. He was working hard to revitalize his grandfather’s tour business, but when Aspen offered him the deal of a lifetime, it was impossible to say no. When you think about it, who would intentionally fall in love with someone in order to write a new book, then turn around and break up with them? That is what Aspen’s plan was, but did she really think she wouldn’t break Brick’s heart in the process? Aspen enjoyed spending time with Brick, but for the sake of her sanity, they could only be friends. I thought Brick was perfect and I felt bad for him because he was crazy about Aspen and she was only using him to further her career. I had no idea what would happen between these star crossed lovers, but as with any new romance, I was hoping for a magical happily ever after!

In Book of the Month, Jennifer Probst crafts a contemporary romance that intertwines the struggles of a fading literary star with the intoxicating allure of summer love. Aspen Lourde, once the darling of the book world, finds herself grappling with the daunting pressure to pen another bestseller. Her debut—a heartfelt narrative drawn from her own love misadventures—has left her at a creative standstill, and Probst skillfully captures the anxiety and desperation that accompany a fear of being a one-hit-wonder.
Probst’s narrative excels in its exploration of the theme of sacrifice for creativity. Aspen’s decision to pursue a faux romance with Brick—framed as a desperate need for fresh heartbreak—adds layers of complexity to her character. The tension between ambition and authenticity is palpable, forcing Aspen to confront the morals of her quest.
The chemistry between Aspen and Brick crackles throughout the pages. Their initial contractually obligated fling is filled with comedic moments and heartfelt interactions that oscillate between lighthearted banter and deeper emotional revelations. The writing is quintessential Probst—witty, engaging, and filled with relatable sentiments about love, ambition, and the pursuit of happiness. The outer landscape of the Outer Banks reflects the inner turmoil of the characters, drawing readers into a world that feels both familiar and enchanting.
This book is more than just a story about finding love; it’s an exploration of what it means to truly live one’s story. As Aspen navigates her mixed feelings towards Brick and her career, you’ll find yourself rooting for her triumph over both internal and external obstacles.
Overall, Jennifer Probst delivers a delightful summer read that captures the essence of romance, creativity, and the complexities of human emotions. For anyone yearning for a tale that balances lighthearted escapism with deeper personal growth, this book is sure to satisfy.

I was hoping I would love this book, especially after reading the plot, but I’m sad to say the book fell a little flat for me. I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style, the “steamy” scenes or fully interested in the characters. I found myself struggling to finish the book, and I believe it was mostly because everything felt predictable but easy.

Book of The Month is about a bestselling author who is desperate to recreate the success of her first novel, but unfortunately it was completely based off of her own heartbreak. Without the drive of inner turmoil, she’s struggling to catch the spark to write - until she meets the town’s local heartbreaker. A few eventful things later and a deal for a fake summer romance is struck.

This being my first Probst novel, I wasn’t completely sure what to expect. I found this book to be a fun summer romance with good banter and great secondary characters. I really enjoyed the premise of the story and thought that it had excellent potential, but I was left feeling as though I wanted a bit more from it (specifically with the heartbreak) and wishing that I felt a bit more of a connection with the primary characters. I think that the writing style and overall execution was a bit difficult for me to grip onto and found myself putting the book aside before I could finish it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the eARC!