What a riveting story. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. This is not one I will forget any time soon.

Book of the Month...why did you deceive me so?
I tried, I really did but I just could NOT get into this book. The MFC whined about only being able to write a book based off of her experience and only wanted to write an instant best seller. I honestly have no idea if she ever hit it off with the grumpy gus owner of the tour business because I couldn't take her back and forth of writing a book of the month. She needed this for the book of the month, she needed to do that for a book of the month. I GOT THE PICTURE. Ya'll I like Jennifer Probst I swear but this one was just NOT getting anywhere, I had to throw in the towel at 25%.

Apologies for the delayed review as I just had to move on and start other books and failed to post back here.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this, please don't deny me in the future lol.

This was such a sweet book. I enjoyed reading aspen and bricks story. ❤️ it took me longer to read than expected due to things going on in my life and I wish I had read it sooner.

I really enjoyed this book. Great character development. I clearly need to work on my reviews - but this book is one i will construe to recommend!!

Due to its one-dimensional characters, lack of romantic chemistry and over-reliance on well-trodden tropes, unfortunately this lighthearted story did not reel me in or get me invested.

Aspen and Brick’s relationship felt so forced. I understood that that would come with the territory when striking a deal to date, but even their interactions and dialogue felt stilted. It didn’t help that I wasn't charmed by either character. I particularly found Aspen to be frustratingly shallow and borderline creepy in her pursuit of Brick.

The plot was cliché, not in the familiarly comforting sort of way, but the exhaustingly stereotypical one. This leant the story a predictability that slowed down the pace. Sadly, in place of humour, there was an overwhelming feeling of cringe.

Thank you Net Galley, Jennifer Probst, and Blue Box Press for an ARC of Book of the Month! I was granted an ARC of this book months ago but life caught up with me and I got behind.

An author who needs some inspiration for her next best seller? Enter a local heartthrob to help her with her next book. Through writing her new story, she ends up with a new book and something else! I really enjoyed these characters and the obstacles they overcame as they developed feelings in a "contract relationship."

I CAN"T WAIT for Sierra and Kane's story!

Aspen wrote one book that was popular with her fans and ever since, she's been unable to tap into the same well of despair to create another popular read, no matter how well she writes. She visits her sister in the Outer Banks of NC and runs into Brick. Brick's locally infamous for breaking women's hearts. Aspen decides to hire Brick to break her heart in order to give her the inspiration she needs to write another bestseller.
The setting of this book was fun and both characters were interesting. I definitely felt their attraction-I just don't know that the central conflict was something that I could understand. Towards the end, there was a misunderstanding that I felt dragged on too long.
That being said, it was an enjoyable read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

My Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶🌶/🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

What an amazing trope author and fake dating! I couldn’t put this down!

Aspen is an author and her first published book was a bestseller, unbeknownst to her fans it was based on her former shattered relationship and heartbreak. Now she’s stuck her last book was a dud and she feels like she may just be another on hit wonder author. Pressured by her agent for another bestseller, she heads to the Outer Banks to visit her sister, and look for inspiration.
Enter Brick Babel he’s gorgeous and has a bit of a reputation around the small town for one night stands and breaking hearts. He inherited his grandfathers tour company and it’s going bankrupt. He desperately needs money. Aspen needs a heartache she thinks he will make a perfect candidate , so she offers him a deal. She will pay for his tour company to have renovations and not go bankrupt if he will fake a whirlwind summer romance, then ditch her, drama guaranteed. Desperate to save his grandfather’s business, Brick agrees to the ridiculous deal. What starts as a contractual fling spirals out of control as lines blur and real feelings emerge. Brick’s falling hard, and Aspen’s rethinking her plot twist. The novel might be her ticket back to the top, but at what cost? Book of the Month isn’t just about finding love where you least expect it.
It’s about finding yourself in the pages of life’s unexpected chapters. This was a perfect read. I loved the characters Brick was perfect Aspen was a breath of fresh air and the other characters had me laughing and loving them all. I cannot wait for the next book!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Blue Box Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars

I kept going back and forth between 3 and 4 stars and finally settled on 3.5 stars. There were a lot of things I loved about this book and several things that didn't work for me so well.
It took me a while to warm up to our FMC, but I eventually grew to really like her. The MMC was a sweetheart with a gruff exterior. The ending absolutely made this book. I would recommend this book to any romance or women's fiction lover.

This was my first book by Jennifer Probst. This was a light and fun summer romance. I did find that the middle felt a bit slow. The slow burn romance was just a bit too slow.

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it fell a bit flat. The characters lacked chemistry to the point Aspen felt almost over bearing. Her character arc felt disingenuous but also she felt a bit juvenile.

This was such a fun story. I liked the chemistry between the main characters, and I love a good fake dating storyline.

3 1/2

After a devastating romantic breakup, Aspen Lourde pens an extremely successful novel that explores the depths of her despair. Her subsequent novels, while well-written, can’t match the success of her first novel. Since that first novel was based on her life, Aspen decides that she has to write another novel detailing a real-life (to fiction) romance and breakup. While visiting her older sister in the Outer Banks, Aspen sets her sights on local “love ’em and leave ’em” Brick Babel. But Brick Babel is more than the reputation he has garnered, which Aspen soon discovers in Jennifer Probst’s Book of the Month.

Well, you can imagine my delight in a romance actually being set in my beloved Outer Banks. For the most part, Probst does a good job of bringing the setting alive, especially with her very welcome research regarding the wild ponies and sea turtles. Because of that research, I was a little startled when she gave an OBX home a cellar/basement. Oopsie. Highly unlikely. But the rest was pretty spot on.

Anyway.

Despite the setting, this wasn’t one of my favorite Jennifer Probst romances. I felt that the characters, motivation, behavior, reactions were far more simplistic than in her typical richly-detailed novels. Funnily enough, it made me wonder if she were caving slightly to reader pressure to write something more steamy and simple at the cost of writing something memorable in the same way that Aspen Lourde’s publishers wanted her to do.

All in all, a pleasant read but not as distinctive as the author’s typical works.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy.

This one started out so strong and I was frustrated at the beginning when my Kindle wouldn’t connect on my flight, then in my hotel room. I was able to resume when I got home and I kept reading off and on. I liked the story and was invested. About halfway through the chemistry between the characters ignited and it became a full blaze! I ultimately ended up enjoying the whole story, despite some doubts midway.

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

I am torn on how I want to review this book. There was some decent banter and steamy moments that were enjoyable. But I did find the leading lady a bit immature. I didn’t love how she felt she had to have heartbreak to be able to write. I am not a writer, so maybe I am wrong in thinking there are other ways to get a good book. Also? A club for women who were scorned about Brick? So cringy and weird. I also hated the ending. If you read this, would love to know what you thought about it.

Bottom Line: This one kept me entertained, but had cringy moments and I truly hated the ending.

**I received a copy of Book of the Month from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.**

This was the first book I have read by Jennifer Probst and won't be the last. I enjoyed the story line - an author struggling to write a sequel to her previous best seller, one that she wrote when she was heart broken, she thinks repeating the past will have the same results. This story is written in a third person POV, it's a fake dating troupe filled with intrigue, mystery and .healing, character growth, some banter and teasing, and fall at the same time. I enjoyed the Outer Banks setting in NC, which is actually on my bucket list of places to visit, and the side characters, some of which I hope get their own story. I'm already searching for more books by this author!

Aspen is a writer. Desperate to write another bestselling book, she plunged herself into a scenario where she can hopefully find some inspiration. With a fake dating trope and a MMC that is equal parts rough exterior and cinnamon roll interior, this was the perfect book. I loved that it was part romance and enough spice to keep it entertaining. I really enjoyed the characters and I’m a sucker for a bookish book.

Romance lovers this one’s for you! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Blue Box books for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst is a romance novel with one of my favorite tropes: fake dating. This fake dating scenario has a unique twist, however; the dating is not so much fake as it is for a limited time, with the ultimate goal being to break author Aspen Lourde's heart in order to give her the deep emotional pain she believes she needs to write her next bestseller. The story is set in Corolla, North Carolina, in the area of the Outer Banks where wild horses roam. Brick, the local legendary ladies' man, is Aspen's target for her fake dating scheme. Of course, the pair catch feelings for each other, complications and misunderstandings ensue, and if it weren't for all of the steamy, spicy scenes, this could be a Hallmark movie, complete with goofy supporting characters and charming small-town antics. All in all, a mostly lighthearted read with some depth, especially in the main characters' backstories.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the chance to read and review this fun rom-com.

Before I begin, I want to thank AuthorBuzz/NetGalley for providing me with this arc of Book of the Month. <3 Although I abhor writing negative reviews of books that authors put their heart and soul into, I am going to be completely honest about my thoughts on this book.

Admittedly, I sympathized with Aspen’s struggle to reconcile the fact that “she’d lost her value of writing a good story and the quiet satisfaction and pride of reaching the end” as well as appreciated the insight into the publishing business. Although this may be true, Book of the Month is one of those books that feeds into my cynicism about love.

Regarding Aspen’s character, the only consistent quality of her personality is her stubbornness, also her shyness seems unnaturally exaggerated. Personally, the only relatable thing about her is that she finds folding the corners of book pages to be criminal…Brick’s personality is no better than Aspen’s. And he is possessive to the point where I expected him to growl at anyone who looked Aspen’s way. Don’t get me started on how he is CONSTANTLY sexualized. Every time his “sexual masculine energy” was mentioned I wanted to crawl into a hole. :/ Unfortunately, the romance b/w Brick and Aspen is excessively sexual. Every conversation/encounter they had ended with a sexual thought or action.

At this point, I truly think I need to stop reading contemporary romance books because they only disappoint me :(…Anyway, I sadly wouldn’t recommend reading Book of the Month, which contains swearing and spice, for the aforementioned reasons.