Book of the month, written by Jennifer Probst, is an inter-connected standalone, fake dating novel. This is my first time reading this author and I was very happy with the story and writing!

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Romance
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Publication date: October 22, 2024

Aspen (FMC)
Author

Brick (MMC)
Tour company owner

Aspen and Brock meet when the FMC visits her sister for some much needed relaxing downtime so that she can write her next novel. Her first novel hit the best-seller list due to it being based on her own heartbreak after her fiancé left her at the alter. Since then she has been struggling to produce the same quality of storylines.

Brick has taken ownership of his grandfathers beach tour business and is struggling to make ends meet and keep it open and relevant. Brick also has a bad reputation with the local ladies, leading him to be very grumpy when he first meets the FMC.

Together, they create an arrangement that suits them both.

Their banter was very cute when they first started spending time together. I loved how they both went willingly into their agreement of fake dating in order for her to get the story she needs to write and him to get the money he needs to keep his grandfathers business from failing.

No cheating or OW/OM drama minus a little bit of pettiness at the beginning. There is a third act breakup, with a little bit of a separation that is resolved quickly.

The side characters were excellent! Can’t wait to read the FMC’s sister and the MMC’s best friends story!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title!

<b><i>”Wait. Had that encounter just happened, or was she caught in the middle of a book scene and had made the whole thing up?”</i></b>


⭑⭑’s
DNF at 23%
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! I really appreciate it. Everything below is my own, unbiased opinions.


⤷ I’m sorry, but this book just didn’t do it for me. I really hate DNFing an ARC, but I am a strong believer that if I don’t like a book, I shouldn’t have to finish it, <i> especially </i> if it’s a super lusty romance book, because those really aren’t my thing. This book follows Aspen, a woman whose book career takes a turn for the worse when, after her first book is a major hit, can’t write anything else that pleases her audience. Desperate for some fresh inspiration, she visits her sister in the Outer Banks, where she makes it her goal to get with the town’s infamous heartbreaker, hoping that he’ll break HER heart so she can write her next raw, emotional, romance novel. Unfortunately, she hits on the guy and he shows no interest in her. Anddd that’s about as far as I got before I decided this wasn’t for me.


⤷<u> The writing style: </u>
The writing itself was pretty meh. There were certain parts that were okay, but it mostly was filled with cringy pop culture references and telling, not showing. Especially with the main characters, I didn’t find myself feeling anything for them, because everything was just stated.

⤷<u> The atmosphere/worldbuilding: </u>
Unfortunately, this was probably the best part of the book. The Outer Banks is such a great setting for a summer romance, but the actual romance itself fell so short.

⤷<u> The Characters: </u>
❥<i> Aspen: </i> This girl ticked me off so much. What person thinks ill of themselves (she was always like “oh, I’m so average, my sister is so much prettier than me) but simultaneously thinks she can pull the “hottest man in town” who’s broken everyone’s hearts and hasn’t dated or hooked up with anyone in months. What??? How delusional and hypocritical are you??? And even better, she’s doing all this just so she can come up with a good story for her next book. Major facepalm.
❥<i> Brick: </i> Yes. Let’s take a moment to soak this in. The MMC’s name is BRICK. LIKE A BRICK USED TO BUILD A HOUSE. The “hottest man in town”, yet I can’t remember a single thing about him (I think his hair was black? Maybe?). Adding onto his physical averageness, his personality is far from charming in any way. You would think it’s just because he’s trying to reject the main girl, but even HIS POV chapters are difficult to read because of how cold and irritating he is.
❥<i> Dug: </i> Dug is the most well-developed, likeable, interesting character in the book, and by far my favorite (Dug is the dog).

⤷<u> The Romance: </u>
Omg it’s another my skin barely brushed his and now my lady area is all hot and tingly book! My favorite! That’s really all I have to say about the “romance”, if you want to call it that. I call it horribly unrealistic and gross insta-lust, but that’s just me.


⤷<u> Overall: </u>
I was hoping this would be like Book Lovers by Emily Henry, but unfortunately, everything— the romance, the characters, the humor— fell short.



⤷<u> This book contains: </u>
✔️Outer Banks setting
✔️Insta-lust
✔️”Taming the bad boy”
✔️Bookish FMC
✔️Horses?

Thank you NetGalley and Blue Box Press for my first eARC!

This was a great romance book after a two month reading hiatus! And receives a 4 out of 5 on the Becca Book Guide: a ⅘ = pretty good, could have been great, would read again after a while.

This book gave me some inside scoop on the publishing world that I thoroughly enjoyed. It gave me vibes of the Part of Your World series! Some of the characters really had depth and some were rather scratching the surface, but I think that is because their stories are next!

I kept going back and forth if the book I was reading is the book the main character was writing and loved it!

Some things I loved in here were:
- fake dating
- ambitious woman from NY and guy from tourist town
- pretty good banter

I am very excited to see what comes with this book & series!!
(Posted on 8/12/24 on Goodreads)

Lo disfrute mucho, pero el final fue muy precipitado.


Aspen es una escritora, su primer libro fue un éxito, sin embargo sus sigues trabajos fueron un fracaso, decide tomarse un descanso e ir a visitar a su hermana.

Se pone a empezar porque ese libro fue un éxito y los otros no, llega a la conclusión de que al escribirlo estaba sacando todo su dolor por lo que le hizo su exprometido. Decide que alguien tiene que volverle a romper el corazón y quien mejor que el mujeriego del pueblo, Brick.

Brick heredó la tienda de guía turística de su abuelo, pero su competencia lo está aniquilando y está a punto de perderla, entonces cuando Aspen le ofrece dinero para ayudarla, él acepta.



Me cayo bien Marco, es una buena persona, es la clase de amigo que siempre te apoya, incluso a aquellos que apenas conoce.


No puedo esperar para saber que paso entre Kane y Sierra.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was not too fond of this book. It felt weird that she was dating someone hoping he would break her heart so she could write about it.

This was such a great and fun read! I loved the characters, their chemistry and the setting in North Carolina. Super cute story that kept me entertained throughout. Definitely recommend for a fun chic lit!

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

This was a very modern day read with pup culture references to things such as Goodreads. This is the perfect read for any bookworm wanting a shot at romance and redemption. There are some great spicy scenes in here!

My first Jennifer Probst read, I have seen her name a lot and was excited to finally get my chance. The story is about a romance writer who peaked and is struggling to reach the same success. My initials thoughts were there could be writing reflected from the author's real life.
It was kind of an enemies to lovers in the beginning then sort of transformed into fake dating but not completely. I did enjoy the female members of the community that believed they had been scorned by Brick. I found some parts funny like when she is making fun of book Tok and the overdone tropes.
I did not like the cultural references like Reese Witherspoon, Rob Thomas, and Amazon Goodreads etc, it is one of my biggest pet peeves in writing. Authors should be trying to write novels that can stand the test of time, and you should not be able to tell what era they are in. Trends come and go too much for a book to be niche. This book was not a heavy offender, so I wasn't too distracted.
Aspen is very aggressive in pursuit of Brick in the beginning. She was planning an entrapment with her sister, and that was a real turn off for me. Bricks attachment to the tour company is a little too far fetched, I get it you miss your grandfather.
Overall cliche ending, she has to break her heart to get the book done. Which is what we all knew from the beginning was going to happen. She changes her mind because she would rather have the guy, they ride off into the sunset together. An average good contemporary read. I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the main characters quite a lot. I especially liked Brick, who was ultimately open and communicative. I was a bit disappointed with Aspen's decisions towards the end of the book. The book interestingly described the author's life and the challenges associated with writing the book. This was actually one of the best parts of the book in my opinion! Book of The Month was an entertaining and quick read, romantic and steamy. What bothered me - the crises of the third act. It seems that the crisis could have been avoided with proper communication and prioritization of issues.

Aspen Lourde wrote a book which became a bestseller, but she is having writers block to rest another hit.
Her love life is a mess, so how is she supposed to write the book her readers and agent are clamoring for? She heads to the Outer Banks for inspiration. She meets Brick Babel wo is considered the local heartthrob. His reputation proceeds him, but he might be who she needs to give her the inspiration for a new book.
For her last book she had a heartbreak and she feels like she needs to return to what “worked in the past” to create another best seller. Will her plan work? Is Brick receptive to her?
Intimate, angst, fake romance, schemes, humor, steamy and fun novel.

Jennifer Probst is back with another gem, *Book of the Month*, and trust me, it’s got all the feels. Imagine being a total book nerd, living your best introverted life surrounded by stacks of novels, when suddenly, you’re thrown into the spotlight. That’s Sophie Weston’s life in a nutshell. She’s the charming, slightly awkward owner of “Chapter One,” the kind of cozy bookstore that’s basically heaven for bookworms. But her predictable, quiet life takes a sharp turn when she’s nudged into starting a book club—one that, of course, requires actual human interaction.

And then there’s Blake Thornton. Oh, Blake. He’s a best-selling author who’s hit a major creative roadblock. He’s brooding, a bit rough around the edges, and completely over it. But when he’s asked to be the first featured author in Sophie’s new book club, sparks fly—and not the good kind. Sophie is unimpressed by his attitude, and Blake is equally baffled by her whole bookish charm. But as they say, opposites attract, and this mismatched pair slowly starts to realize that maybe, just maybe, they’ve met their match.

Sophie’s journey from a shy, keep-to-herself bookworm to someone who’s ready to take on life—and love—is seriously satisfying to watch. Blake, on the other hand, isn’t just your average tortured artist. Probst digs deeper, giving him a vulnerability that makes him more than just eye candy (although, let’s be honest, he’s definitely that too). Their chemistry is off the charts, with enough slow-burn tension to keep you hooked.

This novel isn’t just about romance, though. It’s a love letter to anyone who’s ever found themselves lost in the pages of a good book. Probst nails the idea that life is a lot like a well-written story—full of unexpected plot twists and moments that make your heart skip a beat. And the best part? The way she captures the magic of a small-town bookstore, where every corner holds a new adventure and every book could be your next favorite.

Probst’s writing has that cozy, inviting feel that makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea and keep reading until the last page. Her dialogue is sharp, the banter between Sophie and Blake is pure gold, and the setting is so vivid you’ll want to book a trip to Sophie’s bookstore, like, yesterday.

So, if you’re in the mood for a romance that’s as heartwarming as it is swoon-worthy, *Book of the Month* is a must-read. It’s the kind of story that wraps around you like a warm blanket and leaves you smiling long after you’ve turned the last page. Jennifer Probst has done it again, folks—this one’s a keeper.

3 stars.

This book sounded interesting, so I decided to grab it.

The main character of the book, Aspen, is a writer who struggles to write her next novel. Her first book was a success, which she wrote after a difficult breakup. Aspen reasons that this is a recipe that works - she just needs to get her heart broken, and writing another bestseller is guaranteed!

Aspen goes to the Outer Banks to visit her sister. There lives also Brick, who is in trouble with the tour company founded by his grandfather. Money worries bother him. Brick has a reputation as a heartbreaker, so Aspen offers him a deal: she'll help Brick get the business back on its feet, and Brick in turn makes Aspen fall in love with him and breaks her heart - and Aspen can write her next bestseller.

I liked the main characters quite a lot. I especially liked Brick, who was ultimately open and communicative. I was a bit disappointed with Aspen's decisions towards the end of the book.

The book interestingly described the author's life and the challenges associated with writing the book. This was actually one of the best parts of the book in my opinion!

Book of The Month was an entertaining and quick read, romantic and steamy. What bothered me - the crises of the third act. It seems that the crisis could have been avoided with proper communication and prioritization of issues.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
* Book about books
* Difficult past
* Fake dating
* Hea
* Open doors
* Point of view: dual 3rd person
* Small town
* Steamy
* Third act: break up

thank you to netgalley, blue box press and jennifer probst for the opportunity to read this arc! i really enjoyed the book! i love aspens character so much, she had great development, and was so cute! i loved her and brick’s relationship!
this book has:
-fake dating
-great banter
-bookish themes
-struggling author and failing business owner (giving romcom vibes and i’m obsessed)
-spice!!!!!!!!

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst has all the feels of a good beach read romance. Fake to real, smoking hot intimacy, two insecure main characters and introspection without pages of angst. Aspen Lourde is a writer whose debut novel was basically the autobiographical story of her own broken heart, and her public and publisher are pushing for a sequel that simply won’t reveal itself. Failing tour guide Brick Babel (interesting character name) gets propositioned to break her heart to unleash the emotions Aspen feels are necessary to write. There also are so many wonderful supporting characters that contribute to the awesomeness of this story. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

You ever just grab a book and get lost in it for the day and just think wow, that was something?

This was that book for me today.

What does this book have?

✔️Fake Dating
✔️Struggling author who needs inspiration for her next bestseller
✔️Struggling business owner who needs help (think Hallmark struggling Inn)
✔️Grumpy/Sunshine
✔️They fall at the same time
✔️Sea Turtles (and wild horses!)
✔️The big mess up
✔️Scenes that will make Grandma blush (you'll see)
✔️Plenty of laughs

Absolutely loved this one. Add to your TBR, but make sure you pick this one up and read it.

Thank you NetGalley and Blue Box Press for my E-ARC.

What a DARLING book!!! I can not wait to share this with Book Club. It was just wonderful and beautifully written. I adored the story and the characters.

I liked the book but I didn't identify much with the main character and that made my experience not so good. I love when the book talks about people who work with books so that made me give it extra points but even though it was ok, it was also a bit forgettable for me.