Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst delivered a standalone small-town romance about an author looking to recapture the feelings that led to her first bestseller. Character growth, a slow burn romance, and finding yourself makes this the perfect book to curl up with by the fire.
by Jennifer Probst
Genres: Romance
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Heat Level:
From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst, discover Book of the Month…
She’s 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…
Once the literary world’s golden girl, Aspen Lourde can’t seem to produce another successful book, and the pressure’s on to prove she’s not just a one-hit-wonder. But there’s a catch: her bestseller was a heartbreak hit, straight from her own love life disaster. Without any fresh romantic turmoil to fuel her pen, Aspen needs inspiration quick enough to create a book her agent can sell to her publisher. So she escapes for the summer to the Outer Banks with a plan to live a story worth writing.
Brick Babel is a romance novelist’s dream: a local heartthrob with a reputation as wild as the horses running free in the town. He’s everything Aspen needs for a muse kickstart—gorgeous, moody, and notoriously unattainable. His affairs are legendary in the small town, and every woman warns her off, including her sister.
Too bad a good heartbreak is exactly what she needs to meet her deadline.
But Brick refuses to play the game, rejecting all of her advances. When Aspen hears his tour company is on the verge of bankruptcy, she offers him a deal: 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?
Because Aspen’s finally found her muse, but some stories may be too true to share.
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.
The Book of the Month offers a fake dating scenario in a small-town setting with all the charm, humor and sweet moments wrapped in character growth. It’s the perfect low angst, comfortable romance to curl up with on a chilly fall afternoon by the fire.
Aspen Lourde wrote a best-selling romance based on her previous relationship and breakup. She poured her soul into the story and readers loved it. Since then, her last two books haven’t captured her readers and all of them are asking for a sequel. Feeling the pressure from her publisher and without any personal turmoil to fuel her writing, she escapes for the summer to the Outer Banks. Her sister lives there and it will be great to catch up & try writing.
When the writing doesn’t come, she hatched a plan to have a summer fling and use it to inspire her next book. Now all she needs is a willing guy. Enter Brick Babel, a local hottie with a reputation for breaking hearts. The tale that unfolds was sweet, funny and heartfelt as this arrangement becomes more.
Probst created relatable characters and while the story didn’t pack any surprises I connected, got excited about Brick’s business, meeting the locals and watching these two fall in love. It wasn’t without complications and growing pains, but the tale wrapped up nicely and left me smiling.
While this is currently a standalone, I am curious about the sister and hope we get her story next.
About Jennifer Probst
Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again. She is the NYT and USA Today bestselling author of The Marriage Bargain. She is published both erotic and sexy contemporary romance with Entangled, Decadent, Red Sage and TWRP. She has also written a children's book, Buffy and the Carrot, co-written with her twelve year old niece, along with a short story, "A Life Worth Living."
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Anne - Books of My Heart
Fake dating is my favorite!
hena
Sounds nice. I like the cover and title. Thanks for sharing.
ailyn koay
I admit that Brick’s name is as ridiculous as the deal Aspen dreams up…