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A review by diazona
Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Romance novels aren't my usual interest, but the opening scene where Aspen is struggling through an unsuccessful book signing caught my attention. She seemed like an interesting character. And the rest of the book delivered: I enjoyed following Aspen's story as she navigates the conflict between her book and her burgeoning love, and I liked her direct no-nonsense attitude, as a contrast to other stories (and often real life) where people so often conceal their intentions in vague and coded language. It's not on my list of favorites but this was a fun read.
That being said, it had quite a few shortcomings. Most notably, the other main character, Brick, felt kind of flat, as if he was written to be a dream boyfriend for Aspen and nothing else. Which I suppose he was - I mean, it's a romance novel - but he could have had more interesting motivations and emotional development of his own, making his romance with Aspen seem less crafted and more organic, and I think it would have made the whole book more compelling. There were also several moments where various characters' behavior didn't seem genuine, which ruined the immersion. (Like, you introduce your friend to someone in a bar, she drops her drink in shock and both of them immediately leave with obviously fake explanations? That needs more of a reaction than "huh weird 🤷") And the last quarter of the book skips over a lot of detail that I think would have been really interesting. Aspen has an emotional epiphany that is basically the whole point of the plot, decides to change her book to reflect it, and most of that whole process is just glossed over. I wanted details! So the ending, despite being satisfying in some ways, is also a bit of a letdown.
That being said, it had quite a few shortcomings. Most notably, the other main character, Brick, felt kind of flat, as if he was written to be a dream boyfriend for Aspen and nothing else. Which I suppose he was - I mean, it's a romance novel - but he could have had more interesting motivations and emotional development of his own, making his romance with Aspen seem less crafted and more organic, and I think it would have made the whole book more compelling. There were also several moments where various characters' behavior didn't seem genuine, which ruined the immersion. (Like, you introduce your friend to someone in a bar, she drops her drink in shock and both of them immediately leave with obviously fake explanations? That needs more of a reaction than "huh weird 🤷") And the last quarter of the book skips over a lot of detail that I think would have been really interesting. Aspen has an emotional epiphany that is basically the whole point of the plot, decides to change her book to reflect it, and most of that whole process is just glossed over. I wanted details! So the ending, despite being satisfying in some ways, is also a bit of a letdown.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Alcohol