'When We're Thirty' is the story of two friends who made a marriage pact in college, then lost contact. On Hannah's thirtieth birthday Will reappears with a ring, wanting to make good on their pact. Even though it's a predictable trope, it's one that I usually still enjoy. And this story is no exception.

Hannah and Will have their own reasons for a hasty marriage, and both have what they think are unrequited feelings for the other. Dembowski builds their relationship nicely, although there are some frustrating parts that feel like they are only in there for the inevitable conflict in the final act. But overall, they don't detract from the sweetness of the romance, and I enjoyed the story of Hannah and Will.

*Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review*

I have also left a review on Amazon UK but am awaiting moderation

I loved this friends too livers/second chance romance romcom. This couple was perfect, there is no way they could miss. I always say the best relationships start out as friends (my own did!) and the banter, situations and real life feel of this was excellent.

When we're Thirty is an adorable novel with a fun premise. Two friends, Hannah and Will, one pact. Together, they make a deal in college to marry, if neither is committed by the age of thirty. Low and behold, they both turn thirty and are single.

What ensures is a love story and a second chance after years apart.

When we're Thirty is a flirty, fun romance where the reader will simply root for them to be together. And for the record, I WANT Hannah's job! This novel is must for the lover's of this genre.

Thank you Let's Talk Books for the complimentary copy to review.

Will and Hannah made a marriage pact that if they were both single at age 30 that they would get married to each other. They are now at that age and Will comes to collect on the pact even though they haven't seen each other in years! Hannah is in a relationship that she knows is going nowhere and is need of health care for her knee. He has had his last girlfriend cheat on him (with his older brother) and needs to look more stable and secure for any hopes at a promotion at his work. Secretly, they have both had feelings for each other, too.

This is a fun read with relatively low angst. I did think that if Will had told Hannah about who is ex-girlfriend was a lot of the issues would have been non-existent. (Though I did like Madison, the ex-girlfriend, at some points in the story.) Also, I liked that we did get both POVs in the story, so we know both of their thoughts.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Lets Talk Books Promo for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a cute book. Who knew they'd actually go through with the pact?

This is a story of Will and Hannah. On a drunken night in college, they made a pact to get married to each other if they both were single at 30. Then after Hannah turns 30, Will comes to collect.

Will wants to enact the pact so he can become a partner in his dad's company. Hannah needs health insurance for her knee and her company can't afford a plan for her.

Of course, you know that they will probably start to actually fall in love at some point. There are some mistakes from the past that will come and haunt their marriage.

I loved that Hannah worked for a music magazine that her friend heads up. There are two people in Will's life that try to wreck the marriage before it can really get started. This was a fast read, friends to lovers and more romcom.

As a whole, I enjoyed this book. I think marriage pact/marriage-of-convenience books are difficult to do well, and this one was more realistic than most. Indeed, it was almost too realistic at times, taking us on a rather drawn-out journey. The book felt long, though I don't think I'd say it dragged; there's nothing I can point to to cut. It just could have a bit more punch, which I think could have been done through editing and trimming. Aside from that, the one other thing that I think could have improved this book would have been making it open door. I know, I know--you shouldn't need intimacy in a book, and some people don't want it, and maybe the author's not comfortable with it. I personally, will read books of all steam levels, including zero. But this is a marriage of convenience book. Between two old friends who've secretly pined for each other for years. Leaving out the moment they FINALLY hook up is a little... anti-climactic (see what I did there?). I just think trimming other parts of the book and adding... that... part... of the book, would have made this a 5/5 stars for me.

Setting those two suggestions aside, this was really well done. The plot was intricate and enticing, the characters likable and well-rounded, and we really got to see the couple develop. I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it to friends, particularly those who were interested in this trope and like closed door romance.

Thanks to the author for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 8/10

Though it left a lot to be desired, I liked this story. This is probably on of my favorite tropes, friends to lovers. I wish we could have seen more if the lovers.

Thank you to the publisher and @letstalkbookspromo for a copy of this book. I loved this one so much!! I always love a friends to lovers romance and a fake marriage of convenience. Will and Hannah was just perfect for each other. I love their journey as they fell in love with each other.

When we’re thirty has such great promise. The concept was there I just feel the execution was maybe not the best way to go about this trope. There was a lot of details that could of been removed but there were a lot of things I loved.

I loved the banter of will and Hannah. They are hysterical and cute and everything you wanna see from a friends to lovers.

I didn’t love that there was so much left unsaid or even untouched. We spent a lot of time following them around in their lives but not until the end of the book did they truly fall in love and you got to see the romance unfold.

All in all a cute book with a great writer. I can’t wait to read more by casey.

When We're Thirty is a book about two best friends, Hannah and Will, who made a marriage pact that if they're in successful relationships by the time they're 30, they'll marry each other. They made this pact in college, however, when they graduated from college, they drifted apart and there was no communication between them for a long time. Hannah is in a long-term relationship with her boyfriend, when suddenly after her 30th birthday, Will shows up at her place with a ring.
There's a lot of family drama and fights and betrayals in this book. Will has family issues, Hannah has financial and knee related issues, They both liked each other at some point in college but, maybe didn't want to jeopardise their friendships, so they decided to move on. But after Will's proposal, they're both married within a few days.
I really liked the plot of this book, it was unique and not the one we usually get to read in romcoms, however, this book didn't really feel like a romcom to me. It wasn't hilarious or it wasn't really a feel-good kind of book. It made a feel sad and frustrated because of the amount of family issues and lies and cheating there was in this book.

When We’re Thirty • Casey Dembowski
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Overall I thought this book was ok. I was really excited by the premise of the book - a marriage pact between 2 friends made in college, once they become thirty and if they were single they would marry each other.
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There were some aspects I really did enjoy like the bit of mystery in the beginning and that the feelings are mutual.
The big thing that didn’t sit right with me was how quickly it all happened. I wish the characters had put more thought into 🤷🏻‍♀️


Thank you to @NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review #Whenwerethirty #NetGalley

this book caught my attention because its a pretty classic trope and i realized i never read anything with it and i know its something that need a lot of suspension of disbelief so there's some things here that could have bothered me but it didn't.
overall it as really light, sweet and fast read but i struggled with getting attached to the couple especially because the reader knows wills feelings since the beginning and hannah starts to suspect really soon too (tho i know this is more of a personal preference) and when they really get together and some other important moments felt a little bit anticlimactic.
but the book also has some focus in will's family drama and that kept me interested.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc

Genre: romance, contemporary, Chick Lit, standalone
Age range: 16+

Overall: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Writing and Setting: 4.5/5

Content warning: *manipulation, emotionally abusive family

The gist of my review:

This book needs to be a movie! ‘When We’re Thirty’ is a classic example of a phenomenal contemporary romance novel. It has relatable and loveable characters, an absolute rollercoasters that will take your heart on the ride of its life, and the happily ever after that leaves you all warm and fuzzy inside!

We follow Will and Hannah through the ‘fake marriage’ trope, yet the perimeters around their arrangement is so original, incredibly relevant to the American way of life, and contains such a freshness that left me gripping to binge this novel until completion.

This would be a great book for a holiday read, but I think you’ll find yourself with a new favourite when you give it a try.

Characters: 5/5

Will and Hannah are our two MC’s and love interests. Hannah is an interesting character. She’s doing a job she loves within the music industry. She has her own apartment. She’s talented and career driven. The initial vibe I got from Hannah was that the choices she had previously made in her love life were ones that were safe and convenient, but with Will we see Hannah emboldened herself and take risks. I really liked Hannah, she was a really lovely and intelligent character.

And then there was Will…

Will was Hannah’s friend from college who was stifled by his ex’s betrayal, and slip up in the family business that had almost lots him his job and the respect of his family. In the beginning of the book, Will comes across as a really frazzled and anxious character but the book progresses we see a lot of growth and confidence appear with Will. He’s a kind and passionate character that wants to prove to how much love he has for Hannah.

I really think readers will love the fun and flirty dynamic Hannah and Will share with one another.

Plot: 5/5

The plot followed closely with the structure of a great romance novel. The ‘fake marriage trope really spiced up the progression of the book and made it an interesting read. The story flowed nicely and stuck to a natural progression.


Writing and Setting:4.5/ 5

The writing was enjoyable and lighthearted throughout the majority of the book, and then artfully touching and emotion evoking through the rest.

We experience Will and Hannah’s story through third person. This gives us this incredible perspective to both of the MC’s thoughts and actions within space.

The settings are predominantly set in New York, Boston, The Hampton’s and the surrounding areas. As someone from Australia and never having been to America, the setting were sometimes a little hard to picture. I think that’s because Dembowski assumed that the reader would be just have a general knowledge of what these areas looked like. It’s not overly important but my knowledge of American cities is very limited to what is depicted in movies 😅

When We’re Thirty is a very cute romcom about a pact made in college for Will and Hannah to marry when they turn 30. However, Will and Hannah lost touch after college for several years. So it’s complete surprise that Will is knocking on Hannah’s door just a short time after she turns 30.

They both have their reasons for their quickie marriage (and despite both of their parents’ thoughts, it’s not a baby!) He is trying to look mature to his family and their large family business; she desperately needs health insurance and a trip to the doctor! They have a hard time explaining their reasons, but it was fun to watch them try! I loved her cool job as a music journalist (although I don’t understand how she afforded her 1 bd apartment on this salary!) I also loved her passion for her favorite band Wilderness Weekend! I also thought Will’s ex girlfriend was fascinating; this was one of my favorite plot lines in the book.

Thank you to @casey_dembrowski, @suzyapprovedbooktours, and @netgalley for my gifted copy of the book. When We’re Thirty is on sale now!

I love this book! I thought it would be a bit silly, based on the premise, in a good way, but it actually ended up having a lot more depth than I expected. Which is one of my favorite things in reading a good romance. I loved seeing the characters grow and fall in love. The version of "My Best Friend's Wedding" that we've been waiting for.

This was a pretty ok read. The plot had a decent premise, with a few characters throwing proverbial daggers into the mix trying to kill things. It was not particularly vivid or engaging, but it was ok. The twists you could see coming from miles away, so it wasn't really shocking. #netgalley #whenwerethirty

Note - I received this digital arc for free as a courtesy of Net Galley and Red Adept Publishing, LLC in return for an honest feedback.

Rating - 4..8/5

"If we aren't married by 30, we'll marry each other!"

Well this pretty much forms the foundation of the story ' When We're Thirty' by Casey Dembowski. A perfect blend of sweet, fun, and sexy -with the right amount of storyline, drama and romance. The protagonists Hannah and Will are simply realistic characters that all of us can relate to. A marriage pact between two highschool chums and sweethearts who deliver an amazingly fake dating performance as a result of which the borders of love and drama start to blur dramatically. Will they have a happily ever after or will the speedbreakers of their love story cause them to part ways ?

When I picked this title up, I half expected it to be a conventional cheesy romance story and it started off too the same way. But quarter way the book, the story line slowly became stronger and needless to say, I absolutely loved it. The story was practically like a daily soap filled with dramatic characters - dramatic yet realistic. It was a complete five star book but I choose to give it 4.8 as there were a few things I felt could have been better. To start with, the arc I received had a few grammatical errors that require work. Secondly the ending felt a bit incomplete. There were certain plotlines that felt like they were not closed at the end. Had these been worked on, the story would have been a complete 5 star one in my POV.

Nevertheless this book is worth a read for all those die-hard romance lovers.

Feel free to add me on Goodreads, Net Galley, Edelweiss and Book Sirens for more reviews.

I love a good fake dating story especially when its two friends with "if were not married by 30, lets get married" with a marriage of convenience, it was so fun, sweet and steamy, I loved their dynamic and thought it was such a sweet read.

"When We're Thirty" - 5 ⭐

(Unpaid Review: thanks to @netgalley, @caseydembowski and the publishers for allowing me to read this eArc copy in exchange for a review).

When We're Thirty is one absolute gem of a book. I love the kind of romance the protagonists had: ethereal, yet completely real, completely understandable and close to the ones we have in reality. Hannah and Will are completely relatable, and while they have their issues, they're so cheesy and romantic!
The dialogue was one of the best pieces I've ever read. The author made the reader wish to be there with them and just take in those moments.

Hannah needs health insurance and a better boyfriend, Will needs a wife to get further in the family company- and they made a pact when they were in college. The story premise is cute, especially the fact that the proposal is out of the blue. The book does a good job of being fairly realistic (i.e., no one supports this marriage except the BFFs) but at some point it's so many things stacked against the couple- families, careers, exes- that it felt like too much for a couple that hadn't been friends in 10 years. The big complication leads to other fairly large complications, all of which are resolved too quickly. This book is fine. Hannah has a career, friends, family, and is very well-rounded without the addition of Will, which is great. Will, however, is fairly immature and doesn't seem to have much beyond his career (which is intertwined with his family) and his marriage. Overall the story is fine but the author tackled a lot and therefore wasn't fully able to tackle any issue completely.

Thanks to @netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinon.