Member Reviews
This was a sweet premise that had everything to keep me engaged. Friends to lovers, a marriage pact/of convenience that turns into more and some kind of family drama are all interests of mine and this book had them all!
The characters were well developed and I thought the writing was strong overall. At times I thought the dialogue was a little clunky and I had to reread it to be sure I got it all. I also thought there were some redundancies in the conflict that could have been eliminated to get to the resolution faster but in reflecting after finishing it, that’s not how conflicts in marriages or any relationship really goes, they keep coming up until the actual root is addressed. I liked how the root was addressed and I as happy with the resolution.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
4..5 star round up! This book was honestly great!!
A drunken wedding pact with a friend you haven't talked to in half a year is probably not going to be at the top of your list of things to remember on your thirtieth birthday but what happens when said friend is suddenly at your front door proposing? And you're not all that included to say no?
Hannah and Will were best friends in college that drifted apart, until Will shows up at her door in the middle of the night with a ring, asking to initiate their pact? Throw in unsupportive family, a manipulative ex, different life styles, and love and who knows what can happen?
This book was honestly so sweet. There is discussion of cheating and family issues so some things are a little hard to get past but honest the characters were great and the plot was interesting. The only thing stopping me from giving 5 stars was that there were just a few things I felt could have been wrapped up a little better-- but overall it was a really great and quick read!
This is a definite recommendation from me!
Thank you for the opportunity to review! All thoughts are my own.
A much needed fun, light and breezy romcom with two main strong characters. I loved Hannah and Will as friends to lovers. Easy to read in a few sittings and highly recommended for those who love rom-coms. Casey Dembowiski is a name to watch out for in rom-coms!
Thanks to Netgalley, Casey Debowski and Red Adept Publishing LLC for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Already available: 4/27/21
3.5 stars - I ended up really enjoying this story. I’ll admit that I didn’t love the first third of the book. Something about it wasn’t as fun and light as you would suspect at the beginning of a rom-com. It almost felt foreboding in a way, like the main characters’ relationship was doomed. Things got much better as I read. I enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters and liked the side characters as well. I would love to read a sequel featuring Will’s brother Daniel as the main character. I especially enjoyed the parts toward the end with Leonard McNulty. There were a couple things that didn’t really make sense to me. First was that Will’s family’s cook/assistant seemed to be working all the time, including Christmas morning. Does she not have any time off for holidays? That seemed a bit weird. The second thing was the talk in the book, mostly by Will about worrying Hannah was only staying in their relationship because of their pact, even though it was clear they were in a real relationship. Their pact wasn’t some kind of legal document and it was obvious things were real with them very early on. Even bringing up the pact at that point in the story didn’t make much sense.
Overall, I ended up really enjoying the story, although I could have used a bit more of a conclusion at the end. It felt a bit overly brief. I would definitely check out other books written by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Red Adept Publishing for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!
This book was SO FUN! It was the perfect mix of everything ROMCOM that I love and not cheesy The plot and characters were so well developed. Casey is a new exciting voice into romance!
Such an adorable friends to lovers romance! So cute and easy to fall into and follow. Highly recommend!
This book was read thanks to NetGalley.
This book takes the friends but lover for a pack trope and takes to a different level.
This is a nice story that I recommend for those who love friends romance, is a kind story that is endearing, and you enjoy because the characters are likable.
I really recommend this book for the fans of fake romances and that involves friends.... Is the kind of romance that those Romance lovers loveeeee. So yeah, go read it.
This book is adorable. I had a pact with a best friend for if we were 30 and single so this book was easy to fall into. I didn't marry that best friend as we both found the men of our dreams, but the what if this story gives is wonderful. I really felt for Will who had a horrible ex and equally horrible brother, but still managed to find his happily ever after with his college love. This book was so cute and also intense in many parts. I highly recommend it.
This was truly a romcom; funny lines and actual romance. I loved the two leads, and thought that they truly moved the story. Their chemistry truly pushed the story forward, and I really enjoyed just how they were with each other. A cute read for sure!
Hannah and her friend Will made a pact in college that if they weren't married by the time they were 30 that they would marry each other, fast forward to Hannah's 30th birthday and she is with a guy named Brian who she has been seeing for a while and doesn't really know if he's right for her. Hannah receives flowers at work, they are her favorite flowers and Brian had never sent her flowers and didn't even know her favorites. Hannah gets a knock on her door and she goes to answer it and there's a beautiful engagement ring, but it's not Brian, it's Will and he's come to continue the pact of marriage. Will is extremely wealthy and needs this marriage to go through to get promoted at his family business, Hannah needs this marriage because she has a bum knee and needs health insurance for surgery.
Will and Hannah made a marriage pact in college to marry each other if they had not gotten married by the time they were thirty. The day after Hannah’s 30th birthday, Will turned up on Hannah’s doorstep to propose
A marriage of convenience is proposed each having something to gain from being married. But if only it were just that simple.
WHEN WE’RE THIRTY is a well written novel of navigating the family as a newly married couple they knew nothing about. How a couple couple tries to develop their relationship amidst half truths, betrayal, mistrust, and other forces working to keep them apart.
I really enjoyed their love story. I admired Hannah’s strength and honesty. I worried that Will was easily hurt and vulnerable. The manipulation and heartbreaking moments kept me reading until the end. Good book!
This book was everything I didn't know I needed. I fell in love with both of these characters, and rooted for them as if they were friends of mine. I loved their story and the quirkiness of the plot, and I can't wait to recommend it to the MANY members of my book club!
I'd like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-copy ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
This was a cute book. This type of book isn't my usual choice, but it sounded fun, and even though I'm older than the target audience, I had a lot of fun reading it. I found myself muttering "just talk to each other' far too many times, but I guess the characters heard me in the end. I could see younger folks enjoying the story especially, and could see this as a rom-com for sure.
3 start for "I liked it"
On the night of college graduation, Hannah and Will make a pact to marry each other if they are single when they are thirty. Now that they have reached the promised age and are both single, Will has come to fulfill the pact. Only they haven’t seen each other in five years.. With a firm list of rules to maintain their friendship, they get hitched and start navigating married life and have to decide if this is really what they want.
I absolutely love the “if we aren’t married when we are x age then let’s get married” cliche and it worked so well for this book! A friends to lovers book as the relationship between Hannah and Will grew with the ups and downs of life.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ebook to review.
This was a sweet, straightforward rom com and I totally enjoyed it! Hannah & Will are adorable, and the plot is exactly something that makes for a ridiculous story with a tender heart. I wish there was a bit more about why Will had originally disappeared from Hannah's life for a while, but overall a quick and satisfying read.
Thank you to #netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for my copy of the ebook of “When We’re Thirty”! I loved this book. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. Great banter is one of my favorite things about this book. It is a fade to black on the spice scale, but I don’t mind that. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys friends to lovers books. You definitely need to give this book a chance. The only thing I didn’t enjoy was the POV changes, but that’s just a personal dislike. The story and characters were great!
Very cute romance with the “if we’re both single when..., we will marry each other” trope. It gets complicated because they are each hiding something.
This book was just a really fun and sweet read. Part second chance, part friends to lovers, part marriage of convenience, I loved all of the tropes and how cleverly they were implemented. The characters were relatable and I loved watching them fall in love. I also thought the cast of side characters were fun and funny. Overall, the book was charming and entertaining.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ebook to review.
I absolutely love the “if we aren’t married when we are x age then let’s get married” cliche and it worked so well for this book! I loved the relationship between Hannah and Will and their friendship made it so enjoyable!
Hannah and Will promise to marry each other if they are single when they are thirty. Now that they have reached the promised age and are both single, Will has come to keep his word. Only they haven’t seen each other in a while. With a firm list of rules to maintain their friendship, they start to navigate if this is really how they want to spend their lives.
This book is a cute, fun quick read!
A solidly cute rom com with some serious family drama. Two college friends reconnect and enact a marriage pact they made the night of graduation-both have things they want out of it, but the way they acknowledge the love they had for each other in college and fall in love as 30 year old adults was a delight to read. This would make a cute movie!