When the synopsis suggests a time jump, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but New Adult is a very cute, gay take on 13 going on 30. (In Nolan’s case, more like 23 going on 30.) It’s a cautionary tale of being careful what you wish for and getting everything you want in life, because even with the best laid plans, life doesn’t always work out as you hope it would.

Nolan Baker dreams of being a comedian. It’s all he’s ever wanted, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make that dream come true, even skipping out on his sister’s big day and walking out on his best friend/one true love. But when he’s forced to face the consequences of his actions, he enlists the help of crystals designed to manifest the future he’s always dreamed of. A future, it turns out, nothing like the one he imagined, different in pretty much every conceivable way.

Call me old fashioned, but I LOVE single POV. This story is voiced solely from Nolan’s perspective, and it’s satisfying to get to know his character so intimately, especially when the emotions and turmoil are largely his. But while Nolan might be our main protagonist, the real winner for me is Drew, the best friend/love interest/enemy/savior. He’s a quiet, unassuming bookworm and an absolute gem..

This book is funny with a capital F. Janovsky’s style and humor are attention grabbing and engaging; honestly, they’re probably what kept me rooting for a selfish, self-centered Nolan and allowed me to see his redeemable qualities. Even when I was crying into my coffee, there’s a levity that keeps it from becoming too deep and painful.

Balancing out the humor and emotion is a welcome dose of spice. The recurring mention of erotic romance should have been a tipoff that this might be one of Janovsky’s steamiest stories yet. While it’s a far cry from the explicit scenes found in Drew’s erotica, it feels true to the story and conveys a breathtaking depth of intimacy.

I love 13 going on 30 so when I found out that was the basis of this book I couldn’t wait to snatch it up!

At the beginning I didn’t like the character of Nolan but he did grow on me by the end. I did however love Drew from the moment he was introduced (and not just because I’m going through my redheaded book boyfriend phase).

This book is perfect for those who like the “friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-friends-to lovers-to-friends-to-lovers” trope.

This book is for readers who enjoy 13 Going on 30, second chance romances, and friends (to strangers) to lovers. Nolan is an up and coming standup comedian who is just waiting for his big break. He also might just be in love with his childhood best friend, now roommate, Drew. Even with his ongoing crush, Nolan won’t make a move until his life is more put together and financially stable. He is just about to give up on his dreams and move to a more conventional job when he gets a call for the opportunity of a lifetime… which also happens to come at the most inopportune moment. His decision begins a series of events that he just wants to skip over in order and be in the good part of his life. When he wakes up 7 years later, he realizes that decision and his wish brought him to a life he isn’t sure he wants after all.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, and my favorite parts had to be any scene with Drew, the romance loving bookstore owner who is truly the sweetest character in existence. Seeing Nolan figure out what the true meaning of life is in a Christmas Carol-style glimpse into his future and his determination to fix the relationships he wronged were the heart of the story. I did wish the jump forward had occurred a bit sooner than almost 30% in, but was hooked after that. Would definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! New Adult will be published on August 15, 2023.

This was fantastic. I've enjoyed all three books in this series of standalones, but New Adult was easily my favorite! 13 Going on 30 is a romcom favorite of mine, so I was really excited to see what the author came up with and he ate this UP. I loved Nolan's character. His personal growth journey was so much fun to be part of and his romance with Drew was so special. This book had a very cinematic feel to it (which I also happened to read in one sitting). Timothy writes books that are unapologetically queer with tons of heart. I highly recommend checking this one out!

Timothy Janovsky surprised me with this one! I really liked it and it was unlike the other three books of his that I've read! The characters were complex and interesting, if not always likable (which is the point for the plotline). The magic aspect of the plot worked well, and the romance was incredibly sweet. But beyond the romance, there is a great emphasis on learning what is really important in life, and cherishing the relationships that matter. I would recommend this to readers who like romance and LGBTQIA+ romance in particular. This was a great read!

Please note: this was an ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Read This Book If…you love 13 Going on 30!

Genre: queer romance
Series: Boy Meets Boy # 3 (standalones)
Spice Level: 3/5🌶, 1-2 open door scenes
Setting: NYC
POV: single, 1st person, present tense
Tropes: time travel, friends to enemies to lovers

What I Thought: Overall, I thought this was a very cute read! There’s some great themes of forgiveness and how we wish we could re-do certain choices we made in the past. It took a little too long to get to the main premise of the story, but other than that, the pacing was pretty good. It’s always weird to me when a lead character is a comic but there’s very few jokes written into the book, so I wish we had gotten to see a little more of the comedy throughout! The love interest was sooo sweet and I really enjoyed the romance!

Memorable Quote: “What’s meant to be will always come to pass. Time does not dictate destiny.”

This was such a fun read. It’s got strong 13 Going on 30 vibes with a dash of comedy and a great friends to lovers, second chance, love story. Drew and Nolan have been friends since high school. Now they’re 23 and taking on the world, one comedy show or book sale at a time. When Drew leaves his sister’s wedding to take a once in a lifetime opportunity to do a set for a big time producer he doesn’t realize what he’s set in motion. What follows is a seven year time warp where everything he held so dear is gone and all that’s left is a few laughs at the expense of those he’s lost.

So he does everything he can to make up for it. And honesty reader I don’t love time travel type books. Like they’re fun but I always kind of roll my eyes a little. Except when it came time for the big end of book reveal I honestly didn’t realize how into this I was! I didn’t know if I wanted Drew to fix everything and get back to 2023 for his second chance at doing things right the first time around, or if I wanted him to be able to stay in 2030. And reader, I was so pleased.

This romance is just as much or even more coming of age and self growth than romance but I loved it all the same. Probably my new favourite from this author.

➽ <b>New Adult has it all: character growth, angst and time-travelling crystals!</b> The premise alone is amazing, I love when contemporary stories include time travel in some form! New Adult follows <b>Nolan Baker, an aspiring comedian, who gets beamed 7 years into the future after his sister's disastrous wedding</b>. The offender: the mysterious crystals in his goodie bag from his sister's strange, possibly cultish company. <b>Nolan is now stuck in his 30-year-old body and while he's a rich, famous comedian ... everyone else in his life hates him!</b> His family isn't speaking to him, his sister has blocked him everywhere and his best friend/crush Drew has cut him out of his life. Even all the fame didn't help Nolan, as he's without the people he loves! I loved how the <b>parts are themed around the crystals</b> that Nolan got in his back and whose meanings are important to the story!

➽ <b>Nolan was a great protagonist, who goes through lots of growth.</b> I loved that he was so <b>passionate about being a comedian, but also showed us how difficult it is to get a big break</b> and how he's stuck in a low-wage job with only vague hopes of 'making it'. The first part of the book introduces us to his life as a 23-year-old before the time travel and how difficult it is to pursue his dream, especially as his family isn't really supportive. <b>Nolan could be an unlikeable protagonist - he's chaotic, messy and could be self-absorbed at times - but I liked him, as I understood where he's coming from</b>. He's unreliable, but often unintentionally and deep down he hopes to reach the good part when his life is no longer a mess and he can maybe act on his crush on Drew - best friend and roommate.

➽ <b>Nolan definitely makes his fair share of mistakes</b>, but after waking up in the future, he sees how his behavior could have evolved. His future self might be famous, but he hurt his loved ones and now make a living telling bitter, anti-love jokes that make him cringe. <b>I loved how determined Nolan was to fix his mistakes</b>, as he didn't want to end up as this unrecognizable person who made his family and friend the butt of his jokes! The <b>only thing I have to critique is that I feel like the narrative was a bit too hard on Nolan</b> and he placed the blame entirely on him when his family could have also been more supportive. Especially his sister might have had her reasons, but she still dismissed his dream and made him feel unwanted.

➽ <b>I also loved the romance!</b> Nolan <b>has been in love with his best friend Drew for ages</b>, but he never dared to make a move, as he feels like his life has to be less messy first. He finally acts on his crush during his sister's wedding ... only to later mess things up and end 7 years in the future. <b>Now at 30, Drew and Nolan haven't spoken in years</b>. Nolan is shocked to discover how horribly his future self treated Drew and villanized him in his jokes. So there's a bit of second chance romance as well, as Drew isn't thrilled to see Nolan again, especially as he's tried to move on. Nolan does manage to convince him that his time travel story is true, so <b>both team up to get him back to his own time</b>. There's still some lingering hurt as Drew knows *this* Nolan isn't the one who broke his heart ... but it still happened. Despite the angst, both of them grow closer together again as <b>Nolan vows to do better than his alternate self and not take Drew for granted again</b>. But then there's also the fact that Nolan has no idea what will happen to them if he gets back to his timeline ...

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review,

This book was honestly such a delight. I have a completely unabashed love for the cinematic masterpiece that is 13 Going on 30 so seeing that Timothy Janovsky (who wrote the very excellent You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince) wrote a queer story inspired by it? Chef's kiss. I needed it. And I adored it. The cult-like wellness brand very clearly modeled after Goop named Doop was probably the best thing I've seen in ages. And... I've always said I'm not a big fan of friends to lovers storylines, but I may have to change my mind about that, because this one is very good (but enemies/rivals to lovers will always reign supreme, sorry-not-sorry... but there is a touch of that here, as well. Like a... friends to enemies to friends to lovers thing.) And the family dynamics are also very heartwarming. Just overall a very cute, quick fluffy read about how you should really live in the present and not waste the time you have. Lovely.

Yes!!! There is a reason that Timothy Janovsky is on my auto buy list! I LOVED this time travel, second chance, friends to lovers romance. It's super cute and tender, with just the right amount of longing and despair to make me desperate to see Nolan earn all the love and success of his dreams.

And Drew. Gah! I just want to hug him! The unspoken emotion between them just leaps off the pages. I laughed. I cried. I held my breath, and I laughed some more. And that’s not even taking into account the all-too-familiar elements of lost time with aging parents and siblings.

I was a mess in the very best way. Novels that delve into the fantastic but manage to remain grounded in truth and the reality of human relationships are my favorite escape.

Thank you #NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to getting my preorder copy in the mail to read again soon!

“You never had to be anything more than what you were to be worthy of me, and I hate that you thought you did.”

I’ve loved both of Timothy Janovsky’s previous books, but this one is now my favorite. I read it in one sitting. This book manages to be silly, sweet, and poignant all at the same time. It captures the feeling of not knowing where your life is going or how to get it where you think it should be at 23 so well. The doubts, the selfishness, and the regret are portrayed in such an incredible way.

Nolan is not the first person to wish they could fast forward their life, but when he gets a taste of what his life will be like at 30, it’s nothing like what he expects. It jump starts this journey of self-reflection that I loved. He learns so much about himself and what is really important, and he has such substantial growth. He absolutely comes off as immature at the beginning, but that’s exactly the point. He needs to see how miserable his life can be to realize that he has always had what he’s needed in front of him.

Drew is the sweetest, and I just wanted to wrap him in a hug. The chemistry between him and Nolan is there from the beginning, and it’s heartwarming that he wants to help Nolan return to his correct timeline. While there is this sweet romance, it was exciting that there were so many deep layers to the story. It kept me so engaged and I just couldn’t put it down.

The supporting characters are also incredible. Seeing Nolan not only figure out his relationship with Drew, but also change the way he interacts with his sister and parents is inspiring. He becomes a person who has honest conversations with the people he loves instead of shying away and operating on assumptions.

“Time does not dictate destiny.”

This book was an absolute joy to read. The 13 Going On 30 vibes are so fun and Easter egg made me smile. It’s just overall so fun and heartwarming, and it’s a perfect romance.

I loved this! I watched 13 Going On 30 so many times growing up and this story it inspired was so good. Just like the movie, there were moments that made me sad for the main character and moments that made me smile and laugh.

Nolan’s journey was stressful at times but overall very inspiring. It’s never too late to change things for the better!

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

An aspiring stand-up comedian puts his ambition before family and friends in this loose 13 going on 30 retelling full of humor and heart. I really enjoyed this latest 'Boy meets boy' installment. While part of a series each book works as a standalone.

There was really good ADHD rep, a sweet friends to lovers, second chance romance and lots of realizing career success isn't worth it when it comes at the expense of the people you love. I really enjoyed this one and liked the unique crystals/time loop plot.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape and Sourcebooks for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review! Highly recommended for fans of authors like Anita Kelly, M.A. Wardell and Chip Pons.

1 Sentence Summary: Nolan Baker just wants to be a successful comedian but instead he’s still waiting tables at a comedy club, so when he wishes on a set of crystals and impossibly wakes up seven years into the future, at first it seems like all his dreams have come true; he’s rich, famous, and even has his own TV show; however, he’s also estranged from his family, living alone, and worst of all, his best friend Drew wants nothing to do with him.

My Thoughts: This was such a fun read! Lots of character development (I really did not like Nolan at the beginning lol. Actually, to be honest, I still kind of didn’t like him at the end), second chances, familial reconciliation, and bookstore shenanigans!

It gave “13 Going On 30 but more sci-fi and mystery” vibes. All the stuff about Doop (the weird company that gave Nolan the crystals) was so creepy. But interesting too. The way everything got resolved was a little unsatisfying, but the second to last chapter was really cool, when they met up with the psychic again.

An overall enjoyable read! Sometimes not the most developed, but if you’re looking for a lighter rom-com then this would be perfect.

Recommend to: People who’ve always wanted to read a gay version of 13 Going On 30

(Warnings: swearing; explicit sexual content)

⭐️: 4/5

After blowing off his sister’s wedding (and his date, his best friend Drew who he is secretly in love with) to open for a famous comedian, aspiring stand-up comedian Nolan wishes over a set of “magical healing crystals” to skip to the good part of his life. He wakes up the next morning seven years older and living his dream life, which his family and Drew are not a part of. Desperate to get back to the person he once was and correct his wrongs, he seeks out Drew, but he has to prove that he’s not the man they all believe him to be.

New Adult was compared to 13 Going on 30, and the comparison is spot on. Maybe a little too spot on, if I’m being honest. A lot of the story feels like a rehash of the popular movie, just with an LGBTQ+ cast. The result is a book that I can’t help but think really would have served better as a movie, since it gets a little tedious reading about Nolan and his inner monologue going through all the motions to get acquainted with his new, seven years in the future, life. I also found the beginning with all the stage setting and character introductions strangely tedious and not flushed out enough at the same time. Once we got to the meat of the story though, it was really sweet and heartwarming, and Nolan’s relationship with Drew was perfect portrayal of angsty friends to lovers. The character development really came out strong in the second half as well, and I found myself much more invested in the outcome. When romance stories have elements of magic in them like time jumps or ghosts, they sometimes stress me out about whether (and how) there’s going to be a HEA and this was no exception 😂 I thought the ending fit the book and the characters well in this case, and I really enjoyed the read overall!

Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebookscasa for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Thank you NetyGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Timothy Janovsky for providing an ARC of New Adult for review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Available 15 August 2023

I absolutely loved this book! I have loved both of Janovsky's previous pieces, particularly You're A Mean One, Mr Prince, and this book delivers on my expectations. I will need to obviously premise this review with the fact that I would likely be a Doop employee drinking the cool-aid on the wellbeing lifestyle with any and all things crystal related.

Mind you, the lyrical integration of Doop into pop music can cease before it beings, please and thanks.

I loved how Nolan was a genuine 23 year old making quite poor decisions. I never dated a guy just to get a +1 to a wedding but I have certainty gone on a date for a half price (or even free) meal. Arghhh University days. He isn't the faultless MC on a sexual awakening that you often see in YA. I appreciate that once we strip away the sexual identity journey from queer books (like this one) we can get quite lovely character development and story telling for queer characters.

I loved Drew, like tall red head love interest immediate gets my attention but obviously Drew is just great in general and brings some lovely ace representation (I am making an assumption - but it is certainly my vibe from the story and Janovsky has a history of ace representation).

I just really loved this book and hope that you can too.

this book was so unique and fresh. i loved the characters, i loved the growth and i appreciated that the main hero wasn’t ever perfect. the alternative names for things that exist in our world cracked me up and the author’s storytelling had me laughing out loud dozens of times. my one singular gripe is that, while there was romance in the story, i wouldn’t bill it as a romcom first. it felt more like a fantasy-esque contemporary fiction. this is definitely a must read! thank you so much netgalley for the arc! 4.5 stars

4.5 stars rounded up.

I really enjoyed this one. The main character is just so intriguing. He’s not perfect but that’s what makes it interesting as he’s also not completely unlikeable. I just love how a sci fi novel gets to make up its own rules and this one has a lot of fun with that.

My main gripe with this and I must be honest for my romance lovers out there- this did not feel like a romance to me. The main romantic love interest is very much one dimensional and the romantic subplot is exactly that, a subplot. It’s not always the driving motivation, really only a catalyst. So while I would absolutely recommend this for most readers, I think if you are going in expecting romance just tweak your expectations. Main character Nolan will pick up that slack for you though, he’s that entertaining. And the side characters including his family are wonderful.

Thank you NetGalley and sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

Timothy Janovsky's latest offering, New Adult, offers a whimsical blend of LGBTQIA+ romance with a redemption arc, drawing parallels to 13 Going on 30 and One Last Stop. However, compared to Janovsky's prior work, Never Been Kissed, it falls a bit short.

New Adult follows the journey of Nolan Baker, a 23-year-old ambitious comedian striving to make it big in New York City's comedy scene. As he juggles his dreams, he must also grapple with personal relationships, particularly with his best friend, Drew Techler. After he bungles up an important event for his sister, Nolan wakes up in a world seven years ahead. He finds himself successful yet deeply disliked by his loved ones, setting the stage for a redemption tale.

The book is delightfully eccentric, presenting a redemption story wrapped up in a romance. It's reminiscent of Ebenezer Scrooge's last chance to amend his ways. However, the narrative's magical elements seem loosely constructed, which may cause frustration for readers who enjoy detailed world-building. The timeline and magic mechanics might not withstand intense scrutiny, but they serve the central plot and trope.

New Adult makes a bold attempt to depict Nolan as an initially unsympathetic character. However, his transformation and redemption arc could have benefited from more depth and tension. Nolan appears to adjust quickly, and his abrupt change might not ring true for some readers. Likewise, the immediate acceptance of Nolan's time-traveling exploits by his love interest reduces potential tension in the narrative.

The novel is undeniably endearing and light-hearted, but it feels somewhat incomplete. The whimsical charm is there, but the depth and nuance that made Janovsky's previous works shine are less pronounced.

In summary, New Adult is an enjoyable read but does not quite meet the bar set by Janovsky's earlier works. The narrative's magical elements and redemption arc could have used more depth and tension, making the story feel slightly undercooked. It is a charming confection of a book, but it may leave readers craving something more substantial.

i feel like a plot like this maybe works better in the movies. i was underwhelmed by the characters and simultaneously overwhelmed with the amount of exposition-like dialogue there was.

it wasn’t really for me :/