Early Thirties by Josh Duboff brings both humor and lightheartedness to the painful fact that just because we’re older doesn’t mean dating gets any easier.

Victor and Zoey have been best friends since college. That means they’ve experienced every heartbreak, headache, and hangover possible for two 20-year-olds living their college years in New York, and now being in their early thirties, things have changed. Zoey’s career in the fashion industry is dwindling while Victor’s career as a gossip reporter is thriving, that is until a tragedy in Victor's life forces the two apart and to realize what they truly want out of life, both in their careers and out of the love they have for each other.

For his debut book, Josh Duboff writes an incredibly heartwarming story about growing up and realizing that life doesn’t always end up how you expect it to. His writing is realistic with just the right amount of laughter to distract you from the reality of what life, and love, can be. As someone who’s still in her 20s, one of my favorite things about this book was relating to how the characters acted when they were younger and how they moved on from the messes and regrets the older they got. The author’s writing felt very personal and like I was reading someone's life story told through a third party. The love the two characters felt for each other felt genuine and authentic and not forced like some stories can turn out to be.