A lifetime in 30 Days by A C Arthur
Contemporary chick lit with romance. Own voices.
Savannah Carlson is celebrating her upcoming 40th birthday all month long. She has weekend plans set up to include her two best friends Jamaica and Ronni. She even has a theme: Freakin’ forty and still fly.
Just before her celebrations are supposed to start, she’s called to identify the body or her long estranged husband. As the police investigate the accidental death, Vanna is arrested for embezzlement during his funeral. She knows she’s innocent and her friends are standing by her, but the police need more than just her word.
Vanna is struggling with mixed emotions over why she didn't divorce the man years ago, the nasty mother-in-law that never liked her, fear over the felony charges on her record, and even a case of attraction over one of the old friends from college that reconnects at the funeral. She’s strong. She has her friends and her Granny. She’s going to get over this bump in the road, celebrate her birthday and prove she’s fabulous.

Forty is not going to get her down. I loved Vanna’s confidence in her skills and self. I don’t think she needed to argue and shout so much standing up for herself. She’s proud and independent and insists again and again that she doesn’t need help. Often shouting. Sometimes it’s ok to accept help.
There is a lot of culturally slanted slang in this text. Unfortunately most of it threw me out of the story.
I liked knowing Aden’s feelings up front. He is very clear in what he wants and that’s he’s not wasting anymore time.
3.5

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

Savahana did not only marry the wrong man , she also had the mother in law from hell.
Turning 40 this year, she wanted to turn around all the negativity, she had experienced all her life in the 30 days leading up to her big birthday.

On day 1 of her 30 day celebration, Vanna has been contacted to identifying her husband (Caleb) who has mysteriously ended up dead . She never thought, she will get contacted for anything connecting with her husband as she was separated from him for the last 5 years.

Identifying her husband did not lead to the freedom and peace she thought she would get, rather it led to her being investigated for criminal activity linked to her ex husband.

Her ex -husband best friend Aden, who she knew and crushed on in college was her knight in shinning armour throughout this ordeal.
Can Vanna embrace love again?
Can she trust another man?
Will she get out of this criminal investigation handing over her head
Read this story to find out .

Women fiction , Friend to lovers , second chance romance , happy ending and family drama

A Lifetime in 30 Days is a book about heartfelt exploration of life, love, and the challenges that come with turning forty. Vanna is determined to make the most of her last month in her thirties and party with her best friends, Jamaica and Ronni, by her side. She has been planning several weekends of parties, dancing and pampering all leading up to the big birthday. However, her plans take a dramatic turn when her estranged husband, Caleb, is unexpectedly found died. The situation gets worse when Vanna finds herself arrested thanks to problems with her husband. In the mist of all her troubles, Vanna begins to explore a long, simmering attraction to an old acquaintance. But one of the parts that I loved the most was the friendship and support that Vanna has from her besties and her wild and fun-loving Granny. They are their for her the whole time she is dealing with the craziness that is her life. Her journey of self-discovery and resilience is empowering and making you love her and cheer her on. A.C. Arthur is an amazing author, and I can't wait to read more.

While the concept behind this storyline was undeniably intriguing, the reality of the execution fell short of my expectations. I invested time and effort into completing the narrative, hoping it would gradually improve as the plot unfolded. Unfortunately, as I continued reading, it became apparent that the story needed to gain the momentum I had anticipated. I felt increasingly deflated, as the characters lacked depth, and the plot failed to engage me. In the end, despite its promising premise, the story never really took off like I had envisioned.

This would be 2.5 stars but rounded up to three.

Savannah (Vanna) Carlson is turning 40 very soon and plans a month of weekends with her besties to celebrate the milestone. But things don’t go as planned. Her husband who she has been separated from for five years and never quite divorced dies in an accident. Not only that but he has entangled her in legal issues leading to her arrest after his funeral services.

I had a hard time relating to Vanna. Mostly because I don’t know anyone who behaves like her. The story follows 30 days of her trying to get control of her life but she is often partying and not taking care of the details. She wallows in the time lost on the wrong man but ignores the good guy who is in front of her. I think I liked the concept of the book more than the execution of it. On the plus side her granny and besties are great. The book is less than 300 pages and I zipped through it quickly.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the opening lines to the very end. It contained a little of everything suspense, comedy, romance, and just enough of real life stuff to make it all believable. Arthur never misses when she pens women’s fiction. The characters are always relatable; you either want to be their friends or knock some sense into the ones you just can’t stand. The read was a quick one but definitely one worth reading and I would surely recommend to friend.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

**A Lifetime in 30 Days**
by A.C. Arthur

In "A Lifetime in 30 Days," we follow Savannah Carlson, a woman on the brink of turning 40. With just one month to go before she reaches this significant milestone, Savannah is determined to celebrate every single weekend with her closest friends, Jamaica and Ronni. Together, they embark on a series of adventures and experiences designed to make the most of this pivotal time in Savannah's life.

While the concept of the book is filled with potential for fun and camaraderie, I found that it ultimately didn’t resonate with me. Despite the promise of exciting escapades and the camaraderie of friendship, I felt that the story progressed at a slow pace, making it difficult for me to stay engaged. Additionally, I struggled to connect with Savannah as a character; her journey didn’t evoke the emotions or excitement I had hoped for. In the end, the narrative simply failed to capture my interest, leaving me longing for a more dynamic and engaging experience.

Title: A Lifetime in 30 Days
Series:
Author(S): A.C. Arthur
Genre:
Publication Date: December 24, 2024
Publishing Co.:
Length: pages/ chapters
Rating: 3 ⭐️ / 🌶️

Trigger Warnings:

Tropes:


****Check back soon for a full review***

I would like to thank NetGalley, A.C. Arthur and Montlake for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3⭐ - this story follows 39 year old Savannah who's separated from her husband for 5 years. Just before her 40th birthday, her estranged husband dies in a boating accident. Luckily Savannah can rely on her friends Jamaica and Ronnie, by making plans for the weekend before Savannah's big 40.

During her husband Caleb's funeral, Savannah gets arrested for embezzlement - even after his death Caleb's the gift that keeps on giving. Did Savannah waste the best years of her life on Caleb?

I loved the humor in the story, however some decisions made by savannah that were made and the way she acts doesn't really fit a 40 year old. Overal it's a cute story.

This was an entertaining, lighthearted read, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression. While the humor and chaos kept it going, the story felt predictable at times. I wish there was a deeper plot and better character development. The only highlight of the story was Aden and his dedication to Savannah.

Savannah Carlson has one month before she hits the big four-oh. With her best friends, Jamaica and Ronni, she’s making every weekend toward that milestone count—party-wise. Vanna’s plans go awry when her shady, no-good, unreliable, estranged husband, Caleb, dies in a boating accident. The real sucker punch lands when Vanna is arrested for embezzlement at his funeral. Her man certainly is the gift that keeps on giving.

Talk about mixed emotions. Grief over good years wasted with the wrong man. Rage at her vindictive mother-in-law. Fear of that unjust felony hanging over her head. And even some bliss given her long-simmering attraction to an old acquaintance that’s coming to a sweet boil. Amid the chaos, Vanna refuses to spiral. She has her faith, her cheerleading, gun-toting Granny, and her besties to help her through the most trying times of her life.

Freakin’ forty and still fly? Vanna has to believe in that now more than ever.

Loved it. Will recommend to others.

Oh Vanna. She never divorced her husband and now not only is he dead and she's stuck with the details, she's also been arrested because of him. This serves as a catalyst for her to take control of her life in the run up to her 40th birthday. But then there's Aden, an old friend who becomes more. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Would make a good travel book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and held my attention. I did find myself a bit frustrated with the main character at times. She was estranged from her husband who, as she and her friends say, was no good- but she hadn't divorced him after so many years of separation. When someone new came into her life, it took her friend pointing out how coincidental it all was for her to consider things. I was glad I was wrong about whodunit, as it seemed too obvious and would've been frustrating as a reader. I appreciated a strong female lead, though at times her actions/thoughts contradicted that idea. Granny was a great character and I hope I have as much fire in me when I'm her age!
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

good mystery about a couple and staying in a house and the other couple there. kept me on my toes . good mystery and figuring stuff out. loved this romance

A quick, easy read that will keep you entertained from word one. It is well-written, with characters that you will care about instantly.

Vanna is going to be 40 in one month, and she wants to change, so she decided she is going to celebrate every weekend until her birthday. A lot happens in the 30 days, and we see the transformation in her. She has felt like she has been drowning most of her life, and just focused on being in survival mode. During the 30 days of celebrating with her girlfriends, she has had a lot more things happening that could sink her, but a friend Aden, she met when she was in college came to the funeral of her ex-husband, and didn't go away. He was always there, when she was going through all that was happening, she kept pushing him away, and when she realized that, with all those who loved and supported her, she had to find her way to the surface on her own. She had to let go of the dead weight and the shackles that she put on herself, they were chains meant to strangle her, keep her struggling to breathe, and she had to finally face them, deal with them, and let them break from her in order to find herself, and choose to give herself permission to be just who she is now, and not what others convinced her she was. This is a slower paced book, which I thought went along with the transformation in Vanna, because transforming doesn't happen overnight, it happens over time, so for me this added to the story.
I received an ARC from Montlake through NetGalley.

Everything I loved about this book was all due to Aden. It seems Vanna did everything she could to discourage his interest, but Aden saw through her and frankly just wanted her so much he was willing to walk through fire for her. I adore heroes like this. I did not adore Vanna for what she put him through, and yet I still found that I liked her. I can understand when life throws everything at you and what it takes to not only fight through it, but also how discouraging it can be. It's easy to believe you just aren't meant to have good in y0ur life. She was a very strong woman, but she had to be to survive life. I wanted to cry for Vanna when she finally got her reward through Aden.

The premise of this book interested me and I wanted to love it but unfortunately it fell short. The chapters were long and slow and I found myself losing interest. Thanks for the ARC Netgalley.

We first meet Vanna as she identifies her estranged husband’s dead body. The husband she had been separated from for 5yrs but hadn’t yet divorced, though they were effectively living completely separate lives. Vanna is in the middle of celebrating her FFSF (Freakin Forty and Still Fly) bday month, and reacts to the death as if it’s simply an inconvenience to her bday plans. All Vanna wanted was to celebrate turning 40, begin proceedings for her divorce, and start her new life but now she has all of this other stuff on her plate. Immediately after the funeral, Vanna finds herself arrested for something she had no idea her ex involved her in. But was it really him or is someone else out to get some kind of revenge and frame Vanna?

Vanna was a character that was kind of hard to root for. I definitely sympathized with her reasoning for leaving Caleb. She has a great support system and she is a smart independent woman but it was extremely frustrating how dumb she was acting. She constantly chose to look away from glaring red flags or to avoid thinking about things that needed immediate attention. I kind of wanted to shake some sense into her and make her realize the seriousness of what was occurring in her life.

Overall, 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3. It was an okay read but not one that will stick with me.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

A month of celebrating leading up to her 40th birthday Vanna life goes into tail spin. Separated from her husband for 5 years he turns up dead. Involved with stealing money from the local casino police focus on Vanna.
New romance, and entrant parent returning all add to the mix.
Will make you smile and value good friends