This was a heartwarming romance novel featuring Marco and Nadia - two individuals with their own challenges and pasts of failed relationships.

They meet as a blind setup and decide to date for only the month of May and the walk away.

Although predictable, I did enjoy the story and would definitely love to read more from this author.

I am so conflicted about how to rate this one, as I absolutely ADORE the writing style and two main characters in this book. The witty, sharp writing had me laughing out loud and wishing I could hang out with Nadia while trying not to make direct eye contact with Marco's mullet. I was immediately invested in their romantic storyline, and the idea of one month of dating was really intriguing.
Unfortunately, the pacing really didn't work for me and it ultimately let me down by the end. The middle portion of chapters/days were soooo long, and that was fine, as these were really important chapters for their connection and romantic development, but by the end of only 12 of 32 days, we were already at the 60% mark. After that things progressed in an odd fashion and the ending felt pretty rushed. I put the book down feeling like I really loved these characters, and I really wished I had gotten to see more of the rest of their story.
Nadia's personal story of her Lupus diagnosis, and her journey to acceptance and management of her chronic illness was really interesting, and I also wished we had seen more of the changes she had decided to make in order to accommodate her symptoms, etc as the book progressed.
I will definitely read more by this author as, like I said, I absolutely adore her writing, .
NOTE: Upon further reflection, I've decided this book deserves more credit than I initially gave it and I am here to edit my review to reflect that. I feel like I KNOW these characters. Nadia and Marco were so well written and shown to us that I couldn't help but become so invested in their story. I still think about them and feel like I remember them as characters/people and I can't say that for a lot of books. While I do still wish we had gotten a more fully fleshed out ending, and answered some of the looming questions I had about them and their future, I really enjoyed this book overall and will happily recommend it to others.

This is a heartfelt and thought provoking novel. Nadia, recently diagnosed with Lupus, embarks on a temporary relationship with a celebrity, but at what cost to her heart and health?
As someone who has an autoimmune disorder I really relate to this novel. Sometimes I have days where I don't feel like doing anything but have to push through and other days I wish to just feel normal. Those are themes that this book does an excellent job of exploring.

This was a light and breezy romance without a lot of plot to go on. Not as engaging as I had hoped. A beach read for sure, but was still expecting a bit more.

This was my book I've read by Betty and it certainly won't be the last! Heavy themes were discuss throughout the book, but Betty kept humor and lightheartedness in the story that was a breath of fresh air! While I personally have not experienced the things that Nadia or Marco go through in the book, I have loved ones who have. And that is the beauty of reading, to open our mind and have empathy for other people's experiences. I made SO MANY highlights throughout this book, from quotes that were so profound I needed to talk to my therapist about them, to swoony microtropes that made me giddy! I loved every word of this book and I cannot wait for everyone else to read it too!

The author's writing is so witty, and she really brought the characters to life in such a beautiful way. What took down a star for me the most out of anything was that the ending felt a little anticlimactic. Without spoiling anything, I really wanted a finale or an epilogue that showed what life looked like after everything went down. There was a lot of building up of the characters and their relationship, which is what really made the book so readable for me, but then there wasn't a ton in the aftermath of the climax, which is what we knew was coming for so long. We just wanted more!!

However, having made friends and colleagues with many people with lupus, I felt the depiction of the disease was very credible. It was super relatable for Nadia to just want to feel like a person. Lupus is often a "hidden" illness for people - they don't *look* sick - but they feel the effects of it very deeply. I really commend BC for nailing it.

I will definitely recommend to friends to read when the book is released.

Both characters are perfectly flawed and somehow find each other while dealing with mental health and chronic illness’s in a respectful and honest way

32 days in May
Following her lupus diagnosis, Nadia loses grasp of her life: she gets fired from her distinguished job, she moves back to her small beach hometown, she becomes painfully depressed. As she begins to come out of this fog, she meets Marco, a B-list celebrity. After a first very fun night together, they agree to an unorthodox arrangement: date only for the month of May then go their separate ways. Nadia hides her illness from him and finds a freedom and a life she didn’t think she could have anymore. But the secrets become awkward when it becomes clear that one month is not going to be enough for a growing love like theirs.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 🫑

Liked
* The writing in this book was damn funny. It was perfectly sarcastic, descriptive, and sharp. The messiness of these two characters breathed through the pages in the best way.
* Both were wildly imperfect which made them very interesting.
* I found the one month premise to be an interesting and unique tension.
* I was very iffy in the beginning and middle of the book but I really loved the ending.

Disliked
* While I loved the time boundaries in this book, I also felt like the pacing was off. At 60% in they’ve only been together for ten days and they’re still resisting vulnerability in a way that was super frustrating. It makes complete sense that a 10-day old relationship would still be on stilts but as a reader 60% invested in a book it was grating.
* Often messy characters don’t appeal to me. I love traumatized and emotionally burdened characters, which these two were. But it manifested as very messy before it manifested as people working towards healing and growth. And I dunno, it just didn’t hit for me. The character development was perhaps erratic.

🫡 Tropes deployed: timebound relationship, small beach town, sorta celebrity romance, chronic illness rep

BETTY YOU CANNOT KEEP RIPPING MY HEART OUT LIKE THIS. she’s done it again, folks. her only competition is herself. if anyone is in need of a deeply romantic story with more emphasis on the true meaning of love in their books, miss corelli is YOUR GIRL. i’m obsessed. i want to wipe my brain and read this all over again.

BETTY IS MY FAVORITE AUTHOR. She does such a great job incorporating real issues into her characters and I love her for that

Wooooow, this book was STUNNING. Stunning. All the stars. (And that cover?! Delish!)

Betty manages to craft stories that are a beautiful blend of hilarious, sexy, and imbued with such emotional depth -- it's masterful to read and I felt so captivated by this book. During the course of this book, I was laughing, crying, swooning, and having my heartstrings pulled in every direction, and I loved getting to engage in the lives of these characters, their struggles, and their journeys alone and together. I'm awestruck by this meaningful and resonant book. Betty and this story deserve EVERY BIT OF HYPE. I hope everyone gets their hands on it.

A huge thank you to Avon for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. 32 DAYS IN MAY is out 5/13/25.

I loved this. It gave me all the feels and I will definitely be reading this again and again. Thank you Ne t Galley for the arc.

Betty Corello is my jersey shore dream queen. This book is ridiculously good. So fresh and genuine. I felt so much for these characters and everything they went through to find each other in the end. Cried twice. Can’t wait to read it again.

📖 Book Review 📖 Life is precious…and so fragile. I am still wrapping my head around how circumstances can change in an instant - natural disaster, death, a diagnosis. For Nadia, a lupus diagnosis disrupts every part of her world and an escape to the Jersey Shore seems like the only thing she can control. After all, salt air and sand mixed with nostalgia does seem to be a special kind of elixir. When she is set with a handsome former television star, they agree to a one month, no strings attached relationship.

And if one second, one minute, one day can change the trajectory of your life, imagine what one month of positivity can add. Betty Corrello delivers a fun and flirty read in 32 Days in May but does not hold back on the realities of life and dealing with an illness. Woven throughout the novel is a realistically hopeful tone that resonates beautifully.

32 Days in May by Betty Corrello is a heartwarming, poignant journey through love, self-discovery, and the complexities of living with a chronic illness. Nadia Fabiola, the protagonist, is thrown into an unexpected whirlwind of emotions and experiences when her life is upended by a lupus diagnosis. The novel’s exploration of the impact of chronic illness on both the body and mind is refreshingly honest and deeply relatable, with Corrello capturing Nadia’s vulnerability, struggles, and strength in a way that feels both real and empathetic.

The premise of a month-long fling between Nadia and Marco Antoniou, set against the backdrop of the picturesque Jersey Shore and the romantic streets of Rome, serves as the perfect stage for their evolving relationship. Nadia is determined to keep her life small and manageable after her diagnosis, but Marco’s charm and the undeniable chemistry between them throw her carefully constructed plans into disarray. Their chemistry is electric, and their messy, fun first date sets the stage for a captivating, yet complicated, romance.

What makes 32 Days in May stand out is how Corrello delves into the intricacies of Nadia’s emotional and physical battles. Nadia’s attempt to maintain control over her health while navigating a blossoming romance adds a layer of complexity that elevates the story beyond typical romance. The tension between Nadia’s desire for intimacy and her fear of vulnerability is palpable, and readers will find themselves rooting for her as she learns to trust Marco and confront her illness head-on.

Marco, while initially appearing to be the classic "charming, brooding romantic lead," is well-developed and carries his own baggage, making him a deeply human and relatable character. His quiet support and respect for Nadia’s boundaries create a solid foundation for their relationship, even as Nadia grapples with whether or not she can open up about her lupus.

The setting of the Jersey Shore and the brief, yet romantic, escapades in Rome add an additional layer of warmth and wanderlust to the novel. Corrello’s writing style is both witty and tender, balancing the emotional depth with light moments of humor. The pacing is smooth, and the alternating tension of romance and Nadia’s health struggles keeps the reader hooked.

That said, some readers may find the romantic subplot predictable, but the emotional core of the book—Nadia’s journey toward accepting her illness, embracing love, and learning to trust herself and others—brings depth to the narrative. Corrello doesn’t shy away from showing the raw, messy side of living with a chronic illness, but she also presents the hope and resilience that come with it, making this novel both inspiring and bittersweet.

In conclusion, 32 Days in May is a beautifully written novel about love, vulnerability, and resilience. It’s a must-read for fans of contemporary romance who are looking for a deeper exploration of health, self-acceptance, and the messy beauty of being human. Whether you’re here for the romance or the honest portrayal of chronic illness, this novel will leave you thinking long after the last page.

Whew! What an emotional, heartfelt book that gives you all the feels! I loved the characters, the storyline and overall message. I wasn't sure I was going to like it at first, but you can't help but root for Nadia once you get into the story. This book will pull on your heartstrings (in a good way) and make realize how precious life is. I can't wait to read more by this author!

This book is absolutely wonderful and I loved everything about it and I don't think it is just because I can relate to Nadia's chronic illness. I love when characters in a book are trying to work something out in this case Nadia accepting who she is now versus who she was before and coming to terms with her limitations due to her illness. I love how Nadia and Marco have a wonderful dating adventure together and how pretty quickly you can see it might be more than a fling. There is some angst in this book but it makes their HEA so much sweeter. I want to thank Betty Corrello, Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me the opportunity to read this book early on NetGalley. It truly was my pleasure!

This is a beautiful story that expertly navigates chronic illness and mental health and I felt deeply for Nadia and everything she was going through. I loved the relationship between Nadia and Marco and am grateful to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

There are too many quotes for me to choose, but this one sums it up well for me:

“I’d tried to be memorable by making myself scarce. I’d tried to be unforgettable by being impenetrable. I’d tried and tried and tried. I didn’t even get a chance to give up. My body did that for me.”

Corrello connects the grief web of a recent chronic illness diagnosis to a blooming journey of self-discovery masterfully. This book healed something in me. Catch me in Evergreen, buying peaches and healing by the sea.

Incredible. I loved it. I devoured it in less than 24 hours. Corrello did an extraordinary job delivering a strong love while depicting life with a chronic illness. I absolutely loved all the Sweet November moments throughout the story. First read by this author but certainly won’t be my last.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for this E-ARC.