I’m a lover of all genres and I particularly love it when they mix a few genres together, so finding this contemporary romance with a side of magical realism had me intrigued from the minute I read the blurb. New Adult by Timothy Janovsky is part of his Boy Meets Boy series of standalone novels. It follows Nolan Baker, who after making a risky career move is magically transported 7 years into the future where he’s living his dream life as a famous comedy star. He has everything he’s dreamed of; crazy fans, a perfect apartment and more money than he could have ever imagine, expect he realises he’s now estranged from his family and best friend/true love Drew and would do anything to take it all back.

This novel had a grip on me from the start and I read it quite quickly. I’m a big fan of short chapters that keep me wanting more and New Adult absolutely hit the mark with that one. The journey and development of the main character, Nolan, was inspiring and heartwarming. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a feel good LGBTQIA novel.

Thank you so much to SourceBooks and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this eARC for review.

4.5 Stars for another wonderful Janovsky title!

Being marketed as a gay 13-going-on-30 was the perfect pitch for this as we follow our MC Nolan who makes some questionable choices and ends up thrown 7 years in to the future where he's dealing with the outcome and butterfly effect of those choices. Janovsky's writing is always really pleasant and enjoyable and I find the characters he creates to have a very relatable quality to them. This was an excellent story that played out with all the right notes of a romcom type movie!

13 going on 30 with a twist!
Nolan wants to be a famous comedian, but so far he barely makes his own rent. So when a once in a lifetime opportunity arises at his sisters wedding if all things, he has to make an impossible decision. A decision that makes his whole family hate him, including his secret crush best friend/ roommate.
But what if he could simply move forward to his perfect life?

I really loved this book, Nolan is a very flawed MC who makes a lot of stupid rash decisions. His own drive for his goal of a perfect life makes him selfish and hurt other people without realising it.
The time traveling makes it all very interesting. I loved to see how sometimes the things we wish for aren’t always turning out to be perfect when we get them and how we can forget about what’s really important when being so focussed on one thing.
The romance was very sweet and I loved the demi rep.
I wished there was more of a story part with the actual timeline in the end, so we can see what Nolan and Drew’s actual relationship start is like.
But all in all I had a lot of fun with this and can’t wait to read his next book!

I will start by saying I have not read book 1 or 2 in this series, and it reads well as a stand-alone. This is a perfect rom-com novel to settle into on a summer afternoon. Yet Janovsky seems to have a way of giving his main character massive character development and growth that is not often found in your typical rom-com.
Nolan's story is witty and fun, while also being deeply emotional. It asks of the characters and the reader, "what would you do or give up to finally have all your dreams come true?" I will certainly be seeking out more Timothy Janovsky works to read in the future, and I have already recommended this book to several of my favorite readers.

If you are looking for great rom-com then don't pass this one up.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this so much! It was so fun and cute and sweet. Major 13 Going On 30 vibes plus a dubious lifestyle company a la Goop. I’ll be reading more by this author.

New Adult sucked me in pretty quickly and it was hard to put down! After loving You're A Mean One, Matthew Prince I was really excited for this one and did not disappoint. I thought the 13 Going on 30 plot was really fun and not one that I have personally read a lot so it felt very fresh to me. Timothy is great at writing characters who you find frustrating or annoying at first but then grow to love and root for. I loved seeing his relationship with his family evolve. I really liked the way this book handled sensitive topics.

I listened to this on audio and thought the narrator did a great job! It was the same audiobook narrator as Mathew Prince which I really liked.

I would definitely recommended this book to anyone wanting a fun queer love story especially if you like friends to lovers.

Nolan is 23 and his life is not at all where he wants it to be - he hasn’t achieved his dream of making it as a successful comedian, he’s secretly in love with his best friend, and he can barely even pay his bills. He’s ready to give it all up and let his dreams go until he gets the opportunity of a lifetime - the problem is, by taking this opportunity, he misses his sister’s wedding and messes up his chances with Drew. That night, he wishes on a set of “magical healing crystals” that he could just skip to the good part of life. When he wakes up the next morning, it’s seven years later, he is 30 years old and has the life he wanted, except none of his friends and family are speaking to him.

This was my favorite book in the Boy Meets Boy series and can be easily read as a standalone! I loved the 13 Going on 30 style premise and the growth we saw in Nolan from his 23 year old self to the end was incredible. While Nolan was incredibly frustrating at times, especially in the beginning, his love interest Drew was the sweetest cinnamon roll and I adored him. There were moments and themes that were much more serious and emotional, but the sweetness and the humor throughout made for a very heart-warming read.

I switched between audiobook and ebook and found myself loving Mark Sanderlin’s narration so much that the audio was my preferred format. He did a great job capturing Nolan’s personality and the audiobook was so good to listen to.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

I finished New Adult and thought it was such a refreshing, sweet read. From the start, I was excited that it referenced some of my favorite movies: Pretty Woman, Uptown Girls, Crossroads, Freaky Friday, and Ratatouille. And it could basically be called "23 going on 30" based on another movie 🤣
The story follows Nolan, a 23-year-old stand-up comedian working to get his big break, as he makes some mistakes and learns what really matters. It mixes a friends to lovers romance with a coming of age family saga while sprinkling just enough magic to make it new and fun.
I haven't been reading very much on this trip (this morning is day 15!), but I had trouble putting New Adult down. Thanks to Casablanca Books for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This is my first book by the author and I look forward to reading more of his work. New Adult published 8/15 and I recommend checking it out!!

I am a huge fan of anything written by Timothy Janovsky and while this one missed the mark for me, I still found it to be an enjoyable read.

Nolan is in a life slump at 23, but the night after he bails on his sister’s wedding, he wakes up and is 30. And successful. And handsome. And is no longer in contact with anyone from his previous life.

While I let go and enjoyed the ride of New Adult… Nolan never quite wormed his way into my heart the way Janovsky’s characters typically do. However, Drew was amazing and held my interest in their friends to maybe something more to enemies to lovers journey.

Funny, sweet with the perfect sprinkling of magical realism- readers who enjoy a good giggle need to check out New Adult.

I love Janovsky's books. Never been kissed, Matthew Prince were unputdownable. And this has all of the beats save for the fact that Nolan is unlikable until the second to last part of the book. Maybe it's just I've never been able to find a stand up comedian likable but his inciting incident is unredeemable in a way that the description doesn't even manage to begin to cover. I couldn't understand what made even a single on of the characters forgive him. But the romance is incredibly sweet and when Nolan starts acting like a human again I buy his redemption finally. But this felt like I was slogging to get to the good part, and I was incredibly tempted to skip to a part where I just didn't want the main character to fail miserably. Being a selfish mean person works in 13 going on 30 because Jenna starts out at 13 and every 13 year old in the world is a terrible person. At 23 not having a shred of human decency is less a charming character flaw and more a character you're actively hoping bad things happen to. That being said, there are parts of this book still won me over. The emails to CeeCee broke my heart. Drew's leaving. There were no glaring errors or plot holes. I just spent most of the book wanting to punch Nolan instead of hoping he got his HEA

I am not surprised to say that this is another win from Timothy Janovsky. It’s like if you took 13 going on 30, subtracted all creepy elements, and made it gay—so basically, perfection. Never Been Kissed still has my heart, but Janovsky is an auto buy author for me after being blessed with ARCs for his last three books. I loved even seeing some demisexual representation pop up again in this one!! I can’t wait for whatever he comes out with next.

What a sweet story! We follow Nolan, a young man in New York City trying to make it as a comedian and desperate for a date to his sister’s wedding. He lives with his best friend Drew, who he also harbors secret feelings for (well secret to only him, not everyone else around them..). His sister works at an up and coming influencer company, and they are sponsoring her wedding. Nolan ends up telling Drew he loves him, but gets a call from a comedy legend who asks him to do a set. Nolan leaves the wedding and does the set, upsetting everyone in the process. When he makes it back to the wedding, he’s given a goody bag with crystals in it. He makes a manifestation statement and falls asleep. He wakes up the next day in a new body and timeline, discovering he’s missed 7 years and oh yeah.. he’s also a total jerk. How can he get back?

I am a SUCKER for this trope. I always love it and enjoy the books with changing the past and accepting the future. Nolan fumbles his way through and it’s so relatable as a 30 something. I loved the ending to this one - it reminded me of the best parts of It’s a Wonderful Life and Back to the Future. Pure magical love. Enjoy!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book gave off major 13 Going on 30 vibes, and I am here for it!

Nolan Baker will do anything to further his career as a comedian. After standing his best friend up and missing his sister’s wedding, Nolan wakes up 7 years in the future to realize he has met his career goals and ruined his relationship with his best friend, Drew, and his family. Desperate to return to his 23-year-old self, Nolan seeks out the only person he thinks will believe his story, Drew. I’m their attempt to return Nolan to the past, the pair rekindle their prior friendship and their romantic feelings for one another. Now Nolan has two choices - stay in the future where he has already begun to fix things with Drew and his family or return to the past and hope he can earn their forgiveness.

I truly enjoyed Nolan and Drew’s story. Best friends who fall in love will always hold a special place in my heart. Initially, I was not a huge fan of Nolan, but after he began to fix his past mistakes I started warming to him. Drew, on the other hand, was a favorite throughout. He’s an absolute cinnamon roll who I just want to protect at all costs.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: August 14, 2023

“New York is like that. Even the extraordinary places blend in because everything holds something extraordinary to someone here.”

Time travel is not my jam, so while this gay 13 going on 30/One Last Stop mash up missed the plot mark for me, it was still a very enjoyable story about figuring out what a truly important to you!

When you compare a book to 13 Going on 30, one of my favorite movies, you make me want to read it.
But to deliver on that concept too?! 5 stars! 10 stars!

I absolutely loved that this took the time travel aspect from 13 Going on 30. It skirted the line perfectly: constantly making me have nostalgia for the movie, while also becoming its own entity.

I loved the character development, romance, the lower-level spice scenes, and the ending was very well-played.

This book definitely makes me want to pick up more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't realize that this book had time travel in it, but it only added to the storyline and I really enjoyed it. Nolan's character growth was necessary. because I honestly found him kind of annoying to start. I enjoyed watching the characters grow and watching them fall in love was sweet!

This was an incredibly charming, delight of a book in the vein of 13 Going on 30. Nolan wants to be a successful stand up comic - and he's willing to put on hold everything else in his life, including his years long crush on his best friend, until he achieves his goal. When he jumps at the chance to fill in for a famous comedian he not only stands up his best friend, Drew, but also misses his sister's wedding.

Nolan then wakes up seven years later, now a successful comic, but at the sake of all those relationships that used to mean everything to him. It turns out, being all fancy and successful isn't all it's cracked up to be and Nolan desperately seeks out Drew in order to go back to his past self so he can fix everything.

My favorite romances are when there is substantial growth involved for the characters, both inside and outside of the romantic relationship. This is where Janovsky shines as a writer. In the two books I've read of his, the main characters have a lot of growing up to do and by the end of the book they are at a completely different and natural place than the beginning and that is just SO satisfying as a reader.

Nolan's relationship with Drew is so lovely as he earns back the other man's trust while also navigating losing seven years of his life. I'm not a huge fan of magical realism in romance books mostly because sometimes it can become a bit gimmicky, but here it is used to such great effect. Getting to watch Nolan grow and change and help those around him (and fall in love) was so delightful.

Thank you SO much to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rounded up from 4.5
Nolan hopes to have it all by the time he is 30, in seven years. But he's single, broke and trying to make his way as a stand-up comedian. Maybe his wishes will come true sooner than he expects...
This is a coming of age, best friends to lovers MM romance with 13 going on 30 vibes. It's book 3 of the Boy Meets Boy series, but it's the first one I read and although it can be read as a standalone, I will definitely go back and read the first two books, it was so good! It's not quite closed door, but not very spicy either, the spicy scenes are quick (a paragraph) and not explicitly detailed. Nolan is so annoyingly selfish and clueless in the beginning. Luckily, he takes a turn for the better, so I'm glad I stuck around, his character development is great through his journey, but boy was that painful. I know he's a comedian, but his constant jokes (that were not very funny) would get annoying and felt forced at times. I loved the interactions between Nolan and Drew, they were so cute together, and I absolutely adored Drew, he's mostly why I stuck around in the first part. And that first part was a bit too long, but we I finally reached the "future part", everything got better. The stand-up comedy scene was original, I don't think I've read a book set in that world before. I also liked the magical realism.
"Strange how I got the funhouse-mirror version of everything I ever wanted."
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

This is such a sweet romance set with a great magical realism subplot. When we meet 23 year old Nolan, he is a struggling stand up comedian in love with his best friend Drew. On the day of his sister's wedding, he wins a sought-after comedy gig and makes a decision that consequently changes the course of his life. He then wakes up 7 years later as a successful comedian and although it's what he initially thought he wanted, he realises that life is more than just career success.

Drew and Nolan were both fantastic characters, and their romance was really lovely to read. I also loved the supporting characters throughout, who really gave this book a lot of depth. I found Nolan an unlikable character initially, but loved the way Janovsky managed to redeem him. This definitely gave '13 going on 30' vibes, but I especially loved the queer context.

Highly recommend a read if you like your queer romances with a side of magical realism and parallel timelines.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This is a LGBTQIA+ romance with a 13 going on 30 feel. 23 year old Nolan get an opportunity for a stand up gig and dies fantastic but in the process angers family and friends by missing his sisters wedding and standing up his best friend Drew. He then wishes to reach the good part of his life and wakes up to find himself 30 successful and estranged from family and friends.

This book is witty and charming, and keeps you entertained throughout the entire book. Nolan’s growth is fascinating to see as he learns how to balance success with keeping relationships. The relationship between Nolan and Drew as it progresses is swoon worthy. This is definitely a charming Romance that is a must treat.