I’ve had the pleasure of reading other books by Ms Spencer but I have to say this one is definitely my favorite so far.
Rachel Monaghan is a wedding photographer whose work has grabbed the attention of many couples. It’s a job she loves. She has a close relationship with her cousin Charlotte, so when Charlotte’s mother isn’t well, Rachel steps in to tend the bar in Charlotte’s neighbor bar. She loves women but only for a day or so then it’s time to move on. She was very much in love with what she’d thought of as ‘the love of her life’, but when the unthinkable happens and they part she swears to never give her heart to another. It’s not worth the pain.
Veronica Welch is positive she’s about to make partner at the law firm she’s worked at for a number of years, never taking the time required to make her world complete by having a loving wife at her side. When her assistant, Bea comes up with an idea to help her meet the woman of her dreams Veronica decides to give it a try. Thirty dates in thirty days for Veronica. Each date is scheduled to take thirty minutes. Meet her date and hopefully one will fit into her plan. Bea, V’s assistant has set up all the dates to take place in a cosy neighborhood bar. Guess which one.
A nicely paced read with some wonderful dialogue makes this a simply great read. Very, very enjoyable story.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

I had so much fun reading this book. It was just fun, not too much angst and the pace just flowed. It was the kind of book that had me looking for little lulls in my day to sneak in a chapter. I just couldn’t get enough. The banter between Veronica and Rachel was awesome too, and I chuckled more than once. I think the idea of 30 dates in 30 days would put my anxiety into overdrive, but I applaud Veronica for giving it a solid go.

Veronica and Rachel are just perfect for each other and you can see that from the moment they are together. I’ll get to their chemistry later in the review, but made for each other couldn’t have been more relevant for them both. Major swoon.

The secondary characters in this book really made it for me. The group of older patrons at the bar who took to commentating on each date were hilarious and a great source of levity throughout the book's journey. Also, there are a few cameos from Madison and Ana from The Road to Madison which made me so happy, you could probably hear my shriek worldwide when they graced the page.

Did these characters have chemistry? Hell, to the yeah, they did!! I shouldn’t have been blindsided by that because it is Elle Spencer, and she’s amazing at writing character chemistry. But what builds between Veronica and Rachel is really quite something.

The only negative for me was the lack of an epilogue.

Great book and lots of fun to read.

Stars: 4.5 stars

This is a book full of love her, hate her. The main characters, Veronica and Rachel, had a one night stand and even though Veronica was interested in a relationship, Rachel let her know she is not into relationships at all. Veronica's assistant sets her up with a different date for 30 days. She is determined to find her boss her soulmate. The only problem is her dates are to meet her where Rachel works. Sparks fly between her dates and with Rachel. Well written and plenty of speculation about what will happen between the main women.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

What a blast. From the go I was intrigued and eager to see this book play out. There was a bit of a lack of imagination and backstory when it came to the characters relationships outside of the main story. All in all a nice addition to the romance library.

Victoria is a lawyer who has a life plan of making partner and having a love of her life and possibly children by the time she is 35. . As she is approaching her work goal her assistant Bea puts her on a website for dating other lesbians. The plan is 30 dates in 30 days and she will find the love of her life. The dates would meet for drinks at a local bar owned by Charlotte who is also a bar tender and her cousin Rachel who helps out in the bar but is also a photographer. I thought this was a very unique spin on a tail to find a partner and the best part was I don’t think I have laughed as much in one book as I did in this one. Each of the dates was more humorous than the previous one and adding to all of this is the incredible warmth and concern the barkeeps have for Victoria as well as three regular customers. They watch out for Victoria and also give their feedback on what they thought of the date. Complicating the situation is the fact that Victoria and Rachel are attracted to one another yet neither will make a move to see if there’s anything possible that could develop between them.
This book is so well written and Elle Spencer wrote a humorous novel with characters who were exceptionally warm and loving. I highly recommend this book for it’s unique concept and excellent writing.

This book took me a bit to get into. It may have been me and timing, but usually I start a book and finish it a few hours later. I finally told myself to knuckle up and finish it. I am really glad I did. Once I committed to bonding with the characters it became a much better book to me. There are a lot of characters as is implied by the name of the book. There is the usual "I've been hurt and can't love again" angst and well as the "career before love... oh no, life is passing me by" angst. But it all works out to be an interesting storyline. The primary secondary characters (as opposed to the 30 minute date characters) added a nice consistent flavor to balance the drama of the main characters. I liked the old family bar setting for much of the book. It was fun to visualize it while reading. I'm ultimately glad I pushed through my beginning blocks and throughly enjoyed this book.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Veronica Welch is on the brink of becoming a partner at her law firm, and now she can focus on what she really wants—finding someone to spend the rest of her life with. To make up for missing time, she agrees to let her friend set her up on 30 blind dates over the course of 30 days. Each date takes place in the bar Monaghan's, where one Rachel Monaghan occasionally works. Rachel has been burnt in love before and will protect her heart at all costs. At first Veronica and Rachel rub each other the wrong way, but then... sparks start to fly. Can this romantic and this cynic make things work?

First, let me start by saying that I love Elle Spencer's work. She hasn't written a bad book, and 30 Dates in 30 Days is no exception. However, I must say I was a bit disappointed by the story. I don't think it was on par with Casting Lacey and The Road to Madison, but it was still a great read.

The characters - I can't say I was in love with either character, especially not Veronica, who seemed quite stilted to me despite being the "romantic" of the two. Rachel was more understandable, and I enjoyed learning about her backstory. I still enjoyed the chemistry between the two heroines, especially when it started to pick up halfway through the book.
I really liked the group of regular bar customers who observed Veronica on her initial dates, and I wish the side characters played more of a role in the story. Many were not fully fleshed out and seemed to only serve as a way to move the plot forward.

A few minor things that detracted from the story for me: The pacing was a bit odd at times. The flow of the story sometimes seemed off and unnatural. I also think the initial dialogue between Veronica and Rachel felt awkward, but maybe that's just because it was hard for me to relate to Veronica and her voice.

On to the good: This was a really cute story about two people who were meant for each other and they work through the obstacles in their way to end up with each other. Also, there was some of that signature Elle Spencer angst, which hit me right in the feels.

Solid story, would recommend!

I found this to be a quick read however it would not be one that I would read again. The characters were ok, the plot was ok, the situations were ok. Nothing was great and it was a bit of a disappointment. I wish I liked it more because it was the blurb that drew me in, but it fell short for me. I wish I could put my finger on exactly what it was that didn’t work for me exactly but I can’t.

This book started out well but maybe dragged out the inevitable and ended up being a bit anticlimactic for me. I didn’t have any specific issues I just wasnt as captured in the last 25% or so as I shouldve been.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book received through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Veronica Welch is a driven woman: she expects to make partner at the law firm she works for by the time she is 35 and have someone to come home to in the evenings. As her birthday draws closer, she starts to realize she has put her personal life aside because of her professional career. Bea, her assistant, takes matters into her own hands and sets her up on multiple dates through a dating app. Enter Rachel Monaghan, wedding photographer, and occasional helper at her cousin's bar who has sworn-off serious relationships. A meeting between Veronica and Rachel is enough to make sparks fly, but their priorities are too different.

30 Dates in 30 Days was surprisingly good. I was not expecting such chemistry between the main characters nor such beautiful characterizations. I loved Veronica and how she was a constant contradiction. She is a litigator, but extremely clumsy with women. She is an idealistic and believes in true love but at the same time is always driven to achieve her goals and does not give up despite failures. Rachel is wonderfully flawed too. She is charming and has this "had my heart broken once, it will not happen again" mindset that is constantly challenged by Veronica's existence. I really enjoyed that Spencer took the time to develop their relationship and confront Rachel's issue.

There were other minor characters that were not as developed but equally enjoyable, especially Veronica's dates. Their drink of choice always was a prelude to their personality and I laughed a lot during those descriptions. There were many funny situations in the book, which made it even more enjoyable.

30 Dates in 30 Days is a slow burn romance that hooks you up with its main characters' off the charts chemistry and charisma. The funny situations and witty banter are an enjoyable perk and the superb cast of secondary characters rounds it up. Overall, an excellent read for everyone who loves a good romance without lots of angst.

30 Dates in 30 Days is about Veronica Welch and her promise to herself to be married by thirty-five. She's made it - she's about to be named partner at one of the most prestigious law firms in New York City. After one too many drinks, she lets her plan slip to her assistant, Bea, and now she won't let it go. Rachel, a bartender at the bar, overhears Bea's plan to get her married off by scheduling 30 dates in 30 days. What could possibly go wrong??

Veronica and Rachel have strong chemistry and everything about them is just right. The dialogue between the two was mostly easy, sometimes difficult, but worth the wait. I really enjoyed this book and Elle Spencer is now an author I need to read. This was my first book by her and it won't be my last!

A hot shot lawyer is turning 35 soon. She has her whole life figured out, but one thing is missing from her list of goals. She was supposed to be married or well on her way to married by this age. Her assistent has decided it is time Veronica goes on some dates, she sets them up for her. She arranges the whole thing. But when the dates arrive they aren’t all as interesting as the lady behind the bar.
The regulars at the bar are lovely too.
I liked the description of the people and the places in this book, I could really picture it. I am slo very glad to not have been on one of Veronica’s dates, some of them were really awful. How could one think of them. Especially the one with the snake... nothing against snakes, but jeeezzz! If you are familiar with these types of books you know how it will end, but it was still a satisfying read for me.

Having never read any of this writer's previous books I went into this one with no expectations other than that the blurb sounded like an enjoyable interlude. Those expectations were very much met and I will say that it was even better than expected. I liked Elle Spencer's writing style and the dialogues come across as natural and not forced to be funny. The character's are likable and are easy to relate to. (who hasn't gone on a date that turned out (a little bit) weird or had her heart broken and is just looking for fun not relationships after that?)
So we have Veronica, an attorney about to become partner with her life planned out meticulously, who needs to find "the one" at age 35. According to her plan. And there's Rachel, a wedding photographer with her heart broken. and no inclination to start a relationship ever again. What follows is their life's intersecting, a bit of pulling and pushing and a lot of attraction. But what should they do about their different viewpoints??

Pick it up, you'll enjoy it!

I was all-in on this book after about the first five pages! Elle Spencer created the best supporting characters; they just sucked me into this crazy dating tale! I especially enjoyed the “bar regulars” at Rachel’s cousin’s bar. Their easy banter and comradery felt like something right out of Cheers. Their over-investment and helicoptering of Veronica’s dating was priceless. They armchair quarterbacked all of Veronica’s dates and it was hilarious! Veronica’s secretary, Bea, was also a bonus to this story. She was so sweet and adorable. She had the best intentions for Veronica’s love life; she just couldn’t get her match making to strike a fire.

Overall, this story was just great fun to read! Yes, the whole concept of 30 dates in 30 days was crazy, but I bought into it. And yes, I could see where Spencer was headed with the whole barroom dating; Rachel and Veronica’s chemistry was undeniable. The fun part was watching them deny what was undeniable! I just sat back and enjoyed the ride as their journey to “forever love” bumped along.

If you are looking for something that is light-hearted and fun to read, 30 Dates in 30 Days is a solid choice. Elle Spencer’s writing is infused with witty banter and humor, making the story completely entertaining to read. She knows how to create charming characters that push the plot along in interesting ways. I liked it and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a fun contemporary lesbian romance.

A fun storyline with some great characters. a nice mixture of personalities and ups and downs. really keeps you invested.

I have read all of Elle Spencer's books that have been published through Amazon and it is easy to see she is getting better with her storytelling and her writing. The main characters, Veronica (lawyer) and Rachel (photog by day bartender by night) are very likable but of course one of them has to be kind of hate-able (Rachel) as the story progresses. It really is a story about finding your one and only and figuring out to make her your one and only when the "one" doesn't want to be her. Confused? Guess you'll just have to read it.

Anyway, it was really cool to see cameos by the two MCs from Spencer's previous book, "The Road to Madison." It was even nicer how everything tied together for everyone. I will say i was rather disappointed how quickly it ended but hopeful these characters will make an appearance again.

A friend highly recommended this book that at first I overlooked due to the speed dating theme in the book description blurb. It initially made Veronica sound self-involved and shallow, but I’ve never been happier to be wrong about a first impression. As we get to know Veronica, we find that she really is looking for a deep, all-encompassing love. The fact that she’s set herself a ridiculous timeline actually becomes an entertaining and hilarious theme in the first half of the book with secondary characters cheering Veronica on and weighing the pros and cons of each date. The second half of the book lagged a bit when Rachel repeatedly finds it difficult to allow herself to fall in love. It almost dragged on a bit too much but it did make sense the reasons behind it. What made this book so entertaining was the delightful dialogue between the two women. No matter what situation they were in, their conversation flowed effortlessly from sometimes serious, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes incredibly hot and sexy that it made their difficult journey worth the time put in. Their love affair is such a triumph that it would have been joyous if the author would have spent more time in their happily ever after following their mountainous climb. Regardless, this is one of the more entertaining romances I’ve had the pleasure to read in a long time.

This is one of the best books I’ve read recently - the 30 dates in 30 days premise was interesting and unique but even without that the fantastic chemistry between the leads would have carried the book through. They were both multi-faceted and likeable characters (I found myself crushing on Rachel a little), the spark was so obvious even from the start and the romance was very well written and well paced. The supporting characters - especially the ones in the bar - were also very well developed. I look forward to what this author will come up with next.

5/5

I really truly throughly enjoyed this book. It was funny, sexy, interesting, entertaining and I read it all in one seating. Both characters, Veronica Welch and Rachel Monaghan, were sexy but also flawed and down to earth. The chemistry was palpable from the beginning.

In addition, the supporting characters were well written and entertaining. They added to story and made it more complete.

I will definitely recommend this book.

This ARC was provided by Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley for an honest review

As the book opens, Veronica Welch's assistant Bea is helping her to meet one of her two life goals. The first, to make partner by the time she is 35 and, a very good lawyer, she seems well on track to do that. The second goal is to be married or at least well on her way. So Bea gets her set up on a female dating app, Ryder. In the next 30 days (until Veronica's birthday), Bea is getting her set up with a series of women. One of them should be The One. All of the dates are set up at Monaghan's, a bar near to Veronica's work.
Rachel Monaghan helps out at her cousin's bar fairly often even though she is a much sought after wedding photographer. She is amused to see a hot business lady who is clearly on a first date. And the same woman is there on another first date the day after. And the day after. Soon, Rachel, as well as the regulars in the bar are as anxious to see what happens as Veronica navigates her way through a series of women who are often identified by their favorite drink rather than their names.
A lovely, light read. Perfect for the holiday season.

Four stars
This book came out October 15th
ARC kindly provided by Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own