We've all heard of friends making marriage pacts and maybe some of us have made one or though about making one ourselves; but have any of us really though about what happens after the deadline comes? This cute read does!

I will not lie when I read this book I had no clue what I was getting into except for my assumption from the title. And I was not disappointed!! I enjoyed this book, and it was a great rom-com! I am a hard-core fan of marriage pacts, and this one was exactly what I was looking for and more. Something I liked was that both characters were independent, and both were "content" with their lives and did not need each other for every little thing (aside from the reason they got married), which I found refreshing. The writing was well placed, and nothing felt rushed when it came to events in the book. Overall I would recommend this book if you are looking for a cute rom-com!

I really enjoyed this story. It was a slow start for me but once it got going I was really interested to see what happened with Will and Hannah. I enjoyed reading about Will’s family-those that supported him and those that he had a tough relationship with. I loved reading about Hannah’s work and feeling like I was behind the scenes of an indie music magazine. I loved Kate’s character, she was a great best friend for Hannah’s character. This was a fun read and I really enjoyed where it ended up.

DNF at 35%.

Interesting concept but I had a hard time buying the character's actions. Marrying for health insurance is a total American thing, I get it, but it didn't seem like quite enough of a reason. Especially if Will was so wealthy. Couldn't he just pay for her surgery if he wanted to help her out? Why is it so certain that he has to get married to be seen seriously in his family's company? And why did they have to get married so quickly? I just couldn't suspend my disbelief any longer.

Writing is pretty good, there were some cute scenes, but I wanted more. I wish I had more time of them on the honeymoon, for example.

This book had me all up in my feels. Love. Betrayal. Friendship. And so much more! A quick and cute read that is the perfect binge book over a weekend.

Hannah was very relatable and I felt so much for her as she grew throughout the book. I love the dynamic of prior friends to lovers. Although this wasn’t a typical relationship, I enjoyed watching how Hannah and Will worked through the day to day life struggles. And how they came to their own happily ever after. The little bit of spice in this book was great too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Red Adept Publishing, LLC. For the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun and enjoyable read!
Fake dating and friends to lovers trope, quite, quirky, not too much at stake, just a pleasant beach read that one needs from time to time!

This was a really fun read that I think would be suitable for fans of the second chance romance, fake dating, and friends to lovers tropes. A little something for everyone!

This was a light hearted enjoyable read. There is no complex storyline to follow, the characters have chemistry and there is a hint of drama.
This is a predictable read that is perfect as a summer read.
I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hannah is not sure where her life is headed as the 30th birthday arrives. She had hoped to be at least getting health insurance from the small magazine she works for. No such luck, as money is still tight. When the flowers arrive, she honestly has no idea who they are from.

Will has waited for this date without really telling himself he was waiting. The girl of his dreams is still single - and so is he. Now is the chance to grab the one who got away. Then when they talk it over its to his total surprise she says yes!

This was a bit of a slower book than I anticipated. It ended up being full of little surprises inside. The story moved along at a great pace, the couple was swoon worthy, the heat was just right and the ending just a little flatter than I hoped for. Overall was still a great read and I would definitely pick up this author again.


***This copy was given to review by Netgalley and its publishers.

This book was…fine for me. I wouldn’t necessarily seek the author out, but I enjoyed reading it! The story and characters were pleasant enough; there just wasn’t any zing to pull me in.

I'm a sucker for a marriage of convenience and this one was no exception! I thought this was a cute take on a marriage pact between two college friends. Hannah and Will were an endearing couple and I enjoyed getting to know them.

One critique I do have of this book lies in the conflicts between the two romantic leads. It is something I feel is hard to get right, and this novel came a bit short of my standard for reasonable communication between two people in a relationship. I also feel that there were a lot of places where this story could have gone deeper and I wished it would.

Overall, this is a sweet story that will definitely provide a HEA that we all crave now and again. It's a quick read and will definitely keep you entertained!

***3 stars***

*I was provided with an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

Summary: Cute Romance, which could've been better.
2.75/5

Things I liked::
- Characters such as Riley, Charlaine, & Kate.
- The plot: "If we aren't married by ___ age, then let's get hitched!"
- Sweet romance

Things that could've been better:
-Better writing. The author tried to pan the book out, but certain high points turned anticlimactic because of the delivery. It just fell flat and that was very frustrating. Like the reveal of JT or their first time confessing their love to each other.
- Fights between Will and Hannah seemed so unnecessary most of the time even if it was used as a catalyst to advance the story further. I found it hard to digest <spoiler> how they just got back together with each other no matter what. <spoiler>
- The jumps between scenes. Important scenes just vanished, and certain rambles were in place instead.
- Unnecessary spotlight on Madison and Jo. Their characters never seemed steady and always changing.
- I had to push through the first half of the book, if it weren't an ARC, I would've probably DNF'ed.

Overall, it's a decent book for a debut. If you enjoy family drama intertwined with romance, this might be the one for you.

I received a complimentary advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

All over the place with the narration but it found a solid story. I recommend it and I’d read more about these characters or from Casey Dembowski.

When We're Thirty by Casey Dembowski is a sweet romance that I enjoyed. Hannah Abbott feels stuck in life with her job and relationship. On Hannah's thirtieth birthday, her college best friend shows up and proposes. In college they made a pack that if neither one is married by their thirtieth birthday they will marry each other. I really enjoyed this book, a sweet romance and a perfect escape. I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was a beautiful reminder that the joys & exhilaration of being human lies in following your heart.

The characters were the perfect blend of youth & maturity. While the main plot was the romance, the characters individual backstories were well-developed & consequently, there was a lot of depth that came with that. We read about Hannah's passion for her job & her aspirations as a journalist. We also read about Will's complex family dynamic & relationship with his brother. I freakin' love it when rom-coms include well-developed personal conflicts because it makes the characters SO much more real & less like plot-devices. Most rom-coms attempt to include this element but never give it enough page-time or it's simply thrown in there.

As someone who follows my head, I related to Hannah a lot. Hannah is someone who exaggerates her fears & insecurities, letting it eat away at her, until she recounts her story to another person. To Hannah, saying something out loud makes all the difference & I completely get that. Sometimes our heads tend to get to us when in reality, we did our best & things may not be as bad as we'd like to think. I also loved how Hannah was firm in her decisions yet never overbearing & always willing to compromise on her own terms. I instinctively loved Will. He is such an honourable & pure cinnamon roll. He was so attentive to Hannah & he wore his heart on his sleeve. He was very genuine & down-to-Earth..

Hannah & Will's chemistry was so tangible, I felt physical pain when they fought.

The romance was so heartfelt! I felt their chemistry from the start & was rooting for them! I loved how it was told in both their POVs, it made the slow-burn burn even more, knowing how much they loved each other. I loved how civilly & rationally they navigated the conflicts, always choosing each other despite everything.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to rom-com lovers. This one will definitely tug at your heartstrings.

Casey Dembowski, the author of “When We’re Thirty” has written a delightful, entertaining, and heartfelt novel. The genres for this book are romantic comedy, contemporary fiction, women’s fiction, and fiction. The timeline for this story is set in the author’s present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her characters as complex, and complicated. Some are manipulative, and mean spirited, and others are hard workers with their own problems. There are betrayals and twists and turns. The author discusses the importance of family, friends, love, and hope.

I devoured this book! I loved the old college friends with a spark back story into the love it grew into today. I needed a guy like Will when I turned 30! I thoroughly enjoyed reading chapters from both Hannah and Will's perspectives- their story was great, even the lying and cringeworthy parts because that's what makes it so realistic. I hated Madison, which means her character was perfectly written!

I loved Hannah’s job in the music scene and the numerous pop culture references (Mike Ross, Theo James AND Matt Czurchy?! Yes please!!). The ending with the interview and the wedding song? LOVED IT! Thanks for a wonderful book and I can't wait for more by Casey Dembowski!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for a honest review.

3.5 / 5

•• What's this about? ••

Years ago Hannah and Will made a pact. They would marry each other when they were 30th if they weren't married by then.

So Will fulfilled his promise, and the day after Hanna's 30th birthday he knocked her door with a interesting proposal.
They both need of each other in this moment. Hanna needs health insurance due an injury in her knee and Will needs to fix some problems in his family. The perfect solution is MARRIAGE.

But they will need to figure out how to deal with crazy relatives, ex girlfriends, and the new feelings they are having for each other.

•• What do I think about it? ••

Well, to be honest I didn't expect this type of story. I thought it would be a little bit different but either way I enjoyed it a lot.

In this fake-marriage story we have two main characters. Will and Hannah.
I have to say that I loved them together and separated.
I love how the love between them grows up in each chapter. They had cute, funny and lovely scenes.
I also loved how they found their ways in their professional careers. They could be happy in every single aspect of their lives.

About the story itself. Well there were some things I didn't like so much but there were others that I really enjoyed.

About the second characters I have to say that Madison is the worst. Ugh I really hated her at the end of the book. And I also hated Jon and Jonathan. They just wanted to make Will's life harder every time they spoke.

Buuuut, there were some good characters too. Like Riley, Kate, Daniel and Binx. They were the most loyal friends Will and Hannah could ask for. Loved every single scene with them.

In general, the book is entertaining with a cute love story between two old friends and a fake-marriage. I do recommend it and I know many of you will enjoy this heartwarming story.

Oh oh, and that last scene is one of the cutest I've ever read.

When We're Thirty was such a fun read! Hannah and Will made a pact to get married if they are still single at 30. Will decides it's time for him to go to Hannah with a proposal. Now the two of them are trying to convince everyone around them that they are madly in love and 100% a real couple. This book was sweet, romantic, and funny.

*I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher for my honest review*

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
When We're Thirty is a cute, funny, and fun read. It is a kind of book that will keep you hooked throughout the entire read. You will fall in love with the story concept, characters, their chemistry, and everything. Above all, the concept of marriage pact is quite new to me. I had no idea that such thing as marriage pact exists in real life. Well, Casey Dembowski has done a great job in developing a beautiful chemistry between Hannah and Will.
The story follows Hannah and Will, old friends, made a marriage pact that if they remained single by the time they turn thirty they will get married. Although Hannah forgot everything about the pact, Will showed up on her doorstep with marriage proposal one day. Will’s sudden proposal surprised Hannah, but enacting on this marriage pact might be beneficial for Hannah in order to access Will’s health insurance. Marrying Hannah could also benefit Will in many ways as he is also facing some critical problems in his career which might be solved if he gets married. Although they act on this pact with some vested interests, they could not deny the attraction they feel for each other. What if there is a secret in Will’s family that Hannah doesn’t know yet? What if they both fall in love with each other?
Overall, I really loved this story. It was a fun read. Highly recommended!