I've been in more of a romance mood lately so I'm trying some more out. I like the comforting fantasy of them some days. But I have a hard time finding contemporary romances I really like. I like this blend of cozy but not so cozy that I get bored and see it as unrealistic, but I also like reality to intrude a bit and there to be some stakes. I am drawn to contemporary romances that have a different angle.

This one intrigued me because it features an FMC with a chronic illness, lupus, who is hiding out in Evergreen on the Jersey Shore. I like seeing people of all backgrounds finding love despite the challenges. I thought the representation of Nadia's lupus was very well done and I liked seeing that in a romance.

But I struggle when reality intrudes on romances in the form of betrayals and lies. Some people swear by no cheating in romances but other types of betrayals are just as hurtful and they make me doubt the romance.

Nadia is set up with her doctor's cousin, Marco, a former actor who has struggled with addiction. The two agree to a casual fling, dating for the month of May, and then will go their separate ways. Nadia gets a chance to just be herself as if she were a healthy person deserving of love, and Marco gets an escape from his past.

I enjoyed the two of them together but I really struggled with Nadia's decision to withhold her diagnosis from the closest people in her life. She doesn't tell Marco about lupus until after they have fallen in love and while I understand her motivations, to me this is an unforgivable emotional betrayal for something that has a huge impact on her life. I wanted to see how Marco would handle sick Nadia, too, other than a scene where she has a flare up and a seizure.

I didn't like her family, either. They kept pushing her to live like a well person without stopping to consider why she might have so drastically upended her life. I found them stifling and cold instead of loving and supportive. Most people in her life were so judgmental.

At least Nadia had Soph and Allie, her supportive queer neighbors.

There was also too much instalove, developing strong feelings after just two weeks, and I didn't believe in it enough. I kept rolling my eyes at the cheesiness after their love declarations. All while living the lie that Nadia was a well person.

I also was a little appalled that they went on a whale watching cruise and a pregnant woman hands two strangers her toddler to watch and then obsesses over whether they've gotten laid yet. Who does that??? The scene was supposed to be cute but it made me uncomfortable.

I hold out hope that I will find the perfect contemporary romance but this one wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Nadia is living at her family's New Jersey shore house while navigating her diagnose of Lupus. While in Evergreen, she meets Marco, a celebrity who grew up in Evergreen (but I wouldn't call this a celebrity trope). They agree to date for the month of May.

This book is COMPULSIVELY charming. I found Nadia's grumpiness so funny, not a put-on to live into the grumpy-shine trope. The author did a great job creating a character who's guard is up in a honest way. Nadia processes what it looks like to mourn her old life in relation to her diagnosis, which felt authentic. Fighting with your sister in the most brutal way possible? Absolutely. This book felt so lived in. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for the ARC!

DNF pretty early on. I hated the writing style and prose. The main character was immediately unlikeable and the swearing was unmatched.

I absolutely loved this book. In 32 Days in May, Betty Corrello blends wit, humor, tenderness and vulnerability with aching tenderness. Nadia and Marco couldn’t be more different and yet the chemistry is instant. Nadia is struggling with her lupus diagnosis, while Marco is struggling with sobriety. The two of them start a no-strings attached fling, but their connection is obvious. Corrello does such a masterful job of conveying the vulnerability but also the humor and writes their story beautifully. I completely fell in love with these characters and this story and I rooted for them the entire time. The angst, the spice, the way they just fit together so perfectly. I was pleasantly surprised by this beautiful book, I cannot recommend it enough.

Things I loved about 32 Days in May:
☀️the banter was delightful
☀️the setting was absolutely GORGEOUS. Evergreen. New York. Italy.
☀️peace by Taylor Swift vibes
☀️also Is It Over Now? vibes
☀️Marco the MAN THAY YOU ARE
☀️the chronic illness rep was so lovely
☀️the Elena Ferrante mentions, I read the Neapolitan Quartet years ago and loved it.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. I really love this book and I especially enjoyed the disability/health representation. I think this might be one of the best books in the romance genre that I’ve read in 2025. I also thought the narrator did a very good job with the narration. Even though this book talked about some tough subjects, It still had a lot of heart to it, and I enjoyed the romance. I am definitely going to check out more books by this author in the future.

Nadia and Marco start to fake date during the month of May, promising each other they’ll be done by the time June comes. They start to fall into each other’s lives, they travel, they laugh, they cry. Will their promise persist and they’ll be done by June? Or will they accidentally fall in love and make each other’s lives immeasurably better? Read to find out!

I love this book. The characters felt incredibly grounded and real, and their banter was A++. If you love rom-coms and love a few classic tropes (fake dating, normie/celebrity dating to name a few), this book is for you. The balance between the real lives of the characters and their relationship was done so well that I found the book to be incredibly emotional. I cannot wait to dive into other works by this author - it was that good!

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I finished this beautiful book just after sunrise on my last day of my beach vacation last week. Seems pretty appropriate. I absolutely loved this book! Nadia is struggling with her mental health after her diagnosis and thinks the only option for her going forward is to keep her life simple and boring. She doesn't feel like she's meant for big things anymore. And doesn't think she can trust someone new, that having Lupus would be too much of a burden on someone else, so she decides not to tell Marco.
Marco is suffering from a very public burnout, he feels like a failure, even calls himself a user, but he's trying to be a better person.
They are both messy but so real and vulnerable and just trying their best. But they are both so hard on themselves! I love them both so much. Watching these two very quickly and obviously fall for each other was so lovely. It's all so sweet. Marco is precious!! and Nadia is hilarious. Too many Nadia-isms to include but I found myself laughing and annotating my copy a lot! Nadia & Marco just bring out the best in each other. Adorable!
I also really loved Nadia's friends and neighbors, Soph and Allie, and the little found family there.
This book is just delightful. Heartwarming, emotional, funny and so real. I think so many people will relate to both Nadia & Marco and their personal struggles. Beautifully written with so much depth and heart and care and I highly recommend it!

This book!! I almost felt like I was watching a tv show in my imagination with the world that was being built through Corrello's writing.

Nadia is dealing with the grief of living with a newly diagnosed chronic illness. In walks Marco to flip her world upside down and have her fall head over heels in a few weeks during their one month dating agreement.

The banter was top tier among Nadia, Marco and all supporting characters. Everyone had powerful personalities. The emotion was real. Even though it was a little insta-lovey, I can't actually say I would have acted any differently had I been in Nadia's shoes. This was moving and emotional yet playful and hilarious. Definitely recommend!

My first read by this author and I will be going to binge everything now!

This was such a fun story but a mix of sad thrown in. Nadia is diagnosed with Lupus and her life is turned upside down. She moves to Jersey Shore for a while to gather herself and figure out how to live with this new life. Her doctor wants her to get out more and sets her up with his cousin, Marco, who just so happens to be a famous movie star. They hit if off so well they decide that just for the month of May they will date and then go their separate ways. Marco's life is back and forth after losing an acting job and Nadia has no intention of telling him of her sickness so she can feel like a normal girl. But neither of them expects to have such an amazing connection and can't stand the thought of losing each other.

Nadia was such a strong character and I really enjoyed how even though she was struggling with this diagnosis she was trying to find a way to start a new life with a new normal. She and Marco were so funny and had me giggling so much. I loved how positive Marco was for Nadia and the banter between them was so much fun. This is definitely a must read for the summer when you want a little more conflict in your romance. Betty Corello really did this disability rep so well!

Thank you so much Betty Corello, Avon Books, and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

what incredible raw, emotional and atmospheric writing. Every line in this book was written with intention. I loved this. Nadia and Marco have my heart.

4 🌟

Thank you NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall this book wasn’t my kind of romance, but of no fault of its own. I would describe this as a more raw romance — the FMC and MMC are deeply flawed characters and their situationship is far from a fairy tale.

While I prefer rosier romances where I can really root for the FMC (this one just kept getting in her own way), I can appreciate the work here and think many will really enjoy this!

It reminded me a bit stylistically of Cara Bastone, and I think her readers would love this.

I fell in love with Betty’s writing last year when I read Summertime Punchline and I’m so happy that she brought us back to Evergreen, NJ. This Jersey Shore town was the perfect backdrop for Nadia & Marco’s love story and I loved every minute of this book.

At just over 300 pages, Betty was able to create a story that felt like reading Nadia’s personal journal after her lupus diagnosis and it was so vulnerable. All of her debilitating symptoms, complex medication regimens and ever-changing emotions was portrayed in such a tender way that really allowed the chronic illness representation to shine in this story. Nadia was hysterical and a total bad ass (two traits you need as a Jersey girl) and I cried multiple times while reading about her struggles. Marco was the perfect MMC for someone like Nadia; soft-spoken, witty and he has this gentle way about him. I really loved his journey throughout the book and it was such a nice twist to their story. The ending was so so precious and I’m dreaming about all they’ll do together moving forward!

This was so romantic and tender and emotional and I cannot get it out of my mind!!!!!! A perfect summer romance!! Perfect!!!!

5 stars!! Could not put this beautiful, raw, emotional book down! I felt so connected to Nadia and Marco. Both are flawed and guarded, but just felt so real and relatable.

When Nadia and Marco meet, they feel an instant connection. Like, off the charts chemistry. Their banter is next level!! Both Nadia and Marco are in Evergreen, a small town in the Jersey Shore, for different reasons, and agree to a have a fling. But just for the month of May.

The story is told solely from Nadia’s perspective. Nadia has recently received a lupus diagnosis, has depression, and has escaped her life in Philly for Evergreen. She chooses to not tell Marco, instead wanting to feel “normal” and not have their short time under the shadow of her lupus diagnosis. As the partner of a person with an autoimmune disorder similar to lupus, I found this portrayal to be highly relatable. The ups and downs. Struggles and set backs. The way it can take a toll on you mentally almost as much or more than physically.

This was such a beautifully written book. I was near sobbing multiple times, and by the end was a crying mess. I loved the pacing of the book, and each chapter being a different day in May. Cannot say enough wonderful things about this book!!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nadia is sick. She needs a distraction. Marco is broken in his own way. What starts as a fling becomes something more.

This book was very angsty but in all the right ways. The characters, the pacing, the story were all thoughtfully created.

Thank you Avon Harper and Voyager.

I absolutely devoured this book. After a recent diagnosis of lupus, Nadia has moved to the small, coastal town of Evergreen, New Jersey. When her doctor sets her up with his tv-star cousin, Marco, she decides to keep her diagnosis a secret while they have a month long fling. Of course, feelings grow and things get complicated as she can’t keep the secret forever. This story was beautifully written and handled the subject of her illness incredibly well. Also, the ROMANCE. YES.

I just adore this author's writing. There is something genuine about it that I really connect with. I felt the same after reading her debut novel Summertime Punchline. Her newest book isn't your typical romance. I appreciated how it felt fresh and completely drew me in from start to finish.

Nadia and Marco agree to a no-strings relationship and only date for the month of May. These two had incredible chemistry and were just so fun together. I loved how much they made each other happy. The author wrote in some side characters that added so much to Nadia's story. I'm always a fan of relationships (in addition to the romance) that make a book feel special.

The author's portrayal of Nadia living with a chronic illness felt genuinely real to me. Marco was the perfect guy to come along at that time because he made her feel free. She could take some time to enjoy life and just be a woman. Not being defined by her disease. But we still experience Nadia's fears and struggles. Overall, a perfect blend of heavier topics with humor and a sparkling romance.

I love a book that plays off a movie. Tells the story in such a unique way following the "32" days in May. Fun love story that keeps you interested to the very end. Great characters and great story development. Definitely worth the read!

32 Days in May by Betty Corrello is fast-paced with several layers. The meaning and message of the 32 days in May are heartwarming and filled with love, and their true significance is only revealed to us in the end.

Nadia and Marco are the two primary leads. They agree to date for 32 days but don’t realize how entwined their lives would become. Nor how dependent they would be on each other or how they would feel not just friendship but genuine love for one another. It is a book with many stories, but Nadia’s story surpasses them all since she was recently diagnosed with Lupus, which has upended her entire life—an autoimmune disease that affects every stage of her life and also her body and every organ in it. I could feel her pain and how tired she was through the author’s words and having worked with someone who lived through it.

Marco’s life is filled with secrets, and he and Nadia hit it off from their first meeting. She has her own secrets but wants to live each moment without thinking about her illness. They are opposites in many ways but balance each other. He brings more joy to her life as her fake boyfriend than anyone has before. I loved the moments they shared—from the Jersey shore to Manhattan and Rome—vivid descriptions and scenes were described that painted pictures in my mind.

The story flows daily and sometimes moves ahead, then back again. The prologue segued us nicely into the story. The ending was a surprise and more romantic than I expected.

32 Days in May was often an emotional read with lows and highs that drew me in from the first page to the last.

4 Stars I wasn't expecting such an emotional and angsty read, but I am here for it! 32 Days in May is a follow up to Betty Corello's summer hit Summertime Punchline and is a great summer fling romance! I loved the representation for chronic illness (lupus), depression, and addiction. These were really well done and handled with care. Both Nadia and Marco are broken people who really try not to fall in love, but realize that it's a pointless fight and they've already fallen. Loved the ending!

Thanks Avon for the ARC!