This is a beautifully reflective book. The narrator does a great job conveying the emotion behind the story and pace was great. I really enjoyed the book and it felt like the story flew by.

This story was sad and very uplifting.
Hard to read at times but a story that makes you think with some romance and real life struggles

Thank you to HarperAudio and netgalley for this ALC and physical copy.

5 out of 5 stars

Wow. I LOVED this book. It was a quick, emotional read that followed Nadia and Marco's relationship for sure. It also followed Nadia's relationship with her family and herself. When diagnosed with a chronic illness (lupus), Nadia lost who she was and had to find who she is now. Marco was also going through his own journey of self discovery and it was so heartwarming to be able to watch both of them find themselves and each other along the way. It was the epitome of a sad girl summer read and I loved it.

Narration: I LOVED the accent the narrator had. I think it helped me picture exactly where the book was set. She was easy to understand and she did a great job with all of the characters voices. She brought the real and raw emotions of the characters to life. I would absolutely read something she narrated again.

Closed Door Modifications: 21,27,30 (there are other fade to black scenes that are not listed here)
TW: chronic illness, mental health struggles (suicidal ideation), addiction (in recovery)

I didn’t know what to expect going into this one other than I know her previous book “Summertime Punchline” is well loved! I actually really enjoyed the audio and the accents for each character — it made the setting come more alive.

This was an unexpected good time for me. It’s one that definitely felt like it was not written for me. The characters are brash, inappropriate, and come on hard and fast. BUT, somehow it ended up working and I just couldn’t deny how well written their chemistry was.

I appreciated their relationship right away. It was an easy slide into love that felt right. Nadia has Lupus and it’s something that has always held her back from doing and exploring more. I really loved the way this was done…it felt raw and honest.

This has one of my least favorite tropes “fake dating” but done in a way I really hadn’t seen before and didn’t bother me one bit. A testament to the quality of the authors writing I’m sure.

Marco was a fantastic love interest and seriously the gesture at the end was one of the most beautiful and sweet things I’ve read which honestly bumped the book up to a 4 star for me.

Definitely not a book I would say EVERYONE will enjoy but for the right audience I think it definitely will be a hit. It’s a little brash & inappropriate but it’s also got a lot of heart, healing and love to go around too!

Solidly meh romance. Fairly predictable, although I did like that it was solidly contained to one month of relationship.

4.5⭐️
Forgive me for sounding like Harry Styles in that one clip during the Don’t Worry Darling press tour, but 32 Days in May was a book that felt like ✨a book✨ . Not tropes sewn together — which I have nothing against and often enjoy — but a beautifully written, raw story about grief . I can’t help but be drawn to stories about the different types of it : parental , romantic or in the main character , Nadia Fabiola’s case , the grief of her life and self pre-lupus diagnosis .

Corrello was candid with how she wrote Nadia’s journey to accepting her new life . It wasn’t linear nor happily welcomed in the end , just a simple acknowledgement that “It will be hard but I have people that support and love me” , which I think is more honest than a “love heals all” resolution . Her and Marco Antonio — a former sitcom star who is trying to rebuild his life after battling addiction — just made sense to me . They had great chemistry and both mask their pain with humour , which added some much needed levity.

The writing was so atmospheric ; from the boardwalks of Evergreen New Jersey to the streets of Rome , Marco and Nadia’s whirlwind romance just swept me off my feet . I could vividly picture each scene. While I wished the resolution — like them living in different states— could’ve been neater , its a non-issue for me . Overall loved!

As an avid audiobook listener , this is easily one of my favourite audiobooks of the year. Biggest round of applause to Joy Nash's fantastic narration. I mean , her performance is truly one to marvel at. When I think of passages in this book , I read them in her voice because she was integral to the experience as a whole. Listening is the best way to experience this gem!! Thank you Harper audio for the ALC!

I honestly didn’t know what to expect going into this one and started it on impulse. The exhaustion of having a chronic illness was conveyed so well through Nadia’s experience. It was an interesting balance to weave the vulnerability of illness with the vulnerability of falling in love. There is so much in this book I cannot personally relate to but this book somehow still really worked for me? It was pitched as “sad girl summer” and lived up to this description while not devastating me. There were moments in this book that tugged at my heartstrings and others that had me laughing out loud. I will absolutely be reading more by this author!

Tropes in this one
☀️ Fake Dating
🧡 Found Family
☀️ Opposites Attract

Audiobook: The narration was great! I felt like the voices aligned with the characters’ personalities and I enjoyed the dual narration.

This was a very good book about what it is like to go through a major life change with illness and depression. And, also how that can affect your view on whether or not you can have a romantic relationship with all of those issues one is facing. Additionally, it deals with facing ones issues and working through them. It is not a lighthearted romance, so if that is not what you are looking for it is not for you.

The characters are well developed and likeable even the lesser players.

3.5 stars

I was intrigued by this one right away when I heard it was similar to the movie Sweet November. It's an emotional read at times, but there are very sweet and hilarious moments too. I thought the chronic illness representation was really well done and appreciated that the author didn't shy away from the tough moments. The story was balanced well with a snarky banter filled (instalove) romance, but I do wish that Nadia would have revealed her diagnosis much sooner. That secret lasted almost the entire book and it seemed far fetched that Marco wouldn't notice anything given how much time they spent together. This made the ending feel incredibly rushed and incomplete. I wanted more of a reckoning (with groveling) between them. I'm glad this one had a happier ending than Sweet November though ;)

I both read and listened to the audiobook of 32 Days in May. Joy Nash did a great job overall with the narration, but the Jersey accent felt forced at times. It was distracting and unfortunately took away from the story. I do wonder if I might have enjoyed this one a bit more if I had just read the ebook.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4 stars
Story 3.5 stars

CW: chronic illness, suicidal ideation, alcohol addiction, depression

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This book made me feel everything! Nadia and Marco were the perfect characters that I still am thinking about. Please say we get a second book!?

This book was sooo good.

The disability/chronic illness and mental health rep? I have never read a book where the main character has lupus. The setting? Love Evergreen and I want to visit, go to the market, and hang out on Nadia’s balcony. Marco? “Who the fuck is daddy… Marco is daddy.” 🥵 The tropes… dating arrangement with a due date, celeb & small-town girl.

This book was so emotional, sentimental, and full of life! When the vulnerability finally comes, it felt so special I wanted to cry. Nadia didn’t just have a sexy month of May; she also had a month of self-discovery, and she has some amazing friends (love Sof and Ally!), and kind of a crazy sister (who loves her a lot but needs to calm down lol) by her side through it all.

I listened to this on audiobook (yay, ALC!) and loved the narrator, Joy Nash. I knew her voice sounded familiar, I recognized her from the audiobook for the Christmas Notch series by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy! She had the perfect voice/accent for this book (Jersey!)

My only complaint was that the set-up of Nadia and Marco felt so unbelievable… you mean to tell me that your DOCTOR is going to give his COUSIN your number so you can “show him around town” since he won’t be around to do this himself? I mean I know her doctor (and friends, and family) want her to “get out more” but this doctor/patient relationship just felt way too familiar and felt like a breath away from a HIPAA violation 😂 I feel like they could have used like a friend of a friend from a support group or something and it would have made some more sense… however, once the two hotties were a thing, it didn’t matter to me anymore lol, it was all good!

“Do you cry while you eat ice cream because you know it won’t last forever?”

TW: chronic illness, medical talk, mention of previous suicidal ideation.

Thanks to Netgalley for the gifted advanced listening copy!

Everything Nadia has ever known about her life isn't the same after her diagnosis of Lupus. After losing her job and her health, her mental health has taken just as big of a nose dive and finding purpose and a path forward feels impossible. Sitting at rock bottom, she leaves city life and everything she has built for herself behind and hides in her family's beach house on the shore. She allows her depression and circumstance to consume her, only engaging with the outside world when necessary.
Marco is a Hollywood actor who is essentially hiding out for his own reasons. He's never been comfortable with the pressures of fame and all the interactions and inauthenticity that encompasses that lifestyle. After years of being in the tabloids for all the wrong reasons, he runs from his life to sit in his depression as well. When these two meet, they aren't exactly the most receptive of each other but their pessimistic sarcasm and common views on their current surroundings seems to spark a kindred energy in both of them. Although it goes against their initial instincts, they let loose and have fun.
After their night of debauchery, Nadia never expects to see Marco again, but when he finds her the next day and proposes a deal to her, she is instantly apprehensive. The idea is to date every single day for the month of May, enjoy each other's company and then part ways. She reluctantly says yes, but Nadia makes the decision to keep her illness from Marco. She wants to keep his view of her unsullied by her illness and doesn't want to be known as the woman with Lupus but rather, just a woman.
As the days go by and the more time they spend together, their feelings grow and even though they both have so much pain, baggage and secrets between them, they find a kind of innocence and connection they've never experienced with anyone else. The way Betty writes their story, you see them falling in love before they even comprehend it themselves. From the attention to detail, to the subtle glances and movements that seem insignificant to most but monumental to them. She describes unexpected moments of peace and joy and how all those things, little as they seem, start to heal their battered souls. Nadia has so many conflicting feelings, trying to convince herself that everything she is feeling for Marco isn't real and everything she is seeing from him is superficial. She is constantly reminding them of their deal because it allows her to feel less guilty from keeping her illness from him. But as her illness takes hold, she is forced to face the truth and allowing him into the darkest part of her existence feels insurmountable. Learning to have faith that he’ll stay seems foolish to her and believing in the potential of their love is more terrifying than any of her physical diagnoses. When you’ve been filled to the brim with loneliness and despair, letting someone love you is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. But love wins, and these two find a love and life with each other that is so deserving of them both.
Betty has a way of writing stories that equally balance the delicate nature of love and trust with witty banter and comedic relief. I am so happy that I entered her writing journey on the ground floor. From her debut novel last year to this new piece that was just as amazing as the first, she’s a talent not to be ignored.

3 stars

This was such a funny and quirky book. In ‘32 Days In May,’ Nadia and Marco decide to date for only one month while they essentially try to get their lives back on track in a small summery New Jersey town. Marco is going through a bit of a public crash out while Nadia is dealing with an autoimmune diagnosis. It was great watching them slowly bring each other back to life.

My favorite thing about ‘32 Days In May’ was the chronic illness representation. As someone with an autoimmune disease, the portrayal felt incredibly accurate to me. Seeing Nadia struggle to completely accept herself with her new limitations was a refreshing perspective. This book does deal with some heavier topics regarding mental and physical health.

I loved Marco and wanted more from him, but Nadia sometimes got on my nerves. At times, she felt a bit immature, especially when it came to conversations with her sister. The book was written to be comical, but a decent chunk of the time, the lines just didn’t quite hit for me and actually took me out of the story a bit.

I definitely recommend the audiobook for this one, as the narrator was hilarious and added SO MUCH to the story with her voices. It was very easy to follow, although some of the chapters were quite long.

Thank you to netgalley and HarperAudio Adult for an advanced listener’s copy.

Thank you to Avon Books for the eARC and physical book and Harper Audio for the ALC.

I really got sucked into this one. Nadia’s voice/POV just worked for me.

Nadia is a few months out from receiving a devastating diagnosis of lupus, and she’s kind of just treading water in life for a while. When she gets talked into a date with actor Marco, it’s like a break from her own life. She can be whomever she wants to be with him…including being a woman who is not sick.

32 Days in May was kind of a mix of heartbreaking realism, fun humor, found family, and unexpected but refreshing romance. I loved watching Nadia play around with Marco; them both embracing their short term dating experience while developing true feelings. It was both emotional and angsty and light and funny, somehow at the same time.

I’ll warn you, the narrator uses a strong Jersey Shore accent—which admittedly works for the character—but I couldn’t stop picturing a Snooki poof or GTL when I listened, so this was better read with my eye balls.

This was my first by Betty Corrello and I’ll have to keep an eye out for more.

This! This book! I did not expect it would get even better in audiobook form! The narrator is fantastic--she captures the emotion, vulnerability, and humor of Nadia in such a vital way. It was a joy listening to this and listening to it in a way that captures Nadia and Marco and who they are and where they are from! Splendid audio!

Here is my review of the book itself:
This book!! This is such a wonderfully vulnerable, real, relatable, and emotional romance. I could not put it down.

This book has lingered with me long after I finished reading it. Nadia has escaped to her "safe" place--her family summer place in Evergreen NJ. She's been diagnosed with lupus and the diagnosis, work, and all the other stresses of her life have left her in rough place. Her childhood vacation home feels like a refuge. Her rheumatologist supports her plan and sets her up to hang out with his cousin Marco, a low level celebrity who's in a rough patch himself and also in Evergreen as an escape. Nadia and Marco have an immediate connection and sparks fly but neither of them are ready for anything serious or committed. They agree to be together for the month of May. Just May. No strings attached. Fun and low key and no long-term commitment.

They find joy in each others company but Nadia is juggling her diagnosis and its ramifications and she's not upfront with Marco about it--she'd rather not think about it for this time they have together. She tries to keep what they have together fun and breezy and tends to keep him at a distance emotionally rather than allow herself to confide in him. Their days in May bring them some wonderful shared moments and intense connections/attraction but the undercurrents of what's going on with Nadia can't be held at bay that long, not even for the whole month of May.

I loved how real and relatable Nadia and Marco were. Real conversations, real world issues, believable situations and interactions. They felt like old friends by the end of the book. The banter and humor is top notch--Corrello is a master of both and it shines in this book, laugh out loud and absurd in the best way possible. But Corrello also captures the pure emotions and vulnerability of these characters in a manner that truly takes your breath away. I ached for both of them.

The serious issues are handled so deftly. I am so impressed with the detail brought to both Marco's issues and Nadia's lupus. The handling of it was impressive--caring, erudite, precise, and accurate. Complex medical situations made sense and were explained in a way that never felt like the author "telling" us, never interfered with the narrative but felt natural and fitting, organically flowing in the conversations and internal monologues, relevant and so deeply important to Nadia's story.

This is an emotional book. From laugh out loud moments, to introspection, to moments that made me cry. The characters have defined arcs and their growth is realistic and rooted in the experiences of the story. Every scene, every call back, every moment has a resonance. There are highs that made me grin with happiness for Nadia and lows that felt like a gut punch. These are complex characters, three dimensional in every way, faceted and nuances and oh so very real . It's a complex book, achingly vulnerable and I loved every minute of it. Corrello writes from the heart and it is evident in every page.

Secondary characters are also richly characterized and layered and add to the story but at its heart 32 Days in May is truly Nadia's story and oh how she shines.

All the stars. What a triumph of a book. Highest praise to Corrello for giving us an absolutely electric and sizzling romance and layering such a complex, emotional, and unflinching portrayal of chronic illness in with it.

my thanks to net galley and the publisher for this digital ARC.

rounded up to 3.75 stars

Nadia is struggling with her recent diagnosis of Lupus. She has a desire to have control in her life and feels that it would be more manageable if she moved into her family's shore house. The simple life she wanted changed when her doctor asked her to show his cousin around. Everything changes when she learns that this person is a former actor, Marco.

I loved how Berry Corrello was able to write a story about someone with a chronic illness, but still have some lightheaded moments intertwined with the reality of the medical condition. This was a perfect summer read about love with some self-discovery.

If Joy Nash is narrating it, I will listen! Joy did a wonderful job with this story.

I will not be posting this review online as I did not enjoy this book, but I think it is an important book in the romance space that could make a lot of people feel seen. My issue with this book was Nadia’s character. From the jump, I found her rather unlikable. For example, saying when you turn thirty you want to speak to the manager felt very Karen-esque. I also found it so weird when she said she was picturing her doctor have sex with his wife. It was hard for me to be invested in the story since I really disliked the main character.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio copy of “32 Days in May” by Betty Corello in exchange for a review.

Maybe I’m biased because I share the same name as our main character (which is rare), but my gosh I LOVED this book. It was so charming and lighthearted with sprinkles of real life issues. Nadia was such a fun main character. She was sassy and funny while dealing with some heavy issues.

Oh, and the audio narration? Amazeballs. I loved her accent and energy. I think she heightened the overall essence of the book.

This has the potentially to be one of my top books of 2025 and I don’t see it being talked about enough. If you’re on the fence about it, DO IT.

This is the second book by Corrello I have listened to and the audio was outstanding. I loved it! I loved how honest and raw the characters are the story was so important. I would recommend this one for sure.

Nadia leaves her life of glamour and settles into survival mode back home in the midst of her family and familiar surroundings. Her recent lupus diagnosis has thrown her life in turmoil. But she's surrounded by meddlers and a setup with the infamous Marco leads Nadia to embrace a fling with him for the month of May. Nadia doesn’t tell Marco, pretending her diagnosis doesn’t exist, ready to throw caution to the wind and do anything and everything their short term relationship brings.
With Nadia's diagnosis and outlook, I expected this book to have me in a mess of tears. Betty does a beautiful job showing the trials and uphill battles Nadia has had to face and continues to deal with, but the fun and flirty Marco brings levity and counteracts what could have been a big "I ugly cried" book. Marco has his own mess to deal with too, don't get me wrong. Their chemistry is electric and the good they bring out in each other makes both Nadia and Marco so lovable. I rooted for them both through the entirety. The grand gesture is unforgettable. I adore when a theme or conversation becomes a part of the couple's lore.
Joy Nash was the sole reason I listened over eyeball reading. Her voice is like butter and I will never say no to an audiobook she performs.
Thank you Avon Books for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.