It took me a bit to be fully engaged in this story, but once I did, I was fully committed. What I loved about this story was that this was more of an unconventional love story between two characters that packed an emotional punch. It isn't your typical hot and steamy romance. This story had depth to it...this was the first book I've read dealing with the realities of a chronic illness. I thought the author did a wonderful job in getting the reader to feel the difficulties that Nadia was going through. I loved the fun and easy banter (and fliritng) between Nadia and Marco, the humor found throughout their story, and I loved watching what was suppose to only be a one month fling, turn into real feelings and perhaps a real relationship. I loved that they could see each other's worth in each other, even when they couldn't see it in themselves. My only complaint? I want to know what happens next with them! I also listened to the audio version of this book, and I loved the narrator. It was really well done and I will be seeking more audiobooks from her. I rated this a 5 star read on Goodreads and I will also be buying a physical copy to add to my library as well.

When Nadia is diagnosed with Lupus, she retreats to Evergreen, New Jersey, her childhood vacation spot, to wallow in her new reality. He doctor sets her up with his nephew, Marco, a former tv-star who hasn’t found a new role in years. The pair feel an instant connection and agree to date for May and only May. Nadia loves her whirlwind romance but the reality of living with Lupus makes things difficult.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that has addressed Lupus. It’s one of those diseases I’m vaguely aware of and know Selena Gomez has it. From the author’s note, she may have Lupus herself, so I’m going to assume that aspect of the book is very accurate. I liked the romance and I have to say that somewhat still famous former celebrity romances are my favorite type of celebrity romance. I loved the setting of the Jersey Shore and it really made me want to go to the beach. Tonally this book was dealing with heavy things, but it never felt overly sad.

I listened to about a third of the audiobook while I was doing work around the house and thought Joy Nash was a great narrator. I appreciated the slight New Jersey accent and her reading brought the book to live.

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

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager, HarperAudio for my copies! All thoughts are my own.

If there’s a summer book that has a lot of hype, I have to read it. It’s a rule! I heard so much about this book so I did go in with very high expectations. I loved the setting, the passion, and the balance between sweet romance moments and the realities of real life with chronic illness.

I liked this book a lot. I wish I’d read it with my eyes because the audio production wasn’t my favorite. I found some of the acting choices made by the narrator to be distracting.

However, I would still recommend this book and ultimately enjoyed it!

Synopsis:

“Nadia Fabiola wants to lose herself in Evergreen—the Jersey Shore town where she grew up vacationing with her family—and never look back at her glamorous, gainfully employed former self. After a shocking lupus diagnosis turned her life upside down, she’s desperate for a sense of control over her body, her life, and her mental health. Nadia plans on keeping her life small and boring, while continuing to ignore her sister’s relentless questioning.

Nadia’s sister isn’t the only person worried about her. When her rheumatologist not-so-subtly sets her up with his infamous former-actor cousin, Marco Antoniou, Nadia is skeptical. But Marco is gorgeous—despite carrying his own baggage from a very public burnout. After a messy (but fun) first date, they decide that a May-long fling could be just what the doctor ordered: no commitment, no strings, just one month of escape.

Their undeniable chemistry starts to feel a lot like something more and while Marco pulls Nadia deeper into his life, she is dead set on keeping her diagnosis from him. But there are only so many days in May, and only so much pretending she can do. As the stress of their whirlwind romance takes its toll on Nadia’s health, she’s forced to decide if a chance at love is worth the risk of trusting someone new.

Travel from the Jersey Shore to Rome and back in this delightfully funny, beautifully honest exploration of love, intimacy, and vulnerability while living with a chronic illness. “—NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Setting—More Jersey Shore books! I haven’t spent any time there and now I would really like to.

The Banter—Excellent banter before the MCs, especially with the stakes of only dating for a short amount of time.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

The Narrator’s Jersey Accent—It felt a little forced and distracted me!

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 2/5 Overall Rating: 3.75/5

Content Warnings:

chronic Illness, suicidal thoughts, medical content, mental illness, alcoholism

All in all this was a nice read. In true rom com fashion, it was a little predictable. I found the main character hard to relate too, but I think someone else who might also be living with an illness might relate more. The narrator was good.

“I figured we’ll just have to make sure May never ends.”
😭😭😭

So many amazing things happening in this book 👏🏼 like for real. We got small town vibes, (former?) celeb romance, depth and heartbreaking soul searching, LOL moments (literally I laughed out loud multiple times!), sizzling banter, sexy international travel…to name a few. Do yourself a favor and throw this book in your beach bag NOW!

SAD GIRL SUMMER IS UPON US!

CW/TW: chronic illness, suicidal thoughts, depression, addiction, grief, ableism

Thank you to NetGalley, Betty Corrello, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the complimentary audio ARC of this book.

Banter was bantering! Such a sweet story of trying to figure out how to live with uncertainty, allowing others to pull you out of inside of your head to live as full as you can. I love how his life is enhanced being around her.

#Netgalley #32daysinmay #bettycorrello #avon #harpervoyager #arc

4.5 stars rounded up
Betty Corrello is a new-to-me author. This book struck that rare balance between laugh-out-loud funny and quietly devastating. Corrello handles some heavy themes (chronic illness, depression, addiction) with a light but empathetic touch, and I was impressed by how seamlessly she moved between humor and emotional depth.

I absolutely loved the chemistry between Nadia and Marco. Their connection felt real- messy, tender, and totally earned. Both characters are flawed in a way that makes them incredibly human and relatable. Nadia’s struggle with her autoimmune disease, and her choice to hide it, was frustrating at times but made total sense for someone desperate to feel like more than just a diagnosis. And Marco’s history with substance abuse was handled with so much care.

Also, I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator really leaned into the New Jersey accents. It honestly gave me Jersey Shore flashbacks (in the best possible way). It added such a fun, specific layer to the story that made it even more vivid.

This book made me feel seen and also made me laugh, which is basically all I ever want from a romance. I’ll definitely be picking up whatever Betty Corrello writes next.

This was such a refreshing book to pick up! This contemporary romance captivated me from the very beginning. The story follows Nadia Fabiola, a woman whose life takes an unexpected turn following a lupus diagnosis. Seeking solace and a sense of control, she retreats to Evergreen, the Jersey Shore town of her childhood vacations. Her plan for a quiet, uneventful life is disrupted when her doctor sets her up with, Marco Antoniou—a former television star dealing with his own past.

The chemistry between Nadia and Marco is palpable, and their interactions are filled with witty banter and heartfelt moments. I appreciated how the novel delves into the complexities of living with a chronic illness, portraying Nadia's struggles and resilience with honesty and empathy.

The pacing and structure of the book kept me engaged throughout. While the ending felt a bit rushed, it was nonetheless heartwarming and satisfying. This was my first time reading Betty Corrello's work, and I'm eager to explore more of her writing in the future.

I am a mood reader and I think I just wasnt in the right head space at the time of this book. I really enjoyed the characters and the authors writing

Book Review: 32 Days in May by Betty Corrello
Genre: Romance
Rating: ★★★★☆

32 Days in May is a heartfelt and emotionally rich romance that follows Nadia, a woman returning to her hometown after a life-altering lupus diagnosis. As she adjusts to her new reality, she’s set up on a blind date with a former famous actor—her doctor’s cousin. What begins as an awkward encounter quickly blossoms into a meaningful friendship and a unique agreement: to spend the entire month of May together.

What makes this book stand out is its honest portrayal of chronic illness and mental health. Nadia’s journey is both tender and empowering, and the emotional depth of the story adds weight to what might otherwise be a breezy summer romance. The characters are genuinely working on themselves, which makes their growth and connection feel authentic and deeply satisfying.

I especially appreciated the mental health representation and the way the story balances light, romantic moments with more serious, introspective themes. It’s a perfect summer read for anyone looking for something warm and romantic, but with a bit more emotional substance.

Highly recommended for fans of character-driven love stories with heart and healing at their core.

At the beginning of this one, I was pleasantly surprised and thought this one would be a winner for me! I enjoyed the FMC's humor and witty comebacks and I tend to love feisty FMCs who aren't afraid to spar back and forth with the love interest. I also appreciated the lupus rep and how it truly affects a person in their everyday life.

Unfortunately, where it kind of lost me was the fact that the majority of the book, the FMC is hiding the fact that she has lupus from the MMC even though they are "in love." I didn't understand her motivation to keep it from him for that long -- yes, maybe at the beginning when she understandable wants to escape being tied down to her diagnosis, but once feelings are involved, she needed to own up with it and not hide it. I found that part to be really distracting and immature.

Also, i really need my contemporary romances to not get bogged down with overly cheesy lines or scenes and I felt like this one had quite a lot. It just takes me out of the story and isn't realistic and therefore I have a hard time connecting to the characters and their connection with one another. It was also a bit insta-lovey.

I rated this one 3/5 for the story but 5/5 for the narration. The audiobook was great! Thank you so much for the ALC...I will continue to read from this author.

I just finished listening to 32 Days in May by @BettyCorrello and I’m so grateful to HarperAudio for an ALC!

At an author event for Betty Corrello’s last book Summertime Punchline, she mentioned that her new one was inspired by the movie Sweet November, which I have not seen. I tend to avoid all media where characters are dying, but Corrello promised that, despite the inspiration, 32 Days in May wouldn’t break me. While there are trigger warnings to be aware of detailed in an author’s note, Corrello was right. Her new book is full of heart and the kind of humor you’d expect from a writer who is also a stand-up comedian.

Nadia has come back to her family’s home on the Jersey Shore after a devastating lupus diagnosis. She lost her high-level advertising job when the work became too much to manage with her chronic illness. She isn’t feeling optimistic about much of anything when her doctor asks if she’d be okay with him passing on her number to his cousin Marco, also recently back in town. It turns Marco, is a semi-famous former actor with his own baggage after a public burnout. They have one fun, messy first date, before Marco suggests a 31 day fling—just for the month of May. Nadia agrees, deciding to keep her diagnosis a secret so she can feel like her old self. And lying shouldn’t matter since their relationship has an end date.

I think we all can guess where this one is going, but getting there is a (mostly) very fun ride. I didn’t like Marco at first, but I grew to really love him. He’s a great book boyfriend (I have no doubt romance readers will agree), and Nadia is a funny, relatable character. The portrayal of coming to terms with and managing chronic illness felt very real to me, and because of all that Nadia is not always in a good mental place, but everything was handled with so much care by the author.

Joy Nash is a narrator I always enjoy. Her delivery always feels exceptionally joyful to me and she brought that, and a great Jersey accent, to Nadia’s journey! I’d definitely recommend the audiobook.

5 stars!

Betty Corrello has written two for two absolute bangers, in my opinion. "32 Days in May" is incredible. Her writing style is very much right up my alley, and I felt every single emotion while reading this novel. Her humor and heart shine through in each sentence she writes. Her banter is top-notch. The emotions here are raw, deep, realistic, vulnerable, honest, tender, a little manic, and intricate. This book revolves around an insta-love plot, but unlike most novels, Corrello makes the trope work to her advantage by giving her characters depth and nuance, plus a touch of spice for good measure. Nadia and Marco are both extremely flawed individuals, but they are both so compelling as main characters. Their chemistry is off-the-charts good. They skate around their respective issues throughout their arranged time together (throughout the month of May) but, as they grow closer by the day, they slowly let their guards down and begin to heal themselves, and by proxy, each other. Marco is a "k-list celebrity," as they describe it, and my god, what a charmer. By far, the most interesting component of this story involves Nadia's lupus diagnosis. She has to get used to her new reality of bloodwork, daily pills, doctor's appointments, and her disease worsening. As someone with a chronic illness, I found this to be endlessly relatable. I understand all too well the notion of one's body betraying them time and time again. I empathized wholeheartedly with Nadia. If you've been an independent, able-bodied person like she had been up until that point, it's a stark difference to need to rely on people to help you do what others might deem a "simple" task. JUst getting out of bed can be a struggle, and don't get me started on the mental health aspects of being disabled. This all made me SOB, repeatedly. I felt so seen while reading this. I loved returning to Evergreen, New Jersey, and I adored every second of reading this book. This is what falling in love should feel like. I cannot wait to see what Betty Corrello writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley, Betty Corrello, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I had a bit of a tough time with the audiobook narrator, but overall I enjoyed the story. As someone who lives in Philly and spends time at the Jersey Shore, I appreciated the familiar setting—it added a personal connection for me. I also related to Nadia’s journey, especially as someone living with an autoimmune disease. The romance felt a little rushed (falling in love in two weeks!), but despite that, it was still a powerful and sweet story.

A beautiful, humorous story about the unbreakable bond of sisterhood, friendship, and love in all its forms.

The voice of the narrator is perfection for this story! The accent, the way everything was delivered with energy and passion, was CHEFS KISS.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠!

I LOVED this book. What an incredible story!! I don’t want to spoil anything but Nadia is sick and this is her love story without telling him about her sickness. She’s getting her chance to be loved without any judgement and just having fun. I was here for all of it and the ending had my whole heart!

I was just so pleasantly surprised by this! Sometimes I worry about books that portray individuals with chronic health. Occasionally, the books because a “boo-who” about the main character. I felt that Betty did a great job of mixing the reality of lupus, with love and laughter. It’s definite recommend for me!

The audio book I handed this whole experience so much! I’m picky about my narrators and this one had me laughing out loud and just in love with this book. I thought the difference between character voices was very clear. I loved it!

I really enjoyed this on audio. Nadia was flawed in the right ways after receiving her diagnosis. Marco though… biggest teddy bear that you just want to squeeze so tight. Narrator did great!

Narration was done by Joy Nash. I thought she did such a great job bringing this book to life.
I thought the author did a great job shedding light on Lupus. I personally didn’t know much about this chronic illness, and through this book learned a lot about the disease.
I did however struggle with the main character, Nadia. I struggled with connecting to her and Marco. Their love story felt very rushed to me and felt very much like insta-love.

This book was incredible! If you like emotional love stories then this book is for you. This book had me both crying and laughing so much. The banter between the Nadia and all the characters was so funny and heartwarming. Definitely one of my best reads this summer and maybe even of the year. This story is beautiful, especially for anyone who has dealt with any illness or ever felt like they weren't good enough. This book really hit home for me. As a NJ Italian myself, I just loved the subtle Jersey Italian accent in the audiobook as well. I have been feeling a bit burnt out on romance books lately, but this one is really so unique in every way. There's even a little fun spice thrown in! I cannot recommend this book enough.