Isn't It Romantic?

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32 Days in May by Betty Corrello
Published by Avon on May 13, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Return to the Jersey Shore with a new romance by Summertime Punchline author Betty Corrello in which a young woman recently diagnosed with lupus attempts a no-strings fling with a former television star, perfect for readers of Elissa Sussman or Tia Williams.

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 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.

While trying to come to terms with her Lupus diagnosis, Nadia returns to a place of comfort and safety, her parents' home down the shore. When her doctor asks her to show his cousin around, Nadia and "k-list" celebrity Marco embark on a Sweet November arrangement. They would date for the month of May and not one day more, but when their feelings begin to run deeper, Nadia must decide if she will continue to hide her illness or open her heart and life to Marco.

I was giddy to return to Evergreen. This charming, fictional Jersey shore town was the setting of Corrello's debut which I adored, and now was also the setting of this touching tale. Nadia was struggling with her new normal - the pills, the pain, the loss of control over her own body. When Marco entered the scene and made the no-strings relationship offer, she saw it as a way to escape her life for a while. For one month, Nadia could be a different version of herself, a non-sick version.

My heart ached for this woman who was at the top of her game when her body betrayed her. Even though she had built a "small life" for herself in Evergreen with Soph and Ali for support and her produce stand job, I was happy she found Marco. He was very sweet to Nadia and cherished her in a way everyone would want to be cherished. I hated thinking that something THIS good had to end, and I wanted Nadia to trust what she had with Marco, and to trust HIM enough to tell him the truth.

This story hit all the right notes for me. It was tender, romantic, and of course, packed with Corrello's signature humor. There was a lot of smiling and laughing on my part, but there was also empathy and concern for Nadia. My heart was definitely focused on Nadia and her journey, but Marco was dealing with some demons of his own as well. He was also rebuilding his life after years of being in the spotlight and battling addiction, and he also came to Evergreen to regroup. Both of these characters burrowed their way into my heart, and I was deeply invested in the outcome of this Sweet November experiment.

Overall, my trip back to Evergreen was a stunning success. I found myself swept up in this month-of-May romance which culminated in a precious way (I'm looking at you, Marco) and was happy to cheer for Marco and Nadia as they figured things out and fell in love.

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All the Signs by Jessie Rosen
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on May 6, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

From the author of The Heirloom comes another dreamy, escapist adventure about a die-hard skeptic woman who sets off on a mission to prove her horoscope wrong.

Leah Lockhart is proudly science-minded and woo-woo averse. But the life she’s carefully curated is knocked suddenly off course, first by a destabilizing case of vertigo, and then by an astrology reading that claims she’s living way out of line with what was written in her stars.

Incensed, Leah sets off on a mission to prove that all of astrology is bogus by finding her star twins in the world—people born with her exact same astrology. But her true guides on a whirlwind journey through Venice, Istanbul, New Orleans and beyond turn out to be three people already in her the mother she thinks abandoned her, the father she thinks saved her, and the former boy next door whose love could be the path to her truest self.

Everything seemed to be according to plan for Leah when she assumed the helm of the family medical practice. When a health related episode threatens both her future and the future of the practice, her cousin arranges for a celestial reading for Leah. Never one to buy into pseudo-science, Leah embarks on a mission to disprove astrology. This journey may not yield the answers Leah was seeking, but it could help her find the answers she needs.

I grew up with an extended family where they would always ask when the person they were talking about was born in order to assign their star sign for better understanding. So, I am not stranger to the world of astrology and am rather fascinated by it all. It's those shards of truth you find in the signs or horoscopes that pull me in a bit, and I loved how it was a lunching point for Leah's personal journey.

Leah had been doing what she believed she was destined to do. She was the third generation of Lockharts to serve the medical needs of the women in this community. But when a health issue and an interesting astrological reading had her reevaluating her past, Leah began to question her life choices. I loved how she sought answers outside the box. Even if her motivation was to prove it all wrong, Leah approached the task with a fairly open mind.

Part of her journey had her traveling to foreign destinations. The time we spent in Italy and Turkey was vivid and amazing. I always adore taking a "trip" via a book, and Rosen did a wonderful job capturing these locals.

Leah also spent time reconnecting with some pivotal people from her past. I especially liked this part of the story. It seemed important for her to confront her mother and get better explanations as to why she disappeared. But the icing on the cake was her reunion with the boy next door who grew up to be quite an incredible man. The banter, the sparks, the history - all the things I love existed between these two, and I was crossing my fingers and toes that they could make it all work.

Overall, I had an amazing time tagging along on Leah's personal journey as she set out to disprove what was written in the stars and ended up finding her true self and her destiny.

*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER

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