Elle Spencer has created a light and engaging story in 30 Dates in 30 Days.

On one hand there is the lawyer on track for partnership, who wants that lifelong love (as long as the process of finding it doesn't waste unnecessary time). On the other is a jaded wedding photographer who believes a 3 date maximum keeps it as good as it can get.

The novel hat with, angst, longing and romance. Everything you could want to read in a single sitting. There were a few points where I was losing my patience with one of them, but if there was no drama I guess there is nothing to overcome. Overall I would recommend this story.

A funny and emotional read!

Having read all of Elle Spencer's books, I must say that her writing keeps getting better with well developed main and supporting characters. In this book, Veronica, a successful lawyer agrees to be set-up on 30 dates in 30 days in order to find "the one." All the dates are set in the same bar and her dates are easier identified by their drink choice rather than by name. Since Veronica continues to go on unsuccessful dates at the bar, she meets Rachel and the other bar regulars (who now know her goal of finding love and are taking bets on which date will be successful).
As Veronica and Rachel spend more time together, it is interesting to see how the attraction between them keeps growing. However, Rachel is a firm believer in keeping things simple and is determined to protect her heart. On the other hand, Veronica knows that getting together with Rachel would be intense and could possibly mean falling in love.
When people from both their pasts show up, and Veronica faces disappointment at work, both Veronica & Rachel need to decide what they want and desire. Could things change?
This was such a great read and I enjoyed the humor surrounding the unsuccessful dates. I also appreciated the sneak peek into Ana & Madison's story (from 'The Road to Madison').

I found the attraction between the two main characters to be lacking. There was some tension but I was getting tired of them not acting on it. I made it to 44% and still hadn't learned the terrible. awful reason why Rachel doesn't want to commit. I was no longer invested in their story and had to DNF.

4.25 stars - Having to go through 30 dates in 30 days honestly sound like my worst nightmare, but oh what a delightful premise for a romcom! I had great expectations for this new book by Spencer and I wasn’t disappointed! It’s (mostly) heartlighted, funny and with a side of tasteful angst.

Veronica Welch has worked hard and had to make sacrifices her entire career to make partner at the prestigious law firm where she works. On the verge of turning 35, and with the partnership pretty much in the bag, it’s time for Veronica to focus her energy on finding the one. After confessing to her PA, Bea, that she’d always planned to be married by 35, Bea takes matters into her own hands and sets her boss up for 30 blind dates.

Rachel Monaghan is a successful wedding photographer who doesn’t actually believe in lasting love and doesn’t do relationships. To help out her cousin Charlotte who’s going through a difficult time, Rachel takes over her bartending duties a few nights a week. That’s how she meets Veronica and learns of her plan to possibly find the one in 30 dates.

In 30 Dates in 30 Days, Elle Spencer delivers a slow-burn romance with incredible chemistry between the two main characters, wonderful prose and dialogue, a handful of funny moments and a charming cast of side characters.

If you’ve read Spencer’s other books and thought some of the drama/angst was overdone, I can assure you it isn’t the case with this one. I would definitely recommend you give 30 Dates in 30 Days a shot!

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books for providing me with a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review

Elle Spencer is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her skill in writing romance with a mixture of chemistry, angst and humor is outstanding, and this skill is very evident in her newest novel 30 Dates in 30 Days.

In this tale, we meet Veronica Welch who has achieved most of her “life plan”. She is a successful lawyer who is about to be made partner in a prestigious law firm. There is only one goal she has yet to achieve. She had planned to be married by the age of thirty-five which is only five months away. When her assistant, Bea finds out about this goal, she conspires with Veronica’s mother to help by setting up thirty dates in thirty days through a dating app. Veronica reluctantly agrees, thinking of this as an efficient way to find a wife. The dates are set to take place at a bar called Monaghan’s. There Veronica meets Rachel Monaghan. Rachel is a successful wedding photographer who has been helping her cousin by bar tending when her cousin needs to be away from the bar. Rachel doesn’t believe in love and marriage, but she can’t seem to get Veronica out of her mind.

I honestly believe Ms. Spencer could teach classes on how to write chemistry between two characters. The attraction between Veronica and Rachel practically crackles and sizzles on the pages. I already knew this author is a master at creating and weaving angst through her stories. I saw her talent for this in her novel, The Road to Madison. While this book doesn’t have the same amount of angst, there is an undercurrent of that emotion that runs through the plot. What surprised and delighted me was the humor that she also introduces in the story, especially with all the different dates that Veronica has to “suffer” through. I actually chuckled out loud several times as I read this book.

This is a delightful romance that will send you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I am very
glad I chose to take that journey with Veronica and Rachel, and I think you might enjoy it too.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

30 Dates in 30 Days has a great premise - Veronica Welch drunkenly confesses to her assistant that she wants to make partner at her law firm and get married by age 35. She's 34 now and on track for making partner, but she's single and doesn't have any romantic prospects. (She works super long hours to get that work promotion.) Anyway, her assistant Bea takes it upon herself to set Veronica up with a dating profile. She tells Veronica that if she agrees to 30 30-minute dates in 30 days she's guaranteed to find her future wife. Veronica hates the idea but is willing to give it a shot. The dates were pretty fun - Veronica meets a bunch of weirdos (as well as some nice women she just doesn't connect with.) Who she does connect with, though, is the bartender of the bar she holds the dates at. Like I mentioned, I really liked the premise. Veronica's dates are amusing, and the locals at the bar start getting invested in her dates and her life. I also liked Rachel, the bartender, a lot. Rachel is actually a cynical wedding photographer who has no interest in a longterm relationship. She and Veronica feel sparks, but Rachel is unwilling to give a relationship a try. Unfortunately, the Rachel/Veronica relationship didn't work for me. I really liked both of them, and I liked them as friends, but I didn't feel any chemistry/tension between them. And Rachel's insistence that she didn't want a relationship - while totally understandable once we learn her backstory - dragged the story down. My other issue with this book was that I wanted more of Veronica at work. Making partner is part of her character arc, and I wanted a little more about that. Overall, this was a sweet, charming book. It didn't completely work for me, but there were definitely some fun moments.

This book was cute, predictable and just a fun love story. The authors writing was good! It wasn't my favorite romance novel, I wish it was a little more unpredictable but its okay!

Veronica Welch is a lawyer about to be named partner at one of the most prestigious law firms in New York City. Her professional life’s goal almost achieved, she wants to get married by the age of 35. As she lets her plan known to her assistant, Bea organises a series of 30 dates in 30 days for her boss. Rachel Monaghan doesn’t do serious relationships. She’s a renowned wedding photographer and part-time bartender at her cousins’ place. There, she meets Veronica and each of her daily dates. Sparks fly between them but Veronica believes in true love and Rachel doesn’t. Do they have a chance together?

Elle Spencer made a big entrance in the lesfic world with her very popular debut book ‘Casting Lacey‘ which I loved. I admit that I wasn’t fussed about the following ones, specially ‘The road to Madison’ but I’m happy to say that she absolutely nailed this one. ’30 dates in 30 days’ is a fantastic story, a prime example of a lesbian Chick Lit book in the style of Melissa Brayden. If you are a Brayden’s fan, you cannot go wrong with this one.

Although the idea of online dating in romance novels isn’t new, I loved the way Ms. Spencer handled this with humour and originality. Some of the dating stories are hilarious borderline with ridiculous, but the story captures really well how unnerving the situation could be. The premise of identifying each date by their choice of drink is very clever and so is the fact that the reader doesn’t know Veronica’s real kind of drink until the end. Both V and Rachel are very well written characters, in their differences and similarities. Both V’s desire to find the one and Rachel’s aversion to serious relationships are believable and relatable.

However, what really stole the show for me was the off the charts chemistry between the mains. Ms. Spencer knows how to build the tension so thick that you could cut it with a proverbial knife. The intimate scenes are really hot, specially the one that involves a mirror. Kudos to the author to bring originality in those crucial but hard to write parts in a romance book. The secondary characters are lovable with their joy of life at old age. Behind the banter and witty dialogues between them, the reader can pick some pearls of wisdom about life and love. In addition, the mains from ‘The road to Madison’ make an appearance in this book so the reader can catch up with their lives.

Overall, a clever, funny and light romance with great chemistry and a superb cast. 5 stars.

ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com

Veronica Welch has it all. She is about to make partner at the law firm where she works, great parents and over all a good life. She is only missing one thing - the girl. She is about to turn 35 and thought she would have the wife, house, picket fence and kids by now. Her assistant has made it a mission to find her the woman of her dreams. She has signed her up for a dating site and is arranging 30 dates in 30 days. Rachel Monaghan is a woman scorned. She doesn't believe in love anymore. She is a successful photographer and an all around good person. She just doesn't want to commit. These two women meet at the bar that has been chosen to carry out these 30 dates. Rachel is helping out her cousin by bartending and Veronica comes in daily for her date.

Listen, there is a ton of chemistry between the mains. Their conversation is sarcastic and snippy, but they still are attracted to each other. I wouldn't say they get to know each other a ton over the course of the month(s) to come, but it's sort of like they have that love at first site thing going on. This romance is for sure a SLOW burn. I am normally not a fan of them, but I liked this one for the most part. I enjoyed the back and forth between the mains. There were only a couple of areas I would have liked to have changed. I probably would not have made it so slow in terms of them getting together. Also, Rachel started to bug me a little because of her issues with commitment. I just wanted her to realize a bit sooner that when you see a good thing happening at some point you need to let go. Lastly, if I could have gotten a complete sex scene that would have made me happier. If you are going to make me wait, make it worth my while ;-).

I will rate this one 4 stars

30 Happy Sighs
Veronica is a busy high class lawyer who wants to make partner in the firm and be married, or on her way to marriage, by the time she is thirty five. She’s nearing partner but the marriage thing is nowhere on horizon. Her assistant Bea takes matters into her own hands and sets up a different half hour date for thirty days to take place at a local bar. Rachel is a wildly successful wedding photographer who tends bar in the evenings at her cousin’s bar while she spends time with her dying mother. Rachel has had her heart crushed and wants nothing to do with love. She, along with 3 of the other regulars at the bar, quite enjoy the show that is the dating life of Veronica.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced, fun and light hearted book. It was entertaining and engaging and was so easy to lose myself in. I loved all the characters, not just Veronica and Rachel. The others at the bar were a great source of comedic delight, the women’s parents had minor roles and were the typical supportive parents, wonderful, Bea was a gem and OMG the dates… well, you have to see them for yourself. Ana and Madison from Ms Spencer’s The Road to Madison make guest appearances as well so that’s always fun too! The romance in this story was a slow burn, slow build that made me smile at every turn. This was such a great feel good story and it warmed my heart and made me sigh, so many times…

I loved this book. I was worried after reading the last book by Ms. Spencer because I was not a fan and was really disappointed because I loved Casting Lacey soooo much. But this book? It was a slow burn. The main characters were relatable, funny warm, and I found myself rooting for them from the very beginning when one rubbed the other the wrong way. I loved the secondary characters from the bar and how they became Veronica's friends first and then family. I definitely recommend it and believe that you won't regret it!

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2994572976

✨ 4 / 5 ✨

“She found herself wondering if she really had the self-control to keep her feelings in check as she’d always assumed. Or maybe she was able to keep them in check because they weren’t all that strong to begin with.”

The premise for this book is ridiculous in the best way possible because it is a “you know this scheme won’t work out but you want to see the character try anyway” type of plot that I love. And the character will obviously fall for the “wrong” person.

Enter Veronica, a lawyer about to make partner at her firm. While being successful at her job, her love life on the other hand is… non-existant. Her assistant then sets her up on (almost) daily 30 minutes dates at the same bar so Veronica can meet a woman she might end up marrying.

The set-up is simple but it doesn’t seem like the first few dates Veronica has are the ones for her but maybe she’s being distracted by the snarky bartender, Rachel.

I really loved Veronica’s character. She is driven and career-focused but that doesn’t mean she is cold and unfeeling. On the contrary, she wants love and a future with a wife, kids and a white picket fence.

I wasn’t sold as much on Rachel but her struggles with love and trusting someone with her heartfelt raw and real. I could map out her train of thoughts and where all her actions came from.

I enjoyed the relationship between the two characters and their attraction to one another. I loved how it showed that chemistry doesn’t always lead to compatibility and how that takes work and meeting halfway.

I also loved the side characters with Bea and the regulars at the bar. It really added dimension to the book and I could just picture the little trio spying on Veronica and her dates, trying not to meddle.

I personally could’ve done without the little work drama side plot but otherwise, I felt like this was a very well-paced book and a cute romance I could root for.

30 dates in 30 days by Elle Spencer is a romance novel set in today’s word on online/app dating. The main character Veronica is a successful lawyer who wants to be partner at her firm and be married by her 35th Birthday. On a night of drinking Veronica reveals these plans in the presence of Bea her assistant. Bea roles with this and sets up 30 dates in 30 days.

I absolutely loved the characters that Spencer has developed in this book. The “dates” are introduced but often remembered by their favorite drink which is ordered during the date. This was all to funny since this has probably happened to most of us in the dating world at some point or another. This brings us to the secondary characters which are family and friends of Veronica and Rachel. The regulars at the bar are just as invested in V’s love life as she is and Spencer gives just enough back story to to satisfy me on the characters. Of Course we have the main characters Veronica and Rachel- I think that Spencer fleshed them out enough to satisfy readers and get us to root for their hot and cold, sassy and witty, dislike to love relationship. There is quite a bit of angst to this book from my point of view since Rachel is having to learn to trust and love again, but it didn’t feel overwhelming and as details are revealed it makes you love Rachel even more.

Something I do enjoy in a romance novel is believable romance and well written sexual scenes. I think that this book did a great job on both. The romance was relatable, the dating was believable, and the passion between the two main character was exciting.

This has been my first taste of Elle Spencer and I look forward to reading more.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for sending me an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Veronica Welch is about to become a partner in the prestigious law firm she has worked for the past few years. About to turn thirty five and with her career on track, she’s pushed into finding ‘the one’. Her assistant signs Veronica up for 30 dates in 30 days through an app, and arranges for the dates to meet at the bar next door. The experience proves to be futile but does manage to bring Rachel into her life. Rachel Monaghan is a wedding photographer helping her cousin with bartending duties during a family emergency. The sparks are immediate but Rachel has sworn off serious relationships after her last heartbreak. Can she get past her insecurities before Veronica slips away?

I was looking forward to this novel and it did not disappoint. Ms Spencer just gets to me every time. She simply has the ability to create great chemistry between the main characters. One just has to root for them! This was a slow burn romance...with some fast parts! What a tease at times! This story was not as angsty as ‘The Road to Madison’ and will likely appeal to more romance readers out there. This is a pretty straightforward romance but for the most part it had a good pace, and did I mention chemistry?

The novel is filled with witty dialog and funny situations. The dates, the parents, the cousins. For those of you concerned about a strict format with the 30 dates, the title is a little misleading. Do not worry about having to read through 30 dates since the author did a great job managing the flow of the dates. The bar next door with its occupants was charming and became a fantastic setting for the story.

The secondary characters were endearing and all over the novel as well. Even the parents were a welcome sight (that means a lot coming from me!). They all provided a solid presence to move the story along with levity and humor. I will be looking for the audiobook as I think it has great potential with all these cute characters.

Overall, another hit by Ms Spencer that will appeal to all romance fans out there. 4.5

ARC generously provided to me by BSB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cute story, but with the expected plot twists that are a somewhat detriment which is influencing my overall rating. Character are nicely developed and secondary characters add to the overall plot

I received this book complimentary of NetGalley however all opinions are my own. This was good, not great. The characters were good. I just didn’t love reading it so much. I did read it quickly and it was a good read; I can’t really put my finger on why I didn’t love this. I will pick up another by this author to see if it was just the characters or I don’t know. I liked the plot and setting and it was well-done in that regard; I think I just didn’t relate specifically to any of the characters and didn’t love some of the plot points (such as Veronica taking the partnership after it was offered to Avery). I wish I had a more concrete opinion but I just didn’t love it but did like it.

We love light-hearted romcoms with a side of drama and Spencer’s books mostly fit this groove nicely. This one is no exception. It has an entertaining premise – racing against time (35th birthday being round the corner) to find The One, in a month via thirty dates and thirty days.

Veronica Welch, a habitual achiever, is a hardworking lawyer. She’s been so intent on her career that by the time she’s reaching 35, she has no love life. Her mother and assistant, Bea, take matters in their hands and put her on a dating site. Bea convinces Veronica to go through a month of dating and takes the onus of setting up the dates and shortlisting the women. Veronica agrees and the venue is a quaint, rustic bar close to their office. The bar is owned by Charlotte Monaghan whose mother is seriously unwell, so her cousin Rachel, a much sought after wedding and celebrity photographer, pitches in to bartend as much as possible. Rakish Rachel has sworn off love and has a maximum-three-dates rule that she lives by.

We started off thinking that with the profile of the character, Veronica would be a closed, arrogant ice queen but she is quite delightful. She’s warm, vulnerable, funny and fearless about taking risks. Rachel, on the other hand – we couldn’t quite feel for her despite the dramatic reason for her closedness. Honestly, we cannot fathom how Veronica continues to interact with, feel attracted to and have feeling for Rachel despite the way Rachel rejects her more than once. But the book is engaging enough to suspend disbelief and go with the flow.

The return of Madison and Ana from The Road to Madison was nice in their first appearance but forced later. It was not quite needed and didn’t add in any way.

This is a great choice for a light-hearted weekend romance read.

Elle Spencer is slowly but surely taking her spot up there on my fav authors list! The thing about her is that she’s consistent .. you know when she has sthg new, that it will be on your “to read” list even without reading the blurb.
This one specifically was as expected very entertaining! The idea and the plot was interesting..
So I really liked Rachel (even had a small crush on her) but I wanted to strangle Veronica ! It’s not that I didn’t like her character it’s just that god she’s so annoying! But then comes Rachel and somehow I start liking Veronica more! It’s like I could feel the change Rachel had on Veronica! She became funnier and more alive when Rachel got into her life ..
So the best thing also about this book is the incredible dialogue! I thought Elle Spencer did a brilliant job there!
There’s also an appearance by Anna and Madison, a couple that I really liked from her previous book! I thought this was a very cool addition :)
My only issue is the ending felt a bit too rushed for me but I have a feeling the next book might feature this couple and give us more news on them :) I just felt the book needed an epilogue !
My rating is a 4.25 and I really recommend this book! It’s so romantic ..
“I received an ARC for an honest review.”

Elle Spencer is absolutely my favourite lesbian romance author.  I've read every one of her books and they are all great reads and 30 dates in 30 days does not disappoint. Spencer just does angst so well and the dialogue between her characters is always interesting and witty.  In fact the humour in this book made me laugh out loud several times and if wasn't doing that I was smiling my way through it.  I also loved the fact that she had a few guest appearances from her characters in The Road To Madison and we could see their progression .  The main characters Rachel and Veronica were very likeable as were the support characters along with a good storyline has made this book a definite must read.
Can't wait until the next Elle Spencer book.

I started reading this book at the beach and laughed out loud several times during the descriptions of the initial dates and their drink choices, I imagine fellow beach-goers wondered what I was reading or simply thought I was crazy!

I obviously found a lot of humor in this story, but also thought the characters were well developed and interesting including the secondary cast of characters at the bar. I also loved the character cross overs from "The Road to Madison". It was an inspired fit with this story and made sense.

I'd recommend this book to other readers who want a fun read filled with witty banter, unique dating situations, a slow burn romance with a nice payoff, and that ultimate connection with another person.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.