32 Days in May
A Novel
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected May 13, 2025
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
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 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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Corrello's impressive sophomore outing (after Summertime Punchline) is a deeply emotional tour de force. Philadelphia ad exec Nadia Fabiola's life is upended by a diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disorder that has her heading back to her Jersey Shore hometown, Evergreen, to figure out her next moves. In an attempt to help her see that her life is more than just her disorder, her doctor sets her up on a blind date with his cousin—who, much to Nadia's shock, turns out to be stunning but troubled TV star Marco Antoniou. After substance use issues resulted in nasty headlines, Marco agreed to recover while house-sitting for a month at his uncle's Jersey Shore home. Nadia and Marco jump into a red-hot relationship that both agree will only last the month of May—but the closer they become, the more difficult it will be to say goodbye. The romance is passionate and believable, but what truly sets this apart is Corrello's honest and compassionate depiction of the experience of living with lupus. She vividly delineates Nadia's delicate dance between trying to have a normal life and learning to manage her condition. Readers with chronic illnesses will feel especially seen—and anyone who values resilient heroines is sure to root for Nadia.
