Review: 'Thirty-Three Going on... Girlfriend?' by Becky Monson (2014)

Julia Dorning thought she would die a lonely spinster. That was until nine months ago, when her world was turned upside down. Now she’s got a dream career as a bakery owner, and a relationship with handsome Jared Moody—a life she never thought possible. 

Just as she’s starting to feel comfortable in her new life, Julia is invited to battle it out on national television making cupcakes. An amazing opportunity, if she can muster up the confidence to do it, that is. Then, out of the blue, Jared goes and throws a rather large wrench in their relationship causing Julia to have to make some big decisions.With her two trusted confidants off in wedding la la land, Julia is on her own to figure everything out. 

Left to her own devices, will Julia be able to work things out for herself? Or will she make a disaster of it all?

In 2013 I was contacted by author Becky Monson and got the chance to read and review her novel 'Thirty-Two Going On Spinster' (click here to read my review). I really enjoyed the book (which is a great read for chick lit fans) and was excited when Becky told me she was already busy working on a sequel. At the end of last year Becky contacted me with the news that the sequel, 'Thirty-Three Going On... Girlfriend?', had been released and I was once again lucky enough to receive a review copy! I looked forward to once again diving into the world of main character Julia Dorning and reading more about her life after the first part of the series, while keeping my fingers crossed I would enjoy the novel as much as I did the first one!

** If you plan on reading the first part of the series 'Thirty-Two Going On Spinster' in the future, please be aware that there might be some spoilers in the review below!**

Thirty-three-year-old Julia Dorning finally feels her life is going the way she had always hoped it would. She is incredibly happy with her handsome boyfriend Jared, she has her dream job owning her very own bakery, and things are good with her family and friends. Then, to Julia's complete surprise, she is invited to be a contestant on her favourite TV show 'Cupcake Battles.' Julia knows it is an amazing opportunity she has to take with both hands, but at the same time she is trying to deal with a few other things. Both her sister Anna and best friend Betsy are getting married and need Julia's support, and Jared is spending more and more time away from home for his job. Julia tries her very best to deal with everything that's going on, but will she really be able to manage it all on her own without making a mess of things?

The decision to write a sequel can be a tricky one. Is there another story to tell with the same characters? Won't it feel too forced? In the case of 'Thirty-Three Going On... Girlfriend?' this is definitely not the case, because Becky Monson has managed to write a thoroughly enjoyable second novel focussing on protagonist Julia Dorning, giving the reader the chance to join Julia at a new and exciting stage of her life. I love Julia and I'm sure many other female readers will warm to her and relate to her just as much. She's a bit of a dramaqueen and tends to overthink everything, but these are the things that make Julia Julia, and I was definitely rooting for her from the very start. 

The book includes several story lines and is quite fast-paced, so it managed to keep my attention throughout and I didn't want to have to put the book down but finish it in one go. In my opinion, Becky Monson's writing has become even better and I might even dare to say I enjoyed this novel even more than its prequel! It has everything a chick lit novel should have and I definitely recommend it to any fans of the genre. I do recommend reading the first part of the series first, but I guess it can also be picked up as a stand-alone novel. Overall, 'Thirty-Three Going On... Girlfriend?' is a fun, light-hearted and entertaining read which I enjoyed from start to finish. I can't wait to get my hands on Becky Monson's next release and will keep my fingers crossed, hoping we will be treated to another novel soon!
Rating:9,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Interview with Becky Monson!

I am delighted to have author Becky Monson on 'A Spoonful of Happy Endings' today, as part of the CLP blog tour for her novel 'Thirty-Two Going on Spinster' (check out my review here)!

By day, Becky Monson is a mother to three young children, and a wife. By night, she escapes with reading books and writing. In her debut novel, Becky uses humor and true-life experiences to bring her characters to life. She loves all things chick-lit (movies, books, etc.), and wishes she had a British accent. She has recently given up Diet Coke for the fiftieth time and is hopeful this time will last...but it probably won't. 

Can you tell us something about your novel, ‘Thirty-Two Going on Spinster’?

Well it’s about Julia, who hates change and is stuck in a rut. But then change is forced on her through a series of events, and you get to see how she works through it, and how she evolves. Yah, that makes it sound too serious. Really it’s more fun than what I just described. But essentially that is what my story is about.

Where did you find the inspiration for the plotline of ‘Thirty-Two Going on Spinster’?

It was a story I came up with years ago, that evolved and changed into what it is. But it basically started with a work crush I had (before I met my hubby, of course). Thank goodness for the work crushes I had, or I don’t know how I would have survived. I realize now, looking back, that I was not the most stellar employee.

Is the main character, Julia, based on someone? Are there perhaps bits of yourself in her as well?

Julia is a mix of a few people. My hysterical friend Julie, for sure (Julie/Julia - not a coincidence). She is definitely me too, except that I am not totally freaked out by change. I actually kind of like it sometimes.

The main character of the novel, Julia, loves to bake. She’s especially known for her delicious cupcakes. Are you a baker yourself as well, and if so, do you have a favourite recipe? 

I do bake. That trait Julia and I have in common, for sure. I am not as obsessed with it as Julia is, but I do enjoy it when I get a chance to do it. I just hate the clean-up part. That is my least favorite part of baking. I do make a pretty amazing chocolate chip cookie, if I do say so myself.

I read somewhere that you love anything chick lit. What is your favourite chick lit novel or author?

Sophie Kinsella, for sure. She really is so hilarious. My favorite book from her is I’ve Got Your Number. I really love that book. I could read it over and over again. I also just read a book called Yours Truly from an Indie author, Kristy Greenwood, and I swear I have never laughed so hard while reading.

This is your debut novel. Do you have any tips for others who would like to publish their own novel one day?

Yes, please learn from my mistakes. Here is my best advice for future authors out there: Write. Don’t worry about all of the other things out there that you will need to do (and there is A LOT), just write. Write something good – something that you would like to read, and when you are done get yourself a good editor (something I wish I would have done – paid for a professional editor). Also get yourself some reliable beta readers. Once your book is done, get yourself a great cover. I cannot stress how important a great cover is. It will make or break your book (people really do judge a book by its cover). (Wow, I used a lot of parenthesis in this answer) (sorry)

What do you hope readers take away from your novel?

That change can be wonderful, if you let it.

That was cheesy. I apologize. But it’s true.

Last but not least: if you had to describe ‘Thirty-Two Going on Spinster’ in just three words, which words would you pick?

Funtastic, Romantical, Chicklity

(Yah, those aren’t words. I think I ate too much sugar for dinner. Sorry, again.)

Thanks so much to Becky for taking the time to do this interview! And if anyone is interested, Becky is willing to share her recipe for her amazing chocolate chip cookies with us! ;-)

Follow Becky on Twitter via @bmonsonauthor // Get her novel on Amazon by clicking here! 

Review: 'Thirty-Two Going on Spinster' by Becky Monson (2012)

Julia Dorning is a spinster, or at least on the road to becoming one. She has no social life, hates her job, and lives in her parent’s basement with her cat, Charlie. 

With the arrival of Jared Moody, the new hire at work, Julia’s mundane life is suddenly turned upside down. Her instant (and totally ridiculous) crush on the new guy causes Julia to finally make some long-overdue changes, in hopes to find a life that includes more than baking and hanging out with Charlie. 

But when the biggest and most unexpected change comes, will the new and improved Julia be able to overcome it? Or will she go back to her spinster ways?

I’m delighted to be a part of the CLP Blog Tour for Becky Monson’s novel, ‘Thirty-Two Going On Spinster’! After seeing a shout-out on Twitter for bloggers to join this tour, I checked out the blurb and immediately had the feeling this would be a story I’d enjoy. I was lucky enough to be given a spot and I’ve even got an interview with Becky Monson which will be posted on the blog later today. First of all, though, the novel itself!

‘Thirty-Two Going on Spinster’ tells the story of Julia Dorning, a 32-year-old who is slowly starting to consider herself as the real-life definition of the word ‘spinster.’ She still lives at home in her parents’ basement, she has a boring job of which the highlights are the smoking breaks in which she can gossip with her colleague and good friend Brown, and her social life is non-existent (if you don’t count watching TV shows with your cat while eating homemade cupcakes). Julia’s spinsterly existence is, however, turned upside down when Jared Moody suddenly starts working on the floor above hers. He’s handsome, friendly, and Julia can’t believe he actually seems to want to spend time with her. With the help of her sister Anna and a bit of her own confidence, Julia starts to slowly change a few things: a bit of make-up here, a new outfit there... But when Julia’s world is turned upside down once again, will she be able to crawl back up again or is she indeed doomed to spend her life as a real spinster?

Julia is a brilliant heroine and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about everything that happened to her, especially all the humorous situations she managed to get herself into. With Julia, Becky Monson managed to create a down-to-earth, friendly and funny main character, which I think many women will be able to relate to. I also loved Julia’s passion for baking, and the contrast between the scenes where Julia has the chance to bake cupcakes or cookies, and how much she adores that, and then next to that her boring job, where she obviously does not belong. She really goes through a lot of changes, and I liked how her character develops throughout the story. Jared (aptly named McManly by Julia) is a handsome leading man, and I really enjoyed reading about Julia’s typical school girl crush on him and the slightly embarrassing situations that followed (can't we all relate to this one way or another?)! 

Next to Julia and Jared, there is a really entertaining collection of characters. I specifically liked Julia’s younger sister Emma, who is dealing with her own problems after having maxed out a few too many credit cards, and the mix of colleagues at the company where Julia works. The novel is easy to read and made me laugh out loud more than once; a thoroughly enjoyable addition to the chick lit genre and I look forward to reading more of Becky Monson’s work!

Rating:8/10

If you are looking for a funny and uplifting read, be sure to pick up ‘Thirty-Two Going on Spinster’, available on Amazon by clicking here!