Thirty Things by Cate Ashwood
Gay Contemporary Romance
Paperback: 210 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (April 3, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1632168995
ISBN-13: 978-1632168993
Amazon: Thirty Things
Amazon Kindle: Thirty Things

All their lives, Finn and Nate have been inseparable, sharing everything, and when a childhood accident left Finn broken, Nate stood by his side as all his other friends left. After all their years together, there’s one secret Finn still hasn’t revealed: he has been in love with Nate since they were eight years old. Hiding his feelings for twenty-one years—terrified of what might happen if Nate ever found out—has been difficult, but losing his best friend would be worse than living with a bad case of unrequited love. Unfortunately for Finn, Nate doesn't make it easy.

Nate believes there are some things that just have to be done before your thirtieth birthday. As a gift to Finn, he plans an adventure to check off a list of thirty things to experience before hitting that milestone. Starting in Crawfordsville, Indiana, they tour the country, trying new things and meeting interesting new people. Nate’s having the time of his life, but he can tell Finn is holding something back. As the days count down, navigating the back roads suddenly seems easier than figuring out where their relationship is heading.

One thing’s for certain. There will be no turning back.


Beautifully written friends to lovers, road-trip romance.  You can't help but fall in love with Finn and Nate and want nothing more for them than a happily ever after, together.

This story could have been written as a coming of age book--though the characters are thirty years old.  Nate, Finn's best friend decides to celebrate Finn's impending thirtieth birthday on a month long, cross-country trip with thirty things to do while on the road.  This is a low angst novel, with Finn's insecurities and Nate's confidence on display through their travels across the US.  Wonderfully crafted with interesting and unique stops along the way (who knew there was a Wigwam Village Hotel?), with many surprises and memories that would impact both Finn and Nate for a lifetime. This book was a joy to read as you can see the love the two main characters have for each other, so much so that you root for the two of them to have a happily ever after.

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