Thirtynothing [Paperback]

Lisa Jewell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2001

That's the premise of the sparkling new romantic comedy from the author of the acclaimed international bestseller Ralph's Party-an irresistible novel about best friends, turning thirty ... and falling in love.

The critics raved about Lisa Jewell's bestselling debut novel, calling Ralph's Party "addictively readable" (The Times, London); "like going to a great dinner party" (The New York Post). thirtynothing brings together a charming quartet of modern men and women in pursuit of sex, love, friendship, and the perfect relationship.

On his thirtieth birthday, Dig Ryan bumps into his first love Delilah, whom he hasn't seen in twelve years. Delilah was the most beautiful girl in school and a constant thorn-in-the-side of Nadine, who has been Dig's best friend for the last fifteen years. Nadine isn't about to let Delilah outshine and outmaneuver her again ... which is when she calls her first love, Phil ....

A buoyant novel about friendship, lust, growing up, and growing older, thirtynothing is sure to delight fans of Ralph's Party and to win this hip, thirtysomething author a wealth of new readers.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like a fizzy cocktail, Jewell's follow-up to her bestselling Ralph's Party is quickly consumed and sometimes dizzying. Set in posh London, the plot adheres to the When Harry Met Sally formula of romantic comedyAtwo characters are unaware of their love for each other. Naturally, readers witness a string of calamities eventually resulting in a happy-ever-after ending. Dig Ryan and Nadine Kite, best friends for 15 years, have exhausted the dating market. Dig, who works for a small record label, wakes up on his 30th birthday with a 17-year-old girl in his bed, and suddenly feels old. He and Nadine, a 30-year-old freelance photographer, resolve to stop living as serial monogamists and find love with mature adults (to become, as Bridget Jones might say, Smug Marrieds). When Dig bumps into Delilah, the most beautiful girl in Holy Trinity high school and his first love, he thinks he may be lucky at last. Nadine is anything but happy at the reappearance, since Delilah, who has come to London without her husband, stole Dig from her once before. Meanwhile, Nadine has contacted her first love, Phil, who's even more of a jerk now than he was a decade ago, except now he's an ex-con, too. Of course, the appealing couple known as Dig 'n' Deen finds its way out of this tangle before the novel's candied close. Jewell's keen observation of British pop culture is perhaps the best attribute of a book that is fun but never quite intoxicating, and which is burdened by an unimaginative cover. (Jan.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

"How can I ignore the boy next door?" asks the old song, and the answer in this new romantic comedy from the author of the international bestseller Ralph's Party (2000) is that clearly you can't. In such books (and films, which this begs to become) the pleasure's found in watching the two school chums grown into adult best friends come to realize their life's passion is each other. This coming-of-age novel about British 30-year-olds features Nadine, a successful photographer, and Dig, an A and R man in the recording industry, whose teenage friendship was temporarily shattered by Delilah, who slithered sexily into Dig's heart, only to break it after two years. And don't bad pennies keep turning up? Delilah reappears 12 years later, disrupting the friendship of the reunited friends and turning Dig into a love-besotted idiot and Nadine into a desperately jealous woman who unearths her old college love in retaliation. You know the rest, and Jewell's latest saucy and slangy love story should entertain audiences beyond the U.K. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Plume (January 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452282128
• ISBN-13: 978-0452282124
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,562,944 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming, sparkling, fun romantic comedy, January 17, 2001

By 

Carol S. (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Thirtynothing (Paperback)

After thoroughly enjoying "Ralph's Party," Lisa Jewell's first novel, I devoured "Thirty nothing" in less than a day. The plot of Jewell's second novel is "When Harry Met Sally" by way of "Bridget Jones": Thirty-year-olds Dig and Nadine are best friends who vow to get their lives together by finding the perfect mates. Will they ever come to realize what all their friends already know: that they were meant for each other? The book has a lot of charm and style, some very funny scenes (the first few pages, where Dig wakes up after his 30th birthday with a hangover, a 17-yr-old girl and no memory of last night's festivities, is priceless), and believable, likeable characters. Jewell writes with warmth and empathy about those late-twenties-early-thirties days when singletons invariably wonder about the path their life has taken and why they seem to be the only ones in the world who haven't hooked up. If you enjoy sassy British fiction, romantic comedy, or are just looking for some fun and enjoyable reading to while away the afternoon, "Thirty nothing" is worth a whirl.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully run, engaging read..., March 4, 2001

By 

E. M. Carey "LGW" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thirtynothing (Paperback)

I was pretty confident very early on in Thirty Nothing that I new what was going to happen in 'the end.' But what I found so interesting and fun about this book was that it didn't matter, it didn't at all detract from my enjoyment of the novel. And the main reason for that is the two central characters, Dig and Nadine, two Londoners who are fleshed-out, realistic, funny, exciting, fascinating, amusing 'people.' The characters with whom they interact are well-developed but simply aren't as dynamic as these two. The 'love interests' who distract Dig and Nadine are pretty repulsive to the readers, but you can still understand - and perhaps be annoyed at - why these two would get drawn in as they do. There's a lot of the universal 'turning 30-what the hell am I doing with my life-do I have to grow up-do I want to grow up' and so forth stuff that is easy to relate to - even though it's set in England - and is portrayed pretty honestly and true to life.

But more than anything, Thirty Nothing is entertaining, funny and enjoyable. I found it a perfect distraction on the crowded subway as I made my way to and from work - helped me completely escape the misery. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who wants a well-written, smart, amusing read - it's simply marvelous.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This isn't Thirty Nothing ~~ it's Thirty Special!, April 7, 2001

By 

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Thirtynothing (Paperback)

I got this in the mail the other day ~~ by a secret donor (well, I think I know who it is!) and I'm hoping that she doesn't want it back because I really, really enjoyed this book! I am 31 and can relate to Nadine and Dig's problems with commitment and with trying to recapture the feelings of the flush of first love. This book is well-written, fun, saucy and so romantic! I was late to work today because I just had to finish off the last two chapters ~~ there was no way I was going to stew about for the next 12 hours waiting to see what happens. If a book can capture my interest like that, then by golly, I am going to finish it!

It is also a quick read ~~ but I can guarantee you that this is one book that you will want to re-read over and over. You will relate to Nadine ~~ who is a strong, independent woman with electic taste in clothes and designing flair. You will fall in love with Dig ~~ everyone's best friend and the one your mother always want you to marry. You will laugh over some of their adventures from being just best friends to realizing that they're in love with each other.

Grab it ~~ you won't regret it! I am now anxiously awaiting for Lisa's next book. I hope it's soon because I don't know how long I can last while waiting for it! =) In the meantime, I'm passing this book onto my book club friends and urge them to read it! It's just one of those sweet unforgettable books that makes for a perfect day of reading!