Before the Clock Strikes Thirty

by Aubrey Mace

With wedding festivities swirling around her, the bride’s fortune-telling aunt transfixes young Shannon Fielding. The gypsy woman foresees love in the girl’s before her thirtieth year, Shannon will meet the man of her dreams. The promise of romance is absolutely thrilling—it’s almost enough to compensate for the groom’s annoying younger brother . . .Shannon has remembered, and loathed, Nathan since their childhood meeting at the wedding reception that set her on a never-ending quest to find her Mr. Right. When Nathan steps back into Shannon’s life, she is forced to reconcile her memory of the obnoxious boy he once was with the endearing man he’s become. Nathan quickly becomes the best friend a girl could ask for—but when their friendship threatens to develop into something more, can Shannon give up the idea of the mysterious soul mate she’s sought for so long?

Genres: Romance, Lds Fiction, Contemporary, Clean Romance, Lds, Fiction, Chick Lit

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2014

Reviews

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly the kind of romantic comedy that I love!

Shannon meets her best guy friend in an unusual way and when he doesn't remember her from the past, she accepts it and is determined that all they'll ever be is friends, because come on--he's "Jerkface." Nathan, it turns out, is a very decent guy--he just had a moment of being a young teen when they met.

I loved the friendship these two had. They were very competitive with one another and decided to take turns planning "scary" activities for them to participate in, thus getting to know each other really, really well. Shannon is completely clueless. I sometimes wanted to shake her to see if she was awake and paying attention to life, yet she is a true, fun friend who is very likable. She's really not afraid of much and is very agreeable to many things that would scare me off. Nathan is a very patient friend, who is one of the most unselfish guys I've ever read about! He's not a wimp-- he is so kind and caring and even goes along with some crazy plans, just in the name of competition and to spend time with his best friend. What girl in her right mind wouldn't love to have a friend like him?!

There are tender moments, as well as frustrating ones (in a good way), funny ones, and fun ones. And I can't forget those romantic ones. *sigh* I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I don't want to give everything away, but it was absolutely darling.

Content: kissing. Clean!

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed (given the currently high goodreads rating) that I did not enjoy this book much. The title is deceiving--the main girl is nowhere near 30. I was bothered by the whole relationship between the main characters. Additionally, the author has such a wordy way of writing that it was not a relaxing read. However, I did finish reading the book. So 2 stars.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book!

Content: Clean

[Amie Aycock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book I have read by Aubrey Mace, and I absolutely love her books!! She hit it out of the park yet again!! This book had me hooked from the first to last page!
I seriously couldn't put it down! It had my laughing, cheering, yelling, and sighing! All of these are signs of a Great book!

The characters in the book were fun, and Nathan was oh so dreamy! The romance and chemistry was swoon worthy! I loved the friendship of Nathan and Shannon! I loved how they always pushed each other to try new and adventurous things!

The storyline was fun, and definitely kept me on my toes! When Nathan and Shannon were together I couldn't help but laugh and grin!
This book showed if you let go of a grudge and give people second chances good things can come out of it!

I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially a true romance lover! You won't be sorry, and it will have you grinning from ear to ear in the end!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never judge a book by it's cover-especially this one! The cover is cheesy, but the story was a cute little love story! I read it in just a few hours. A sweet love story about finding love in an unexpected place. I love the way Shannon talks to herself-she's hilarious! Nathan becomes her best friend-despite their rocky beginning. Such a fun "dessert" read.
language: clean, heat level: super mild!

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun, sweet book. I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a little girl I used to play "wedding."
I was always a beautiful bride with a pretend handsome groom.
This book brought back ALL those fond memories.

I LOVE weddings!
I LOVE humor!
I LOVE sweet romance!

This book has it all and in such a fun manner!

Like me, Shannon LOVES weddings!

While helping serve at her best friends sisters wedding...

She met... (read with drama) ... "the gypsy aunt."

The only thing Shannon loves more than a wedding is a gypsy.

So what was the fortune that the gypsy predicted for Shannon?

"before her thirtieth year, Shannon will meet the man of her dreams at a wedding reception."

Many years, and many wedding receptions later, Shannon is still seeking that "true love."

It is at this point that Shannon's best friend, Nathan, steps in and offers to help her.

HOW?

They are going to attend EVERY wedding reception they hear about...

and they even dare to crash a few...

All in the name of bring the fortune to pass.

FUNNY SITUATIONS ARE AHEAD :)

And who is this Nathan?

Read to find out his fun twist in the story!

LOVED. LOVED. LOVED. THIS. ONE.
A DEFINITE MUST-READ!

[Tenille · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars, I loved it, it was funny, romantic, fun! I only thought the end was rushed. After all that, it ends with a "Maybe" he is the one. Really? I wanted a romantic proposal, or something like that.
When she was 12, Shannon has her fortune told by an old "gypsy". She would meet her future husband at a wedding, before she turns 30. He will be wearing a silk tie. So turn the clock forward a few years and you have Shannon going to tons of weddings, hoping to meet this man. Her best friend, Nathan, aka Jerkface, helps her to find her soul mate, before she realizes she already has found him.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! When Shannon was ten years old a "gypsy" tells her that she will meet her future husband at a wedding reception and that her best friend Rachel will become a lawyer. When Nathan comes into the picture, Shannon loves planning things to do with Nathan, and vice versa, the activities just get crazier each time they go out only as "friends". But once Nathan starts showing he is interested in being more than just friends, Shannon is ready to turn and run. I love Shannon and how she thinks and talks to herself. The sub headings for each chapter are so cleaver. I loved it!

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I guess this book wasn't my cup of tea as they say. I liked that it was clean. I liked the basic story line. I liked Nathan and there were a few cute and funny parts. What I didn't like about the book -- SHANNON! I thought she was pretty clueless, obnoxious and annoying. I got tired of her antics fast unfortunately and it took way too long in my opinion for things to get resolved. Then it felt like a Hallmark ending. The basic story had potential and Nathan was a such a sweetheart. Unfortunately, I was just frustrated at Shannon's reactions most of the time.

[Cristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! So cute and funny! My kids thought I was going insane because I kept laughing out loud sometimes hysterically! There was a point that I thought, come on, but that was short lived. The only problem was it was to short. I NEED a book about her friend now. Not to mention a book about the hot millionaire! Turn this one into a series please!!! You will not be disappointed.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun book from Aubrey Mace, perhaps her best.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty characters with an original plot line. It was a delight.

[Karijean31 · Rating 5 out of 5]

this one was so much fun!!!! I couldn't put it down! more please!

[Lauren Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really cute romantic comedy. Although, the ending alludes to a sequel, which there better be one, Ms. Mace!

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a cute story.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice predictable LDS chick lit

[Megan Olds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calling all spunky hopeless romantics…

I love Aubrey Mace’s books so much!! I related to character aspects of both Shannon and Nathan, and I thought that the humour and interactions, the Latter-day Saint culture, the unique wit, and the theme of spontaneity in this book were all great. Even Henry was a fun character!

Overall, this book encapsulates to its readers that sometimes, we all make love harder than it has to be when in reality, a guy giving you his scarf can say it all!

(I also loved the shoutout to English majors like me who don’t know what they want to do with their degree through the character of Shannon, haha!)

So I would definitely recommend this book!! Check it out today!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. This fluffy, light-hearted book was cheesy and predictable, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. It is like a Hallmark movie in book form.
The title did feel a bit irrelevant as the main character is not even close to the age of 30. It would have added some drama if she was older and approaching that age 30 cut-off that the gypsy gave her. As it was, the inclusion of the age in both the title and the gypsy's fortune telling felt a bit pointless.

[Our Book Confessions · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aubrey manages to write a fun light book, but still give her characters depth. The book is written in the first person and the author has Shannon do a lot of head talking, these are some of the best parts of the book. Her introspecting is where a lot of the humor lies. This was a fast read that gave me a few hours of escapism to laugh and enjoy someone else fumbling their way through life.
https://bookconfessionsblog.wordpress...

[Bart Andersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this was another funny romance in the "Before the Clock Strikes" Series, which like other reviewers I didn't figure out, till after I had finished the other book, "Love on a whim". I also thought the writing wasn't as strong, But aside from that, I still found myself rooting for the heroine the whole time.

So my advice to anyone engaged in this series "PLEASE READ THIS ONE FIRST" because it gets better moving forward.

[Kristy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I disliked this book so much! The author assumes everyone reading it will be from Utah and know everything about the religious culture here. Nothing is explained, and the plot is annoying and predictable. I had to skim the last half of the book because I couldn’t take it anymore but wanted to see how she wrapped up the lame storyline. No surprises there- it was exactly what I thought it would be.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m in love with this book. So good. Take witty dialogue and hilarious gut-laugh inducing situations, some swoon-worthy friends-to-lovers romance in a super fun feel-good non-stop thrill ride and you have something I’m going to want to come back to again and again. Did I mention the interesting lovable characters? The heroine is a riot even if she does have an affliction of denial thicker than a brick wall.

[Anna Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a witty, and funny love story about two best friends who are in love and don't realize they are. I could relate a great deal to this story as this is how my husband and I started out- as best friends. I will be looking forward to reading other works by Aubrey Mace as I enjoyed this one so much. Well worth my time reading, and it wasn't too long of a read either!

[Leslie Books and Socks Rock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unknowingly I read the sequel first so I k we the outcome. And this book took a LONG time to get to it. It was kind of fun, the thought of doing scary things together. There was an inconsistency at the beginning (super minor), lots of telling and not showing at the beginning. And almost unbelievable, what guy would hang on for 3 years?!

[Amy S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the dialogue in this one. Very entertaining story. The characters were lovable and fun. Great clean Mormon romance. The emotion of the story really came across for me.

No violence, no sex, no swearing.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the sequel, Love on a Whim, before I read this one, so I think my impression of Shannon and Nathan was affected by that. I still thoroughly enjoyed the story line, but not quite enough for the 5th star.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was pretty caught up in this romance. I loved how the friendship weaved throughout the book and enjoyed all of the dares and one-ups. Unfortunately, I didn't love the ending. I realize what it was, but I enjoy having it typed out for me.

[Jamille Parks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute fluff story that you can totally bing in a few days. I was slightly annoyed with Shannon’s character but I understand why she was crazy. It was a page turner though; it was way to read and fun to escape into.

[Ali~may · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute book. 4 1/2 stars
Fun characters and fun story.