30 Love: A Novel

by Ran Walker

Dizzy and Lailah are life-long best friends who, on a whim, make a deal at the age of 20 that if they are both single by the time they turn 30, they will simply marry each other.

While Lailah has long since forgotten this promise, Dizzy hasn't. When he proposes and Lailah reluctantly accepts, the road to the altar is anything but easy.

In the vein of Love and Basketball and Brown Sugar, Ran Walker brings you the guy's point-of-view in this hilarious romantic comedy about the wonders of an impromptu engagement.

Genres: Fiction

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 20, 2012

About the author

Ran Walker is the author of four novels (The Keys of My Soul, B-Sides and Remixes, 30 Love, and Mojo's Guitar), two novellas (Beat Bop and Afro Nerd in Love), and two short story collections (Secrets & Cures and 16 Bars). His short stories and poetry have appeared in a variety of anthologies.

Ran is the recipient of both a 2005 Mississippi Arts Commission/NEA artist grant and a 2006 artist mini-grant, and he has also served as an Artist-in-Residence with the Commission. In addition, he is a past participant in the Hurston-Wright Writers Week Workshop and is the recipient of a fellowship from the Callaloo Writers Workshop.

In addition to writing, Ran is a songwriter and music publisher with ASCAP and 1/2 of the electronic soul production team Groovault. Groovault released The Liquid Dream EP in 2011 and continues to work with a variety of up-and-coming artists. When Ran is not writing books or composing music, he is working on his iPhoneography and storytelling skills.

Ran is an Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at Hampton University and lives in Virginia with his wife and much better half, Lauren, and his amazing little rockstar daughter, Zoë.

Reviews

[Steve Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walker is a unique author, a black man writing romance novels, among other things. His perspective is eye-opening as he tells the story of 2 kids born to separate families on the same day and raised next-door to each other. Dizzy grows up hoping that Lailah will like him, as they pretend to be married even in pre-school. In high school, she makes it clear that she will need him forever as her best friend, and that is all. What about love?

Walker writes of growing up in small-town Mississippi and the resulting diaspora in his books in this series. B-sides and Afronerd round out collection.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so cute!

In 2020 we could all use a good love story and this book does not disappoint. This book follows Dominic better known as Dizzy during his engagement with his life long best friend. They went on a whim and decided to marry one another. The book does a nice job of showing the process of the two going from friends to lovers. It’s such a cute, book and as the hopeful romantic, I found myself smiling to myself during most of this book.

[Deirdre Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

30 Love

There's nothing like reading romance from a male's point of view. Dizzy and Lailah's story is fun and sweet! This was my first time reading Mr. Walker's work. So glad that I took a chance. Enjoyed it immensely!!

[Tamara]

Ooph, I got halfway through but just couldn't finish. Too romance-y for me, not enough character development. But points for being the first romance I've read written by and from the point of view of a man.

[Carla wynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Takes Time

Though it was well written, I had a hard time accepting the premise that after all this time and not even dating, they agreed to marry.

[triceratops-stomp · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.
Premise was sweet, but didn't really go anywhere, and the characters and their motivations read flat to me.

[MoonSun · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very boring...A love story with no sparks..

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad to discover this author.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dizzy and Lailah have been best friends their whole lives. When they are 20 years old, they make a pact to marry each other if they are both single by the time they’re 30. Well, their 30th birthdays have arrived, and they are both single, so Dizzy pops the question and Lailah reluctantly accepts. Let the wedding planning begin. But planning a wedding and figuring out how to be more than just friends takes a toll on Dizzy and Lailah. Will they make it to the altar? Or will they lose both their friendship and new-found intimacy?

This is an intriguing look at life-long friends trying to figure out how to be a romantic couple in a short period of time and it’s not easy for them, which was kind of refreshing. It was more realistic, raw and emotional. Filled with sweet moments that move the romance forward and then moments that made me nervous that these friends wouldn’t be able to make a romantic relationship work. There was a moment of borderline cheating, which I didn’t like, but it luckily it didn’t fully come to anything. The conclusion of the conflict seemed a little abrupt, but that might’ve just been because we weren’t in Lailah’s head to see her train of thought. The pacing of the story was pretty good though it felt a little all over the place sometimes, jumping around a bit. But overall, an enjoyable read.

If you’re interested in a friends-to-lovers romance all from the male perspective, then pick this book up.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a light, fun and quick read. The humor is well placed and the characters are likable and well developed. I'm in for the journey Ran Walker.