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Spinster #2

Thirty-Three Going on Girlfriend

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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? Find out in Becky Monson’s sequel to Thirty-Two Going on Spinster!

316 pages, Paperback

First published September 8, 2014

1309 people are currently reading
1873 people want to read

About the author

Becky Monson

22 books1,314 followers
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.

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5 stars
948 (34%)
4 stars
1,062 (38%)
3 stars
636 (22%)
2 stars
105 (3%)
1 star
21 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
Profile Image for Katie (hiding in the pages).
3,529 reviews333 followers
October 21, 2017
(4.5 Stars) My advice is to read these books in order to get the full effect.

It felt like the book was divided into two parts: baking and weddings. Julia is finally fulfilling a dream of owning a bakery and isn't it funny that it took Jared (through unconventional ways) to help her achieve it? She secretly auditions for a cupcake TV show and let me just say, those cupcakes sounded incredibly delicious, so don't read this while you're hungry. Not only is Julia dealing with all of the stress of baking, but both her sister and her best friend have upcoming weddings.

I love that Julia is so imperfect, especially in her reactions to situations. I had to laugh out loud because she made a colossally huge mistake: she googled something that you shouldn't ever do. Yes, I recently did something similar and found that I was dying (not true). My point is that her faults make her very easy to relate to because I think most readers can find a piece of themselves in Julia, whether it be insecurities or successes...or anything in between. The humor is once again the icing on the cake (no pun intended) and the romance is realistic.

This sequel was fun and sassy and brought Julia to life just a little bit more. I can't wait to move on to the next book to see what could possible happen next because this chick-lit is a treat.

Content: mild language; mild romance
Profile Image for Hannah.
297 reviews19 followers
July 9, 2020
Umm, this is a difficult review to write because I feel like two stars is a low rating, but I had so many issues with Thirty-Three Going on Girlfriend. This is the second one in the Spinster series, and I think you should most definitely read Thirty-Two Going on Spinster first.

Julia, our spinster turned girlfriend, is successfully running her own bakery and still dating Jared. She gets chosen to compete on a televised baking competition, and said competition takes over a big part of the book. Everything was so detailed and I wish it wouldn't drag on for so long. I actually started skimming through most of the baking competition.

Aside from that, she is having serious problems with Jared, who is travelling a lot for work. This puts a pretty big damper on their relationship. Things between them also lack some serious communication and I found it so frustrating that neither one of them was able to talk about what was going on and tell each other their feelings and emotions. Julia acted so judgmental, she was a little insecure in the first book, but now it wasn't adorable anymore, it just made me roll my eyes. From calling too much make-up whorish to judging other people in relationships and freaking out about a picture of a bra strap. I mean. Come on..

Jared makes a huge decision without her, which leads to her ultimately breaking it off. While they are not living together, they're in their thirties and in a pretty serious relationship. I would think you would discuss life changing events with your significant other at that point. I didn't blame Julia for her response, and found it so annoying that her sister and best friend didn't support her. I think Jared takes her for granted for a big part of the story, and only really understands what it would be like to loose her at the end. That being said the ending is so adorable, and probably the only reason why I want to read the next book.

All in all this was not as good as the first book, but I hope Thirty-Four Going on Bride will conclude this series in a satisfying way.
Profile Image for Debra B.
824 reviews41 followers
August 28, 2020
Too cute ... can't wait to read the third and final book in the series!
Profile Image for BestChickLit.com.
458 reviews241 followers
September 25, 2014
So, after what seemed like an age of (impatient) waiting, I finally got my hands on the next instalment of Julia Dorning’s life.

And it was worth every single finger drumming minute.

I’m going to be very careful with what I write in this review because a single slip could ruin the entire outcome of the book and the plot of, what I hope, will be the third. No doubt, Julia is as hilarious in ‘Girlfriend’ as she was in ‘Spinster’ as she continues to blow things out of all proportion in her wacky but adorable mind. An unlikely moment of impulsiveness (and some strong medication), means our loveable baker finds herself in a situation that blows her constant need to not be centre of attention out of the water, and the whole thing is genius – thus ensuring most of the comedy for the story. At no point in the book did I not root for Julia, even if I did want to shake some sense into her when it came to her love life and a few other decisions!

Having read this within a few hours, this sequel is better than I could have hoped for – except now I’m back to impatiently drumming fingers, waiting on the third book . . .
Profile Image for Chrissy (The Every Free Chance Reader).
702 reviews680 followers
February 20, 2015
Did I enjoy this book: I really did enjoy this book. It was as good as the first, Thirty-Two Going On… Spinster. (See my review here.) It has some great moments — LOL moments, sentimental moments, anxious moments, confusing moments, all the moments.

I loved catching up with Julia Dorning and finding out how her bakery was doing. And whether she was still with Jared. Julia is a character that I can really relate to. She is so funny. Her inner monologue cracks me up. I felt like I was chatting with a girlfriend, or myself. I loved the snark and sarcasm. This whole book is funny. There were a lot of laugh out loud moments for me.

The television show was great, as was the preparation leading up to it. It was so real that I was nervous while reading it. Cupcake Battles is intense! But while intense, there were quite a few funny moments.

The wedding planning with Anna made me laugh. I felt bad for her fiance though. And her dad’s speech for Julia. Awwww . . . Loved it. Made me teary.

And the end? Oh, the end! I loved it. It was fantastic. Wonderful. I can’t wait to read the next book!!!!!!!!

Would I recommend it: Absolutely, it is adorbz. (Read the book, you’ll understand.) But you should read Thirty-Two Going On… Spinster first.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review purposes. Although I was compensated for editing work on this title, it in no way affected the outcome of my review. My review is my honest opinion of the book.

http://everyfreechance.com/2014/10/ch...
Profile Image for Glynis Astie.
Author 6 books37 followers
September 21, 2014
As soon as I heard there was another chapter in the Julia/Jared saga, I had to read it! At the start of this novel, we find Julia coming into her own as a bakery owner. She has a gorgeous boyfriend who appears to be devoted to her and she is going to appear on her favorite reality TV show, Cupcake Battles. Life is good! The pressure builds for poor Julia as she is sucked into helping plan both her sister's and her best friend's wedding, she panics about making a fool of herself on national television and Jared is forced to travel quite often for his job - thereby allowing her insecurities about their relationship to creep back in. Ms. Monson's charming cast of characters jump in with both feet to help Julia, but she will not escape completely unscathed. This book is brimming with humorous and tender moments. Looking forward to what happens next!
Profile Image for Melissa Baldwin.
Author 41 books643 followers
November 14, 2014
Loved this! You have to read this book! Funny, light hearted and intriguing! Cant wait to see what Becky Monson brings us next!
315 reviews14 followers
October 8, 2018
I love reading a light, fun girlie book every once in a while, especially after a round of intense psychological thrillers. Becky Monson never disappoints. I’ve been a fan ever since I read her Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace. I’m saving up the next book in the series for my vacation!
Profile Image for Connie.
2,514 reviews62 followers
September 10, 2014
Julia Dorning is at a happy point in her life. She owns her bakery and is very happy with her boyfriend, Jared Moody. However, she has a lot hanging over her head right now because she is facing being in the weddings of her best friend, Betsy Brown, and her sister, Anna. Julia is to be in both weddings and has agreed to make the wedding cakes for both brides. Betsy isn’t a problem but Anna is trying to handle all of the wedding plans herself thinking that her fiancé, stuffy Jonathan, is too busy being a big-shot attorney. (Julia’s thoughts - not Anna’s.) In actuality, Julia is asked to help more and more with her sister’s wedding which keeps her on the go.

Jared owns a consulting company which takes him out of town fairly often. This is difficult for Julia because she misses him so much. However, she is staying busy working long hours in her bakery and helping her sister with those never ending wedding plans. But when she starts to notice a sadness come over Jared and his travel increases, she can’t help but wonder what’s going on.

One of Julia’s passions is watching Cupcake Battles on TV. Her dream is to be a contestant on the show. So, one night she makes an audition tape and sent it off to before she could change her mind. Lo and behold, she is accepted to participate in the competition. The winner cannot tell who won until the show airs. I don’t want to give out any spoilers on this competition but to say it’s funny and crazy!

When Jared finally shares his bad news with Julia, her world is turned upside down. She doesn’t know what will happen to their relationship. With the stress of this plus the upcoming weddings, Julia is exhausted.

Come share Julia’s life as she takes it one day at a time. You will love her co-workers and family members. Each character has been developed perfectly by the author so you feel like you actually know them personally. The commentary is snappy, witty and fun. The story is chick-lit at its finest and I loved every word of Becky Monson’s second book.

Be sure to read her first book, “Thirty-Two Going on Spinster.” Her second book is a spinoff of the first but both are great as a stand alone. My review of her first book is on Goodreads at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

I want to personally offer Becky Monson huge congratulations on both her novels. Her writing style is terrific and I’m betting other readers will become fans of hers as well.

Complementary advanced copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Kathryn Biel.
Author 27 books374 followers
September 10, 2014
Get ready for another crazy ride with Julia Dorning. This sequel not only lives up to expectations of the first, but surpases it! Julia again finds herself in a comedy of errors, mostly due to her impulsive behavior and paranoid thoughts. Left to her own devices while Brown and Anna are off planning their weddings, Julia really does make a mess of things. I liked seeing her start to evolve as a person and start to grow a backbone and be able to make some decisions on her own. As with Thirty-Two, a great chick lit read!
Profile Image for Hilary Grossman.
Author 21 books341 followers
April 11, 2015
I loved Thirty-Two Going on Spinster… and I loved Thirty-Three Going on Girlfriend just as much if not more! Becky Monson has a wonderful writing style. It is impossible to not fall in love with Julia.. She is such a fun and relatable character! I found myself laughing out loud many times during this hard to put down book. I really hope there will be a Thirty-Four going on something book :)
Profile Image for NarniaGirl.
181 reviews
February 5, 2015
A Goodreads First Reads win. Not read the first in the trilogy, maybe that's where I went wrong. It'a a romantic comedy, easy to read, lighthearted, but there wasn't enough characterisation for me to care about Julia, or anyone else, come to that. Not one I would read again.
Profile Image for Corey.
490 reviews3 followers
June 25, 2016
The third book in the series just came out and I realized that I never added the second one on here. I remember buying it, reading it and liking it but that's about it. So... I'm adding it to my "read" list for 2014...
Profile Image for Shar&#x1f4da;.
58 reviews
October 10, 2018
It was ok.

It was hard for me to stay focused with this book. There was a few chapters that was dragging and boring
Profile Image for Joan.
2,208 reviews
Read
September 2, 2018
Julia is 33 and single

And she thinks that gives her the right to try on her sister's wedding dress? (Before the wedding and without asking her sister?)

WTF?? What sort of selfish, immature plonker (that's being polite) would do that?? I mean... REALLY?? Is that supposed to make me sympathise with her? No way.

I'm out of here.

DNF
Profile Image for Cathy.
821 reviews21 followers
March 11, 2023
so good!!

I enjoyed this sequel so much! Julia is just so adorable and hilarious! I can relate to her so much :). Jared is such a good match for her and I just love them as a couple. There are some heart wrenching moments in this one, but there is always some comic relief. Lucille Ball has nothing on Julia! I also loved the parts about her being on a reality baking show. So, so good and I highly recommend this book!
Profile Image for Jenna Meyer.
65 reviews7 followers
April 13, 2025
Another adorable rom-com audiobook! I’ve grown to love Julia and her quirkiness.
Profile Image for Aimee .
3,073 reviews298 followers
July 19, 2016
I had the chance to meet Becky Monson at a book signing in May. She was kind enough to give me a copy of this book to read and review. I love meeting authors and having books signed by them. It's awesome.

This is the second book in this series and is somewhat dependent on reading the first book. I guess you could just jump in here with the second book but you would probably feel a bit lost. If you haven't read the first book, now is an EXCELLENT time to pick it up because it's FREE on Amazon. :) (at least it is as of today, the day this post is sent out to the world)

Julia Dorning is guaranteed to make you smile. Some of the things that go through her mind- and sometimes out her mouth- so funny. This book is told in the first person so you really get to know Julia on a very intimate level. Her head is a crazy place to be.

I loved the cupcake battle show. I could easily picture it because I have watched that show on TV a couple times. Seeing it from Julia's mind was fun. There were moments I wanted to shake Julia and moments I just wanted to hug her. That's what made her real.

This is a fun series and I'm looking forward to the next book!

Content: Mild swearing, drinking alcohol
Profile Image for Michelle.
53 reviews4 followers
September 30, 2014
I loved Thirty-Two Going on Spinster for the fun, refreshing read it was. So I was excited for Thirty-Three Going on Girlfriend! I loved this even more than Thirty-Two Going on Spinster! The characters were developed a little better, the situations not as forced, the funny parts were even funnier! It is so refreshing to have a chick-lit book that is clean and fun enough for me to recommend without hesitation to everyone!!

I read a bit of criticism about one of the sub-plots being an obvious rip off of a current cable competition show, and I was surprised at some of the harshness of the criticisms - I think *everybody* has some kind of a dream of going on a nationally televised competition and what that experience would be like. I really liked how Becky handled it and I think it only added to the book!

This was a real page turner and I actually put down another book I was reading and really enjoying to read this and I just BLEW through it! You know what this means, Becky, get out that computer and some diet coke! :)
Profile Image for Heather McCoubrey.
Author 4 books37 followers
January 1, 2015
I bought this book for my trip to London, thinking I had approximately 16 hours on a plane to fill...but once I had this on my kindle, I couldn't NOT read the story. I loved Thirty-Two Going on Spinster and I had to know what happened next. This was a wonderful follow-up to Thirty-Two Going on Spinster. I loved how the story picked right up and you didn't feel as if you'd missed out on much of the story.

Becky Monson's writing style is fast-paced and fun, with many silly and funny moments sprinkled through-out. I still wish we "heard" from Jared, I want to be in his head and know what he's feeling and thinking. Perhaps Ms. Monson will write a short story from his PoV. (hint, hint!)

I can't wait for the next book in the series...after all, Ms. Monson can't leave us hanging, can she?!?! I imagine it will be amazeballs!
578 reviews3 followers
May 30, 2017
I liked that, in this one, the romance wasn't the main plot. Or it was, but the secondary plots were just as important. Since Julia was the maid of honor in both her bff and younger sister's weddings, plus her bakery was being featured in Cupcake Battles, a reality tv show, she had a lot more going on in her own life.
I was a little annoyed by her lack of backbone and am still unconvinced that Jared deserves her, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. And there were some truly hilarious moments, like when Julia realizes that her cupcake display looks like a gigantic penis when it's too late.
Jared also is entirely high-handed much of the time, making decisions "for her own good", which I don't love. But I think it's because I identify a lot with Julia's lack of ability to stand up for herself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Conny.
1,137 reviews35 followers
December 19, 2014
I was a First Read Winner of this book and I really liked it. Even though I was not familiar with the first book of the series I was able to follow the storyline just fine. It had a lot of fun characters that I could identify with, and it made me laugh out loud a couple of times. There was plenty of drama, a competition and some tears, but I won't give away the ending. Overall a real fun read. I am sure to check out more books by this Author.
Profile Image for Charissa.
Author 19 books81 followers
June 27, 2017
I love these books. This is the 2nd in the Spinster series. Julia is hilarious. I love her cupcake battle in this one and her relationship with Jared (the ups and downs). Her thought process is so funny that I just laugh constantly. These books make you feel good and lift the spirit. If you feel sad, read these books. Julia’s one of my favorite heroines ever. She’s so real and down-to-earth, and vulnerable. You can’t help but adore her.
Profile Image for Sara.
5 reviews
September 27, 2014
Even better than the first! I usually avoid sequels & trilogies but I really enjoyed this story and went from being entertained by Julia's neurosis to being enchanted. Really looking forward to #3 "34 going on ....." And how she is totally going to freak out.
Profile Image for Melanie Morris.
4 reviews1 follower
October 4, 2014
Loved this! Very funny! Wonderful book in a wonderful series. It's always tricky to read a second book and see if the author was able to bring the character back with the same vitality as book one, and this one did not disappoint. I really loved it! I cried, I laughed...it was amazballs!
Profile Image for Karry.
1,420 reviews21 followers
Read
September 11, 2015
Adorable!

Super sweet story! Not one ounce of sex and yet just as good if not better than one filled with it!
295 reviews1 follower
October 7, 2018
Best thing I can say is that it worked for putting me to sleep.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews

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