Matt Beckford thinks his life is exactly on track for turning thirty. He’s got a stable relationship with his live-in girlfriend, Elaine, a fabulous job in America, and things are progressing with his life plan. Until they aren’t. His relationship with Elaine fizzles. They stay friends, but living together just isn’t right thing anymore. Matt transfers to Australia, but there’s a three-month lag time before the new job begins. His only choice? Move back home to England and live with his parents.

Although living with the parents isn’t the ideal situation, it’s not horrible. Matt has time to reconnect with his old friends, many of whom he hasn’t seen for years. He even runs into his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Ginny, and the two must decide whether they want to get involved in another relationship. Suddenly, turning thirty is a bit more daunting than Matt had originally planned. Can friends and family help him weather the first major aging milestone?

Turning Thirty is an enjoyable lad lit novel. Interestingly set in both America and England, it allows the reader to relate to the setting no matter where they happen to hail from. Matt is a fairly sympathetic character. His morals leave a little to be desired at times, but for the most part, he’s an all-around good guy with a good heart. Mike Gayle’s presentation is humorous and doesn’t get into a format rut. There are e-mail messages, Matt’s conversations with himself, and “temperature taking” as his thirtieth birthday approaches.

The only criticism I have is that the story drags out too long. A first person viewpoint is entertaining, but after awhile it gets whiny and self-absorbed. More careful editing would have made the flow smoother and the pace quicker, achieving the same purpose without getting so bogged down in the details. Overall, Turning Thirty is worth reading, whichever side of that fateful birthday you happen to fall on.