A simple, fun romantic comedy. Amy has a quick wit and a fun personality, and the book is just a quick and enjoyable read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a very cute book. Great characters. Great setting. I've read a couple of Kelly's books and each one of them is just a fun read to really sink your teeth into. You will love Amy from the very beginning and I connected to her as a mom who had to be a single mom too.

I really liked the Overdue Life of Amy Byler. One of my favorite parts of this book were the characters, especially Amy. She felt like such a real person, which I really appreciated while reading. This book had a great concept as well. It felt very fresh to me. I also thought that this book kept my attention very well. I was always eager to get back to reading it. However, I did feel like there were a few scenes that dragged on. Ultimately, I really liked this book.

This witty, fun, and fabulous novel needs to go in your suitcase or on your kindle for your next trip. You’ll want your own “momspringa.”

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Three years ago Amy Byler's life fell apart. She had what she thought she wanted, marriage, two kids and a house in the suburbs. But then John, her husband, went overseas to Hong Kong for business and called her to tell her he wasn't coming back. Suddenly she was left a single mother who hadn't worked in quite a while.

Amy did the best she could. She found a job at the children's pricey private school which gave her a tuition discount. She worked, looked after kids, fell into bed exhausted and did it all again the next day. John not only wasn't there, he wasn't sending money.

Now, Amy pretty much has things back on track. She is tired most of the time but the three of them are doing well. Cori is talented in diving and thinking about full rides on a sports scholarship. Joe is a science and math brain and Amy knows he will do great at whatever he picks out. Then she goes to a drugstore and sees John. He has come back.

John hasn't come back for Amy, but he does want to get to know his children again. He talks Amy into letting him have the children for the first week of summer vacation. She signs up for a librarian conference in New York and calls her best friend from college for a place to stay. When Amy gets there, her friend Tallia has a plan. She runs a fashion magazine and they want to do a makeover on Amy. Once they are through, Amy looks years younger and much more chic. When John asks for the summer with the children, she reluctantly agrees and stays in New York.

Part of the makeover is dating new men and Amy follows through on the plan. But her interest has already been piqued by Daniel, a man at the conference all the women call the hot librarian. He is interested in Amy as well and soon Amy has to decide if this new relationship has any chance of working with him living in New York with his daughter and her in Pennsylvania with her children. Can things work out?

This is my first novel by Kelly Harms but it won't be my last. Amy is relatable to any woman with kids and a job. That translates into exhaustion and putting your own needs after those of the children and your husband. Starting over and recapturing your youthful dreams seems unlikely if not impossible. Harms was a literary editor before she started writing and she captures the hopes and feelings of mothers everywhere. This book is recommended for readers of women's literature.

I reviewed this book on my BookTube channel. It will go live on 4/30. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/NafyvBb43CA

Amy is so cutee! Her character is likable and she's hilarious, I loved all of the literary references in the book. It made me smile and kept me reading. I loved it!

When will I ever learn? I keep thinking I’ll enjoy a romantic comedy. I WANT to like romantic comedies. But in truth, I tend to find most of them too simplistic for my taste. They usually start ok and then get dorky. This one tried to be more than just a rom-com with some single parent angst and a family crisis towards the end. But it just didn’t work for me. A little too simplistic and saccharine sweet.

The book is told from two viewpoints, Amy’s narrative and her daughter’s journal entries. Amy, a single parent, finally gets a week to herself when her missing husband returns home after three years away and offers to watch the teenage kids. I’m not sure who irritated me more, Amy or her daughter. Neither came across as real.

I am clearly in the minority here. Lots of other readers have given this high ratings. So, consider this the raving of an old grump that can’t appreciate a rom-com.

Kudos though to the narrator who did a good job differentiating the voices.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an enjoyable book.

Humorous, The Overdue Life of Amy Byler was a delightful read. This is the fist book I have read by this author and I'm so glad I picked up a copy of the book!!

Synopsis:
Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City.

Usually grounded and mild-mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps. She discovers a life filled with culture, sophistication, and—with a little encouragement from her friends—a few blind dates. When one man, in particular, makes quick work of Amy’s heart, she risks losing herself completely in the unexpected escape, and as the summer comes to an end, Amy realizes too late that she must make an impossible decision: stay in this exciting new chapter of her life or return to the life she left behind.

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler is such a fun read! A heartfelt and funny journey through single motherhood and self awareness. Pick this one up when you need a reading lift!

Amy Byler’s husband John went on a business trip to Hong Kong three years ago and he didn’t return. Now, she’s a busy single mum, Amy works at a school library, like most mothers she’s tired, doesn’t feel appreciated and she needs a decent night’s sleep. A guilty John finally contacts Amy, he’s back in Pennsylvania and he want’s to look after his two children for a week over summer break. At first Amy, Cori and Joe all are against the idea and after a lot of debate they decide to give John a second chance and to make up for some of the emotional pain he inflicted.

Amy has no idea what she’s going to do with a whole week on her own, her friend Lena encourages her to do something for herself, she decides to go to New York City, to a conference, and catch up with her friend Talia. Amy’s a sensible, responsible, working mother and she doesn’t care about fashion and being trendy! In New York she embraces change, she enjoys staying at the luxury hotel, going out, has a makeover and meets handsome Daniel Seong. When John want's to have the kids for the whole summer, Amy accepts and she’s caught up experiencing a whole new way of life.

Amy’s torn, she misses her kids, she’s also enjoying going out with Daniel and the summer is almost over. Before she has to choose, a crisis happens with one of her children, Amy's frantic with worry and she realizes what she needs to do. The Overdue Life of Amy Byler is a story about motherhood, how hard it can be, being single, embracing change, it will make you laugh and cry. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

DNF at 15%. Just couldn’t get into this book and felt like Amy was so blah. A hot mess and the “victim” page after page. Couldn’t relate to the story line or any of the characters.

Amazing! Kelly Harms is such an incredible writer who always sweeps me off into a place I never want to come back from!

I was hooked at the very beginning! Sometimes you just need to bind with a charter who is real, relatable, and funny. I literally hugged this book when I was done and missed all the characters like they were my friends when I was done!

3.5-4

first off, i'm not a mom so i couldn't fully relate to how amy was trying to sort through her feelings about being with her kids & taking time for herself, but i found that i could still relate to her in some ways. i share her same love for books, i could understand her anger towards john even though i haven't experienced the same situation, i am trying to make time for myself & sorting through all the emotions that come with it as she did.

i never read a book where the husband ups & leaves his family for 3 years to start a new life, i was so shocked that this was my first time reading about that concept because as horrible as it is, it happens more often than we think. i think it was definitely important to incorporate & to explore how amy felt & how she processed & went about the whole situation with her kids. & i want to add that amy is 100% valid with how she felt about john & i liked that her emotions were described.

while reading this book, i had a sudden desire to visit new york & live my best life (not going to happen for a really long time), but i appreciated how new york was described & how a vacation is sometimes just what you need.

at first i thought talia was a horrible friend, but all of amy's friends were so amazing. lena, talia, matt, daniel i love them all & they helped amy realize she needed a break which i loved. i also really liked the romance between amy & daniel, but i didn't really like how he disappeared for a while right after the one night stand & wasn't consistent, but i guess that's reality so i can appreciate it.

i did think that there were some things that came up closer to the end that really didn't have a place in the story like amy's miscarriage. i don't think it fit in well because at the end of the day it wasn't the reason john left & it was just mentioned out of the blue.

overall, i liked reading about amy's journey i think it was a very detailed rollercoaster ride of emotions which is 100% real when trying to heal & find yourself again, i think this book is really empowering to moms & encourages them to continue to take time for themselves which i love. i also loved how amy didn't want john anymore & i was so happy she started dating daniel in the end.

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms is an entertaining look at life as a single mom. Amy Byler's narrative voice is fun, quirky, and thought provoking. I really enjoyed the way this story was written. If you are trying to navigate life as a single mom, this is the perfect read for you. Funny and well-written. Enjoyable at every turn.

As she starts to find her way, there are moments that kept me laughing out loud and turning pages. Kelly Harms did a wonderful job at writing the internal struggles Amy faces. Surrounded by wonderful friends, both new and old, books, and fun situations, Harms delivers a novel that is so relatable that you will be pulling for Amy. When it comes down to it, will she choose her new life, go back to her old life, or find a way to meld the two into a new life that is way over due? It will have you asking: What will you do for your #momspringa? Whether it’s a few hours or a few days, everyone deserves the chance to take time for themselves. We just need to remember that!

I really loved "The Overdue Life of Amy Byler." I always enjoy a good read about bookish people and this one was a real treat. Amy Byler is so relatable and charming that I just wanted to keep reading to make sure that things turned out okay for her in the end. I also liked the epistolary parts of the book, which were fun.