I really liked how honest and raw this was about the recovery of an addicts journey, As It's a romance I knew there would be a happy ending, and it played out wonderfully in the story.

It's a real bittersweet story, but you're always rooting for Matty to overcome the addiction sort his life out and have a second chance at at love!

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀, 𝗘𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗔𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀, 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺.

I truly loved this book so much. Don’t Overthink This navigates the struggle of prescription pills and mental illness, it hit really close to home for me with the mental illness and addiction storylines. The author has done an amazing job of portraying addiction and the effects that is has on the life of the addict and their loved ones.

When we’re introduced to Matty, he has already relapsed heavily and lost most of his friendships and relationships, including his girlfriend Keelie. Now Matty has to decide: are the pills worth all this grief? When a friend's wedding means seeing his now ex-girlfriend, it might be the push Matty needs to finally get his life back on track.
Thank you Netgally and Foxglove Publishing for an advance reader copy of this book. This was my honest review.

4.75/5⭐️
.5/5🌶

I received this ARC to review from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This debut novel from Kelly is AMAZING, I simply cannot wait to read more from her and fingers crossed she might continue the story involving other characters.

This novel navigates the struggle of prescription pills and mental illness in such a real and raw way that it leaves you so connected to the characters and the story. I found myself so connected to Matty and his recovery, begging and yelling in my head while reading it when he was struggling with the opportunity to relapse. I was so invested in the novel I was quickly over halfway through without realizing it, I could have easily finished it in one sitting because the story was captivating.

I wholeheartedly recommend this read.

What an intense read! Ooof, I haven't read a lot of books concerning mental health issues so this book was a novelty. I applaud the author so much for how well she depicted the struggles of an addict. The rawness and honesty of it all were just astounding. I was very drawn into the plot and seeing Matty battle his addiction. The first part was very intense, altough I am a huge hater of "throwback chapters" in general, but I mostly powered through them, some were nice (I truly despise them in all book so it's not that something is bad with the book, it's just me). The second part was a little rushed for me and it cut off a little in the end. I would have loved to see how Keelie and Matty navigated being back in a relationship after such traumatic experiences in the past and the long break. But overall, it was a fantastic debut from an author, whom I will be watching closely for new releases in the future.

4.5 rounded up. I read an ARC of this book and it was AMAZING. I love a good second chance romance, and as a recovering alcoholic, this one spoke to my soul. It made me cringe, laugh, cry, and see myself in more than one scene. The author nailed what it is to struggle with addiction. I struggled a bit with how angry and unsupportive the friends are (because that wasn't my experience) but that seems to be the more common experience. I think this book has potential to be one of the best romances of 2022. It wasn't all that spicy, but it was sweet, romantic and hopeful. Loved it and I can't wait to read more from this author. WELL DONE!!

Don’t overthink this

I’m going to start with this quick little note: This is a love story that is not a romance. There is no swooning or forced one bed, no grumpy sunshine trope or any meet cute’s. This is a love story about a guy and a girl who have known each other for almost the entirety of their lives and have dated for basically a decade. It could fall under a “second chance” but like I said, there really isn’t any swooning / apology tour / etc.

Personal opinions: I really enjoyed this one & I feel like I say that a lot but this one made me laugh, made me cry, & it hit really close to home for me with the mental illness and addiction storylines. It might not be for you if you’re into all the tropes and bedazzle. Family plays a large role for both main characters (Matty & Keelie.) The first part of the book is all about Matty trying to get clean and we have flashbacks to when him and Keelie were together, the different memories they made, the things he misses the most. The second portion of the book, Matty and Keelie reunite for their friends wedding. It’s a slow burn but when you get the two of them in the same vicinity, the chemistry comes off the pages. Their friend group is pretty funny & sarcastic. Not a lot of people that struggle with addiction get to have a second chance with their friends, family, or spouses once those bridges have been burned multiple time and this book left me with a sense of hopefulness.

Thank you NetGalley & FoxGlove Publishing.

This was an amazing book. I absolutely loved it and read it pretty much nonstop as soon as I saw I got the approval. This is a very well written story about addiction, redemption, love, and second chances. I enjoyed reading about Matty’s personal struggles and his growth throughout the book. The characters were well written, the plot was unlike what I usually read, and the story itself was very interesting. Thank you to NetGalley and do Foxglove Publishers for the ARC.

Okay, wow. First off, the raw honesty and reflection of addiction and those suffering with drug abuse is truly astonishing. It very accurately depicts what it's like and how those who suffer through addiction think and feel when they're going through it. I honestly had no clue if I would even enjoy this book. The messy side of drug abuse was clear in the first few chapters then the main character's development throughout the book just reminded me of a caterpillar turning into a majestic butterfly. So beautiful this example of addiction came out with a happy ending. The two main characters are beautifully written and blend together so well. All of the friends and family members are fun and relatable. I honestly enjoyed every bit of this book. Truly breathtaking! Raw honest addiction aspects, bit of romance, bit of sadness and a bit of sarcasm. You just can't go wrong with this book!

I received this ARC to review from the publishers and NetGalley. All comments above are solely my true opinion after reading this book.

I will admit that this book was fairly misleading from the description. The main focus of this book is not the cutesy, “one that got away” romance I expected. This book focuses on the cycle of addiction and the damage it has, not only on the abuser, but the lives of those around them. Having immediate family members who have struggled with addiction made this book hard for me to read, but I empathized with the frustrations Matty’s friends and family felt. Overall, it was a well written debut novel by the author, but I did feel like I wanted a little something more.

Don't Overthink This is Kelly Piazza's debut novel - and what a debut it is.
Don't let the illustrated cover fool you; this is not your typical "romance" novel.
Matty and Keelie are life long friends whose close relationship turned into a beautiful love story... until that love story is destroyed by Matty's addiction to pills. This novel dives deep into the world of addiction and all of it's horrible consequences - for the addict and the addict's loved ones.
I don't want to give the whole story away, but Matty gets a second chance -- a second chance at life and a potential second chance to show Keelie that he deserves her trust and that he wants to win her back.

Piazza's accurate portrayal of addiction and the rippling effects that is has on the life of the addict and their loved ones is spot on. If a realistic look at addiction is a trigger - this one is not for you.
But fear not, Piazza balances this sadness with warm family relationships filled with support and love. I really enjoyed the relationship that Matty forges with his niece. The inclusion of Italian in the novel was also a nice touch as well. Piazza does a great job of creating a strong cast of major and minor characters that are interesting as well as entertaining. I look forward to reading future works by Kelly Piazza.

A beautiful second chance novel… In this story, it shows the struggle of trying to get sober. Matty goes on this self journey that he thinks he will never fall through with, until he finds out that he’ll be seeing Keelie again at their friends wedding. When he meets her again for the first time in two years, all those feelings come flooding back. He decides that he wants her back, he wants to become sober. Being sober showed him what he was truly missing out on.

Don't Over Think This is an emotionally charged page turner. I was immediately pulled into these characters.

We start off meeting Matty an addict who has let drugs blow up his life. He is invited to a wedding of childhood friends where he will have to face his ex-girlfriend and the love of his life. With all the celebratory drinking and partying that goes with a wedding this is less than ideal. This book is a slow burn, steamy but not spicy.

I loved how the story wraps up.

My only gripe is we don't get a back story on where the addiction started for Matty.

If you are looking for a heavy, real life grit read that you can fully cheer on the characters, this is it.

Thank you Netgally and Foxglove Publishing for an advance reader copy of this book. This was my honest review.

I knew that this book was about Matteo's drug addiction but it was still way heavier than I expected. I do not think this should be marketed as a romance novel because the bulk of the book is about Matteo dealing with sobriety. I really liked the book though.

I received an arc through netgalley.

In this very original debut novel by Kelly Piazza, Matteo 'Matty' Arvali's life in shambles. The love of his life (his best friend since childhood, Keelie Santiago) has broken up with him,  his parents kicked him out, and his brother took him home to detox "or else". Matt has succumbed to an opioid addiction and it has basically wrecked his life. 

After 5 months under the eagle-eyed watch of his brother Cris, and his newly achieved sobriety, He gets invited to his best friend's wedding. The caveat: he is only welcome if he is sober. This is the opportunity he has to prove himself that he craves his sober life more than he craves pills... and to regain Keeli's trust. Will Matty be strong enough to overcome the thoughts in his head and take control?

I'm in awe that this is a debut novel! Such an original way to tell a story! Told entirely through Matty's POV, we go with his on his journey of recovery (though he goes kicking and screaming). The story goes back and forth and we start piecing together Matty and Keelie's story, his depression, the tragic event in their lives that both of them had to deal with.

It's an unconventional romance novel, as it's told exclusively by the "hero". It's a second chance romance but focuses more on the journey Matty has to go through to get to his second chance than on the romance. We know they love each other. We just don't know if they can be together. 

I absolutely loved it! The subject of addiction is handled well, though I have no personal knowledge, but it feels real and raw. It's realistically uplifting. 

Possible Triggers: opioid addiction, recovery process, detoxing, depression, mental health issues, suicide,  intrusive thought and suicidal ideation



I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley, Foxglove Publishing and Kelly Piazza for the ARC.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and I’m leaving an honest review.
I picked up the book because I was curious after reading the blurb (plus the author’s surname is italian eheh).
To be honest I expected something completely different. By reading the synopsis you'll probably think this is a second chance romance, but there wasn't actually much romance in it and it focused more on everything else (like recovering from an addiction). The "romance" part in the first half is memories of a past lost, then at around 46% of the book they finally mention for the first time the wedding that is mentioned in the synopsis, and then we get a little more focus on the romance because the two of them meet again after years, but I still think it was not the real focus of the story. That threw me off a little since I thought I was going to read a romance story with mentions of addictions, not the other way around.
I admit I was also a little thrown off by how strong it starts without even a content warning before, but maybe I can’t complain too much since I should have expected to see some of those things included in the book considering what topics it covers.
I was pleasantly surprised by the italian inside the story because I wasn’t expecting it, so that was nice.
I think the book is good overall, but it wasn’t for me personally.

Firstly a huge thankyou to NetGalley, Kelly Piazza and Foxglove Publishing for this advance readers copy. I really enjoyed the premise of this book and the insight into the main character’s journey of withdrawal to achieve sobriety. As a pharmacist myself, opiate withdrawal is something I work with sometimes on a daily basis however this book gave me the personal insight into what my patients may be experiencing and I am thankful for this. The book felt well-researched however I do not know this for sure. I also noted the inclusion of the MC avoiding alcohol in order to maintain sobriety despite peer pressure which feels like a very real-life struggle for many recovering addicts. I felt the book was marketed as a romance novel and whilst this was a component I do not feel it was the main story within the book instead primarily focusing on the addiction storyline.

I am very glad to see the authors note that will be added to the beginning of the book highlighting content warnings and signposting to supportive resources should the reader need them.

If the main character of "Don't Overthink This" was a women, half of the comments on Goodreads would be like "This is not romance, this is womens fiction!". But the main character is a man, so whatever.

Matty i addicted to oxy and this has basically destroyed his life. He get's one final chance when his brother takes him in. Can he stay clean? Can he win his girlfriend back?

I can't recommend this novel highly enough. It made me feel stuff: I was shocked by the problems that come along with addiction, I was sad and cried, I was happy when thing finally went better.

Please read.

I got an ARC from NetGalley. Thank you!

The book deals with a heavy subject matter, i.e. Depression, addiction, and suicide. It won't be a light read if that's what you're looking for.

The first half of the book was a lot of building on the premise, and has flashbacks to Matty and Keelie's time together. It felt a bit much to me at the beginning, so I was a bit put off by it, but the book DOES pick up in the second half, and gets to the good parts.

Generally because the subject matter is heavier than most, it will be hard to read in some instances, but I really liked the way Kelly didn't gloss over the issues that addicts face and how hard it is to get over an addiction, regardless of how many times you've gone into rehab.

I also liked that she has developed strong characters and you can see the bond that they have with each other, and how they are so close knit that they do not give up, no matter how tough the going gets. It's not all feel good vibes with the book, but when you finish it, you will feel satisfied that you read through it all.

Amazing! I loved it. Don’t think this is a romance, romance, more like mental problems along with a dash of romance. One thing I will say I think the publishers should do is have a huge list of trigger warnings before the book starts.

A second chance romance always gets to me, more of a point when there's a very hard hitting life situation that keeps them apart. It was emotional, and I loved their relationship as lovers and friends.