Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher: Foxglove Publishing

Release date: April 19th 2022

Pages: 352

Representation: NA.

Trigger warnings: Drug abuse, Addiction, Suicide, Death of a parent, mention of ED (starvation), suicidal fantasies, suicidal thoughts.

Summary: Matty is an addict. He's lost his friends, family, and girlfriend because of it. When his brother gives him one last chance for redemption, he has to fight his cravings for pills and the life he left behind. When a friend's wedding means seeing an ex-girlfriend, it might be the push Matty needs to finally get his life back on track.

A hard-hitting second chance story that gives an honest look at life, love, and cravings.

'Don't Overthink This' shows its intentions on the first page. It's heavy, dark, and doesn't shy away from the truth of addiction. The love bleeds through the cracks and paints a story of hope and second chances.

Piazza handles addiction and struggles in such a good way. I'm always wary of going into stories that handle such important topics; they're very easy to get wrong. Piazza gets it right.

Matty is a complex character; he's likeable, but we find it difficult to sympathise with a lot of his decisions. The first person storytelling helps his characterisation because we can see Mattys' thought process and motivation.

I didn't find myself rooting for Matty and Keelie. I liked them both, and I wanted them to be happy, but I didn't necessarily care if they were together. That's not great for a love story. In all areas relating to relationships, it seemed lacklustre.

It's a brutal but beautiful story. I wouldn't call it a romance. It's a story of struggle and personal growth with a hint of romance mixed in. I read this book in e-format, but It's one I would consider buying a physical copy of to put on my shelf.

Shining glory: The portrayal of addiction is highly realistic. It shows the internal arguments and thought processes of every decision and how it's not just as simple as "you want to stop, so stop."

Fatal flaw: It's a heavy-handed romance that's marketing misleads readers, focusing much more on Matt's internal conflicts and struggles than the moment and intimacy of his relationship. (This may not be an issue for you, but romance audiences will want to be aware)

Read this if: You like complex characters whose characterisation focuses on internal conflicts. You like an un-traditional second-chance romance.

Skip this if: You have any issues with heavy topics or mention of drug abuse. You don't like books that use flashbacks regularly. You prefer characters that have clear, black and white motivations.

This book is heavyyyy. Honestly with the seriousness of the topics addressed in the book, this book did not give me romance vibes. This is what kept me from giving it 5 stars. The first half or so of the book goes really in depth on Matty's battle with addiction. It is a really well written and gripping book, but I would not recommend it to anyone who is looking for a light and fluffy romance.

Content Warnings: Addiction, drug use, anxiety, depression, discussion of suicidal thoughts.

This is a rather intense story about addiction with a beautiful second chance story. Although I think the topic was handled tastefully and honestly, I wasn’t as invested. I was rooting for Matty the whole time, but I found the pacing to be a bit too quick whereas there could’ve been more time developed to discuss Matty’s past and flesh out his relationships.

This is a story of addiction with the cover of a second-chance romance. It is about love, yes, but it is mostly about the difficulties of recovery. This isn’t necessarily the writer’s fault, but I think many people may get the wrong impression of what this book is about because of the cover and the description because it seems to focus more on romance than addiction. More on the cover— it follows the current trend of a certain romance art style so people at first glance may think it’s mainly a romance they are used to. Again, not the writer’s fault but something to keep in mind.

It’s about Matty trying to heal his relationships, which is tough and touching, and you actively want him to succeed. Again, though, I felt like there wasn’t enough backstory on major events. Is there a reason Matty begins to use? What about his relationship with Keelie’s dad? Clearly, the man had a big impact but the impact feels like it needs to be explored more. The lack of knowledge of Marty’s past can be confusing and unsatisfying.

The timeline seemed a bit rushed as we jumped from one point to a wedding of one of Marty’s friends and it needed more of a connection. Also, random, I like that the family is Italian but I have a pet peeve over saying a phrase in a book in another language and then immediately translating it. Once or twice whatever but because Matty and his family constantly speak Italian you have to see the same phrases repeated with the Italian and the translation. I’m not sure doing it this way was needed. Obviously, maybe you can learn some Italian but it just is a pet peeve as it feels repetitive and can take away from whatever is going on.

I do appreciate that the author wrote a story about addiction and recovery and doesn’t make it about ‘love can heal’ rather than ‘having love in your heart can help you heal, but it can’t fix everything.’

4 ⭐

I really enjoyed this one. I usually don't enjoy second chance romances but this one was written so beautifully and I teared up like 4 times.

The chemistry, the dialogue was superior and I'll definitely reread this one in the future/read again from this author.

An original plot, executed in a very clever and unique way. This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions.
Kelly Piazza's first debut novel, and god has she done so well! Both stunning and raw.

A true original plot, done in a very clever and moving way.
What a wild ride. As a debut novel, Kelly Piazza knocked it out of the park.
This is an out of the ordinary romance, with a plot that is challenging, bold, and that you probably won't see very often.

Matty Arvali is an addict. He is throwing his life down the drain in exchange for the blissful high that his pills can get him. We embark on a journey where we really go down the rabbit hole of his issues, with his childhood friends and his family. All serve as background to where Matty is now. After hitting rock bottom his brother wants to be a light at the end of the tunnel and aid him in his recovery. When a friend from the past announces he's getting married and wants Matty as his best man, he finally has a chance to prove that he can win the battle against his addiction, and regain the trust of his loved ones, in special the love of his life - Keelie.

My only issue with Don't Overthink this is that I expected a bit more from the second half. The first part of this book is so intense, my expectations were set really high. The delivery is well done, but a tiny bit lacking.

Overall, the reconciliation and process of Matty's recovery felt a bit rushed after all the intense emotions constructed by Kelly Piazza.

Still, this was a stunning debut and a book that will stay with me for a long time.

Bottom line; Well-written book with emo written all over it and that is OK!!! I would recommend this book for a nice sit-down and drink tea/coffee.

Content Warnings: Addiction, drug use, anxiety, depression, discussion of suicidal thoughts. These warnings are on the NetGalley listing but not in the book itself. I’m hoping that’s just because I’m reading an arc. It really should be in the final version. The whole book is triggering for addiction. Not me personally but it’s hard to read at times even though it’s not a personal trigger.
I had this open in a tab on NetGalley for a week or so before I decided to request this. I wasn’t sure what I was getting from the synopsis. I was expecting a second chance romance for a recovering addict and all the emotions of them reconnecting. It is but like not enough for me to call this a romance. Definitely more just fiction. This is a story of recovery. It’s Matty’s sobriety journey and healing his relationships with his family, friends, and his ex girlfriend.
I did enjoy the book. I was really rooting for Matty to make it through and achieve sobriety and repair his relationships.
My only thing is that I wish it was clear why he starting using in the first place? There are plenty of flashbacks but nothing really explains. Is is just gradual over time from partying or did something happen? Is it because of the trauma with Keelie’s dad? I’m unsure.

I’m not sure if I would recommend this. If this kind of story is appealing to you about personal growth and recovery, then yeah. But if you’re looking for a romance, nope. Release date is 4/19/22.

This review will be posted on my Instagram @katebrownreads as well.

Matty's story is raw and refreshing for this genre. Opioid addiction, as well as the effects it has on relationships, is extensively and accurately depicted. Moreover, the way we come to love Matty reinforces the fact that people are more than their addictions. You really root for Matty throughout the story. A fantastic book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Foxglove Publishing for providing me with this ARC.

This book was an emotional ride I wasn’t ready for. Disguised as a second chance love story, this book offers a jarring and poignant perspective on the effects addiction has on a person and their relationships. I appreciate that we aren’t given a sugar coated version of the story, as we’re shown Matty at both the lowest point of his addiction, and as he shows repeated strength in the face of his triggers.

I honestly really liked this story, but I wanted more. It didn’t feel finished to me, and the timeline felt a bit rushed, but it was such a unique take on the second chance love story. I thought it was neat that the MC was from an Italian American family, and the random Italian throughout the book definitely taught me a lot, but it kind of made no sense and I’m not sure it added anything to the story.

TW: depiction of addiction, using, and withdrawal.

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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CW: addiction, suicide

Matty, almost overcome by his oxycodone addiction, has lost everyone in his life--family, friends, and his girlfriend of ten years, Keelie. We see him struggle to survive and take his life back from pills and the ways in which his actions have affected other people.

This book was heartbreaking, beautiful, and so, so hopeful all at once. I am so glad for this book. I was a bit wary, I'll admit, going into this one. It can be tough to handle addiction well, with grace and honesty. Piazza handles it with so much more. Within the first few pages of this book, I was on the brink of tears. Addiction is tough--for the person it afflicts and those around them. We really see Matty hit rock bottom, and he really earns his redemption.

The struggle was so well written I did not want to put this book down.

I do wish we had seen more of a struggle after he gets sober and reconnects with Keelie. I felt that the second half of the book went by a little too quickly and came with an easy resolution. This story would've felt that much sweeter with a little more tension before Matty was fully redeemed.

Aside from this one tiny qualm, I am so happy this book exists and that I was able to read it.

This is Kelly Piazza's debut novel, and she nailed it!! This is a beautifully written second-chance novel that deals extensively with addiction. Matty and Keelie had been together for a long time until their relationship tragically ended. Matty had developed an oxy addiction, which contributed to the collapse of their relationship.

This story, however, is given in two parts. We see more of the then/now aspects in the first part. This section focuses on Matty's present situation. We see how he battles his addiction while attempting to get clean with the support of his brother. Which, as we all know, will not be simple. This section also includes information about his past. The second part takes place 5 months later, at Matty's best friend's wedding. This will be the first time he is alone after fighting to become clean. Matty's task will be made significantly more difficult by the fact that Keelie will be present at the wedding. This is his chance to make everything right again.

This is incredibly well written and reads pretty quickly. It's as if you're reading a raw emotional book that captivates you, and you can't put it down until you've finished it. You get to see Matty battle his thoughts and re-establish all of the relationships he lost due to his addiction. And I loved how, although these relationships were shattered, they never gave up on him, as evidenced by his attendance at this wedding. Of course, they were upset with him, but at the end of the day, they've always cared about Matty and would have gone to great lengths to save him. And you can tell just by reading this because every single one of them wanted to know how he was doing while he was trying to get clean. I don't know, I just enjoyed seeing how much they love him, even though they had every reason not to forgive him.

It is such a bittersweet love story. True love always wins.

I will stay that I wish we get to see more about Em. I’d love to read more about her.


𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸

I am absolutely in love with this book. “Don’t Overthink This” by Kelly Piazza was written so beautifully that I just could not put it down. I’ve read quite a few romance books. But this one was so captivating. Although it is a work of fiction, it still shows such a great insight of opioid addiction and how it can literally turn one’s life upside down. When we’re introduced to Matty, he has already relapsed heavily and lost most of his friendships and relationships, including his girlfriend Keelie. His love for her is so strong, that even though they’ve been separated for two years, he never forgets how loved he felt when he was with her.

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. All those relationships he had ruined. He did not want that to happen again. If I could give this book more than five stars I would in a heartbeat. I read this book in e-book format and I loved it so much that I will definitely be getting a physical copy to keep once I can. I can’t wait to read more novels that this author has to offer!

Coming from a home that was broken because of my father's opioid addiction, this book gave me a new perspective.

Matty and Keelie are childhood best friends who become lovers. However, Matty becomes addicted to opioid pills. This results in his family, friends, and his beloved girlfriend to separate themselves from him. Now Matty has to decide: are the pills worth all this grief?

I really enjoyed this novel! I wouldn't classify it as a romance. About 60% of the book is about Matty, rather than getting Keelie back.

Having a personal connection to this book, Kelly Piazza did great describing addiction, and the effects it has on those around the addict. Maybe I hold a grudge against my own situation, but I feel like Matty persevered through his addiction quite quickly. Addicts are more selfish, and Matty cared so much for Keelie it. It wasn't super realistic to me. But the writing was great: I felt Matty's struggle through the text.

I won't spoil it, but I'm very fond of the ending. Overall; great read, great information (especially with the opioid crisis today), great writing!

Thank you NetGalley for this chance to read this ARC.

𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 follows Matty as he tries to stay free of his opiate addiction for the sake of his family and for a second chance with the love of his life. It's an incredible journey of addiction and loss, love and recovery.

- ~ -

This story was definitely not what I had in mind when I signed up for a second chance
romance/redemption arc for a recovering addict, I don't believe this book should me marketed as a romance. However, despite the story's heaviness, I was immediately emmersed and it turned out to be as delightful a read a book could possibly be if it deals with such topics.

The gut wrenching honesty regarding Matty's thoughts about relapsing had me unnerved. Every time his cravings hit, it scared me that he was going to lose it all again, lose every hand that helped him successfully reach where he did but it only made me realize that it's only the reality. That addiction cannot be conquered within the span of mere months even if it's only for the sake of a fictious story. It's a lifelong battle - one that takes immense courage and support so while I was here to read what seemed a light romance that dealt a little with addiction, I left learning so much more.

- ~ -

However, HOWEVER, I'd like to highlight some minor issues I had with the story, which if they had been dealt with differently, it would have helped elucidate the plot further.

So here goes nothing, first of all I really really wish we got to know how Matty gets involved with everything, like even though there were several scenes that were set in the past which shed some light upon Matty and Keelie's first attempt at romance and we got to see how Matty lost one of his loved ones to addiction and we also see Matty relapse many a times, we never get to know how he gets sucked into all of it and that lack of knowledge turned out to be more frustrating that I'd like to admit.

- ~ -

To summarise, there were a few improvement opportunities but it's still an excellent, well written and captivating debut.

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

3.78 /5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘌𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘊𝘰-𝘰𝘱 & 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC.

What an interesting and new concept for a love story.

Matty, loses his childhood sweetheart, the love of his life, Keelie. How? By diving deep into opiates, and successfully burning every bridge he's made in life. Thrown out by his parents, Matty's brother gives him one last chance to redeem himself.

Navigating withdrawal, pill cravings, shady friends and acts, Matty attempts his road to recovery. When his childhood friends invite him to their wedding, on the condition that he is sober, in which he can reunite with Keelie, his fight to stay clean gets stronger.

Can Matty stay drug-free? Can he repair all the relationships he's destroyed? But most of all, can Keelie forgive him and take him back?

I was enthralled by this book, partly because it was a dark romance; a book written in the point of view of a struggling drug addict. Also, I enjoyed reading a romance book from a heterosexual male's point of view. Typically, romance books I've read are from the points of view of women. I really enjoyed this book, but there definitely should be some trigger warnings about suicide and drug abuse since the first part of the book is quite heavy on this to set up Matty's struggle.

If you're looking for a romance that's a little darker and raw, this is the book for you.

This book was so good and was beautifully written with a brilliant look into the world of addiction. I loved the storyline and the characters. I was captivated the whole way through.

The writing in this book was magnificent, it captivated me from the first chapter. While I don’t know first hand, the effects of addition, the way that Marty’s journey was written was so beautifully put. It didn’t sugarcoat the struggles and really let you see how much work and dedication Matty but into getting better. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to read this book, and am so surprised on how quickly it became a favorite. The characters; Matty, Kellie, Chris, Lex, Sam and even June, we’re so lovable. You really got to know and understand the characters and their love for Matty. The writing was beautiful and the story was so captivating.

4/5 ⭐️’s

I kind of wish this book wasn’t classified as romance, because the first 50-60% of the book is HEAVVVVY and I was quite blindsided by how deep it dove into the world of addiction and suicide. While romance did play a small part in the story overall, for me it really got lost in the journey of Matty’s sobriety.

That being said, this was one of the most well written stories about addiction that I’ve read in a long time. It’s raw and authentic and I literally had chills from reading Matty’s thoughts while he was going through withdrawal and trying to stay sober.

I think one one of the best things this book does is show how addiction really affects family and friends too. It was heartbreaking to see Matty struggle with his sobriety, but even more heartbreaking to see his family and friends struggle with trying to trust him again.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book. I still wish I had more of an idea of what I was getting myself into beforehand in order to be more mentally prepared, but regardless, this was an incredibly touching story about the effects of addiction.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This happened to be the very first arc that I have read and I couldn't be happier about it. The storyline really tugged on your heartstrings as you cheer on Matty, the struggling addict trying to figure out life without pills. When he gets a final chance to make things right between all his past relationships due to being invited to his best friend's wedding, you get to follow his journey into hopeful sobriety.
The opioid pandemic is a real problem and I love how this book touched on this subject and just how real it is among so many people.
I absolutely loved the characters and felt like the story was realistic in the way it dealt with trust and burning bridges. It is not easy to recover from addiction and I love how the author drew out these conversations between the characters.
If anything I wish I could read more about Matty and Em's relationship later on and how they work through her recent diagnosis. I truly cannot wait to read any and everything that Kelly Piazza comes out with whether it is following this storyline or another!
Overall, I think Kelly Piazza wrote a wonderful debut and I cannot wait to pick up the book once it is sold in stores so I can have it physically on my shelf. <3