This is a sweet rom com with heart. The hero is almost perfect and the heroine has an autoimmune disease that leaves her believing she is unlovable. The heroine agrees to help her in her match-making schemes as a way to get close to her. The result is a sweet love story with humor and heart.

#AnOverdueMatch #NetGalley.

This book wasn't what I thought it would be, I don't like to read the description, I like to dive right in and read the story. Evangeline Kelly is a librarian in a new town. She wants a new start after her fiancée demands the ring back and calls off the engagement, he decides he wants nothing to do with her when alopecia leaves her with no hair on her head, eyebrows or eyelashes. Evangeline decides no one will accept her and love will never find her. No one in the new town she lives in knows that she wears a wig, has tattooed eyebrows, and fake eyelashes. She decides she will play matchmaker if she can't find love herself.
Tai Davis is a tattoo artist and fits the description of a bad boy. He is in demand near and far and has an online following for his tattoo parlor. He meets Evangeline and realizes there is something about her that he can't put his finger on. He dares her to go on a date with him, and she tries to put him off. A book of self-discovery. I absolutely loved this book.

This was such a cute read and I really enjoyed all the books and movie references sprinkled throughout. Evangeline had her heart broken once and won’t let that happen again but she can help others be in love, right? Although when her plan to play matchmaker backfires, she agrees to a deal with Tai Davis. He appears to be a bad boy, but is genuinely sweet and seems to seek her out. But she doesn’t understand what he sees in her and does all she can to push him away, but he seems to not care she keeps turning him down. His deal of this forced proximity is slowly opening Evangeline up, and when the real reason she has been pushing back on love comes out, she realizes that maybe she was holding her true self back. I really enjoyed that a lot of this setting was in a library and the characters were fun! Thank you to the author and Bethany House Publishing Group for the complimentary novel. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

This was such a unique story. Yes, it had love but it was also a story of self discovery, self worth, and loving who you are. Life stinks sometimes, and we are dealt hard blows but this story is one of overcoming. Of love conquering our biggest insecurities. I really enjoyed it.

I loved Tai! He was a sweetheart with a “bad boy” reputation who boosts her self-confidence and is so charming.

I don’t know that I’ve ever read about a character with alopecia before, and I thought the topic was handled with empathy and care. Evangeline struggles with insecurity and feeling like a secondary character, and I thought her character arc was really lovely.

I think Sarah is a great writer, and I’ve enjoyed both the books I’ve read of hers. I can’t wait for the Checking Out Love series to continue!

Thank you to Bethany House Fiction for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was unfortunately not what I was expecting. Nowhere in the description did it say that this was a “Christian” romance. The voice of the author felt off for me from the start and this is why - before the overtly religious elements even came into the story. The blurb sounded like something very much to my liking but unfortunately it wasn’t at all.

✨An Overdue Match by Sarah Monzon✨

Genre: Romance
Pages: 300

📚If the covers of every romance book ever published didn’t convince librarian Evangeline Kelly that she isn’t heroine material, her fiancé calling off their wedding when she lost her hair to alopecia did. But what’s a girl head over heels for love to do when her feelings are unrequited? Matchmake, that’s what. Armed with library patrons’ check-out histories, she’s determined to make at least one love connection—even if it’s not her own.

Tattoo artist Tai Davis is used to people judging him with a single glance, so it doesn’t surprise him when the town’s quirky new librarian believes his bad-boy reputation without giving him a chance. He can’t help being intrigued by her, though, so when he discovers Evangeline’s secret matchmaking scheme, he’s not above striking a bargain with her. She just has to agree to one date with him for every time she uses his hometown knowledge to set up library patrons on a romantic rendezvous. The deal is made, but in the process, they both might learn you can’t judge a book—or each other—by the cover.

📝This was such a cute romance read! I’d describe the tropes of the story were: small-town, opposites attract & fake dating.

I like that each of the MCs had to deal with the challenges of a health condition. It not only spread awareness but it also made the characters more well rounded and relatable (Tai had debilitating asthma and Evangeline has alopecia). Plus, in the author’s note, I found out that the author wrote Evangeline as a tribute to her mother, who also has alopecia🥹.

💫Thanks to @bethanyhousefiction for my #gifted copy💫

Evangeline Kelly believes love has passed her by. Surely no man would ever find her attractive since alopecia has claimed all of her hair. But that doesn't mean she can't be a part in other people's love stories. As a librarian, she knows what people are interested in. What if she used checkout histories to play matchmaker for her patrons? Aren't mutual interests a great place for love to bloom?

But perhaps love is not as over Evangeline as she believes it to be. She keeps crossing paths with tattoo artist Tai Davis, and there's something about him that she can't quite define. He lives free while she lives held back, terrified to face more rejection and humiliation over her autoimmune disorder. Could she trust him to see her heart and indeed all of her?

I enjoyed this story. I thought it took a little while to get off the ground, but I loved the themes in the novel and also that the book didn't follow a traditional formula. There are many unique things about it! Conservative readers who are not comfortable with tattoos might not enjoy the story, given the protagonist's profession. The spiritual arc is very well done.

"We prayed... that you'd stop running away from love long enough to see that love will never stop pursuing you." (Chapter 37)

If you like contemporary stories with a different beat that will make you laugh out loud and touch your heart, you'd definitely enjoy this book.

I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I was intrigued to read this story of a matchmaking librarian, and it was even better than I had anticipated! An Overdue Match was such a fun and sweet story, while also having so much depth, feeling, and tenderness. I absolutely loved it!

Librarian Evangeline Kelly is an avid romance reader, and she’s convinced she’s not heroine material. Her fiancé calling off their wedding when she lost her hair to alopecia makes her even more certain of that. Evangeline is a lover of love, and might not be interested in the experience for herself, but she’s happy to play matchmaker for others.

Tai Davis is a tattoo artist and is used to being judged by his appearance. He’s immediately attracted to the town's quirky librarian, but she’s not giving him a chance. In spite of her lack of interest, he’s intrigued and is in relentless pursuit of her. When he discovers Evangeline's secret matchmaking scheme, he strikes a bargain with her. She’ll go on one date with him for every time she uses his knowledge of the locals to set up library patrons on a romantic rendezvous.

In the process of this, they get to know each other on a deeper level, and learn that making assumptions based on appearances can be misleading.

This is one of those stories that when I finished, I had to to hug it to my chest.

I loved all the book and character references, and how vibrantly Evangeline’s love and passion for books shines through.

Tai grew up with asthma and health issues, and was held back by intense anxiety. I loved how he had learned to let that fear go, and was patiently trying to help Evangeline do the same thing.

I loved her realizing that she had forgotten who she was by letting the perception of others distort her self-image, and then gained that identity back.

An Overdue Match is sweet, funny, poignant, and utterly charming. It’s a beautiful example of the power of books to entertain, broaden your perspective, and increase your understanding and empathy for people who have completely different life experiences than you do. It was easily a 5 star read for me.

I received a digital copy from Baker Publishing and Bethany House Fiction via NetGalley, but a positive review was not required. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Evangeline knows she's living the life of a secondary character and loves love even if it's never for herself. Caught red-handed in her schemes, she bargains with Tai (the guy who's cover is constantly judged) to keep her secret.
I think most readers really enjoy a bookish heroine and/or hero. Sarah did a fantastic job bringing all things reader into this novel, from tropes to bookclubs to the library setting. I've not read many books featuring someone with alopecia so I found that an interesting challenge for the heroine to embrace rather than hide or be ashamed of. Evangeline reminded me a little of Emma with her perpetual need to matchmake and I loved Tai from page one. He's charming and sincere and an overall good guy.
Thank you to Bethany House & Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

This book made me cry tears of sadness and happiness. Evangeline is the main female character and she suffers from an immune disease called Alopecia Totalis, meaning a complete loss of hair on all of her body.

Learning about Evangeline’s condition was eye-opening for me as I’ve heard about it, but wasn’t all that familiar with it. We follow her struggle throughout this book to see herself as anything other than unwanted by everyone. She was engaged when the condition starts and he leaves her and calls off their engagement because he is so uncomfortable with her condition.

Evangeline moves to a new neighboring small town to start over. She wears her wig and pretends like nothing is different about her. This is one of the elements of the story that really pulled at my heart. Her struggle to love herself no matter how others viewed her.

But her co-worker at the library eventually introduces her to her cousin Tai through a hilarious set of circumstances. Tai is a perfect cinnamon roll character because he is sweet all the way to the core, and he falls for Evangeline hard and fast. Much of the book is spent with these two characters exploring a friendship that is strained because of Evangeline’s self esteem issues. But Tai never gives up on helping her see her own beauty. There were so many lines in this book that made me tear up because of Tai trying to help her see this on her own.

The author does an astounding job at conveying the pain this character is experiencing and extrapolating that across the spectrum of those that have Alopecia. It’s emotionally taxing and without a good support system, can be debilitating to anyone. While Evangeline’s character does have a great support system in her family and new friends, the tragedy of her experience with her fiancé colors everything for her afterwards.

It’s an emotional road, this book, but very worth reading and I loved every single second of it!

“My sister isn’t easily won, but she’s worth the effort.” Tai pierced Evangeline with his gaze. “I’d go so far as to say that she’s worth everything.”

“I’ve got trouble with a capital T, and that stands for Tai Davis.”

Buckle up, because I have a lot to say about this story!

* Secondary character energy for the win 😅
* She is so funny
* Tai and Hayley’s cousin dynamic is my new favorite thing 😂
* Ooh I love him hehe
* Correction: I am obsessed with him
* Ahh I love Rizzoli and Isles!
* Oh man, this is too good haha
* Oh, Evangeline 💔
* I love how much he just wants her to be herself
* This whole book club is hilarious 😂
* Oh my heart 💜
* Well, I feel like she could have done that better…
* Awwww
* Now I’m tearing up 😭

Oh man, this book came out of nowhere for me and quite literally swept me away!

Evangeline and Tai are the kind of characters that just.. soak into your heart. I loved them both right from the start.

“Everyone needs love in their lives. I’ll just get my dose of romance secondhand.”

I felt a lot of kinship with Evangeline and her doubts and fears. Obviously I don’t have alopecia and have never experienced something like that, but isn’t that the beautiful thing about our human experience? Even if we don’t have the exact same struggles, we can still relate. We can still find comfort and strength in others, even fictional others.

“I want you like this, Angel,” he says fiercely. “I’ve always wanted you.”

And Tai Davis? Oh boy! He is a Will Griffen category of man (iykyk). Right from the start he is so taken with Evangeline. And even after he knows what she struggles with, he just wants to love her and help her love herself again. And that’s just so beautiful. We need more people like that in the world.

“…he’s looking at me, his dark eyes probing, a familiar expression on his face, and I realize what it really is that he’s doing. He’s not merely looking at me; he’s seeing me.”

I definitely forgot that this was Christian fiction, but it was so well done and I loved the element of God and how He never gives up on us or stops loving us, even if we might ourselves for a while.

“You never know who you’re going to encounter each day, who you’re going to influence. You don’t even have to say a word. You just have to be yourself.”

I loved the whole theme/idea about how we are the main characters in our own story. And we are worthy of and deserve all the love and support and appreciation that anyone else does, regardless of anything we might perceive to be a failing on our part.

“We all deserve to be seen as heroes and heroines of our own stories.”

“Brett, society, the world—they told me I wasn’t desirable. Tai kisses me as if I’m the sole object of his desire. They said no one would want me. Tai kisses me as if he’s never wanted anyone else before and will never want anyone else ever again.”

In conclusion, I loved this story. It was beautiful and heartfelt and I was laughing, crying, and swooning the whole way through.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ebook. All opinions are my own.

Evangeline Kelly might not be romance heroine material thanks to her alopecia (name one romance lead, female or even male, without hair. I'll wait), but she has main character energy...if that main character is Emma (Jane Austin), that is. Throwing librarian ethics to the wind, Evangeline proceeds to violate her patron's privacy in an ill-advised and highly unethical attempt to matchmake.

Luckily, her co-worker's tattoo artist cousin, Tai, prevents her from setting up an engaged man with another woman. And, if she agrees to go on a date with him after she turned him down, he'll not only not out her matchmaking schemes, he'll give her a hand.

Full disclosure: I am a librarian. Just as I'm sure people in law enforcement have aneurysms over the unethical stuff their fictional counterparts do, I just about had one with the whole patron check out history thing. It's one thing if she just observed "Hey, he's always asking for history books and she's into historical romance" to herself...it's another thing for her to print out their check out history! And then carry it around! and then share it with other people! It violates the ALA code of ethics! Even law enforcement need a subpoena if they want a patron's check out history!

Okay, rant over.

Overall, I found this to be a sweet, faith-focused romance with some humor thrown in. There were a few more steamy kisses than I've seen in other inspirational romances, but nothing more than that. The characters discussed their faith a few times, and there were plenty of references that anyone raised in the church (or probably the South) would find familiar.

Tropes:
He falls first.
Who hurt you?
"Bad boy"
Sexy librarian (sorry couldn't resist!)
Best friend's sibling (technically cousin)

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy!

REVIEW: What really drew me to this book was Evangeline's job in the library. I was interested in her views on library patrons, books, late fees, and proper book management, and so much more. I found this fun to read because I used to work in a library. This narrative provided me with new perspectives on treating people with medical challenges. It touched me deeply. I felt the ups and downs of many of the major and minor characters, including protagonist Evangeline Kelly. I was inspired by Evangeline's bravery to be herself (in spite of her physical challenges, regardless of what people thought), how she faced her fears, and what she went through to let people love her.

I was proud of how tattoo artist Tai Davis overcame his fears, health challenges, and physical restrictions to become the person God intended for him to be. I don't know many people that handle life and show love to those around him, like Tai.

I adored how the author talked about the written word. "Life exhaled into every word and then breathed into each reader,"

"Thus, books are alive in two ways: first, they contain life within them and second, they impart life to those who read them. 'That was a new perspective on books for me.

Besides all the library fun, talk about books, and how to treat others with respect. The beautiful love story in this novel touched my heart, made me smile, and brought tears to my eyes. I loved the natural spiritual thread and how I liked hanging out with these genuine characters.

This story and cast are still with me days after I’ve closed the book. It’s perfect for your next book club pick. This debut novel is a must-read. This author is one to watch.

If you're in the mood for a charming, heartwarming romance, I highly recommend An Overdue Match by Sarah Monzon. It’s about Evangeline Kelly, a librarian who’s been through some tough times—especially after her fiancé calls off their wedding when she loses her hair to alopecia. Instead of giving up on love, she decides to use her library's check-out histories to play matchmaker and make at least one love connection.

Then there's Tai Davis, a tattoo artist with a bad-boy reputation, who isn’t thrilled when Evangeline assumes the worst about him. But when he finds out about her matchmaking scheme, he proposes a deal: one date for every time she uses his local knowledge to set someone up. As they work together, sparks fly, and they both realize they might have misjudged each other.

It’s a sweet, funny read with great disability representation, and if you love stories about books and opposites attracting, this one’s definitely worth checking out!

An Overdue Match is the start of a contemporary Christian romance series set around a library and the quirky librarian named Evangeline.
Evangeline has alopecia and her previous relationship ended because of it.
She has sworn off dating but wants to match make her library patrons because she is still a hopeless romantic.
Tie notices her doing this and finds it endearing, so he kinda blackmails her into letting him join her.

I loved the set up and first few chapters of this book!
It was so cute watching Evangeline stalk Tie at the beginning over how he treated the library books. We love a girl who values the integrity of books!

I also enjoyed seeing the unique representation of alopecia through Evangeline. I didn’t know much about it, so it was enlightening to read through Evangeline’s struggles with self image and identity.

The overall message was about self acceptance, believing in God’s value of us, and accepting love from others. They were delivered well.

I found the romance very cringey for the most part. Tie was perceived as a bad boy player by Evangeline which he was hurt by, and yet the lines he would spew to her pretty much lined up with that image. He expressed his feelings for her openly and flirtatiously which made Evangeline uncomfortable. She was resisting him because she wanted to hide her condition, but he kept pushing which I just didn’t like. He was trying to respect her I think and express his care but it felt forceful and suggestive, which was a turn off for me.

When their feelings for each other finally lined up, it was sweet to see them be together. The development of these feelings is what missed the mark for me.

One minor detail is that there were some literary references to pop culture that brought me out of the story. One about I Kissed Dating Goodbye and the other about The Hunger Games. They were unnecessary and oddly used. The Lord of the Rings ones worked.

Overall, I do think a lot of people will like this book and find the romance light hearted and swoony.

Tropes & Triggers: library setting, nerdy girl, he only has eyes for her, alopecia rep, only kissing, no language

Little Creek librarian Evangeline Kelley has given up on love—for herself. After developing alopecia and being left by her fiancé, she learned the hard way that she’s no longer a heroine/main character. She’s also learned to hide—and she’s totally fine with it.

But Tai Davis sees her. Often misjudged himself, he can tell there’s more to Evangeline than meets the eye. He can also tell she’s hiding and he’s determined to find out why so he can change that.

After finding out Evangeline is trying to matchmake the town’s residents using their checkout histories, Tai agrees to help Evangeline—if she agrees to go on dates with him in exchange. Will she be able to resist the charmer who truly sees her?

I’ve been anticipating a release from Sarah since reading All’s Fair in Love and Christmas in 2022. And I absolutely LOVED this book! I identified with Evangeline on so many levels. And Tai was such a swoony MMC.

I enjoyed how bookish, quirky, and funny it was, but I also appreciated the depth with Evangeline’s struggle and the faith thread. Looking forward to Halley’s story this fall!

Grateful to the publisher for providing me with a free copy to read and review! All opinions are my own.

An Overdue Match is a lovely and very sweet read! Faith is super important to both Evangeline and Tai, and it plays a key role in their relationship. I loved how Tai, a tattoo artist, is very much seen as a bad boy around town but is actually a sweetheart. There was so much to love about this book and its gentle sweetness.

One of the things that was so entertaining about this read was Evangeline’s obsession with creating a perfect match for others while ignoring her own love life. She’s so disappointed when her staged meet-cutes don’t work out, but she fails to see why she cares so deeply.

Evangeline’s journey with her alopecia is so powerful. It’s clearly something truly painful to her at the onset of the book, but the more she shares her story, the more she grows in comfort and love for herself- with or without hair. Reading stories like An Overdue Match are so powerful and I know that Evangeline is a character who will resonate with me long after I’ve finished this book.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book! I received a free advance copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

An Overdue Match is a sweet small-town romance with a beautiful underlying message. The Christian influence is woven in a way that feels warm and comforting, and not overdone, which I really liked.

One of the standout aspects for me was the alopecia representation—I’ve never read a book featuring it before, and it was incredibly refreshing to see. The way it was handled felt thoughtful.

I also really enjoyed the dynamic between Tai and Evangeline. His constant reassurance and genuine care for her made their relationship feel both tender and heartwarming.

The only thing that took me by surprise was the narrative style—Tai’s chapters are in third person, while Evangeline’s are in first. It was a bit jarring at first, but overall, this was a lovely, comforting read that I truly enjoyed.

All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book.

Evangeline's self-confidence took a hit when her ex broke up with her due to her health issue of losing her hair. She does not believe anyone can find her attractive and sets out on mission to matchmake strangers based on their library check out histories. Her first attempt doesn't go well as she is new to town and doesn't know much about the people she is trying to set up. Tai pursues Evangeline and when he finds out about her matchmaking attempt he convinces her to go on dates with him under the agreement of him helping her get to know her targets. I grew to really like Tai and how determined he was to show Evangeline that she was attractive to him and help her see herself as loveable. I didn't the matchmaking theme but thankfully that was more in the background and more of the focus was on the various characters interactions and Evangeline becoming more comfortable with herself. I felt like there were too many pop culture references and feel this could very quickly date the book. I also don't find tattoo's attractive so this aspect of the book turned me off a bit. However I really enjoyed the interactions between the characters and how there was no big third act breakup thrown in. I am interested in continuing the series as I liked Haley in this one.