Thank you so much to Netgalley and St, Martin’s for this ARC! I love the cover and it’s a very sweet story. Ingrid is unhappy in her long term relationship so she and her boyfriend, Cory, agree to a trial separation. Meanwhile Ingrid has a bit of a crush on her grumpy coworker Macon.

I enjoyed learning about the library staff and their dynamic and enjoyed seeing Macon open up throughout the book. However, I felt that the separation with Cory took up a fairly significant portion of the book when I was really wanting to see the romance develop between Ingrid and Macon.
It felt like it dragged on.

The beginning of this book was a struggle for me, and I seriously considered not finishing it. Around 40-50% through I started to enjoy it and the end made it worth it. The beginning of the book dragged, and I felt the initial plot of seeing other people and not breaking up went on for way longer than necessary.

I've been reading Stephanie Perkins' YA books and was excited to read this transition to the adult genre.

Tropes:
workplace romance
grumpy/sunshine
friends to lovers
age gap (10 years)
pining
slowww burn (prepare to wait, but the wait is worth it)

I really liked Ingrid and Macon individually and together. I was WAITING for them to finally get together and for her to open her eyes about Macon. To no one's surprise, Ingrid's "break" from her boyfriend turns out to be a blessing in disguise as she also begins to break out of her comfort zone in her relationships and professionally. When we first meet Ingrid, she has stagnated in life and in her job and is still searching for her dream. As the book progresses, she realizes what she wants and goes for it. Macon is shy and cautious, and he's been pining for Ingrid for a long time. It's obvious to us as readers but it's not immediately obvious to Ingrid, and it was heartwarming to see her slowly realize her deep feelings for him and fight to be with him.

Some things about the book premise that were iffy for me: the fact that Ingrid had a mini crush on Macon while she was still with her boyfriend (may or may not qualify as emotional cheating?), and the way she dated other people during the break and how she communicated (or didn't communicate) her situation regarding her on-pause boyfriend with said dates, leading to hurt feelings.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. Perfect for book-lovers and plant-lovers. The book also touched on mental health and living with agoraphobia, which I felt like was very impactful and eye-opening.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved and could not put down this book. Even though I seriously hated Macon’s name (weird and just made me think of bacon, so not romantic) I could not stop reading to the detriment of my sleep. Slowest burn I’ve ever read, but she definitely did something right here because I, like I said, couldn’t put it down.

This one was not my typical romance read, but I liked it well enough to finish. It felt a lot like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, but less tragic and literary. I enjoyed the character development and *actual* slow-burn romance - I was pushing forward just to make sure Macon and Ingrid got together!

This story follows Ingrid, a librarian from a small town in NC. Her long time boyfriend suggested they take a month long break to explore other people and then get back together and get married. Ingrid embarks on a journey to date many different men to experience different things in their month apart.

What follows is a very real look at dating, heartbreak, break ups, love, and finding your true match in another person.

I really enjoyed the dynamics between Ingrid and Macon and only wish they had gotten together sooner.

This book is not what I was expecting, but it was delightful and so full of hope. It was a slightly different take on a romance novel, but I appreciated how real it felt. You get to see the end of a relationship before you experience the start of a new one. This is something that isn't done often in this genre, but was well done and a refreshing take.


Rating: 3.75/5
Spice: 1/5

I absolutely ADORED this book! I wasn’t going to read the whole thing yet (I try to wait until closer to release date) but I was HOOKED from the first page.

The characters! The setting! The whole stinking book was amazing! I will be thinking of these characters (every single one of them) for a long, long time! I hope the author brings them back somehow in another story because I can’t imagine not spending time with them again.

Oh and I totally need that living room. When you know you’ll know.

Overdue was screaming to me when I read the synopsis. I loved the homage to book lovers, the realistic aspect of what dating is like in modern day, and the longing for someone that someone with the uncertainty of ruining friendship. I will say this book was a slooooooooow burn and I also found certain adjectives/descriptions off-putting and even juvenile at times.

One of the best slow burns I’ve romances I have ever read, hands down. This book hooked me on Stephanie Perkins and now I need every adult romance by her ASAP!

The storytelling was stunning, the single POV never felt like I was missing something vital. Being inside I grid’s head was such a pleasure and I loved ALL of the characters in this book. The friendships were some of my favorite parts of reading this. And then, of course, we have Macon. What a darling man! Give me 17 more of him! Patient and full of yearning with a side of grump - yes please. Five stars across the board.

I was so excited to read this book because Anna and the French Kiss is one of my all time favorite YA books! Unfortunately this book really missed the mark for me. The plot itself wasn’t my favorite but that’s just a personal preference and I decided I would keep reading it because I may end up enjoying. Unfortunately the book got to the point where it was very repetitive and honestly I was just bored out of my mind. It took me a week to finish this because I just didn’t even want to pick it up. I hate that this one was a total miss for me. If this author writes another book in the future I will still give it a read but this one was not for me.

Ingrid has been with her fiance for most of her adult life. But with their wedding looming closer and closer they both decide to take a month to take a break. A month to figure out if they truly want to go through with their marriage. Most everyone in Ingrid's life is telling her this is a BAD IDEA, but Ingrid takes it in stride. You see, she's kind of been having some feeling for her co-worker/best friend Macon. But not everything goes to plan and Ingrid is stuck in this weird in between. She's missing Cory, in a weird state with Macon and signing up for dating apps! What will Ingrid actually end up doing?

This was my first book by Stephanie Perkins and I liked it! Overdue was a sweet and gentle book and was giving Emily Henry vibes. I will admit that Ingrid and Macon were a bit frustrating at times. I just wanted them to talk to each other. I get they had a lot of history and it wasn't always easy for them to be on the same page.

Overall, Overdue was a quick read.