** spoiler alert ** 2.5 ⭐️ rounded up

I am so sad that this book was so underwhelming for me. Anna and the French Kiss was probably my very first romance book ever (!) and I was hoping that feeling could be recreated for me more than 10 years later. Alas, I did not have the same butterflies feeling reading Overdue that I discovered then. For starters, this book was way too long- the "will they won't they" burn dissolved after about 30% in when she was still with Cory. Because it was so long, there were a lot of plot points that seemed unnecessary or irrelevant-- I did really like the amicable breakup aspect, but by the end of the book when Ingrid and Cory reunited for their road trip, it felt like their relationship had been eons ago (which is a testament to how the story really did span efficiently over a year, but I felt like they were two completely different books at that point). Kat is the best friend introduced at the beginning, but Mika is introduced halfway through and completely takes over that role, kind of leaving Kat in the dust for the rest of the story. And Gareth and Justin were developed way too far for them to end up being completely pointless.

I did love Macon, but man, I felt like all of the yearning and pining they were doing for each other ended in a fizzle-- I really wanted a grand, romantic, out-of-his-comfort-zone gesture or a small and kind one that fit his personality to confess his love, but the way that that it actually developed was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, which was really sad. I also wasn't feeling the slow burn at that point any more, so that contributed.

This is not meant to be a harsh review or anything- Macon and Edmond themselves earned this book an extra half star. But I think I would brand it as lit fic, not romance. The story trended a lot more towards Ingrid's (positive, no doubt) character development than the relationship between her and Macon because it just dragged on for a bit too long and then established itself in a split second.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Wow! This was seriously the slowest of slow burns and I loved every second of it. I loved Ingrid's bubbly yet introverted personality. I loved Macon's grumpiness but also just how genuinely kind and attentive he was. I loved how the main characters were older than most romcom characters. loved how the author had such a variety of characters from all different backgrounds and different lifestyles, I loved how mental health was a background topic that was so delicately talked about. Basically, I just loved this book so much and I think you should read it.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Ingrid is going along in her life without any bumps - she is 29, a librarian, and has been dating her boyfriend for 11 years. The engagement of Ingrid's sister after dating for two years prompts Ingrid and her boyfriend, Cory, to take a break for a month to re-assess their relationship. Their goal: to date others, come back together, and take steps toward marriage. Except that plan winds up with a rather large wrinkle when the two realize they may not want to reunite.

This was a nicely executed plot. It was a bit slower to start; the page length could be culled slightly. But Ingrid was a wonderfully written character, and a lot stronger than me, as I would have never spent 11 years with one person only to discover they were not my person. I loved the introduction of Macon, written in a way that was realistic, something that seems to lack in a lot of romance stories recently. As an aside, I adored the descriptions of the various settings in this book; very vivid writing that puts you write into things.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Saturday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sloooooow burn but a great, lighthearted read! I loved Ingrid and Macon even when I wanted to shake them silly.

Ingrid is 29 years old and living a relatively safe life. She has been dating her boyfriend Cory for over a decade and has a stable job she likes working at the library. But when her younger sister gets engaged, Ingrid and Cory start to wonder out loud why they've been in no rush to get married -- and decide to break out of their respective comfort zones to take a break and see other people to make sure this is the right relationship for them.

Ingrid knows the first person she wants to date with her new "hall pass" is her co-worker Macon. Older, grumpier, and more introverted than Cory, he's been the subject of her secret and previously forbidden crush for years. But when he soundly rejects her advances, she has to pivot to Plan B. A string of mostly bad dates from dating apps has her re-evaluating not just her romantic life, but her career as well. And she learns that it is never truly too late to start over, to try something new, or to take a few steps backward to launch in a different direction.

Very sweet and readable! Could have been a tad bit shorter (we really did wait foooorever for these two to get together) but had me thoroughly engaged from beginning to end.

Okay. I DEVOURED this book. I am obsessed. First of all, the name Ingrid is PERFECT for this character. She honestly had me wondering why I wasn’t a librarian. Which, I guess I could still be. ANYWHO.

Ingrid and her long-term boyfriend have never discussed marriage, until her sister gets engaged and they’re both like “wtf are we doing.”
So, they decide to take a month-long break to see other people, and experience new things, with the plans to get back together and get married and everything that comes with it. Ingrid immediately sets her sights on her coworker, Macon. But he turns her down AS HER EYES ARE CLOSED AND HER LIPS ARE PUCKERED. *cue the lasting humiliation*
How does she go on?! How can she keep working there?! What is she DOING with her life!? Buckle up, Ingrid, you’re in for a ride.

This book made me laugh SO hard. I felt her embarrassment. I felt her fears. I felt her love.

Macon is my spirit animal. He is cranky, he hates people but is also exceptional at helping those in need. He loves fiercely, but he’s also guarded. He is an animal lover and has an otherworldly green-thumb (okay, I can’t relate here). But overall he’s a 10/10.

Ingrid finds herself here and I really loved the journey she went on. I loved the plot. The writing kept me engaged even though it played out slowly over the whole year. The supporting characters remind me so much of my real life friends.

I absolutely will read this book again. And I will recommend it to all my book loving friends :)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book. Clever grab and hook for this story "Is it time to renew love or start a new chapter?"

3.75 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Descriptors: BOOKS! slow burn, decisions, awkward, helping hands, community, friendship.
Favorite or least Favorite character? What I liked about some of these characters were there unique traits. Ingrid's parents and their philosophy of life, Macon's Mom and Aunt.
Spice: No
Standalone? Yes
Would I recommend? Yes, especially if the slow burn no spice is your jam.

Having recently read "After I Do" I couldn't help but make some comparisons. This book is in no way related. I wasn't really invested in the first half of the book. The turning point for me and when I binged it is when the big decision FINALLY came and life began again. Life decisions are hard, feelings are hurt but in the end, what's best for YOU?

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it wholeheartedly. The romance was a realistic delight, and the larger story of 29 year old Ingrid figuring out what she wants out of life rang true and was interesting.

I have to confess, I liked, not loved, the book in the beginning. Because Ingrid and her longtime boyfriend have never dated anyone else, they try an experiment to see other people for a month before moving on to marriage. This seemed like a bad idea to me, as it was. Meanwhile, she does have a crush on a co-worker, but believes the attraction is one-sided. As she is coping with her new reality as a single person and trying to meet men, I cringed a bit at the awkwardness of it all.

However, after she decides to “date herself” and gets back to being close friends with her co-worker, the book really got me, and I couldn’t put it down. The supporting characters are all likeable, as are the main characters.

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.