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 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.

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.

I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I didn't love the premise of taking a break from one's long term boyfriend, but that was maybe only a quarter of the story. In the rest of it, we watch Ingrid grow up. Overdue is a coming of age story (even though that age may be 30) and the slowest of slow burn romances. But I loved every un-put-down-able page.

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my review.

Review: I really enjoyed reading OVERDUE! Ingrid was a great main character, and while choices she made towards the beginning of the book frustrated me at times (I just wanted her to be happy, okay??), I also think that was kind of the point, for her to make a mess of things, so she could learn what she really wanted. And I was so happy for her at the end of the book! Macon! Where do I begin about Macon?? A grumpy (but not really), cinnamonroll introvert who I absolutely adored as the love interest. All of the supporting characters were really well done, and each added their own things to the book.

I think Stephanie Perkins is a really talented author, I loved her writing and how the story flowed. It was just really pleasant to read. I definitely look forward to reading more Adult books by her!

Also!! It's a solo POV novel! I do like duel POV romances, however I find I usually prefer solo, (Which is just my personal preference!) so it was a pleasant surprise for me when I realized it was told solely from Ingrid's perspective.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Saturday Books for the opportunity to read Overdue by Stephanie Perkins.

I went back and forth about if I would give this a five-star rating or not, but ultimately, it made me feel all the feels while I was reading, so five it is. I'm a sucker for a story about a book lover and this story had two! The premise was intriguing, Ingrid has been with her long-time boyfriend since they started college and neither have experienced being with anyone else. Given the point they are at, it only seems logical to take a break gain some of that missed experience and then get back together and proceed as planned (cause that seems like it will work...). Nothing ever goes according to plan. I loved the way the story was set up, chapters broken up into the months of the year. I don't feel like it is a spoiler to say that Ingrid and Cory obviously split, you catch that vibe very early on. Ingrid's feels for her long-time coworker, Macon, made him her first choice to be her "new experience" during the separation. Much to her dismay, he vehemently declines. As she moves on to find her way in the dating world that she has never experienced before, she realizes her feelings are deeper than she knew. Entering this new phase in her life, Ingrid makes some changes and pretty bold choices to open a business that could cost her everything. She finds herself helping Macon redecorate his homey little cottage (to her specifications, but still doesn't see that he is into her) to quitting her job at the library and having to leave her apartment for a tiny studio and opening her new bookstore with the help of some friends. Watching Ingrid and Macon sloooooowwly "fall" for each other was one of the reasons I waffled on giving this five-stars. It really was a bit slower paced that I would have wanted. I would have loved for them to realize how perfect they were together earlier on and seen a bit further into their future. Alas, I still loved their story and the bookseller/librarian couple won my heart.

This is a slow-burn as it's meant to be, tremendously well done! It's always one of my favorite tropes in theory, but rarely is it executed to such extraordinary effect as it is here. Being in Ingrid's POV the entire time is the perfect choice, especially since Macon is so obviously down bad for her. We didn't need his POV to know how far gone he was, and it made it that much more delightful watching Ingrid start to get it.

I also really enjoyed that there were really two plots here - Ingrid's personal and professional journeys made total sense in concert with each other, and both stories felt so fully developed and thematically in line.

I just loved this so much. It had me kicking my feet and giggling from start to finish!

Five enthusiastic stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Overdue was such a poignant modern take on coming of age! This book was the best surprise. Stephanie wrote this book in a way that is so realistic and really highlighted true themes of love and friendship. I also loved the way she wrote how Ingrid found her way, the feelings she had and how she knew what she should do.
There is so much change that happens between your 20s and 30s and this described that transition in a very genuine way.

Ingrid, Cory and Macon are all wonderful people. I really enjoyed how Stephanie portrayed them and the honesty with which they all interacted. I cried reading Cory and Ingrid realizing that they were not right for each other, but deeply cared for one another and wanted it to be right. It was beautiful and heartbreaking, but so true.

Macon is a hot grumpy Martha Stewart! Ha! I loved him. The way he shows his love for Ingrid by caring for her and knowing what she needs in such small but consistent ways was beautiful. This is definitely one of the slowest burns that I have read, but included so much growth. I also loved how Ingrid channeled her energy into being with him and caring for him as well.

Basically I LOVED IT. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A new romance by Stephanie Perkins was long 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗱𝘂𝗲. (HA! that was dumb)

Ingrid Dahl and her boyfriend have been in a mostly-platonic-less-romantic relationship for the past eleven years and they've decided to take a month longbreak to see new people then get back together to marry (icky).

And Ingrid only has the perfect man in mind... her co-worker and best friend Macon. But suddenly she does not want to get back together again. She's seeing her life anew and realising all she ever wanted has been right in front of her.

~

Let me begin by saying Ingrid, the fmc, is not exactly virtuous she definitely has made some questionable decisions but damn if I didn't have fun reading this.

The entire plot, although icky at times, was so well executed I'm giddy. The jealousy scenes, the pining, the chemistry, the angst and the confession... beautiful beyond words.

I will say though, keep your mind open going into this because you'll likely want to leave off after the first half (where the character's integrity is questionable) but I promise the slowest of all slow burns is quite worth it.

~

4.01 / 5 ★

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is 10000% the BEST slow burn romance I have ever read! The setting and characters were all fantastic and I loved the depth of the characters. Such a sweet book!

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. I really enjoyed this romance novel. It was sweet. Ingrid and Corey have been in a relationship for eleven years. They have only been with each other and dated each other. Ingrid's sister is getting married to someone she just met and Ingrid and Corey rethink their relationship. They agree to take month break and date other people and see if they see each other the same way after the term is over. So much happen within that month and Ingrid realizes she might just be in love with someone new.

I loved this book so much!! It was slow burn, friends to lovers and exactly what it’s like to date in 2025. It felt a lot like an Emily Henry or even older TJR. Amazing transition to adult romance Stephanie!!! So cozy.

Oh! Oh! Yes. This was a refreshing story to get lost in. I love how the cover came out, but the story is what got me the most. The characters and plot are written so well. I was engaged and enthralled from the start. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow I am so glad that this book found its way to me!! I loved the slow burn romance of it so much and it was truly just a beautiful story.

As an OG Stephanie Perkins girl from the Anna and the French Kiss era, I have been waiting over a decade for her adult romance debut. Overdue is not just a romance but an ode to books, the written word and booksellers and librarians. All of the book was so heartfelt that I felt myself melting into the pages. 

Usually cheerful Ingrid is having the worst year of her life. She and her longterm boyfriend agree to take a break and see other people before reuniting and getting married. But there's only one man she really wants to experiment with and that's Macon, her grumpy coworker who she's always felt that spark of electricity with. Except when she propositions him, he shuts down, and her easy relationship with him changes. 
The book was an incredibly slowburn but worth the payoff. We get to be part of Ingrid's journey as she realizes how stagnated she's been feeling, not just in her relationship but in her life and as her awareness grows of what she wants in life, she's able to make choices that both bring her forward but also bring forth the opportunity to be with Macon, a man who has been secretly pining for her for years.
Adult romance readers and Stephanie Perkins fangirls will love this book.  

Thank you to SMP Romance and NetGalley for the ARC. What a treat!

Thank you NetGalley, St Martin’s Press for the advanced E-copy in exchange for this review.

Some books just feel like a warm hug. They wrap you up in their embrace and you gratefully sink into the comfort they provide. Overdue by Stephanie Perkins, is such a book. I wanted to linger in the world she created, to be friends with the characters and stay in their lives.

Ingrid is one of my favourite FMC’S that I have read recently. I found her struggles with self doubt, and her feeling of being defined by a romantic relationship to be wholly relatable. I was rooting for her every page, wanting her to find what would truly make her happy.

The slowburn romance was perfectly executed. When people say we want yearning brought back in books, this is what they’re talking about. I lived for the tension between Ingrid and Macon, and every little crumb that indicated their feelings for each other.

I appreciated the mental health representation in this book. The struggles of the characters were handled with sensitivity.

This was a five star read for me, and I’m looking forward to future releases by Stephanie.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Ingrid, librarian extraordinaire, coming to terms with a "break" from her boyfriend of 11 years, makes a move towards her longtime crush and coworker, Macon, and is quickly shut down.

Thus, Ingrid embarks on a long adventure of trying dating others, within the confines of a pact with her boyfriend, they will have a month of free dating before setting down.

This was the slowest of burns in a wonderful way. I kept thinking of this story as warm blanket, a hot cup of tea, a cozy cardigan that I never wanted to part with.

I loved the world Perkins built for Ingrid and would love an off shoot if possible.

Now this is how you do a slow burn!!! I was giddy reading this book and couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters and their growth. The concept could have been cringe but instead it was heartwarming and beautiful. So thankful for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Saturday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I felt like if Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry had a book baby, this would be it. This book will pull at your heartstrings in all the right ways. This man is the greenest of green flags and I am so in love with this character. It took me away from the hell that is reality while also writing some of the realest characters and story I've read in such a long time. I normally hate single POV since I love the read both perspectives, but Perkins' talented writing, which hooks you from the first page, completely made up for the lack of dual POV.

I loved Ingrid (FMC) and Macon (MMC) chemistry. I loved how attentive and kind he was with her and to her despite his grumpy personality.

Read if you like:
- Slow burn
- Sunshine x grumpy
- Mental health rep
- Single POV
- Age gap (10 yr)
- Closed door

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.