𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Christian Contemporary Romance
𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Libraries aren't famous for their penal codes, but some literary offenses deserve due punishments.


There is a variety show here in the Philippines called "Bawal Judgemental" or Judgementals are not allowed.
There will be a very surprising question and then a contestant will judge a specific number of people, guessing which of them is the correct answer just basing on their looks, the principle they believe in, the way they dress, and the way they talk.
While entertaining, that segment is also educational. And also teaches us not to judge other people just because of their outward appearances.

A fav local author of mine (his book is about mental health but very applicable to other situations as well) once said that people are not their diagnoses. They are not defined by what other people say they are.
They are defined by what God says who they are. :)

An Overdue Match is a good example of how we should see other people through Jesus' eyes. We have a librarian who suffered from a hair loss disease, and built walls with her hurts as the foundation. And our hero, Tai the tattooed slash bad boy looking slash love interest, who will do anything to break those walls.
I loved the banter, book references, and the side characters!
Faith elements are a bit sparse but I enjoyed that this book had it.

If you enjoy something sweet, funny on the side, but does not shy away from heavy topics, An Overdue Match is for you.


𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 /netgalley / publisher 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌.

To begin, we really should have the option of giving books an infinite stars rating. When a story is so epically exquisite and tastefully written five stars just won’t do.

Next, what an incredible, delightful surprise this is! Sarah Monzon has crafted a novel that will remain with you forever and will leave you wanting to read it and then reread it often and always.

Not to spoil anything, but both Evangeline and Tai come to us with serious emotional baggage. It’s their response to said emotional trauma that sets the stage for one of the most exquisite love stories I’ve ever had the privilege to read.

Your heart will ache, shake, and eventually break, only to have it pieced back together in a fresh and delightful way. I’m writing through tears that don’t want to stop flowing and a heart aching with satisfying fullness.

If it seems like I’m using a ton of adjectives and descriptors it’s because I’m desperate to convey just how much I love this book and how much I believe you’ll love it as well.

Joyously, I’ve discovered that we will get to visit these memorable characters again when the second novel hits shelves this fall!

In the meantime, treat yourself to Evangeline and Tai’s story. Some engaging characters await you within these pages!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via Just Reads Book Tours. My review has not been solicited and I’m under no obligation.

This heartwarming and humorous romance novel is a delightful read for those who enjoy uplifting stories about second chances and the unexpected power of love. The charming tale follows two seemingly opposite personalities who discover an undeniable connection, proving that opposites can truly attract. With a touch of Christian inspiration, this feel-good story is filled with lighthearted moments and celebrates the transformative nature of love.

Readers who appreciate heartwarming romances, humorous encounters, and uplifting narratives will find themselves captivated by this engaging story. The novel's exploration of second chances and the enduring power of love will resonate with those who believe in the possibility of new beginnings. The lighthearted and feel-good nature of the story, combined with its subtle Christian themes, makes it a perfect choice for readers seeking a heartwarming and inspiring read.

An Overdue Match was a much-needed read for myself and I didn’t even know it! I thought I’d like it going into it, but I was surprised with the plot once I truly got to reading. (It did take a little getting into for me but once I was a handful of chapters in, I flew through it!)

Evangeline is such a resilient character who puts herself together on the daily - even when she doesn’t have the umph to do so, she persists. Tai is such an admirable character and I knew I’d love him right from the start. His character is physically perceived as a given bad-boy, but he is so gentle once you get to know him. I really admired the way these two were woven together throughout. I also adored that this was a book with a theme about books included!

I enjoyed reading An Overdue Match, the first book in Sarah Monzon’s new series set in Tennessee. Evangeline is a librarian who has given up on finding love. Her ex-fiancé broke her heart and her self esteem when he ruthlessly rejected her. He couldn’t cope with Evangeline’s autoimmune disease that caused her hair loss.

Evangeline moved to a small town where no one knows she wears a wig. She’s a romantic at heart and puts in motion a crazy plan to match-make library patrons according to their reading preferences.

Tai is a tattoo artist who has an undeserved bad boy reputation. A dare from his librarian cousin, who works with Evangeline, creates a fun and memorable library meet cute for him and Evangeline. Tai is intrigued by Evangeline, and she’s convinced that no one would love her if they knew about her alopecia.

It takes a while for Evangeline to believe that Tai is the real deal and his feelings are genuine. She has preconceived ideas and a lot of emotional baggage to process. I loved how Tai is patient with Evangeline and is uniquely qualified to understand and help her overcome past hurts. Their romance is sweet and I wanted to see how Evangeline and Tai would navigate various obstacles and discover they belong together.

There are many lighthearted romcom moments in the story and I totally related to the antics of Evangeline’s cat, Kitty Purry. It was interesting to learn more about the artistic side of Tai’s work and how it impacted his clients. I was glad to see Evangeline’s ex-fiancé reap some consequences before the story ended.

I recommend An Overdue Match to contemporary romance readers who like fun matchmaking romances with depth that explore health issues and include a relevant faith element in the story.

Many thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

A love letter to book lover girlies everywhere.

The vibes of this book were immaculate! Our heroine, Evangeline is a librarian who is new in town and trying to matchmake residents based on the books they check out of the library. But since she’s new in town… she might need a little help, enter the hot and cheeky tattoo artist Tai, willing to help for a price… dates with her.

I loved the representation in this book and you can tell it’s something close to the author’s heart. The heroine has alopecia, and until I read this book I had never thought about how I had never read a romance book with a heroine who has this autoimmune disorder. This really effects the self esteem of the heroine and her belief that she can find love. Evangeline and Tai’s love story is beautiful and emotion and I really enjoyed it.

Be aware: this is a CLOSED DOOR romance! Not my usual MO but I did enjoy this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Bethany House for proving me with an advanced reader copy! ❤️📚

Fave Quotes:

“A book doesn’t have feelings, but it does have a soul.”

“Because books are more than just paper and ink.”

“The conversation from last night replays through my mind like a piece of dialogue highlighted on my Kindle and posted to Goodreads.”

This was a fun book to read. An Overdue Match is the first book in Sarah Monzon’s new series, Checking Out Love. I was excited to try out this new book. Also libraries are like the best so it was cool to read about a book that featured a librarian.
Evangeline had to grow on me. I felt for her as she tried to figure out what she wanted in life but there were times when I was frustrated with her. However, I grew to understand as I read the book and I loved her growth throughout the book. She had to learn to see that she was loved no matter how much hair she had on her head.
I adored Tai. He was so sweet, especially with Evangeline. He had learned to be true to himself and find peace in God. I liked reading about his interactions with Evangeline. He pursued her respectfully and really fell hard for her.
The romance was sweet. Tai helped Evangeline see that she was beautiful and loved. The side characters were fun and I am excited to read the next book. I would recommend it to those who enjoy contemporary romances with some inspirational aspects. An Overdue Match is a clean inspirational romance

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

This was a gentle reminder to not judge a book by its cover and its such a perfect read for fans of noos with libraries. The book follows Evangeline who is done with dating and decides to be a matchmaker including the one that maybe a perfect fit for her. Such an interesting read.

Reading An Overdue Match made me want to spend more time in the library. Next rainy day we will be heading there! But seriously, what’s better than a matchmaking librarian that accidentally discovers love in the process? The underlying discussion of alopecia was interesting too. I love when authors use their books to help raise awareness of issues I don’t know much about.

Thank you to the author for the advance copy of this book. A review was not required.

Oh My Gosh, Oh My Gosh! This book is a perfect book for all of us, bookworms, and anyone who has felt different because of their own feelings or if you've been stereotyped for one thing or another. As someone who struggles with her own health issues watching Evangeline struggle with Alopecia tore at my heart. Tai, the bad boy tattoo artist, seemed to get a bad rap. Everyone seems to have their own opinion about tattoo's and if you grew up in the church it usually wasn't a good one. My dad got one when he was a young sailor and my mom could never figure out why he always had her on his right arm when they were dating...to cover up his cobra tattoo.
This was an adorable rom-com that had me laughing and hurt my heart. Sarah Monzon did a great job of blending the message of looking at someone like God does, with all the fun antics that go along with a rom-com.
This book releases on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, it's also the first book in Ms. Monzon's new series so you won't be behind!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I didn't have to write a review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

There is so much to like about An Overdue Match. Let's begin with the plot, which is both hilarious and touching. The blunders and oopsies of attempting to matchmake add quite a bit of hilarity to the story. It's not without its serious moments, however, because our heroine suffers from an autoimmune disorder that has cast quite a shadow on her life. Autoimmune disorders are not focused enough on in fiction, and as someone with family members who suffer from such disorders, it was nice to see this so accurately represented. This portion of the plot is emotional and touching, and is guaranteed to tug the heartstrings.

The main characters are lovable. Evangeline needs more than a few hugs, and Tai is such a gentle hero. A turkey at times, but an admirable hero nonetheless. I really liked how accepting he was of Evangeline, unlike a rancid someone whom I shall not name.

The faith element is gently woven in and really emerges in the last half of the book. I appreciated the emphasis of prayer, and certain parts drive home about the Lord's unfailing love.

There are some lovely themes within An Overdue Match's pages. First, that the Lord's love transcends any opinions man may have toward us. Second, the necessity of being yourself and not being a people pleaser. Third, to not judge a book by its cover. Fourth, the importance of quality friendships, and fifth, that the world's standards of beauty are overrated.

Other notable qualities of the book include the emphasis on family. Where so many movies and books paint family in a negative light, An Overdue Match reminds us what a blessing family truly is. Monzon also possess a witty and engaging writing style that kept me laughing for pages at a time. From rascally raccoons to kleptomaniac squirrels, there are a myriad of amusing incidents.

Unfortunately, there are also parts that merit content warnings.

There are instances of sexual innuendo, one time going so far as to allude to the size, or potential lack thereof, of Tai's anatomy. This was so disappointing because the characters will pray, but then say things like that innuendo. Some makeout sessions may also be too heavy for certain readers. Liberal references and propaganda are also in this book, including a sneer, calling racist those of us who do not find Peter Jackson's "all white" cast for Lord of the Rings offensive. Neither the sexual innuendos nor liberal comments advanced the book in any way, and I was so disappointed to stumble across them.

An Overdue Match has so many good qualities and is guaranteed to make the reader laugh, but I had a hard time with the propaganda and innuendos.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in conjunction with NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved this book! At first I thought it moved slowly, but then I started marking pages and quotes that I loved, and my book had tabs sticking out all over it! Evengline Kelly is a librarian and lover of romances to the point that she has become involved in matchmaking shenanigans. She has been deeply wounded by her ex-finance who broke off their engagement due to a medical condition. Living vicariously through other’s romances helps her feel she is doing good, while also protecting her heart. Tai Davis knows what it’s like to be disappointed, but he has chosen to overcome and focus on the good things in life. He is wonderfully patient and sees Angel for who she truly is. I love the overarching theme of not judging a person by their looks, but rather their character.

I laughed, I cried, I was sad, and I finished the book with great hope. The faith message was so beautiful and one that everyone should take to heart. I highly recommend reading this amazing book. I would love to see this made into a movie; it’s that good! Here are just a few things to love:

dual POV
learning to drive stick shift
bookclub discussions
baseball
Kiss Cam
taking chances on love
middle names (made up and real)
grandparents unusual hobby
love letters
squirrel prize
cosplay fashion show
overcoming fear

Favorite Quotes:

“Courage, dear heart.”

“You were made to shine.”

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own with no obligation to write a positive review.

A kiss only romance between a librarian and a tattoo artist.

Evangeline is a librarian. She is very stuffy about the books. She loves romance but after her fiancé left her after her alopecia advanced, she does not believe that she can get the love the heroine in a book gets. So she sets her sights on matchmaking. At the same time, Tai, the local tattoo artist meets Evangeline and starts to fall.

When I read the description of the book I missed a BIG red flag. Evangeline uses patron checkout history to matchmake. This is such a blatant violation of privacy that it made me sick to my stomach. Matching together people because you saw they both liked gardening books in the course of day to day would be one thing but this was a detailed history printed out and hauled around town of ALL of their checkouts. Most library systems delete past checkouts due to privacy concerns so I felt like this was not well-researched. Additionally, there was a point they talked about the difference between coral and kingsnakes. There are no coral snakes in the mountains of Tennessee, I grew up not far from there and was so confused by that conversation.

This had potential and I just cannot resist the allure of a romance with a librarian lead, but the privacy violations just ruined the book.

I enjoyed reading this couple's story as Evangeline tried so hard to escape the truth that was obvious to everyone who looked: Tai was the perfect man--for her.

But sometimes, we're wounded in a way that we can't truly see ourselves, but Tai's patient pursuut convinced her she was worthy of love.

Readers of An Overdue Match will be reminded that they can lose sight of who they truly are if they live for the approval of others.

I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley; a positive review was not required.

It's easy for book lovers to fall in love with characters in their book and live vicariously through their perfect lives. This is especially true for Evangeline Kelly. She would rather have her head stuck in a book than to have a conversation. For her, relationships are out of the question after the deep hurt she suffered from her last one after he called off their engagement. Evangeline suffers from alopecia and once she lost her shimmering locks, he broke their engagement and her heart. I wanted to reach into the book and give this guy a piece of my mind. Evangeline is an outstanding librarian who loves books and hates for people to dogear pages, spill food or drink, etc. The beginning scene was quite humorous.

Tai Davis is a tattoo artist. He knows people look at him differently, as most people only see things skin deep. Tai decided a long time ago to live his life the way he wants. He knows what type of person he is.

Once he realizes that Evangeline is trying to play matchmaker with the library patrons, he sees a chance to get to know this mysterious, beautiful woman, so he makes an agreement with her.

The story rides on from that point with emotional highs and emotional lows, some of which made me a little teary and some made me angry. I also laughed a lot. Sarah Monzon knows how to pull on your emotions and draw you into the story so that you feel as if you are right beside them. She does not hold back with the realism that is society and how people judge people based solely on first looks alone without seeing what is beneath the skin. I fell a little in love with both characters. Their struggles were real. The pain that Evangeline suffered was devastating at times, but so true to real life. However, she was so much stronger than she realized. It seemed that this was an opposites attract romance, but nothing could be further from the truth.

This was a romantic comedy, but it also had a deep message of meaning that spoke to my heart. Prepare to laugh a little, cry a little and cheer a little as this story will touch every emotion you can think of.

Thank you to Bethany House for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“An Overdue Match” is a heartfelt and beautifully written story that explores the power of acceptance, self-worth, and seeing beyond appearances. Evangeline, a librarian who believes she isn’t heroine material after being rejected due to her alopecia, finds an unlikely connection with Tai, a tattoo artist with a misunderstood reputation. Their chemistry is undeniable—from playful banter to deeply emotional moments that had me smiling one minute and tearing up the next.

Sarah Monzon handles sensitive topics with grace, making Evangeline’s journey of self-acceptance both realistic and inspiring. Tai’s unwavering support and quiet strength make him an unforgettable hero, proving that love sees far beyond the surface. The library setting and bookish references add an extra layer of charm, while the novel’s message—about not judging a book by its cover—resonates beautifully.

With humor, heart, and a romance that feels both genuine and swoon-worthy, this is a must-read for anyone who enjoys clean, faith-filled love stories with depth. Highly recommend!*

i really wanted to fall in love with this book but the dual POV (1st person for evageline and 3rd person for Tai) kinda threw me off and made it hard to immerse into their world. i also didn't really like the constant references being made throughout the entire book.

⤷ thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My sincere thanks to Bethany House, Library Thing Early Reviewers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I give my unbiased opinion of it in the following review.

Evangeline is a librarian with a secret that has her believing that she will never be the heroine in her own story. Tai is the guy with tattoos and a leather jacket that sees Evangeline for the beautiful woman that she is. Now he just needs to convince her to let him know her and while doing so also convince her that she is loved.

This was a beautiful book that looks at the way humans can be misread based on outward appearances. Both of the main characters struggled with this and while Tai has already come to terms with his experience, we get to see how Evangeline grows and changes over the course of the book. I loved the library setting and book references throughout. The treatment of the autoimmune disease alopecia is sensitively and realistically done. I recommend this book to those would enjoy a clean romance with heart.

Oh my goodness, what a book! This one took me on an absolute roller coaster of emotions. Evangeline is a librarian who is convinced that she isn't heroine material after being dumped because of her alopecia. Enter Thai, the tattoo artist with a bad boy rep... who in reality is actually the absolute sweetest. The way he loved Evangeline exactly as she was and helped her to see herself as worthy? Just... wow. These two had such an amazing chemistry (oh, that first real-private- kiss... SO good) with great banter that kept me smiling throughout but blended so effortlessly with those tender moments that had me reaching for the tissues. These characters truly just had my heart completely and were impossible not to fall in love with. With as great as the romance was, I also loved this message of... well, not judging a book by its cover... if we're keeping with the book references sprinkled throughout the story. If you love Christian romance, this is an absolute must read.

**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

An Overdue Match is the perfect blend of heart-fluttering romance and meaningful depth that will tug at your heartstrings — with a hero that will make you swoon!