Overdue by Stephanie Perkins

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

This is a sweet, easy read with relatable characters. Overall this story feels more like a book about self-discovery with the romance more as the side story. I absolutely loved the vivid descriptions of the renovations and being able to so clearly see Ingrid and her companions at the library and around town in my mind's eye. The slow burn was deliciously slow, but I do wish we got to see a bit more of the relationship after having spent the entire story building towards it. As a whole, I enjoyed the journey of Overdue.

I DNF'd this book at 32%. I really wanted to like it, I think the premise is quite interesting. However, the pace was incredibly slow, and at 32% in the FMC and MMC weren't even speaking and the FMC's experiment to try dating had extended from one month to three. Also, her sort-of-boyfriend gave me huge man child vibes and really made me question why she would want to be with him at all.

This book probably didn’t have much of a chance with me. I really hate the “let’s take a break from our relationship and date other people to prove we truly love each other” trope. It’s just the worst idea ever. It never works. Ingrid and Cory have been together forever but haven’t taken the next step towards marriage. So they decide to date/sleep around for a month and then they’ll be sure they want to get married. I just can’t buy the entire set up. If they actually wanted to get married, they would have. End of story. There’s a whole series of dates that just bored me and a fairly bland and tensionless relationship with her co-worker that we’re supposed to root for and I don’t get it.

The cover of Overdue is absolutely gorgeous, and the synopsis completely drew me in. A small-town librarian rethinking her long-term relationship while quietly crushing on her grumpy coworker? It sounded like the kind of slow-burn romance I usually love. And while the premise had a lot of potential, the story just didn’t quite land for me. Ingrid is sweet and relatable, and I appreciated the realness of her situation—being with someone for years and wondering if it’s truly right—but I struggled to feel fully invested in her journey or the romance itself. The emotional pull I was hoping for just wasn’t really there.

That said, the writing is easy and pleasant, and there are some thoughtful moments about love, change, and growing into yourself. I just wish the chemistry between Ingrid and Macon had been stronger, and that the story had dug a little deeper into those complicated feelings. It wasn’t a bad read by any means—it just didn’t stick with me the way I’d hoped. Still, if you’re in the mood for something cozy and introspective with a hint of romantic tension, Overdue might still be worth checking out.

The cutest summer, going into fall book. This is the perfect book to gift the HS grad going off to college who needs a new book in their life. Who just needs a story and that pick me up for when they want some down time. It was a greta read and very enjoyable and something I thing every girl would cuddle up and enjoy.

What a cute book. Macon was such a lovable grumpy man, meanwhile Ingrid is a bright ray of sunshine. The development of their relationship is a beautiful journey. If you love a good grumpy/sunshine with books included this is the book for you.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the chance to read an Advanced Reader's Copy of Overdue by Stephanie Perkins.

Ingrid is a 29-year-old who has come to the realization that life has been passing her by. She’s been in a relationship going nowhere for 11 years, an apartment full of cheap, uninspiring furniture, a car on the verge of breaking down, and a job that she enjoys, but doesn’t love. She and Cory, her boyfriend, decide to go on a break with the goal that each of them goes out and experiences life independently, with the goal that they will get some clarity on their relationship and future. The rest of the story follows Ingrid as she undergoes a very relatable and sometimes awkward journey of self-discovery.

Overall, I would rate this book a solid 3.75/5. It was an enjoyable read, with lovable characters, and a few laugh-out-loud moments. It was just a little slow for my tastes, and while I would classify this as a romance, the romance felt like it sometimes took a back seat to the self-discovery journey, and I’m a firm believer that a book can and should do those two things simultaneously. This book had a great opportunity for a forced proximity troupe (ohh the tension we could have had) with Ingrid’s living situation. That part kind of fell flat for me as it was just a little bit too safe and young adult. I believe a book about adults should feel like it's written for adults. There was one brief, open-door spicy scene that wasn’t super descriptive, but it did serve its purpose. I would recommend this book to all my fellow readers out there that are looking for something cute and fun, and very relatable.

1 ⭐️

I really wanted to like this book or even love it. But I couldn’t. The political talk it in turned me off. I don’t want political views in books. We get it thrown in our faces all damn day long we just wanna read and not have to read it! DNFed at 17% it wasn’t going anywhere anyways.

This was a delightfully cringey, heartwarming romance—full of friendship, new love, and libraries! What more could a girl want?

A lighthearted read! If you love a slow burn romance, you will love Overdue! It may even be the slowest burn I have ever read. Follow Ingrid, a librarian, as she navigates changes in her life as she and her long term boyfriend of 11 years “take a break”. As Ingrid questions most of the decisions and possible path she is on, she has a group of friends that help support her along the way. Overdue is a journey of ups and downs (and possible embarrassment) of dating, taking chances and the importance of family—both actual and found family.

Thank you to author Stephanie Perkins, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the chance to read a digital advanced reader copy of Overdue in exchange for my honest review.

Overdue is expected to be published on October 7, 2025.

This is a slow burn romance for people who love books. The story is told over the course of a year from the point of view of Ingrid. She is a librarian who has been in a relationship with her boyfriend for ten years. Their relationship has grown stagnant and when she learns of her sister's engagement, her boyfriend and her decide to take a break. Ingrid starts to go on dates but realizes that her grumpy fellow librarian, Macon, might just be the one she was meant to be with all along.

This was a sweet story and a good escape after a long day of work. I enjoyed Ingrid's story and the changes she made in her life. There were some laugh out loud moments for me. I also always enjoy a story that features a cat and yummy food. After finishing this book I do kind of what to make a career change as well. My only complaint is that it did feel long. The book took place over a year and at times it just felt like the pacing could move a little quicker. Overall, this was a heartwarming story that I think book lovers will like.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Saturday Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was like a look into just mundane regular life. The main characters were just people trying to figure it out. It was the slowest of burns for the love story component, but it was worth the wait. Personally it was kind of slow, but life is too

I've been a big fan of Stephanie Perkins since I first read Anna and the French Kiss so many years ago. I loved that whole series, because it felt real, yet romantic. Perkins writes real people so well. Anna, Isla, Lola, Etienne, the list goes on. So I was incredible excited to see she had a new adult novel coming out this year.

I was even more excited to see the Netgalley had the option for an early copy. I feel like I dove in with abandon. And I'm so glad I did. This was a sweeping, get gentle love story that left me feeling all the things. I felt the cringe when Ingrid felt the ick. I felt the desperate loneliness when she felt like she was alone, misunderstood, and stuck in the mud. I felt her happiness increase, little-by-little, as the pages (and seasons) turned.

I was sad to finish this book, because it felt like I was leaving dear, old friends. But I knew when I closed the (metaphorical) spines, that I left them in a good place. And for that, I'm happy.

If you were an early 2010s Book Girlie who loved Stephanie Perkins, make sure to check this one out when it releases. You've grown up, and so have her characters. You won't want to miss.

I received an e-ARC courtesy of Saturday Books and NetGalley. This in no way impacted my review of the book.

This book was emotional and kept me reading late into the night. To say this was a "slow' burn is an understatement! It was a little too slow for me. That said, the "misunderstanding" at the start of the novel and the lack of clarifying conversations, does align with the characters built by Perkins. The reason for the lack of that clarifying convo is clearly tied to the protagonists cranky disposition and his hurt from current and past relationships. I thought it was a really solid romance title!

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

When I first read the description of this book I was super intrigued and it didn't disappoint; however, I can read a book in a day to two days and this book took over a week. It wasn't that the story wasn't good it was just unbelievably slow. I do love a slow burn romance but there is a time where it just is too slow.

The beginning of the story Ingrid is dating Cory, her boyfriend of many years. They decided to take a break and Ingrid and Cory go their separate ways to find other people to test to see if they want to be with each after the break. After many months they break up. Ingrid's coworker, Macon, was someone she always liked and had a crush on and wanted to try something with him during the break but he pushed her off. Weeks later she helps him freshen up his house and she worries she loves him. But he pushed her away? He can't love her back? Contrary to what Ingrid believe he does in fact want to be with Ingrid and they finally become an item.

This was such a a slow burn that I even forgot that Ingrid had her escapades with a couple of other guys at the beginning of the book! Once Macon and Ingrid did get together it was so heartwarming and wonderful! It was just perfect. The characters in this story were complex in their own right but likeable. I did enjoy the story but just wish more of the romance had been in it rather than in the last 20% of the book! Would recommend!

Thanks to Stephanie Perkins, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to review this ARC!

Absolutely loved this book! I'm a wayback fan of Stephanie Perkins, and I've been waiting for this book for a very long time. It was well worth the wait. Ingrid is at a pricipice in her life and it was a pleasure to follow her journey in self-discovery. Macon is so endearing, the slow burn is both devastating and so enjoyable to read. The home renovation portion of this book was completely adorable and full of fluttery feelings

I loved how much this story touched on real issues: the perils of the book industry, the complexity of modern dating, and being a caretaking to a parent. It was rooted in real life and the romance felt all the more authentic for it.

I'm completey smitten with this book and I hope it's the start of many more adult romances.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was so good! I knew it wasn't going to be super romance-y but more self discovery with some romance mixed in so just be aware if you read this one it's not all romance, but I loved it!

The experiment Ingrid and Cory did in the beginning was so odd and strange to me as I just can't see myself or anyone I know mutually taking a break from each other to date other people and then get married once it's out of their systems. Sounds like a recipe for disaster tbh 😅 but this is the reason the book intrigues you and pulls you in!

Even with the sadness and complexity of this novel, I found myself laughing a few times and also impressed by the (mostly) healthy way (mostly after the first 30%) the characters interacted with each other through difficult/awkward times.

The end felt satisfying and more realistic as it was a slow progress of change throughout the course of a year. I was rooting for Ingrid and Macon the whole time and it did not disappoint 💖

- grumpy/sunshine
-friends to lovers
-rediscovering yourself and making life changes
This was beautifully about a librarian and a crossroads with her boyfriend of 11 years who decide to take a break and year that follows. Ingrid and Cory decide to take a month’s break to date other people and before they decide if they want to get married. Ingrid only has her eyes set on dating her co-worker, Macon but he rejects her kiss and their friendship is shattered. Over the next year as she decides to leave the job and open a bookstore their friendship is slowly built back up and they both realize that they have been in love with each other all along.

I loved this slow burn romance, set in a public library! The author obviously is familiar with working at a public library, so the novel was fun for this librarian reader. Macon (the only thing I don't like about him is his name) is an adorable, slightly grumpy character. You have to wait a bit for this couple to get together, but it's worth it!