DNF - I tried on two separate occasions to finish this, but it was just too slow for me, and I wasn't invested enough in the characters to try again. I don't much care for the premise; it just isn't believable: take a break to sleep with others in order to get back together?? Nah...I'm out.

Thanks to Netgalley and Saturday Books for the opportunity to try this one!

Part women’s fiction, part romance, whatever this book is, I loved it. It’s extremely slow burn, but so well done. I haven’t felt that slow-burn giddiness like this since early Mariana Zapata. This book had me squealing and kicking my feet over a freaking hand-holding scene.

Yes, obviously I wanted Ingrid and Macon to immediately fall into each other’s arms and live happily ever after. But watching Ingrid navigate her life outside of a long-term relationship she had clearly outgrown was wonderful to see. I don't always love seeing other man relationships on the page, but I really enjoyed watching Ingrid grow both as a person and as someone learning to navigate dating. I think there is truth in being stuck in a relationship through your twenties and realizing, at the end of it, that you don’t really know who you are. While I wanted her to turn to Macon right away, I don’t think they would have survived as a couple if that had happened. (And how swoony that Macon was emotionally mature enough to recognize this.) By the time Ingrid is truly ready to be with him, it feels earned.

As for Macon, well, I fear everything about him works for me. Broody, loyal, mature, respectful, introverted, a caretaker, man loves his garden. You know that TikTok sound, “I like him, I like that autistic man”? This embodies that sound.

And it has one of my FAVORITE microtropes: when the MMC slowly renovates his entire house based on the FMC’s wants and likes, so that by the time he moves her in, it’s basically her dream home. The FMC is like, “La la la, I’m just here to help,” and he’s like, “Yes, this will be your home someday. Tell me everything you like, and it will be yours.”

This is my first Stephanie Perkins book, but now I definitely want to go back and check out her back catalog.

I received a free copy of this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Ingrid Dahl and her boyfriend, Cory, have been together for eleven years, since college.They decide to take a month's break in order to date other people. But one month becomes two months and two months become three...And what about Macon, Ingrid's grumpy coworker at the library?
This was a really fun book. It was totally predictable and I loved every page. I really liked the character of Ingrid, and cheered for a happy ending for her. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I feel like I went into this blind, or at least expecting the typical romance pacing and it was different! But even with that, I loved the story. I loved how well we got to know the characters and how everything panned out. A great read!

This was such a cute and wholesome slow burn love story. The complete opposite of insta-love/lust books that seem to be plaguing the romance book community these days. If the characters hook up within in the first ten chapters, I’m bored!!

I was a fan of Stephanie Perkins YA novels back in high school in the early 2010’s (I’m aging myself here 😅) and it’s nice to see her talent has not wavered. Her books are well written with dialogue that feels realistic. Her characters are flawed but likable. Her stories really hook you in and rooting for two people to fall in love.

Overdue is about a twenty nine year old librarian named Ingrid who has been in a relationship with her boyfriend Cory for eleven years. She has no concept of her adult life without Cory being a part of it. But they’ve hit a rut and both agree to take a “break” and date other people and then meet back up a month later and decide where their relationship goes from there.

Well, as you can imagine, things do not go to plan. Our main character Ingrid is on a journey to figure things out and I love a good story about a young woman coming into her own and finding independence. And maybe finding love along the way too.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced reader copy of Overdue! 🩷🧡🌸

See my full review at http://michelleardillo.com/2025/05/25/book-review-overdue-by-stephanie-perkins/

A slow burn romance that gives hopes to its readers. It’s a very cozy read about new beginnings and finding your joy - very sweet.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a little too sweet for Mr but someone who is looking for sweet should definitely pick it up!

I really like slow burn but this was to slow burn. It was confusing because at first you think she us moving on but she hasnt. The set up was just drawn out and weird. It was a sweet story but it was hard to really love the characters.

This is a cozy, slow-burn romance perfect for book lovers. Told over a year's time from Ingrid’s perspective, the story follows a librarian whose ten-year relationship has hit a standstill. When her sister gets engaged, Ingrid and her boyfriend decide to take a break. As she begins to explore dating again, she slowly realizes that her grumpy, bookish colleague Macon might be the person she's truly meant to be with.
This was a sweet and charming story. I really enjoyed following Ingrid’s personal journey and the changes she made in her life. There were several laugh-out-loud moments, and can we talk about the cat. I think fellow book lovers will really enjoy.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF at 15%. Omg y’all I’m having the worst week for DNFs…but I fear watching paint dry would be more interesting than this book.

The pace is way too slow for a book that’s 400+ pages. Ingrid needs to do a lot of inner work before I’d be willing to read more of her story. I hate the name Macon. She also kept mentioning stuff from the pandemic - like four times in the first 3 chapters - <i> and sharks, for that reason, I’m out. </i>

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I went into this book expecting a pure romance, and while there's a lovely romance woven throughout, it's not the main event! My absolute favorite part was witnessing Ingrid's incredible character growth. It felt like watching an old friend truly find herself. Sure, there were moments where the pacing slowed a bit, and I sometimes found myself thinking, 'Ingrid, how are you missing that?!' But honestly, those moments made her so much more relatable. This was such a cozy read, and I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a story with heart and genuine self-discovery.

This author has never disappointed me. I love every book she writes. I’m so happy to be able to read her new book before it comes out. I love the characters in the plot line. They were definitely well thought out.

Ingrid the librarian has a comfortable life. A long steady relationship, a long term job at the library. Her sister gets engaged which begs the question, is Ingrid going to marry her boyfriend?
Discussions are had and the couple decide they are not ready for marriage just yet, but they will be in a month. They decide to have a month of dating others and plan to come back to eachother.
Ingrid already knows the exact person she wants to date...
Disasters ensue, heartbreak and finding yourself. Not accepting comfort and stability. Sometimes the only way to find yourself is to have your life fall apart and be turned on your head!
I absolutely loved this book and the characters. Ingrid is an inspiration!

What a great read! This is a new-to-me author so I didn't have any expectations going in. Definitely a slow burn romance and I really loved Macon. This story follows Ingrid as she finds herself as she navigates a break from her long-term relationship. I prefer single POV books and really liked this is only Ingrid's POV. I recommend this book and will definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC!

Okay, so Stephanie Perkins' *Overdue* is a **slow-burn**, and it's not your typical rom-com, which I guess is cool if you're into something different. But honestly? The characters were forgettable. I legitimately couldn't tell you the main girl's name, even if you paid me. Overall, it's just a **meh read** you'll probably forget about the second you put it down.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this book! Overall, this book was enjoyable. I like the cover a lot! It is a slooooooow burn book, but i think people will enjoy this.

I didn’t know exactly what to expect going into Overdue, but wow—I ended up really enjoying this one. Ingrid was such a relatable main character, even when I wanted to shake her a little in the beginning (girl, what are you doing??). But that’s part of what made her feel real—she’s messy, stuck in a relationship that’s been coasting for years, and finally deciding to break free and figure out what she actually wants. Her journey was awkward and frustrating and beautiful in the best way. And Macon? The quiet, bookish, grumpy-but-secretly-sweet coworker? He stole every single scene he was in. Their dynamic had this slow, simmering tension that made the pay-off so satisfying, even if I wished they’d figured things out just a little sooner.

The solo POV totally worked for me—it gave us such a deep look into Ingrid’s thoughts, doubts, and growth, and I loved how Stephanie Perkins handled that inner voice. The writing flowed effortlessly and made the entire reading experience feel cozy and intimate, even when things were emotionally tense. I also have to shout out the side characters—they weren’t just filler, they brought real color and warmth to the story, especially Ingrid’s friends and the little bookstore crew. Sure, the pace dragged a bit in the middle, but it matched the slow-burn feel of the romance and the self-discovery arc. Overall, this was a charming, heartfelt read with a book-loving couple at its core—and really, who can resist that?

I didn’t know exactly what to expect going into Overdue, but wow—I ended up really enjoying this one. Ingrid was such a relatable main character, even when I wanted to shake her a little in the beginning (girl, what are you doing??). But that’s part of what made her feel real—she’s messy, stuck in a relationship that’s been coasting for years, and finally deciding to break free and figure out what she actually wants. Her journey was awkward and frustrating and beautiful in the best way. And Macon? The quiet, bookish, grumpy-but-secretly-sweet coworker? He stole every single scene he was in. Their dynamic had this slow, simmering tension that made the pay-off so satisfying, even if I wished they’d figured things out just a little sooner.

The solo POV totally worked for me—it gave us such a deep look into Ingrid’s thoughts, doubts, and growth, and I loved how Stephanie Perkins handled that inner voice. The writing flowed effortlessly and made the entire reading experience feel cozy and intimate, even when things were emotionally tense. I also have to shout out the side characters—they weren’t just filler, they brought real color and warmth to the story, especially Ingrid’s friends and the little bookstore crew. Sure, the pace dragged a bit in the middle, but it matched the slow-burn feel of the romance and the self-discovery arc. Overall, this was a charming, heartfelt read with a book-loving couple at its core—and really, who can resist that?

This was one of the cutest slow burn romances I’ve read in awhile and that specific couple is only a small part of the book. I feel like at least the first third of the book is our main character learning to accept that her over a decade long relationship is DOA. Then she goes all independent woman and creates her own freaking bookstore. And finally, in the last couple chapters, she has grown enough to reach the man of her dreams.