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.

As a fan of Stephanie Perkins' YA books, I started Overdue as soon as the download was complete. At times, I loved this book; at other times, I rolled my eyes and wanted to toss it. Overdue seems to inspire strong feelings in its readers, for better or worse? It almost felt like 3 different books at times - Ingrid and Cory and their immature decision-making; Ingrid "finding herself" somewhat; and Ingrid pursuing her bookshop and relationship with Macon. Overall - it was an odd book and as others have stated, a VERY slow burn - but I continue to look forward to much more from Stephanie Perkins!

The publishing industry underserves Steph Perkins by trying to classify her books. Is this book romantic? Yes. Is it a ~romance~? No, not really. It's more than that and it's better. I love a real, tropey romance that hits all the familiar beats but OVERDUE isn't that. It's a classic Stephanie Perkins book. It has the same flavor as ANNA, LOLA, and ISLA but it never feels YA. It's a real bildungsroman (to the point that I wonder if that was the working title). We watch Ingrid grow and change and evolve over the span of one year. She tries and she fails. She tries and she succeeds. She falls in love with her life and then with a man.

Like every other Stephanie Perkins book, I was absolutely consumed by OVERDUE. I couldn't do anything else while I was reading it. I mentally moved to Ridgetop, NC and am devastated to have been evicted by the end of the book. Somehow, I have to live my real life again without the many friends I made here.

I'm sure this book will be divisive because it's nearly too lifelike. But it's lifelike the way Vermeer is lifelike. It's a master at work. Steph Perkins is one of the best to ever do it.

I was so excited for this book! Stephanie Perkins was one of my all time favorite YA authors as a teen and I spent many hours swooning over her romances. I was incredibly excited for her adult debut (centering on books, no less) but this just fell short for me. The writing style feels extremely YA. You're reading about someone who is almost 30, but the language and thought processes feel like you're reading about a 16 year old. The way our FMC is completely absorbed in herself and her own world just screams "highschool" to me. I also could not understand what she saw in Macon. I think the author was trying for grumpy yet quirky, but I just didn't get that vibe from him. I couldn't sense any chemistry between them to the point that I spent a good chunk thinking he must not be the love interest! I was also put off by the pacing. We start the book right after the FMC makes the deal with her long time partner, cueing the reader to prep for a fast paced book. What followed felt droning at times, waiting for something to move the plot forward. Though I am disappointed in this release I'm still looking forward to seeing what esle she writes in the adult genre, and I'm sure this book will hit for some people (just not for me)!

Thank you to St Martin's Press / Saturday Books and Stephanie Perkins for the digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was honestly still a dream come true to read an advance copy of a Stephanie Perkins book - 16 year old me is screaming right now!

Some books come to us for a reason, and Overdue was that kind of book for me.

It had been sitting on my NetGalley shelf for a while, but something told me it was time to pick it up—and I’m so glad I did. I needed this story. I needed the reminder that it’s okay when people grow apart, even after years together. That making mistakes is part of finding out who you really are. That letting go can be just as powerful as holding on.

Ingrid’s journey felt incredibly real. She frustrated me at times (I just wanted her to be happy!), but her growth was worth it. Watching her step into her own identity—personally, professionally, romantically—was so satisfying. And Macon... what a quietly perfect love interest. Grumpy, introverted, gentle—a total cinnamon roll in disguise.

Yes, the romance is a slow burn (emphasis on slow), and I kind of wish we’d had more time with them together at the end, but honestly, the pacing felt true to Ingrid’s process of figuring things out.

Perkins’s writing was warm and easy to sink into, and I loved the bookish world she built—between libraries, bookstores, and characters who love stories, this was a cozy place to spend some time.

If you like slow-burn romance, personal growth, and stories that gently remind you that it’s okay to start over, this one’s worth your time.

The premise of this book seemed promising. I had difficulty getting in to this book and the storyline. I did not find the FMC very relatable. I felt I couldn’t get enough insight to the male character to really be invested.

I ended up putting it down halfway through, but tried very hard to get through it.

This book wasn’t my favourite. The characters just weren’t portrayed in a way that I like to read. I found that she was immature and annoying most of the time. The book looks beautiful but the story is just not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

Ingrid Dahl, a librarian in the cozy mountain town of Ridgetop, North Carolina has dated her boyfriend for over eleven years. When her sister announces her engagement to her boyfriend of two years, Ingrid is at an impasse. Ingrid and her boyfriend have never dated anyone else, and they decide to take a break from each other and date other people. In this, Ingrid decided to finally get over her crush for her colleague, Macon Nowakowski. However when Ingrid and Cory decide not to continue with their relationship, things get interesting. This was a fun read, and I really enjoyed it as a librarian. Highly recommend!

This book was, unfortunately, not for me. I adore a romance set in a library, so it should've been right up my alley, but I found both Ingrid and Macon, the main characters, quite difficult to like or root for. Ingrid, in particular, makes a series of immature decisions throughout the book that I found frustrating. I'm honestly still rooting for her to be with the construction worker. There wasn't anything spectacular about the plot, the character development, or the writing. And, because I was not at all invested in Ingrid and Macon's relationship, the book seemed to drag on.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly, this book was just not for me. I did not enjoy the characters and it moved extremely slow. The cover and sprayed edges are absolutely beautiful but it just did not hold my interest. Most of the book seemed to center around one "incident" that happens pretty quickly in the book and it just kind of never went anywhere until the end. I was perhaps just the wrong audience for this trope.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saturday books for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC.

I ended up putting the book down around the 50% mark. I didn’t love the plot and found the pacing to be a bit slow. I do think that this book is one that some of Perkins fans will love and hopefully she continues on with expanding her adult titles. Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me.

3.5 stars rounded up

I really enjoyed this one! This is an unpopular opinion, but I actually hate when romance novels are dual POV so I was pleasantly surprised to find that this one only followed our female main character. I enjoyed seeing Ingrid grow as a person, and the chemistry between her and Macon immediately drew me in. I love a good slow burn, and the pining and tension in this book was really well done.

That being said, this book felt SO. LONG. I feel like a lot of scenes could have been shortened or removed altogether and the book wouldn't have lost anything. But really, that's my only complaint, and I would recommend this book!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I found the main character to be annoying and the pacing way too slow. It felt like nothing was happening in this book.

I hope others love it but it wasn’t for me.

Traveling helped me read this in less than a week, so I have to give Perkins credit for writing a captivating (albeit super slow-burning) novel about love, growing in age and maturity, and librarians/booksellers. Sounds like a weird combo, but for someone enamored with books, it works. I wanted to pull out my hair a few times waiting for the inevitable and obvious to happen, but the blossoming relationship was still worth the time spent on the build-up. I also expected more from them at their ages, but it’s a nice reminder that a lot of us are their ages and still don’t have it figured out. The familial relationships felt a tad tangential, but it strengthened the tie between the main characters in a way that might not have been as believable without them. Overall, the novel works and makes for an enjoyable travel/vacay read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This has an adorable cover and is a lovely romance, with characters you're genuinely rooting for. In some ways though, it reads like TWO books.

It all gets off to a bit of a rocky start, with a VERY quick introduction to Ingrid's (maybe?) secret work crush, Macon and then charges full speed ahead into a storyline about Ingrid and her long-term boyfriend Cory exploring a trial separation.

This is basically book #1, which is follows Ingrid's adventures in dating, while still attached to the notion that she and Cory may still get back together. While she mentions Macon's reactions to her plans, the book stays firmly in Ingrid's POV. And I liked that approach. We watch her learn what she likes, what she needs, what kind of life she wants to build for herself. There is dating, but it feels less like a romance and more of a young woman's awakening.

The second half of the book changes focus dramatically, with Ingrid taking some of the things she'd learned from her dating experience to create a new life for herself and explore her friendship (and more?) with Macon. At this point, we shift into more traditional romance territory, though there is a lot of information about her settling on her own two feet (To be honest, I thought she was going to start a new career as an interior decorator for all the extensive housing remodel descriptions!)

In total, this book read a little differently than other romances. I liked it, but it did take segues into other topics (like sleeping on the first date, refinishing kitchen cabinets and agoraphobia) that connected to the main plot (and often enhanced it) but weren't terribly critical to explore. Overall, this book seemed in no real hurry to get to the happily ever after. That was a little weird, but also kinda cool.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Ingrid is leading the quiet life of a librarian in a small town, with her boyfriend of over a decade, Cory’. She seems content enough, but is she really happy? She and Cory decide to branch out and see other people before committing to “until death do us part” and it was as awkward as one would expect. Ingrid learns what she doesn’t like (random sex with random dates in her very beige apartment) and some of what she might…hypothetically (angst side-eye to her coworker. This book is a cute romance and the definition of a slow burn. The last quarter of the book crams a lot into a few chapters. But the main characters are well developed and the slow burn seems authentic for them. This is a romance-y book about bookworms for bookworms, and frankly, I’m happy for us.

Overdue is such a sweet slow burn romance. I loved watching Ingrid realize how serious her feelings were for Macon as they worked on his house together. The setting of a library and bookstore was perfect and felt as cozy as the rest of the story. I will need to check out more work from Stephanie Perkins.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Overdue by Stephanie Perkins

Overdue is the literary equivalent of your favorite cup of tea (or hot cocoa) on a rainy afternoon — warm, comforting, and best enjoyed while chatting about books with your favorite person. This cozy, slow-burning romance surprised me in all the best ways.

As someone new to Stephanie Perkins' writing, I was drawn in purely by the cover (I mean, really... flowers and books - how could resist?), and I'm so glad I requested it as an ARC. I found a heartfelt story with minimal spice but a ton of emotional depth inside. It's not just about romance, though that part is sweet and satisfying; it's about courage, too. Overdue gently nudges readers to be brave: to speak their feelings, to go after the person they love, and to pursue the career dreams they might be quietly holding close.

If you’re in the mood for something tender, nostalgic, and quietly inspiring, this book might be just what you're looking for. It left me feeling like I’d spent time with a friend.

I had higher hopes for this book, but it just fell a bit short. In middle school, I loved Stephanie Perkins books. However, looking back on the books, they are not necessarily good. The idea of an adult romance presents itself a great opportunity for fans of the middle school age books. Maybe this book was just not meant for me, and that’s fine! I hope once published, this book finds its audience.

This was an incredibly slow burn that was a little too slow for me. I found it hard to stay focused in the beginning but eventually it picked up a little bit. Decent read but the pacing was just off for me.