I wanted to love this but it fell flat for me. Ingrid's decisions annoyed me and Macon felt childish in the way he was affectionate then brooding.

I wanted to love this book as I stepped out and tried something new. This is a hard book for me to review because there were parts of that I had to skim as it was so long. The writing is good, there's humor, and I love books about books, but I feel the story could have been told thoroughly in half the pages. I knew I was in trouble when I thought I was getting to the ending and looked and I was only 20% in the book. It was really challenging to become invested in the characters due to the sluggishness of the timing and pacing of the story. I did like the ending and how the main characters resolved the relationship issues as it was well done. I appreciate the ARC from the Author, publisher, and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been a very long time fan of Stephanie Perkins and Overdue has revived my love for her writing and story telling!! Such an amazing reading experience

I absolutely adored Stephanie Perkins' YA romances when I was in high school, so I was so excited to see that she was coming out with another book! Especially when it was described as being a 'slow-burn' romance, as these are my absolute favorite.

However, I am so bummed to say that this book was really disappointing to me. The love story wasn't bad per se, but there was just so little of it in the story. And yes, it takes a long time for the couple to get together, but they have almost zero scenes together for the first 50% of the book. A slow burn can be slow, but it needs to at least have pages and pages of unresolved sexual and romantic tension. I didn't feel like I even had enough information as to why these two liked each other, and there were too few scenes with them for me to really get invested.

In addition to that, while this definitely had the vibe of a slice of life, cozy sort of story, it was entirely too long and really needed to be edited down. There were so many rambley asides that I found myself skipping entire paragraphs, and I really do think that the first half of the book could have been entirely cut out. The premise of the story was also just not for me. It was really weird to read about a couple who decided to give themselves a month to date other people before deciding whether or not to get married. Like what?? I just couldn't really understand their motivation.

On the positive side, it's a beautifully written story, and I loved the focus on libraries and book stores in general. As a book lover, it's always great to see those things be at the forefront of a story. And general, this was a good low stakes character study if that's what you're looking for. I just need a bit more...something, in my character studies, to really keep me engaged.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC!

This was such a a sweet romance. I was waiting though for the two main characters to hook up! I really enjoyed it because of the setting. Who doesn’t love a romance involving librarians! I highly recommend this book! Thanks for letting me read it!

This book is a thoughtful, slow-burn romance set in a charming small-town library. When librarian Ingrid takes a one-month break from her long-term relationship, she unexpectedly grows closer to her grumpy coworker, Macon. The novel explores self-discovery, emotional growth, and second chances with warmth and nuance. While the pacing may feel slow at times, the payoff is heartfelt and satisfying—a mature, character-driven love story perfect for fans of quiet, reflective romance.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinions!

The only thing that bothered me about this book was the fact that Ingrid kept calling herself a librarian without actually having gone to library school. It's a title you earn with a degree - not everybody who works in a library is a librarian. I feel like somebody in the process of writing and editing this book should have known that.

Otherwise, I loved it. It's adorable. The characters are great. It's really sweet.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK.

There were so many aspects to this story and they were all beautiful. I loved how Ingrid is basically finding herself and deciding what she wants. I absolutely loved Macon and would hands down pick him to be my book boyfriend forever. This book is so much more than the description leads it on to be. I keep going back and reading some of my favorite parts. Even the cat is now my favorite cat ever. Love Love LOVE!

(4.5/5⭐️) Ingrid, a 29-year-old librarian, has been in a loving relationship with her boyfriend Cory for 11 years. Their bond has always seemed strong and steady, but Ingrid begins to feel the weight of something missing—the next step she’s always dreamed of: marriage. That desire is only intensified when her sister ties the knot. In a surprising twist, Ingrid and Cory agree to take a one-month break to date other people. The idea is to test their commitment—to see if they truly belong together or if there might be someone else out there meant for them. It sounds wild, especially after over a decade together, but they dive into this unconventional experiment.What starts off as a seemingly harmless dating spree soon spirals into something much more serious. As both Ingrid and Cory explore new connections, they begin to question everything they’ve built. In the end, they must face the possibility that their futures may not include each other after all but with other soulmates. (Cute corny cheesy romance read with an equal balance of serious topics and trigger warnings. This book made me so emotional, made me smile, laugh, blush!)

Stephanie Perkins has officially entered her adult romance era and I’m obsessed. Overdue is sweet and funny, full of slow burn tension. Ingrid is stuck in a long term relationship that looks perfect on paper but doesn’t quite spark anymore. When she and her boyfriend agree to take a break, she finds herself drawn to Macon. He is a grumpy library coworker who she’s been crushing on for years. I adored the messy yet beautiful journey Ingrid goes on to figure out what she really wants. It’s soft and swoony with the perfect amount of spice!

I loved this! I really enjoyed the tropes used. The friends to lovers. The grumpy/sunshine. The age gap. The slow burn was almost painfully slow, but the pay off was so worth it! Ingrid’s character growth felt so natural and real to me. And now I want to open a bookstore. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

3.5/5

I can always get behind a book about bookish people. I think that makes them feel more real because I can relate to them. I don't know, but I always appreciate that and have fun reading it (the Emily Henry girlies get it).

This follows a librarian who has been in a slow-going long-term relationship. The couple decides to take a break and whilst on that break, Ingrid (our FMC) starts falling for her coworker.

This is definitely another slow-burn that I think was done pretty darn well. Their slowness and hesitation made sense and worked, they're another believable situation in a romance book.

This book had likable and funny characters, lots of depth from characters (they experience a whole spectrum of emotion), a grumpy/sunshine dynamic and a cozy mountain atmosphere.

If you're looking for a more emotional romance, I'd suggest you get this one out!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

This book was really cute!!! The book tells the story of one year, month by month. A really inspiring story of a woman in the last year of her twenties, realizing the comfortable life she’s had in her adult life so far is not exactly enough, and that comfortable doesn’t always equal happy. It’s a story about finding yourself, finding or accepting love, and going after things that make you happy even if they’re scary. As a woman who recently went through a similar journey before and around turning thirty, I connected with the story so much! Like, is finding yourself again right around turning 30 pretty much a universal experience?

I am incredibly disappointed, but I can't finish this. It's like a painful coming of age story about someone who is already of age. I can not relate to Ingrid at all, and the longer I read, the more she irritates me. The endless dating app nonsense and hookups feel so pointless. And it seems over the top ridiculous to me that she can't seem to figure out that her relationship is not on hold, it's over. Literally everyone else knows.
I read reviews that talk about her having a meltdown when she finally grasps that and I would never be able to make it through that.

We've all known from the beginning that it's gonna be Macon...so.... instead of flirty, cutesy banter and build up we get stony silence and distraction for MOST of the book? I don't get it. And frankly, I don't get what we're supposed to see in Macon. I was ready to give him all the chances at the beginning, but honestly he just seems like the judgy, boring grump in the corner and I don't see anything being able to redeem him at this point. I also have no problem with an age gap between consenting adults, however, this one is a little uncomfortable only because Ingrid is SO naive for her age and clearly has a lot to experience in life and Macon seems about twice his age with nothing very interesting going on.

I've read literally everything Stephanie Perkins has written. I was so excited for this. I thought adorable romance is what she does best. Sadly this really didn't work for me. I was expecting cute rom-com and got angsty adult contemporary fiction instead.

I'm still emotionally recovering from Anna and the French Kiss 15 years later, so I shouldn't have been surprised at how quickly this story stole my whole heart. Intensely relatable characters, beautifully paced plot, and charming setting, I didn't have a single quarrel with this book. The portrayal of library work was the most accurate I have ever read in a romance novel. Sincerely hope Perkins continues down this path.

4.5 Stars. Okay, where to start with this book. I laughed, I cried—it truly took me on a journey. It’s on the longer side, and there were moments where I wished the pacing were a bit tighter, but it’s a beautifully done slow, slow burn.

Ingrid is a twenty-something transplant from Florida, living in a small North Carolina town where she works as a librarian and lives with her boyfriend of 11 years, Cory. When Ingrid’s sister gets engaged to her girlfriend, it prompts Ingrid and Cory to reevaluate their own relationship. They agree to date other people for a month before deciding their next steps.

Ingrid’s coworkers and friends are all either supporting her or quietly observing how it all unfolds—especially Macon, a broody, non-traditionally handsome coworker who tends to keep to himself. He and Ingrid are friends… but maybe more?

The story follows Ingrid through this emotional experiment and beyond. It’s heartfelt, introspective, and full of quiet tension that pays off in a satisfying way.

If you enjoy slow burns, you won’t be disappointed. Also can Macon come tend to my vegetable garden, please??

I wont lie during the first part of this book I really wanted to DNF. I just felt bored and kind of confused but once we got into the middle and it hooked me I throughly enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the ARC

When I saw that Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and the French Kiss and other books I loved in high school, had an adult debut coming out, I was so excited. The concept for the book intrigued me. The first thing I’ll say is that this book is long. I think it could’ve done with some trimming, but most of the content was worth it for the plot. The circumstances that the main character is going through change a lot and the reader is really along for the journey. Most of the time I liked Ingrid, and I liked the main love interest, though by the end I was feeling kind of over it and ready to be done with the book. The plot drags a bit and some conflict arises that could’ve been done with way faster. But Stephanie is still an incredible writer and fills this book with a rich world full of tactile descriptions. I could imagine the characters and the settings very clearly. While I didn’t swoon quite as much as I did when reading her books in high school, readers will love Stephanie’s adult debut and I recommend it to romance readers everywhere.

I was expecting more romance from this one, especially since it’s described as a slow burn. While there were moments of connection, the romantic development felt a bit too subtle for me. That said, I really liked the characters. Ingrid was easy to root for, and I enjoyed watching her navigate a turning point in her life. The writing kept me hooked, and I appreciated the themes of growth and figuring out what you really want. It leaned more toward self-discovery than romance, but I still found it an engaging read overall.

A rough start in the first 4th of the book, which I could see putting folks off, as Ingrid attempts a slutty phase during her 1 month break with her long term partner. It's like when friends make poor decisions that you know won't end well but all you can do is watch cuz they're not gonna listen to you. There's also a shitton of info dumping and telling-not-showing about library work, as well as Ingrid's social network, that was awkward to get through. It felt really clunky, unnecessary, and to be honest the kind of middle-aged boring that makes me depressed about being an adult. Ingrid's friends and family are weirdly absent until they serve as a plot device. And she has NO single close girlfriends, which is WILD to me, and depressing. It's a very heteronormative, white story.

Thankfully, once the breakup is permanent and we move past that, the book gets much better - a slow burn, coworkers-to-friends-to-lovers romance paired with the cozy creation of a bookstore. I love a good "I've been pining for you for years" romance and a "I've been too shy to tell you". Spice is maybe a 3/5? I think there's a lot of room for improvement with the sex descriptions but I also recognize this is Perkins' first time writing an adult book and I think she'll find her groove.

There might be some content warnings for emotional cheating - Ingrid and Macon have been pining for each other for years while in long term relationships with other people, while working with each other every day. I was comfortable with it but I could see it being upsetting for folks who have experienced their partner cheat with a work-spouse.