Compelling premise that initially drew me in. Struggled to connect with Ingrid. A slow burn read that is more women’s fiction than romance. Wish we got to see more layers in characters outside of Ingrid. However, appreciate the cozy setting and admirable story arc.

The slowest of slow burns! I found the FMC annoying at times - she was SO conflict averse and refused to have adult conversations about things. I'm also someone who envisions worse case scenarios a lot but this was extreme. I enjoyed the progression of things although I feel that it could have been a little faster.

I don’t like slow burns and this was a VERY slow burn. Not my favorite trope. I can’t say that this was a recommended read for me.

2.5 stars.

So...yeah. This is billed as a "slow burn romance" and it was slow alright. I hate to leave unnecessarily negative reviews so I'll just be direct. The characters were bland and childish (her ex-boyfriend only eats chicken nuggets and frozen pizza at the age of 30). The writing did a lot of showing instead of telling (She describes her friend as "fat." I think there are like, 1 million better ways to describe someone's physical appearance). The length needed to be edited...WAY down.
Won't be recommending this.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

After losing her job, Chloe needs to find a way to spend her time while figuring out her next steps. She finds joy in spreading joy, by creating paper roses with messages inside. Somehow, these messages are landing in the hands of the people who need them to most, and suddenly a phenomenon of kindness is spreading. Unbeknownst to her, Chloe also starts to cross paths with her childhood best friend, would be sweetheart, who’s come to guard himself and display a cynical attitude - including denouncing the yellow roses.

This was so magical and cute and fun. Chloe and Oliver are the human forms of Poppy and Branch (Trolls). It’s grumpyXsunshine, but a very specific variety. I loved seeing how all the stories wove in and out of each other and were all connected. Even if it was farfetched at times, I enjoyed seeing what people got from their rose messages and what they did from that point forward. It’s a beautiful thing to think something so small and mundane could end up being so impactful.

I really loved this book. My only small criticism is a little redundancy and some of Chloe’s and Oliver’s decisions and actions were quite infuriating. But I would recommend this for fans of Sarah Addison Allen’s “Other Birds” and/or Shelby Van Pelt’s “Remarkably Bright Creatures.” 4.5 stars.

Stephanie Perkins’ latest novel, “Overdue,” follows the life of Ingrid Dahl, a twenty-nine-year-old librarian in the mountain town of Ridgetop, North Carolina. Ingrid has been happily dating her college boyfriend, Cory, for eleven years with no true plans for marriage or what comes next in their relationship. That is until Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to someone she’s only been dating for two years. Ingrid and Cory feel the pressure to consider their own future.

While I did enjoy this read, I found Ingrid’s choices throughout the novel to be quite frustrating. When Cory suggests they take a one-month break to date other people before deciding whether to get married or separate, Ingrid agrees without questioning his motives or considering what could go wrong. This decision feels impulsive and out of character, especially given their long history together. Ingrid’s decision to pursue her crush on her grumpy coworker, Macon, during this break adds another layer of complexity and frustration. I’m not sure how Ingrid thought she could date a close-proximity coworker for a month and then return to a normal work relationship. But I did like the character of Macon and how chapter by chapter we learned more about him.

As the month progresses, Ingrid’s harmless crush on Macon turns into something much more complicated, and she finds herself questioning her feelings for Cory. While this internal conflict is relatable, it was a bit exasperating to see Ingrid make choices that seem to complicate her life further.

Despite these outside observers’ frustrations, “Overdue” was still worth the read. Stephanie Perkins explores the idea of missed opportunities and the complexities of love in a unique way. The slow-burn romance between Ingrid and Macon held my attention, and the resolution of Ingrid’s journey was satisfying and thought provoking. While Ingrid’s choices can be frustrating, they ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of herself and her relationships. I would recommend this book to those looking for a contemporary love story with an indirect path to happily ever after.

*Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press|Saturday Books for sharing the advanced digital edition of this book. This is my honest review.

Small town library clerk Ingrid has been in a relationship with her boyfriend, Cory, for the last eleven years. Since the relationship seems to be stuck in neutral, they decide to try dating other people for a month to see if they really should move forward with marriage. Ingrid has been secretly crushing on her older co-worker Macon for years now, but it seems he's only interested in being a friendly co-worker--nothing more.
Will a month of "freedom" from Cory be long enough to change Macon's mind about starting a relationship with Ingrid? Can Ingrid finally make her own decisions and decide for herself what her future should look like? When the month-long "break" in Ingrid and Cory's relationship moves into a second and then a third month, readers will be able to see the writing on the wall as to where Ingrid's romantic life is headed.

No great surprises here. For readers who like slow burn romance.

This was the slowest slow burn novel I've ever read. I don't typically like these kinds of romance books, but I did enjoy this one despite the pace. The two main characters, Ingrid and macon, had a real, authentic connection, which always makes for the best romance books for me. The grumpy x sunshine troupe is also one of my favorites.

This was a very real story of romance and self-discovery. Ingrid’s situation — being in a relationship for most of her adult life and questioning if that’s what she wants — felt very real and probably relatable for many people. I enjoyed following along with her for a year as she tries to discover who she is and what she wants, romantically and otherwise. For me, Ingrid as a character really stood out. I also enjoyed Macon and their romance but watching Ingrid come into her own really made for a moving story. I do wish the pacing had been a bit quicker at points, but I understand the slow burn.

📖 Book Review 📖 If we learned anything from Ross and Rachel’s debacle all those years ago, it’s that the line between break-up and a break is a very fine one. When Ingrid’s sister gets engaged, it throws her own eleven year relationship with her boyfriend Cory into an existential crisis. Unsure why they never made the decision to marry, they agree on a one month hiatus to reevaluate before getting back together- seems like a solid decision and one that could not possibly go awry. Immediately going after a co-worker? Maybe not a good decision. Librarian Ingrid has no idea how to file this all away but the experiment that starts with some comical hiccups leads her on a path of self-discovery. Overdue is a heartwarming tale about taking chances and allowing yourself to find a whole new world of possibilities in your own backyard.

Very sex-centric. Like sex is not explicit, but it is very much a part of the plot through out.

And she is in pursuit of one night stands a large portion of the book.

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins is a slow-burn contemporary romance that follows librarian Ingrid as she tries to figure out what (and who) she really wants.

Ingrid and her boyfriend Cory have agreed to take a one-month break from their relationship, with the freedom to date other people during that time. Unsure of her feelings, Ingrid throws herself into work at the library—where she spends more time with her prickly coworker, Macon. Known as the resident curmudgeon, Macon slowly shows a different side of himself, and Ingrid begins to question everything she thought she wanted.

The pace felt off to me, but a decent read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Saturday Books for the opportunity to read Overdue.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this title in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book. The synopsis completely hooked me — I’m always up for a cozy, small-town library setting and a slow-burn romance with complicated feelings. Unfortunately, I struggled to stay engaged.

The premise had potential: a long-term couple deciding to take a one-month break to explore what else might be out there before committing to marriage. It’s a bold and unique idea — but the execution fell a little flat for me. Ingrid, our main character, is incredibly relatable in her late-twenties limbo, trying to figure out if the life she’s built is truly the one she wants. Her emotional confusion and self-doubt are written with honesty, and the cozy mountain town/librarian aesthetic definitely gave off charming vibes.

Where I had trouble was in the pacing. The story moves very slowly — which normally I don’t mind if there’s a strong emotional pull or tension, but I didn’t quite feel that spark. The chemistry between Ingrid and her longtime crush, Macon, took too long to build, and even when it did, it felt a little one-sided or uncertain. I also found it hard to root for Macon early on, since we don’t really get to know him well until much later in the book.

That said, I appreciate that this story wasn’t about drama or over-the-top twists. It’s really about personal growth, stepping out of comfort zones, and learning what you truly want — even when it surprises you. Ingrid’s journey is heartfelt and grounded, and I think many readers in their late twenties and early thirties will resonate with that feeling of "is this all there is, or is there more out there for me?"

If you enjoy thoughtful, introspective romances with a quiet emotional core, this may be a great fit. But if you're looking for a fast-paced rom-com with immediate chemistry, you might find it harder to connect like I did.

Jess and Cory have been dating for 11 years and suddenly he wants to date other people for a while. Jess works at a public library and her best friend is Macon. Jess has always liked Macon but he is not interested in dating her. It was comical reading about her attempts at finding someone to date. When Macon has to go away to help with his aunt, Jess takes care of the cat and is infatuated with his storybook house and garden. I loved how caring Macon was when it came to Jess and how Jess’s friends supported her. Great book with lots to think about as they both deal with past romances and Mason’s mother. Loved when they redecorated Macon’s house.

This book was fine. Perkins gets around her protagonist feeling a bit young by having her inexperienced with relationships, her barely-out-of-high-school sweetheart taking a mutual break near the beginning of the novel. The book feels like a throwback to the nineties - is a bookshop employee or librarian really going to be able to pay back student loans so quickly and accumulate savings to the extent in this book? Maybe, but it felt unlikely to me. I was also hoping for more swooning. This book read like a YA, less well written than her previous YA romances, aged up slightly in terms of stated age and friends’ situations, plus cringey sex scenes. I may have been expecting too much, as a fan of her previous romances.

Don't know if I'd say this book needed to be as long as it was - great to see the protagonist really live through that odd transient period of her life! Super! Great to take our time with her ✨journey✨! How and ever, it does start to feel a bit maddening when you, as a reader, can see the forest for the trees when she can't (again, fair for realism, maddening for plot and pacing).

Slow burn was slow burning, but, again, at what cost?

Not mad at the romance, but also not mad for it, so the book fell a little bit short for me in that aspect.

Where OVERDUE shines is in the careful character journey. There is something satisfying about following such a clear arc throughout a set period of time, and allowing a character's experience the space to breathe and come to life in vivid detail.

As a whole, a solid adult debut for a YA giant of the early days, but not quite lifechanging for me. (with the disclaimer that a lot of the elements that made me roll my eyes one time too many are particular to me and I'm sure they might fly with a different kind of reader)

I am between a 2.5-3 star with this one. I really did appreciate the book aspect and focus in this one because of the obvious, big book girl. I also really enjoyed the ending where things finally fell together, but the slow burn was just way too slow for me. I was expecting a more fast paced novel with how the beginning had been set up, but that’s just not the case here. I also think the writing dragged on a bit for me and I didn’t feel like I wanted to keep picking the book up. Ingrid had some great qualities about her but overall she wasn’t my favorite FMC and it felt she was focusing on things from the past in a way that just didn’t make sense. I didn’t enjoy Macon and he was hard to read/cheer for.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review!

Beautiful cover and some cute moments.
Ultimately it was too slow of a slow burn for me and hard to get into.

Very slow burn and was tempted to DNF multiple times. After the 70% mark, I mostly just skimmed, unfortunately, just to get through it. I don’t really mind the slow burn — sometimes that build up leads to this amazing, explosive moment between our MCs but that was not the case here. This seemed to be more about Ingrid and maybe that’s because it was simply told from her POV and I’ve come to really enjoy getting into both our MCs heads.

A very cute romance about two librarians that hits a lot of tropes: slow burn, grumpy sunshine, friends.to lovers, bookish, and an age gap. Nothing revolutionary here, but Perkins tells a good story. Recommended for romance lovers and bookish lovers.