Skip to main content

Member Reviews

Loved this book! Could not put it down! We need more books about hot librarians :) story line was fabulous and I really loved the slow burn! And when they finally get together! Sigh. It was so worth the wait. I actually texted a fellow librarian and told her to add to her tbr list! And she did on good reads. Thank you for letting me preview this book!

Was this review helpful?

As a fellow librarian and romance lover, I felt compelled to pick this up. I'm left a bit disappointed. I didn't love the writing style-lots of info dumping, lots and lots of events packed in but at the same time having the slow-burn romance drag on for eternity. It felt a bit too long, I almost DNF. I also didn't really connect with the FMC. At almost 30 years old, she felt juvenile and I questioned many of her actions. It seems cruel to "take a break" and lead other men on. IDK this just didn't work for me.

Was this review helpful?

Ingrid and her boyfriend have been dating for 11 years, they decide to take a one month break to see if they still feel the same after.

Was this review helpful?

When I heard that Stephanie Perkins was returning to the romance genre, I smashed a request for the ebook as fast as my fingers could. Perkins’ YA Anna trilogy was a defining book staple of my young adult years, following me through high school, college, and my 20s. And while I enjoyed her other books, truly, it was those first three that had my heart; I could only hope Overdue held up to my expectations.

Let me say—good golly it does. It held up to, met, and surpassed my hopes. I read it in two giant gulps in less than 10 hours. I could not put it down. I loved the characters and their growth and the town and the friendships and I literally did not want to leave Ridgetop.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you so much NetGalley and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book. Overdue by Stephanie Perkins is going to be released on Oct 7th. I want to say that this is not a contemporary romance but rather women's fiction. This is also my first book by this author. Ingrid and her longtime boyfriend Cory decide to take a one-month break to date other people after feeling pressure to define their future. Ingrid sets her sights on her grumpy but intriguing coworker Macon, whom she’s secretly liked for years. But when the month ends, she realizes her feelings for Macon may be more than just a crush—and her relationship with Cory may not be what she wants anymore.
This one just didn’t work for me. The pacing was way too slow, and I never felt truly invested in the story or the characters. I was bored more often than not, and sadly, it just didn’t capture my attention the way I hoped it would.

Was this review helpful?

Strong start and finish but dragged a bit in the middle. The premise of going on a month long break after eleven years of dating to “find themselves” felt very much like a reality dating show like the Ultimatum or Temptation Island. You know they’re already on the brink of a breakup but you can’t look away. Unfortunately, between Ingrid’s exploratory first dates with other men and working on painting her coworker/crush Macon’s house, there was a distinct lack of drama and comedic value that the setup lent itself so well to. It’s a very slow burn and although the ending was so cute, I do question whether I would’ve finished this book had I not just forced myself to keep going.

Was this review helpful?

This book was extremely enjoyable. It was a (very) slow burn, friends to lovers story where he falls first, there's no third act breakup, and low spice. Ingrid and Macon are both loveable characters and their chemistry and friendship is clear. The first half of the book is a little slow but I'm glad I stuck with it because things really picked up in the second half. There was a great cast of supporting characters as well and it was great to see Ingrid and Macon's personal growth in addition to their lovestory. Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins was a different read for me, but I enjoyed it.

When librarian Ingrid's sister becomes engaged, she realizes that she and her boyfriend of eleven years, Cory, need to make a decision on their relationship - either move it to the next level or call it off. They decide to split for a month and see if they are meant to be together or apart.

Ingrid goes through a few attempts at dating others, but realizes she harbors a crush on her co-worker, Macon.

I appreciate the author's weaving of Ingrid "trying it on" with other people, but I will be honest and say that I was uncomfortable with the whole premise of what Ingrid and Cory were doing - I don't like the whole idea of a break. However, she wove the story in an enjoyable way and made the characters likeable and I rooted for everyone to get their happily ever after. Watching the personal growth of the characters was incredibly satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own. I think you'll enjoy this book, I know I did.

Was this review helpful?

I didn’t really care for this one.. I found it to be quite dull and I could not take the writing. Cute cover but not for me.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 rounded up. I read this in a day. Super cute, a little too much “fluff”/filler but overall I really enjoyed this! The concept was fun and different, and I just love a good romance!!

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely loved this book by Stephanie Perkins. I’m a big fan of her YA work and it was fun to see her move into writing adult fiction.

Ingrid had been with her boyfriend, Cory, for 11 years when her sister’s engagement sparked an idea: before they settle down, they’ll take a month break to be with other people. Everyone around them, including Ingrid’s coworker, Macon, thinks it’s crazy. And is simply a step into a permanent breakup. Ingrid can’t see it. Until that’s where she finds herself- starting over.

When Ingrid realized Macon has been showing up for her in all kinds of ways, maybe there’s something to explore between them after all…

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC for review.

This was a fantastic foray into adult contemporary romance for an author who has typically written and published YA novels. The characters were bright and full of life (even the curmudgeonly Macon) and it made me really fall deep into the story. I really loved the FMC and how quirky she was. She felt like a true “lover girl” and I kept rooting for her to finally get everything she deserves both in her love life and in every other aspect. My only real critique was that I felt like I read two very different books that were smushed into one. The first half of this book focuses on the gimmicky aspects where Ingrid is on a break from her long-time boyfriend and is going out on what are basically trial dates in order to experience the dating world for the first time and see if she still wants to marry her boyfriend. Then the second half is a completely different book that blends general fiction with romance and focuses primarily on her long-standing crush on her coworker, his family drama, and her career change. I feel like we could’ve done without the whole “we’re on a break” plot line. It feels random and unnecessary when I look at the whole picture. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope that Stephanie Perkins decides to write more adult romances!

Was this review helpful?

This book was cute! Malcom’s personality was my favorite. I have never read anything like this before. I loved how Corey and Ingrid didn’t hold each other back from seeing other people. I also loved Ingrid’s vulnerability.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this. Slow burns are my favorite and the author did it so well. As someone who loves books (clearly), reading about libraries and the idea of being surrounded by books in general made me so happy. Ingrid and Macon's relationship evolved in a meaningful and realistic way. I usually wish for dual pov books, but I genuinely didn't need dual pov to feel the yearning. I related to Ingrid's anxiety a bit too much, haha but it only helped in letting me feel more connected with the story.

I was thoroughly pleased with the entire book! I was hooked in from the beginning and it held my interest throughout. I was a big fan of the author's previous book, Anna and the French Kiss (what do you mean it's 15 years old now?!?!?!), so I was not surprised that I enjoyed this even more. The characterization was great and I had a great time reading it, which was exactly what I was hoping for.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Stephanie Perkins for the ARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions shared are my own.

Was this review helpful?

@gfgirlreading:
Macon is grumpy, but so kind and attentive. Ingrid is of all of sunshine. This is a slow burn.
I loved the bookshop and the library and how Macon and Ingrid made his house their own. Loved it!!!!

Was this review helpful?

Overdue has to be one of the strongest contemporary romances I'll read this year. It follows Ingrid at the end of her relationship with her long-term boyfriend Cory and the evolution of her friendship with coworker and crush Macon. Ingrid and Macon (and even Cory, to some extent) are well-developed and interesting, and they're not the one-dimensional, blandly perfect main characters found in much contemporary romance. They are surrounded by a diverse and delightful array of friends, coworkers, and family members, and the book has several interesting plot elements beyond the immediate scope of their relationship. The relationship develops slowly and realistically, and the payoff is satisfying and hopeful.

And I've gotta say, I love any book that throws in some digs against January 6 insurrectionists. Take all my money, Stephanie Perkins!

Was this review helpful?

First I would like to give a huge thank you to @netgalley and @mcmillianpublishing @st.martinspublishing for an e-arc of Stephanie Perkins debut adult novel. This story was everything I needed and more.
I was a huge fan a Stephanie Perkins when she came out with the “Anna and the French Kiss” trilogy. When I saw she came out with her 1st adult novel I knew I needed to read it and it didn’t disappoint.
In this story we had two main characters: Ingrid, the fmc is someone who always showcases a bubbly personality on the outside but on the inside is someone who doubts herself and struggles with confidence in herself and her abilities. She was in a relationship with someone for 11 years before putting their relationship on hold to see if they were right for each other. Then we have the mmc Macon who comes off always grumpy, but we find out along the way is the one with a lot of pressure on his shoulders. While they are both friends and coworkers Iggy knows she wants more from Macon but when he rejects her she tries to find what she is looking for
This story was the perfect amount of slow burn proving that the best relationships begin with a friendship.
This story was honestly too cute.
My overall rating is a 4.25 stars

Was this review helpful?

I really wanted to love this book. I really did. By the time it got where it was going, I had lost interest.
Partly because I just couldn't find a way to like any of the characters.
Partly because in the last 6 weeks I have read a book about a married couple that takes a year off to see other people and decide if they want to be together any more, and a book about a cute librarian in a small town that gets dumped and falls in love with the bartender ex boyfriend of the woman her fiance left her for. And another book about a couple "taking a break"

I just couldn't get into this one, and honestly the main character was REALLY unlikeable to me. I couldn't figure out why the whole town seems to love her so much.

It's probably not a bad book, it just wasnt for me, and I don't think it's all the books fault.

Was this review helpful?

A superstar-level romantic slow burn that hits all the right notes. So much fun to read—every moment was perfectly paced and irresistibly charming. Bonus points for having the cutest cover ever. Total win.

Was this review helpful?

I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did, usually the whole ‘let’s break up and see other people’ trope feels unreal and weird in stories and I usually shy away from books with it, or I don’t like them.

But this book was the exception! It was really well done, felt entirely plausible, and also it was only the beginning of the story, when you take the plot as a whole. So if you’re like me and tend to dislike that plot device, don’t let that deter you from checking out this book.

Aside from that, this book was a great example of a slow burn friends-to-lovers style. I think one of the things that really helped make this story as good as it is, is that it is also a story that has lots of relatability in it. Whether that is characteristics of main characters (Macon and Ingrid), or the side characters, who are all really well fleshed out for their supporting roles, it all works. It feels like a story that we could see ourselves in, whether main character or friend or coworker. And a last note, I loved the pacing and writing style. There was not cheesiness or mush, the writing had just the right amount of imagery to paint pictures in my head, and the dialogue was realistic and at times funny.

I give this book a 4.5 star rating, and can’t wait to see what the author writes next… hopefully more stories like this!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.

Was this review helpful?