This book is a definite slow burn, but not in a bad way. You really get to know the characters and you feel immersed in the circumstances. I cringed during all those bad dates. I yearned for the object of affection. I even felt I sweat with the character during the summer months that were described. Overall pleasing, and feel good. As a fellow librarian, I could relate to all the side characters and patrons described. IYKYK. Recommend!

A cozy and delightful novel for book lovers everywhere! As a librarian, I found it even more fun. The slow burn romance had me hooked at once and held my attention until the very end. I fell in love with the characters and felt like it was my own coming of age story! So relatable and sweet!

This may have been the SLOWEST burn I've ever read. But I kept coming back to make sure they got together at the end. I'm a big fan of Stephanie Perkins YA novels, and this had a similar feeling of coziness. I enjoyed it!

This romance novel definitely started slowly. We meet Ingrid and her boyfriend who have been together for ten plus years. They've only dated each other and despite being together so long, have yet to be married. They decide to take a "break" for a month to date other people and then meet up and decide if they are ready to get back together and fully commit.
What follows is a very detailed look at Ingrids transformation over the course of a year. Her work crush Macon rebuffs her advances and so she desperately tries to find someone to connect with.
It was a sweet story with my favorite topic, which is books, so it kept my interest. However, it gets 3 stars because it was a very slow burn romance and Ingrid was really quite cruel to one of her dates which seemed out of character to her. Macon is not a likeable character and it's difficult to understand why Ingrid is so connected to him. However, it was entertaining and I'm glad I stuck with it.
I received a complimentary e-book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so excited for Stephanie Perkins’ return to romance—I devoured her books as a teen, and Overdue feels like a thoughtful, grown-up evolution of her earlier work. While the book is marketed as a romance, it’s just as much a story of personal growth and rediscovery.

Ingrid, a small-town librarian in a long-term relationship, agrees to a one-month break to explore what she’s been missing—and yes, she has a certain grumpy coworker in mind. But what unfolds is not a whirlwind office romance (though that slow burn is glorious), but a journey of self-reflection, mistakes, longing, and ultimately learning to prioritize yourself after spending years doing the opposite.

I really appreciated that this wasn’t overly dramatic or sappy. It doesn’t try to force a “happy ending” in a traditional romance sense—it earns its payoff by focusing on Ingrid's evolution first. The pacing might feel too slow for some, but I personally loved how grounded and realistic it was. Watching Ingrid step outside the only relationship she’s ever known, navigate dating again, and reevaluate her career and family relationships made her feel incredibly real.

And Macon? He’s prickly, hilarious, and just the right kind of emotionally complicated. I do wish we got a little more from his POV, but staying in Ingrid’s head made the payoff feel more satisfying.

If you’re into slow burns, emotional honesty, and stories that center women finding themselves, this one’s for you.

OMG, Overdue by Stephanie Perkins is such a cozy, slow-burn romance that totally stole my heart! If you love small-town vibes, librarian aesthetics, and that delicious tension that keeps you swooning, this one’s for you. Ingrid’s journey from a long-term relationship on pause to slowly falling for her adorably grumpy coworker Macon is everything. The way they banter, the bookish feels, and all the little moments (hello, drool-worthy cooking and cute cat cameos!) had me totally hooked.

Sure, it’s a super slow burn — like, you gotta be patient for those steamy moments — but honestly, that just makes the payoff sooo worth it. The story moves at a chill, relaxed pace that’s perfect for curling up with a cozy blanket and your fave latte. Sometimes I wished for a little more from Macon’s side (dual POV, anyone?), but Ingrid’s voice is so relatable and honest that it kept me glued to the pages.

If you’re into sweet, heartfelt romances that focus on growth, friendship, and that real-life kind of love (not just fireworks and drama), this book is a total must-read. Basically, Overdue is like a warm hug for your heart — slow, steady, and absolutely swoony.

Overdue is a cozy, heartfelt slow-burn that captures the tension between comfort and change with charm and emotional depth. Stephanie Perkins’ adult debut blends small-town warmth, librarian vibes, and simmering chemistry into a romance that’s both relatable and swoonworthy. Perfect for fans of second chances, workplace crushes, and the quiet thrill of rewriting your own story.

Overdue is a sweet, slow-burn romance that leans more info women's fiction with a lovely bookish backdrop. As a fellow book lover, I appreciated how much the characters loved books, it made the story extra charming. While the pacing was slow at times and Ingrid's overthinking could be a bit much, I enjoyed the story overall. It's heartfelt, cozy, and packed with emotion.

Thank you NetGalley, Stephanie Perkins and the publisher for the ARC.

what a really great book. it was a slow burn type of love but also well worth the wait. The restaurant on Macons part was so great.

i thoroughly enjoyed Ingrid's journey. Growing that young adult to a responsible person with real goals was a delight to read. going through her experimental dating experiences was fun to read but painstaking at the same time. her and Cory you could just tell they were better off as friends.

the growth that Ingrid experienced was grand. with the help of her friends and in a small party her family she really blossomed into the person she was meant to be. her journey was inspiring and the title of overdue was just perfect for this story.

i adored everything about this story

This is an extremely slow burn romance ... it had so much potential to be a great read, but it just feels like there was way more detail at times than necessary. This is one that might be a better audiobook read than physical/ebook ;)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC read!

This was such a cute book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and getting engrossed in the characters. I love how it ended and was really hoping for that ending!

After reading and loving Stephanie Perkins’ YA Romance books, I have never really found any that quite hit the same—until this one! I loved Overdue, I couldn’t stop reading it. The characters were fleshed out and flawed, the plot kept me interested, and the dialogue was honest and funny and tender. I will definitely be recommending this one to my adult readers!

This burn was too slow for me. It fizzled out and I do not remember if I finished it or not. Thank you for the opportunity but it was not for me.

I work in an academic library as a library assistant and I always enjoy a book with a library theme. This character-driven story about finding yourself and embracing your fears is told from Ingrid’s point of view. I would say it’s more of a women’s fiction book than a romance, but she does pine for her library colleague Macon while trying to find balance in her life.

The story revolves around Ingrid, a librarian who’s been stuck in a ten-year relationship that has lost its spark. When Ingrid hears the news of her sister’s engagement, it serves as the catalyst for some serious soul-searching. Her boyfriend and she decide to hit the pause button on their relationship, which sets the stage for some interesting twists.

And the fun begins! Ingrid dives into the world of dating, but just when she thinks she’s found a potential spark, her grumpy yet charming fellow librarian, Macon, is front stage in her thoughts, but his vibes are driving her crazy. Honestly, I couldn’t help but feel that maybe he’s the one she was meant to be with all along. Their interactions are filled with a tension that slowly builds, making you root for them every step of the way.

This book is a wonderful escape after a long day. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the moments, especially those that featured Ingrid’s adventures and misadventures in the dating scene. Speaking of which, can we take a moment to appreciate the inclusion of a cat and Macon’s drool-worthy food? You know a book’s got it all when it makes you want to whip up a tasty meal while snuggling with your furry buddy!

I do have to mention that the pacing felt a bit slow at times. Since the story unfolds over the course of a year, there were moments where I wished things would move along a little faster. But honestly, the heartwarming nature of the story more than makes up for it.

So, if you’re a book lover looking for a slow-burn, sweet read that captures the essence of self-discovery sprinkled with a dash of romance, this book deserves a spot on your shelf. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author!

Thank you to Ms. Perkins for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

Ingrid Dahl is a librarian in a small mountain town in North Carolina. She has been dating the same man for 11 years. They take a break and decide on a longer breaker ... while Ingrid discovers she is interested in her grumpy coworker, Macon Nowakowski.

I wanted to read Overdue because the North Carolina mountain setting and the library locale were appealing. I did love both aspects of this book.

This is a leisurely romance, told over the span of the year. I found the leisurely pace appealing and I was pulling for Ingrid to find happiness. I recommend Overdue for fans of women's fiction and small town romance.

Stephanie Perkins, you know the way to my heart with your cute little romance books. I adored this book and was very entertained by the absurdity of agreeing to a month-long break from a long term relationship as a sort of last hurrah before making a decision about marriage. I spent a lot of this book shaking my head and laughing at Ingrid’s thoughts and desperate attempts to reassure herself that it wasn’t weird and she was perfectly ok with the situation. I also enjoyed that this book was actually the slow-burn it was marketed as. The buildup and tension were amazingly painful and made it all the more satisfying when everything finally came together. This book also spends a lot of time analyzing other relationships, Ingrid makes it pretty clear that she has no desire for children but we get to see her interact with friends who’ve gotten married and had children and see her excitement for them. It’s nice to see a romance novel that isn’t fully stuck in the idea of getting married and having kids and looks at other ways of living a fulfilling life with the people you love.

Overall, this was such a great read. Top tier yearning and slow burn and such great cutesy romance scenes that are to be expected from a Stephanie Perkins romance. I’m honored to have been given the opportunity to read this book early—middle school me who was crouched over her phone in class, secretly reading Anna and The French Kiss is kicking her feet and giggling.

Wow. What a great book! I was engrossed from the first page. There is so much to like in this book. Anyone just starting out or on the precipice of big changes in their lives could find something to relate to in this story. This story is about the strength and unexpected surprises that come from strong friendships. Although the story line was quite predictable, it was a sweet and comforting story that I can imagine reading again. As usual, Stephanie Perkins does not disappoint with her latest novel.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins for this ARC. When I began this book, I was integrated by the main character and her bf wanting to take a break and interested to see how this story would develop. But as I got into the story, it was such a slow burn that I found myself bored and wanting the book to be over. The writing style was slow and was happy when I was done reading this.

Cozy librarian romance? Yes please. Unfortunately it was just a tad too slowly paced and I’m wondering if a dual pov might have helped with that. Still a good read that many romance lovers will enjoy

This bookish contemporary romance follows Ingrid, a librarian-turned-bookseller, as she takes a breakup-fueled leap into self-discovery. After a "relationship break" with her long-term boyfriend, Ingrid explores the dating world—only to realize her heart is with her charming but emotionally reserved coworker, Macon. The slow-burn romance is sweet, if a bit too gradual, but the emotional payoff is satisfying. The structure, divided by month, gives the story a grounded rhythm, and Ingrid’s bold decision to open a bookstore adds a satisfying arc of personal growth. While I wanted a bit more closure on the romance, the bookseller/librarian couple absolutely won me over!