Ingrid is not a librarian. This is discussed at length during the beginning to the middle of the book when she is offered a chance to go to library school and turns it down, yet Perkins continues to call her a "librarian" until the end of the book when finally she's a "bookseller". I might not normally nitpick this that much, but the fact that Perkins discusses library school over and over in this book, and has the other main character, Macon, actually *be* a librarian really annoyed me. Ingrid is a library staff member, akin to the receptionist at a medical office. How hard is it to just say Ingrid is a library employee of some kind, and is offered a chance to be a librarian but chooses not to be one?

Ignoring that frustrating portion of the story, this book ended up being way too long and way too slow burn. I enjoyed the overall idea of someone who is stuck in a rut, and ends up changing her life entirely, then ends up with the guy she wanted all along. I enjoyed portions of the story. However the two major issues I had with the book were calling Ingrid a librarian over and over, while also saying she isn't one, and the fact that it took so many relationships and way too much detail to get the point of the story across. (And I'm not even really focusing that she thought that working in retail was a better option than her library job? Personally I was very happy to graduate from retail work ...) A bit more editing and I probably would have given it 5 stars, because I liked the ending and the idea of the book, but it definitely needed some work.

I received an advance copy and am giving an honest review.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a SLOW burn romance for sure. Not my usual style or pacing but I stuck with it. We all knew what the end result was going to be (but that’s kind of the point of these types of books, I know.) and I think I am glad that’s what happened.
I think I would have rooted harder for Ingrid and Macon if I had liked him. I guess this is apparently a grumpy/sunshine type book (also new to me) but I didn’t really even like Macon and Ingrid together. He was too moody and honestly, until the very end, his actions didn’t really seem to show that he was into her as much as he said he was. Maybe I’m just more into books where the guy is really, really into the girl. High standards perhaps 🤣

For a 40 year old man, he also seemed immature to me as well. Cute book, but really had a hard time getting past my dislike of Macon.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book fell short for me While some aspects were intriguing, the pacing was just dragging. If you like slow burn then this maybe for you. Additionally I'm not sure I bonded with the plot of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me preface this by saying that this is a premise I usually avoid so it wasn't a hit for me.
Buuuuut. I really liked her writing style and if you're a fan of slow burn I think you'll love this one!

Thanks to St. Martins Press and Saturday Books for sending me the ARC of this book! I have never read anything by Stephanie Perkins before and I really enjoyed this one a lot! I will say that this book was definitely heavier than I was expecting. The book follows Ingrid, a librarian and book lover who has just skated along in life for the last decade. She has been dating her college sweetheart for over a decade with no talk of marriage, when she realizes that maybe her life isn't what she wants it to be. Ingrid and her boyfriend decide to take some time apart with the goal of getting back together afterwards. The, book then follows Ingrid on a journey of self discovery as she learns, what she wants to do with her life and who she wants to spend it with. This book is a slow burn romance and I truly loved the connection between Ingrid and Macon, but it was so much for than that. I was rooting for Ingrid as she figured out what she wanted in life and I was cheering on Ingrid and Macon the whole time. It was very insightful book and I will definitely recommend it! I also really loved all of the bookish details sprinkled throughout!

This was a great book revolving around relationships and taking chances in them. A friends to lovers scenario in a classic no one wants to make the first move and ruin a friendship trope. What made this book different were the characters backstories and circumstances prior to the protagonists finally becoming a couple. I’m usually not a relationship book reader leaning more toward suspense and mystery but I found this to be a very satisfying read.

Absolutely loved Overdue by Stephanie Perkins. Her adult debut is everything I never knew I needed. This book is a slowww burn in the best way. Like, two people staring at each other across the circulation desk while pretending not to be wildly in love.

If you like books, libraries, pining/tension, and characters who take their sweet time figuring it out, this is for you. The chemistry is top tier. The vibes are cozy. I read it in one sitting while ignoring all adult responsibilities. No regrets.

Ten out of ten. Would recommend to anyone who has ever made up a reason to talk to their library crush.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins was a great read—definitely a very slow burn, but absolutely worth it. It follows two librarians in a cozy small town, and the story centers around Ingrid, who’s trying to figure out what she really wants out of life and love. The timeline spans about a year, which felt long at times, but it gave me the chance to really connect with the characters and root for them. It’s not super dramatic or fast-paced, but if you’re into books with strong lead characters, tons of book vibes, and some romance, I’d definitely recommend picking this one up!

This one was ok. I felt like it was dragged out way longer than needed. It was also extremely slow burn. Ingrid and Macon were cute together, it just took so long for them to finally admit their feelings.

I think there are some people who will love this book, and others who won’t care for it. It’s an extremely slow-burning romance and more of a women’s lit story. The beats of the plot remind me more of YA than typical romance structure. There’s no third-act breakup here; the happy couple only gets together near the very end of the book. Between the beginning and the end, you have a lot of the FMC discovering herself and listing out facts.

The premise of the book is an interesting one, and the story starts off with a bang, but then it loses momentum. If you like slow burns and clean romances (this does have the faintest bit of spice though), then this will probably be more of your thing than mine.

Tropes:
-workplace romance
-friends to lovers
-age gap
-grumpy/sunshine

This book wasn’t my favorite, but I am clearly in the minority for that since other reviewers have loved it!

4.5 stars rounded up. So, first and foremost, this is not a book to go in expecting a romance. I would classify this more towards women's fiction than I would romance. It definitely has a romance plot line and the last third of the book focuses more on that, but a majority of it focuses more on the FMC and her life. How it’s not what she expected and how she manages through that. The book does a good job at looking at how everyone’s life is on a different trajectory and yours may not look like others, and you may not want it to look like others. I think I related a lot to that. Obviously, the whole "let's take a break in our relationship because we've only been with each other and want to explore the dating world before we commit" was really dumb and I had no confidence in them finding their way back to each other. They've been dating for 11 years and never once discussed marriage, although they both want marriage? Come on....we know where this is going. 😂 But as someone who met their husband at 18 and married him at 19, I could definitely relate to never having "explored" and how that can be a hurdle for some people. I really liked the characters, and the librarian/book lovers were a fun addition for any book lover out there. If you're looking for a women's fiction that also has a slow burn romance, this may be the one for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Saturday Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ingrid’s boyfriend Cory has a proposal: date other people for a month and then either break up or get married. The only problem is, when the month is over, neither is ready to make a choice. Enter Macon, the nerdy glasses sporting co-worker that Ingrid has always had a crush on. Here’s her chance to act on it. What follows is a friendship that turns into something more, and a dream career that might just become reality. Gently and realistically written, this is a story that plunges you deep into the lives of these characters, their struggles, and their dreams. A delightful women’s fiction debut from a beloved young adult author.

Thank you to the author and to St. Martin’s Press for another chance advanced copy of this book! This is a fantastic story about what if’s, new beginnings, and getting out of your comfort zone. Longtime couple Cory and Ingrid decide a trial one month separation is just what the doctor ordered, to keep their long term relationship alive, before tying the knot. They both branch out on their own and live a “single” life in their 30’s. I loved some of the secondary characters better than the main ones. This was definitely a slow burn and on the longer side for a romance book, but I loved it.

Overdue was the perfect
◦ Mix of romance, sensitive topics and contemporary issues. I enjoyed the and characters Macon and Iggy. The author portrayed their internal struggles related to family obligations and the integration of moving outside your comfort zone in a relatable way. I love stories that incorporate books and libraries. The use of culture references was an added plus

honestly… the ending of this book was overdue. 😩🫠 i tried REALLY hard to give this book a fair shot, but sadly it just wasn’t for me. i did not enjoy the plot, i had difficulty connecting with / liking any of the characters, and i found the slow-burn to be painfully slow.

the main trope that’s focused on here is “let’s break up and date other people to show how much we really love each other” …and in what world does that work out well??? plus a friends to lovers aspect that didn’t materialize into anything interesting or juicy into literally over 80% of the way through the book. and at that point i was just over it and didn’t really care that the main characters had gotten together. the female main character ingrid was— to me— selfish, entitled, and immature. the male main character macon was bland, boring, and kind of an asshole? i didn’t feel much chemistry between them, which left me feeling tired and bored. 🥱

overall, i think this book was just excruciatingly ‘okay’. for someone else it could be a 5-star read. but, because of the points mentioned above, it unfortunately didn’t get there on my rating scale, and instead gets just 2 stars from me thanks to some of the cuter moments.

thank you to NetGalley, the author/publisher for providing this ARC for me to read in exchange for my honest review!

As a librarian, I had been excited to read this based off the description and title. I wanted to like this but I can’t help feel a little disappointed. I had hoped for accurate library representation in a romance book but this was not it.

This was my first book by Stephanie Perkins. As much as I enjoyed her writing style, all the characters, and Ingrid’s growth, I found this book rather underwhelming. I had a hard time understanding or relating to Ingrid’s acceptance on “pausing” her engagement to sleep with other people. It made the chapters where she’s absolutely heartbroken about her broken engagement very cringey. Also, I’m surprised the author, a former librarian, chose to depict Ingrid as a librarian without a MLS degree. This is very rare in real life. Most libraries require the degree for all librarians, and not just management. I wished the author had explained this for readers who might not know how the library system works.

Thank you Net Galley / St Martins Press / Saturday
Books for this advance reader copy!
This book was exactly what I needed right now to decompress. I have been reading a lot of fantasy and dark romances lately and this was a perfect pallet cleanser. I finished it in 2 days because I couldn't put it down despite it not being the usual type of book I read.
This book is a MAJOR slow burn with very little spice so if you are looking for something more fast paced and spicy it may not be for you. The main characters don't even get together until about 70-80% of the way into the book and the book takes course over a whole year. I loved that the MMC was just a shy quiet guy who cared tremendously even with his "grumpy" traits, it was a different vibe from the mysterious over protective grumpy MMC that most books have.
Again, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, especially if you're into more fast paced romances or don't like cliche/cheesey storylines but I genuinely thought it was a cute quick read and I want to check out more of Stephanie's work now!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I loved the description of this plot. However, the story itself fell flat for me. The characters, especially the FMC was very cringe- I just didn’t feel any connection to any of the characters or the story itself.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Saturday Books, and NetGalley for access to the eARC of this book.

As a librarian who LOVES romance, I was excited to read this book, and I wanted to LOVE this romance about librarians, but sadly I did not. It was okay, but not great. The slow-burn was not what I wanted it to be, too little happened for too long with too little of really great tension and yearning. The characters were clunky and frustrating to read. I was not as invested as I wanted to be in their lives and their love story. I wish I enjoyed it more, I'm sure it will be someone's cup of tea, sad it wasn't mine. 2.5 stars rounded up.