Now it seems the kindest thing to do is cut loose and let go of you: OVERDUE.

Overdue: A Novel by Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I thought this would be a very different story than it turned out to be. Librarian Ingrid and her longtime boyfriend Cory have been together since college. Ingrid's now 29 and with her younger sister getting married, wondering why she and Cory haven't done the same. The two agree that they need to take a month-long "break" to date other people before settling down, since they never had a chance to do so before meeting one another.

But after a month, neither is ready for marriage. And while Ingrid was turned down by her co-worker, Macon, her crush on him isn't going away. So Ingrid and Cory extend their break...

This is such a slow burn romance, and I would argue it's a book about finding yourself that turns into a romance. Ingrid has spent so long with Cory that she realizes she doesn't really know herself, so before she can commit to anything, she has to learn about herself. After Macon rejects her, she does date other people, but can't help always returning to Macon. The two start up a friendship, but it oozes with the undercurrent of their tension, and they have some pretty good banter going as well.

Of the two, I certainly preferred Macon and found myself wishing we heard from his POV once in a while. He's dealing with a lot--family members with various mental illness--and I just identified with his gruff, sarcastic manner. While Ingrid presents as cheerful, she often came across as ungrateful to me. I understand that her unhappiness was somewhat the point; she's finding herself and working out what truly makes her happy, but sometimes you wanted to shake her.

It takes a while to get into this story; you certainly want the Macon and Ingrid romance to happen right away. Still, I eventually warmed up to the way the plot was going. The end made me smile, and there's a cat, which is always a plus. 3.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Saturday Books in return for an unbiased review. Look for OVERDUE on 10/07/2025!

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