Genre 📚: Adult Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Romance
Tropes 💁♀️: Workplace romance, Slow burn, Books about books, Grumpy x Sunshine
Rep ✔️: BIPOC and queer side characters
CW ⚠️: Parent with agoraphobia, loss of a loved one, panic attacks
Rating ⭐️: 3.5/5
In Stephanie Perkins’ adult debut, the sunshiney librarian Ingrid and her boyfriend agree to take a month-long break to see other people. They’ve been together for a decade and they’ve only ever been with each other, so they figure they need some dating experience before going into marriage… which, yeah… that’s sure to go well.
Ingrid already has a potential partner in mind — her grumpy coworker Macon. Ingrid and Macon have been good friends for years, and she wants to explore the natural chemistry they’ve always had. She’s in a weird situation, though, since the expectation is to get back with her boyfriend and get engaged by the end of the break.
I got sooo much secondhand embarrassment as Ingrid navigated her new dating life. She was constantly fumbling with others’ hearts, and with her own heart, leading to multiple mishaps. That, of course, left a lot of room for personal growth. Most of the book is her figuring out what she wants in life, and it was surprisingly relatable. And delightful? I don’t know, I appreciated her journey. The romance was super cozy and enjoyable as well (even though it was the slowest slow-burn that ever did slow burn).
**Much thanks to NetGalley and Saturday Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Overdue will be released on October 7, 2025.
Sara Bechtol 