I received this book via the publisher Saturday Books. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Overdue by Stephanie Perkins Published by Saturday Books on 2025-10-07
Length: 397 pages
Reviewing eARC from the publisher Saturday Books
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2025, 2025 New Release Challenge
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Is it time to renew love or start a new chapter?
Ingrid Dahl, a cheerful twenty-nine-year-old librarian in the cozy mountain town of Ridgetop, North Carolina, has been happily dating her college boyfriend, Cory, for eleven years without ever discussing marriage. But when Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to a woman she’s only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory feel pressured to consider their future. Neither has ever been with anybody else, so they make an unconventional decision. They'll take a one-month break to date other people, then they'll reunite and move toward marriage. Ingrid even has someone in mind: her charmingly grumpy coworker, Macon Nowakowski, on whom she’s secretly crushed for years. But plans go awry, and when the month ends, Ingrid and Cory realize they’re not ready to resume their relationship—and Ingrid’s harmless crush on Macon has turned into something much more complicated.
Overdue is a beautiful, slow-burn romance full of lust and longing about new beginnings and finding your way.
This was a fun, albeit emotional, read! Overdue by Stephanie Perkins is an adult debut contemporary romance/women’s fiction about a girl turning thirty and her life falling apart. Ingrid Dahl thought she had her life all planned out–perfect boyfriend, good job, responsibly saving–until her little sister announced her engagement at Christmas. Now, Ingrid and her long-time boyfriend Cory are discussing marriage, and both panic, realizing they’ve never been with anyone else. So they make a plan. Live separately for one month and see other people, then they’ll come back together and get married. Nothing could go wrong with that, right?
What a way to start the new year! Ingrid is alone for the first time in eleven years, and she knows exactly who she wants to break her second virginity, her surly coworker Mason. The problem is he doesn’t want that, and I can’t blame him. Ingrid is using him, and everyone knows that this little experiment is doomed to fail except Ingrid and Cory. Ingrid is heartbroken and feeling a little rejected, but she decides to do what she set out to and see other people. A slew of internet dates follow, some good, some not so good, and some terrible.
I felt for Ingrid. The story is told exclusively from her point of view. It’s clear from the first few chapters that she is trying to convince herself that Cory is the one when really he is just the comfortable choice. The two have lived in relative bliss for eleven years, nothing rocks the boat. They are best friends with passable chemistry. But this story isn’t really about them. It’s about Ingrid, her wants and dreams. This experiment and temporary situation help Ingrid realize she’s unhappy with her life as it is. She wants passion and romance, stability, and someone always in her corner. She just needed the push to fly.
Mason was a pleasant surprise. He’s almost a decade older than Ingrid, her coworker, and so ingrained in her life that she doesn’t even realize it. There’s always been a spark between them, but after that late January rejection, Ingrid doesn’t push further. I loved seeing their relationship grow and develop outside her life at the library. The two have a lot in common, and he brings out the best in Ingrid, pushing her to reach for what she wants.
Overall, I really enjoyed Overdue. The story itself takes place over the course of a year, the year Ingrid turns thirty. The hilarity of starting over and the emotional heartbreak that follows captivated me from the first words to the last. It’s more than a romance. This story is about what it takes to live the life you want. If you are a fan of the author’s YA works, contemporary romance, or women’s fiction, I highly recommend it. Just maybe keep some tissues handy 😉
About Stephanie Perkins
Stephanie Perkins is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author. She has always worked with books--first as a bookseller, then as a librarian, and now as a novelist. She and her husband live in the mountains of North Carolina. Every room of their house is painted a different color of the rainbow.
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