Overdue by Stephanie Perkins (Oct 7, 2025) Thank you @naturallystephperkins @saturdaybooks and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted advanced listening copy!
Twenty-nine-year-old librarian Ingrid Dahl has been with her boyfriend Cory for eleven years, but when her sister gets engaged after just two years, Ingrid and Cory finally ask themselves: why haven’t we taken the next step? Their answer is unconventional – a one-month break to explore dating other people before getting back together and engaged (since neither has ever been with anyone else).
For Ingrid, that plan immediately brings to mind her grumpy, quiet coworker, Macon Nowakowski, who she’s secretly crushed on for years. But that doesn’t go as expected. As the experiment stretches on, Ingrid begins to question not just her relationship with Cory, but what she truly wants from her life. And slowly, her bond with Macon begins to shift into something deeper, scarier, and achingly tender.
While this is undeniably a romance, it’s also a heartfelt story of self-discovery and self-worth. The love story is deliciously slow burn – full of yearning glances, unspoken feelings, and the fear of risking the most important friendship either has ever had. Macon’s deep shyness paired with Ingrid’s sunshine-in-public, introvert-at-heart personality makes their connection feel both fragile and electric.
What I loved most are the quiet acts of love woven throughout: a borrowed coat, a painted kitchen, a shared meal. The grand gestures here are rooted in everyday tenderness, and that realism made me fall for the story even harder. A book for fans of introspective, character-driven romances that remind you how love often blooms in the little moments.
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: At 13h 26m, Eva Kaminsky gives a warm, nuanced performance that perfectly mirrors the subtlety of Perkins’ writing.
Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🎧 Audio performance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🔥 Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Book Smart Kate 