Book Review: Overdue Synopsis and Explain – 11 Years with 0 Sparks
Picture this: a 29-year-old librarian who’s been with her bloke for 11 bloody years decides to shag around for a month before marriage, crushes on her grumpy coworker, then spends 416 pages doing absolutely nothing about it.
That’s Overdue by Stephanie Perkins in a nutshell—a romance so glacially paced it makes watching grass grow feel like an action thriller. This isn’t your mum’s beach read; it’s a slog through 12 months of indecision, awkward Tinder dates, and enough emotional constipation to fill the Sydney Harbour.
Stick around to discover why this supposed slow burn is really just a damp squib, featuring a main character who treats blokes like rubbish, a love interest with zero personality, and enough filler to pad out three novels. Drop a comment below if you’ve survived this marathon—I need therapy buddies.
Detailed Summary
Chapter 1 – January: The Break Begins
Right, so we kick off with Ingrid and Cory already on their ridiculous “break” because Ingrid’s sister got engaged after two years and suddenly everyone’s questioning why these two muppets haven’t tied the knot after 11.
Instead of, I dunno, having an honest conversation like adults, they decide to date other people for a month to “see what’s out there” before committing.
It’s the dumbest premise ever—if you don’t know after 11 years, mate, the answer’s already bloody no.
Ingrid works at a library in Ridgetop, North Carolina, and she’s got her eye on Macon Nowakowski, her grumpy coworker who’s supposedly her best friend but barely talks.
Chapter 2 – January: The Rejected Kiss
Ingrid makes her move on Macon at a party, trying to kiss him while they’re both a bit tipsy.
Macon shuts her down faster than a pub at closing time, leaving Ingrid absolutely mortified.
She spends the rest of January hiding from him at work, which is properly awkward since they’re supposed to be mates.
Meanwhile, Cory’s off doing his own thing, and Ingrid starts spiraling about whether she made a massive mistake.
Chapter 3 – February: Dating App Disaster
February rolls around and Ingrid downloads Tinder because apparently that’s the solution to her problems.
She goes on a string of dates with forgettable blokes—one’s too eager, another’s too boring, none of them spark anything.
The writing drags here, spending pages and pages describing mundane coffee dates that add nothing to the plot.
Ingrid keeps thinking about Macon while stringing along these poor bastards who actually like her.
Chapter 4 – February: Cory’s Confession
Plot twist that everyone saw coming from space: Cory’s been sleeping with someone during their break.
He asks for another month, and Ingrid’s actually relieved because she doesn’t want him back anyway.
This is where you realize their relationship was deader than a dodo ages ago, so why are we reading about it?
The whole premise falls apart here—if neither wants the other, just break up properly instead of this drawn-out nonsense.
Chapter 5 – March: More Pointless Dates
March is more of the same—Ingrid dates a guy named Gareth who’s actually quite nice.
But she treats him like dirt, clearly not interested, while still pining over Macon who’s given her zero encouragement.
She eventually dumps Gareth in a way that’s pretty harsh, showing her self-absorbed side.
The pacing here is absolutely shocking—we’re 100+ pages in and nothing meaningful has happened.
Chapter 6 – March/April: The Friendship Limbo
Ingrid and Macon slowly start talking again, awkwardly rebuilding their friendship.
They have lunch together, chat about books, but it’s all surface-level stuff with no depth.
Macon remains a complete mystery—we learn nothing about him, his thoughts, his feelings, nada.
For a supposed best friend and love interest, he’s got the personality of a wet blanket.
Chapter 7 – April: Career Crisis
Ingrid gets offered a chance to go to library school and become a proper librarian.
She turns it down, which is fine, but then the book keeps calling her a “librarian” anyway when she’s just a library assistant.
This inconsistency is bloody annoying—pick a lane, Perkins.
Ingrid starts considering other career paths, like working in a bookstore, which somehow seems better to her than her current gig.
Chapter 8 – May: House Renovation
Macon’s renovating his house and Ingrid starts helping him paint and fix things up.
These scenes are meant to show them bonding, but it’s just descriptions of home improvement with zero romantic tension.
They cook together—Macon’s apparently amazing in the kitchen and garden, which are his only personality traits.
The chemistry is non-existent; they read like mates, not potential lovers.
Chapter 9 – May/June: Family Drama
We learn Macon’s dealing with aging parents who have mental health issues.
This could’ve been compelling, but it’s glossed over rather than properly explored.
Ingrid meets his family briefly, and they’re pleasant enough, but we don’t spend enough time with them to care.
The book tries to give Macon depth here but fails because we still don’t get his perspective.
Chapter 10 – June: Birthday Blues
Ingrid turns 30 and has an existential crisis about her life going nowhere.
She throws herself a pity party, acting way more immature than her age suggests.
Her friends try to cheer her up, but honestly, they’re all a bit bland too.
The supporting cast is forgettable—there’s her sister Riley, her online friend Kat from Australia, and various coworkers who blend together.
Chapter 11 – July: Still Nothing Happening
July is peak frustration—Ingrid and Macon are clearly into each other but neither does anything about it.
They have these long, meaningful looks and charged silences that go absolutely nowhere.
At this point, you’re screaming at the book to just get on with it already.
But no, we’ve got hundreds more pages of this excruciating dance.
Chapter 12 – August: More Self-Discovery
Ingrid decides she wants to work in a bookstore instead of the library.
She starts looking for jobs and interviewing, which takes up way too much page time.
This is meant to be about her finding herself, but it reads like padding to justify the book’s bloated length.
The personal growth arc is shallow—she changes jobs but doesn’t actually evolve as a person.
Chapter 13 – August/September: The Waiting Game
Ingrid lands a job at a local bookstore and quits the library, meaning she won’t see Macon daily anymore.
You’d think this would spur some romantic development, but nope, they just continue being awkward friends.
Macon seems sad she’s leaving but doesn’t say anything meaningful.
The emotional constipation is off the charts—neither character can communicate worth a damn.
Chapter 14 – September: New Job, Same Problems
Ingrid starts at the bookstore and it’s fine—she likes it, meets new people, sells books.
But we spend ages on mundane work details that add nothing to the romance plot.
She still sees Macon occasionally, they still have no romantic progress.
By now, readers are either committed to finishing out of stubbornness or they’ve DNF’d.
Chapter 15 – October: Halloween Hangout
There’s a Halloween party where Ingrid and Macon attend together, and it’s painfully platonic.
They dress up, have a nice time, but zero physical contact or romantic moments.
The tension that’s supposed to be “unbearable” is actually just boring.
Other characters are hooking up and happy, making Ingrid and Macon’s situation even more frustrating.
Chapter 16 – October/November: The Big Mope
Ingrid starts properly moping about Macon, writing sad diary entries and overthinking everything.
She refers to herself as a “shell” going through the motions, which is cringey as hell.
This entire section could’ve been cut—it’s repetitive navel-gazing that tests your patience.
The writing feels YA rather than adult, with melodrama that doesn’t fit a 30-year-old woman.
Chapter 17 – November: Thanksgiving Awkwardness
Thanksgiving brings family drama—Ingrid’s parents are there, her sister’s planning her wedding.
Ingrid feels like a failure compared to Riley, who’s got her life sorted.
But instead of doing something about it, she just wallows and complains.
Macon’s barely in this section, which is a problem when he’s meant to be the love interest.
Chapter 18 – November/December: The Almost Moment
Finally, FINALLY, there’s a moment where it seems like something might happen between Ingrid and Macon.
They’re at his house, it’s cozy, there’s food, the mood is right.
But once again, nothing happens—just more longing looks and unspoken feelings.
At this point, you want to throw the book across the room.
Chapter 19 – December: Christmas Miracle (Sort Of)
Christmas arrives and Ingrid and Macon exchange thoughtful gifts that show they know each other well.
There’s a moment where they almost confess their feelings, but then someone interrupts or they chicken out.
The slow burn has officially become no burn—it’s just torture.
The supporting characters are more interesting at this point—at least they have functioning relationships.
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Chapter 20 – December: The Long-Awaited Confession
At last, at like 85% through the book, Macon and Ingrid finally talk about their feelings.
Turns out Macon’s been into her all along but didn’t want to be a rebound from Cory.
This could’ve been cleared up with one conversation 300 pages ago, but instead we got a year of pointlessness.
They confess their love in what’s meant to be a swoon-worthy scene but feels anticlimactic after the slog.
Chapter 21 – December: Together At Last
Ingrid and Macon finally get together properly—kissing, relationship talk, all that jazz.
The payoff is underwhelming because you’ve lost interest by this point.
They’re cute together, sure, but it’s too little too late.
The book ends on a happy note with them together, ready to start their relationship properly.
Epilogue – Looking Forward
There’s a brief epilogue showing them happy and in love, planning their future.
Ingrid’s settled in her bookstore job, Macon’s still at the library, they’re making it work.
It ties up loose ends but doesn’t make the journey feel worthwhile.
The whole book could’ve been 200 pages and nothing of value would’ve been lost.
Overall Summary Thoughts
This book spans an entire year, broken into month-by-month chapters that drag on forever.
The structure of organizing by months sounds neat but actually makes the pacing even worse.
Each month feels like filler, with repetitive scenes of Ingrid going to work, hanging with friends, thinking about Macon.
The romance doesn’t develop organically—it just stagnates for 400 pages until the author decides it’s time to wrap up.
Secondary plotlines about Ingrid’s career change and family relationships are underdeveloped and boring.
The book markets itself as a “slow burn romance full of lust and longing” but it’s really just a slog.
There’s minimal physical chemistry—they barely touch until the very end, and even then it’s tame.
For an adult romance, it reads more like YA with its melodrama and lack of mature content.
The setting of a cozy mountain town and library should be charming but ends up feeling generic.
Perkins tries to make it bookish and cozy, but it’s just dull instead of comforting.
By the time the romance finally happens, you’re too exhausted to care.
It’s a massive disappointment, especially coming from the author of Anna and the French Kiss.
Characters
Ingrid Dahl
Ingrid’s meant to be a cheerful, bubbly librarian, but she comes across as immature and self-absorbed.
At 29 turning 30, she acts more like a teenager with her dramatic spiraling and inability to communicate.
She treats the men she dates poorly, leading them on while obviously hung up on Macon.
Her decision-making is questionable—taking a break to date others is ridiculous after 11 years with Cory.
She constantly needs validation from her friends but rarely shows interest in their lives.
The “finding herself” arc is shallow; she changes jobs but doesn’t actually grow as a person.
She’s exhausting to be in the head of for 416 pages.
Macon Nowakowski
Macon’s the grumpy, quiet coworker who’s supposed to be swoon-worthy but has zero personality.
He’s described as prickly and sarcastic, but we barely see that—he’s just awkward and silent most of the time.
His only character traits are: he can cook, he gardens, he reads, and he’s older than Ingrid (age gap is about 10-12 years).
The book desperately needed his POV to make him interesting, but staying in Ingrid’s head makes him a cipher.
He’s dealing with aging parents and mental health issues in his family, but that’s barely explored.
His reason for not pursuing Ingrid—not wanting to be a rebound—makes sense but could’ve been communicated way earlier.
He’s less a fully realized character and more a fantasy projection of a perfect patient man.
Cory
Cory’s Ingrid’s boyfriend of 11 years who’s surprisingly reasonable about everything.
They break up amicably and actually become friends by the end, which is refreshing.
He’s barely in the book, which makes sense since he’s the ex, but that makes the whole “break” premise pointless.
If he was clearly wrong for her from the start, why drag it out?
Riley
Ingrid’s younger sister who’s getting married and has her life together.
She exists mainly to make Ingrid feel inadequate and insecure.
Riley’s nice enough but underdeveloped—we don’t really know her beyond “successful younger sister.”
Kat
Ingrid’s online friend from Australia who she chats with about her problems.
Kat’s more of a sounding board than a real character—we never meet her in person.
It’s odd that Ingrid’s closest confidant is someone she’s never met rather than her actual physical friends.
Hazan and Other Coworkers
Various library coworkers who blend together into a forgettable mush.
They’re friendly and supportive but have no distinct personalities.
You’ll forget their names immediately after reading.
Parents
Both Ingrid’s parents and Macon’s parents appear briefly but aren’t well-developed.
Macon’s family situation with mental health issues could’ve been compelling but gets minimal page time.
Ingrid’s parents are pleasant but generic.
Dating App Guys
Ingrid dates several men during her break, including Gareth who actually seems decent.
She treats them all poorly, using them as distractions while pining for Macon.
They’re disposable plot devices rather than real people.
Compare With Other Works
| Book | Similarity | Why Overdue Loses |
| Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins | Same author, romance, YA roots | Anna had actual chemistry, better pacing, charming setting, and characters you root for. Overdue is bloated and boring by comparison. |
| The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata | Ultra slow burn romance | Zapata does slow burn right with character development and payoff. Overdue is just slow with no satisfying burn. |
| Beach Read by Emily Henry | Contemporary romance, writer protagonists, personal growth | Henry balances romance with deeper themes elegantly. Overdue tries but fails, ending up shallow and tedious. |
| Book Lovers by Emily Henry | Romance, book industry setting, character finding herself | Emily Henry’s wit and writing quality demolish Perkins here. Book Lovers is engaging; Overdue is a slog. |
| All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata | Small town, slow burn, grumpy hero | Zapata’s heroes have personality. Macon is cardboard. The pacing works in Zapata; it drags in Overdue. |
Overdue fails compared to successful slow burns because it mistakes “slow” for “nothing happening.” Great slow burns have constant tension, small moments building, character development happening alongside the romance. Overdue has people thinking about each other for 400 pages with barely any interaction.
Compared to Perkins’ own YA work, this is a massive step down. Anna and the French Kiss had spark, humor, and actual romantic development. Overdue reads like a first draft that needed serious editing.
Emily Henry’s adult contemporaries show how to do realistic, character-driven romance properly. Perkins’ transition to adult fiction falls flat—the writing still feels YA but without the energy that made her YA work popular.
The book tries to be literary women’s fiction with romantic elements but ends up being neither fish nor fowl—not romantic enough for romance readers, not substantive enough for literary fiction fans.
Achievement
Goodreads Metrics
Overdue hasn’t racked up massive numbers yet since it only released October 7, 2025.
Early ratings show it’s divisive—plenty of 2-3 star reviews mixed with some 4-5 stars from die-hard Perkins fans.
No concrete rating average available yet, but based on reviews it’s trending toward 3-3.5 stars out of 5.
Stephanie Perkins’ Previous Success
Anna and the French Kiss has 463,310 ratings on Goodreads with a 3.96 average—that’s properly massive.
Lola and the Boy Next Door has 166,439 ratings at 3.90 average.
Isla and the Happily Ever After has 119,027 ratings at 3.99 average.
Her YA horror novel There’s Someone Inside Your House was adapted into a Netflix film.
She’s a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author with work published in over 25 territories.
Overdue Specific Recognition
Selected as an Indie Next Pick for October 2025, which is notable.
Published by Saturday Books, an imprint of Macmillan/St. Martin’s Press—major publisher backing.
Got blurbs from heavy hitters like Rainbow Rowell, Christina Lauren, and Lauren Blakely.
No bestseller lists announced yet since it’s brand new.
Audiobook Stats
Audiobook version is 13 hours and 26 minutes long, narrated by Eva Kaminsky.
That’s a proper marathon—most romance audiobooks are 8-10 hours.
The length is a negative here, not a positive—it’s just padding.
Sales and Rankings
No specific sales numbers available publicly yet.
Preorder numbers weren’t hyped the way major releases usually are, suggesting moderate expectations.
Available in hardcover at $31, which is standard pricing for adult fiction.
Compared to Perkins’ YA success, this adult debut seems to be underperforming in buzz and early reception.
Awards and Nominations
No awards or nominations announced yet—too new.
Given the mixed reviews, it’s unlikely to be a major awards contender.
Perkins’ previous works were nominated for Goodreads Awards and other YA honors, but this seems less likely for Overdue.
Social Media Reception
Mixed reception on BookTok and Bookstagram—not going viral like some anticipated.
Many reviewers admit DNF’ing or struggling through it.
The “slow burn” aspect is the most criticized element across platforms.
Some loyal fans defend it as “realistic” and “character-driven,” but they’re outnumbered by disappointed readers.
Comparisons to Anna and the French Kiss Success
Anna and the French Kiss was a cultural phenomenon in YA—everyone read it, loved Étienne St. Clair, wanted to go to Paris.
Overdue has nowhere near that impact or cultural penetration.
It feels like a step backward in Perkins’ career rather than a triumphant adult debut.
The numbers tell the story—Anna’s nearly half a million ratings speak to its popularity; Overdue likely won’t come close.
Who Should Skip This Book
Right, let’s be honest about who this book is absolutely NOT for.
Readers wanting actual romance should stay far away—this is 400 pages of yearning with minimal payoff.
Anyone with limited reading time will resent spending hours on a book that could’ve been 200 pages.
Fast-paced plot lovers will be bored to tears by the glacial pacing and repetitive chapters.
People who hate indecisive protagonists will want to throttle Ingrid by chapter 5.
Readers allergic to cringe should avoid the “shell” sections and melodramatic spiraling.
Those expecting Stephanie Perkins’ YA charm will be disappointed—this lacks the spark of Anna and the French Kiss.
Romance readers wanting spice will be left hanging; physical intimacy doesn’t happen until the very end and it’s tame.
People who dislike “takes a break” relationship plots will find the premise infuriating from the start.
Readers valuing strong character development won’t find it here despite the book’s length.
Anyone hoping for witty banter and chemistry between leads will be sorely disappointed; Macon barely talks.
Final Verdict
Overdue is a massive disappointment that mistakes length for depth and slow burn for no burn at all.
At 416 pages, it’s bloated beyond belief, padding out what could’ve been a decent 200-page novella.
Ingrid’s immature and unlikeable, Macon’s got no personality, and their romance has zero chemistry.
The premise is dumb, the pacing is torture, and the payoff doesn’t justify the journey.
Compared to Perkins’ beloved YA work, this adult debut falls completely flat.
It reads like YA writing trying to pass as adult fiction—melodramatic, shallow, and exhausting.
Save yourself the trouble and reread Anna and the French Kiss instead, or pick up an Emily Henry novel if you want quality adult contemporary romance.
Overdue lives up to its title—it’s long overdue for a severe edit and some actual romantic development.
Now it’s your turn—have you survived this marathon or were you smart enough to DNF? Drop your thoughts below and let me know if I’m being too harsh or spot on!
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