alittlediamond's review against another edition
emotional
funny
4.0
A nice light read, though the end gets a little heavier.
miabarranco's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
louetta's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for an honest review
This book is engaging, insightful and, at times, laugh out loud funny...sometimes in the same sentence!!!
The writing was wonderful. I've not read anything by Kelly Harms before, but I am now a fan! The plot was engaging, I could not put it down! I adored all the fun characters. Would go higher than 5 🌟 if I could!! Fully recommend!!
This book is engaging, insightful and, at times, laugh out loud funny...sometimes in the same sentence!!!
The writing was wonderful. I've not read anything by Kelly Harms before, but I am now a fan! The plot was engaging, I could not put it down! I adored all the fun characters. Would go higher than 5 🌟 if I could!! Fully recommend!!
pn_hinton's review against another edition
3.0
I never understood how a reader could read and love a book right up until close to the end. I was one who was like with all that invested time and joy, what thing towards the home stretch could possibly turn the tide that much.
After reading this book, now I understand.
I really enjoyed the majority of this book. Even if Amy was woefully naive in some aspects, I enjoyed seeing her take time for herself. Even though John (the not quite ex) kept calling her a martyr, I never viewed her as that. She was a woman who was abandoned by her husband, who was the sole bread winner at the time, when he acted like an overgrown child and fled the country and went halfway across the world. To add insult to this injury, he took up with another woman and never sent any type of monetary help to Amy. But she did what she had to do and took care of her kids and made sure that they could stay in their house to not further uproot their lives.
So, yes, her 'momspringa' was well-deserved. She deserved to go out and take a break and feel comforted in that someone was taking care of her kids. This also isn't just a 'for mom' things since single dads would need it to. Her embracing that as well as letting herself have fun was great and fun to read.
Then we got to the guilt part. And while I knew it was coming, since she was a mom, it was still infuriating to read. And that's where this book almost took a nosedive in rank for me. I didn't like how she guilted herself into cutting her vacation short. Parents deserve time off. It's exhausting being a parent and yes they chose the life but still...people choose pathways, people, careers, etc that they love all the time. That doesn't mean that they don't ever need or want a break.
I also didn't like how she left Daniel, the hot librarian, for a man who abandoned her and their kids. And it's not even like he went a few towns over. He went to the other side of the freaking globe and never sent them money. I'm one of those that I do believe in for better or for worse and will try to work out most martial problems. That said, there are hard deal breakers out there and abandoning us, going to the other side of the world, and taking up with a younger woman is one of them. For a moment the story played with the of Amy getting back with John and I legit would have thrown my Kindle (onto a soft surface I don't want to have to replace it) because he didn't deserve that second chance.
Luckily it didn't come to it. But the hint of it and the sudden appearance of plot points to further explain and in some ways try to excuse John's behavior lead to this lose points with me. This book took a turn in the last 13% that I feel it would have been stronger without. And the letters and the social media posts at the end seemed tacked on to increase the page count. But I still enjoyed most of it despite all that.
All that said, this rates more like 3.5 stars but we all know how Goodreads feels about half stars. And it wasn't enough to bump it up to 4 because of those points mentioned above. It is a perfect Spring Break or summer read though so I do recommend it for that.
After reading this book, now I understand.
I really enjoyed the majority of this book. Even if Amy was woefully naive in some aspects, I enjoyed seeing her take time for herself. Even though John (the not quite ex) kept calling her a martyr, I never viewed her as that. She was a woman who was abandoned by her husband, who was the sole bread winner at the time, when he acted like an overgrown child and fled the country and went halfway across the world. To add insult to this injury, he took up with another woman and never sent any type of monetary help to Amy. But she did what she had to do and took care of her kids and made sure that they could stay in their house to not further uproot their lives.
So, yes, her 'momspringa' was well-deserved. She deserved to go out and take a break and feel comforted in that someone was taking care of her kids. This also isn't just a 'for mom' things since single dads would need it to. Her embracing that as well as letting herself have fun was great and fun to read.
Then we got to the guilt part. And while I knew it was coming, since she was a mom, it was still infuriating to read. And that's where this book almost took a nosedive in rank for me. I didn't like how she guilted herself into cutting her vacation short. Parents deserve time off. It's exhausting being a parent and yes they chose the life but still...people choose pathways, people, careers, etc that they love all the time. That doesn't mean that they don't ever need or want a break.
I also didn't like how she left Daniel, the hot librarian, for a man who abandoned her and their kids. And it's not even like he went a few towns over. He went to the other side of the freaking globe and never sent them money. I'm one of those that I do believe in for better or for worse and will try to work out most martial problems. That said, there are hard deal breakers out there and abandoning us, going to the other side of the world, and taking up with a younger woman is one of them. For a moment the story played with the of Amy getting back with John and I legit would have thrown my Kindle (onto a soft surface I don't want to have to replace it) because he didn't deserve that second chance.
Luckily it didn't come to it. But the hint of it and the sudden appearance of plot points to further explain and in some ways try to excuse John's behavior lead to this lose points with me. This book took a turn in the last 13% that I feel it would have been stronger without. And the letters and the social media posts at the end seemed tacked on to increase the page count. But I still enjoyed most of it despite all that.
All that said, this rates more like 3.5 stars but we all know how Goodreads feels about half stars. And it wasn't enough to bump it up to 4 because of those points mentioned above. It is a perfect Spring Break or summer read though so I do recommend it for that.
cleonardodavinci's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
3.0
A breezy, pleasant read. While there certainly are a lot of different elements at play in this novel, Harms brings them all together by the end to create a satisfying experience. There are times where the humor feels a little forced, and it sure is convenient that Amy can handwave away most of her New York expenses by having them paid for by her ex's credit card or the magazine that is covering her momspringa experience. I appreciated how the story captures the difficulties of being a single mom and how mothers of all kinds truly need an extended break sometimes to fully unwind and rediscover a sense of self.
laurenmidna's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun, light read, a great break from some of the grittier, more involved stuff I’ve been reading lately. While kind of predictable, it was still made me laugh out loud and had important messages that aren’t just for moms. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and will hold on to the lessons to take care of myself, look for new options when you think you’re cornered, and to never give up on the ones you love. Also, new shoes never hurt :)
jennyyyyyyyyyyyy's review against another edition
3.0
I'm between a 3.5 and a 4.
The Overdue life of Amy Byler is Light, funny, and relatable. I enjoyed Harms's humor and it was a great book to get me out of my reading slump.
The Overdue life of Amy Byler is Light, funny, and relatable. I enjoyed Harms's humor and it was a great book to get me out of my reading slump.
alelubets's review against another edition
5.0
Amy é mãe de dois filhos e seu marido desapareceu depois de uma viagem a Hong Kong por três anos. Até que um belo dia, ele retorna querendo se retratar com a família. Em uma semana de summer break dos filhos com John, o ex-ainda-talvez-marido, Amy embarca para uma momcation em Nova Iorque e redescobre as coisas que gosta de fazer sozinha. Entre elas, dar umas boas beijocas e etc. O dilema de Amy é a dúvida entre voltar para casa e retomar a vida normal ou se aventurar com alguém que quer assumir algo mais sério que um romance de verão.
A narrativa é gostosa e muito engraçada. Poucos livros me fazem rir espontaneamente ou falar em voz alta com a personagem querendo que ela faça ou deixe de fazer algo conforme a minha vontade.
A narrativa é gostosa e muito engraçada. Poucos livros me fazem rir espontaneamente ou falar em voz alta com a personagem querendo que ela faça ou deixe de fazer algo conforme a minha vontade.
tiffanysbookshelf96's review against another edition
3.0
Easy read
Funny, light hearted story. Definitley surprise twist at the end. I enjoyed it, moms need vacations to. Quick read for sure
Funny, light hearted story. Definitley surprise twist at the end. I enjoyed it, moms need vacations to. Quick read for sure