Kelly Harms

Amy McFadden

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

Riya

this was just so bland and boring. I had to struggle so hard to keep reading and not give up. you’d think from the summary that one would get to read about great family dynamics, a woman’s introspection on her life, her journey to find herself again, find a comfortable place in life after being through so many hardships, and that satisfactory culmination of when she finally puts pieces of herself back together and makes herself whole again, but NO, we didn’t get any of that because only way a woman will find her true essence is by dating men.
It would have been fine if dating had just been a small part of her growth or journey, but author made her whole character centred around just finding men. The whole make overs and changing her physical appearance felt so shallow and gaudy, this was not what I came for. I wanted to see real healing through small yet significant moments in life, through people who have been with her through it all, or maybe through a stranger with whom she gradually connects.
 Wish we could get to see more of her relationship with her children but this book liked to remain just on the surface.

lexie

i was surprised that i’m never bored in this novel, i loved cori’s everyday letters to her mom and the existential crisis, it’s a fun fiction book with a lot  of discussions about books, which i love.

this was a pretty fun read, the mom and daniel were cool, the friends were nice even the ex husband and the kids were alright just can’t wait to move to new york 

debbie <3

Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City.

Rachel

I did like this book? -- Yes 
Would I read this book again? -- No 
Would I advise others to read this book? -- Maybe 

Amy is a single mother of 2 children who are strangely advanced beyond their years. 
One day she is walking through the market and sees her ex-husband, John, who has come back to try to spend some bonding time with the children. 

Whilst the children are "bonding" with their estranged father, Amy decides to go to New York and spend time with her old college best friend and attend a library conference. While she is at the conference she meets the man of every woman's dreams. Tall, dark, handsome, well-read, and sensitive. 

This book has a lot of fun elements, but I want to jump to the ending for a second. There is an injury with Amy's daughter and it felt like this was written to move the plot to the conclusion. I did not feel that this wending was done well. Yes, there were definitely aspects that were written well and it was clear as to why this situation happened, but then it also felt very rushed and not truly finished.

Rebeca Keren Nuñez

Atraparte, divertida, se siente bastante real. Fue lo que esperaba, lo que es bueno porque no sabía con que me iba a encontrar.

Kate B-L

I would absolutely read this book again. Although I have no kids of my own, I do relate to the drudgery of everyday life and how it can wear away at a person. This book helped me to see that it's not just a good idea to take time for yourself, but an absolute necessity.

Ruth Parker 

This book was great. I can’t believe I put it off for so long. The title stared at me from my kindle, daring me to read it. But for some reason I kept putting it to one side and choosing something else. But man I wish I’d read it earlier. It was fun, light, uplifting and believable. I really fell in love with the main character Amy and felt like I understood and rooted for her throughout. 
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

SnarkByThePage

This was a decent enough summer read, but lacked any real depth. Amusing enough, is recommended it for a beach read while your toes are in the sand.

b.andherbooks

Middle-aged single mom and school librarian Amy is shocked to find the husband she never divorced back in her small town after he ditched her and their two children three years ago. He's now ready to try and be a father again to their teens, and is ready to give his credit card and time so Amy can go "have a break." 

What follows is a typical tale of a white woman finding herself after martyring her life to motherhood and refusing to make her ridiculous husband pay his share with the help of rich friends, privilege, and circumstance.

Readers must read a long time before the find out what made Amy's husband run off to China CW(view spoiler)[Miscarriage) (hide spoiler)] and I was just so utterly irritated with Amy's noble refusal to take him to task especially since her financial troubles are noted (Amy describes being on food stamps). The financial woes are sort of also solved by Amy immediately going from a stay at home mom to finding a miracle job as a librarian at her kids' posh private school. Amy does have an MLS but I found this to be a bit of a leap.

Also as a library worker and a parent, I was interested to see the struggle Amy has with her own daughter being a reluctant reader, and I did enjoy reading the journal entries Cori wrote to her mother to be the most compelling parts of the story. 

There is also a romance subplot between Amy and the "hot biracial librarian" she meets at the conference, the "librarian who Dangerous Minds his school in the Bronx" and it all kind of felt a bit not great to me, said as a white reviewer.

I appreciate what this book was trying to do, but I don't feel like it pulled it off. It was very readable and I'm sure many white, middle class women will enjoy it.

Jennifer Crumbling

Louise Briley 

Yasmin

Cadrian Mayfield

Single mother Amy Byler grabs the chance to enjoy a child-free summer in New York City, but then a crisis forces her to make some difficult choices.

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

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