The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms
Usually grounded and mild mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps. She discovers a life filled with culture, sophistication, and—with a little encouragement from her friends—a few blind dates. When one man in particular makes quick work of Amy’s heart, she risks losing herself completely in the unexpected escape, and as the summer comes to an end, Amy realizes too late that she must make an impossible decision: stay in this exciting new chapter of her life or return to the life she left behind.
But before she can choose, a crisis forces the two worlds together, and Amy must stare down a future where she could lose both sides of herself, and every dream she’s ever nurtured, in the beat of a heart.
Review: Three years ago, Amy Byler's husband went on a work trip to Hong Kong, and then decided to never come home. Since then, she has devoted her life to keeping her children's lives in order, got a job as a school librarian so her children could stay in school and she could pay the bills, and has very little time to herself. When her long-lost husband shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she reluctantly takes him up on his offer and decides to escape Pennsylvania and spend her kid-free summer in New York City. With the help of her friends, she discovers a life of culture, sophistication, and a connection with a new man. But Amy realizes that her fantasy summer must come to an end, and she quickly fills overcome with guilt for spending her summer away from her kids and pursuing a life so far from her reality at home in Pennsylvania.
This was such a fun novel about second chances and finding yourself after the absorption of motherhood has taken over for a while. I particularly loved that Amy is a book person. And not just in a pretentious way! She is constantly dropping fun literary references like mentioning Jamie Fraser from Outlander. She wonders about ways to encourage her students to read and reminds her daughter to not just read The Hunger Games.
Of course, there are elements to this book that felt a bit far-fetched. Would a man callous enough to abandon his family really show up and be like, you know what, you deserve a whole summer to yourself? Unlikely. Would Amy have a friend that can manage to get her an all-expenses paid makeover and a free place to crash in NYC for the whole summer? Also, unlikely. Would the first man she met after splitting from her husband be a dreamy, perfect match for her? Sooo unlikely. But I did love this! Amy navigating life post-breakup, struggling with feelings of hurt and resentment towards her husband, as well as struggling to determine what she wants and how she should structure her life, while juggling a job and teenagers felt so real and genuine.
A really fun, relatable read for book lovers, moms, and anyone who has gone through a breakup or a change that has challenged what you know to be true about your life.
Stars: 4
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