Overdue: A Small Town Romance
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $2.99
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
The first time I saw her, I knew she was the one.
Then she broke my nose.
She started a war, one that would last through our childhood.
After years of being gone, I'm home for good this time. If that isn't bad enough, guess who I find bent over a filing cabinet, looking better than I remember?
Everything in me tells me to run. But I'm a glutton for punishment.
How can I convince her I'm worth a second look if she sneers whenever she sees me? But I'm not the same boy she thought she knew.
He was my nemesis, but also my childhood crush.
He threw shade, I ignored him.
He irritated me, I retaliated.
It was a childhood war for the ages. But that's all about to change. Now we're all grown up and back in the small town where it all began.
He's always been the most beautiful boy I've ever known. He's just as stunning as a man.
His attitude though? I can still do without it.
We might be able to build something, if he'd just keep his mouth closed.
Can I learn to get along with the boy from down the street?
Only if he learns to play nice.
Customer Reviews
Small town at its finest
This was my first read by this author & I was pleasantly surprised. The character development was sound and the story line was intriguing & maybe a little sweet.
Reed Campbell was a young boy who had suffered a tragedy no one should have to experience at a young age. After the loss of his parents, he’s moved to a town where he knows no one, to live with his grandmother. When his grandmother takes him to a neighbor’s house to meet a kid who will be in his grade, he first meets her beguiling younger sister, Austen, and is smitten. Years later after a short lived military career, he has come home to help his grandmother after having a stroke. Little did he know, Austen is back home after a failed writing career.
Austen Caraway was a young girl well beyond her years in her reading preferences. She’s brilliant, intelligent, and has no time for annoying little boys her older sister’s age. Not to mention, he also has a tendency to annoy her by saying & doing things before he speaks, which don’t always have the best outcome for him. After years spent trying to accomplish her dreams of being a Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winner in Literature, she comes home unsuccessful to take over the position of head librarian at the town library. But when a guest appears at her office door at a very inopportune time, she comes face to face with her childhood nemesis, Reed.
I loved the way that these two carry such a long history. From the ages of 12 & 14 respectively, Austen & Reed have had a rollercoaster of a relationship. They annoy each other to no end, but anytime a helping hand, a rescue, or cover up is needed, they can actually rely on each other. At the same time, Austen has a penchant to respond to Reed’s lack of filter in violent tendencies resulting in broken noses, food fights, and similar reactions.
In this frenemies to lovers rollercoaster ride, hatred really is the best form of passion. When that passion ignites, it explodes. All of the years combined have built up a rather volcanic love that seems to engulf these two. And as with any good small town, the rumor mill moves faster than human speed, so the whole town is attuned to the blossoming romance between these two.
The witty banter and silly antics between the two main characters had me giggling. The side characters were an excellent addition & clearly have me wanting more. Austen’s older sister, Eliot, was a whole other comedic relief when it came to her friendship with Reed. This trip to Dansboro Crossing makes me want to pick up a cup of coffee, or lemonade (depending on heat 🤪) & sit on the front porch swing for a while just to watch the world pass by. And of course, to watch the town drama unfold, ha.