An Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestseller, and a Goodreads Choice Award finalist.
“A laugh-out-loud funny, pitch-perfect novel that will have readers rooting for this unlikely, relatable, and totally lovable heroine, The Overdue Life of Amy Byler is the ultimate escape—and will leave moms everywhere questioning whether it isn’t time for a #momspringa of their own.” —New York Journal of … their own.” —New York Journal of Books
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.
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.
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Amy Byler’s husband ditched her and their kids three years ago, so when he shows up, full of reget, we can forgive her for being less than welcoming. Still, she could use a break–and a life.
What follows is so engaging, I had to clear my calendar. Harms dances on the knife edge between snort-your-coffee humor and bull’s-eye insights, often in the same sentence. As a card-carrying curmudgeon, I resist such tactics, but here I never felt played. Instead, I was swept up in Amy’s Everymom dilemma, her quest for a full life without sinking into the swamp of selfishness.
Whip-smart and honest to the core, THE OVERDUE LIFE OF AMY BYLER is a thoughtful, nimble charmer.
Did I mention the hot librarian?
A light, funny read, perfect for the beach. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did an excellent job, especially with the abundant journal entries and texts. Really enjoyed this book!
Three years ago, Amy’s husband left her and their two kids. He left her with a big house, a large mortgage and no money coming in. She got a job and re-negotiated the mortgage but most important she created a strong family structure for her and her two children – teenager Cori and nerdy son Joe.
Oh sure, she got some sarcastic remarks from her daughter but she was a teenager so Amy handled it as needed. Then out of the blue, with no warning, her ex-husband shows up. He is full of guilt and realizes that he handled things wrong and he wants to spend time with his kids and develop a relationship with them. After lots of NOs, Amy breaks down and decides that she needs a vacation from being a full time mom. She goes to NYC and starts to create her life as a single woman with no children. She gets herself into some hilarious situations when she starts to date again and even when she is depressed, she is still funny. A huge tragedy sends her back home again and she has to decide which life she wants to choose — or is there a way that she can have the best of both lives?
Amy spends her days like a lot of mothers – especially single mothers – taking care of everyone else and not worrying about themselves. When she has the opportunity to spend the summer by herself, she immediately says no because being a mom how she identifies herself. Once she saw what life was like in NYC, she decided that it was time to take care of herself. I sure can’t blame her – we’ve all had those days that getting away from our current lives and disappearing into a new life would be a fantastic change.
Even though there are some serious issues in this book – it’s a charming book with laugh out loud moments. You’ll find yourself rooting for Amy throughout the book.
Absolutely loved this tale of one woman’s unintentional do-over. A must-read for busy moms or anyone who sometimes wonders if their earlier dreams and ambitions still matter all these years later.
My kids are grown now and I’m an empty nester, but when they were little I know I should have done a better job of self care so I could give them the best version of me and not the tired, frustrated, overwhelmed version they sometimes got. Fortunately I had a supportive husband who was a great, involved dad from day one. Now I watch young moms and see their tired eyes as they look into the faces of the beautiful children they love dearly. I want to encourage them to prioritize some “me time” for themselves. This book was a fun read with that encouraging message. Read it and start planning your momspringa!
Definitely an interesting, inspiring, and relatable story. A single mom whose husband left 3 years ago on a business trip and just now decided to show back up. For years, Amy has struggled to do it all, sometimes not knowing how she’d make it one day to the next, and now she’s presented with this opportunity to get away for a trip to New York while her ex reconnects with their kids. Momspringa!
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler was delightful! I enjoyed the humor and the spot on look at being a mom complete with the out of date clothes, hair, and sometimes nonexistent fun. Amy’s kids are going to spend time with their missing father who has decided to show back up in their lives. So, she’s headed to a library conference in New York City and is going to stay with an old friend there. From the minute she arrives in the city, Amy is immersed in adventures! She meets interesting people, has herself made over, and has some fun. Amy’s relationships with her children are wonderful. Her friends are the kind of friends you wish you could have. Her missing husband, well, I’m sure some of you can relate to what he seems like.
Kelly Harms tackles modern single motherhood with flair, swoons, and the most perfect date ever written. In The Overdue Life of Amy Byler, readers will connect with the titular character’s unexpected journey of freedom and self-discovery, all told with Harms’s signature humor… I’m a fan for life!
Amy Byler’s life isn’t easy — what with an absentee husband suddenly showing up and reclaiming some getting-to-know-you time with their two teenage kids. But what follows is pure wonder. Kelly Harms brings the mom-makeover story to a whole new level, with twists and turns and dialogue that is so funny you have to put down the book and simply allow yourself to laugh. It’s well written, it’s original, and I fell in love with Amy and all her well-meaning friends on her journey to find out who she really is. So much fun!
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler is a charming, relatable, and entertaining look at parenthood, divorce, dating, and everything in between. No one cuts right to the heart of life — in all its hilarity and heartbreak — quite like Kelly Harms. This is easily one of my favorite books of the year!
Amy Finds Herself
3.5 Stars
Well written, but it simply didn’t appeal to me.
Sexual situations without detail
Limited harsh language
No violence
Amy’s husband returns after 3 years and wants to get to know their kids. Amy is understandably reluctant, but decides to give him a chance by allowing herself a vacation in New York.
Friends encourage her. She dates. She questions herself. She has a wonderful time. She meets new and exciting people. She soul searches.
Her personal journey is not without setbacks.
Humorous at times.
Likeable characters.
Well-developed plot
Readers who would identify with or enjoy reading about the coming-of-age of an overworked woman will enjoy this book.
This book! Buy this book! Seriously. This book was so uplifting, joyous and plain old fun! I laughed at so many things and was so excited for overwhelmed single mom Amy as she explored her life and #Rumspringa in NYC.
I can’t begin to tell you how good this was, you really have to find out for yourself. This book has everything and will leave you happy you read it. What more could you want?
Thank you very much to Netgalley, the author and publisher for approving my request for an ARC! All thoughts in this review are my own and freely given.
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!!
It has believable characters. Amy’s character development is perfect for mother’s who have lost their identity to motherhood.
Heartwarming and so much fun that I put aside my own life to immerse myself in Amy’s. A love letter to all the overwhelmed moms who vaguely remember life without kids and feel guilty about even remembering that life. AND a love letter to New York City!
Every mom should read this book! I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love with Amy and all her friends. Although this is fiction, it felt like an honest and raw account of motherhood. Clearly, Kelly has experience with this challenging and rewarding stage of life. Can’t wait to read more of Kelly’s work!
I was sad to see the story end!
Savvy, totally relatable and at times laugh out load funny, Amy Byler is a fabulous New York #momspringa! An absolutely delightful, witty book! A light, fun, enjoyable read right to the very end! I loved the cheerful and engaging individuality that Kelly Harms added to all her characters. Cori’s journals had such a cute charm that really gave life to her personality. I was touched by the serious and heartfelt ending of the book. The perfect summer read for anyone!
I loved this book. I especially enjoyed the journal entries of Cori, Amy the librarian’s fifteen year old daughter. So entertaining! Then, Amy the librarian gets a chance to attend a conference in NYC and when her childcare comes through she blows PA for the big apple. With friends in high places, like trendy magazines, she finds herself as the magazine mascot for makeovers and more. So much more. Her life blooms in NYC and she comes face to face with her discontent back home. I thought the book was all about the life crisis of Amy when her estranged husband shows up for the summer, but it turned out to be so much more than a #momspringa summer in NYC. Hankies and hugs and discovering the people who matter most in life. Her kids being front and center as they always were, but finally herself and what she deserves, too. Wonderful story. It made me laugh and cry, and get hungry.
This has easily become one of my Favorites for the 2019 year! Thank you so much!!