Friday, August 13, 2021

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler: a disappointing book

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms is the story of Amy Byler, an overworked and underappreciated single mom who desperately needs a break. After three years, her guilt-ridden husband reappears and offers to take care of their kids for the summer. She reluctantly accepts his offer and escapes to New York City for a “momspringa.” The usually grounded, mild mannered and property Amy lets her hair down. With a little push from her friends, Amy discovers life filled with culture, sophistication and a few blind dates. One man in particular finds his way into her way and she risks losing herself in an unexpected escape. As the summer comes to a close, she realizes that she must make the impossible choice. Does she stay in the new exciting New York City? Or does she return to her life in rural Pennsylvania? 

The New York Journal of Books called The Overdue Life of Amy Byler, a “laugh-out-loud funny, pitch-perfect novel that will have readers rooting for this unlikely, relatable, and totally lovable heroine... the ultimate escape—and will leave moms everywhere questioning whether it isn’t time for a #momspringa of their own.” However, I did not laugh once. In fact, I rolled my eyes at the moments that I was supposed to laugh and cheer Amy on. The story was boring, humorless and very cringey. A lot of pop culture references that seem to be there to help the readers understand and relate to Amy. At one point, Amy illustrates how tired she was, saying she often fell in bed too tired to fantasize about Outlander’s Jamie Fraser and reach for her vibrator. Seriously? Give me a break! I did not like or relate to Amy at all. I’m sure I am not the audience for this book. If you think this could be the book for you, try it out. But for me, I do not recommend The Overdue Life of Amy Byler


The Overdue Life of Amy Byler is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. 










No comments:

Post a Comment