Confession: I purchased nearly 15 books in July.

Between my local 2^nd & Charles having a clearance sale, travels to my favorite Salt Lake City bookstore, and an impulse buy at Target, I’ve got enough books to last me the next two years. I’m at the point of having to sneak them into the house because I fear the wrath of my non-book loving husband. (He just doesn’t understand.)

Although I favor the look, feel, smell, and overall appeal of a weighty read in my hands, I will say that while I was on the road this July, it was amazing to reach into my bag and simply download a Kindle Unlimited book, for free: Hook up to my hotspot, click a button, and effortlessly occupy myself on a 4- hour car ride from Las Vegas to Utah.

“The Overdue Life of Amy Byler,” by Kelly Harms, is a 2019 published work of fiction that really connected with me, even though I did not have any commonalities with the main character at all. The author dedicated the book to Beyonce’s tribe, saying, “This one goes out to single mother’s everywhere,” but I think it can be enjoyed by mothers in general who are trying to balance their own lives, and those of their children, can resonate with those who are caught in a rut and unable to fully conceptualize their dreams, etc.

Amy Byler is a single, working mother of two children and has come to terms with her normal: Her husband of eighteen years left her after things got too hard, fled to Hong Kong on “a business trip” and never came back. So Amy learned to juggle- A job at the school library, meals on the table, a mortgage, life with two active teenagers, and all of the other airborne balls that come with supporting a roof and four walls, growing humans inside.

But one day John comes back and sends those spheres in motion tumbling- He wants to make amends for his irresponsibility and spend time with the children, make up for three years lost. He offers to take them for a short vacation of sorts, and after much contemplation and coaxing from her closest friends, Amy agrees to give her husband a chance.

But Amy doesn’t know how to be alone- she hasn’t dabbled in hobbies or retreats or solo self-care sessions in ages. She decides to venture to New York City, stay with a friend and attend an American Library Educators Association Conference at Columbia University.

Amy’s best friend Talia is a magazine mogul and decides to make Amy her headlining article, seeks to shed light on the working mother who decides to take her life back in the Big Apple. #Momspringa becomes a trending topic on social media as Amy reluctantly indulges in physical and mental makeovers, all financially supported by the magazine.

The books takes the reader on a fun, sometimes laugh out loud journey on Amy’s healing process, her re-discovery of who she is without her self-identified labels. She learns forgiveness and opens her heart to others, she begins to gain a newfound respect from her children, who adore her for stepping out of her comfort zone and inspiring others. She becomes a beautiful role model for her fifteen year old daughter, on the brink of independence. She reconnects with friends on a much deeper level. Most amazingly, she finds a tribe of people that take her professional daydreams, a seed of an idea, to the next level and allows her to really make an impact on schools around the country.

I really enjoyed this book as one that could take me through a beginning, middle, and end with ease. It is a great summer read and with the “Unlimited” tag included, Amazon Prime readers can’t go wrong.

Final Score: 3.5 Another Simple, Sweet Account: 319 Pages Of Lighthearted Bliss.

BEST FOR: Beach Bums Looking To Get Another Book- And Beach Day- In Before Summer’s End

NOT GOOD FOR: Those Looking For An Engrossing, Intellectual Piece.

IF THIS BOOK/ AUTHOR WAS A HIGH SCHOOL STEREOTYPE: The Budding People Pleaser.

**Want to see what I’m reading next? Find me on GoodReads and join the 2019 challenge with me! https://www.goodreads.com/addingpunctuation**