I’ve been a fan of Linda Holmes for about six years now. I first listened to her podcast, Pop Culture Happy Hour, when I was studying for the bar exam in 2013. Everything in my life was turned up to 11, and all I could think about every waking minute was whether I was going to pass the most intense test of my life. PCHH was a godsend during that time—it was insightful, nuanced discussion of pop culture, delivered in the style of sitting and talking with friends (particularly when all of my friends IRL were either also stressed about the bar exam or didn’t understand why I was so on edge).

This book is absolutely not PCHH, but like sipping two drastically different cocktails made with the same gin, you get the Linda Holmes-y essence that underlies both. In the first 11% of the book or so, we had two Law & Order references, discussion of cozy sweaters, and a public radio mention. Lady, you are pandering to exactly the right people!

Even if you haven’t ever heard of Linda Holmes before, pick up this book because she has clearly studied the romance novel* and just… gets it. Both characters have arcs that center around personal growth (and not just falling in love). Both characters have complex friendships and familial relationships that are shown on the page. It is the platonic ideal of a (generally) light, fun romance.** It’s a story about keeping on going and maybe changing directions when you realize having “checked all the boxes” doesn’t mean you’re done living after your mid-thirties—you can still change and grown and do stuff! Finally, it’s one of my favorite books so far this year.


*I’d peg the romance/sexy times factor at PG-13 level, if you are concerned with such things
**Well, it’s really light except for Evvie’s struggle to cope with now-ended emotional abuse

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes was a fun, sweet read. The book is a fictional novel based on the time after Evvie Drake’s husband died when she was trying to find her way out of her stupor. I enjoyed the main character of Evvie and felt that her character, a fixer was a character I could be friends with. According to Goodreads, this book seems to be linda Holmes’s first fictional novel.

Evvie Drake’s husband died and she has been stuck in a stupor since his death. She seems to be struggling without him. Her bestie, Andy asks her to help him out and rent an apartment in her house to a friend, and ex pitcher. Dean moves in and they agree to not talk about the two major elephants in the room, her dead husband and his dead career. As time moves on they become closer and even avoided conversations happen and where things become clearer.

I enjoyed the book Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes for various reasons. I enjoyed the fact it took place in midcoast Maine and the structure of a small town that expands during the summer. I enjoyed the relationship between Dean and Evvie. I understood some of Evvie’s grief and wanted her to move forward with Dean. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes was a fun, sweet read.

This is a new author for me, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be reading a lot more of her books. Evie Drake Starts Over is about a young widow who tries to work through the death of her doctor husband, who she didn’t love, and all the lies that developed throughout the marriage with her abusive husband. This isn’t a dark story, but it does have some very life altering events in Evvie’s life that has shaped her into the woman she is, at least until Dean, the washed up Yankees pitcher comes into her life. Both of these characters tugged at my heartstrings, but I found this story to be full of laughter, sass, tender moments, and life lessons that everyone can benefit from. Very well written story, loved the relationship between Evvie and Andy. Evvie’s father and Dean’s parents were pretty special too. Webster as a great addition at the end. Well worth the read!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

Evvie (pronounced eh-vee) is not a misanthrope. She's not particularly socially awkward. She just... doesn't really feel like it right now. A young widow, her husband died literally as she was preparing to leave him (he deserved to be left). Except that nobody knows that; they all think she's properly grieving for him. So, you know: guilt.

Dean is a former Yankees pitcher who's got the yips. He's tried everything to get his arm back, but nothing works. His childhood best friend is also Evvie's best friend, and it just so happens that Evvie also has an apartment in her house that would be perfect for Dean while he tries to figure out what he wants to do with the rest of his life.

What follows is a fairly predictable boy-meets-girl story, with a few false notes. But it is oh, so lovely. Reading about Dean and Evvie made my heart happy. Both characters leap off the page (seriously, I was tempted to look up and see if they were actually in my living room with me) and their trials and tribulations are both realistic and compassionately drawn. Is this a perfect book? No. Do I think it's going to be very popular this summer? Yes. Do I highly recommend it? Even more yes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️— Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (Out 6/25)
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Thank you to @netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy!
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Evvie is a widow. Everyone thinks she is grieving but they would be wrong. Then her best friend Andy’s childhood friend has the “yips”. Dean can no longer pitch the ball and he’s been forced to retire from the majors. Dean moves into Evvie’s apartment out back and the two bond over loss.
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What I loved: So much. I loved Evvie and Andy’s relationship as much, if not more than Evvie and Deans. I also enjoyed Monica a lot. So I guess what I’m saying is there isn’t a character I didn’t like 😂. This honestly was just a fun read!
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What I didn’t: Nothing really stood out. The book got 4 stars because it was super predictable. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying it.
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Recommend to anyone who just wants a story w a little bit of real life tragedy but with a lot of happiness!
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Evvie Drake is recently widowed and has shut herself off from her life. Dean Tenney is a struggling ex-pro baseball player who is dealing with the “yips”. The two lives collide when Dean rents out the apartment in Evvie’s too large house. This is a story of getting on with life after being dealt a hand full of hardship. There is heartache, laughter, romance, and a lot of fun in this light and fun summer read. The characters will draw you in and the story will keep you engaged. 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Linda Holmes knocks it out of the part with her debut, Evvie Drake Starts Over. The pacing is perfect for summer. We tend to have a little more time to lounge. If you have a couple of hours on a beach, by the pool, or just on your couch, you will be driven by such a delicious narrative that you won’t want to stop until
you know for sure that Evvie is going to be okay.
The characters are strong, especially Evvie. I rooted for her and was completely smitten with the friends and family that Holmes creates for her.
I enjoyed the pop culture references and the humor — my goodness, this book is funny at times, but also so touching, too. It’s just a perfect, fizzy summer read that will be enjoyed by readers for seasons to come.

The total devastation you feel when it's over, the longing to spend just a few more pages with those beloved characters. That is how you know when a book is simply excellent. Linda Holmes's debut novel, Evvie Drake Starts Over, is just this.
Evvie's a widow. Something she never expected to be in her early 30s, but then again, when have things ever gone by plan in her life? Now she’s pattering around her large house in a small Maine town, trying to get unstuck and move on. In comes Dean: a washed-up professional baseball player with a case of the yips. Tired of the scrutiny of the big city, the constant barrage of questions and pressure to make a comeback, he seeks the solitude of quiet New England life. Through a mutual friend, these two end up sharing space and their struggles with one another.
Holmes’s ability to write such natural, witty dialogue between two characters is enviable. Evvie and Dean’s repartee made me laugh out loud. Being from New England, I loved the local humor and nod to our accent. Movie studios should line up to produce this one!
Thanks to #netgalley and #RandomHouse for an early copy of this hilarious novel.

Full disclosure, I have been listening to Linda Holmes on her Pop Culture Happy Hour (PCHH) podcast for many, many years. I’ve always appreciated the way she stands up for and lauds the romance genre, be it books, television shows, or Hallmark movies. So of course, I’ve been beyond curious to read her book since I found out she was being published. When I requested an ARC of this one, I really thought it was a long shot. I was elated to be approved for an ARC and couldn’t wait to dive in…while I was also terrified to read this book at the same time. What if it didn’t live up to my expectations? Not only would I be disappointed in a book I was looking forward to, but I’d most likely have a different view of Ms. Holmes, too. I know that’s not fair, but I knew it was a possibility. All this long, rambling paragraph to say I needn’t have worried. This story is amazing!

I immediately fell in love with this author’s writing tone and rhythm. Everything flowed so smoothly and easily while keeping me engaged in the narrative. The characters are all very likable, totally people I would love to be friends with. On top of all of that, the story is interesting. Although we know the gist of Eveleth’s and Dean’s issues, I still found myself enjoying how it all unfolded.

There are small and mundane things that the author adds that, instead of bogging the story down, add to the richness of the writing. Her detail about windshield wipers really spoke to me because it helped me to relate to Evvie and how she grew up. There were also huge things that are uncovered in such a subtle way that you don’t, at first, realize their impact.

So many things are understated and under the radar, which helps this book to sneak up on you with its intensity. I was almost surprised by the depth of my feelings for the situation when things started falling apart more and more for Evvie. The gut-punches and butterflies and tears were expected, but not to the extent that they occurred.

I’m so happy for Ms. Holmes and cannot wait to see what else she may have up her sleeve. I was already a fan, now I’m a super-fan.

I'm sorry, but I can only give this three stars. I liked most of the characters, and the story wasn't bad, but the profanity was almost more than I could bear. I could see no reason for most of the plentifully repeated "F words", for instance. I cringed all the way through!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had a good mix of humor, mature romance, and serious real life issues. The dialogue was sharp and funny. I loved the references to popular culture throughout the book. Although the romance between Evvie and Dean was an integral part of the storyline, this book was not one dimensional. Both Evvie and Dean had issues to overcome and they were dealt with realistically. Evvie's relationship with her best friend, Andy, was as important as her romance with Dean. The characters were flawed and relatable. I loved them.

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes is a very sweet read. This is a fast-paced romantic novel and that is funny, sad, and relatable.

Synopsis: Evvie (like Chevy) is a woman who has big plans to leave her husband, but he dies that night, leaving her a widow who must navigate the grieving process and now living alone. At the request of her best friend, Andy, she ends up taking in a tenant, Dean, who is Andy's other best friend. Dean is a retired MLB pitcher learning how to navigate his life without baseball in it. Evvie and Dean slowly build up to becoming friends and eventually have a romantic relationship. They become a support to each other, and slowly reveal pieces about their lives they've maintained for themselves.

Review: This story had a nice feeling of realness to it, highlighting emotional abuse and mental illness, but also remained a light read, great for summer. This book didn't really feel like a romance book, it was more the story of Evvie addressing her needs, gaining more confidence and self appreciation, and finding her own way to happiness. Evvie's journey to finding her own voice and strength is lovely to witness and I appreciated the juxtaposition in characters to seeing how Dean dealt with his issues in order to move forward as well. The characters felt authentic and I read this so quickly because of the dialogue and their connection. This book releases June 25 from Ballantine Books and is 4 stars for me.

I enjoyed this book. Both the main characters Dean and Evvie were very likable and I appreciated how they helped each other move on from prior losses and disappointments. There was something about both of their circumstances, though different, that allowed them to open up to each other all the while proclaiming that sharing was off the table. This story also had some side stories and characters that I really enjoyed reading about. I definitely recommend this book.

What a satisfying read this is! Evvie is widowed even as she is packing the car to leave her husband Tim, an emotionally abusive man who everyone else thinks is super. Her best friend Andy (oh that we all had a friend like him!) doesn't know, her dad doesn't know, and Tim's parents don't know. Andy's friend Dean is a pitcher with three World Series rings who has the yips- more than that- he's just not able to perform. Andy gets the bright idea that Dean should rent the small apartment in Evvie's house in their small town in Maine, giving him the chance to get away from the glare of the media and maybe heal. Ok so we all know what's going to happen, right? Wrong. Holmes doesn't go for the obvious answer and that's why this is such a good book. Oh and also because she's a good storyteller. And writer. There are some wonderful scenes (the dishes), terrific characters (keep an eye on Monica too), and a nicely done plot. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I enjoyed this greatly- highly recommend.

How many times have you looked at a happily married couple and thought, "wow, how perfect are those two for one another?"

And how many times has that image of perfection been at all close to the truth?

To everyone in her small (very white) Maine hometown, Evvie Drake seems to be living a perfect fairy tale. She and her high school sweetheart, Tim, attended college together, maintained a long-distance relationship during his medical residency, then married and moved back to Calcasset, even though they could have run off to the big city as so many other young Down Easters had done. Tim was "effortlessly charming" to everyone he met, and served his small community with pride and care, and the house he bought for his wife was far more luxurious than the small cottage in which she grew up. Even Evvie's hardworking lobsterman father thinks "my Eveleth is so lucky, that Tim wants to be her husband" (Kindle Loc 1152). For ordinary Evvie to have caught good doctor Tim seems luckier than hauling in the season's largest catch of lobsters.

Which is why when Tim dies in a car crash, everyone in town understands Evvie's debilitating grief.

Everyone, that is, except Evie.

Because nobody besides Evvie knows that when she got the call from the hospital a year earlier, telling her that her husband had been in an accident, she'd been just about to leave: leave Calcasset, leave her marriage, and above all, leave her too perfect to be real husband. The third person narrator doesn't tell the reader why Evvie was poised for flight; everyone else in town, including Evvie's own family, thinks Tim was the perfect doctor, the perfect husband, the perfect small town guy. This disconnect between her own far less rosy memories of her marriage and those of everyone else around her, and her need to keep her aborted flight from town a secret so she won't be accused of heartlessness toward the dead and departed Tim, has Evvie just as stuck—in Calcasset, in the house that she hates—as if she had really been grieving for a beloved spouse. As the narrator explains at the start of the story,

It had been almost a year since Tim died, and she still couldn't do anything at all sometimes, because she was so consumed by not missing him. She could fill up whole rooms with how it felt to be the only person who knew that she barely loved him when she'd listened to him snoring lightly on the last night he was alive. Monster, monster, she thought. Monster, monster. (Kindle Loc 137)


Her best friend, Andy, worried that Evvie is spending too much time by herself ("You know...it's not good to be alone too much. It'll make you weird" [232]) persuades her to rent out the small apartment attached to her house to his old college buddy, Dean, who wants to get away for a few months from his life of notoriety in New York City. A former World Series-winning pitcher for the Yankees, Dean's case of the "yips" (an inexplicable loss of fine motor skills in a mature athlete; in baseball, the ability to accurately throw the ball) has become so disastrously embarrassing that he's been voted "First Athlete We'd Throw into an Active Volcano" by the fans on a popular sports website. Tired of the taunts and interviews and endless analysis, Dean decides to officially retire, and needs a quiet place where he can take it easy for a while while he figures out what to do with the rest of his life. Since Andy presumes that Evvie is doing the same, he guesses that they'll have a lot in common.

At first, Evvie is reluctant, but she changes her mind when it turns out that Dean is as wary of talking about baseball as Evvie is about talking of her widowhood:

"I do think we should have a deal." She looked at him expectantly. "You don't ask me aboput baseball," he said, "and I don't ask you about your husband."
She blinked. "I didn't ask you about baseball."
"I know. I didn't ask you about your husband."
"But you want to have an official arrangement."
He rubbed his eyes. "I don't know how much you know about it, Evvie, but I have had a shitty year. A shitty couple of years. And I have talked about it a lot. And I think maybe you're in the same position. If you're okay with this, you'd be doing me a favor, and you'd be doing me an even bigger favor if it can just be normal. I'll say hi, and you can say hi, and we won't do, you know, the whole thing with the mysterious sad lady and the exiled... fuckup." (454)

After Dean moves in, he and Evvie keep things pleasant, chatting amiably about books and television and small towns versus big cities, light, funny conversations that steer well clear of baseball and grief. But Evvie watches as Dean as he throws pine cones in the pitch-dark of the Maine evenings, and wonders if he has truly given up his dream of throwing again in the majors. And Dean listens when Evie "punch[es] a little hole in the rowboat in which they'd decided to float" by telling him about the memorial service she's attended for her husband, and perceptively asks why she doesn't include herself in the list of people for whom the "memorial thing" was great (745). And hears the confession that tumbles out of Evvie's mouth:

"I felt bad," she said, "because they all loved him so much, and I didn't. I mean, I loved him originally, a lot, but I didn't when he died. He wasn't nice to me. He didn't hit me or anything, but he was sometimes pretty nasty. And then he died, and now when I'm around people who miss him, I don't know what to do. Sometimes I can't sleep because I don't miss him so much, which sounds crazy. But...that. (755)

After a few more rounds of punching holes in the rowboat of their non-discussion agreement, Dean proposes that they call the agreement off, and choose to be friends instead. And after that, attraction begins to leak through the gaping rowboat hole. But when Evvie's penchant for making everybody happy all the time runs smack into Dean's tiny but still not entirely extinguished desire to pitch again, will nurturing hopes once set aside lead to a new start? Or only to a dead end?


Evvie's struggles are all behind the scenes, hidden from her family and fellow townspeople, and often even from herself. Dean's, in contrast, are everything public, appallingly visible to millions who shiver with the horrified glee of schadenfreude at the once elite athlete who now throws even worse than they do. But both are struggling with how to grieve: for a dead husband Evvie no longer loves; for a career Dean still does; and most importantly, for the selves each worked so hard to construct in each of those roles: cheerful, uncomplaining wife; dominating never-fail star pitcher. Even if those constructions did and continue to do each of them more harm than good.

With its slowly-developing romance, and its focus on the many ways that both Evvie and Dean need to learn to "start over," Holmes' story is closer to women's fiction than it is to full-blown romance. And its storylines do not all end in the easy triumph common to genre romance. But with its sensitively-constructed characters, amusing and clever dialogue, and all too believable depiction of one woman's gradual understanding and acceptance of how she was once gaslighted and emotionally abused, Evvie Drake Starts Over might just be the most quietly charming work of feminist romantic fiction I've read this year.

This is a great read. Evvie Drake had gone through so much in her marriage and keeping it a secret almost cost her her best friend. She finally has a chance to start over and almost loses that life and love, as well. Thankfully, she starts to figure her life out and try for a fresh start. This is such a sweet book that we can all relate to.

Evvie Drake Starts Over was a sweet book about Evvie Drake...starting over. The title is very apt!

This book is a combo of women's fiction/romance. There is a romantic storyline but I felt like the book was more about Evvie's and Dean's personal struggles. Dean's a pro ball player who all of a sudden can't pitch (not sure I had a ton of sympathy for his situation as I don't really get sports). Evvie was a really sympathetic character - she lost her husband in an accident on the very day that she was finally planning to leave him. Her guilt over this day, as well as her guilt that she doesn't feel grief, are very relatable, and I thought she was a really interesting and unique character. I enjoyed the side plot of Evvie and Andy's friendship, although to be honest I felt like the chemistry between Evvie & Dean wasn't really there and was half hoping that at the end Evvie & Andy would end up together.

3 stars because, like I said, the romance was a little flat for me. They were lacking a spark. Still worth reading for the human stories, and getting to know the character of Evvie.

Evvie Drake Starts Over is the first novel by NPR podcast host Linda Holmes. Evvie Drake is a young widow who seems to be stuck by the day her husband, Doctor Tim Drake, was killed in a car accident. When she got the phone call she was in the process of packing up her car to leave. She is now paralyzed by her guilt.

Major league pitcher Dean Tenney has lost his mojo. It happened suddenly. It seems one day he was at the top of his game, the next he has trouble hitting the side of a barn. This phenomenon, called the yips, is not new with him, many ball players in the past have suffered through it. However, everything that has been tried has failed. He has hung up his glove and now wants to get away somewhere that he can live without being accosted by former fans.

Single father Andy Buck is good friends with both Evvie and Dean and lives in a small Maine town where Evvie also lives. When he learns Dean is trying to escape the big city, he hatches a plan to get Evvie to rent the apartment off the back of her house to Dean. And, she does.

Evvie and Dean form an easy friendship. Each of them feels comfortable sharing way more of their pasts with each other than they have felt comfortable doing with others. And this easiness transfers to their lives. Friendship translates to a deeper relationship and this then becomes a more intimate friendship. They seem to be a salve to mend each other’s wounded souls

His minor pitching success at a hometown event carries over to an invitation from a national team, and that then becomes a parting of their ways. And here they each have the time to find the person they have grown to be.

This is a very interesting story dealing with a person’s history, hurts, and resilience. With very strong characters, a wonderfully descriptive background, and a whisper of hope, the storyteller has brought a unique tale to her readers. This is a thoughtful story which not only did I enjoy, I also recommend.

"Evvie Drake Starts Over" lands nicely into that sweet spot of UpLit fiction. Evvie summons the courage to make a major change in her life before being dropped into an unexpected plot twist of life. Through a series of life changes, Evvie meets Dean, a baseball player in need of a quiet escape from baseball. The two help each other discover things about themselves in the midst of a developing friendship. This book doesn't shy away from difficult topics, but it approaches the topics in a hopeful way. This is Holmes' debut novel, and I look forward to reading more from her. If you're a fan of Linda Holmes' podcast "NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour", you'll love this book.

I loved this story. Evvie is struggling with what to do in life and her feelings about everything now that she's a widow. It seems like her best friend, Andy, knows everything about her, but she does have some secrets from him. When Andy's childhood friend Dean needs to get out of NYC after his MLB pitching career crashes, Andy convinces both of them that Dean should rent the apartment in the back of Evvie's house. This is a story of healing, friendship, love, small towns, and second chances. The characters are relatable and very likeable, despite their flaws. I found myself rooting for Evvie and Dean as individuals and as a couple. More realistic romance element than many other books, and a nice summer read.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.