Cute little read for spring. Evvie and Andy, her deceased husband's best friend, become close after her husband's sudden death from a car crash. Meanwhile, Andy's best friend, Dean Tenney needs a break from his baseball career when he can no longer pitch. He encourages Dean to come to Maine for some much needed rest. He moves into the apartment that Evvie has at the back of her house. They make some promises to each other that prove impossible to keep. .

Oh, how I needed this one! This is a perfect book for those who are in a reading slump or are finished with an intense read. This is such a light story that you can either read in one sitting of take your time. I have not read s a book like this in a long time and I am so glad I requested it. I must admit I'm not a big fan of romance novels so I was not sure what to expect with this one. It has romance but not so much that it put me off. It has the right amount of comedy, drama, love and heartbreak. This one will be my go to read should I ever need a pick-me-up.

As a longtime follower of Linda Holmes's work at NPR and on the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, I have been looking forward to reading her debut novel for some time. It did not disappoint! Funny and relatable, with just the right touches of sentimentality and sweetness, I am recommending Evvie Drake to any friends interested in a well-told story with GREAT characters. I appreciate that the characters act like adults and the story is free of manufactured, overwrought drama. The baseball storyline and references are a fun bonus for anyone who loves the game!

Linda Holmes clearly loves rom-coms and has created a book that I think could easily be translated to the screen, with protagonist Evvie Drake's failing confidence but endearing sense of humor and ex-baseball pitcher Dean who is looking for a quiet place to hideout from a career that ended in flames. A few things I loved about the novel:
-Side characters that were thoroughly developed and lovingly included (specifically Andy and Monica, both of which I could read more about!)
-All of the little hints and nods to public radio and podcasting (since I'm regular fan of Pop Culture Happy Hour and Linda's NPR commentary)
-The setting (a little town in Maine? Lobsters?!) Having spent a little time growing up in Portland/Bangor as a child, I felt like it was a perfect setting for an introspective set of characters
-Limited baseball talk (and thankfully it's not football)
I'm only marking it down because I didn't feel like it offered anything mind blowing or new - but sometimes it's nice to enjoy an easy, quick read without thinking too deeply about it. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book is exchange for my honest opinion - if you're looking for a book that will pull on your heartstrings but not toooo hard, spend some time with characters that are flawed but trying to do their best, and like to read #womensfiction and #romance, pick this up when it comes out!

I loved this sweet heartwarming book. I loved the characters of Evie and Dean. They were such believable and beautiful characters.
I didn’t want this book to end
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

This book is wonderful— funny, smart, and full of heart! I listen regularly to Linda Holmes on her podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour, and was so excited to read her novel. It certainly did not disappoint! Evvie Drake Starts Over is a romantic comedy, but it’s more than that, too. It touches on adult friendship, the parent-child relationship, and the protagonist’s relationship with herself. I would happily recommend this to all of my girlfriends.

Evvie Drake is trying to change her life when her husband dies in a car accident. For the next year, she barely leaves the house. Her best friend Andy has a friend who is a major league pitcher. Dean Tenney has a bad case of the yips and can't get the ball across the plate. When Andy suggests that Dean get out of New York and rent the apartment in Evvie's house in Maine, both begin to move forward with their lives.
Both Evvie and Dean are fully developed, flawed characters. I enjoyed watching them come to grips with the things they learned about themselves and others. Minor characters are also well developed and small town Maine gives this novel a good sense of place.

Evvie Drake is a widow who was in the process of leaving her doctor husband the night he was killed in a car wreck.  She feels bad that she doesn't feel like the grieving widow that everyone expects her to be.  Her best friend is Andy whose wife left him.  There is no romance between the two, just a deep friendship.  Andy's friend Dean was a major league pitcher who suddenly lost the ability to make the ball go where he wanted.  He moves to their small town in Maine and rents the attached apartment from Evvie.

The story is good and it is enjoyable. This probably would have been a four-star review except for the language.  Dean's is especially vulgar.  He doesn't seem to get through a single sentence without swearing.  As the book goes along, the rest of the characters pick it up. 

If you can tolerate the language, it isn't a bad read.  It keeps moving and the story unfolds well.

I enjoyed this book! I am rooting for Evvie! It had some funny parts and some heartwarming scenes. I would definitely recommend for some fun summer reading!

Evvie Drake is a widow. However, she's not your average widow. See nobody knows, not her father, her husband, or her best friend, that when she received the call that her husband was in bad shape in the hospital, she was in the process of packing her car to leave him. So while her town mourns, and assumes she is mourning as well...she is feeling a bit like a monster for her lack of sadness. (Side note: she's not a monster. Turns out her wonderful husband who was beloved by the town wasn't very nice behind closed doors.)

In the meantime, Evvies best friend Andy happens to be friends with a retired (not by choice) NY Yankee pitcher. Two years ago, Dean lost his pitching abilities and went from one of the best in the league to a laughing stock. After two years of any tests that could be done leading nowhere, Dean is headed to Maine to escape the pressure and take a break from the public eye. Andy thinks the apartment in Evvies house is perfect for him to rent.

The story covers the year Dean spends in Maine and covers not only how his and Evvies friendship grows, but also how they help each other through their "unmentionable topics."

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great story of friendship, love, loss, and overcoming the hard times. I thought Evvie was very relatable and it was an interesting storyline to see how Dean handled losing his career and true passion.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine Books for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

I’m new to Linda Holmes, but after this I’m all in.

This releases in June and I'm calling it now: it's the book of the summer! This is a story about the life choices we make and the ones we don't that change the course anyway. It deals with some tough issues in real-life, human ways. Funny, warm, charming, sad, unusual in how relatable it feels. And did I mention funny? I don't usually laugh out loud at books, but I did several times here. There is so much great dialogue and I couldn't get enough of the witty banter. The characters feel real—at time frustratingly so. One of those books you just want to live in and are sad when it ends. Made me a little homesick for New England, too. Evvie, as we'd say back home, you're a real charmah.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC! I was delighted to receive it and I can’t wait until this comes out. There has been so much buzz and I’ve gotten so many replies on social media from friends that they can’t wait to read it.

Utterly charming, just as expected from Linda Holmes. Made me cry, but in a good way! It explores the nature of guilt, loss, and social expectations stemming from how a relationship looks from the outside. A timely inclusion of gaslighting in the story, and the difficulties of explaining all of that to parents and friends, who have all seen the relationship as something else.

I really enjoyed both of the main characters. They felt like real people. The scene when Dean tells Evvie that he was thinking about kissing her after getting the pinball machine felt very swoony.

Evvie Drake Starts Over is an endearing story of a woman who is trying to get her life "back on track" after the loss of her husband. It was a feel-good story that was also able to cover some important topics like loss, relationships, mental health, and new beginnings.

I enjoyed that this was a romance book that was actually relatable and the main characters had regular issues they had to acknowledge and address. I appreciated that the issues were not only highlighted but dealt with and this made this book so much stronger. This also added some much-needed depth while also having plenty of light-hearted moments.

I look forward to reading more by Linda Holmes in the future! Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely, warm-hearted, generous book. I was excited and nervous to read it because I enjoy Linda Holmes so much on Pop Culture Happy Hour, and what if it didn’t live up to her on-air delightfulness? But it did, and then some!

Widowed Evvie is a wonderfully flawed protagonist, and washed-up pitcher Dean is a great foil and a good man on his own. Watching them help each other with their respective troubles was entertaining and sometimes hilarious, and left me a weepy mess by the end of the book (but in a good way). I hope Linda writes another novel soon, please!

Even though this book tackles grief, it manages to stay a light read that’s great for summer. It’s ultimately a book about friendship and inner strength. Evvie is such a joy. And, I’ll read any book recommended by Rainbow Rowell and TJR. Holmes is one to watch.

Many thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

A really enjoyed this. Predictable but fun characters and a nice style. Overall, an enjoyable and quick read.

As a fan of both baseball and chick lit, this book hit all the right notes for me. I found the storyline engaging and the characters to be believable. I know of Linda Holmes mainly from her previous role as a TV recapper on Television Without Pity, so it was interesting to see her branch out into fiction. I think she has a bright future ahead of her, and I look forward to future novels.

This book is a delight! I loved the characters and I loved the perfect blend of light-heartedness and more difficult topics.

The book managed to address the often overlooked reality and effects of emotional abuse with respect and without cliche.

The complexity of the relationships between the characters was refreshing and well-written without being melancholy. The book echoes the reality that relationships, both familial and in friendship, can be complex and difficult to navigate despite neither of the parties being the "bad guy".

I loved this book and can't wait for more from Linda Holmes!

Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

RATING: 3.5/5 STARS

EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER is a quirky, cute read about a girl (Evvie) who finds love with a baseball player (Dean) who lost his ability to pitch. This book received praise from Rainbow Rowell and Taylor Jenkins Reid, two fabulous authors. I enjoyed this story - it had a slow-moving, gentle quality to it that allowed me to get to know the characters and experience their growth. And there were some heavy themes represented, like dealing with failure, emotional abuse in a relationship, and self-care/mental health. The dialogue in the book shined in the forefront; I found the conversations between characters to be offbeat but humorous. However, there wasn't enough that happened in this book (in terms of plot) to make it "unputdownable." It is lacking that addictive quality that makes you want to read it all in one sitting.

Altogether a solid debut from Linda Holmes. I would recommend it to fans of the women's fiction genre. Books like MATCHMAKING FOR BEGINNERS by Maddie Dawson come to mind.

A sincere thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Social: Instagram post on @_shelf.awareness to come.