I am not a frequent reader of Women's Fiction or Chick Lit at all. However, Evvie Drake Starts Over was a nice surprise.

All of the characters have believable aspects to them surrounding their struggles: Evvie's lack of grief over the death of her husband was understandable while not making her a hated protagonist, and Dean, the baseball player and Evvie's love interest, was also likable with his baseball-related woes. The side characters were also fun to read about, such as Andy and his girlfriend.

The romance wasn't even bad like I usually expect in this genre (just because of the fact that I haven't read much Chick Lit). I liked how it progressed since it didn't take the whole book for the romantic build-up to happen. The fact that Evvie and Dean are likable makes their eventual relationship that much better.

I enjoyed Evvie Drake Starts Over, even though it wasn't as light of a read as I thought it'd be with Evvie's therapy sessions and her husband's death before the events of the story. I might even read more Chick Lit in the future because of this book!

This was so enjoyable and wonderful! This falls into the category of light but smart, which is exactly what I needed when I read it! Thanks so much to the publisher for sending me a copy to review!

Linda Holmes has written a charming debut novel, “Evvie Drake Starts Over”. Evvie is packing up her car to leave her emotionally abusive husband and her small hometown of Calcasset, Maine, when she gets word that her husband has been killed in a car accident.





No one knows she was going to leave, including her loving single dad who raised her on his own, or her best friend Andy, who is raising his two young girls alone since his wife left the family.



Evvie seems stuck. She is living in a big house that she never liked, with a job transcribing research that she does from home. She helps Andy with his two girls, whom she adores, but that is the extent of her social life.



Andy has a friend, a major league baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees who has lost his mojo. He can no longer pitch at all, every pitch thrown wildly, and no one has been able to help him fix his problem. With New York media and fans being brutal, Dean is looking to escape.



When Andy suggests that Dean move into the spare apartment Evvie has in her house, she reluctantly agrees. Evvie and Dean get to know each other, but they both agree that the topics of baseball and her marriage are off limits. Watching their relationship develop is sweet.



“Evvie Drake Starts Over” is a heartwarming story, and if you are someone who enjoys baseball and a good romantic story in a small town setting, this one is for you. Jenna Bush Hager chose this as her July pick for her Today Show Book Club.

Such a charming, fun and sweet story. Evvie Drake is a very likable protagonist, and Linda Holmes writes with skill and wit. It's an easy and pleasurable read, but does not feel like forgettable fluff. A perfect lighthearted respite from the real world!

This was a cute story. I started with an e-galley copy (thanks Netgalley!) but admittedly then waited for the audiobook, because my favorite narrator (Julia Whelan) was going to be reading it, and both versions were great.

The characters were really well-developed, and the plot, while a little tropey and predictable (isn't all chick lit?), was creative and unique. At times I thought that the author might go in a different direction and really take a chance at an unexpected ending, but the predicted ending was still cute and fine.

The only thing I didn't like was that there was one chapter near the end where suddenly the point of view switched to Dean instead of Evvie, when the entire rest of te book is told from her perspective. That was a little jarring and felt unnecessary.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

I will admit that I put off reading this book after reading some of the reviews. The majority of what I read this summer was faster paced romance and when some of the reviews said that this book was slow, I was hesitant. But I think I read it at the perfect time. I really loved this story and Eveleth in particular.

I agree that this was slower paced- but in the best way. This book is the slow dance that exemplifies grief, guilt and relationships in general. Evvie herself is almost moving in a fog after the death of her husband. But not for the reasons that everyone else expects. The day he died, she was leaving him. We follow along as she goes through different stages of grief and guilt. As she figures out who she is. And as she finally admits the truth to those closest to her about the reality of her relationship. Eventually, she also allows herself to consider the possibility of loving someone again. Insert Dean- a washed up baseball player who wants to get out of the limelight for awhile. He is an old college friend of Evvie’s best friend and he rents out the apartment attached to Evvie’s house. These two slowly grow a friendship until it is something more.

4.5 stars from me. This came together so organically and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Romantic, Sweet Book. I really enjoyed it. Would love to read another book by this author. Nice and light compared to so many books that I have read lately.

This was such a fun summer read! This book is charming and funny. I love the characters and their interaction with each other. They each had their own struggles and I enjoyed seeing where it would take them. They almost felt like real people and I enjoyed being invested in them. It is a chick-lit romance but has some substance to it which makes it worth reading. Well written and thoroughly enjoyable! Thank you Random House and NetGalley for my free copy of this book.

After the death of her husband, Evvie Drake struggles to reconcile the town's perception of her marriage with her reality. Holmes weaves a friendship, family drama, and two romances together in a small town in Maine. I rooted for all of the characters in this story and loved that it was not too easily wrapped up in the end. I would enjoy a second volume in the lives of Evvie and her people. I was sad to say good-bye to them and to the picturesque shores. This book appeals to my desire for a cozy with a romantic twist.

After Evvie Drake's husband dies in a car crash, friends and family circle around to support her. But she's afraid to tell them the truth: she was preparing to leave her husband the day he died. And when a former Yankee's pitcher who strangely lost his ability to pitch starts renting the downstairs apartment in her home, they find they have something in common. They're both mourning the life they planned, and they both must figure out how to move forward.

The concept here is somewhat dark, but the book is surprisingly light and cheerful. Evvie Drake Starts Over is a big ball of happy to me. Evvie and Dean are both absolutely charming, and their relationship unfolds in such a heartfelt, genuine way. It's masterfully written and so engaging. I can't stop talking about this book.

I was given a free copy of this book by #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Evvie Drake is recently widowed and living in a large house by herself. A major league baseball player injures himself and needs a place to stay to be out of the public's eye. A friend of Evie's convinces her to take in the baseball player as a renter. The two slowly get to know each other until it grows into more than friendship. A lovely story that keeps you wanting more.

I was not quite sure what to expect from this book and was afraid it would be another lighthearted romance featuring a meet cute. I am happy to report that I was totally wrong. Strong characters who are broken come together and end up being each other's salvation. I was rooting for a happy ending for all.

Don't be deceived if you think Evvie Drake Starts Over is simply a second chance at love novel. While romance is involved, I was pleasantly surprised to find more depth in this recent novel by LInda Holmes.

Evvie (pronounced Chevy) is reeling from the sudden death of her husband and struggling with what it means to be a 'young widow." Perhaps her biggest struggle is the secret she's keeping from everyone close to her: on the day he died, she had packed her car to leave her husband.

From the view of outsiders, colleagues, friends, family, their life looked perfect. Inside the walls of their beautiful home life for Evvie was darker and becoming smaller by the day.

Having started over twice in my own adult life, I strongly identified with Evvie and the way she handled the stress. She laid on the floor in an empty apartment, I drove to a WalMart parking lot and cried. We were both doing the same thing, trying to cope but not letting anyone in on our struggle. One of the most moving moments for me was when Evvie started to open up to someone and they made an observation about her marriage that she had not identified or admitted. I think it is interesting that often we can clearly see an injustice in someone else's life, but refuse to label it the same in our own.

Oh, did I mention there is a romance with a hot major league baseball whose career imploded publicly and spectacularly?? There is that. And it's good. But for me it was the backdrop and the spark that urged Evvie to start over in all the other areas of her life. Because of my own experiences, this resonated more with me than the romance.....but the romance was GOOD.

I also appreciated reading about someone a little more 'mature.' Not as 'mature' as me lol but it was refreshing for the protagonist to at least be in her 30's. to Go

Thanks to all of the hype I thought that I would fly through this book and that it would be the perfect final "summer" read. It turns out that was not quite the case for me. It starts out incredibly promising with some witty narration and hilarious lines, but somewhere about 50 pages in, it all started to fizzle out for me.

I can see how a lot of readers would enjoy this book and I think it would make for a quite film. It passed the time just fine.

Enjoyable tale of a widow finding unlikely love with a troubled ball player all set in picturesque Maine. It was a quick read with fairly likable characters, but for some reason this was touted as a lighthearted romance, but found this surprisingly dark. Descriptions of Evvie's first marriage were actually disturbing and not what I was expected. Even the slow burn romance is fraught with tension, this is not a romantic comedy. Despite that, I found myself rooting for this couple and really loved the little Maine town!

This was a fun second chance at love story. It was full of amazing dialogue and a surprising depth. I loved the small town supporting and challenging Evvie and Dean as they each try to escape their reality. Dean helps Evvie face down some vicious demons while Evvie helps Dean begin to believe in himself once again this is definitely an author i will be keeping my eyes on.

I've been listening to Linda Holmes on PCHH for years and she does not disappoint with this book. A fun, engaging read that I will recommend.to patrons who are looking for something fresh. I hope to read more from her in the future.

Evvie Drake Starts Over is a delightful debut novel by Linda Holmes. Evvie’s husband is killed in a car crash, and she has to live with the real-life challenges associated with both her husband’s death as well as her feelings surrounding their marriage. Dean Tenney is a former Major League pitcher who has troubles of his own. He wants a quiet place to work through them, so he rents the apartment behind Evvie’s house from Evvie.

This book felt like real life where things are complicated, challenging, and life-affirming. It’s a pretty predictable read, but the journey is still worth traveling because it’s well-written. You’ll find yourself wishing the best for these characters.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Evvie Drake is a new, young widow, who is hiding away. Not because she's still grieving after almost a year, but because she was packing the car to run away from her abusive husband -- a doctor -- when she got the call that he'd been in an accident. Drew Tenney is a former pitcher with the NY Yankees who is dealing with the 'yips' -- no reason why his pitching has failed him after all these years. He's escaped from NY to visit an old friend, Andy -- who is also Evvie's best friend -- is a small town in Maine. Andy suggests to Evvie that she rent out the empty apartment in her house.

Pretty predictable story, but there are lots of humorous lines and the stories and growth are there.