Loved, Loved this book from Cathy Lamb. Set around a bookstore, chocolate and flowers, what else can you ask for! Can't wait to read more of Cathy Lamb's books.

Each time I read a Cathy Lamb's book, I remember why I am always fascinated by her stories, with complex and yet so real characters.

In this book, we're introduced to Evie Lindsay, and she is very special for everything that surrounds her life since her birth - and what happened she only knew the truth many years ahead.

Evie was special, she had premonitions. And while people on the island where she lived, San Orcanita Island in Washington, thought she could predict the future, that was not the case.

Premonitions happened suddenly, and often Evie had to rush to save a person or an animal from a tragic end. Or sometimes someone with a bad soul would have an end, and Evie knew that good people abused by another would finally have peace in their lives.

But this gift - which Evie considered a curse - sometimes got in the way, as Evie herself, who had always been in love with the vet, Marco - and the feeling was reciprocal, but something she foresaw for their future prevented her from letting the feeling grow and bear fruit.

There were several situations that happened in her life.
Her family, her mother Poppy, her aunts Iris and Camellia, and her younger sister Jules, were Evie's world and happiness, but her work, the Evie's Books, Cake & Tea bookstore was her safe haven. Books helped her keep premonitions away.

And while Jules and Mack's wedding (the pediatric nurse biker that looks like a bear) didn't happen, Evie found herself caught among the various book clubs in her bookstore; the encounters with Marco; the arrival of a new stalker police chief and finally the truth about where Evie inherited the (gift/curse) premonition.

The story is full of funny (her aunts and mother, already over 70 years old, but full of energy - do you remember that aunts from Practical Magic movie?); affection (the animals that Evie has been collecting throughout her life, starting with her 17-year-old dog, Sundance); tense (the new chief who doesn't stop harassing her) and love moments.
Moments that made me laugh and cry - of sadness and joy - and the end brings peace and hope.
Reading a Cathy Lamb's book is like finding a dear old friend; visit a much desired place for the first time; find your soulmate.
Go ahead and read it and get ready for a great journey.
10 stars

Cathy Lamb did a wonderful job with her latest book, All About Evie.

I loved the character of Evie and especially enjoyed her mother and aunts. They were always doing something that made me smile. Evie, dessert loving Evie with her fantastic way of turning even a decadent dessert into something healthy with a reason she needed to eat it for her health warmed my heart and made me feel like I'd met my doppelganger.

The story is pretty fast paced and pulled me in for a wonderful ride. I honestly never wanted this book to end. It was not only timely, with its use of DNA testing and the surprises that can sometimes come with that knowledge, but it had an unusual story line and fantastic characters.

Pick this book up if you want a great story filled with characters you will want to actually meet and a mystery filled with a great backstory. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for providing an ARC at my request. My thoughts are my own and freely given.

I didn’t enjoy most of this book because of the characters. The only truly authentic, layered character is Betsy. Had Evie, her aunts & mom been as completely drawn it would’ve been a much better book. The reasoning for Evie & Marco being as they are for most of the story is silly. She already knows premonitions can be changed. Betsy’s story is worth your time
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

I LOVED this book! It made me laugh, it made me cry and it made me sad when it ended, as I enjoyed it so much, and wanted it to last forever. Evie is a lovable character, with a special gift/curse of seeing the future. Surrounded by wonderful entertaining characters and much love for animals, this book comes together in a most amazing way! Thank you NetGalley for the early edition copy, all opinions are my own.

Cathy Lamb's newest is a gem! Full of flowers, animals, and books, this novel ticked off so many boxes for me. It's a standalone, but readers of some of Cathy's other books will recognize some familiar names and places. I was so happy to be able to review this one early - and I've preordered it as well! Thank you Cathy Lamb & Netgalley for this arc.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I can’t wait to dive into more of her books. So funny, so realistic, so much emotion! I love how Evie justifies eating cake as nutritious! I want to go shop in her store filled with books, cakes, teas and flowers. I love her big heart and her collection of stray animals and how she wants to help people through her premonitions! Fun, enjoyable book!

I always preorder anything Cathy Lamb writes and I always will. I enjoyed this story very much. I especially loved the backstory and feel this story would make a great movie.

I stopped at 20%. I tried. Really. But after seven chapters of ramblings about other people's biography without progress on the plot, I've had enough. See the blurb? It says there that the biggest revelation in this book is a DNA test that Evie's sister, Jules, will have. Well. 20% in, and still nothing. Jules hasn't even gotten married.

So there isn't really anything much I can do about giving my own summary of this story. Yes, Evie can see the future. They can be the good ones, and the bad. It's the bad ones that leave terrible imprints on Evie's life. She tries her best to prevent these events, but she cannot always succeed. Her mental health takes a turn for the worse, and that's when she has her first dog (and then her alpacas, and her horses — all of whom, Evie did not hesitate to let us know, are rescue animals). It's great that the author touches on these mental issues that anyone with this power could possibly have. That's real nice character development there, including how she got over it. The book could have stopped there. Why keep dwelling on the past when what readers like me yearn to know are the events happening in the present? Instead, it chose to go down the route of a lot of flashbacks / diverting our attention to other characters in the book. It's repetitive, and these random biographies of characters jumps. Just read chapter 7, and you'll learn all about Evie's grandmother, her mother and her aunts. The transitions are also very confusing. At one point in time Evie will talk about one thing, and before completing it, the scene jumps to another.

Honestly, it's like a bunch of rambles that I have no interest in. I wanted a contemporary with a little twist, but I'm left highly disappointed and bored. I also felt that the writing style was a little awkward. Maybe it's because it's an ARC, and that a lot of editing has to be done, maybe it's not. Whatever it is, I still think it deserves a 1-star rating.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the first Cathy Lamb book I've read and it was amazing! Evie and her family felt like my own family members. The plot of this book was unusual but very well written to make it a very enjoyable and entertaining read. I highly recommend this book! Enjoy! 📚

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
Evie owns a bookstore. Her mother and aunts have a floral shop. Many visitors come to the island to stay and shop.
Evie's sister is getting married and they decide to do a DNA test.
What they find out will shock them and change the life they have known!

This was...... An interesting book.
Evie has premonitions. Her Mom and aunts are so far out there eccentric. I mean, who gets naked with their siblings for activities? Jules is getting married and the only redeeming quality she can mention about her fiancee is that's he's good in bed. I mean come on.... You need more than that to base a marriage off of. Marco is a hot vetranarian that Evie won't be with though they love each other because of a premonition Evie has and it bugged me until they finally got it figured out at the end. I actually skipped most of the middle and that's probably the most important part of the book but I just wanted this weirdness I was reading to be over .

I loved the cover and I looked forward to reading Cathy Lamb’s newest book. The story started out with a bang. Because of a premonition, Evie saves the life of a little girl. I felt like I was running with Evie in order to save the little girl from being hit by the truck. Next, the flashback to Betsy giving birth to a little girl in prison while waiting to go on trial for murder, She, too, has premonitions. I can remember thinking this was going to be an exciting book. I soon became bored with all the detail of the bookstore and the aunts. Too much repetition. I had a hard time finishing the book. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My first Cathy Lamb novel. My favorite parts of the book are the scenes with: Evie, Evie and Marco, Evie and her animals. Evie and her premonitions. I loved how she pressed books to customers at her bookshop and how she rationalized her pie and cake intake. She's a strong heroine and I pulled for her the whole way through.
I thought the novel could have been shorter. There's a lot of repetition that made me want to skim. Not a fan of that. So many larger-than-life (stereotypes. I understand the point but the actions and descriptions brought out the eye rolls.
My rating: 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.

Cathy Lamb has been one of my favorite authors for a long time. In addition to her being an Oregonian like me,her books always make me laugh, and make me feel happy. She has her own unique, quirky and fun writing style and that style is shines through in this book. It was absolutely delightful. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it warmed my heart. I've read almost all of her books and of all of them, this is my favorite (next to The Last Time I Was Me).

This one is my favorite because I related so much to Evie (other than the premonitions, of course!). Book hoarding? Check. Animal lover who talks to their animals if they were people? Check. Introvert? Check. Often anxious? Check. I related so much to her daily life. I wanted to go to the island and work at her bookstore and drink tea and eat cake with her. I loved all the characters--especially her mom and crazy aunts. I love how the backstory of her life wove throughout the book.

This book was more than the humor and the great characters--it made you feel things. It had so many great lessons, great perspectives, and it made you think. If you haven't read Cathy Lamb's books--run RIGHT NOW to your local bookstore and pick up one of her books, especially All About Evie!

Evie, her menagerie (dogs, cats, horses, alpacas, goats, lambs) and her eccentric mother and aunts, are adorable - all of them. Evie has the gift, or curse, of second sight, which complicates her life greatly. She really likes the hot vet on the island, but has a premonition that he’ll drown if she’s with him. She has a recurring premonition about driving on a road along a hillside - but so does Betsey - same premonition, but Betsey sees a truck in her premonition, Evie sees a car. And of course, this eventually happens. This book is definitely quirky - Evie runs a bookstore where she sells coffee and baked goods and hosts book clubs, and bullies her customers into reading outside their comfort zone, an evil police chief arrives. I don’t want to spoil the story for others, so won’t say anything else about the plot, but this light read is a totally charming story.

An engaging story of Evie, who’s unsettled world has dominated her life, with premonitions that have haunted her since a child. She lives a quiet life on the beautiful San Juan islands, selling books, delicious baked goods and delightful items from her mother’s and aunt’s lovely gardens. She surrounds herself with her faithful animals and engaging neighbors, but forever noting an empty space in her heart, as if a piece is missing.
This novel is about love of family, the comfort and unconditional love of our furry family, the value of a good book and the enjoyment of a freshly baked pie or delectable pull of a moist gooey cake. I loved the descriptions of the gardens and flowers that surrounded her sweet carriage house and the quirky family members that are so entertaining. It all blends together and just made me smile, as well as created a craving for one of the delectable treats. The Veterinarian sounded as if he was worth a trip to his office with an ailing pup.
My thanks to #NetGalley, #Kensington Publishing and #Cathy Lamb for the ARC. All comments and opinions are my own.

I will preface this review by saying that I have loved every other book that this author has written… And I was expecting the same kind of writing for this one. However, I found a lot of it repetitive and narrative rather than action oriented. For many many pages sentences were very short and I found that jarring. I feel that the book could’ve been edited much better. I couldn’t stop reading it however, because I wanted to see a happy ending for Evie and Marco. A premonition she had that was keeping them apart seemed flimsy to me and not quite believable…

But I did like, and my most favorite scenes, or when Evie was with her animals and in the bookstore. Those are two of my most favorite things in the whole world and so I really related to her in that way.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

ALL ABOUT EVIE by Cathy Lamb is a beautifully-written and charming story of love, family and friendship. The characters are delightful and wonderfully-portrayed and I loved all of Evie’s animals! Evie has grown up with haunting premonitions that have often set her apart from her family and friends. She tries to understand why she is so different from her sister, Jules, her Mom, Poppy and her two quirky and lovable aunts, Camellia and Iris. Jules is getting married soon and she convinces Evie to take a DNA test with her. The shocking results call into question everything Evie knows about her family and her past. The story follows Evie’s emotional journey to understanding her background and accepting her “gift”. Although the book deals at times with some difficult topics, it is full of warmth, humor and compassion. There were even a few twists that I did not see coming. I was captivated by this heartwarming and uplifting book and highly recommend it! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

Oh those DNA tests! You gotta wonder how many people there are who, like Evie, get a big surprise when they get the results. Set on a lovely island in the Pacific Northwest, this is the story of how Evie learns that she really is different from the rest of her family (much as she loves them). She owns a bookstore (love this part) and she has premonitions, which are sometimes good and sometimes bad. Her sister Jules' wedding is the prompt for the test and it unravels a long held family secret. This hits a number of serious issues as well as more light hearted ones. It also occasionally wanders into the twee (it's the writing style). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good characters and a very realistic plot line make this a good read.