This book has a little of everything - friends, family, love, loss, conflict, forgiveness, baseball, Maine, and just highs and lows of life. Evvie Drake is a woman learning to find herself and what she wants. I enjoyed the story, but it wasn't necessarily one that I couldn't put down. It was a true-life story that was believable and felt like Evvie was your next-door neighbor. It was a fairly light, quick read that would be a good one for the summer.

Wow, I devoured this book. I started during work (don’t judge) and rushed home to finish it in evening. There was something about it that just resonated with me.

Evvie’s finally leaving a loveless marriage when the unthinkable happens and her husband dies. Now she has to act like the grieving widow while secretly feeling like a monster and shamed inside. Dean’s career as a pitcher comes to an end when he gets the ‘yips’ and is unable to throw accurately anymore. He moves to small town Maine and rents a studio from Evvie who he finds through their mutual friend, Andy. Together and separately they navigate coming to terms with the unexpected and starting their lives over.

I loved every one of these characters. They were complex and broken and so so real. They dealt with the hand life gave them the same as so many of us would do: bravely one day, in denial the next, taking two steps forward and one step back.

It’s a more quiet novel, very character-centric, and that’s what makes it so good. There’s no unnecessary drama to spice it up or action sequence to build suspense. It’s a novel about life, about acceptance and closure, and about the relationships we have with the ones we love.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Evvie Drake Starts Over is a warm and romantic, yet witty read. Author, Linda Holmes, manages to touch on important topics without delivering a heavy storyline. Set in a small mid coast Maine town certainly added extra appeal and charm to the novel. The characters are very relatable and their dialogue is engaging and at times laugh out-loud funny. Such a pleasurable read, I enjoyed every page!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Linda Holmes for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this novel and share my thoughts. I'm looking forward to purchasing a hard cover copies for family, friends, and my own personal library upon publication day!

On the day that Evvie Drake finally decides to leave her emotionally abusive husband, she gets a call that he's been in a fatal car accident. Now all alone in a huge house with a huge mortgage, she agrees to let washed-up baseball player Dean Tenney move into the attached apartment.

This ultimately heart-warming novel with a charming will-they-won't-they romance at its core, also has some substance to it. It tackles grief, guilt, and the nuances of many types of complex relationships - whether it be with a partner, parent, or friend of the opposite sex.

Admittedly already a fan of Linda Holmes' work on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, I am a huge fan of her debut novel as well, and look forward to any future work.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Evvie Drake Starts Over is such a fun and entertaining read! It’s the perfect book for summer since much of the book centers around baseball.

Recently widowed Evvie Drake rents out a portion of her home to Dean Tenney, a former major league baseball player who left his career because he lost his ability to pitch. Dean felt the need to get away from the city and re-evaluate how his life should be post-baseball.

Evvie was having her own struggle with guilt because her husband died on the day she planned to leave him. His private and public persona were also at odds and Evvie seemed to be the only person in town that was aware of what the man was really like.

I loved following along as these two became friends and then stumbled into something more than friends, with some realistic glitches along the way. The story is uplifting and full of great characters set in a peaceful small town in Maine.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

What a good book Evvie Drake Starts Over was! This was my first book from Linda Holmes so I didn't know what to expect. I was loving that fact that it took place in Maine. Linda made me feel like I took a little vacation to Maine as I was reading. I also loved how real Evvie and Dean were in this book. They both were perfectly flawed and that made them so relatable and gave amazing depth to their journey.

This was a good one! I really loved the Maine setting and I loved the friendship between Evvie and Dean . . . it definitely wasn't an easy road but the book was so satisfying. It also felt so real - no one was perfect, no one always did the right thing but everyone learned. I also was so happy with the ending - again, not because it was perfect but because it felt right for this story and the characters. Definitely will read more by this author!

Evvie Drake Starts Over comes out later this month on June 25, 2019, and you can purchase HERE. I definitely recommend this one - such a great summer read!!

Evvie's Scandinavian grandmother had claimed that young women dream about the husbands they want, old women dream about the husbands they wanted, and only the luckiest women, for a moment in the middle, dream about the husbands they've got.

Hmm. I’m half and half on this book. It was a fine story and I liked the romance enough, but Evvie was a hard character for me to like. One of my least favorite things is when things happen conveniently and are solved quickly in the story (which is the whole plot of this book). I think the main problem for me was that this book promised to be a more realistic romance, but it had the same tropes/problems as “sillier” romance novels; poor communication! I also felt that some things were shoehorned in; the issues surrounding evvie’s relationship with her mom, her relationship with her father, even Evvie reclaiming her life felt flat to me. I also did not like the bits of pop culture included in this book. Just say the name of the Jessica Chastain movie! Don’t make me stop reading so I can try to guess it! I don’t mean to nitpick, but just these little things threw the whole book off for me. Anyways I would read a whole book about Monica, who was definitely the most dynamic character and my favorite. Anyways, book was fine and is a quick and inoffensive read that many people will love!

I enjoyed this book a lot! It would make a lovely read in between books that are deep and dark, because this had a lovely picture of small town Maine. Evvie the main character is leaving her husband unknown to him and he has an accident. Her best friend Andy is a very supportive friend and even helps her lease an apartment on her property to Andy's friend.
The story unfolds nicely and keeps the reader entertained. I would recommend this one. It would be a great summer read!

A charming story about two people finding each other as they start the next chapter in their lives. I liked how the friendship and relationship naturally evolved. The best part, hands down, is Evvie retelling the story about the cereal box race - I couldn't stop laughing!

I felt like the characters were fleshed out and did enjoy the writing and flow of the book. I just didn't feel a real connection between Evvie and Dean.

I loved this book. It was so well written, drew me in right away. I got a bit cranky when life pulled me away from reading, ha.

Lovely story, wonderful characters, setting, and emotions.

Sometimes the emotions that Evvie had in her mind, as she explained them, I would feel myself cheering her on, saying "YES! That, exactly that!"

I recommend this to all readers.

This was a lovely book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Interesting, quirky and well-drawn characters and a strong plot made for a satisfying love story that I highly recommend. A love story for grown-ups, not young adults for a change.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this!!! One of the best things I’ve read in awhile, couldn’t put it down. Evvie is so honest and raw, you feel for her throughout this book. The dialogue here is fantastic. Great beach read (or snuggle up on your couch and read in one day, essentially what I did!) (Posted on goodreads)

I know what you're thinking- "Oh like that baseball movie". And the answer is, yeah kinda, but not really! While it shares the same concept of baseball involved theme undercurrent, its main them is about finding yourself. And about sometimes it isn't what you think will make you happy, that does. It just might be letting go of pre-conceived notions of what success is, or what SHOULD make you happy, to find the true core of your happiness. You'll find yourself rapidly reading, wanting to know how it all turns out, and hoping for a happy ending for Dean and Evvie, after all their secrets come out. A perfect beach read, do NOT miss this book, this Summer!

I loved this book. For most of it, it felt like a nice fluffy contemporary. It revolved around a sweet romance between Evvie and her tenant, a washed out Major League Baseball player, while throwing in a complicated but beautiful friendship with her best friend Andy. This would of been just a “fine” book but the character arc for Evvie the last 30% of the book was so well done. It really took the story up a level and made me love it so much more. Definitely a great summer read (especially if you like a contemporary with some romance but not too “steamy”).

Evvie Drake Starts Over is the perfect summer read. Evvie is on her way out of the house to leave her husband when she gets a call that her husband as been in a horrible car accident. Evvie rushes to the hospital to be by her husbands side but he doesn't make it. So now Evvie is a widow with a bit of a secret. Her little town of Maine thinks that Evvie is grieving the love of her life. Evvie is just trying to decide what the next steps of her life should be when her best friends, Andy, asks if a buddy of his can spend the summer in the rental side of her house. Dean moves in and is recovering from a case of the yips, as a former star pitcher with the New York Yankees. From this point Dean and Evvie's relationship starts to grow and they become a bit more than friends. Evvie is still hiding her secret from everyone in her life but Dean. Can Evvie comes to terms with her secret, and can Dean escape his past for this relationship to grow? This is the perfect book to pick up and read this summer.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Evvie makes a decision to leave her verbally abusive husband on the night that he loses his life in a car accident. She struggles with guilt and friendships. Great relationship storyline.

This is a solid beach read, especially if you are looking for an entertaining romance (without the bedroom mechanics), some excellent and witty dialogue, and funny scenes set in small-town Maine. Baseball fans, specifically Yankees lovers, will get a kick out Dean's story, and there are great allusions to current pop culture.

I finally sat down to read this book because of the enormous buzz it is getting. A sweet, romantic tale with well developed characters and a quaint setting, I liked it a lot but don't think it lived up to its massive hype. While there was nothing particularly unique about it, it was perfectly enjoyable- I would definitely recommend it as a light, smart read.