Congratulations Linda Holmes! You have done the almost impossible: You crafted a first novel that zings off the page in the first paragraph and never stops. The dialogue is laugh out loud funny (I was asked to quit several times.) and an original and intriguing tale of an unlikely heroine named after a town in Minnesota and a major league pitcher suffering from "the Yips".

Evvie, named after Evaleth by her runaway mother, has just decided to leave her abusive doctor husband when she gets a call that changes everything. Dr. Tim, who was her high school boyfriend and husband dies in a car crash and she is STUCK. How can she now tell her best friend Andy and her Dad and her in-laws that Tim was a mean, nasty gaslighting husband. He "accidentally" pushed her against a dresser, bruising her back and then denied it. He offered to bring pizza for dinner and berated her for not feeding him when he arrived home late. Not exactly what you think of as spousal abuse, but certainly enough to damage. And between him and her mother, Evvie is damaged.

Evvie's lifelong platonic friend Andy becomes her mainstay following the accident. Then, enter Andy's friend Dean whose career ends when his pitching arm gives out and he rents an apartment in Evvie's house.. So, two people with traumatic life occurrences are thrown together. But wait, nothing here is predictable or what you expect or happens when you expect it.

Don't delay in buying and reading this book. It's a guaranteed page-turner by a popular NPR podcaster. More, please! Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the privilege of reading an early copy.

I was so excited to read this book because I'd read great reviews but.... I just couldn't get into it. Every time Evvey told a story and I completely zoned out. It was just hard for me to get into this one unfortunately. Maybe because I'm comparing it to several amazing books that I just finished. Not sure but I couldn't connect with the characters. Love the idea of baseball and the location of Maine though.

Evvie (like Chevy) Drake Starts Over is one of those books that just feels good to read. Don't get me wrong, you will be heartbroken at moments, but those moments are so worth it. The story begins with Evvie Drake's less-than-stellar husband, but beloved town doctor, and husband's death. Evvie is struggling to reconcile her feelings about his death when her best friend, Andy, offers his friend and struggling ex-Yankee player, Dean, to Evvie's in-house apartment. So while Dean is trying to get away from his life as a struggling professional baseball player and find his renewed purpose in life, he finds himself in the company Evvie, who is also struggling to find her next life adventure. What follows is a story of losing yourself, finding yourself, and helping others along the way. It is also a story about baseball, dreams, and friendship. Couldn't recommend this one enough!

Received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest opinion.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book. I am super happy with the story that I got. Evvie seems to have gotten the short end of the stick with love the first time around, but gotten the best part the second time. Dean is a likable character, and I rooted for them from the beginning. They both had baggage, but were able to get it behind them to have a fresh start. Great cast of characters all around. Awesome story.

A sweet rom com full of heart, realistic characters and great dialogue. This book is perfect for reading on your back porch on an early summer day, hard to put down, and great for fans of Jennifer Weiner and Lianne Moriarty.

I happily accepted a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review, however I must admit I intended to read this book the moment it is published – I’ve read Linda’s writing on pop culture for many years and have always been a fan. This book is a really great addition to the traditional summer beach reads. Its characters are well developed, there are other important relationships beyond the central coupling, and it provides the quaint location and quirky locals that many fans of this genre look forward to. What I liked most is that her adult characters acted like adults – so many books rely on maddeningly unrealistic conflict that could be resolved with one five minute honest conversation. Here, the conflict is derived from believable baggage one could expect from adults in their 30’s. This book is fun, has a specific voice, and it very rereadable. It’s no problem if you don’t like sports, but if you’re a baseball fan, it adds a little something extra. Recommended.

From the first few pages I knew I would love this book. Evvie is one of my most favorite characters in recent memory, and her world and the people in it charmed me from page one. This is a book I would recommend to nearly anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

Posted to Goodreads 3/10/19

I loved Evvie Drake! Not just another poor widow who tries to rebuild her life novel. Sure the meet cute is seen a mile away but that never stops me from continuing reading if the characters are well drawn. Obviously, I kept reading!

As a huge fan of the writing Linda Holmes does for NPR and the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, I was thrilled to have an opportunity to read this book. It isn't one I would have ever chosen for myself based on the description. I would choose a thriller or fantasy novel over a romance based in reality any day of the week. And I can't think of a sport more boring to watch than baseball. Despite my reticence regarding the subject matter, I was drawn in by Linda's singular voice. The characters were fully fleshed out people that seemed real to me immediately. The plot was rather standard and the ending predictable; however, I still enjoyed the ride to the end. I was utterly charmed by Linda's writing and would recommend this book to any pop culture fanatics that might not otherwise choose a romance.

Lovely read wonderfully written characters .The story drew me right in the difficult moments the romance two wounded people both hurting .A delicious read one I will be recommending to my friends.#netgallet #randomhouse Ballentinebooks,

When a novel is well written, with a good story line and characters that touch you, it is a pleasure to read. Evvie decides to leave her husband the same night he has a fatal accident. Relying on her closest friend, and her family, she hides behind the mask of grief without revealing the truth. Her efforts to move on escalate when she meets Dean, a baseball player who has lost his pitching ability and is also finding his way. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and thank Netgalley for the ARC.

I loved this book. Evvie's voice was smart, fresh and relate-ably flawed. I would totally be friends with this character. The romantic elements were sexy and real and I found myself developing a crush on Dean myself. I loved Evvie's friendship with Andy, although I wished very much she had at least one female friend. I also wanted to know more about the setting. But the characters were so well-formed they were almost tangible. Also baseball!

Evvie Drake Starts Over is a perfect vacation/beach read. The main character is easy to relate to and her grief is realistic, even the difficult parts of it. The male/female friendship is well drawn and dealt with in an interesting and unexpected way. It is a fun read and satisfying without being expected. Highly recommended!

I love Linda Holmes on PCHH & I love baseball, so I was not surprised that I also loved this book! This was so much more than a cute girl-meets-hot-baseball-player story. Evvie & Dean are both in unique grieving situations & Holmes really keeps you guessing to the end how their relationship will play out. I enjoyed all of the baseball references & the snappy dialogue. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read with characters that stick with you. Can’t wait for the next one!

I've been thinking a lot about this book in the past couple of weeks since finishing it, and I think I've only recently realized it's because these characters are so fully-realized that they feel like friends. Of course I would be thinking about my friend Evvie, and what I learned about her relationship with her late husband, her deep friendships, and of course all the details of the rugs and dishes in her home. I visited her fictional town and heard all the juicy rumors about the washed-out ball player who came up for a spell. And I am so, so proud of Evvie for doing the work to be in a better mental health spot. It's a rare contemporary romance that feels this real, crackles with wit and sexy-feelings, and also gives proper attention to complexities of adult life. Looking forward to reading what Holmes has to say next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for this eARC.

Do you ever get mad when someone is TOO talented? After reading <i>Evvie Drake Starts Over</i>, that's how I feel about Linda Holmes. She's not only a great radio host and culture writer, with <i>Evvie</i>, she's kicked off what I hope will be a great career as a novelist.

Evvie, a widow who was about to leave her husband when he died, and Dean, a former pitcher with the yips, are lovely, full characters, both of whom come with baggage. Their love story, in the midst of various kinds of grief feels organic, and I think that Linda would like that I yelled just KISS at the book at least once while I was reading. Linda writes great relationships of many kinds, including between Evvie and her best friend and between Evvie and her dad. She also has a gift for place. Calcasset, Maine, which we see through a year, feels like a real town. Even the baseball worked for me, and I'm not a sports person y'all.

Because I've listened to Linda talk for hundreds of hours (and have looked at hundreds of pictures of her dog), I am used to her voice. This book sounds like her. If you're a linda fan, or even if you just like contemporary romance, I think you'll like this. I sure did.

This is a warm and witty romance with a very likeable and realistic cast of characters. Everything felt comfortable - the dialogue, the relationships, the problems that the characters faced. I have been reading and listening to Linda Holmes for years, and I am thrilled to have her work in novel form. I hope this is the first of many books from her! It reminded me of another book I loved from a TwoPer - Going in Circles by Pam Ribon. It had the same warmth and love for its characters. I hope it finds a great audience!

I love this story. I'm more of a crime reader than a romance reader, but lately I've been branching out a bit and this book was perfect for me. Evvie "rhymes with Chevy" Drake is one of those characters who feels like a real person you'd actually want to befriend. She's not perfect, but her flaws aren't cutesy quirky ones you only see in movies or books. She's recently widowed and trying to come to terms with her feelings about that, trying to manage her relationship with her best friend, and navigating a new relationship. And it's nice that the book is told in alternating points of view--we get Evvie's perspective but also that of her love interest, Dean. It was refreshing that Evvie and Dean are pretty much normal people interacting like people actually do. They're refreshingly straightforward with each other about their feelings and there aren't any wacky misunderstandings based on people not saying what you'd actually say in real life. If I say this is a sweet story, please know I don't mean schmaltzy or saccharine--it's just right.

Loved this! It felt like a throwback to great 90s rom coms. Liked how upfront and honest the main characters were about their feelings and there wasn't a bunch of manufactured drama between them. Exactly what I was hoping it would be!

I’ve enjoyed Linda Holmes’ writing since Television Without Pity and this book was fantastic. Highly recommended!