I let my children stay up way too late because I couldn’t force myself to put this book down long enough to brush their teeth and force them into pajamas. I read the whole thing in less than 24 hours and I regret nothing (okay, I regretted the crabby children the next day). Evvie Drake has just lost her husband (he dies in the first chapter) and Dean Tenney is a World Series winning pitcher for the Yankees who suddenly can’t pitch anymore and he has no idea why. When he escapes the endless news about his fall from grace in New York, he ends up renting the apartment in Evvie’s too-big-for-her house and the two strike up friendship, based on the agreement that he won’t ask about her late husband and she won’t ask him about baseball. You can imagine how long THOSE rules last. As far as swearing and sex, this one is about on par with Sophie Kinsella’s books.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. It had an excellent premise. Woman was about to leave her mentally, emotionally and starting to get physically abusive husband, who is the beloved hometown doctor, when he does the unexpectedly helpful thing of getting into a car accident and dying. She didn't love him, was afraid of him and played the part of the grieving widow, when she just felt guilt about not feeling sad at all. She couldn't move on and she didn't even tell her best friend about it for two years. Until he figured it out and their relationship crumbled.

Having been through a divorce and seeing others I know and love going through them, if the marriage and the spouse is that bad, having them die on you before you actually tell the world and them that you are leaving them, would be an almost welcomed tragedy, in comparison to the tragedy and drawn out horribleness that is divorce. Not saying it's better for death to happen, just that at the time it would seem better for the one left behind at the time.

So the fact that Evvie wasn't at least somewhat appreciative of what the Universe had done for her was unbelievable to me. She had a multitude of other issues that prevented her from seeing the silver lining and being honest with her BFF I guess, ten years in a mentally and emotionally degrading marriage can do that to one I suppose, but I just wanted to SHAKE her and tell her to get over herself and to move on with her life. Even dead her husband was still controlling her and it was not fun to read.

The relationship she developed with the H didn't feel real and she wasn't a "fixer", she was dam pushy and nosy and I honestly don't see how the H came to like her at all.

The only saving grace for this book was the discussion of getting therapy for mental health issues in such a positive light. Evvie does eventually come to realize that she needs therapy and she goes and she does get slowly better, which I felt was realistic. She's not perfect by the end of the book, but she is slowly healing and able to deal with life in a healthier way than she was at the beginning of the book. It felt real.

I'm sad I didn't enjoy this more. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 for the positive representation of therapy for mental health issues. It's a start in breaking the stigma of mental health illnesses. We need to be willing to talk about it openly and not look down on those who have the issues and need the help.

Evvie Drake is absolutely adorable. She should be a grieving, reclusive widow but guilt keeps her from moving on from her husband's death nearly two years ago. However, when a pro baseball pitcher, who has forgotten how to throw strikes, rents her apartment, her world starts to improve.
Evvie and Dean have experienced many trials, and together there's more they will have to overcome. But with each other they can put the guilt and loss of the past behind them.
Evvie Drake Starts Over is uplifting and realistic. It's about moving on but not surrendering who you really are.

A romance about adults acting like adults! They have actual conversations! They fall in love because they REALLY LIKE EACH OTHER! They make mistakes and then apologize! They have nuanced friendships with people of the opposite sex! They help each other, and sometimes it goes wrong! They have complicated relationships with their careers and parents! There is also kissing!

An absolutely charming book. Great for people who want something light but still haven't fully embraced romance. The perfect book for summer.

Thank you so much for the copy. I tried to pick this one up but it did not work for me. Thank you for the opportunity to be an early reader.

Delightful, funny, romantic, heartfelt - Evvie Drake Starts over is a homerun! Evvie is a widow, but little do people know that she was packing the car to leave her husband when she got the call telling her about his accident.
We follow Evvie as she comes into her own (and as she tries to figure out the connection with the cute former baseball player who has moved into her guest apartment).
The characters feel like flesh and blood people. I could easily see this being made into a movie. I laughed out loud a number of times, and cheered when Evvie found her own strength. It's set in a charming Maine town as well. I highly recommend - 5 stars.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So I know that I am one of the few here, as I liked/enjoyed the story but did not live up to the hype. I enjoyed that the story had more depth than a typical romance but for some reason I just kept wanting the story move at a quicker pace. I also had a hard time relating to Evvie and some of her decisions. I know so many people have loved this one, so maybe I just read at the wrong time. I think if you are looking for an ultimately feel good romance with depth in a picturesque small town, I think you'll enjoy.

Strangely enough, I was looking for a funny Southern read and instead chose a book set in Maine. "Evvie Drake" has all the elements I like in a story: broken but likable characters, great descriptions of scenery and food, a non-fussy- if predictable- plot. I loved that the author dabbled inside the world of baseball as well as the aforementioned seaside life of a Mainer, neither of which I've read about before. However, she left several gaps in the story that could have been developed better; there are a lot of side characters who are mentioned frequently but have no real depth. All in all, I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed Nicholas Sparks' Message in a Bottle (finding love while dealing with self healing and loss), Louse Miller fans (New England fiction), or the quirky romance of Jenny Colgan, Sophia Kinsella, and Molly Harper's Southern Eclectic series.

Loved this book so much! Thank you for allowing me to read it! I loved how adult this book was. It wasn't COMPLETELY romance, but it was romantic enough! The characters are so well-written and it was an overall delight to read!

This is such a sweet, slow moving, literary love story. I think I waited to read it because I was worried the hype would get me and I’m glad I did. I feel like I read this at just the right time this week, and it was a perfect read to sandwich the heavier reads I’ve been reading recently.

*thank you netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own

My love for the author may have me more excited about this than otherwise, but I think Linda Holmes delivered right from the get go with such a vulnerable and surprising first chapter. I felt truly transported and delighted.

I just loved absolutely everything about this book! The characters, the storyline, the romance, the baseball! Cannot wait to see what is Up Next for this amazing author!

Another thirty something who can’t get it together. After being annoyed by her, I got to like Evvie. I enjoyed “watching” her find herself.

Evie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes is a sweet romance about starting over after great loss. The author tells the story with wonderful plot development, knowing how to unveil details perfectly. I particularly love how you can relate to Evie. This is not a perfect romance. It is a complicated story and I think readers will really enjoy it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I really enjoyed this book of a young widow whose secret is she was on her way to leave her husband when she learned she had a fatal heart attack.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this contemporary romance where two people try to overcome their personal stories, where how they define themselves through family and friends and are far different from their personal struggles and how they see themselves in a mirror. A book that will tug at your heart, laugh, cheer, and worry for these characters and their story.

My first time read from this author, I enjoyed it.

*Edited. I can not stop thinking about this book... and the more a book stays with you and especially a strong character such as Evvie, the more you realize the impact the story has on a reader! Summoning all her courage Evvie decided to leave her husband - who up and dies on her. Overcome by guilt over the whole situation Evvie must move on without him - which is what she had planned, just different. I highly recommend this book with a unique storyline and an unforgettable character. I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

So sweet and charming. An easy read that I got through pretty fast. A bit thought-provoking while being a bit predictable, but overall, very nice :)

So, over the past few weeks, I have been diligently working on my aging TBR books from NetGalley. Evvie Drake Starts Over has been on my shelf for the longest and I have absolutely no idea what I was thinking waiting this long to read it. I am truly in awe of this debut novel and the author, Linda Holmes.

There’s no need to repeat the blurb, so I will just dive right into everything I loved about this novel. The protagonist Evvie is completely flawed. However, she is flawed in ways that make her relatable, approachable, and likable. Dean is absolutely flawed himself, but Evvie was more relatable to me than any female protagonist I have read in a while. Evvie did not like her husband. Evvie did not like her life. Yet she’s trapped being a grieving widow. That is until Dean rents out the extra apartment in her house and suddenly she finds herself in a friendship where she can’t help but share the truth. She can’t help but be honest. Even if it’s just bits and pieces at a time.

Dean is humiliated, broken down, and feeling beat up. His entire life quickly changed, but now he has found this connection with Evvie. So, what’s the problem?

Neither of them is in the healthiest place and they aren’t quite sure what to with the fact that they have basically met their soulmates.

Evvie Drake Starts Over is absolutely a romance, but even more than that, it’s about two intelligent and witty adults coming to terms with what is real and not real in their lives. And – don’t get me wrong, I wanted Evvie and Dean together from the first moment they met, but they were amazing friends first that I found completely hilarious and wished I could be sitting around joined in with their conversations. Linda Holmes – you are now officially my queen of male/female witty banter!

This novel doesn’t have a hugely fast-paced plot. There aren’t a lot of twists and turns. This is a character-driven novel dealing with life’s disappointments, fights with friends, people gossiping, a lot of t.v. watching, moving forward, and love.

If you are easily offended by language, then this may not be the book for you. If you require tons of hot and steamy love scenes, then this may not be the book for you. But if you want to read a funny, sad, emotional, and straight-up novel about two imperfect people finding their perfect lives, then this should be your next read. I will be online ordering paperbacks of this for several friends once I finish writing this review. My only regret about reading this book is that I didn’t read it 7 months ago. I cannot wait to see what this talented author does next!

**Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.