Thank you Linda Holmes for another great book. I loved Evvie Drake so much and was hoping that I would love this book as well. Highly recommended for fans of Linda Holmes but also for fans of hometown crushes and family. I could see this as a Hallmark movie!!

This was a quick read. Laurie who is turning 40 and her fiancé leaves her tries to figure out which direction she wants her life to take. There is romance, drama, and the mystery of a carved duck as she discovers more about her deceased aunt’s life. 3.5 stars.

There’s something to be said for literary lightness.

Sure, sometimes we like to delve into dense tomes packed with esoteric vocabulary and deep themes and complicated plotting, all wound together in a stylistic experiment. “Great” literature and all that. But there’s value in relative simplicity when it comes to books.

Please do not conflate simplicity with simplistic, however – that’s not what I’m talking about. I just believe that there can be just as much merit to a breezy read as you’ll find in something with ostensibly loftier aspirations.

“Flying Solo,” the new novel from Linda Holmes, is very much the former … and that’s a good thing. This is a book about a woman who returns to her hometown out of the twin senses of love and obligation. The reasons for her return are steeped in sadness, but as her stay proceeds, she finds herself learning more about the people she loves … and about herself.

As she stands at the crossroads of her old life and her new one, she is struck by the dichotomy of past and possibility – represented in this case by a relic from one person’s history whose deeper meaning is both obvious and opaque. To wit: it means something, but she’s not certain what. And we’ve all been there, yes?

Laurie Sassalyn is on the verge of turning 40 and her life is in … let’s just call it a period of uncertainty. She’s a science writer living in Seattle whose professional struggles, while significant, are dwarfed by the chaos in her personal life – specifically, the fact that she just called off her wedding mere weeks before the big day.

To top it all off, her beloved great-aunt has passed away at the ripe old age of 93. Dot was a safe haven for Laurie, providing a place to go when the noise of four rambunctious brothers proved to be too much. Now, it’s up to Laurie to return to her hometown – the coastal Maine town of Calcasset – to deal with Dot’s estate.

Even through her sadness, Laurie can see that Dot’s was a life well-lived. The house is packed with bric-a-brac and tchotchkes, representative of her globetrotting adventures. There are books and Polaroids and old letters, all of which contribute to the story of one woman’s embrace of the world’s possibilities.

And then there’s the duck.

Specifically, a wooden duck decoy that Laurie finds buried in a cedar chest. It’s a lovely piece of craftsmanship, but Dot was never a hunter or anything like that. Other than a cryptic clue found in one of the few love letters Laurie allows herself to read, there’s no real sense of why the duck is here and why it might have been important to Dot.

Laurie didn’t expect a handmade duck decoy to become a central part of her return to Calcasset, but hey – she’s well aware that life doesn’t always go the way we expect. Circumstances surrounding the duck result in all manner of surprises. Laurie’s connection with her childhood best friend is deepened and she reconnects with the first boy – now a man – that she ever loved. Oh, and she winds up knee-deep in intrigue, wandering into a world populated with folks who are considerably less savory than the company she usually keeps. It’s a full-on caper, with Laurie square in the center.

“Flying Solo” is precisely the sort of charming read that one might look for as a summer diversion. This is not a weighty story – even when it addresses some heavier themes, it is always in service of advancing the tale being told. Yes, it is light. It is also a delight.

What Holmes does so wonderfully is place us firmly inside the heads of her characters. One of the most difficult things for a writer to do is create a sense of familiarity; in Laurie, we’re given a character who will ring very true. We ALL know a Laurie, someone working their way through the world even as they are unsure of their ultimate place within it. She sees her own reflection in her efforts to reconstruct her late aunt’s life – a slightly skewed reflection, but a reflection nevertheless. It makes for a lovely character study.

Now, the narrative here is plenty engaging, gently shifting and veering as it does, but the truth is that “Flying Solo” is successful because of the people. We enjoy hanging out with Laurie and her friends. We enjoy being part of her rekindling relationships. It is, in short, all about the vibes.

Every one of us has been faced with a crossroads that leads us to confront deeper truths about our lives and ourselves. Linda Holmes has captured a version of that moment. This book is sweet and funny and a little sad. It’s a bit like life in that way. So if you’re looking to be whisked away on a lightweight literary adventure, dig into “Flying Solo.”

A sweet, funny book about a woman trying to figure out what she truly wants her life to be. Great dialogue, great story! There's a mystery revolving around a decoy duck, but it's pretty light. Highly enjoyable book, very easy to recommend to people.

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes is a story about a woman finding her way after canceling her engagement. She is simultaneously sorting through her late great aunt’s home and discovering a mystery along the way. Readers of this genre may enjoy this book. It was not at all what I expected. I appreciate the journey the author took the reader on. However, I found the conclusion less than satisfying. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This book is actively small. Nothing that happens ever feels very important or immediate - and I love a small story, but in telling them, we still need to care. Intimacy with the character and their world is even more important, and I found that lacking with this story. I liked the idea of the setup, but I wanted to feel what she was feeling more. Her journey makes sense in a technical way, but ultimately I was detached.

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes is a wonderful summer read about Laurie as she returns to her aunt's home in Maine to go through her belongings. It's a great mix of romance, family drama, mystery, and finding yourself. The story and witty banter made it entertaining and a book I didn't want to put down.

Flying Solo is the second entry by NPR host Linda Holmes, and it’s as calming and quaint as a good episode of radio. The story follows Laurie, who is in Maine and taking the lead to clean out her great-aunt Dot’s house. Amongst the knick knacks and cozy blankets she finds a wooden duck that leads her on a goose chase (get it?) to figure out the mystery of its origins and on a path of self discovery for what Laurie wants moving forward.

I would classify this as womens fiction, which I love more than a cozy mystery. Holmes is deft at creating deeply developed characters that are lovable as they are complicated. You have the opportunity to spend time with Laurie’s harried but supportive best friend from childhood and her handsome librarian ex-boyfriend who has yet to move on from his hometown. I loved when all the characters were together, as it brought memories of my own friends chatting together late at night. The Maine setting easily comes alive, and hours of playing Wingspan prepared me for mentions of bird life throughout.

This is a story that is wonderful for women in their thirties and forties (I rarely see stories in this age range, especially if women confident in chasing their own careers and independence) who want to fly solo on some days and with a flock on others. Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy, all opinions are my own.

This was such a beautiful story, and Linda Holmes is quickly cementing herself as one of my favorite writers. Heartfelt and funny, Laurie's journey with the duck is not one I'll be quick to forget.

I felt like I got dumped into a story already in progress......it wasn't bad per se but I didn't love it like I loved her first book, which I have given to so many readers. I thought the so-called mystery was about nothing really-I couldn't even understand how it became so important to the protagonist. Sometimes people want to keep part of their life private... I also got tired of the protagonist's "I want it all but it has to be my way" attitude.

I was so excited to get a copy of this book and it did not disappoint! I loved the characters, the intrigue, and the cameos from the author’s first book.

Linda Holmes books are always a great read. Definitely recommending as a great vacation read to locals and visitors alike.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

When Aunt Dot passes away, she leaves Laurie her estate.

A wooden duck has turned up and creates quite the stir.

No one knows where it came from, what it means and it’s assumed that it holds no value, until it disappears.

While on the trek to find the duck, Laurie is confronted with many things she never thought she would encounter again in her life.

Laurie and Nick dated in the past and lost touch, but now they both find themselves in the place where they could pick up again but Laurie doesn’t want the same things that Nick does – she’s not planning on staying (until she is), she doesn’t want to get married and she doesn’t want to be in love (until she is).

This is my first book by this author. I have Evvie Drake on my TBR pile and it's a must I get reading that soon!

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to review and read this title, all view are my own. I just reviewed Flying Solo by Linda Holmes. #FlyingSolo #NetGalley

This was just the charming, cozy romance I needed after a string of heavier reads. I love a second chance at love and Laurie and Nick's was just perfect (he's a sexy librarian for crying out loud!), as was the small town setting and delightful banter. I never would have thought I'd care so much about a wooden duck.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Ballantine for the copy to review.

Flying Solo was far more women's fiction than romance and I think my initial expectations kind of did this read a disservice. There was also a lot about this novel and the story at its center that could either speak to a particular reader or really rub them the wrong way. Unfortunately, I was the type of reader getting rubbed wrong, mainly about the main character and the choices she made throughout the course of this story. Her choices seemed strange and out of character, like she was trying to be a person that went against the grain of what was expected. Lovely writing, but the story itself just didn't work for me.

I ADORED this book. It was charming, it was delightful, and I can't say enough good things about it. Definitely a hidden gem and definitely worth the hype. I read most of it in one day and I couldn't read fast enough. Laurie is a total bada@@ and her aunt Dot was too. It's amazing how invested I got in the storyline and how much I came to care about a simple duck!

Linda has done it again! I thoroughly enjoyed this fun, flirty tale which made me feel good and brought optimism to a new level.

I loved Evvie Drakes Starts Over so I was very excited to have the opportunity to read Flying Solo. I really enjoyed this one as well. I loved the strong main female character who knows what she wants and doesn't settle or change course for anyone especially a man. At times, I felt bad for Nick because I did feel like Laurie was stringing him along or using him for a short time period while in Maine. I am glad they were able to find their happy ending even if it wasn't a typical or common happy ending. The plot line of the duck decoy and how that all unfolded kept me engaged.

As a big fan of Evvie Drake Starts Over, I had high, high hopes for Flying Solo. Unfortunately, I simply could not bring myself to care about this story or these characters. Every line of this felt like dragging myself through mud -- it wasn't that it was bad, exactly, just that it was so deathly dull that I kept forgetting I was even reading it from one line to the next. I hope other readers will be able to relate more to the characters and the story, but this one was simply not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.