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Evvie Drake Starts Over
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In a small town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth "Evvie" Drake rarely leaves her house. Everyone in town, including her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and she doesn't correct them. In New York, Dean Tenney, former major-league pitcher and Andy's childhood friend, is struggling with a case of the "yips": he can't throw straight anymore, and he ca
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Melanie
Funny, I didn't even notice the F word much. I suppose that depends on what you're used to.
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This is a very charming novel. It is a juicy red apple. It is a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils. It is, and I mean this in the best possible way, a Hallmark movie, but with richly drawn characters who are imperfect and interesting. Evvie Drake's asshole husband has died but no one knows he was an asshole and so she has to deal with her community's expectations of how she should grieve as she tries to be who every one in her life wants her to be. Or who she thinks they want to be. And then t
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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!
4.5*
Definitely not your average Rom Com! This is raw, true life! The twist and turns it takes along the journey. The pieces you need to pick up in order to move forward.
Evvie married her high-school sweetheart. On the day she’s planning to take on life in a new direction, her husband is killed in a car accident. With the snap of a finger, Evvie is left to regroup, and somehow find the strength to start over...again. Time for Evvie 3.0
Dean was living the dream. A star pitcher for the New York Yan ...more
Definitely not your average Rom Com! This is raw, true life! The twist and turns it takes along the journey. The pieces you need to pick up in order to move forward.
Evvie married her high-school sweetheart. On the day she’s planning to take on life in a new direction, her husband is killed in a car accident. With the snap of a finger, Evvie is left to regroup, and somehow find the strength to start over...again. Time for Evvie 3.0
Dean was living the dream. A star pitcher for the New York Yan ...more
5 Stars
Do you want your HEART STOLEN? Yeah? Then “Evvie Drake Starts Over” is a MUST FREAKING READ!!
Evvie drake is a woman everyone in town feels for - her husband Tim passed away recently and everyone in the town is just devastated, including her father, his parents and her best friend Andy. Everyone simply assumes Evvie feels the same way and Evvie has never said otherwise. The fact is that no one really knows her and they have no idea what her marriage was like. Some things are simply better ...more
Do you want your HEART STOLEN? Yeah? Then “Evvie Drake Starts Over” is a MUST FREAKING READ!!
Evvie drake is a woman everyone in town feels for - her husband Tim passed away recently and everyone in the town is just devastated, including her father, his parents and her best friend Andy. Everyone simply assumes Evvie feels the same way and Evvie has never said otherwise. The fact is that no one really knows her and they have no idea what her marriage was like. Some things are simply better ...more
this story is pretty dang cute and i enjoyed reading it but i, for the life of me, cannot think of anything to say about it.
i picked up this up because i was in a particular mood for something light and easy and this book is the epitome of ‘what you see is what you get.’ theres nothing too complicated or surprising - just a quiet, understated story that hits the right spot. which is a good thing if you are a mood reader like me.
again, nothing too remarkable or noteworthy about this, but just y ...more
i picked up this up because i was in a particular mood for something light and easy and this book is the epitome of ‘what you see is what you get.’ theres nothing too complicated or surprising - just a quiet, understated story that hits the right spot. which is a good thing if you are a mood reader like me.
again, nothing too remarkable or noteworthy about this, but just y ...more
If you're looking for a book to charm you completely and worm its way into your heart, you don't have to look any further than Linda Holmes' debut novel,
Evvie Drake Starts Over
. Boy, did I thoroughly enjoy this one!
It's been nearly a year since her husband died in a car accident, and Evvie (like "Chevy," not "Stevie") Drake has spent most of the time holed up in her house, trying to stay out of the public eye. Her husband was a beloved physician in their small Maine town, and she is rarely ...more
It's been nearly a year since her husband died in a car accident, and Evvie (like "Chevy," not "Stevie") Drake has spent most of the time holed up in her house, trying to stay out of the public eye. Her husband was a beloved physician in their small Maine town, and she is rarely ...more
Maybe a 2.5 instead of the full 3. This was good in the beginning, but really started to drag as the book went on. I may not have been the right audience for this one because it just did not work for me. Womp.
It started with three, then moved up to 3.4, then dropped to 3.2 and finally with the ending part score stayed as 3.5 soft, sweet, Hallmark-ish movie vibes with far better characterization and better writing starts rounded up to 4 romantic stars
Mostly I never called myself indecisive. But reviewing and deciding what I’m thinking about this book were really complicated job for me.
I can make honestly my ”it’s not you, it’s me” speech to the book not to hurt its feelings! Because my timing is s ...more
Mostly I never called myself indecisive. But reviewing and deciding what I’m thinking about this book were really complicated job for me.
I can make honestly my ”it’s not you, it’s me” speech to the book not to hurt its feelings! Because my timing is s ...more
★★✰✰✰ 2 stars
Sadly, I ended up disliking most aspects of this novel. It might appeal to those looking for a light summer read that isn't necessarily funny or moving.
Throughout the novel I had the impression that I was reading an early draft rather than a completed and published version of a book.
➜The story as such seemed incomplete. We have the inciting incident (Dean becomes Evvie's tenant) and then nothing much beyond that happens. It seems they start experiencing romantic feelings for each ...more
Sadly, I ended up disliking most aspects of this novel. It might appeal to those looking for a light summer read that isn't necessarily funny or moving.
Throughout the novel I had the impression that I was reading an early draft rather than a completed and published version of a book.
➜The story as such seemed incomplete. We have the inciting incident (Dean becomes Evvie's tenant) and then nothing much beyond that happens. It seems they start experiencing romantic feelings for each ...more
There are some things books just love to call themselves.
“WRENCHING,” a book’s front cover will yell, and say it's a quote from like the Delaware Post-Tribune or the Huntington Park Journal or the Winding River Bend Rural Paper. “IMMERSIVE,” shouts a glorified neighborhood book club. “UNPUTDOWNABLE,” according to a woman with a lot of Instagram followers.
I very rarely agree with these influencers or made-up sounding publications. It is an infrequent occurrence that I put down a book and immediat ...more
“WRENCHING,” a book’s front cover will yell, and say it's a quote from like the Delaware Post-Tribune or the Huntington Park Journal or the Winding River Bend Rural Paper. “IMMERSIVE,” shouts a glorified neighborhood book club. “UNPUTDOWNABLE,” according to a woman with a lot of Instagram followers.
I very rarely agree with these influencers or made-up sounding publications. It is an infrequent occurrence that I put down a book and immediat ...more
DNF @20%. I was expecting a fun rom-com but there’s little comedy and I had already resorted to skimming.
3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars
This was a fun read. Just having read a heavy-duty literary fiction novel, I was ready for something like this. Evvie Drake is a young woman who decides to start her life over. Her best and platonic friend Andy knows Evvie needs the extra money and talks her into renting the apartment attached to the house to his childhood friend Dean. Dean is a former star pitcher with the New York Yankees who has recently lost his career thanks to a case of the “yips.” These are our ...more
This was a fun read. Just having read a heavy-duty literary fiction novel, I was ready for something like this. Evvie Drake is a young woman who decides to start her life over. Her best and platonic friend Andy knows Evvie needs the extra money and talks her into renting the apartment attached to the house to his childhood friend Dean. Dean is a former star pitcher with the New York Yankees who has recently lost his career thanks to a case of the “yips.” These are our ...more
2.5 rounded up
Evvie Drake Starts Over was not the quirky, funny rom-com I was expecting.
It wasn't deep or touching either.
It wasn't horrible, but, truth be told, it fell flat.
The beginning was promising, it quickly started going down the hill.
I didn't feel much for Evvie or for her love interest, washed-out baseballer, Dean Tenney.
Their chemistry was non-existent.
There were no sexy times, it was all very vanilla, just like the characters.
An easy read and a nice cover are pretty much the only g ...more
Evvie Drake Starts Over was not the quirky, funny rom-com I was expecting.
It wasn't deep or touching either.
It wasn't horrible, but, truth be told, it fell flat.
The beginning was promising, it quickly started going down the hill.
I didn't feel much for Evvie or for her love interest, washed-out baseballer, Dean Tenney.
Their chemistry was non-existent.
There were no sexy times, it was all very vanilla, just like the characters.
An easy read and a nice cover are pretty much the only g ...more
This is a book that people who have a lot more substance than I have would enjoy. It's a journey of several people learning to move on after bad things happen in their lives. The book is well-written, the characters are complex, and there is a lot of complicated emotions going on. In other words, way too good for Jilly.
Complex emotions are beyond Jilly's grasp.
The pacing of the book is also very slow. The main couple start as friends for months before anything happens between them. That is also ...more
Complex emotions are beyond Jilly's grasp.
The pacing of the book is also very slow. The main couple start as friends for months before anything happens between them. That is also ...more
In the debut novel from Pop Culture Happy Hour host Holmes, a grieving widow and a disgraced Major League pitcher start over after each suffers their own kind of tragedy. Evvie’s husband dies in a car accident, but the truth surrounding his death is painful for reasons her small town community can never know.
Dean’s career took a nosedive when he inexplicably developed “the yips”—he can’t pitch for reasons that might be all in his head, but nobody can figure it out. Evvie needs the income a boar ...more
Dean’s career took a nosedive when he inexplicably developed “the yips”—he can’t pitch for reasons that might be all in his head, but nobody can figure it out. Evvie needs the income a boar ...more
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to read this book given the reviews already. The story begins with a loss for Evie which sets the tone of the book. Evvie was so close to her new life until tragedy struck and she is now dealing with her own guilt and the perception of her friends and family.
Dean is a major league pitcher who is a friend of Evvies and due to his own projessional tragedy, he is forced to take some time off and decides to rent a room i ...more
I was excited to read this book given the reviews already. The story begins with a loss for Evie which sets the tone of the book. Evvie was so close to her new life until tragedy struck and she is now dealing with her own guilt and the perception of her friends and family.
Dean is a major league pitcher who is a friend of Evvies and due to his own projessional tragedy, he is forced to take some time off and decides to rent a room i ...more
4.5 ⭐️ I’m a longtime fan of Linda Holmes’s writing and of her work on NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, so I went into this book really wanting to love it — and I was relieved to discover that it’s even better than I was hoping it would be. This book is pretty much what I wish every contemporary romance novel was — something with enough fantasy and dizziness to provide a sense of escape, but something that also doesn’t sand down life’s rough surfaces or trim away its ragged edges. This is a
...more
Thank you to Random House for the complimentary copy.
Evvie Drake Starts Over is a standout of a read. Now I know why it’s been buzzworthy this summer. Evvie is recently widowed and having a hard time. Andy is her best friend, and his childhood friend, Dean, is a major league pitcher who can no longer throw straight.
Dean moves into an apartment adjoining Evvie’s house, and they come to an agreement not to talk about baseball and Evvie’s late husband. They form a friendship that morphs into more. ...more
Evvie Drake Starts Over is a standout of a read. Now I know why it’s been buzzworthy this summer. Evvie is recently widowed and having a hard time. Andy is her best friend, and his childhood friend, Dean, is a major league pitcher who can no longer throw straight.
Dean moves into an apartment adjoining Evvie’s house, and they come to an agreement not to talk about baseball and Evvie’s late husband. They form a friendship that morphs into more. ...more
HAVE YOU EVER HAD A BOOK THAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD?
Evvie Drake Starts Over was one of them. From beginning to end, the audiobook made me smile.
The story is a romance, a slow burn, but it’s also so much more. It’s about friendships, about loss, about mental health issues, it’s a journey of personal rediscovery, of letting go, and moving on.
The audiobook gave me 9 hours of feel good vibes that made this book unputdownable. Or in my case I found chores to do, and stayed in my car for far longer than ...more
Evvie Drake Starts Over was one of them. From beginning to end, the audiobook made me smile.
The story is a romance, a slow burn, but it’s also so much more. It’s about friendships, about loss, about mental health issues, it’s a journey of personal rediscovery, of letting go, and moving on.
The audiobook gave me 9 hours of feel good vibes that made this book unputdownable. Or in my case I found chores to do, and stayed in my car for far longer than ...more
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
When Evvie’s husband (and high school sweetheart) passed away almost a year ago, everyone in their small town couldn’t help but offer her endless condolences. She opted to hole up in their dream home and everyone just assumed it was due her being overcome by grief. Dean was a World Series winning pitcher until he came down with a serious case of the yips. He’s been trying (and failing) to hide out himself, but it’s pretty hard when yo ...more
When Evvie’s husband (and high school sweetheart) passed away almost a year ago, everyone in their small town couldn’t help but offer her endless condolences. She opted to hole up in their dream home and everyone just assumed it was due her being overcome by grief. Dean was a World Series winning pitcher until he came down with a serious case of the yips. He’s been trying (and failing) to hide out himself, but it’s pretty hard when yo ...more
This book is so cute. This is exactly the kind of charming, cute, cozy read I was in the mood for. This story follows Evvie (rhymes with Chevy) and her husband recently died. She’s best friends in the world with this guy Andy (and their friendship is 100% platonic which I appreciate), and Andy has a friend Dean who is looking for a place to get away because he’s a former Major League Baseball player who has “lost his streak” and wants to get out of the public eye. So Dean rents a room in Evvie’s
...more
This isn’t a book I would ordinarily attempt, but I’ve had good luck with other Reese Witherspoon book club selections. I loved the idea that Evvie wasn’t mourning over the death of her husband. No, she was wallowing in guilt that she didn’t love him. And was actually in the process of leaving him when he suffered a fatal car accident. This book, like several I’ve read lately, deals with how little we know of other people’s marriages. And how much we hide, even from those closest to us. It takes
...more
Unfortunately after reading 70% of this book, I am quitting. Reading this story was like taking a slow boat to nowhere.
It was just not for me.
It was just not for me.
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 ...more
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 ...more
It's hard to find good chick-lit that's not too racy and not too stupid. This one was just about perfect. And the dialogue was so sharp - I underlined so many funny lines.
Jun 04, 2019
Laurie Anderson
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
adult-fiction,
not-afraid-to-be-fluffy
This is the perfect summer read - enjoy!
4.5 stars
Evvie Drakes Starts Over is a highly entertaining, occasionally heartbreaking, and always engrossing tale that has stayed with me long after I finished it. The book is set in a small town in Maine and tells the story of Evvie Drake and Dean Tenney, two very different individuals who are hurting and need help recovering from their own personal traumas.
Evvie’s husband, a prominent doctor in their small town, died the year before on the day Evvie was planning to leave him. Intensely priva ...more
Evvie Drakes Starts Over is a highly entertaining, occasionally heartbreaking, and always engrossing tale that has stayed with me long after I finished it. The book is set in a small town in Maine and tells the story of Evvie Drake and Dean Tenney, two very different individuals who are hurting and need help recovering from their own personal traumas.
Evvie’s husband, a prominent doctor in their small town, died the year before on the day Evvie was planning to leave him. Intensely priva ...more
excuse me good sir, but do you by chance have any more super cute, inspiring, hilarious, angsty books like this??
because i'm absolutely smitten
because i'm absolutely smitten
I love Linda Holmes so much and her work reflects my own worldview so much that a friend once asked me if "Linda Holmes" was my pen name, and this book did not disappoint.
I've been leaning heavier into romantic comedy novels in the last year or so, as a rebound from mental health issues and starting library school have caused me to seek out works that don't have quite as much intellectual heft as the books I have tended to read in the past. So when one of my favorite pop-culture writers announce ...more
I've been leaning heavier into romantic comedy novels in the last year or so, as a rebound from mental health issues and starting library school have caused me to seek out works that don't have quite as much intellectual heft as the books I have tended to read in the past. So when one of my favorite pop-culture writers announce ...more
I was captivated by Evvie Drake right away, by the character of Evvie — and her predicament of finding herself as a young widow and trying to find herself after being in this marriage and being in this relationship since high school. You could really hear Evvie’s voice. You can imagine sitting at that kitchen table, and having a conversation with her, because these conversations feel so realistic that they’re like conversations we’ve all had. The sense of setting is so strong. As somebody who ha
...more
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| Play Book Tag: Evvie Drake Starts Over - Linda Holmes, 3 Stars | 5 | 31 | Dec 06, 2019 04:04PM | |
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“And if you’ve been somebody’s first call, it’s hard not to be their first call anymore. She says it’s one of the reasons why parents sometimes feel sad when their kids are getting married. It’s not just the empty nest. They’re not the first call anymore. I’m not Andy’s first call anymore. It doesn’t mean I want to be his girlfriend, and it doesn’t mean I don’t like her. But it was sad. It’s different. The doctor says it’s important to be sad.”
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“therapy is like a toothbrush. You can’t really put it to use for anybody except yourself.”
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