Book info

• Title Evvie Drake Starts Over
• Author Linda Holmes
• Year 2019
• Genre Romance

It's been a year since Evvie Drake's husband died, but she still can't leave the house. Her best friend Andy thinks it's because she's grieving, and she does nothing to make him think otherwise. Dean Tenney was once a sports star. Now he's a former sports star who has lost his ability to throw a ball better than anyone else, and he can't even explain why. When Dean moves into the apartment at the back of Evvie's house, the two make a deal: Dean won't ask about Evvie's dead husband, and Evvie won't ask about Dean's failed career. But as Dean and Evvie grow closer, could it be that these rules are the one thing in the way of them starting over?

Thoughts

I used to listen to the NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast a lot and have loved Linda Holme’s opinionated but approachable criticisms of TV and film. I bought this first book of hers a long time ago but have only just got round to reading it - I wish I’d read it earlier! It’s a wonderful gentle rom-com drama story, the action is limited but the dialogue is wonderful and the relationships really well crafted. Friendships and lovers are investigated in detail, what works, what doesn’t, what people in smaller towns gossip about, and ultimately what you think about yourself. Gorgeous work.

Rating: 5 / 5