Reviews with content warning for Grief - Evvie Drake Starts Over

This story had so many layers that were expertly handled. And I greatly appreciate that the story didn't take the "love fixes your brokenness" stance. Love held a lot of the relationships together but each character had to address theie challenges no matter how many people loved them. It's very refreshing.

I also appreciate that the story takes place over the course of years rather than days or weeks. So the relationships had time to grow and react appropriately.

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cmshaw15's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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theonlybaillie's review

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emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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micaelamariem's review

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This book was an okay romance. I mean there were important themes of starting fresh, forgiving yourself, friendship, honesty, and mental health. But I really struggled to get into it. There wasn’t any comic relief and the romance wasn’t spine tingling or even that cute and mushy. So I guess this book just didn’t appeal to me personally.

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Title: Evvie Drake Starts Over
Author: Linda Holmes
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: June 25, 2019

T H R E E • W O R D S

Basic • Warm • Feel-good

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Evvie's bags are packed, and she's finally made the decision to leave her emotionally abusive husband. When Evvie gets a phone call, her plans will be completely derailed when she learns her husband is dead. Fast-forward a year, Evvie rarely leaves her house. She finds herself unable to grieve, and in some ways still feels stuck.

Meanwhile, in New York City, former MLB pitcher, Dean Tenney has seemingly lost his ability to pitch for no apparent reason. As pressure from the media mounts, Dean finds himself desperately in need of a change of scenery. When an offer to spend some time in Maine from his childhood best friend, Andy, comes trough, it's an opportunity he cannot pass up.

When Andy moves into Evvie's rental apartment, they strike up a deal that he won't ask about her late husband, and she won't ask him about baseball. As the two come to rely on one another, an unexpected friendship begins to form, and they will each have to face the past in order to move forward.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Historically, I haven't had great success with Read With Jenna selections, I was drawn to the premise of this second-chance romance. And while it's definitely not terrible Evvie Drake Starts Over wasn't a hit either.

What I like:
• older main characters. It's no surprise here as older characters are a favourite of mine (#grumplit anyone?). I always enjoy the perspective and wisdom these books tend to have.
• take on complicated grief. I appreciated the exploration of complicated grief, something rarely done. And it also showcases how grief manifests in different timeframes and forms.
• baseball aspect. As a sports fan, I'm always here for the inclusion of baseball/hockey in the books I read.
• platonic friendship. Andy was honestly my favourite character. I thought he was wonderful and supportive, and their relationship felt real.
• small town vibes. The welcoming, quaint seaside town setting in Maine just felt so homey.

What I didn't like:
• the romance. Close proximity is maybe just not for me. It isn't the romance I wanted and would have preferred Evvie and Drake kept on the friendship root. It all just felt too predictable.
• the lack of emotional depth. Due to the serious nature of some of the content, I'd have expected a little more emotional depth. It ended up being pretty surface level.
• how contrived it all felt. For me there were just holes in the plot line I couldn't get past. At times the narrative was flat and way too predictable.

Overall, Evvie Drake Starts Over had the bones of being a real winner, ticking many of my boxes, yet it ended up being very forgettable. I'm glad I picked it up, and will likely try Flying Solo at some point.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of Abbi Waxman
• readers looking for a quick read

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Your head is the house you live in, so you have to do the maintenance."

"When she started to cry, the upside was as it always was; the shower cry takes the logistics out of it. Crying has to be dealt with - it makes a mess, it swells up your face, it creates a little pile of tissues that are a tell. But the shower cry is the superspy's cry, Evvie had always thought. It was between you and the tile walls, and everything that hurt turned into water, and the water went away."

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