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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Cute! Normalize non traditional relationships!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Meh! The duck plot was heavy handed and our main character didn’t show any growth until like the last chapter, so I didn’t feel like the book really succeeded in plot or character.
Really enjoyed this one. Laurie’s internal processing of her desires for independence and adventure and her feelings for Nick and eventual desire for partnership resonated with me. I believe this is the only rom com novel I’ve ever read that acknowledges the sacrifices inherent in partnership and treats a woman’s desire for a different kind of life with honesty, nuance, and respect. The rest of the story was fun.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I discovered [b:Evvie Drake Starts Over|40514431|Evvie Drake Starts Over|Linda Holmes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538446504l/40514431._SY75_.jpg|62869040] early in the pandemic and absolutely loved it, so I was excited to read Holmes’ sophomore novel. Unfortunately, I didn’t love Flying Solo as much as I wanted to/was expecting.
What did I really like about this book? The overall message that being alone doesn’t equal being lonely, that romantic relationships don’t need to look like one thing to be accepted, and that you can live a full and happy life without marriage really resonated with me. I loved that the book focused on an alternative version of a happy life that fell more in line with how I choose to personally live my life. I appreciated how committed Laurie was to paying respect to Dot’s life and her belongings and hope one day one of my nieces or nephews will care half as much about my possessions and my life. I do enjoy Holmes’ writing and found she had a lot of witty dialogue and great relationships between her characters – whether they be romantic, friendship, or familial.
What didn’t I love about this book? The main focus – the duck decoy mystery – felt flat for me. It just wasn’t eventful enough for what I want out of a story. I found myself feeling bored and uninspired to push myself to keep reading, whereas with Evvie Drake I remember I couldn’t read each chapter fast enough. It’s possible that Holmes’ writing style fit my particular tastes better based on the time I read her first novel (i.e. during a pandemic when I was feeling some kind of way) but I’d still be willing to give her next book a chance. Overall, this novel had an important message and was cute enough, but I didn't love it as much as I hoped.
What did I really like about this book? The overall message that being alone doesn’t equal being lonely, that romantic relationships don’t need to look like one thing to be accepted, and that you can live a full and happy life without marriage really resonated with me. I loved that the book focused on an alternative version of a happy life that fell more in line with how I choose to personally live my life. I appreciated how committed Laurie was to paying respect to Dot’s life and her belongings and hope one day one of my nieces or nephews will care half as much about my possessions and my life. I do enjoy Holmes’ writing and found she had a lot of witty dialogue and great relationships between her characters – whether they be romantic, friendship, or familial.
What didn’t I love about this book? The main focus – the duck decoy mystery – felt flat for me. It just wasn’t eventful enough for what I want out of a story. I found myself feeling bored and uninspired to push myself to keep reading, whereas with Evvie Drake I remember I couldn’t read each chapter fast enough. It’s possible that Holmes’ writing style fit my particular tastes better based on the time I read her first novel (i.e. during a pandemic when I was feeling some kind of way) but I’d still be willing to give her next book a chance. Overall, this novel had an important message and was cute enough, but I didn't love it as much as I hoped.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as “Evvie Drake Starts Over”. The story felt slow at times, and the recurring duck theme is a bit much. However, Julia Whelan’s narration was excellent as always. Despite this, I’ll still check out more from this author since I really liked Evvie -just not this one as much.
Ooh, Linda Holmes does dialogue and character description so well! In this case, in service of a perfectly fine story. Pleasant and well-written, but I didn’t find it particularly engaging — finishing it was a to-do, rather than an inevitability.