As I have mentioned here before, I am a big fan of the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, and I listen to it (and look forward to it) every
week. So, when I saw that the host of PCHH, Linda Holmes, had written her debut
novel, Evvie Drake Starts Over, I
pitched an author interview to my editor at Shelf
Awareness. I was absolutely thrilled when she said yes, and last month, I
had the chance to chat with Linda on the phone about her new novel, which I
thoroughly enjoyed. My review of the book is below, and you can read my interview with Linda here.
Evvie Drake is packing her car to leave her husband when she
gets a phone call that he’s been in a serious car accident. Before she can get
to the hospital, he dies…and no one – not even her best friend, Andy – knows that
she was about to leave him. This leads to a rather awkward and extra-difficult
time for Evvie, as everyone sees her as the inconsolable, grieving young widow,
when in fact, her emotions are also mixed up with guilt and the pressure of
keeping her secret. One year later, she still feels stuck in a kind of limbo
when Andy asks her if his friend, Dean, might rent the apartment connected to
her house. Dean is a professional baseball player, a star pitcher with a bad
case of the “yips.” As Andy explains to Evvie, “Well, he was a very good
pitcher, and then all of a sudden, he was a very bad pitcher.” Dean is looking
to escape the nonstop media attention, and this small town in Maine seems like
a good place to lay low and figure out what’s next in his life. So, Dean moves
into the apartment, and he and Evvie become friends. They both vow not to
mention the others’ problem (i.e. dead husband and baseball), but as they grow
to care about each other, they each want to help the other.
On the PCHH podcast, Linda Holmes often talks about her love
of romcoms, so it’s no surprise that she chose to write one as her first novel.
What is a bit of a surprise is just how good it is. She nails the witty banter
and will-they-won’t-they of all romcoms, but, as she explains in her interview with me, she gives the story a much-needed twist. Neither Evvie nor Dean
actually fix each other; both of them need to fix themselves before they can
even consider a future together, and that’s a nice, realistic change from the
typical girl-meets-boy-and-he-fixes-her romcom trope. I was hooked on this
story and its likeable characters right from the first chapter. Holmes is very
talented with the witty banter, and I was often laughing out loud while
reading, but it is also a very warm, tender story with plenty of emotional depth,
delving into grief, friendship, love, and moving forward. She’s working on a
second novel now, and I can’t wait to read it!
289 pages, Ballantine Books
Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in
return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced
by my relationship with the publisher or author.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from
these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help
offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.
Listen to sample of the audiobook, narrated beautifully by Julia Whelan (who also narrated best-sellers The Great Alone and Educated).
You can purchase Evvie Drake Starts Over from an independent
bookstore, either locally or online, here:
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How fun for you to have such a cool conversation with the author. I like a good romcom every once in a while if it isn't too cheesy.
ReplyDeleteSame here, Anne! I don't read a lot in that genre, but this is very well-done, with the focus on topics like grief and healing rather than just on romance.
DeleteOkay - sold! Great its a debut and hopefully she will follow up with another equally as good.
ReplyDeleteShe's already working on a 2nd novel, Kathryn! Her contract was for 2 books :)
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