Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

A lovely tale of starting afresh after love and loss. A lovely read perfect for summer, a few tears along the way. I adored the characters my first book by Linda and won’t be my last, a lovely light read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Loved this book, the story of Evvie who was about to leave her husband when he was killed in a car accident. She never told anyone she was leaving, and is struggling with the guilt of not being sorry that her husband is gone.

Her best friend Andy is worried about her, and arranges for her to rent the apartment in her house to his fiend Dean. who is also struggling with his own issues.

He is only their for the short term, but as they spend more time together they end up falling for each other, so what will happen when Dean is supposed to go back to his real life in new York?

First book I have read by this author and I reall enjoyed it and am looking forward to more.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a fun read and perfect for a long hot summers day (if in the UK we ever get one). I would recommend

When I started this book I felt like I needed something lighter and a bit different. I couldn't have chosen more perfectly. Reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant Is Just Fine, I fell in love with this quirky, warm, lighthearted and witty book and it's delightful protagonist. This is one of those books you find yourself reading with a smile on your face.

Eveleth "Evvie" Drake had been with her husband Tim for exactly half of her life on the day he died. That day she was also leaving him. But nobody knows, not even her best friend Andy, so when she's unable to leave her house months later, everyone assumes she's heartbroken at the loss of her 'perfect' husband. You see, Evvie has never told anyone the truth about Tim - that he controlled everything, that she lived in fear of his outbursts, that he blamed her for every mistake, and undermined and demoralised her daily. She's too ashamed to tell. Especially now he's gone.

Evvie, oh wonderful Evvie. I love this character so much! She is sympathetic, relatable, timid, kind, quirky, amiable, lacks confidence and is stronger than she realises. Surviving and walking away from an abusive relationship takes strength, and though her husband died before she actually left, the fact she was in the midst of doing so shows tremendous bravery. She cares too much about what other people think and looks at everything she does from the viewpoint of a critical outsider. This obviously stems from her husband conditioning her to think badly of herself and she doesn't realise that others aren't judging her as harshly as she thinks. Evvie always wants to do the right thing but like everyone she makes mistakes and can be unlikeable. These flaws added to the realism and I enjoyed seeing her learn and grow from them.

When former professional baseball player Dean Tenney moves into the apartment attached to her house, Evvie is instantly attracted to him but brushes it aside. Dean is also going through a big upheaval after suddenly losing his ability to pitch. He's tried everything to find out what when wrong but is still clueless and lost without the one thing he's known all his life. I liked the parallel of Dean's baseball career with Evvie's marriage and the way they went from strangers to not just friends, but the only friend that can really understand what they're going through. Their slow transition to friendship was a joy to read and I was rooting for them from the start.

I hadn't seen any reviews for this novel or read anything by the author before so I was unprepared for how much I'd love this enchanting story. Evvie Drake Starts Over is like a breath of fresh air on a warm day and is the perfect summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Linda Holmes for the chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A great feel good ready about starting over - Eveleth is torn after the death of her husband who she was leaving on the day he died in a car accident. Nobody knew of her plans and she adopts the role of grieving widow to friends and family . Struggling financial Dean an athlete going through his own turmoil arrives via her best friend as the new lodger. What follows is a moving tale of love loss and moving on to happiness

I love Linda Holmes on NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour, and I really enjoyed her debut novel, which puts two broken people together and lets them realise you don’t have to be completely healed in order to learn to live again. I was hooked from the description of the town’s mascot race!

I also appreciated that the story took place over a couple of years - the kind of things that Evie went through weren’t going to be fixed with a whirlwind romance.

ARC provided from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I devoured this in just over a day. It's sweet and fresh and funny and I don't think it could fall to cheer you up. I really loved spending time with Evvie ❤️