Evvie Drake Starts Over

While I enjoyed the story, I wasn\’t a fan of an \”f\” bomb almost every time one of the main characters spoke. It was excessive and didn\’t add to the story in any way. It wasn\’t used only when he was angry or upset; it was used as his common way of communicating. Not a fan of the word in general, but I think it\’s disrespectful for a guy to talk to a woman that way. Sexist? Maybe. But I want a guy with a far better vocabulary than that.

I love romance novels! This book had an intriguing premise – grieving widow and washed-out pitcher heal each other and fall in love. The heroine, Eveleth ‘Evvie’ Drake, was more annoying than compelling – plain, meek, and neurotic. The hero, Dean Tenney, was more compelling – handsome, talented, (previously) successful, and sweet. They had mild chemistry but no sizzle. The storyline was fairly bland. I understand that the author’s intent was likely to present two characters who represented everyone who is normal and going through troubling times, but with the exception of occasionally funny dialogue, it wasn’t fun to read. Evvie and Dean became more likable as the story went on, but never became enjoyable. Overall, not a bad book but never caught my fancy.

I have been looking forward to this book since Linda Holmes announced it and it did not disappoint. Great characters who talk to each other and listen to each other and most importantly respect each other. When they mess up, there are consequences they have to work through. It was sweet, charming and well written. I could have read it all night in one go but instead I forced myself to spread it out over a few days so I could prolong the warm cozy feeling I got when I was reading it. This book will be an old friend in no time, re-reading it whenever I want to feel great. I hope it’s the first of many from Linda Holmes.

Six chapters in…BORING…dialogue was torture, cheesy humor. Waste of money…

As a reader of Linda\’s words for many years, I have been eager to read this ever since she tweeted that she\’d written a book, and that she thought it was pretty good. It is. I don\’t read a lot of romance, but the depth of character development was more than I expected. Evvie and Dean are tattered and flawed, and deeply likable, even when they\’re at their worst. The relationship grows from a genuine friendship, and instead of just impatiently wanting the book to move into the romantic parts, I loved watching the friendship develop. Actually, the friendship and the romantic love are the same thing, if that makes any sense. I\’m also grateful that Linda didn\’t toss in any ridiculous obstacles that one honest conversation could overcome. The obstacles develop naturally from the story and characters and require effort and growth to get past. I highly recommend.

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