Evvie Drake Starts Over Review: A Heartfelt, Slow-Burn Romance Worth Reading

Back in the day, I was an avid Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast fan. One of the hosts, Linda Holmes, is the author of the book I’m reviewing today. From the moment I heard Linda’s voice coming through my headphones, I knew I had found my people—she had the voice of an older sister who always has your back. And while I don’t listen to the podcast anymore, Linda still holds a special place in my heart.

Over the years, I had heard that Linda had written a book and that people really liked it, but for whatever reason, I never picked it up. Until last week—when I kicked myself for not reading Evvie Drake Starts Over sooner.

Evvie Drake Starts Over by the amazing (the sister I wish I had) Linda Holmes follows Evvie Drake, a newly widowed woman (oh, how disappointed she would be if she heard me call her that—but I promise it’s important) who is learning to navigate her new life. Then, out of nowhere, a hot baseball player with problems of his own moves into her guesthouse. What follows is a story about two people learning to open up and face their emotions head-on.

Now, you might think I could have guessed how the story unfolds. And sure, you can probably predict a lot—this is a romance novel, after all. But Evvie Drake Starts Over goes much deeper than that. We see Evvie grapple with widowhood, figure out for the first time what she wants, and learn to open up about her past. The romance between her and the hot baseball player is a slow burn that takes its time, letting us watch them build trust in real time.

My favorite part of the book is something so mundane and so me that I once swore it was unique to only me. But as I get older, I realize people are more alike than they think. There’s a scene where Evvie talks about crying in the shower—because it’s the best place to cry. No mess to clean up. You cry, wash your face, and you’re done. Letting you in on a little secret: that’s my favorite place to cry too, for that exact reason.

This book is an emotional read that will also put a smile on your face. It’s a slow-burn romance that I almost threw across the room because I thought I wasn’t going to get the ending I wanted—but all was good in the end.

My other favorite part is the complicated relationship between Evvie and Andy. Relationships are messy, layered, and not always easy to navigate, and Linda does a fantastic job portraying the complexities of friendship. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll leave it at that.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It has everything: a wonderful romance, a complicated friendship, super fun banter, and a satisfying ending. So if you’re looking for a fun read this weekend, I highly recommend this one. And if you’ve already read it, let me know in the comments what you think!