EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER

Just in time for summer, this audiobook puts a new twist on an unconventional romance. Evvie Drake is packed and ready to leave her husband when she learns some devastating news about him. Dean Tenney's baseball career comes to an abrupt halt when, overcome by the "yips," he loses his ability to pitch. Of course these two are thrown together by circumstance, and Julia Whelan's performance of both lead characters is lively and bright, filled with appropriate humor and pathos. The pacing of the audiobook is engaging and relaxed, inviting the listener to escape to small-town Maine and watch friendships evolve. Holmes's selection of details and Whelan's dexterity with conversational nuance largely keep too much predictability at bay. An ideal summer listen. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2019]