• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2022 May #2
  *Starred Review* As a child, Laurie Sassalyn would escape to her Aunt Dot's to get away from the chaos and hubbub of her own home. Years later, Laurie returns to Calcasset, Maine, to help clear out Aunt Dot's house. Much of what Laurie finds is the usual mementos of a life well lived, but hidden inside one of Aunt Dot's chests is an unexpected treasure: a beautifully painted duck decoy. Why did Aunt Dot hide it away? Laurie enlists Matt, the handsome "bereavement declutterer" who is helping sort through Aunt Dot's belongings, but when Laurie discovers that Matt has nefarious intentions, she, her childhood best friend, June, and her high-school boyfriend, Nick, band together to solve the mystery. There's still a spark between Laurie and Nick, and Laurie has to figure out a path forward that satisfies both her need for solitude and independence and her desire for a relationship. Holmes (Evvie Drake Starts Over, 2019) blends humor, emotional depth, and small-town charm in this delightful story about the bonds of family and friendship, showing how even the most independent people need someone to lean on. Readers will love spending time with Laurie and her friends; suggest to fans of Katherine Center and Abbi Waxman. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.
• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2022 May #2
  *Starred Review* As a child, Laurie Sassalyn would escape to her Aunt Dot's to get away from the chaos and hubbub of her own home. Years later, Laurie returns to Calcasset, Maine, to help clear out Aunt Dot's house. Much of what Laurie finds is the usual mementos of a life well lived, but hidden inside one of Aunt Dot's chests is an unexpected treasure: a beautifully painted duck decoy. Why did Aunt Dot hide it away? Laurie enlists Matt, the handsome "bereavement declutterer" who is helping sort through Aunt Dot's belongings, but when Laurie discovers that Matt has nefarious intentions, she, her childhood best friend, June, and her high-school boyfriend, Nick, band together to solve the mystery. There's still a spark between Laurie and Nick, and Laurie has to figure out a path forward that satisfies both her need for solitude and independence and her desire for a relationship. Holmes (Evvie Drake Starts Over, 2019) blends humor, emotional depth, and small-town charm in this delightful story about the bonds of family and friendship, showing how even the most independent people need someone to lean on. Readers will love spending time with Laurie and her friends; suggest to fans of Katherine Center and Abbi Waxman. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

Linda Holmes is a novelist, a pop culture correspondent for NPR, and one of the hosts of the popular podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour, which has held sold-out live shows in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. She appears regularly on NPR radio shows including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. Before NPR, she wrote for New York magazine online and for TV Guide, as well as for the groundbreaking website Television Without Pity. Her first novel, Evvie Drake Starts Over, was a New York Times bestseller. In her free time, she watches far too many romantic comedies, bakes bread, plays with her wonderful dog, and tries to keep various plants thriving.