Set against the natural beauty of the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest, acclaimed author Cathy Lamb’s latest novel tells the emotionally compelling story of one woman’s life-changing discovery about her past . . . As a child, Evie Lindsay was unnerved by her premonitions. As an adult, they have become a simple fact of life—sometimes disruptive but also inescapable, much like her … inescapable, much like her quirky, loveable family. Evie’s mother, Poppy, and her aunts, Camellia and Iris, are well known on San Orcanita island for their free-spirited ways and elaborately decorated hats. Their floral shop and Evie’s bookstore draw streams of visitors all summer long. This season promises to be extra busy: Evie’s sister, Jules, is getting married on the island.
As Jules plans her unconventional wedding, she arranges to do a DNA test with her mother, sister, and aunts, to see how much accepted lore about their heritage holds true. The results blow apart everything Evie has grown up believing about herself and her family. Spurred on by the revelations, Evie uncovers the real story of her past. But beyond her feelings of shock and betrayal, there are unexpected opportunities—to come to terms with a gift that has sometimes felt like a curse, to understand the secrets that surrounded her childhood, and to embrace the surprising new life that is waiting for her . . .
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In ALL ABOUT EVIE, Cathy Lamb once again treats readers with a moving, heartwarming tale of loss, healing and hope. Reading Lamb’s novels is like spending time with dear friends, laughing, crying and sharing life’s joys and sorrows. ALL ABOUT EVIE is an experience to be savored.
I adore books about the secrets of the past–and about how we know what we know…or think we know. This touching and haunting and original story captivated me from page one until its perfect ending. Loved this–and love the oh-so-talented Cathy Lamb.
You can always depend on Cathy Lamb to bring you a book that will make you laugh and make you cry, a book full of quirky characters that you’d love to meet all living in a beautiful location. A book with a bit of romance and a bit of mystery and filled with love. All About Evie is a wonderful book told in Cathy Lamb’s unique style – I loved it.
Evie lives in the Pacific northwest with her mother, her aunts and a menagerie of animals – two alpacas, two goats, four cats, five lambs and a three legged dog. She owns a bookstore called Evie’s Books, Cake and Tea because she loves all three. She also has premonitions. She gets sudden flashes about something that is going to happen and she usually tries to change it. When the book starts, she gets a flash that a little girl is going to be hit by a car a block away. She sprints to the corner and grabs the little girl right before a car hits her. Many people see this is a gift but Evie tends to feel like it’s a burden that separates her from other people. The person that she is closest to is her sister, Jules, a biker chick who is planning her wedding. When Jules decides that she and Evie should take DNA tests to find out where their ancestors are from, the results cause anger and pain in the family and Evie begins to question everything she had known about her life and her family. Will she be able to move on from her feelings of pain and betrayal and learn to trust her family again?
Evie and her family are characters that I won’t soon forget. Grab this book and go to your favorite reading spot with a slice of cake and a cup of tea and be sure to have your dog or cat close while you are reading. And then relax and let Cathy take you into her world of imagination.
Each time I read a Cathy Lamb’s book, I remember why I am always fascinated by her stories, with complex and yet so real characters.
In this book, we’re introduced to Evie Lindsay, and she is very special for everything that surrounds her life since her birth – and what happened she only knew the truth many years ahead.
Evie was special, she had premonitions. And while people on the island where she lived, San Orcanita Island in Washington, thought she could predict the future, that was not the case.
Premonitions happened suddenly, and often Evie had to rush to save a person or an animal from a tragic end. Or sometimes someone with a bad soul would have an end, and Evie knew that good people abused by another would finally have peace in their lives.
But this gift – which Evie considered a curse – sometimes got in the way, as Evie herself, who had always been in love with the vet, Marco – and the feeling was reciprocal, but something she foresaw for their future prevented her from letting the feeling grow and bear fruit.
There were several situations that happened in her life.
Her family, her mother Poppy, her aunts Iris and Camellia, and her younger sister Jules, were Evie’s world and happiness, but her work, the Evie’s Books, Cake & Tea bookstore was her safe haven. Books helped her keep premonitions away.
And while Jules and Mack’s wedding (the pediatric nurse biker that looks like a bear) didn’t happen, Evie found herself caught among the various book clubs in her bookstore; the encounters with Marco; the arrival of a new stalker police chief and finally the truth about where Evie inherited the (gift/curse) premonition.
The story is full of funny (her aunts and mother, already over 70 years old, but full of energy – do you remember that aunts from Practical Magic movie?); affection (the animals that Evie has been collecting throughout her life, starting with her 17-year-old dog, Sundance); tense (the new chief who doesn’t stop harassing her) and love moments.
Moments that made me laugh and cry – of sadness and joy – and the end brings peace and hope.
Reading a Cathy Lamb’s book is like finding a dear old friend; visit a much desired place for the first time; find your soulmate.
Go ahead and read it and get ready for a great journey.
10 stars
ALL ABOUT EVIE by Cathy Lamb is a beautifully-written and charming story of love, family and friendship. The characters are delightful and wonderfully-portrayed and I loved all of Evie’s animals! Evie has grown up with haunting premonitions that have often set her apart from her family and friends. She tries to understand why she is so different from her sister, Jules, her Mom, Poppy and her two quirky and lovable aunts, Camellia and Iris. Jules is getting married soon and she convinces Evie to take a DNA test with her. The shocking results call into question everything Evie knows about her family and her past. The story follows Evie’s emotional journey to understanding her background and accepting her “gift”. Although the book deals at times with some difficult topics, it is full of warmth, humor and compassion. There were even a few twists that I did not see coming. I was captivated by this heartwarming and uplifting book and highly recommend it! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.
ALL ABOUT EVIE, is gloriously eccentric and full of heart.
There’s a full cast of quirky characters, lush garden settings on the San Juan Islands, a touch of woo-woo, a mystery, family secrets, suspense, an impossible romance, a few dark threads, and endless hope. All that plus scrumptious descriptions of cake.
I love that many of the characters are damaged people chasing second chances. Marco, the hunky veterinarian, is a former soldier with PTSD. Evie’s sister, the biker chick bride-to-be, is planning the happiest day of her life through panic attacks triggered by the concept of marriage. And Evie’s pets—a menagerie of strays and rescue animals—flourish as loyal and spirited secondary characters, despite their combined history of abuse and neglect.
At the center of the story is Evie herself: a bookseller with a sweet tooth and a love of roses. Evie has never felt as if she quite belongs, and every birthday, a heavy fog of depression descends. The world can be a terrifying place for her, because Evie sees random snatches of the future. Her premonitions are a gift and a curse that she can’t escape. To survive, she avoids relationships that could lead to love and loses herself in books and a quiet lifestyle. She adores her insecure sister and the flamboyant triumvirate of her mother and aunts—whose antics include nude yoga on the beach, growing cannabis plants in the greenhouse, drunken escapades in public, and decorating outrageous hats.
However, when her sister suggests a DNA test before the wedding, Evie’s carefully constructed world shatters. Her mother and aunts have been keeping secrets, and DNA doesn’t lie. The results of the test force Evie to rethink everything she holds dear and lead to life-altering questions: Should she welcome the unknown? Is her new truth the missing piece of her life?
Evie remembers having premonitions her entire life. She sees someone getting hurt and she does whatever she can so the premonition doesn’t come true. She has an amazing mother, sister, and 2 aunts who are her world, She also has a lot of different animals who are her friends. Evie tends to keep to herself because she feels she is different. I loved reading about Evie. She is genuine, warm, and loving. She loves books and owns a bookstore. Cathy Lamb always writes the most incredible characters and I always look forward to a new book written by her. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.
Very good story; although quite lengthy. The characters were interesting. A beautiful setting in the San Juan Islands. Lots of humor to relieve the tension. Lots of precious, entertaining animals. Happy ending!
I had a hard time getting into the story and almost wanted put it down but I am so glad I continued reading. The story got better and then it got great!
Hard to get started and to keep going at times but worth sticking it out. May not be Cathy Lamb’s beat book but still good.
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the ARC of this ARC. My review opinions are my own.
Another Cathy Lamb winner! This story was charming, funny, sad, sexy….it had all the “feels”! The characters were eccentric and charming …..and I would just love to have a slice of pie and cup of tea with them! The writing was Cathy Lambs usually awesome unique style and so very hard to put down.
4 stars!
The short blurb on this website led me to check out this book from local library. In between the story line described in blurb were chapters that were tragic and violent involving incarceration in prison, sexual harassment and rape. There should have been a warning in the description of that fact. Not my kind of story at all. Some may enjoy it but description was misleading.
I loved this book! It takes place in a charming town on a beautiful island where neighbors are friends and watch out for one another. I loved each of the different characters in Evie’s life. I cried, I laughed, I couldn’t put it down wanting to know what would happen next. I really hated when the book ended. It will be hard to pick my next book after reading this one. It really was so good.
In Cathy Lamb’s _All About Evie_, she. weaves a story of Evie Lindsay’s search for her own idenity and past. Set in the San Juan Islands, Evie runs a bookstore of sorts where each day is matched with a dessert of the day and herbal teas and many interesting patrons. But unassuming bookseller is not quite what Evie is. She is blessed with premonitions or cursed with them depending on the premonition . She lives next to her mother and her aunts who add a lively quirky and funny element to the story. There are multiple storylines within the book, from how Evie acts upon her premonitions, to how she can avoid the temporary new sheriff in town, to her one true love, But the main storyline is Evie’s past and her search for answers. This book was an unexpected pleasure to read. At first it was quite confusing as to where it was going, but after the first few chapters I was intrigued on how it would all unwind in the end. If you are looking for a book unlike any you’ve read, pick this one up
I really wanted to love this one, the premonitions made it sound like we were going to embark on a magical journey. And there was a bit of magic, but it took the backburner to the storyline, and that’s okay, but…
The repetitiveness of the storyline was too much. We knew that Jules loved her fiance and that she was excited to get married. We knew that she was emotional and loved to talk about their sex life. But every conversation with Evie centered on those elements, every-single-time. The same goes for Evie and her animals. Her love for her animals shined through, they helped her get through the tough times in her life, but it was the repeated day to day of it, the same scene repeated in numerous chapters that became too much.
The blurb focuses on the DNA test which doesn’t come into play until the last quarter of the book. I often feel let down when a blurb is so misleading and I feel that’s exactly what happened here. There’s such potential for a good book underneath all the repetitiveness that didn’t move the story forward but rather just stuffed the pages.
I did like the alternating timelines, the backstory that revealed itself slowly over chapters to eventually tie into the main storyline, it was unique and engaging. That story was solid, there wasn’t an issue of repeated scenes, and if the rest of the book could be written as smoothly, it could be a 5-star book. The elements of premonition, of the fun Evie’s mother and aunts, the relationship Evie has to her sister, they would really make the book stand out with some editing.
WOW…this is the first book I have read by Cathy Lamb. It will NOT be the last. I loved this book. The title character, Evie, is such a “quirky” gal. There is no way anyone could not love her. She loves with all she is and cares about everyone and everything around her. Magic, love, some sadness, mystery, tears, laughs…what’s not to love about this book? I highly recommend it!!
Evie’s sister, Jules, is getting married. And not in the usual way! Jules decides to have a DNA test done on her and Evie. This throws a huge kink in the whole family’s heritage. This explains at lot about Evie’s special gift…among other things.
Evie has premonitions. She can see if someone is about to get hurt. This is a curse as well as a gift. Sometimes she just can’t save everyone. It is heart wrenching for her. Plus, she is having a premonition with herself involved and she cannot figure out what is going on. She is also being stalked by the new law enforcement officer in town. She is completely unnerved by this man, and not in a good way.
This story is just full of unique characters and creative imaginations. Evie’s aunts tickled me to death! And Evie is a character I fell in love with. I related so well to her, minus the premonitions . She is an introvert but yet, she loves people. She also loves books! I enjoyed all the book references. But, that is just a small section of this tale. This story is about love, family and overcoming difficulties. I highly recommend this extraordinary tale!
Evie Lindsay has to live with her premonitions all her life, and can see the future of what could happen both good and the bad. Now an adult, they have become a part of her daily life. As a young girl, her parents suddenly move Evie and her sister Jules to San Orcanita Island where it was quieter, to hopefully abate and control her premonitions. Evie does act on her premonitions and have saved many people from disastrous accidents and death. There is one premonition she keeps having since she was a child and have been haunting her.
Evie seems happy living by herself with all her animals – and there are plenty, and running her busy bookstore serving tourists and her community fancy coffees, teas and amazing pastries. She reads books as an escape, and when she is reading, she is not having any premonitions.
Her sister Jules is planning a wedding and decides to do a DNA test to find out more about their heritage and this starts revelations about Evie’s past.
I loved how Cathy Lamb in this beautiful story was able to weave a story of a haunting past to the present day, about Evie’s life and drawing a beautiful parallel story. The characters in the story added to how Evie’s life is made whole by all the people that love and surround her. Throughout this story, I really wanted to be a part of Evie’s life and wonderful community. What an enjoyable read and one that was also deep and brilliantly written only Cathy Lamb does.
“All About Evie” is a captivating, endearing, heartwarming, romantic and at times suspenseful novel. It is worthy of awards in my opinion!!
Cathy Lamb takes us to to San Orcanita Island where Evie is surrounded by books. Since she was a little girl she’s been using books to escape her premonitions. This is what I found to be an endearing part of the story!
Evie owns a bookstore called Evie’s Books, Cakes and Tea. I loved her passion for reading and enthusiasm for introducing new literature to her patrons. I often laughed when she got a “teeny bit uptight” with her close-minded customers. I savored all of Evie’s cakes, coffees and treats while I was reading. Oftentimes, throughout the novel Lamb adds humor in such an amusing way.
All the details, charm and colors bring you right on the Island, in the Bookstore and in Evie’s home at Rose Bloom Cottage. Evie also has lots hysterical and mischievous animals that she’s rescued which include a beloved three legged dog, cats, alpacas, goats and sheep.
I fell in love with Evie’s seventy something, eccentric, artistic mother Poppy and two aunt’s with their fancy feathered collection of hats. These women cared about everyone in their town. I would want to be their friend. Her sister Jules had me laughing out loud while she planned her upcoming wedding.
Their family bond and loyalty is portrayed from the very beginning of the novel and there’s no doubt Evie was a loved child, even though she suffered from anxiety, depression and a crippling fear of the future because of her dreams and premonitions. When a DNA test that Jules and Evie take reveal the truth, and drama ensues, will their family survive? I loved the suspense! This is one book I will not forget! I highly recommend it to everyone!!
I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This is my very favorite book by Cathy Lamb. It’s such a good and magical book. Of all her books, even ones I have yet to read, I can’t imagine any being better.
This book is so full of love. It’s full of so much laughter and so so many tears. It’s telling basically two stories at once in a way. One set in the 70s and the other years later. The story of Evie and her mom, aunts and sister. Then the story of Betsy, Johnny and the daughter they had to let go of. The hell they lived in for loving each other enough to do anything for the other. Johnny’s little sister, Tilly, who was so sweet and also went through so much as did Johnny, at the hands of their horrible, awful, mean, cruel, sick, crazy dad.
This book had me laughing so hard on one page then crying my eyes out on the next. It is truly a beautiful yet sad and happy story of love, loss and finding again something you need more than anything else in the world. What Johnny and his sister went through with their dad was beyond horrible. He was the meanest man I have read about in ages. How can any parent be so cruel to their flesh and blood?
Betsy loved Johnny more than anyone in her life. She had what in my opinion were the worst parents ever. Her dad was a “preacher” and her mother a sorry excuse for a human being. Now if you have read this you may think she had no choice but I beg to differ. I would have died before a man would have hurt my child like he did Betsy. He was beyond cruel. He was one crazy bible thumping hypocrite who needed to be beat to death.
Evie had wonderful parents and a sister who was her best friend. She also had premonitions that left her anxious and depressed. Sometimes she could stop something tragic from happening and at other times there was nothing she could do to stop things. She lived in guilt thinking she had let her best friend down. Her friend from school. Evie’s family lost their dad and husband in the war so it was just the mother, Poppy, and the aunts Iris and Camellia and Jules. Jules is a character herself. The funniest are the mom and aunts. They will have you rolling with laughter. But Evie’s life is not so cut and dry either. She’s madly in love with Marco the town vet but because of a premonition she won’t go out with him. She loves him from afar.
There are many animals in this story and you will love them all. Their stories of how Evie rescued them will bring you to tears also but knowing they are happy and so well loved will make your heart swell with joy. One story truly broke my heart so bad but it had to be told and it was in it’s way beautiful.
This book is written so perfectly. Filled with such emotion. Gives you so much love, laughter, sadness and many tears. The characters are so wonderful and lovable, with the exception of one jerk who you will hate terribly bad. At least I did. You’ll know who he is when you meet him.
This is a laugh out loud, cry ugly tears book. It will keep you turning the pages wanting more and more of each story. It’s told from Evie’s story and from Betsy’s story. Both have so much heartache and so much love. This is a wonderful book even through the tears. I absolutely positively am happy I read it.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #Kensington for this truly awesome book.
It’s a 5 star book from me and I most highly recommend it to everyone who loves a good laugh, cry and a touch of magic.