The Popular Romance Novel That's A Read With Jenna Book Club Favorite

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Jenna Bush Hager's reading group has selected some standout titles since launching back in March 2019, with the best Read With Jenna Book Club picks ranging from moving family sagas to hard-hitting memoirs. Plenty of these monthly reads feature romantic elements, but romance isn't a well-represented genre in the reading group's catalogue. So, while you might not expect to get your next lovey-dovey rec from the "Today" host, there's one romance novel that stands out as a Read With Jenna favorite.

"Evvie Drake Starts Over" by Linda Holmes was picked as the July 2019 book club pick. The debut novel should make your shortlist for beach reads this summer, as the TV host has emphasized its poolside potential. "It's the perfect summer read. It's light, it's fun," she told Today. "I left wanting more!" A slow burn packed with humor and heart, it's safe to say that this book club pick managed to charm romance enthusiasts and book club readers alike.

Published in 2019, "Evvie Drake Starts Over" by Linda Holmes centers around recently widowed, reclusive Evvie Drake and struggling MLB player Dean Tenney. When their mutual friend Andy convinces Evvie to rent out her spare room to Dean, the two agree that her marriage and his baseball career are topics that must remain strictly off limits. However, as they bond over the massive life changes they've each experienced and begin to form a friendship, Evvie must reconcile with uncomfortable truths about her marriage while Dean confronts the mental block that interrupted his career.

Set in a seaside town in Maine, this Goodreads Choice Awards Winner is praised for its thoughtful characters, humorous dialogue, and nuanced conflicts, with Jenna Bush Hager having plenty of positive things to say about the book club pick. "I was captivated by Evvie's predicament of finding herself a young widow," she told Goodreads, giving the book a five out of five rating. "In a lot of romantic comedies, you kind of know exactly what's going to happen. You know exactly the character's motivation, which is to find the guy. And, really, I think Evvie's motivation is to find herself. And to me, that felt really empowering and fresh." So, while Hager may not reach for romance often, she appears to have picked a winner with "Evvie Drake Starts Over."