Overview: Cecily is a seasoned podcast producer who is given an opportunity to create and host her own podcast - the only catch is that she will have to work with a relationship coach/social media influencer, who will help Cecily find “the one” by setting her up on 20 blind dates.

Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book!! Cecily was such a great character in that her personality was well developed and her inner monologue throughout the book was SO humorous and clever. The contrast between Cecily’s blind dates and her accidental run-ins with Will were super effective in demonstrating the point that sometimes chemistry between two people just has to happen organically.

Take home message: Back After This is the perfect book for podcast junkies who happen to love a good rom-com (the author also happens to be a real-life podcast host and correspondent for NPR).

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you SO much for the ARC! I thought that this was a cute, good read - I knew there was something special right there from the beginning. Linda Holmes writes sweet reads and this one was no exception! I'm looking forward to picking up more of her titles.

I love Linda Holmes's writing- witty and sensitive - she writes relationships really well. This book was no different - I truly enjoyed the story about a podcast producer and the unlikely way in which her love life develops. Highly recommend!

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Ballantine Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. It was such a cute fast romcom. I liked the main characters. I loved the meet cute between them. Once they met, they seemed to keep running into each other. Cecily is a pod caster and to save not only her job, but one of her best friends she agrees to be on a podcast show where she goes on 20 first dates that is set up by a matchmaking internet influencer. The problem is, is that she is falling for Will.

Like I said this was a cute, and at times had me laughing romcom. Perfect if you are just in the mood for a light romance.

Rounding this title up to 3.5 stars. In addition to the DRC, I received an ALC from the publisher. I was in a time crunch so it was a hybrid of listening to this story and reading on my kindle. I must say that I didn't care for the narrators voice and it took away from the experience for me. I would be likely to hand sell the book but not the audio.

I’ve loved all of her books, and Back After This is no exception. The characters felt so real—especially the main character, who’s working through grief and big life changes in such a raw, relatable way. I also really liked the dynamic between her and her childhood friend—it felt natural and emotional without being overly dramatic. The way the author writes relationships and personal growth just hits every time. If you’re into stories with heart, healing, and second chances, this one’s a must-read.

I found this book comforting in its depiction of a hard working single woman who keeps persevering in the face of set backs and life uncertainties. I also enjoy a novel by a writer who knows an industry and a town the way Holmes knows podcast production and the D.C. metro area.

Cecily is dumped by a good-for-nothing conman in the first chapters of the book, and her ideas for podcasting are stolen by the creep as an additional insult to injury. Not one to wallow though, she picks up the pieces of her life, relocates to D.C. and enters non-profit journalism where she works her way up into producing podcasts. I think it's fair to say I was rooting for her success, though how "success" in life gets defined is a big part of this book and maybe the most likable aspect of it. She's in a tough business with more chances of failure than most people experience. I enjoyed learning about the production end of podcasts, especially as an avid listener of them. When Cecily's unreliable boss chooses her as the star of an upcoming blind dating show as a way to save the company though, I admit that I did find the premise of it a little gimmicky.

Will unexpectedly enters Cecily's life at nearly the same time that she agrees to 20 blind dates with the stipulation that she go on each one in good faith with every intention of giving the romances a shot. The problem is that Cecily and Will have chemistry right away, and that is confusing for her since she has been in a long dry spell after the creep broke her heart and right at the moment she's agreed to a work-related dating challenge. Romance readers know where this is going though, and to be honest, I didn't find the romance tropes the most sophisticated. I did wonder that of the 20 dates Cecily went on, only 2 were even a possibility for her. That stat made me wonder if there is evidence out there that blind dating doesn't offer great success stories. Most of the dating scenes with a rollout of men felt like time waste since I really wanted Cecily to get back to Will and find out why this man clicks with her the way no one else ever really has.

Amidst the dating frenzy and the bad karma at work, I noted how much I was enjoying the more philosophical debates in the novel about how we as a culture conceptualize success. Will, the new guy, is a waiter and a part-time photographer. His work as a waiter in a restaurant where Cecily has a couple of filmed dates with affluent men is pointed out by some characters as signs of his failure to offer enough of a success model for Cecily. Will too begins to feel insecure about his work and his lack of ambition to do more in life to satisfy a successful woman like Cecily. To add to the discourse, Cecily is paired with an influencer named Eliza who sets her up with the many upscale dates and pushes Cecily to strive for more from her life and prospects. I fully expected to dislike Eliza since she represents a lot that Cecily rejects - superficiality, materialism, attention-seeking. But to my surprise, Cecily, Will, and Eliza spend quite a bit of time in the latter half of the novel working through their respective ideas and learning from each other about what makes a person happy in life, or should make a person happy in life.

In the end, Will and Cecily make for one of the more unconventional romance couples and the endings was one that I appreciated. I hope Linda Holmes keeps delving in these ideas in the romance genre as she has unique insights that I enjoy pondering.

Thanks to Ballantine for the gifted book!

I love that Linda was writing what she knew in this book, getting into the world of podcasting. I feel like I really gained insight into that process! This felt more women’s fiction to me than romance, and I would’ve loved more actual podcasts throughout the book, but I did love the development of the relationship and the characters in their mid-30s. Would recommend this to anyone who loves podcasts.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed so aspects of this books but didn’t like others. I liked Cecily but I wish she stood up to Eliza earlier and saved herself a world of hurt. Agreeing to do the show was a big step and ultimately her job but she gave up more control than she intended and it was similar to what happened in the past. Will was the compliment Cecily needed and they make a good couple. My favorite part of the whole book was Cecily and Will’s meet cute with Buddy the dog.


Thank you publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This one was delightful, my first Linda Holmes book. Just a great story and so engaging!

Cecily loves producing podcasts, but the road has been rocky ever since her former boyfriend dumped her and stole the podcast they’d created for himself. When the opportunity presents for her own show to host, she’s somewhat interested, except it’s about her own dating life. And the guidance for the show is Eliza, a relationship coach and internet influencer. Oh, and her instinct tells her this isn’t really the way she wants to find a date! About the time this all starts to go down she meets Will, a photographer who has a dog that got lost and she helped to find. There’s chemistry there with Will (and the dog), and Cecily is torn between trying to have 20 blind dates for the show (!) and wanting to get to know Will (and being discouraged from that by Eliza). But the most important thing seems to be trying to figure out what *she* really wants.

I really enjoyed it and laughed out loud a couple of times. There are multiple life lessons in this book, about romance, relationships, and the way the business world works. I definitely recommend!

Four solid stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received a copy of the digital ARC via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This was just ok for me. It was predictable and I had a hard time connecting with the main character. I've read a few books lately with the same premise of the single woman who has to go on dates with people that others choose and that made it less enjoyable for me. It wasn't awful, but I've read better books with the exact same premise.

This was a cute, fast read. It's a nice escape read with laughs. Unfortunately, I read almost back to back 2 books about dating stories on a podcast and radio show and they blended together (I don't always get to write my summaries and reviews immediately). If you like a rom-com, enjoy the podcasting sphere and all the millenial social media spaces (Instagram, TikTok, discussing influencers and collaborations) you will get a lot of that.
Cecily showed a lot of growth as a character, and that was nice in this mostly lighthearted story.
3.75 stars rounded up.

I enjoyed this book. It was cute and really was a feel good book. I picked this up because I really loved Evvie Drake, and while Cecily is not Evvie she was still lovable in her own way. I will still read any book that this author puts out, I think she is really good. (it also helps get me out of the dark books I typically read.)

When the book had the last episode transcribed, I thought that the audiobook would be great to listen to for that chapter in hopes it would sound like a real podcast! sadly it was not, it was just the narrator (aka the Linda Holmes herself) reading it word for word.

Thank you to Netgalley, Linda Holmes, and Ballantine Books for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked this book. It had me actually laughing out loud several times. 5 stars. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC.

I picked this one for the cover, because there was a dog on it. The dog was my favorite part of the book. The rest was just OK for me. I didn't connect to Cecily at all. I did enjoy the behind the scenes of podcasting part of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Linda Holmes has done it again. Right off the bat, if you are a fan of Emily Henry's books I think you would also enjoy this author. This story was wholesome, enjoyable, and also had very human moments that were relatable and deep. I appreciate how humble Holmes's stories are and how easy it is for various different people to connect to them. They're just so human, you gotta read them to understand what I mean. So get going.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the ARC (available now!). Linda Holmes has become an auto-read author and this one did not disappoint! I always enjoy how her characters have depth, they don't soley exist as a love interest. They have friends, jobs, families, plenty of things they do and care about beyond a love interest. I espeicallys loved how the character of Cecily really grew confident in who she was and what she wanted.

Back After This by Linda Holmes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

I’ve read a few books with this plot line—a podcast or radio host caught up in a dating show setup who ends up falling for someone outside the competition—but Back After This is by far the best version I’ve read.

Linda Holmes brings a fresh, engaging take with well-developed characters and a unique twist via the influencer/self-help guru angle. It added depth and relevance that kept me invested. While I found myself craving a bit more revenge on the ex-boyfriend and shady ex-boss, the restraint felt true to real life—and honestly, it made the story feel more grounded and mature.

A fun, smart, and satisfying read that balances wit, romance, and personal growth with a modern edge.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my copy of this book — all thoughts in my review are my own.

I had a lot of fun with Back After This. I liked the behind the scenes of podcasting and there are so many great supporting characters in this novel. I can't say that I loved Cecily as a character but I understood her, and I REALLY liked Will as the love interest. The coincidences of how they kept meeting up were quite zany and truly unbelievable - but I enjoyed that aspect of the book, too. This was my first time reading Linda Holmes and I definitely plan to go back and read her earlier two novels.