Back After This by Linda Holmes
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The moment it starts to feel like spring I have to break out a spring read and this was perfect!! As a pop culture girly I loved the bachelorette/ podcast mash up plot of this one. While relationships often play a more minor role in Linda Holmes books, I really enjoyed the romance in this book and found it more memorable than her other books. This was an extremely quick and fun read that kept me picking up my kindle to see what happened next. Linda Holmes reliably delivers wholesome women’s fiction that I will always read.

Thank you so much @netgalley and @ballantinebooks for this arc in exchange for my honest review!!

Back After This by Linda Holmes is a sharp, thoughtful story about Cecily Foster, a podcast producer who’s used to being behind the scenes, but when she’s offered the chance to host her own show (with the catch that it has to be about her dating life), she’s pushed into a spotlight she never asked for. Add in a pushy relationship coach, twenty blind dates, and a connection she can’t ignore with a guy she met during a lost dog rescue for a little ~spice~.

The writing is smooth and observant, with strong character work and just the right amount of wit. I really liked how real Cecily’s career struggles felt. That mix of burnout, loyalty, and ambition hit close for me and made the romantic arc payoff all the more worth it.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. The beginning was a bit difficult to get through. Like I wasn't having a bad time, but I wasn't sucked in either.
I did have some actual, laugh out loud moments and thought the FMC was witty. Her inner dialogue at times could be very funny.
I do think that we could have gotten more into her actual dates that she was set up on, I don't love how those felt super rushed.
Overall, I enjoyed the book 2.75 stars rounded up!
*I received a free + early digital copy from the publisher.

I've read several books with this plot line - podcast/radio host dates lots of guys a la The Bachelor but falls for a guy that isn't a contender. This was by far the best one. I liked the influencer guru angle. I wanted more revenge on the ex-boyfriend and the ex-boss but it did feel more like real life written this way.

Poscast producer Cecily Foster agrees to a new podcast about going out on 20 blind dates. But what does she do with the fact that she may have met "the one" on the sidewalk chasing after a dog, Buddy, before the first date even begins?

Positives:
Main characters you are rooting for. I enjoyed both of them,
A light rom-com, not spicy

Negatives:
The cover was not appealing and didn't really seem to match the overall theme of book.
A lot of extra details about the podcasting world
Pacing was just a bit off

While I did not love this book as much as Evie Drake starts over, I will definitely give her books another try.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.8 stars

Cecily Foster works on podcasts and is very good at her job. She is offered a new show (her dream) but she is going to be the test subject of how to find a boyfriend with a relationship Eliza (not her dream). Cecily keeps running into Will but he's not part of the experiment.

I loved learning all about the behind the scenes in making podcasts. I liked Will and how Cecily and Will were together.

4.25 rounded ⬇️
Linda Holmes has such a knack for creating complicated characters who we can’t help but love, not despite but because of their flaws (and yes, this is a ‘Set it Up’ reference, because this book gives that energy in the very best way). This was very rom-com – the keep-running-into-each-other trope hates to see Cecily and Will coming – but it always ended up low on my cringe-cheese meter.

This book had me grinning and giggling – it felt predictable at times but grounded enough in heartfelt moments that I’m happy to overlook some weaker plot lines in exchange for cute character interactions/development. I thought the pacing was pretty solid and the dates got an understandable amount of time – I thought the format for the first chunk of dates was fun, but I appreciated the larger amounts of time spent on Will and the other important people in Cecily’s life. Further, the banter between Will and Cecily, as well as the moment between Cecily and Molly, were

I want to shoutout the choice to set this against the backdrop of Podcasting – I think the audio platform is very unique in circumstance and context, and I loved getting to see the details that go into this field alongside Cecily’s character development in and out of work.

I liked Evvie Drake Starts Over, but I could barely stand to put Back After This down – I think this is my sign to read Flying Solo.

A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This was cute and I enjoyed both listening to it and reading the ebook. While the podcaster angle gave it some uniqueness (and was the initial draw since I'm involved with my library's podcast), it didn't grab my attention and hold it the way other rom-com style romances have. I'm not fully sure why it didn't hit as well as I'd expected (pacing maybe?) but still a fun read!

3.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley (ebook), LibroFM (audio), and the publisher for providing advanced copies for review!

I could not have loved a book more! This was such an easy and delightful read! I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank you @NetGalley and @RandomHousePublishingGroup for the ARC. Linda Holmes is sun a fun writer. Back After This was so funny. Cecily is loyal to her friends, wants to do her own investigative podcast and maybe go on a date. Her boss at her failing radio network has a plan for her to work with an influencer to go on 20 dates to find love. All dates will be put on the radio for all to hear. How could that go wrong. So charming and funny.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I've long been a fan of Linda Holmes writing style and this one did not disappoint. I was hooked right from the beginning. I was so intrigued by the world of podcast production. Maybe because of my love of a certain popular TV show right now, who knows! I also loved the dating-show aspect. And the influencer who seems perfect and is more than slightly annoying. I enjoyed the setting and descriptions of D.C. as I've been a few times and remember those trips with fondness.

The banter in this book was fast and witty and I read this super quickly because I just wanted to pick it up every time I had the chance. There were so many humorous, crazy moments in this, and I appreciated the laughs. The chapter with the blurb on each of her 20 blind dates was very entertaining!
I think I connected with the FMC in several ways which also helps with my enjoyment of a book.
This was nothing too deep in this one but it was a fun, cozy, romp of a rom-com and I'm a big fan!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

this book was fine. It took me awhile to get through and wasnt my favorite. I think that may just be me though! someone else might feel differently.

Back After This is a fun and refreshing romance full of top-tier banter and humor. With one of the most memorable meet-cutes and characters that you'll instantly fall in love with, Back After This is a delightful and enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

I really enjoyed Holmes's first two books and fully expected this one would work well for me too. Unfortunately, it proved to be a mixed bag.

What worked for me:
1. Podcast behind-the-scenes. This was the best part of the book for me as someone who has worked on podcasts in different capacities. I was surprised there weren't more transcripts or recording sessions to give us a better sense of what the show was actually like but the details about ad sales, editing, and whatnot were great.

2. Runaway dog meet-cute. Honestly, a dream come true. Cecily and Will had immediate chemistry. Buddy deserves a medal for breaking loose from his walker in order to bring these two together.

3. Cecily and Will's banter.


What didn't work for me:
1. Martyr-type FMC. Cecily really pained me at times. I did not understand the degree of self-abnegation at work or in her previous relationship.

2. Eliza is a caricature. As such, she (and her dating advice) felt cartoonish instead of a fully realized character. And since Cecily previously seemed to have a head on her shoulders, I didn't understand why she went along with Eliza's rules. She's supposed to be the podcast expert here but she can't figure out a way to create a narrative that satisfies Eliza while also allowing Cecily to date Will? As far as conflicts go, it quickly became contrived.

3. Cecily needed to stand up to Eliza sooner. This was beyond frustrating for me, to the point where I contemplated DNFing at various points. It did not make for a satisfying arc and her podcast ending switcheroo was too little, too late.

3.5⭐️ I love Great Danes. So I had to read this since it had a dane on the cover and within the story. A fantastic meet cute happens when Cecily finds Will running after a Great Dane with a half finished haircut and cape on. They begin to slowly see each other more and more. There’s just one small hiccup in their friendship status moving to relationship status. Cecily is working on a new show for her company and she’s the main attraction. The show will follow her dating time with the advice of Eliza, a prominent influencer turned relationship coach. Cecily we’ll go on date after date with only one promising man. According to Eliza, Will isn’t him. He’s not serious or successful in Eliza’s eye. Cecily knows that he won’t get serious as he’s a free spirit and moves frequently. Will she be able to protect her heart and find something with the promising doctor Eliza is pushing for?

Thank you to @netgalley , Random House, and Linda Holmes for the advanced reader copy. #netgalley #backafterthis #arcreview #greatdanelove #romancereader

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. Every time Will and Cecily somehow managed to meet up again was great and you can tell that they would be great together. I also really liked getting a little bit of a behind the look at how podcasts are made.

I really wasn't expecting all 20 of the dates to go by as quickly as they did. I fully expected them to take up the bulk of the book. I kind of liked the fact that it was over and done with so we could move on to more important parts of the book.

After loving Evie Drake, this one fell flat for me. While the behind the scenes look at podcast creation was interesting, the romance aspect lacked depth and I found myself not connecting with any of the characters unfortunately.

this is a sweet, tender story! I liked the nuance and depth of the characters, for the most part but wish we had more of that from Will. I was totally captivated reading this story because I was never sure what was going to happen next, and while I kind of saw where the story would end up, I was captivated and engaged throughout reading. I loved the way the story concluded for Cecily, she really found her voice and what she wanted and it was so satisfying seeing her get her happy ending with herself as well as with Will.

This was delightful! She does a great job creating characters that feel real and reasonable and authentic. Lots of good side characters, I loved the love interest. The grand gesture was perfect! The dating experiences were painfully spot on, and I was glad to see how her work journey turned out.

Back After This by Linda Holmes is a delightful rom-com that opens with a meet-cute centered around a runaway Great Dane. You had me at runaway dog! The female main character, Cecily, works for a podcasting company in Washington, D. C. Her company is on the verge of another round of layoffs when her boss presents her with a chance to be the subject of her own podcast about a single woman looking for love with the assistance of a popular influencer who gives dating advice; if her show is a success, it will give the company just the boost it needs and maybe save the jobs of both Cecily and her friends.

Will is such a memorable character from the opening scene where he is chasing the Great Dane. After their original encounter, Will and Cecily keep running into each other in the least expected places. The two clearly have chemistry, but Will is just waiting for his lease to end before he moves on, and Cecily has promised to give the dates a real chance on her podcast. But with fate bringing the two of them together at every turn, could it be they are really the ones that are meant to be?

I have never been a podcast devotee but I so enjoyed learning about the technical process and behind the scenes work that goes into every episode. This book was sweet, had emotional depth, and some very steamy scenes for spice lovers.