Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Don't let the slow start discourage you from reading this fun book - it really picks up when Cecily meets Will. The banter between them is always great and sometimes hilarious. And Buddy! Gotta love Buddy. The story isn't so much a romance - although there IS romance - as it is a showcase of personal growth for Cecily. Even though you know how it will end, that doesn't take away from the fun along the way. Will was fantastic and the numerous ways he runs into Cecily is never overdone. I loved the pop culture references - again, not overdone. I loved that the final podcast transcript was included as part of the story. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC! This was an entertaining read that went by quickly. The entire time I read it, I was thinking what a fun movie this would be since the different characters have distinct personalities. Having read Evvie Drake Starts Over, I enjoyed this much more!
However, it was hard to root for the MC as she continued to be a doormat despite having many strong opinions about basically everything. The development of her relationship with the MMC was sweet and I would’ve loved to see more interactions and dialogue between them. There was also a bit too much detail on technical aspects of podcast production for me. Overall, a solid 3.5 star read.

Oh I loved this book so much. Will and Ceci are wonderful characters. This is a fun and creative rom-com that will teach readers so much about podcasts and their production. Highly recommend! Thanks NetGalley for an early copy!

Enjoyable romance with an interesting story! I really enjoyed Back After This by Linda Holmes!

Cecily Foster, a podcast producer dreams of having her own show. Her unhelpful boss finally is willing to consider this, but only if Cecily first agrees to do a podcast that is centered around her dating life, mentored by Eliza, a social media influencer, turned dating coach. Eliza sets Cecily up on 20 blind dates and the dating experience commences! Throughout this dating period, Cecily keeps running into Will who she is very drawn to, but who isn’t on the approved Eliza selected list.

It’s an interesting plot- makes the reader think about what makes a good relationship and how best to find that soecial someone. I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy. Definitely recommend!!

What a cute story author Linda Holmes portrays about a podcast editor who finds her work in peril! The only way for Cecily to save her job and her best friend’s is to host a new podcast where she would work with a dating coach to go on twenty blind dates and turn her sad, dead end life around. Cecily is not thrilled but will do what it takes to keep her best friend’s job safe. And what to her curious eyes should appear before starting the podcast is the guy of her dreams, Will, who then keeps popping up as the waiter during her blind dates, the photographer taking her new headshots, etc. For Cecily, doing the right thing and following her heart have always been the same, until now. What ever will she do?

Character development outside of Cecily and Will is little, which is my biggest issue with the book. It’s hard to understand Cecily’s motive ruins when we see and know so little of her best friend, for example. The reappearance of Cecily’s ex adds little to the story due to the lack of development. But the story makes up for it! It’s just such a cute premise that has you rooting for the main characters. Add some fun situations into the mix (a runaway dog, for example), and Back After You is just an enjoyable, lighthearted read that everyone can and should enjoy!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this novel!

I first read Linda Holmes after receiving Evvie Drake Starts Over in a blind book buy. I also enjoyed her follow up Flying Solo. But, after reading Back After This I think I have a new favorite!

Back After This stars podcasting making audiophile, Cecily, as she gets roped into moving in front of the mic as the star of her podcast network’s new dating show.

Just after agreeing to star - at the promise of her and her producing friends job security in addition to word from her boss that he will let her produce the pilot of her own show - Cecily meets Will (dog rescuer, waiter, photographer!) and they hit it off. But, Cecily has twenty dates to go on all for podcast listeners to hear and surely she won’t see Will again. There must be a diamond amongst these men selected for her dates!

This was a romance but more than that it’s a story of finding what you love and learning how to do it in a way that makes you happy. I really loved Cecily and her journey. I can’t wait for this to go on sale so that I can add it to myself and recommend it to my friends!

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 ⭐️

I loved the premise, but the execution fell flat for me. The biggest issue was pacing and I think that if the 20 dates had been spread out instead of summed up in a few pages, it might have been more interesting. Instead it just dragged in places. There was also an obvious lack of tension and chemistry in the romance part.

Linda Holmes delivers a delightful and engaging story in Back After This, featuring Cecily, a character so genuine and relatable that you can’t help but cheer her on. Cecily's journey through dates and her search for a meaningful connection had me eagerly turning pages, always wondering what was next.

The heart of the story lies not only in Cecily's romantic pursuits but also in the warmth of her relationships with her sister and friends. These connections are beautifully written, adding depth and emotion to the narrative. The banter between Cecily and Will, however, truly stole the show—the witty, charming dialogue is what dreams are made of.

This book is a perfect blend of romance, humor, and connection, making it an absolute joy to read. If you’re looking for a feel-good novel with characters you’ll adore, Back After This is a must-read!

I didn’t fall into this story quite as quickly as I did with Evvie Drake, and this was a bit less complicated a story - but it was a lovely adventure! Cecily is a podcast producer who becomes the unwilling host of a new podcast wherein she’s set up on 20 first dates by a social media influencer. The problem being that just as the series is beginning she… meets a guy. The entirely WRONG guy according to the influencer, but Cecily keeps seeing him and keeps thinking about him. Throw in looming layoffs at the podcast company, a mildly evil ex, and a relentlessly confident influencer and you’ve got yourself a story!

Podcast professional Cassidy has been single for four years, ever since her boyfriend and former colleague dumped her and took the successful podcast they worked on with him. At her boss's prompting, Cassidy has an opportunity to host her own podcast, but it's hardly a subject she wanted to pursue: herself and her single status. Influencer Eliza plans to "help" Cassidy by setting her up on twenty dates, all recorded for the podcast, so that Cassidy can maybe find true love and also help save the floundering company she works for. In the meantime, she meets Will, a kind and attractive man whom she keeps running into just as her show is beginning to take off. Jilted by his lobbyist girlfriend, Will is only in town for a while longer and isn't sure where his life is going, but his natural chemistry with Cassidy complicates her life and work project tremendously.

I enjoyed this book and kept wanting to pick it back up. Aside from one scene in which Cassidy behaves horribly, I loved the main characters and was rooting for Will the whole way through. The romance had some heat without being especially explicit (a plus in my book) and reminds readers of the feeling of falling in love with someone when things just click. While I have read similar stories centered around dating shows, the podcasting element was new and gave me a behind-the-scenes look at that process.

Evvie Drake will always be my favorite of her books, but this was a solid rom-com read. Witty banter with a side of learning to love yourself.

These characters have my heart 💗 Linda Holmes knows how to write realistic situations that show how lovable, sometimes quirky, and witty humans navigate this thing called life.

Cecily is a podcast producer who takes pride being part of a team. Despite having her own ambitions to further her career, she feels the overwhelming need to do things that will benefit more people than just herself. When her boss dangles the opportunity to make her own pilot, she does what is asked of her even though that requires her to uncomfortably put herself and her dating life on display for all to hear.

The meet cutes, charm, and witty banter of Back After This were heartwarming and relatable. It’s the perfect lighthearted read that leaves you wanting more wholesome stories like this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rated 3.5 stars

I am a fan of Linda Holmes and have thoroughly enjoy her work, whether it's articles that she's written or her podcasts. Her latest book, Back After This, takes the reader behind the scenes of what it's like working on a radio show and making a podcast. The preface of the book strongly suggests that this is not based on NPR or any other public radio broadcasts, however, Holmes's knowledge of the podcast world shines through in this book. I found the aspect of podcasting to be really interesting. The premise of the book is cute: Cecily is a podcaster who has repeatedly been overlooked by the men in her dating and working life. She is given the opportunity to host her own show with the caveat that she will work with a dating coach, go on 20 blind dates, record her experiences, and be open to the possibility of finding love. Of course love does come in the most unexpectant way and complicates everything.

I thought this book was fine and enjoyable, but I didn't love it as much as Holmes's other books. The tone of the book is conversational and in my opinion a bit too wordy. I was hoping for more introspection. The plot hits all the beats of a romantic comedy and the characters are fine, but it is a bit slow paced than I would have liked. The book's strongest aspect is its dialogue. Holmes writes great banter whether it's between romantic couples or just between friends.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Ballatine, and Penguin Random House for an advanced copy of the book.

Linda Holmes is the host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast and such a smart, funny writer. I loved this rom-com about a podcast producer who agrees to host a show about her dating life with the help of an influencer-turned-romance-coach. (Most of) the characters were likable, the plot was adorable and I had a hard time putting it down.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Obviously once I saw Linda’s new book was available, I couldn’t hit the request button quickly enough. I still hate romance, but I will read anything Linda Holmes writes.

So hear me out - podcast stories are having A Moment right now…but mostly in the crime/mystery genre. This is a refreshing spin on that particular trope, as it’s a podcast story, but it’s about dating (Cecily is a shy producer taking the mic for her first “starring” podcast role as she works with a dating coach to hopefully find Mr. Right). Given that hockey is also inexplicably having A Moment in the romance genre right now, I’d love to read Linda’s or someone else’s take on a hockey crime story!

Ahem. Anyway. Linda Holmes has been hosting podcasts for years now, but she’s upfront in the author’s note that while this book is certainly based on some of her experiences, it’s not some kind of roman a clef tell-all. It’s just a subject area she happens to know quite a bit about. This hits basically all the familiar beats of a romantic comedy - the bumbling meet cute, the first stirrings of The Feelings, the always-required Terrible Miscommunication (where it looks like our heroes won’t work things out after all)... but because it’s Linda’s writing, it didn’t bug me or make me roll my eyes nearly as much as I expected it to. Although both of her previous books definitely had romantic elements, I feel like this one is the most explicitly “romantic comedy” of the bunch.

Our protagonist is Cecily - she works for a podcast company, mostly in a producing role, but she’s always dreamed of hosting her own show. She had a shot once - she and her then-boyfriend created a podcast where they basically chased down the human interest stories behind calls that came in over a police scanner. She did 90% of the work, but since someone once told her her voice was annoying, he was the voice (and the face? I guess? That’s confusing phrasing in an audio medium). And when they broke up, he just continued hosting Scanner Stories (no word on who he found to do all of the legwork for him), and while Cecily had always had a “special thanks” credit, she was never named as a producer, so she just loses this big piece of IP that she helped create and make great. It’s maddening! Cecily jumps at the chance to get on the other side of the mic when her boss offers her a hosting job, but it’s literally the stuff of nightmares - not only will it be a dating podcast (she’ll go on a bunch of blind dates…which will be recorded!), but she’ll be getting advice from a dating influencer along the way.

Cecily wants none of this, but her boss convinces her that this is the only way he’ll give her a shot at hosting a show SHE creates from scratch. Oh and also things are pretty tight right now and it would be a shame if she passed on this and then he had to fire her best friend. So she decides to go with it, but pretty much on the way to meet this influencer woman, Cecily has an actual meet-cute with a guy out on the street. He’s chasing a giant dog, and she helps him by (no joke) pulling a giant jar of peanut butter out of her purse and luring the dog back. Turns out it wasn’t even his dog - he was getting a haircut and saw the dog escape and just…ran after it. There are sparks, it is very cute, and Cecily is a bit disappointed that she’s about to embark on this blind date-a-thon. The dates themselves are montaged on the page in a way that I suspect could be VERY entertaining on screen, but throughout all of this, she and Will (dog guy) just keep running into each other. He’s actually the waiter at the restaurant during her “dummy date” (basically a practice date set up to sell a preview episode), and when her producer captures some audio of him saying that the dude isn’t right for her (he’s a very boring guy who’s way into supplements), the whole internet falls in love with him, all of them insisting she just go out with Hot Waiter instead.

This is, of course, terrible news for Eliza the Influencer, who has basically built her whole career around the notion that this kind of thing just doesn’t happen. You don’t meet a cute guy on the street, you put in the WORK and you have a professional set you up on a bunch of soul-crushing blind dates. In a way, I see her point, because it’s true that people generally *don’t* find each other in that adorable way anymore. But also I think you often find someone when you stop trying so hard - if you’re just open to what’s out there, instead of working at it methodically like it’s your job (which for Cecily…it genuinely is. Oof). And of course in this case, lots of people are going to lose lots of money and sponsorships if Cecily just dates the Hot Waiter.

So yes, it’s somewhat predictable, but I like that Linda’s characters have some depth to them. Eliza is A LOT, but she isn’t a caricature. And near the end, she has some excellent come to Jesus advice for Cecily that Cecily really needs to hear (in spite of the fact that Eliza is a bit of a bitch about it).

I really, really enjoyed this. It’s cute without being saccharine, and it doesn’t fall into my least favorite romantic trope - where it’s all vibes and no plot. Although like I said, this is definitely MORE focused on romance than either of Linda’s previous books, there’s still more to Cecily than “girl want date guy,” and for that I am immensely grateful.

Holmes has written a compelling novel that considers how to find “your person” and the definition of successful. Holmes is a deft writer. The writing is witty and the characters are likable and believable. Recommend. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it had a bit of a slow start, and I wasn't sure what I was going to think, but once the plot actually started happening, I was really into it. I really enjoyed the main characters, and while I wouldn't call it a funny book, I still found myself laughing out loud several times. Would like to read more by this author!

4.5 ⭐ rounded up

I loved Evie Drake Starts Over so when I saw Linda Holmes had a new book coming out, I immediately added it to my TBR! Back After This will give you the warm fuzzies and the confidence to listen to yourself. (Or at least encourage you to!).😉

Cecily is a do-it-all producer at a podcast company. She has always wanted to host her own show but it's "never the right time" at work. The one chance she has is a dating podcast with a self help guru. She agrees but insists on telling the truth and being real.

Can Cecily find true love after getting burned badly in her past? This book is about more than finding true love though, it's all about being truly happy and figuring out what that might look like.

This book is perfect for fans of Katherine Center and Sarah Adams. If you are trying to get out of a reading slump or want a rom com that's fun to read, pick this up!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC to enjoy.

This book was a nice cozy easy rom com read. I will say, the premise was great, as an avid podcast listener it was cool to have a book about podcasters. Halfway through though I was about ready to be done because the main character, Cecily, was getting on my last nerve. An incredible victim of life. An overachiever who lets people give her empty promises, who wants success in return but doesn’t have the guts to stand up for herself and demand more. Until the very end. Which is what saved this for me.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.