I love Linda Holmes! Her previous books were fun and sweet. This one was no exception, will be a perfect read for when you want something light with substance.

I think Linda Holmes should be getting just as much recognition as the big Romance girlies. She just doesn't miss.
A control freak podcast editor agrees to star in a self help dating show where she's coached by a relationship guru under the premise that she'll get to make her own show at the end while also saving the jobs of coworkers that are like family. She's set up on 20 first dates with "vetted" men but they're mostly misses, which is further punctuated by how right it feels to continue to run into Will, a guy she met by chance on the street chasing a Great Dane.
The main character is a lovable mess-frustrating at times but fun to root for. The supporting cast is solid, and the behind-the-scenes podcasting details make it even more interesting.
It's not my #1 favorite of hers (evie I love you), but it's funny, charming, heartfelt, and definitely worth a read!

I loved this book! I was hooked from the very first page. I've never even considered how much work goes into the world of audio, and it made me appreciate my favorite podcasts so much more. It also made me want to get into NPR - thanks to the author!

This story follows a woman who goes on 20 dates as part of a podcast. It was fun to see behind the scenes of podcasts, although the story was filled with a lot of cutthroat people, who went out of their way to be manipulative, which was kind of a bummer.

Thank you netgalley and Storm Publishing for this arc.

There was a lot of technical jargon in the beginning about podcasts and how audio works, that wasn't even explained all that well. I like listening to some podcasts but I'm not familiar at all with how things are edited so it would have been nice to have better explanations and less assuming people know these things. Also, no one knows what "that one podcast" is... I found the story to drag out and that there was too much random details throughout. It was a predictable ending/plot. It wasn't a bad read but just wasn't for me.

Evvie Drake Starts Over is one of my all-time favorites, so I will read anything Linda Holmes writes. This one is a close second; I loved the banter and chemistry that Cecily and her very appealing love interest have. I enjoyed the little peek into the world of podcasting, which I don’t know much about despite listening to many shows regularly, and of course a giant dog as a main character is always going to grab (and keep) my attention! I appreciated the depth Homes gave to Cecily; she’s not perfect, but she’s not a hot mess either, she’s just a normal person struggling to figure out what she really wants in life, and she’s relatable. I enjoyed her relationship with her sister and coworker, and I liked the development of her relationship with her dating coach and the fact that the coach isn’t as one-dimensional as one might assume an influencer would be. If you are looking for a heartfelt story about growth and love of all types, this is a wonderful choice. And did I mention the Great Dane? It’s maybe a bit of a slow burn, but it’s so worth going on Cecily’s journey along with her and seeing her struggle to determine what it is that she feels like she’s missing in her life, and how to get it. Plus, the meet-cute is fantastic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Linda Holmes' latest. I loved Back After This! Cecily is a passionate podcast editor who is pressured into hosting her first show - which happens to require her to work with a "romantic life coach" and go on 20 first dates that are arranged by that coach, recorded, and aired on the podcast. This sounds like her worst nightmare, but she agrees for various reasons. Ironically, as soon as she agrees, she has the most adorable meet cute with a Great Dane and his local owner. I adored this book from beginning to end.

I enjoyed the peek into the podcast world as that is a medium I don’t utilize. It was much more complex than I expected. The premise of all the dates was fun, and I wished we’d had more insight into them. The ending was just right.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

Back After This by Linda Holmes, author of Evvie Drake Starts Over, is such a hit! This book had me laughing out loud several times. It’s funny, cute, and wholesome! I was hooked from the very start.

The character arcs were so fun to me. I didn’t want to like certain characters but then I did and I wanted to like others but then I didn’t. I also wanted to be friends with everyone’s cool sisters. Such a fun cast of characters and a good reminder to stay true to your heart.

I am so grateful to have been offered a Net Galley of this book so big thank you to Ballantine Books for sending it my way!

I *love* Linda Holmes as a critic, and I've been meaning to read one of her novels for years! I'm so disappointed to report that I didn't enjoy "Back After This." The premise is intriguing and prose is fine, but the pacing drags, and every single character is deeply uninteresting. And––crucially!!!––there is zero romantic tension. In fact, no one in this book seems to like each other. A romance novel has one job: to provide a swoony and satisfying reading experience. The goal is pleasure, people!!! "Back After This" does not deliver. The stakes feel contrived, and everyone gaslights the MC until the last few chapters. It all just made me feel icky and uneasy. That said, I'm definitely still going to check out Evie Drake Starts Over!

I'm so glad I was given an ARC of this amazing book!

I've really enjoyed Linda's other two books (Evvie Drakes Starts Over and Flying Solo) and also enjoy listening to Linda on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. This book gave me the same cozy vibes as Holmes' other two books. The female MC is strong and independent - traits I very much appreciate when I'm reading- but is still able to lean on her friends and family when she needs to be vulnerable. I find this to be important in romance books because I never want to feel like the leading lady has nothing going in her life except meeting "the one". Framily is key and finding the one is just a cherry on top of an already full life!

I also LOVE that this book is set in DC, it was so fun to picture the places in the book because I've walked those same streets.
If you need a feel good book with just enough adventure I recommend picking this one up when it comes out next year.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you Ballantine Books/Random House and NetGalley for my ARC.

This book was a delight! It’s an entertaining dip into the world of audio producing (so fascinating!) with an engaging closed door romance.

My favorite part? THE BANTER. It was sublime. Just the most enjoyable, sharp, endearing dialogue. The author has such a gift when it comes to this!!

I really enjoyed this and was rooting for the main character (and the MMC!). Can’t wait to see what Linda Holmes writes next.

Thanks to Netgalley & Random House- Ballantine for the E-ARC! Really cute! Loved the main character & the themes. Will definitely read more from this author.

This is a fun story about a workaholic podcast producer who avoids romantic entanglements after a devastating breakup--until she is offered the chance to host her own show. A show about her dating life. Yikes. She agrees, with specific conditions, to work with a "dating coach" who promises to find her a mate, and to share this with the world. The premise has so many potential pitfalls that it makes for a great book. Cecily is a wonderfully complicated protagonist, and I enjoyed learning about the world of audio in which she lives and works. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

If you know me, you know I loved and loved and loved Evvie Drake Starts Over. I also loved Flying Solo, for entirely different reasons. And, I loved Back After This. Where Evvie Drake is a perfect summer read, to transport to a small town in Maine. This is a perfect read for November, when it's cold and rainy (and it happens to be cold and rainy in Toronto where I type this).

This is also an optimal book to read if you're struggling at an employer that you don't love, surrounded by fellow employees that you do (I quit my job two weeks ago and had my last day two days ago and I loved my coworkers so so so dearly).

This one didn't go where I expected. I thought more of the meat here would be about her going on so many first dates (it's not a spoiler to say that the dates weren't the point and they were hardly a focus) and while that sounded promising, what I got was better. This wasn't about figuring out what you want so much as it was allowing yourself to want something.

I loved the love here, I loved it so much that I sometimes found myself being annoyed when Cecily had to do things like...her job. But that plot note was also wildly interesting. Which I guess, I should say: if you are uninterested in podcasting/audio-editing, you should maybe skip this one. This one explains the profession in detail, potentially too much, but I'm sure it was in pursuit of accuracy. The way Thank you for Listening detailed all the nuances of audio narration, Back After This is the podcast equivalent.

Also, if Linda Holmes could write the dialogue that is my life, that'd be nice. Also while we didn't get a cereal box race reference here, I am thrilled that Halls of Power got multiple references. The Holmes Universe continues.

This was so fun! Cecily is a podcast producer, who ends up having to participate in hosting a podcast to help keep her company afloat. The catch is she needs to go on 20 dates while being guided by an instagram guru, and record a podcast about her experiences!
I really enjoyed the setting of the book, it's always so fun to learn about the behind the scenes of a unique profession, especially a creative industry like podcasts. Its the same joy we all experience with shows like Only Murders in the Building.
Except this one comes with a fun twist of a forbidden romance! Just when Cecily has given up hope on finding the one, she meets Will--somebody she has great organic chemistry with, but it also someone her instagram guru is convinced isn't right for her. I really enjoyed the unique plot line, and I enjoyed seeing Cecily navigate conflicts in her personal and professional life, as well as the growth she goes through. Other readers might share my frustration with the somewhat "villain" of the story (spoiler alert: it's a man, when is it not).
I think my main issues with the book lie in the resolution. I feel like through Eliza, the book actually makes some really valid points and conversation around "how do we know what things to look for in a romantic partner", and how to know someone is actually reliable, what would be the basis for a healthy relationship. It ended up feeling a bit too much like "love can conquer anything", which I know might be the most important thing in a romance, but I wish they had tried to do a bit better, and show why that option was character, what Cecily based her final judgement on. Maybe she should've taken more time out to figure out what was actually good for her rather than a spur of moment decision. It feels like a lost opportunity in her character trajectory -- we see a character so clearly struggling with not knowing what she wants throughtout the book and suddenly she has perfect clarity, It feels rash, and it undermines the struggle. But other than that, very fun book and I really enjoyed the banter between our two protagonists!

It took me a little while to get into the story, but that's mostly because Linda sets everything up for an incredibly satisfying back half. Cecily + Will + Buddy the Great Dane forever.

“Back After This” is a rom-com by Linda Holmes. This book follows longtime podcast producer Cecily Foster. Her boss decides to give Cecily a chance to host her own show … one that Cecily is reluctant to do, but decides to do for a number of reasons. I must admit, I’m rather clueless about the podcasting world and what goes into it so I found a look into ideas (both great and the “why in the world would anyone want to listen to that”) interesting. Would I have listened to “Twenty Dates,” the show Cecily hosted and was the test subject - no, but I have to say I think it’s an interesting idea for the right demographic. I absolutely had fun reading certain throw away lines (paraphrased line: It read like Miss Havisham’s Amazon wish list) and loved the conversations about both the zoo and photography. Was this a predictable story - yep, especially with that adorable cover. But this was a nice comfy read - where nearly all of the characters act like adults (still wondering about Cecily’s boss) and there’s no angsty teenage angst; these people have jobs, they have former flames, they have responsibilities and they have bills to pay - huzzah for grown-up trying to make it characters living their lives in a city. I found this book an enjoyable read.

Probably my favorite of this author's books so far. I enjoyed the glimpse into the world of podcasts and audio work in general (admittedly didn't know the author's background! 🤦‍♀️🙈). Would recommend to others for a fun quick and entertaining romantic comedy read. Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy! I enjoyed it!

4.25 stars

BACK AFTER THIS by Linda Holmes introduces us to the characters of Cecily and Will. Cecily is an editor at a podcast network, and she's hoping to have her own podcast one day after her ex stole her show from her. Cecily's boss Toby comes to her with a new podcast idea that features Cecily working with a dating coach and going on twenty first dates.

One day Cecily bumps into Will and Buddy. Will was getting a haircut when Buddy, a Great Dane, got loose from the woman who is walking him. Will and eventually Cecily chase Buddy down in an adorable meet cute.

I LOVED all the behind-the-curtain podcasting talk in this one. As someone who has avidly listened to podcasts for over ten years now, it was an area that I don't really know the business and day-to-day life of. Until now. I relished learning more about podcasting and being a podcaster. I think this novel delves into day-to-day work life the most of any novel I've ever read.

I was charmed by Cecily and Will. Buddy the Great Dane was amazing. I could see that some readers might want even more Buddy in this novel.

There was a part about 80% in when Cecily gets an email sent to her in error, and that whole scene (and the scenes that scene prompted) didn't ring accurate for me. As a podcast insider, Cecily understood production and it was about getting "a story." One could argue that maybe it was different once she was the subject, but I don't really buy that. Also, there was a lot of exposition around those scenes that got tedious. I understand it was the necessary third act drama; I just think it could have been written more smoothly.

All in all, I really liked this novel, just like I've enjoyed Linda Holmes' past two novels. I appreciate that each has been unique, and this one deep dives into podcasting, which I was eager to learn more about.