I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun premise! I'm seeing more podcaster characters in books, and I love the role for this one. This was a fun rom com to read.

I adored this book, Back After This. It's a fun book, but there was wit, great character development, and some twists and turns. I also learned a lot about audio work and podcasts.
There's workplace drama and an interesting plot, which rang true to life with social media "fans" having their own strong opinions, the "talent" looking toward the bottom line, and wanting to increase their popularity.

My favorite character: The dog!

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#RandomHouse #Ballantine #BackAfterThis #podcasting #LindaHolmes

Definitely my favorite by Linda Holmes so far! I love it when a book has an excellent fictional plot while still teaching me facts about something I have zero experience in- this time the world of podcasts. Quirky, slightly cynical characters, a rescue dog, and a happy ending, I’m completely satisfied.

i love linda holmes’ books and this one may be my favorite of hers? she just keeps getting better! her generosity with her characters and the way she portrays conflict and desire is very authentic and real.

A sweet, engaging rom-com guaranteed to give you the warm and fuzzies!
Cecily works at a company that produces podcasts. Her boss shares an idea for her that he insists will save the company from having to do layoffs or worse. Well… with an intro like that how can she possibly say no?

She may have been wise to do so!

Cecily is partnered up with a popular influencer who now totes herself as a life and dating coach. She boldly claims she can set Cecily up for a successful relationship. Cecily agrees to 20 blind dates with the expectation true love will bloom from one of these dates. Oh, did I mention everything will be recorded and dissected for the world to listen to?

Before there was online dating...Think of the popular show, “Married at first sight” but here you meet at a restaurant instead of the alter. All you know is a name and maybe an occupation. No texting before-hand. No swiping. You rely on a trusted friend or relative to set you up with someone they know. A bit old school, but it works. It’s how I met my husband.

But just as the dates are getting started Cecily meets Will, who just happens to be running past her apartment, chasing a huge Great Dane.
Of course, the universe keeps putting the two together. So how can Cecily concentrate on her project of meeting Mr. Right when Will seems to be everything she could hope for?

I enjoyed both Cecily and Wills’ characters. Their banter was fun and refreshing and as a devoted dog lover, the Great Dane known as Buddy stole my heart.🐶

There was quite a bit of shop talk as we got to learn everything about the audio and podcast world. Maybe a bit too much. I’d have rather had more scenes with Buddy and less about podcast production.

Overall, I enjoyed this latest release by Linda Holmes. A light, fun and non-spicy rom-com. I needed a break from my thrillers and this one fit the bill perfectly!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley

Welcome to the world of podcasts. Learn about sound editing. Linda Holmes will teach you about how the sound of breathing and tooth sucking is removed from the podcasts you listen to. You will also learn a bit about influencers, Great Danes, and how you can absorb valuable life lessons from someone who is trying to teach you something completely different.

Cecily is a thirtyish and single developer and editor of podcasts. She lives in D.C. and works for a boss who spends his time on-line shopping and complaining about his ex-wife. She meets cute a neighbor chasing a huge dog. Her boss convinces her to do a serial podcast where Eliza, an internet influencer, sets her up to go on 20 blind dates. It's kind of that reality show, but on the radio. Complications arise when Cecily develops feelings for the dog chaser. Will is also a waiter and a photographer. The dog is not his. Eliza warns her off Will as he is not "successful".

Linda Holmes is as adept and delightful here as she was in her two previous best t-selling Women's fiction novels. Her banter is chuckle worthy. If you want to spend a few fast-moving hours with some charming and some not-so-charming characters, Back After This will provide just that. Thanks to Net Galley and Ballentine Books for an early copy to read and review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶

Blind dates and great danes - I was instantly intrigued! Back After This was a cute, lighthearted rom-com that was swoony & funny, and I definitely enjoyed it.

There were times when I laughed out loud because the banter is top notch in this one. This being my first book by Linda Holmes, I was pleasantly surprised with her writing style and ability to make conversations sound "real". I will say, I can tell she did great research on podcasts and the background work that goes into them, so much so I kind of felt it was a bit too much information. I also didn't connect with Cecily as much - I was actually more drawn to the side characters that were her dates! They had really fleshed out personalities despite them being presented briefly. Cecily on the other hand, drove me nuts with her lack of a backbone about her own life. But, I understand why it was written this way. Otherwise, there wouldn't be much of a plot without it.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Linda Holmes, and Random House for this ARC!

This book was a lot of fun! Throughout the book, there were definitely several moments when I burst out laughing. The chemistry between Cecily and Will was incredible, and their characters were incredibly realistic. I absolutely loved them. Cecily made such progress in discovering her voice, identity, and goals that I couldn't help but cheer for her. I also adored the podcast's background and the behind-the-scenes story of its production. It was incredibly ingenious and skillfully woven into the narrative.

This was a fun and unique take on dating in the social world we live in now. I have not read any of Linda Holmes previous novels, but I enjoyed her writing style and her sense of humor.
For me, ‘Back After This’ was more women’s fiction with some romance sprinkled in. Though I loved our MMC Will, it was harder for me to connect with our FMC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

Back After This was a fun read by Linda Holmes. We meet Cecily, a workaholic podcaster. To save her friend’s job, she signs up to be the star of a podcast where she works with a matchmaker and goes on 20 first dates. Along the way, she keeps running into Will.

I loved learning more about podcasts, and it was obvious that Holmes has firsthand experience in the audio world.

Read if you like:
🩵 Workplace romance (kind of)
🩵 Strangers to friends to lovers

Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an eARC of Back After This. Be sure to add this book to your TBR list!

I fangirled hard over getting this arc since I really loved Linda Holmes’ writing in evvie drake. I’ve loved similar romcoms I’ve read that have shown the behind the scenes on audio production (rachel lynn solomon’s the ex talk, julia whelan’s thank you for listening) and this one did not disappoint! Back after this felt extremely close to the author’s own work with NPR and it was lovely to catch a glimpse of how passionate she is about it through Cecily.

The two main characters were charming, the banter was fun, and this was such a good read. The oooonly thing I wish was fleshed out a bit more were the 20 dates for the show—which obviously I can understand why they were quickly run through. Maybe if there were less bachelors and Cecily was able to stumble through the dates a bit more that would’ve been interesting to read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine Books, and Linda Holmes for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

I completely devoured Back After This and cannot wait for it to come out so I can gush over it with my friends. Linda Holmes's writing is lovely with grounded, real human characters, delicious banter, and of course, an incredible giant rescue dog that kick starts a meet-cute. This book feels like an ode to those of us who may be extremely Type A people pleasers, while also giving us a good dose of reality, while also being just a wonderful romance.

Back After This centers on Cecily, a hard working podcast producer at a fictional firm that is struggling amidst the changing winds of advertising. Her less than great boss, Toby, finally brings Cecily in to host her own show. However, the show centers on Cecily learning on how to find a partner and being taught by influencer extraordinaire, Eliza Cassidy, In service of this show, Cecily agrees, but not before meeting Will via the aforementioned giant rescue dog. Cecily goes on 20 first dates, but can't stop thinking about Will, much to Eliza (and Toby's) consternation. Along the way we meet Cecily's incredible friends and family (and also an incredibly unfortunate ex, Justin, who is also a podcaster and is the type of guy to tattoo the waveform of his voice saying "Hi this is Justin Dash" on his arm - a detail that I truly appreciated).

This book is just an absolute delight cover to cover. I identified so much with Cecily and her relentless pursuit of forward progress and trying to figure out what all of the "right moves" were. I too have aspirational apples as snacks that are squirreled away and have trouble figuring out what I actually want versus what I should do. Cecily is acerbic in the best of ways and both her inner and outer commentary had me nodding along while I was reading. Holmes puts in so many small details that really make the book - like Eliza not being good at making coffee, but seemingly good at everything else.

Speaking of Eliza, she really could have been written like an absolute cow, but the humanizing details between her conversations with Cecily and also having Emmy, her sister, give background made her feel so much more real. Many of the side characters, like Molly, Cecily's sister, have these good, inner lives and stories that help ground everyone. And of course, I just adored Will as a character.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who needs a romance that will make you swoon and think. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the advanced copy.

After loving “Evvie Drake Starts Over,” I was really excited to read this new novel from Linda Holmes. It did not disappoint. The characters are cute and fun, with lots of little quirks worked in.

My Rating: 3.5⭐️
Tropes: friends to lovers, bachelorette type dating show, podcasting
This book started out slow and was a little hard to get into, but overall, I enjoyed the book. Basically, Cecily is an overworked producer at an audio studio and is told she would get the opportunity to produce her own show if she does a dating/self help show to improve ratings. This involves going on twenty blind dates, one of which is supposed to become her boyfriend. Cecily ends up doing it, but she keeps serendipitously running into someone over and over again who was NOT apart of the show, who she has been told not to become involved with. He has none of the qualities she is being told to look for, yet she can’t help but feel this connection to him. Obviously, she gets into trouble with her coach by disregarding the warnings to stay away.

I really liked Will, Julia, Abby, and Connor. I didn’t like anyone else, and I was kinda frustrated with Cecily. I really wish she would have showed a little more backbone towards all the people who wronged her. There were multiple characters that hurt her terribly and even by the end, I didn’t feel like she really stood up for herself. Her ex, her boss, Eliza Cassidy all seemed to never get what they deserved after what they did to Cecily (in my opinion). Also, the podcast aspect was interesting, and it was clear that the author knew a lot about that field. It did take over at times, but she did get back on track eventually.
The author has a unique voice that is distinctly hers, and some of her writing is really beautiful. That being said, I liked this one a lot better than her previous works.
I was provided an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Linda Holmes and Random House Publishing for this opportunity!

I let out a little squeal when I saw that Linda Holmes has written a third book and a bigger squeal when my request to read the ARC was approved. I am a regular listener of Pop Culture Happy Hour and have loved her previous two. Her writing is so smart, and the banter is always great and I feel like her characters are so real and experience actual growth, it’s always fun to read her books.

Back After This, due out in February of 2025, is about a podcast producer named Cecily who is working in a struggling industry and dreams of having more creative control. She is approached to create a new podcast where she is coached by a popular influencer around her dating life, and she will be set up on 20 dates over the course of the episodes in an attempt to find the perfect guy for her.

We don’t have to suffer through all the dates, she mostly summarizes them, and instead we focus on Cecily who is really understanding what she wants from life. The characters here are so layered and interesting and the book is overall very funny. I read this in two days and am thinking about reading it again, if I’m honest. It’s definitely my favorite of her books and I highly recommend.

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

If you loved Evvie Drake ,you need to read Back After This! Cecily was a fun, relatable character who anyone would love to be friends with and Will was the perfect partner for her. Linda Holmes has quickly become an author that is an auto-buy!

This was my first book from this author. I LOVED all the parts with Cecily and Will. Could not get enough of them.. and Buddy too. I found myself skimming a lot of the other parts though. Overall it was a solid read and I would read more from her.

I loved Evvie Drake Starts Over - and am an avid listener of PCHH - so I was super excited to get this ARC. I simply could not put this one down! It had everything I could ever want: witty banter, adorable leads, a very good dog, and a heartfelt story. No one does it quite like Linda Holmes!

Cecily, a podcast producer, is given the opportunity to step into the spotlight to become a host of a new self-help podcast where she gets set up by a life coach on 20 blind dates. While she’s not thrilled to have her love life out in the open, she takes it on to help save her friend’s job and to finally get time to work on and publish her own passion project. She is committed to going on the dates and taking the challenge seriously. However, after a few serendipitous run-ins with Will, a photographer and dog rescuer extraordinaire, things become a lot more complicated.

I had so much fun with this book! I definitely laughed out loud at multiple points in the book. I really adored Cecily and Will - their characters were so realistic and their chemistry was off the charts. I couldn’t help but root for Cecily - she had so much growth in finding her voice, who she is, and what she wanted. I also loved the backdrop of the podcast and the behind-the-scenes of how it got created. It was very clever and well integrated into the story. This is probably my favorite book by Linda Holmes, to date, and cannot wait until she has a new one for me to devour!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC!

🔎 ARC Review

Back After This

@lindaholmes97
@randomhouse
@netgalley

Publication Date: February 25th, 2025

My Rating:
🌟 4/5

👀Read if you like
Strangers to Friends to Lovers
Cute Dog 🐕
Podcasts

Longtime podcast producer Cecily Foster has always operated behind the scenes. For years, she’s worked toward hosting her own show, putting everything, including her love life, on the backburner. So when her boss finally offers her the chance, she’s over the moon.

But there’s a catch. Actually, two

1) The show will be about Cecily’s dating life 
2) Cecily will be mentored by renowned dating coach/life coach/influencer Eliza Cassidy.

Cecily would rather do anything else than put her singledom on display, especially since the last time she mixed work with romance the outcome was catastrophic. But when Cecily’s boss tells her that doing the show is the only way to protect her mentee's job, she realizes she has no other choice.

To make matters even more complicated, Cecily finds herself unable to stop thinking about Will, a photographer she serendipitously met while chasing a runaway dog down a busy street. Even though there are sparks between the two, Eliza forbids Cecily from dating Will, whom she believes is no better than Cecily's disappointing exes.

As Cecily struggles to balance her real romantic life and the one Eliza wants to create for her, she finds herself at a crossroads. Will she fall back into old patterns, or is this her chance to finally find love that lasts?

🔎 My review
This is my first book by Linda and it was so good!! I loved seeing Cecily go out of her comfort zone for her friend and herself! Watching her grow and build a relationship with Will is the best and who couldn't love Buddy?? Definitely gives off meant to romance and 100% recommend

Thank you @lindaholmes97, @randomhouse, @netgalley for the ARC!

#books #bookreviews #bookstagrammer #bookworm #bookstagram #bookobsessed #romance #lindaholmes #ballantinebooks #randomhouse #NetGalley #BackAfterThis

There is a warmth to her novels that make them a safe, delightful joy to dive into.

As for this book? The main characters make you want to hug her and make heart eyes at him.

I’m charmed, you’re charmed, everyone is charmed and tickled and swooning because that smile on our faces each time their chemistry crackles cannot be stopped.

The relatable nonsense of work dynamics and the pressure to succeed (depending on who is giving the definition) and tying it all to sponsorships and the influencer world helps shake us back into healthier perspectives.

The friendship and support of loved ones, the figuring out what you want and actually learning how to say so, the kindness in places it’s needed…the love story would be enough alone, but everything else embedded in and around it make this yet another special book I can’t wait to recommend to everyone who’ll listen.