The story focused on Cecily, a podcast producer who is asked to work with an influencer to find the perfect boyfriend. However, Cecily constantly bumps into Will repeatedly and their connection is hard to resist.
I enjoyed learning more about the podcast world. I wish the book had focused a little more on the romance and less on Cecily’s former relationships. Also, none of the dates selected by Eliza felt like true contenders for Cecily’s love.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read but it won’t stay with me.

Sweet and smart! I loved this. I love an emotionally mature character that has a job, leads an independent life, etc. I enjoyed the podcasting premise and I loved the meet cute with the dog!! All in all, a fun read!

This was a sweet romcom, that was an easy read. While the story was creative, overall the book lacked depth for me.

What a great read! I devoured this book in two days and loved every minute of it. The plot was perfection - just enough twists to keep you guessing while fulfilling all the expectations we have of a good romance journey! Makes me want to go read all of Linda’s previous titles and enjoy a good podcast.

4.5 stars! Linda Holmes' writing just works for me. I like the humor and the very three-dimensional characters that she creates. In this book, Cecily has a job in podcasting that's sometimes satisfying and sometimes maddening - her talents aren't fully appreciated and her boss doesn't follow through on his promises but her co-workers are the best. Her boss makes yet more promises to entice her to participate in a podcast with an influencer who fashions herself a matchmaker. Cecily is very skeptical about this influencer's ideas to send her on 20 dates, but she reluctantly agrees. Just when they decide that the podcast is a go, Cecily meeets Will, and things get more complicated. As the book progresses and Cecily's life seems to be in a downward spiral, she realizes that her friends, her sister, and even the influencer haven't been totally wrong - she needs to figure out what she really wants and go for it. When an author can mix quippy humor with introspection and real-life messiness like Holmes can, I know it's going to be a hit for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for an early digital copy of this book to review. If you haven't picked this one up yet, I definitely recommend it!

BACK AFTER THIS review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

🎙️This was my first book by Linda Holmes and I went in having no idea what to expect! Honestly this one had a bit of a slow start. But once I was invested in the story, I didn’t want to stop reading!

🎙️Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Cecily is promised a promotion at work if she agrees to participate in a podcast where she’s the main subject. She’ll be set up on 20 dates by a dating coach and guaranteed to find a lasting relationship. But what happens when she seemingly finds Mr. Right on her own?

🎙️This reminded me quite a bit of IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM? and I enjoyed them both! The ending was pretty obvious but the workplace drama made it more interesting for me! Overall, I enjoyed this one but since it was fairly similar to another new release I’m not sure how much it will stand out down the road.

🎙️Thanks to @randomhouse for my digital copy!

Fun Romcom.

Will and Cecily really grew on me, and I ended up enjoying their story. The bits with Buddy were super sweet—probably my favorite part.

Cecily’s character had some nice growth, which I appreciated. The part with her “best friend” could’ve used more development though—it felt kind of shallow. If you're into podcast production, I think you'd enjoy it even more. For me, it was a cute, light, and fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine books for an advanced copy in return for my honest review. Somehow, even though generally I dislike romance books, I love Linda Holmes. I think it's because her stories are more about character growth, with the romance being secondary. This holds true with Back After This. Once again, Holmes gives us a book full of interesting, flawed characters that we want to succeed. I didn't like this book as much as Holmes' previous two books, because I'm not a fan of the podcast plot device. It seems to be everywhere these days. Despite that, I found myself pulling for Cecily and Will, and of course Buddy. Holmes' characters and writing won me over again, and she will remain an auto-buy author for me.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. I have become a faithful reader of Linda Holmes since her debut, and I'm happy to say this one was a joy to read. I really enjoyed the main character and her job - almost even more than the romance aspect of the story. The content about podcasting makes sense, as Linda works for NPR in addition to authoring books. I enjoyed that the book was about more than just the love story and that we were able to see the main character grow. This is pretty mild on the spice, which was fine with me.

2.5 stars. This book was….disappointing. I loved Evvie Drake Starts Over, so I expected to love this one too, but it fell flat for me. It was slow, the character development for her best friend she was supposedly saving the job for was so small I barely remembered her name or her story, there was a lot of the storyline that I just did not care about, her work issues didn’t interest me at all, and I really, really disliked the character of the dating coach. She wasn’t even a little bit likable or relatable.

That being said - I was invested in Cecily and Will. I loved Will’s character and I liked the romcom aspect of them continually running into one another and Will just always being there. BUT - again, Will could’ve been developed deeper and the romance could’ve had a more engaging build up. By the time they got together in her apartment, it just seemed off.

It was just fine. I didn’t hate it, but I’m not recommending it to everyone I know. Just meh.

So cute! I loved the main character Cecily and felt like her character arc was strong. Will was a strong male protagonist and dreamy as well!

Back After This is a fun, easygoing rom-com set in the world of podcasting. The protagonist is likable and the setting feels fresh, even if the backstory is a little light. I enjoyed the ride, but it didn’t quite hit that “love it” mark for me. Still, a solid pick if you’re in the mood for something charming and modern.

Oh, wow I LOVED this. LOVED.

I absolutely adored the voice and wit of this book, and it immediately made me want to return to visit Linda's backlist of titles. The author's writing is smart and funny and this book is well-constructed and engaging from start to finish. I loved the premise -- betrayed podcaster's effort to boost her company and protect her colleagues' jobs lands her on a dating & self-improvement show -- and found it a unique plot made all the more believable and engaging due to the author's own knowledge and experience in the field.

It's the perfect combination of swoony, reflective, captivating, and smart. The characters and world are well-developed and it's easy (and really enjoyable) to get lost in the story. This will be a definite re-read and a title I'll absolutely recommend to my community!

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Cecily is a podcast producer who has always wanted to host her own show. Her boss gives her the opportunity to be the front person to help save the company. The only catch, she has to work with a self-help coach and go on 20 first dates. Cecily isn’t happy about the arrangement but agrees to save her job and the jobs of her friends. Of course nothing works out as planned.

This is a cozy, romance with witty banter that had me laughing out loud. Using her knowledge of the industry, Linda takes us behind the scenes of the making of an podcast without getting over our heads with technicalities. She keeps it light while exploring issues of self-sacrifice and empowerment. And the story features a dog named Buddy. Who doesn’t love a book with an adorable dog?

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and NetGalley for the arc of this book in return for an honest review

I love Linda Holmes, and I loved Evvie Drake Starts Over. But this wasn’t my favorite. I would have liked to spend more time with Cecily and Will, but I felt like there was so much time spent with Eliza and everyone at the podcast studio, left the romance a little thin.

"She nodded. "I was talking to Izzy, and she asked me if I'd noticed that we used to have great toilet paper in the bathrooms, and now it's this stuff that's like, all scratchy. I think it's one-ply. And I realized—I hadn't thought about it, but my ass knows it's true. The toilet paper sucks now. Benji says the first sign that a company is really in trouble is when they switch to cheaper TP."" - I shared this with my friend screaming because we were just talking about it. Single Ply Curse!

Another woman betrayed by her own kind and belittled by men. Another woman who got shit done, solved problems, and when she tried to be little vulnerable she got slapped. Another woman who tried to find the balance and try to be happy. Cecily was that woman. She loved editing and producing podcasts. She never shied away from a challenge even though men took the credit what should have been hers. Yet she still felt the burn of everything that happened around and to her

It started as a sad story of a woman who couldn't get a break but ended up on a high note. I needed this palate cleanser in between dark and disturbing stories. While I could consider it bit romancey, I liked the lightheartedness of it.

This book was unfortunately not for me. It felt very repetitive and drawn out. The writing style was not my favorite either.

4.25 stars 🤩

BACK AFTER THIS by Linda Holmes

Thank you @ballantinebooks @atrandombooks for my gifted copies 🫶🏼

📜Story time: It was May 2020 and I was losing my mind. I was working twelve-hour days from home, helping a kindergartner and a high schooler with distance learning, and like so many others, my COVID-induced stress level was through the roof. I needed some time to myself before I had a complete meltdown, so I scheduled a solo beach trip for the first time in my life. It was on this trip that I discovered Linda Holmes through her debut novel Evvie Drake Starts Over.... I absolutely loved it. It was the right book, at the right time, and provided just the escape I needed. She's now an auto-buy author and will always hold a special place in my heart due to this connection. 🥹💝

ANYWAY..... 🤪

About her newest book, Back After This:

Podcast producer Cecily Foster is used to working behind the scenes—until she’s offered the chance to host her own show. The twist? It’s all about her love life! With the guidance of a relationship coach and a stream of blind dates, Cecily navigates the world of public vulnerability for content. But when a charming photographer enters her life off mic, things get complicated fast!

I really enjoyed this one!! The vibe is women's fiction meets slow burn romance, and the result is a heartfelt, humorous, and overall feel-good story. Holmes nails the voice of a modern woman figuring it out and finding herself... and the swoony, tender romance was just the icing on the cake! If you’re a fan of Katherine Center, you’ll absolutely adore Linda Holmes!

📌 Available now!
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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was a really cute, low-angst rom-com which is just how I like it! it also features a dog and a side character named Julie. It literally has my name written all over it. HA!

I had high hopes for this after enjoying Evvie Drake Starts Over, and was not disappointed! In this book we meet Cecily who has been single for four years after her boyfriend of 5 years left her high and dry by casually breaking up with her and keeping their place to live as well as the podcast he took all the credit for. The company Cecily is working for asks her to do a project where she works with an influencer who is getting paid to curate 20 men for Cecily to go on dates with in hopes of finding "the one". The company isn't doing well and is facing layoffs so although Cecily doesn't want to do it, she agrees to secure her own job and that of her coworker, Julie.

Before the project officially begins, Cecily meets Will and there is an instant connection. He considers asking her out, but she says it isn't a good idea because of the 20 dates she has to go on for a work project. Also, Will was only supposed to be in town until his lease ended and then he would be moving, so Cecily didn't want to get in too deep for something that would end in three months. However, Cecily and Will continue to run into one another all the time and feelings begin to grow between them. Cecily then faces the choice of following her heart and risking her and Julie's jobs, or following her commitment to her work and risking losing Will.

Cecily and Will's relationship was so much fun to watch develop. They are a great example of how great relationships should be based on friendships and not just attraction.

If you like low-angst rom-coms with older characters who make mature decisions, then this book is for you!

I don’t usually read romance novels but I am a huge Linda Holmes fan from her work on NPR. I did enjoy her first two books, which didn’t feel as much like romance novels to me because the main character had story lines beyond just the romance. Unfortunately because of the plot, in this one the entire story is just the romance and it was one of those stories where the entire conflict could be resolved by just having some honest conversations. Cecily is a podcast producer at a struggling network. She likes her job but is frustrated that she doesn’t get to create the kind of content she wants to and is still reeling from her ex-boyfriend basically stealing the podcast they created together. When her boss asks her to be the subject of their next podcast, a matchmaking podcast where an influencer/life coach sets her up on a series of 20 dates in the hopes of finding her perfect match, she very much does not want to do it but agrees to on the promise of job safety for her friends and a chance to do the podcast she wants to when this one is finished. She goes into the project with an open mind, but she can’t stop thinking about the guy she met randomly just before the show started and who keeps popping up in her life. I did enjoy the podcast side of the storyline as she revealed enough behind the scenes details to keep it interesting but the romance side felt flat to me. As I said, there were no honest conversations and parts of it felt very one-dimensional so I never invested in the love story. I wanted to like this one but unfortunately I just did not.