This book has me kicking my feet. Perfect rom com book that makes you feel warm and cozy. I really enjoyed the sub plot and although very troupy I ate it up. This was my first read from this author and I cannot wait to read more! Thank you Ballantine books for the arc copy through NetGalley.

This was a little slow to start for me, but once it got going was totally invested. I loved the way everything panned out, with Cecily deciding what she wants without using or dragging anyone else down, including Eliza. That one scene where Will shows up (iykyk bc there are many lol) was so freaking good.

I first discovered Linda Holmes with Evvie Drake Starts Over, a book that I recommend highly and shared with lots of people. When I discovered her newest book, Back After This, I was so excited. And this book did not disappoint. As someone who works closely in the audio sphere, I found the details of this book to be fascinating. This book follows Cecily, a podcast producer, as she embarks on the journey of hosting a new show where she is set up on dates. But chance encounters with Will complicates things. I loved the character of Cecily, but ultimately I truly loved Will. The banter in this book is relatable and funny and I was hooked on the relationship between Cecily and Will. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and one that I would recommend to a diverse group of readers.

Linda Holmes’ previous book, Flying Solo, is one of my favorites of the past few years, so her third novel, Back After This, had a lot to live up to. The premise, however—a podcast producer’s boss convinces her to go on a bunch of blind dates, bringing listeners along for the ride—immediately struck me as something I’d seen before. (It was in Sophie Sullivan’s Ten Rules for Faking It, although her heroine was a radio producer.)

Before she even gets started, producer Cecily has a meet-cute with Will, whom she ran into when he was chasing a massive dog through the streets of Washington D.C. The two hit it off, and their paths keep crossing… but Cecily has 20 dates to go on, while Will is a short-timer, planning to leave the city when his lease runs out.

Will also works as a waiter, since his budding photography business doesn’t pay the bills, and there’s a little class tension, especially when Cecily and one of her dates wind up at one of Will’s tables. Cecily’s dating journey is being guided by Eliza, an influencer and relationship coach, and she definitely doesn’t want her client to go out with a lowly waiter. (A professional poker player who later turns out to be unavailable because “he had relocated to Costa Rica for tax reasons” and a house-flipper who is “deep into an MLM” are apparently fine, though.)

The business of podcasting is anything but stable and secure, both in real life and in Holmes’ fictional world. The podcast network Cecily works for is constantly under the threat of layoffs, and a big part of the reason she agrees to do the dating show in the first place is in an effort to protect her own and her colleagues’ jobs. Eliza could easily have been a straight-up villain, but Holmes depicts her career journey as one which is fraught with plenty of its own perils and pitfalls. Will’s combination of a bill-paying job and a photography side-hustle feels very of the moment as well.

I didn’t love this book quite as much as I did Flying Solo, but it’s sweet and satisfying, and Holmes’ personal background in podcasting (she’s been the host of NPR’s “Pop Culture Happy Hour” since 2010!) adds verisimilitude. Plus I always enjoy a good dog character, and Buddy the Great Dane is a delight.

After what felt like a bit of a sophomore slump in Flying Solo (just a bit, I still really enjoyed that one too), it feels like Linda Holmes is back with another emotional story of finding yourself in your 30s. I inhaled this book, picking it up anytime I had even a couple of minutes to spare. The central plot is super fun and revolves around podcasting which Holmes definitely knows a thing or two about. But, what really resonated with me was that both MCs - Cecily and Will, were scared of being in their mid-30s without having it all figured out. Holy cow, can I related to that and without any spoilers I was so thrilled with how Holmes resolved that very dilemma here. It was refreshing and honest. I can't wait to pick up a hard copy to sit in pride of place next to Evvie Drake - P.S. I think Evvie and Cecily would have lots to talk about if they were to meet!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Linda Holmes does it again! I absolutely loved Evvie Drake Stars Over, and I couldn’t put Back After This down either 😍

Ohhhhh I really enjoyed the overall vibes and premise of this book. Cecily is used to being behind the scenes as a podcast producer – she’s been told multiple times she just doesn’t have the “voice” to be on the microphone. An opportunity to be on the mic arises, in the form of she must work with a life/dating coach and be willing to go out on twenty blind dates to see if she can find “the one.” Obviously before this happens she has the most adorable meet cute with Will, and then they keep having these accidental run ins with each other – that honestly just made me squeal, smile like a lunatic, and giggle so much, and then wait impatiently for them to figure it out.

This book really is a story about finding out what you want/need out of your own life and Cecily’s journey of self-discovery, and then her finding romantic love is just the icing on the cake.

Definitely recommend adding this one to your TBR, or just reading it immediately!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Linda Holmes and Ballantine Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Cecily Foster just wants a chance in front of the mic at the host instead of behind the mixing board as the producer. And now, she’s finally found her chance to host her own show. So what if she has to go on 20 blind dates first? So what if the whole world will be watching? So what if the only man she seems to have chemistry with isn’t on her approved dating roster? Cecily’s about to have everything she ever dreamed of… right?

I’m often drawn to books that deal with podcasts. I’m not a huge podcast listener, certainly not to Cecily’s level, but there’s something so interesting to me about the intersection of a book and a podcast. Between that and my previous enjoyment of Linda Holmes’ novel, Evvie Drake Starts Over, I knew right away that this book would be a home run for me. I was delighted at every turn, whether by Cecily’s dry sense of humor, Buddy the dog’s countless adventures, or Will’s penchant for turning up… literally everywhere. I like how Holmes revealed Will to us slowly, peeling back each layer to paint a picture of a really complex character. Everything about Will is nuanced, and I appreciated that Holmes emphasized that by only allowing the reader (and Cecily) little bits of him at a time. The podcast side of the book was also well done—interesting in a “How does this work?” way without being overly technical. The cast of supporting characters was interesting enough to keep my attention but not so overpowering as to distract me from Cecily and Will. There was never a dull moment of the book—it’s pacing was almost as consistent as Cecily herself—and the ending felt both satisfying and earned. Whether you’re looking for a romance, a comedy, or just some good old-fashioned solid storytelling, I’d highly recommend starting with Back After This.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for granting me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 🌟 I thought this was just ok. I thought the podcast production aspect of the book was interesting, but I found the narrator to be quite annoying. I honestly found all of the characters to be quite annoying, except for maybe Will. I just never felt super invested and that overall the romance and the plot fell flat. This was just not my cup of tea, but it may be someone else’s!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine and NetGalley for the free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion 🙂

BACK AFTER THIS

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The second half of this book completely changed my reading experience. If it hadn’t been an ARC, I probably would have stopped reading but I’m glad I didn’t! The romance ended up being really sweet and I loved all the little meet cutes that built a friendship between the main characters. There were also a quite a few funny moments that made me audibly chuckle. I’m interested in trying the author’s other books just for the humor!

I struggled with all the information about podcast production. I have no frame of reference so I got really bogged down in the details.

romantic content: fade to black
brief strong language

*Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC! All opinions are my own.

“Back After This” tells the story of Cecily Foster, a woman who’s had a longtime career in podcasting. After her ex and former colleague took their podcast for himself and broke her heart Cecily has sworn off love. When the opportunity to host her own dating podcast with advice from influencer (and “dating coach”) Eliza Cassidy arises, will Cecily be able to find love?

I have mixed feelings about this book. I was really looking forward to the premise of the story, and I enjoyed her meet cute with Will and the conflict that made with the podcast. I also really enjoyed the behind the scenes look at the world of podcasting, as well as Cecily’s personal journey with her work/life balance.

However, I really feel like the story was rush and lacked a lot of depth, both with both the podcast and romance plot lines. It felt like we jumped from point to point and didn’t get a lot of details about the actual progress of the podcast, and it was hard to tell if it was because Cecily wasn’t invested in it or if it just wasn’t fleshed out. And while I enjoyed Will and Cecily’s romance, I felt like it went from 0 to 60 and then fell apart just as fast.

I would still recommend that you give the story a chance! I just don’t think it was the romance for me.

I am a Linda Holmes fan + had high expectations for this one but it wasn’t my favorite by her! I did enjoy the podcast/audio trope, thought it was cute and fun. I did feel like the thickening of the plot never really happened. This is much less of a romance read than a women’s fiction - so it surprised me. I didn’t fall much for Will and Cecily’s chemistry which just makes it SO hard to be engaged for me. I did appreciate the growth of Cecily’s character throughout but just overall wasn’t super engaged in the story.

After years of being behind the scenes, Cecily finally has the opportunity to host her own podcast. The catch? She has to agree to go on twenty blind dates and discuss them for the whole world to hear.
Back After This is sweet and funny and a little bit ridiculous in the best way. This book has so much heart, I couldn't put it down.

2.75 Sadly this one just didn't work for me. It started it out with promise and the main romance was the thing that kept me reading. The whole podcast dating thing was so very boring and I struggled to care. The premise sounded like a good one and I really enjoyed Evvie Drake Starts Over but this one fell really flat for me. If you are looking for a slow burn, cozy, quiet rom com this may be just what you are looking for. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read it in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I loved this book so much! Cecily is such a fascinating character. I really understood her and where she was coming from. I saw a lot of myself in her. I actually feel like I might have learned some important lessons about myself from this book.

Linda Holmes does it again!

Not that its any surprise that Holmes, who is an NPR host by day, knows how to write a fantastic story set in the world of audio journalism – in fact, it’s something of a surprise it took her till her third novel to mine what must be a wealth of personal experience.

I appreciate that Back After This doesn’t play coy with the HEA. Even as Cecily goes on numerous dates at the direction of life coach/influencer Eliza for the sake of the show, Will keeps popping up. After multiple meet cutes, it’s starting to feel like fate is throwing them together for a reason, even if Eliza insists Cecily must be choosy in order to successfully land a relationship. Cecily is trying so hard to be game for Eliza’s way of doing things – she’s not sure she buys what Eliza is selling, but she’s not sure she’s wrong either. Even if her heart is telling her otherwise.

Tropes abound, but Holmes makes them feel fresh. Can’t wait for her next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 ⭐

Thank you to Ballantine Books for the ARC provided through NetGalley.

This was my first time reading a book by Linda Holmes, and I overall enjoyed it. Her humor shines through in a way that makes the story feel warm and inviting. I especially loved how the book was deeply rooted in the audio world—it added a unique and immersive element that made the setting feel fresh and engaging.

That said, while I liked the story, the connection between the FMC and MMC felt lacking. There was so much potential, but something was missing, and their relationship never fully landed for me. Still, the novel had a lot of heart, and its cozy, comforting tone made for an enjoyable read.

If you’re looking for a light, character-driven story with a charming atmosphere, Back After This might be worth checking out!

The story begins with a truly delightful meet-cute: Cecily, a podcast producer and consummate helper, spots a man wearing a cape - a barbershop cape, not a superhero cape - and chasing a large dog. She follows, helping lure the dog with the peanut butter she keeps in her giant purse, and meets Will and his curly, half-cut hair. The meeting is random, but Will and Cecily strike up a flirtation.

... Which can't go anywhere, because Cecily is starring on a dating podcast with a self-help guru. Initially reluctant, she goes along with the idea to safeguard her and her producer's jobs, get her boss to take her ideas more seriously, and finally graduate to the next step in her career after years helping make other people's podcast dreams into reality. But the book is less interested in the dating podcast itself than in why (and how) Cecily is making it and whether - now that she's ceded control of her romantic choices to the same people who've already taken over her professional life - she can wrestle back her agency before she loses not only everything she's been working for but anything great she might stumble into.

Back After This is a sweet, charming story of love and self-actualization. I loved the main character's realistic-feeling combination of competence and vulnerability as well as the textured backdrop of Washington DC, the podcast milieu, and the delightful cast of intriguing secondary characters.

This is a cozy hug of a book and I really loved it. Linda Holmes captured the world of podcasting and the banter in this one is absolutely fantastic. I loved that she did learn a lot about relationships along the way, even if not all the lessons were the ones that she was expected to learn through her work. I think this is the author's best book yet.

This book was adorable. I loved the premise: a podcast producer agrees to do a show where she has a relationship coach that sets her up on twenty blind dates. It's very different from your typical love story and I also loved the person that she ended up falling in love with. They're so sweet together!

There's also a really cute scene in an ATM vestibule while its pouring rain outside that strongly reminded me of Chandler in the Friends episode with the blackout (IYKYK) and it made me really happy!

This was my first Linda Holmes book, looking forward to reading more!

🥰Thank you so much @randomhouse for the gifted book!

📖Title: Back After This
✍️Author: Linda Holmes
📅Pub Date: February 25, 2025

🎙️If you're a fan of audio in any format (podcasts, radio, audiobooks, etc.), then you'll probably really enjoy this book!

🐕‍🦺After a failed relationship and almost losing her job in podcasting, Cecily is desperate for a solution to both her love life and her career. The solution to both of her problems comes in the form of a popular relationship guru, Eliza Cassidy, who will not only help Cecily find love, but do it publicly on a new show!

📻Will following Eliza's prove methods lead to love? Well, I'm not going to tell you, but I will tell you read it for yourself and find out! I was pleasantly surprised by how well this was wrapped up.