Back After This was a good story about a women who basically has to find herself after she loses almost everything. Cecily is just ok… she has friends she loves and a job she’s great at but doesn’t get the recognition or the opportunities she deserves. When her boss pitches her own podcast where she goes on 20 dates with the guidance of a self help guru she reluctantly agrees in hopes it will further agree. But while trying to learn from the guru she meets Will… and keeps meeting him. Cecily must figure out if she is strong enough to fight for what she wants.

This was a cute story that was just ok. The characters were relatable but not enough that I truly became invested in what was going on. It was fairly predictable but it was interesting to read about the process of podcast development.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Back After This was my first Linda Holmes book after years of listening to her on Pop Culture Happy Hour—and it did not disappoint! Charming and heartfelt, the romance was swoon-worthy, but what really won me over was watching the FMC’s personal growth. A delightful read!

Linda Holmes navigates the world of podcasting (who knew it was so complex?? Major props!) in a lovely yet somewhat broken way. Working to explore the different dimensions of (online) dating and finding The One, Back After This traverses the dating game in a unique way. Highlighting life and career transitions, and getting “unstuck” when push comes to shove.

Arc via NetGalley.

Goodreads review

This was the first book by Linda Holmes that I have read, and I truly enjoyed it. I was a fan of the snappy dialogue, and I learned a lot about podcasts. The storyline and character development kept it interesting.

It reminded me so much of the Netflix show, "Nobody Wants This" that I pictured Cecily and Will as Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. Hot Waiter/Hot Rabbi- either way it works!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review. This book publishes on February 25, 2025 and I think it is certainly worth reading.

4.5⭐️ I’m kicking myself for not reading anything by Linda Holmes sooner!

This book was delightful. Cecily was a fantastic main character, and I loved her personality; it’s been a while since I laughed this much while reading a book, both from her inner thoughts and the dialogue between her and others. It was also interesting to learn about how audio work is done, and how much goes into it, especially as someone who often listens to podcasts.

The romance plot was fun, and I loved all of the meet-cutes Cecily and Will had. I loved how their banter developed, and that they could be in the middle of a serious conversation and still find a way to have fun with it. The chemistry between them, romantic and non, was palpable and it was easy to root for them.

The rest of the plot with the dating podcast was interesting, and I liked how the side characters helped drive that. Most of all what I liked there was how Cecily learned what she wanted and how to fight for it.

If you want a funny, heartwarming, bingeable romcom, look no further!

Thank you so much Ballantine & NetGalley for the e-ARC! 💙

This was pitched as a book you’d like if you enjoy Emily Henry, and I definitely agree with that. Still its own unique story, but this definitely reminded me of the experience of reading an EH, both in writing and just overall. I never felt bored at all reading this and the story flowed so well for me - it was a great rom-com with the perfect amount of everything. I loved the plot and the romance. I would especially recommend this if you’re an Emily Henry lover looking for similar vibes, but also just for a great romcom! It was a great read for me & so glad I got an ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of this title.

Tore through this over the course of a day, simply because it's so charming and I couldn't put it down. This was fun and frothy in just the way I needed, and all the podcast editing inside baseball details were a particular treat as someone who's been in that world.

A rom com with heart- and pod casts! Cecily moved back to DC with the boyfriend she made podcasts with and then, pow, he left her. Luckily, she's used her production skills to good effect and her older sister Molly lives close by but her love life, not so much. And then her boss proposes that she become the subject of a podcast, a podcast in which Eliza, who styles herself as a relationship guru, will put her through 20 dates and find her a partner. Funny thing. though, she just met Will while the two of them were chasing a Great Dane through the streets. Cecily sees there's more to Eliza than meets the eyes but she struggles with the advice and the dates. And the third act conflict- no spoilers. Fans of the genre might see this one coming but the journey is fun and you'll learn something (I did) about producing a podcast. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this.

An entertaining concept set in the podcasting world. I liked the meet cute (and dog) and the conflicts that arise when her job puts the cute guy on hold for a bit. I enjoyed Holmes’ first novel and this one hit a similar sweet spot of having smart, real-feeling characters with interesting problems without the conflict feeling overly ponderous or lame. Enjoyable!
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I liked the characters and the podcast world that Back After This is in. It felt more like a slice of life book rather than a romance. At times it was a bit predictable, especially based on the chapter titles. Overall, it was an interesting book.

I loved this book! All of the characters were great. I actually really liked Eliza and would've liked more of her! Overall, a sweet easy read! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

love this author and she nails it again with a story about looking for love publicly on a podcast series; it feels like an authentic tale of complicated career goals, what’s actually important in life, what love really looks like, and how to live life fully with joy and possibility

Thanks to Ballantine Books for an advanced copy of Back After This by Linda Holmes

I'm not a podcast person (too many audiobooks) but this book sounded interesting and I've enjoyed the other Linda Holmes books I've read. Cecily is a podcast producer and when her boss asks her to host a new podcast about modern dating with an influencer/dating coach, but the catch is she needs to go on dates for the podcast.

I liked that back after this was set in the Washington DC area so it was fun to see places I recognized. Cecily was a little bit of a doormat and I wish she had been a stronger character. The podcast stuff was interesting, and I did enjoy the story. This is more women's fiction than romance.

A podcast producer becomes the subject of a podcast series when she agrees to use a dating coach to find love. Although this was a cute story, I expected more substance, especially because it felt like a little bit of work to read. I'm still hoping for another Linda Holmes book that I liked as much as Evvie Drake Starts Over.

“We kept looking at each other, and it kept feeling more and more like this bank vestibule was the center of the world, the only place where there was any gravity, and I’d be sucked out into space if I opened the door.”

I read this book in one setting because once I fell into the world of Cecily, William and a mischievous Great Dane I simply didn’t want to get up until I knew how it all ended. I laughed out loud so many times reading this, there was some much appreciated cheese, amazing character banter, and such real life drama that I truly felt like this was a world of people I could be friends with or have interacted with to some extent in my own life.

The nods to podcasting and audiobooks were icing on the cake, they were the through line of the book but sprouted off of its base were the lives of so many characters I simply adored and didn’t want to leave behind with the last page. I knew Linda Holmes could write, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed but MAN did she deliver in a way that still felt unexpected. And the interwoven serendipity that is love was *chefs kiss*.

I loved how dorky Cecily was and how much Will GOT her, I loved reading about all her dates - each one was described perfectly without going into too much detail because let’s be honest, we weren’t rooting for any of those guys anyway. And I especially love how Holme’s writes female characters who are strong and independent, but instead of leaving it at “needing no man” (because they don’t) she acknowledges the fact so beautifully that while maybe they don’t NEED a man, it would still be nice to have one. To have that safety, stability and comfort that I myself know how lucky I am to have.

More than just a love story, this was a story about accepting yourself and the path your life is on and realizing that while it may look incomplete or “less than” to others, that doesn’t mean it’s not exactly where you’re supposed to be. And of course, there was a big, goofy Great Dane who made me think of my own big, goofy pitbull and I loved to see his paw prints throughout the story.

All in all this was a refreshingly unique, lovely and humorous story that brought me so much joy I was literally wiping a smile off my face.

3-3.5 stars. This was an up-and-down reading experience for me.

I’m a podcast listener, so all of the insights into how a podcast gets made were fascinating. There is so much that happens behind the scenes to make one episode that I wouldn’t even think about as a casual listener. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.

Other things I enjoyed were the meet-cute between Cecily and Will — and Buddy. I really liked Will and his confidence in who he was. He may not have had everything figured out with life, but he was ok with that and ok with being himself. I also enjoyed when Cecily finally found her own voice and began to make choices for herself and what she wanted.

I struggled with the flow of the story. There were so many times where weeks and even months were just glossed over in a few short sentences. The twenty dates Cecily had to go on were one-paragraph summaries. I would have rather had her go on far, far fewer dates and actually witness the dates than a quick recap of so many. Everything felt rushed. Even the relationship between Cecily and Will. I definitely felt the attraction and chemistry between them but the pacing of their interactions and progression felt disjointed at times.

This book held my attention for the most part but it was more of a passive read that I never really felt myself get very invested in. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a major fan of Holmes’ debut, EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER, and consider it one of the books that made me a romance fan as an adult. And luckily BACK AFTER THIS was a gem, too!

Our leading lady here is Cecily Foster, a hardworking and talented audio producer who finally gets the chance to host her own show. The catch? The show will follow Cecily on twenty blind dates under the instruction of a dating coach/influencer. Throwing a wrench in the dating plan is the man she keeps running into in the most serendipitous of ways.

I LOVE a character with a fascinating career, and all of the podcasting BTS details were really fun— and I’d assume some (of the good parts) are pulled from Holmes’ own audio career?! I also appreciated that the book delves into the hard parts of a “successful” career, too, though. This messy mix of emotions felt really true to life. And I’d 100% listen to this fictional show!!

While the career thread was my favorite part of BACK AFTER THIS, the romance was really lovely— a quieter, grounded story that still had me internally squealing at a few little plot turns.

This story felt a bit less original than EVVIE, but I think Holmes’ writing and voice still make this stand apart from the slew of other rom coms releasing this year. It was smart and funny (a line about a man who broke up with Cecily on Tax Day because it was a day he always spent thinking about the future had me giggling), but also captured a complex mesh of deep emotions. Cecily’s journey of reevaluating what she wants out of life was resonant, but also a plain fun read— a rom com sweet spot IMO!

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Thank you @randomhouse @netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own. Publishes 2/25/25!

Linda Holmes writing continues to be a delight. With fast moving dialogue and banter. Quirky and fun characters finding themselves and finding love. I read this one in a day and there was something so captivating about it. It’s easy to feel stuck in of a victim of your own life, especially in your late 20s/early 30s because there is so much change and so much pressure to be something or do something or find success. When sometimes it’s helpful to learn to just be and recognize good things and happiness when it comes along.

3.5⭐️ Another sweet rom-com from Linda Holmes. She writes great banter, and Buddy the dog was my fave. But I could have used a little less plot around podcast production. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy!

Holmes low spice and low stakes romance is a take on the “bachelorette” style romance book.

Cecily edits podcasts and the company is looking for something new. They hire Eliza, a dating guru, who will find dates for Cecily to go one. Cecily tries them all out, but also finds Will in her search. Will is a photographer who just so happened to rescue a dog that Cecily had found. Will Cecily continue to date these men or will she have a connection with Will, whose life plan isnt for certain.

This was a low stakes romance with work drama and the drama of dating 20+ men! I did tend to zone out in some parts, but it was an interesting storyline.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.