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. She ends up doing it, but she keeps running into someone over and over again who was NOT a part of the show, who she has been told not to become involved with. Obviously, she doesn’t listen.

This novel is about Cecily who is a producer of podcasts for a small and struggling company in DC. Despite preferring to be behind the scenes, she agrees to be the guinea pig for a bachelor-esque podcast series that follows her going on 20 dates and being guided by a matchmaker named Eliza. In order to get the project of her choosing and to save her and her best friend’s jobs, she agrees to follow Eliza’s guidance and give this a fair shot. As in real life nothing goes according to plan and right as Cecily is set to begin a man runs into her life, superhero cape and all.

I *loved* this book. It was such a delight to read - I immediately adored Cecily and wanted to protect her at all costs. The writing is SO good and I didn't want to put it down - but I also did not want this book to end. It was so readable and I loved getting to know some behind-the-scenes details about what goes into making a podcast.

Overall, this book was a delight. If you enjoy romances with more depth than a kiddie pool this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is probably my favorite book by Linda Holmes, and that is saying a lot. This is true romance, an impossibly cute meet cute, and a very satisfying grand gesture. And. The Banter. It was bantering. The premise of this book, in other hands, could have been handled very poorly. Our FMC works on podcasts and the company she works for is spinning the drain. But then an opportunity comes along and her boss wanted her to have her own podcast with a social media influencer who will help her find love by going on twenty dates, get some lifestyle coaching, and a She's All That-style makeover. I don't want to spoil anything else about the plot, because everything in this book is a breath of fresh. This book was so fun, so swoony, and yes, there is a dog. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC for my honest review.

At the heart of this novel is Cecily Foster, a podcast producer who's been burned by both love and professional disappointment. After a failed relationship with a colleague who stole both her heart and her ideas, she's sworn off romantic entanglements—until her boss forces her to host her own dating podcast, with the caveat that she must follow the advice of the overly optimistic influencer turned relationship coach, Eliza Cassidy.

Cecily’s struggles with the pressures of modern dating, her unwavering loyalty to her friends and colleagues, and her resistance to opening up again after past heartbreak create an engaging and relatable emotional landscape.

The chemistry between Cecily and Will, a photographer she meets during a chance encounter involving a very cute lost dog, provides a lovely counterpoint to the tension of the podcast’s premise. Their connection feels genuine, and their evolving relationship adds depth to the story, making it more than just a “will-they-won’t-they” romance.

While Cecily tries to figure out whether she should follow her heart or try to save her job, I found myself continuallyrooting for these characters. Overall, I found it to be a charming rom-com and an enjoyable read.

Cecily, a podcast producer, agrees to star in a podcast, mostly because she believes it will save jobs at her failing company. She has a bad past with an ex-boyfriend who stole their podcast idea and took off with it, becoming famous, causing Cecily to wonder if she can do the same. The new podcast revolves around Cecily dating and receiving self-help advice from Eliza, a social media influencer. But, right before it starts, she has a "meet cute" with a man named Will and a dog named Buddy. After that, she sees Will everywhere.

Cecily also has problems saying what she wants and standing up for herself, though she's fine as a bossy producer telling others what to do. She's not thrilled with doing this show--does anyone really want to date publicly? (I guess anyone who goes on The Bachelor.) We quickly realize she needs to learn more about herself and how she sees others. Waiting for her to realize that--that's a bit more frustrating. My favorite in the story is Will, a rather charming guy, even though he's worried that his lack of a formal career means there's something wrong with him.

There's no huge momentum or story arc in BACK AFTER THIS, but it delves into Cecily as she goes on her dates, secretly sees Will, and performs self-discovery. This is a story of character development and growth, with an in-depth look into the world of podcasting. Holmes writes with her usual wonderful voice. The story is witty and often laugh out loud funny (thanks, Will!). Cecily and Will have good banter, and this is fun overall.

Linda Holmes is fabulous at crafting quiet, comforting reads that offer just the right amount of tension, romance, and hope. I loved this slow burn and even if the plot was on the predictable side, I was invested and rooting away for all of the pieces to fall into place.

I usually love a far-fetched rom-com (let's be honest, I'm reading to escape life!) so Back After This was a struggle for me to get into. The writing was very good and it was a thoughtful book (with very realistic "problems") So overall, it was a good book - it just didn't have enough escapism for me to enjoy it.

It is very funny and the characters (well, most of them!) are likable. Cute book but I preferred Evie Drake better.

I like nothing more than a smart romcom that prioritizes emotional needs and does not rely on a misunderstanding to propel the plot. That’s just what this snappy, personality-driven story does, and it gets bonus points for being set in the world of podcasting. The main character, Cecily, is bright and ambitious, but her people-pleasing nature is a hinderance to her happiness. When she’s paired up with a rich social media influencer to make a dating podcast featuring Cecily herself, she’s forced to confront herself and to figure out what she really wants in life and in her career. The love interest, Will, is personable and sweet and there’s great chemistry between he and Cecily. All in all, I really enjoyed this novel and it did everything I wanted it to.

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.

Linda Holmes' third book is her best yet! It was so fun to see Holmes bring her podcast and radio background into her fiction writing. The main character of BACK AFTER THIS, Cecily Foster, works for a podcast company and embarks on a last-ditch attempt to climb one more rung of the podcast business ladder. But the last-ditch attempt is agreeing to become the host AND subject of a new dating podcast in which she'll go on 20 first dates with the help of an expert. Since she's had no luck dating since her disaster of an ex, Cecily agrees. But then of course she has a wonderful meet-cute with a man and a Great Dane...

I loved the characters in this book, especially Cecily and Will. They felt very real and their flaws were simple and relatable. Buddy the Great Dane was an excellent supporting character. And all three of them have the best meet-cute I've read in a while!

The inside info on podcasting and radio was really fascinating and I'm glad Holmes decided to write a book set in the world of podcasting! It was great!

I’m a huge fan of podcasts, AND Pop Culture Happy Hour so I naturally read anything Linda Holmes publishes. This one was my favorite! I love the repeated meet-cutes!

What a perfect book to read after a long day at work. I looked forward to reading it each night before bed. I chose it because I listen to Linda Holmes' podcast and I've never thought about the people, or the work, behind a podcast before.
It's a cute story about a podcast producer who takes on an on-air dating coach assignment to help her company and secure her job. Of course there's a requisite meet-cute of a photographer to act as a foil to her work assignment. It's an easy, fun read that never feels dumb or pandering. I was in for the romance, not the personal growth, but enjoyed it!

I liked this! However, the whole story became predictable the minute the main character went on a random dog chase. I also enjoyed most of the characters, but some of them felt a bit hollow, like her relationship with her sister and coworker. Overall, it's still a good read and a safe reread!

A cute and fun rom-com with lots of great characters. The dog won me over. I loved her first novel Evie Drake, and this one is a close second. I'm not sure how she finds the time to write great books and be an NPR host too.

This was a cute love story that pulled at my heartstrings. It’s about how we can find love at the most unexpected place and time. I wanted to read this book because it has podcasts, influencers and dogs; all of which I love (mostly dogs if I’m being honest). I love that the dogs played a big part in the story. The dog on the cover also caught my eye. Cecily and Will are such likable characters and I was routing for them from the start. Without revealing too much, it was an all around feel good, warm story about finding love when you least expect it and that’s sometimes the best thing of all.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

Ebook

5 stars

This was such an enjoyable read! And SO FUNNY! I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. I love Cecily’s humor and Will is just such a sweet solid guy. The podcast storyline was a really fun bonus just because it was super interesting to get the behind the scenes details of the making of a podcast.

Back After This is a fun peek into the behind the scenes work of the woman behind the curtain, so to speak, following Cecily a podcast producer-editor-general jack-of-all-trades. When Cecily finally gets the long-awaited opportunity to host a show of her own she's paired with an Influencer turned relationship coach who swears she can help her find love in twenty dates; however much to Cecily's dismay, things are never quite as straightforward as she strives to make them. Holmes writes a truly enjoyable romcom that will capture the hearts of any avid podcast listener!

Im a fan of Linda Holmes other two books and wanted to like this one but it just didn’t work for me. I think I could see everything coming from so far away, and a lot of the characters seemed to much like a collection of quirks than actual characters.

IF you like meet-cutes this is a book for you!

At first i was worried that it was kinda too niche about job in podcasts, but honestly by the end I really approeciated it all and it was obvious it was written by someone who knows this industry quite well.
I did really enjoy the characters even though I really wanted to shake Eliza several times back to the ground where normal ppl who are realists exist.
I did enjoy Cecily a lot, she felt real and also honestly I’d react to dating show similar way so it was nice to see a FMC who was head in the clouds and over romantacizing everything.
Also the meet cute(s) were so cute!!!

The message and overall story arc was good. Definitely a slower story to get into but it helped develop the characters to do some self reflecting with.

Our main character Cecily works for a podcast company and has been given the taste to host a podcast where she will go on twenty first dates set up for her by a relationship coach. While Cecily is not berry happy with the assignment, she does it to provide opportunities for her colleagues and continue putting her best foot forward for the company.

Meanwhile, she ends up meeting Will- as she helps him catch a Great Dane foster dog heading down the street. Cecily and Will keep meeting up- by coincidence- and she happens to start falling for him.

As she struggles to decide to keep doing the first dates or look into this possible relationship with Will, Cecily works through her own past to determine how she feels about jobs, relationships, and life in general.