This was so cute! I really enjoyed this and it kind of reminded me of Nobody Wants This on Netflix. Holmes’ background in podcasting really shines here. I loved the chemistry and banter between Will and Cecily, and the premise here was so good. I started this pre-election and finished post and the back half took me a bit to get through and I didn’t connect quite as much but I think that’s more a me problem. What a fun time!

Back After This is a rom-com about a young pod caster, Cecily, who is assigned the story of finding love using a dating influencer., Eliza. Cecily has been burnt in the dating world but decides to give it a shot in the hopes of saving the company. Thanks to a runaway dog, Cecily meets a great guy, Will, but Cecily is determined to follow the dating advice. She goes on 21 dates with all sorts of guys. But somehow Will keeps showing up in her life. How will Cecily balance her job and her heart? I loved following along.

I love Linda Holme's writing, and I think she writes a darn good boy next door. Evvie Drake Starts Over is a 5 star amazing read (or listen), and so by comparison, Back After This was a bit of a let down. I did find myself really engrossed in the plot and finished the book quickly. But there's this thing about imperfect female main characters sometimes where the author is too hung up on proving she's not like other girls and forgets to give you enough reasons to like her. Being obsessed with your job is the opposite of a personality trait. Especially when your job is TV recap podcasts. I also think that where the plot went in the last third was a bit tired. Will remain spoiler free here, but would love to chat more about the plot twists and turns.

Live, laugh, loved Will though.

TY to Random House - Ballantine and NetGalley for the free advanced copy.

Audio producer Cecily is not looking for love when she is partnered with "dating coach" and lifestyle guru Eliza Cassidy when she signs on to host the TWENTY DATES podcast, but promises to keep an open mind for the titular twenty dates.
The only problem is, she keeps running into the only guy her coach has told her to stay away from, and of course she can't help herself.

I loved Linda Holmes's first two books, and Back After This is a great addition to her literary canon. It's a pacier book with a quicker burn than Flying Solo was, and has the juicy tension that I loved in Evvie Drake. Being so familiar with her work on NPR, I couldn't help but read this entire book with her voice in my head.

In all, I really enjoyed Back After This. There were two surprising twists where my jaw popped open. I found myself reading late when I should have gone to bed. I liked Cecily as a character and Will as a love interest, and I also enjoyed Eliza as a complicated but ultimately endearing side character. It's hard to stick the landing on an over-the-top influencer character, but I felt like Linda Holmes nailed it. The summaries of the dates were so pitch perfect--sometimes when books have a "structure" format like this I start to dread that they will become tedious. That was not the pattern here. They were punchy and funny with just the right detail. I also loved the callbacks to Halls of Power from her previous work!!

I would have liked a little more exploration of the classism that Will experiences, and I would have liked understanding Cecily's specific romantic hangup earlier. There was also maybe just a touch too much technical stuff, but it didn't take away from the pace or plot.

In all, I would recommend for fans of Linda, audio, and people who love Women's Fiction with a dose of romcom.

I've enjoyed previous books by Linda Holmes and this was no exception. Cecily works in the podcasting industry and her network is in need of a big hit. She finds herself as the star of "Twenty Dates", a dating coaching podcast featuring guru Eliza. However, Cecily keeps running into her neighbor Will, and starts to think he might be a better match than the twenty Eliza has put her in contact with. A fun read with a peek behind the scenes of the podcasting world.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Ballantine Books via NetGalley.

I like Linda Holmes’ style of rom-coms because it’s always heavy on the personal development of the main character first. This one gets deep in the weeds about the podcasting industry and that took me a chapter or two to get used to, but after that it seamlessly wove into the story.

Single, workaholic podcast producer Cecily Foster thinks she's about to get her big break to step out in front of the mic. Her boss offers her an opportunity to host her own podcast, the only catch is that it's a dating show and she will be "mentored" by celebrity influencer Eliza Cassidy. Cecily is not interested in being coached on her love life, but it seems like the only way to save her job along with the job of her friend and co-worker, Julie. Of course, this is when Cecily meets Will when he's chasing a runaway dog. She immediately hits it off with Will, but has to go through with the planned podcast. Will she find personal and professional happiness? Follow Cecilly as she works through her feelings about life, love, influencer culture, and the world of podcasting.

Linda Holmes is one of the hosts of the long-running "Pop Culture Happy Hour" podcast, so she knows of which she writes. Although fictional, there is a lot of detail and insight on the world of audio production, maybe even a bit too much. It was a bit tricky to follow all the characters and terminology mentioned in the beginning. Once it gets going, this is a smart, fun story.; and the antics of Buddy the dog are the absolute best!

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

MC is a woman in her 30s named Cecily who works in the male dominated sphere of podcasting and radio. Her studio, Polmetto, is looking for a hit show to save them financially so she gets roped into doing a self help podcast with an influencer who's going to be her dating coach. However, she happens to meet a guy that she is interested in organically, on her own time, outside of the show.

The main character seems very self deprecating at first, but this seems to be a result of all of the men she has surrounding her, either taking advantage of her, using her, or ignoring her and her ideas, or minimizing her contributions in the workplace, and overall under-appreciating her.

At first, it felt like the romance was lacking a little bit of emotion for me? it felt like i was being explained a relationship and a connection rather than feeling it through the characters. BUT i loved the meet cute, I absolutely ate it up. In the end, I absolutely did love the romance and the cozy feel of it. I enjoyed their banter and the smaller moments between them, just getting to know each other and spending regular days in each other's company. I love that in the end our MC learns to stand up for herself, not just in love, but in her career and in her life and starts to feel confident in her truth. I like the way she approached the dating show, while a bit mysoginistic in it's conception, she stayed true to what she was and wasn't willing to compromise on in order to chose the kind of companionship she wanted for herself.

The writing itself was very easy to read and to follow so this was a very satisfying and quick read for me. The dialogue felt a bit awkward at times like it didn't have a flow, but for the most part it was great and the story really developed well! This story definitely left me wanting to see more of Cecily and Will's story and pick up another Linda Holmes story!

I’ve been following Linda Holmes for years as a fan of NPR and “Pop Culture Happy Hour,” so I was thrilled to hear she was coming out with a book set in the world of podcasting. I really enjoyed it!

Holmes is a great writer with a compelling voice and an ear for witty banter. Her writing goes down as easily as a binge-listen of your favorite podcast. Cecily and Will were so sweet together, and I loved how they kept running into each other — it was very classic rom-com. I could tell reading this book how much affection Holmes has for both rom-com tropes and podcasting. It’s always such a delight to really *feel* an author’s love and deep knowledge of what they’re writing about. That comes across on every page of this book.

Also, I would read an entire chapter from the POV of Buddy the dog, who’s the real star of this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the podcast and influencer angle of the story and the main character’s unwillingness to give up on making things right. Buddy was also a delight!

This title was enjoyable. The repeated meetings of the main characters was cute and felt natural. The plot and ending was telegraphed, but it didn't devolve into too much drama. Library patrons should enjoy this title.

Witty, and well written, this book will entertain you from start to finish. Although the end was obvious from the beginning, I really enjoyed the twists and turns in this lovely romance:)

In Back After This, podcast producer Cecily Foster is faced with a dilemma: take the chance to host her own podcast but be forced to endure a makeover and 20 blind dates OR date this cute stranger she keeps running into, Will. Or maybe she’ll just do both?

This book was a delight! Will is my new book boyfriend - he is so genuine and smitten with Cecily from their first meeting. Cecily is funny and very millennial-coded with her oversized bag, lack of work boundaries, and disillusionment with dating. I also loved getting some insight into the podcast world - the producer side of Cecily coming out in all the dates was entertaining.

This is a light-hearted but well-written romance that I looked forward to reading and didn’t want to end!

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House, Ballantine Books, and Linda Holmes for this delightful ARC!

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House for the ARC.
I was so excited when I saw that Linda Holmes wrote another book! Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo were both 5 star reads for me and Back After This didn’t disappoint. I felt for the characters, I loved the banter. I found myself laughing out loud and excited for the conflict and HEA. Can’t wait to see what Linda Holmes writes next!

Oh my GOODNESS I cannot say enough great things about this book! Let me start with the characters. While I'm 33 and married with a toddler, I found Cecily so relatable in the way she focused so much on self-discovery in her own identity and career. She had such a funny and sarcastic personality, and what an ARC in her growth! And Will - I loved him! The two of them had great chemistry and was a reminder that we don't always have to have everything figured out, even as an adult.

And the writing! Holmes does a great job at writing funny, witty banter and conversations that make you laugh out loud or giggle like a lovestruck teenager, but still keep it realistic and relatable. I found myself cackling at some of the conversations, especially between Cecily and her sister. I also loved the background of the podcast world. While I know others thought it was a bit much, I found it fascinating and educational without being too much - but then again, I feel like it was kind of necessary to show the impact it had on Cecily's personal life and growth.

This is my first read by Holmes but certainly won't be my last. Thanks so much for the ARC!

There aren't any adequate words to describe how much I LOVED Back After This, my new favorite book by Linda Holmes. I'm so grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Cecily works in audio broadcasting and has been single since her awful, self centered ex-boyfriend broke up with her unexpectedly four years ago. She's not actively looking for the man of her dreams, but when she's offered the opportunity to go on twenty dates selected by a self-made-self-help guru - and have the dates recorded for the world to hear - she agrees. As Cecily navigates the dating world, she also finds herself constantly bumping into Will, the adorable guy she met when he was chasing a runaway dog that didn't even belong to him. Will is funny and charming but he's also a waiter (and kick-ass photographer) who moves around a lot and doesn't meet the criteria that Cecily's "team" has decided she needs.

Back After This is filled with a ton of laugh out loud moments and a cast of unforgettable characters. I would love to see this become a mini-series!

Cecily agrees to host a podcast about dating in which she has to go on a series of blind dates and be counseled by a life coach. She stipulates that she will only do it if she and her best friend- her producer- are safe from job layoffs and she can be honest about the experience. In exchange, she’ll give it her best shot. But then, this guy keeps showing up in her life that she has met randomly and well everything starts to go off the rails.
Linda Holmes writes another witty , intelligent romcom. She takes them to a higher level.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Cecily, a podcast producer, is uncomfortably moving from behind the scenes to the star of the show. The podcast’s concept disgusts Cecily - a relationship coach will send her on 20 dates, from which she’ll hopefully find love. A gym sponsors this find-a-boyfriend show, along with a cat toy company and meal and wine delivery services targeted towards single servings.

Cecily agrees to this ridiculous idea because her company is in financial trouble, and her boss promises that the podcast’s revenue will save the jobs of her best friend and others. It isn’t the only time Cecily has made decisions contrary to her desires. She ceded a successful podcast she’d created to an ex-boyfriend, worked such long hours that she slept at work to help wherever an extra hand was needed. Cecily did this without being asked or appreciated, leaving her feeling wronged.

Cecily experiences unmitigated communion, pathologically putting others first and excluding herself. Other-centeredness—having a positive, caring orientation toward others’ wants and needs—is generally favorable. The difference between unmitigated communion and other-centeredness is that the former involves neglect of the self, leading to distress.

Here are tips for shifting the balance from unmitigated communion or pathologically putting others first (everyone is more important than me) to other-centeredness (we’re all important):

Identify Your Wants: Sometimes, you are so focused on others’ wants that you don’t take the time to ascertain your own. Before doing something plainly for someone else, answer what you want. Hint: “I want them to be happy even if it makes me unhappy,” is unmitigated communion.

Let Go of Control: You are likely motivated by the impossible goal of always making everyone around you happy and protected. Reframe your goal as supporting, providing love and care, and helping when you can.

Seek Equality in Relationships: No relationship is always perfectly evenly balanced, but averaging out to 50/50 is a healthy goal. Cultivate friendships, romantic partnerships, and work-colleague relationships where you give and receive support in approximately equal measure.

I jumped at the chance to request a Linda Holmes book as I really enjoyed 'Evvie Drake Starts Over'.
I highly recommend this new book 'Back After This' publishing Feb. 25, 2025.
Thank You NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the eARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this smart, funny, well-written, insightful rom-com. This was a perfect weekend read. I couldn't put this one down (except when I had to deal with real life). This book was different than any other rom-com I've read so far and loved how different it felt. I love a rom-com that is clever, has witty banter, and feeling like you really get to know the main character as more of a person.
I enjoyed the story about dating, and appreciated that not too much time was spent on all the dates. Most of the time was spent on Cecily, the FMC and her growth throughout the book. She was flawed, but it felt real and relatable the way she put her job, coworkers etc.. first, over herself. I enjoyed the other characters in the book as well. Overall, I enjoyed this latest release by Linda Holmes. A light, fun and non-spicy rom-com.

You know when you read a book, and you want to yell at the main character? That is Cecily. Cecily is the most lovable yet irritating (said lovingly) character I have ever read. At one point, I swore that she was written to make me think she was the villain, and I loved it. I think the most shocking part was that I realized I was frustrated because of our similarities. This book is the perfect mix of a little predictable and surprising.

Cecily is a podcast editor and producer who devotes every waking moment to her craft, but somehow this book didn't feel like a stereotypical "workaholic" book. Instead, this book felt like it was about a woman who is passionate about what she does, and she is freakin good at it.

I definitely will be recommending this book to everyone when it comes out! I cannot wait to have it on my shelf.