Cecily develops podcasts. She produces, edits, finds ideas, whatever it takes to make a successful podcast. Her boss comes up with the bright idea for a blind dating podcast with Cecily as the woman searching for the perfect mate. Eliza, influencer par excellence, comes onboard to organize a 20-week, 20-man series.
Along the way, Cecily rescues a Great Dane who is running loose, meets Will, the dog sitter, dates some total mismatches, finds a couple of guys who meet Eliza's exacting standards, but don't exactly thrill Cecily. And worse yet, a former serious boyfriend comes back on the scene, one whom Cecily hoped to never see again. Her love life is on the line, her job is on the line, so how does she work it all out.

Back After This follows Cecily a podcast producer, who is asked to host a show about dating while being coached by a famous influencer. She's going to be set up on 20 dates picked out by her coach, with the hopes of being able to do her show after this and meet Mr. Right. I really liked the idea behind this book and enjoyed the background into podcasts. There was nothing at all wrong with this book I thought it was cute and entertaining the main characters were likable enough I just didn't love it. Giving it 3 stars and would recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Back After This from Linda Holmes, all three of her books have been wins and this one is my favorite so far (though I really loved Flying Solo!) What Holmes gets, other than a true love for romcoms and a flare for writing them, is that a good romcom is more than the romance, it's the charm of the characters as individuals along with well developed and interesting secondary characters. The wins here were the journey that the main character Cecily goes on, a deeper than expected exploration of her work and family and personal history and the series of realizations that she arrives at, insight into what she wants next, and the development of the influencer character and her relationship/insights into Cecily as that aspect of the story had a lot of nuance in it and moved effectively away from superficial portrayals and introduced some interesting "shades of grey" in that plot point in ways that really worked for me.
I also want to note, not surprisingly, this was a bit win on audio as Holmes, a favorite podcaster, is a wonderful narrator.

It's been a while since I've read a book that I didn't want to put, that I just wanted to keep reading and spending time with these characters in this story. And this was one of those books.

I've been a fan of Linda Holmes since her days at Television Without Pity (did I attend multiple TARCons? Yes, I did) and enjoyed her previous books, and I think she just continues to get stronger as a writer. It doesn't hurt that the book is set in DC; I live in Silver Spring, where the sister of our heroine lives.

Our heroine is Cecily, a podcast producer whose ex-boyfriend got the podcast they created in the breakup. He's gone on to have success and become something of a name; she remains behind the scenes, doing what she can to keep the company she works for afloat. When she's pitched doing a podcast that involves her being set up on 20 dates, it gives her the opportunity to host one herself. Naturally, just as that gets going...she meets Will.

I'm impressed with nuances of Cecily; the book is from her point-of-view, and I could definitely relate to parts of her personality, and it isn't until fairly late in the book that she gets some clarification on her life. And I appreciated that it isn't that she was necessarily doing anything wrong; she really just needed to look at her life and evaluate it from a different perspective. Which is helped by Eliza, the dating coach/influencer who's working with her on the podcast.

Eliza is someone it should be fairly easy to dislike, and there are certainly moments you do, but Holmes manages to bring nuance to her. She walks the fine line of showing hot nuts that kind of life can be with showing how impressive the people who can make it are. (Or, some of them are, at least.) There are definitely moments of frustration with Eliza, but ultimately, she was a fully realized character, not a cartoon.

The relationship with Will is super cute, all around. (I also appreciate that the steamier moments were fade to black.) Holmes walks up to the line of Will being almost too perfect, but doesn't quite go over to the point where it's annoying. He has his own things to work on, both in life and in a relationship.

It's not quite 5 stars, but it's close. Definite recommend.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley for my honest thoughts on the book.

I really liked Cecily and felt like she could be a friend. I wish a little more had been spent on dates, but it makes sense that there wasn’t. And who doesn’t love a giant dog?🐶 I

I couldn't get into Back After This. I wasn't gelling with the main character and the book's pacing. I found the beginning of the book a little too slow for my taste. The beginning of the story read more women's fiction. I didn't feel super connected to Cecily. I also didn't care for Eliza...she read as a stereotypical influencer. I found the main characters dull. Besides the overdone descriptions, the writing was fine! Overall, this book wasn't for me. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was well-written, with a thoughtfully crafted plot and strong character development. I really enjoyed learning the ins and outs of the podcast world and what happens behind the scenes. It was so much fun following Cecily’s journey as she navigates her career and growing attraction to Will. Thank you for the opportunity to enjoy such a great read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and PRH audio for giving me early access to the digital and audio version of this new book from Linda Holmes. (Side note—I have not yet read Evie Drake and now I want to go back and read it!)

This was a solid 3.75 stars rounded up for me. The plot is delightfully cute. Some serendipitious hallmark esque plot lines that you go “of course that’s what’s happening!” But it works in all the right ways.

Cecily is relatable and I totally understood her in so many reactions. If you’re an enneagram nut, she felt like a 2 wing 3 😂 I wanted more from Will—more back story and his thoughts —but honestly this was Cecily’s story and I could appreciate the internal focus.

Overall this is a fun and great read that had me smiling and chuckling and I definitely recommend!

If Linda Holmes wrote the phonebook, I would read it immediately. She is a master at storytelling with quick wit, dry humor, and a whole lot of heart. I highlighted so many conversations in this book (pretty much all between Will and Cecily) because I found them so freaking charming and witty.

I loved how Holmes weaved so much about the making of a podcast (HEARING someone's breath -- did you even ever think about how much editing needs to go into a single episode of your favorite podcast, because I sure didn't) in such a cool and relatable way. I have so much respect for podcast editors. Wow. And the love story is there, and it is a bit squirrely at times, but it gave me the book hangover that I crave in a great romance book. I just can't say enough about how much

Ya'll, I just loved this book so much. Five stars, easy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gift of this extraordinary story in exchange for my honest review.

My perfect mix of romance and contemporary fiction. It was sentimental without being cheesy and tugged at my heart without feeling cheap. I will be thinking about these characters for a long time.

I was actually really excited for this one… Even with the cartoon covers I hate, this one I thought was okay.

The premise for this sounded so cute, and even the book’s set up at first was fun… That quickly changed as the story went no where.

I started to realize the blurb given about this book was a bit misleading as we don’t really spend any time on the dates. About 2 were more detailed, but I felt that this really took away from the story we were told we were getting.

I also found it really hard to connect or relate to any of the characters. They were either boring (Cecily) or kind of a B (Eliza).

I’m really loving the podcast trope lately. And that it’s becoming such a popular thing to add in books! It has Nobody Wants This vibes and I am here for it!!

Linda Holmes did it again. I really enjoyed this story. Learned a lot about podcasts. I just enjoyed the storyline and chemistry between Cecily & Will. Loved this book.

This was good, it was a fun idea! And I think the writing was so good. Cecily was so complex and had a lot to work through. And by the end she was really able to grow and make really good changes for herself! I REALLY loved her and Will. They were fun and flirty and able to be themselves with each other! Their story was so so sweet!

I’m going to be so honest though I did not care for like…70% of the story. While I did think the writing was good, it often felt like there was just so much going on, and I did not care about it. I think it is very much a me issue! It just didn’t hit for me. I really kept reading because I wanted to make sure Cecily and Will got a good ending.

Thanks to Dell for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Such a cute story. I was unsure whether I was going to like this but it was slovenly! A podcaster meets Will and his adorable Great Dane 🤗

A podcast producer agrees to host a new series about modern dating—but will the show jeopardize her chance at finding real love? From the New York Times bestselling author of Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo .

Longtime podcast producer Cecily Foster has always operated behind the scenes. For years, she’s worked toward hosting her own show, putting everything, including her love life, on the backburner. So when her boss finally offers her the chance, she’s over the moon.

But there’s a catch. Actually, two

1) The show will be about Cecily’s dating life
2) Cecily will be mentored by renowned dating coach/life coach/influencer Eliza Cassidy.

Cecily would rather do anything else than put her singledom on display, especially since the last time she mixed work with romance the outcome was catastrophic. But when Cecily’s boss tells her that doing the show is the only way to protect her mentee's job, she realizes she has no other choice.

To make matters even more complicated, Cecily finds herself unable to stop thinking about Will, a photographer she serendipitously met while chasing a runaway dog down a busy street. Even though there are sparks between the two, Eliza forbids Cecily from dating Will, whom she believes is no better than Cecily's disappointing exes.

As Cecily struggles to balance her real romantic life and the one Eliza wants to create for her, she finds herself at a crossroads. Will she fall back into old patterns, or is this her chance to finally find love that lasts?

I love podcasts and as soon as I saw that it was all about her dating life I was in!
I loved the fact that they had a dating coach/life coach helping her out. I was completely invested in her dating adventures the whole time. I loved the tension between Cecily and Eliza. I was giggly and giddy the whole time reading this.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC! Book will be published February 2025!

In Linda Holmes's new book, Back After This, podcaster Cecily Foster is given the chance to changer her future and launch her career to the next level but it comes with a catch: she has to do a podcast about her love life and she has to take advice from a famous influencer, Eliza Cassidy. Of course, as fate would have it, just days before Cecily is to launch her new show, she meets Will and his great dane, Buddy and sparks fly... but alas, that is not to be because the show must go on! I enjoyed the complex will they/won't they relationship between Cecily and Will and also the behind the scenes information of the lives of podcasters and influencers. This was a great, light read and I really enjoyed it!

3.75/5 - I liked this book quite a bit. I liked Cecily as a main character and thought she was flawed while still being likable. I enjoyed learning about audio and all of the work that goes into making and producing my favorite podcasts. I listen to podcasts ALL THE TIME so I really should have more of an appreciation for how they’re made.

The premise of the book was a little wonky to me. To be honest, I don’t know realistically how well a show like Twenty Dates would actually do. But what do I know? All I can say is that it’s probably not something I would listen to.

Will was a fine character too, but I don’t really feel like we delved into his issues enough. In fact, I felt like there were several characters who could have gotten more screen time and personal development. Instead, it felt like every single character was only there to prod Cecily along. No development from any other character. I mean, I feel like we were teased with it. Will won’t go visit his parents, Molly and Pete’s relationship may not be as solid as it looks, Julie has a really crappy ex, Eliza had to sell her New York apartment. But we just don’t dive into any of those. Maybe it’s meant to show how self-centered Cecily is? But that isn’t ever really addressed either.

Anyway, that’s really what kept it from being a solid four stars for me. Besides that, I liked the writing and the book as a whole. I’ve read all of Holmes’ books and plan to continue to do so.

Note: I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Back After This by Linda Holmes. It’s about Cecily who works at a podcast company, and really wants to host her own. She gets her chance, but it means that she has to make her dating life public, and follow the direction of a coach who is also an influencer. She decides she will make the sacrifice and put herself out there, but things don’t always follow a script. And sometimes you meet the right person just when you are not looking for them. It’s a cute story-yes with a dog involved. Also interesting to learn about podcasting. This would be a good beach read! #backafterthis #lindaholmes #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #bookstagram #podcaststory #romance #lovetoread #readersofinstagram

Cecily and Will’s story is clever and creative, exactly what we have come to expect from Linda Holmes. The author included her well-honed use of loneliness and longing, which I loved in Eevie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo as well. Cecily faces plenty of the expected BS that working in a male dominated industry entails, and Will is working through his illusions about what his career should be. But in contrast to the weights they are caring, their banter is absolutely unparalleled in its ease and hilarity. I thoroughly enjoyed this read! It is spicy, but more minimally FYI.