“Back After This” is a rom-com by Linda Holmes. This book follows longtime podcast producer Cecily Foster. Her boss decides to give Cecily a chance to host her own show … one that Cecily is reluctant to do, but decides to do for a number of reasons. I must admit, I’m rather clueless about the podcasting world and what goes into it so I found a look into ideas (both great and the “why in the world would anyone want to listen to that”) interesting. Would I have listened to “Twenty Dates,” the show Cecily hosted and was the test subject - no, but I have to say I think it’s an interesting idea for the right demographic. I absolutely had fun reading certain throw away lines (paraphrased line: It read like Miss Havisham’s Amazon wish list) and loved the conversations about both the zoo and photography. Was this a predictable story - yep, especially with that adorable cover. But this was a nice comfy read - where nearly all of the characters act like adults (still wondering about Cecily’s boss) and there’s no angsty teenage angst; these people have jobs, they have former flames, they have responsibilities and they have bills to pay - huzzah for grown-up trying to make it characters living their lives in a city. I found this book an enjoyable read.

Probably my favorite of this author's books so far. I enjoyed the glimpse into the world of podcasts and audio work in general (admittedly didn't know the author's background! 🤦‍♀️🙈). Would recommend to others for a fun quick and entertaining romantic comedy read. Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy! I enjoyed it!

4.25 stars

BACK AFTER THIS by Linda Holmes introduces us to the characters of Cecily and Will. Cecily is an editor at a podcast network, and she's hoping to have her own podcast one day after her ex stole her show from her. Cecily's boss Toby comes to her with a new podcast idea that features Cecily working with a dating coach and going on twenty first dates.

One day Cecily bumps into Will and Buddy. Will was getting a haircut when Buddy, a Great Dane, got loose from the woman who is walking him. Will and eventually Cecily chase Buddy down in an adorable meet cute.

I LOVED all the behind-the-curtain podcasting talk in this one. As someone who has avidly listened to podcasts for over ten years now, it was an area that I don't really know the business and day-to-day life of. Until now. I relished learning more about podcasting and being a podcaster. I think this novel delves into day-to-day work life the most of any novel I've ever read.

I was charmed by Cecily and Will. Buddy the Great Dane was amazing. I could see that some readers might want even more Buddy in this novel.

There was a part about 80% in when Cecily gets an email sent to her in error, and that whole scene (and the scenes that scene prompted) didn't ring accurate for me. As a podcast insider, Cecily understood production and it was about getting "a story." One could argue that maybe it was different once she was the subject, but I don't really buy that. Also, there was a lot of exposition around those scenes that got tedious. I understand it was the necessary third act drama; I just think it could have been written more smoothly.

All in all, I really liked this novel, just like I've enjoyed Linda Holmes' past two novels. I appreciate that each has been unique, and this one deep dives into podcasting, which I was eager to learn more about.

Great story. Felt like it started slow but it was an easy read. I did wave to yell ant Cecilia few times but over all it was great book.

Solid 4/5 stars. A well written story with likable characters (even the ones who shouldn’t have been). I loved the dive into audio and podcasting, I loved the setting in DC, and I loved all the minor characters. Overall a charming and surprisingly sweet book.

Cecily, a podcast producer, dreams of launching her own show. When her boss promises her a show if she hosts one of his ideas first, she finds herself dating eligible bachelors for that show. The problem - her perfect man may have stumbled into her life by accident during show production.

Highly recommend this rom com to anyone looking for a fun, down to earth love story. Recommend even more for anyone who has someone in their life in the audio/podcast industry! A great insight into the ins and outs of the job while also going along on Cecily’s dating escapades!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

I was so excited to get a copy of this book. From the author of Evie Drake Starts Over, Back After This was a blast to read. The podcast setting, the life coaching and twenty blind dates, the meet cute involving the best dog, it was a cute story and felt like an inside peak into the world of podcasting.

Cecily is hard working and loyal to all those around her even when they may not deserve it and she’s been burned for this in the past. Although she was skeptical of being set up on twenty blind days for the sake of the podcast, what did she have to lose? Eliza’s method of life coaching may not have gotten the results she intended but did force Cecily to look at things a little differently and lessons were learned. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. 4⭐️

I absolutely loved Evvie Drake and now I’m in love Cecily Foster in Back After This! I had such a good time with this story and couldn’t get through it fast enough because I just wanted to be deep in it. 😂 I will definitely recommend this one!!

I loved this book and was immediately drawn in by the main character Cecily. She is relatable in many ways to me - her humor, her dive for work, and her optimism. The run-ins with Will were my favorite and I laughed out loud many times while reading this. During some of the breakthrough moments between Eliza and Cecily, I appreciated the back and forth dialogue to get her to really start changing her perspective. Eliza’s perspective was able to be direct to her and call Cecily out but in a kind, caring way. Indirectly, I felt like I needed to hear those things as well. I haven’t read Linda Holmes before but will be looking up her other books. Looking forward to this coming out and listening to this as an audiobook as well.

LOVED this fun romp through the podcasting business! Main character, Cecily, is single and works in audio editing. Business has not been great so to stimulate some podcast excitement, her boss sets her up with dating coach, Eliza, to go on 20 dates, and evaluate her experience in a series of podcasts. Just before the dates begin, Cecily has a random encounter with Will, who is actually chasing a dog on the loose. The two capture the dog, and have a chat. Oddly, Will coincidentally works at the restaurant where Cecily's first date is, and becomes part of the podcast adventure. The story progresses and Cecily discovers what she really wants, even though others disagree. It's a fun book with a satisfying ending. Highly recommend this entertaining rom-com!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Back After This.

I've enjoyed Linda Holmes' books in the past, but this one was not for me. I had a very hard time getting into the story. A premise of saving a job is set on a friendship that does not appear to be remotely strong (there are no interactions between these friends, they never hang out, they don't have meaningful conversations about important life events they are going through). The main character is participating in an activity that is supposed to be so unlike them, but they aren't very likable so it's hard to buy into that. I think there may have needed to be a little more development of the characters stories before going into the twenty dates portion so that the backstories held up. The end was enjoyable and had more of the interactions/personality the rest of the book of was missing, but by then it was a little too late. Sorry, I did not enjoy this one.

I first fell in love with Linda Holmes writing and humor in her debut, 𝘌𝘷𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳. I wasn't quite as enamored with her sophomore novel, 𝘍𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘰, so I was cautious to read her latest, 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 (Pub 02.25). Friends- I LOVED it!

Thank you @ballantine for the early copy.

𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄
Impossibly heart clutching meet-cute
Sharp, smart humor
Romance-adjacent
Podcaster agrees to 20 First Dates concept
Antics and banter
A delightful escape yet grounding and relatable
Wit, charm, heart
Set in D.C.
Save for a weekend when you need a pick-me-up. It will deliver.

3.5

If you love podcasts + rom coms, this is the book for you! It follows Cecily as she posts a podcast where she is the subject: a relationship coach curates 20 first dates for her and Cecily records her journey for the show.

This book is altogether heartwarming and hilarious to read--the epitome of rom-com. I had fun reading about all of Cecily's failed first dates and what went wrong in each of them. Her chance encounters/meet-cutes with the dog-man throughout the book were unrealistic but great in the way that rom coms are.

I was worried that the main part of the story (the 20 first dates) would drag on super long, but Holmes chose to describe each in a short, snappy paragraph. Most were funny to read about, and the ones that were not did not take up too much of my time. Like all romance books, it's clear who the final love interest is going to be, and finding out how it happened was part of the fun of reading the book.

The podcast element was most prevalent in the beginning and ending of the book and a driving force for the middle. As a casual podcast fan and a Bachelor watcher, I enjoyed the fictional look into the podcast industry and it gave me newfound appreciation for the work that the podcasters put into their episodes.

Overall, I gave this book a 3.5 stars because it was fun and heartwarming, but not the most memorable or emotional romance book I've read. It won't stick with me a month from now, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it in the moment.

Thank you to NetGalley + Random House Ballantine for this ARC!

Such a fun reading! Love the end (happy but not perfect fairy tale) and how the main chat after evolves in the book.

Competition is fierce as millions of podcasts are made every year. How is it possible to get the most listeners? A terrific love story almost always works.

Toby understood this and was eager to get support from advertisers for dating-game episodes that would draw thousands of listeners. He just needed to find a single, attractive woman that would be willing to go on 20 dates. One of his employees, Cecily, was called into his office. She wasn’t happy with this arrangement but she felt pressured to keep her job.

It happens all the time: unjustified abuse in the workplace. I never thought about how much behind-the-scenes work it would take to create a successful podcast. It was predictable early on but it didn’t matter as it was filled with humor and a sweet lovable dog. It was quick to read with a handful of strong characters.

I enjoyed Cecily’s journey with the various dates. The story was also about finding important values in life and making positive changes. The outcome made me smile. Everyone needs a fun book, especially these days. This is a good one!

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of February 25, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for allowing me to read Back After This by Linda Holmes, in exchange for my honest review.

I squealed with delight when I received the privilege of reading this ARC.

I love Linda Holmes! Her writing is amazing! She writes unique situations, witty dialog, loving relationships, and heartfelt characters like no one else.

This was a fun, somewhat relatable, enjoyable story. I highly recommend this book, and Ms. Holmes' other books (Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo)!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for this eARC!

Linda Holmes is a must read! I liked this look into the world of podcasting (which Linda <i>knows</i>). The main characters, Cecily and Will (and the dog) are great and this also gave a fascinating look at an influencer, Eliza. I love that Linda went a new direction from her Maine books, but I will admit, I missed that setting just a little.

While I thought the book started off a little slow at first, I really liked the characters and felt that it picked up later on. I also thought the book was very witty, and I enjoyed getting to read it from Cecily’s perspective. I would have enjoyed reading a few chapters from Will’s perspective for more insight into his character, but I think the author does a good job of providing the background information we need.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

(Rated 3.75 on StoryGraph but rounded up to 4 for whole number rating)

This is such a cute rom-com! This is my first Linda Holmes book, and I love that it was based around a podcast producer. This is such a specific world that Holmes clearly knows a great deal about, so it was fun to experience the world of audio through her eyes. She also writes fantastic banter and I found the romance between the two main characters super cute.

While the plot wasn't super strong, I still loved the premise - Cecily agrees to step in front of the microphone for a podcast at her company, where she usually works behind the scenes. She is matched up with a life coach who will set her up on 20 first dates to help her find "the one." Luckily, most of the dates don't go very far so we don't have to keep track of 20 love interests (!) Instead, the story is more about Cecily juggling her professional and personal life, and the curveball of meeting someone when the timing couldn't be worse.

I think this will be a big hit next year! It's a perfect cozy read and we all need that right now.

Cute and fun read. The characters were developed well, you felt s if they were old friends. I would definitely recommend.