Back After This by Linda Holmes
#eleventhbookof2025 #arc #backafterthis

CW: terrible boss, bad dates

Cecily works in podcasting. When her domineering boss forces her to host a show in which she will be the guinea pig for a dating coach, she’s not thrilled—she wants to host, but not like this. She goes into the project with low expectations but the hopes that she will be able to next host her dream project. She never imagined that a dog named Buddy might be the first sign of a completely new path forward.

My thoughts: I adore Linda Holmes and was thrilled when she started writing novels. They’re not my usual genre but I enjoy hers so much! I read this one in just a few hours and it was delightful. And since she obviously knows the ins and outs of the podcasting world, I know the background of this one is completely accurate. This was such a sweet story, and again, while I don’t read romance in general, this one didn’t go over the top for one about a dating podcast. All of the characters are pretty well fleshed out and believable. I surprised myself by tearing up near the end related to a friendship moment. That hasn’t happened in a while. Just goes to show you the power of Holmes’ writing! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will absolutely recommend it.

Thank you to @randomhouse Ballantine and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Pub date 2/25/25)

*Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review!

Back After This follows the story of Cecily, a podcast producer who has been asked to be the main character on a dating podcast. She agrees in exchange for the chance to have a green light on her show (not about dating!) She will be set up with a dating/life coach and record the dates and advice from the dating coach. The finale will all be published on Valentine's Day. Things go awry, and you find yourself reading late into the night to discover what happens and what actually gets published for the last podcast episode! There are runaway dogs, ex-boyfriends, waiters, and emails that get into the wrong inbox. This was a fun story from Linda Holmes set in an industry she knows well! It started slow for me, and I felt like I knew where it was going pretty quickly; however, the details throughout the book made it worth the read!

This was such a nice romance book. Cecily agrees to due a podcast, after being behind the scenes for years, which also sets her up on 20 blind dates. Will she find love with one of these first or will she find love with someone a long the way? I really enjoyed both fmc and mmc, however would enjoyed this more as a dual pov. While the was drama, It didn't overpower the story line or drag on longer the necessary.

4.25 stars.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

This was a story about being put out of your comfort zone in order to find what it is you really want for yourself. Cecily does everything she can for the people she cares about but sometimes to the detriment of herself. When she’s forced to do a podcast about dating, she’s truly uncomfortable but if it helps her friend, she’ll do it. I found myself laughing in the places but also with some of the absurdity of our obsession with self-help.

It’s been four years since Cecily’s relationship ended, but it’s ok because she is killing it at work. When her boss asks her to host their new podcast idea…she is thrilled until she finds out it will be about her dating life. While she would rather run ashow about anything else, she decides to say yes and use it to get her own show in the future. Too bad Cecily ran into a stranger that she is beginning to fall for, and the guys she gets set up with for the podcast leave much to be desired.

As some of you know, reading has been a STRUGGLE for me right now. While this book took longer to read than normal, the fact that I could read at all is huge and a testament to Linda Holmes. She always writes the best stories and this one was no different! I loved the idea of the book centering around a podcast, and I was so interested in Cecily’s dates and attempts to find the right guy! I liked that the dates were quick paragraphs, and not super drawn out throughout the book, especially since there were 20 of them! They were the perfect length and gave you exactly what you needed to know. I was so excited to read this one and im thrilled that it hit the mark!

Thank you to @randomhouse for my gifted copy of this book!

A super sweet, feel good rom com! Both characters were very well rounded, likable too which makes a huge difference. The podcast explanation might have been a little overdone as most folks now know a podcast, but they may not know entirely the process. This is the best feel good book if you’re needing a quick read, or a palate cleanser.

This wasn't my favorite by Linda Holmes but I did like getting to learn more about the world of podcast producing. The FMC gets assigned to a show where she has to follow a love life guru and go on a series of blind dates but along the way falls for the guy everyone thinks isn't right for her. Funny and good on audio narrated by the author herself with a charming great dane dog sidekick. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the serendipity quality of this book! One of my favorite things is feeling that aspect of fate with a couple in a book. Cecily meets Will by chance when he is running past her building chasing a dog that looks scarily similar to a cow with a haircut cape billowing behind him. After some peanut butter and a number exchange, she thinks she will never see him again, but the universe had other plans. As Cecily starts a mandatory self help journey with a famous influencer, recording 20 blind dates for a podcast, she can’t seem to escape this man. And maybe she doesn’t want to…

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Spice level: closed door

Podcast producer Cecily encounters photographer/waiter Will in an adorable meet-cute involving a dog. Of course, she meets him shortly after she's signed up to host a new podcast wherein she will go on 20 blind dates and be coached by a social media influencer on how to up her chances for finding love. Cecily is skeptical about the project, but commits to doing it for Reasons. And though her initial meet-cute evolved into a flirty friendship and then into a budding romance, Cecily continues to deny she's found a real partner in Will--hurting him and her chances with him in the process.

Will was great. His flaw (?) seemed to be he wasn't ambitious enough and left his options open for future places to live and travel. The internet only needed to hear his voice on the podcast once to know he was a good option for Cecily. They had great chemistry and the scenes of them falling in love were sweet.

The problem for me was that I increasingly could not stand Cecily's poor decision-making. She wasn't a bad person, per se, but she was doing far too little to change the things she didn't like about her life. Her passivity, despite overwhelming evidence that she was on the wrong path, was grating. It would have been one thing if she had done anything to change things for herself. But everything here seems to happen to her rather than because of her. Her work bestie points out that she has more choices and agency than she allows herself to see, and it was the best advice she could have heard. And still, she has to be driven to the breaking point before making the smallest gestures.

This is not to say Cecily didn't deserve love--just that, at times, it was a more frustrating than fulfilling experience to read about her journey.

"Back After This" follows Cecily Foster, a podcast producer who reluctantly agrees to host a show about her dating life alongside an optimistic influencer, Eliza Cassidy. As Cecily navigates modern dating and media pressures, she confronts personal growth and the possibility of finding true love.

This was definitely a feel-good comfort read. The banter between Cecily and Will was great, and their meet-cute and run-ins were enjoyable. However, I found myself wanting more development of their relationship, those moments could have been explored further. Overall, I really enjoyed it and would recommend.

This book started off on the wrong for me because of the insta-love trope. The constant coincidences of the two MCs “running into each other” made their relationship feel forced and unrealistic. I enjoyed the podcast elements of the story.

This wasn't my favorite by Linda Holmes but I did like getting to learn more about the world of podcast producing. The FMC gets assigned to a show where she has to follow a love life guru and go on a series of blind dates but along the way falls for the guy everyone thinks isn't right for her. Funny and good on audio narrated by the author herself with a charming great dane dog sidekick. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my favorite type of book. A chick lit with depth! Another great story from this author with great character development. The main character Cecily was completely lovable.

I enjoyed everything about this book. The cover, the story, the characters and the setting.

I absolutely loved the chemistry between Cecily and Will! It was very natural and had me rooting for these two from the time they met. Every interaction between these two had me loving them even more.

I enjoyed the story and the look at the world of podcasts. It seemed fresh and comforting at the same time. The story could have been very cliché and worn out but the podcast element kept it current and fresh.

I will be looking for more books by this author as I loved the characters she created and the way she told their story. This book was fun and easy to read!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy.

This book was so cute! I loved that it delved into the world of podcasts and those who work so hard to create/produce them. Cecily and Will’s chemistry is adorable - how can you not love a book where the main characters meet while trying to catch a runaway dog!?

New to Linda Homles, I had no idea what to expect from her writing...but after reading Back After This, I'm a fan for life.

As a fan of podcasts and romances, I was intrigued by the premise, and I really enjoyed the details and insight into podcasting that were weaved into the story. While it was a bit slow to get going, it didn't take too long to hook me in.

Cecily is a woman who's stopped taking risks and going after what she really wants, and thanks to her desire to save everyone around her, she ends up becoming the host of a self-help podcast featuring a dating coach. She agrees to take the advice of Eliza, an influencer and life coach, and to go on 20 first dates, in hopes of finally moving on from her ex and finding love. And then she meets Will (chasing after a dog, of course) and things get way more complicated.

After the first few chapters, the unfolding of this story was perfectly paced and I loved the depth of the main characters. In parts, it even felt a bit like this was a self-help book disguised as a novel, as Cecily was extremely real and relatable and I found myself reflecting alongside her as Eliza helped her see parts of herself she hadn't been able to acknowledge in a long time, if ever.

While this wasn't a heavily plot-driven book, I didn't want to put it down once it got going. I enjoyed the humor and Cecily's banter with other characters, especially Will, lead to some laugh out loud moments. The ending was satisfying without being overly dramatic, and I was happy with how it all played out.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished Back After This by Linda Holmes, and I’m officially in love with her writing all over again! This book is the perfect mix of wit, charm, and emotional depth, creating a story that feels like a warm hug on a tough day.

The characters are so relatable, and their journeys felt incredibly authentic—full of the little joys and big challenges that make life so beautifully complicated. Linda Holmes has a way of writing dialogue that feels so real, it’s like you’re eavesdropping on people you’ve known forever.

If you’re looking for a story that’s equal parts heartwarming and thought-provoking, Back After This is one you won’t want to miss. It’s a celebration of life, love, and second chances!

I enjoyed Back After This. I enjoyed seeing Cecily grow and come into her own and the ending was satisfying. It was enjoyable but not particularly memorable.

For my first read of 2025, this wasn’t bad. Honest.

The premise of the book grabbed my attention. I honestly don’t love podcasts and am not someone for the radio, but the media revolving around this area is interesting to me. So naturally, I felt like this would provide some entertainment in this field despite my initial feelings about it in general, but unfortunately it didn’t really help with my dislike of the topic.

I think Cecily is a humorous and realistic character. Her flaws shine, and I love how awkward she is for most of the book. I never felt like the author tried portraying her as a “quirky” character but instead someone who is genuinely human. Cecily never really tries fitting into a box, and her approach to life will be relatable to many. I found her to be realistic, flawed but not complex, approachable, and quite mediating. It’s always refreshing to read about characters making humane mistakes and not pretending like everything in life is perfect and in one straight line.

Will and Cecily make a lovely duo, even if I struggled with the romance itself. I think as friends and as people themselves, they were wonderful. Their interactions are cute and somewhat bizarre but in a lovely manner, and nothing ever felt forced, just coincidental. There were a lot of “I knew this was gonna happen” moments, but I found they added to the storyline, since it was missing a big punch and more emotional depth. Will’s character isn’t mysterious and never tries to be, and we learn about him as much as Cecily, which to me is a great way to learn about main and side characters because it shows the author wants us to know who they are, too. It’s not just Cecily telling us, but instead we are experiencing the events and moments with her.

As for everything else that made this story, it all falls a little behind. The romance in this is a mixed bag. The book itself isn’t really a romance, so I wish the author could’ve/would’ve settled on either the genre as a subplot or made it more prevalent. Instead, it felt like it was neither, instead just a floater, and was there to add conflict and tension to the story, but it didn’t do it well. The romance is mild at best, and Will and Cecily have some weird chemistry, if I say so myself. It’s there, but it’s not completely formed, and we as the reader kind of just need to roll with it. It was underdeveloped, and in my opinion, needed more openness to it.

The podcast concept of this, of Cecily going on 20 blind dates, is missing a lot of context. What interested me the most about this story was the concept of Cecily finding “love” on these dates (of course with Will in the picture it was hard for her), but the whole concept of the dates was practically done and gone within a chapter. Cecily really only went out with one guy because all the other guys weren’t her type or they just didn’t work out. In the end, the podcast concept felt really irrelevant. We never really see Cecily in this mode besides her dates with Michael #2 and summarizing her feelings quite quickly in her inner monologue.

Eliza is unlikable. Her progress of helping Cecily is forced and full of doubt. There is no hope I, as the reader, have for Cecily, and part of that is her fault, but the other part is Eliza’s fault because that is literally her job. She’s ruthless at times and other times nice, but overall she comes off as someone trying to just profit off of Cecily. There was no actual coaching being done, either. And while Cecily was smooching off with Will behind Eliza’s back, Eliza not doing anything to help her non-existent chemistry with Michael or any other guy wasn’t helping. It just went from point a to point b with no explanation and no depth whatsoever. One date wasn’t enough, so there was another, yet there is nothing else being done besides these boring dates. Eliza seems to be a big part of the story, especially as she is even part of the blurb, yet we don’t really see her working in her job. It’s just quick recaps of what is to be done but there is no substance to any of it.

Overall, this wasn’t a favorite by any means, but I can’t lie and say I didn’t enjoy some parts. It was an easy read and nothing ever felt too complex or over the top. I’ve only read one other book by this author and I wasn’t the biggest fan, but this one was definitely better compared to that one. I’d still recommend this to friends and/or anyone looking for a women’s fiction that’s easy to breeze through with flawed and realistic characters.

This was one of her best yet, it’s charming you relate to all of the main characters and are intrigued by what’s going to happen yet. Love love love