I should know better by now, romance isn't for me. Just like fantasy, I prefer to WATCH romance, but reading it just isn't enjoyable. I liked this author's debut novel Evvie Drake Starts Over, but I think my reading tastes have changed a bit since then. Plus, the premise sounded interesting. Cecily is a podcast producer and there are many signs that her company is struggling. When she is approached by her boss to be the subject in a podcast series where she is coached by a dating expert and goes out on 20 recorded dates, she negotiates some favorable terms, and makes the plunge. Before the experience really takes off, she has a chance encounter with Will, and keeps running into him around town. They have undeniable chemistry, but Cecily is advised not to see him since he isn't one of the twenty men she is to date. The story felt predictable (in the way that I think romances are intended to be) and Cecily annoyed me. If you like romance and this sounds good, it might work for you!

2.75 Stars. I loved the premise but found it very difficult to get into until I hit about 1/3 of the book. I wanted more detail on the dates, instead of a few paragraphs and felt the characters fell a bit flat. That said it is a interesting idea for a romance novel and once I got into it, a quick read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Linda Holmes’ Back After This is a delightful and engaging rom-com that’s both easy to read and irresistibly hard to put down.

The story follows Cecily, a podcast producer burned by an ex who took credit for their collaborative work. Now, her company is struggling, and they pitch her an unusual proposition: become the subject of a podcast experiment. Cecily reluctantly agrees to be paired with a dating coach and embark on 20 blind dates, with the promise that completing the project will earn her the chance to produce her own podcast.

As the dates unfold, Cecily repeatedly crosses paths with Will, a charming yet unexpected figure who seems to pop up everywhere. Is he her true match, or is one of the 20 carefully curated dates her destiny? With her career, heart, and company all on the line, Cecily must navigate a whirlwind of possibilities.

Holmes masterfully blends humor, heart, and a dash of suspense to keep readers hooked. Back After This explores themes of love, resilience, and chasing your dreams in a fresh and modern way.

Grab a comfy chair and settle in—you won’t want to miss this charming journey.

Thank you #netgalley for me ARC and Ballentine

#netgalley #lindaholmes #ballentine

I will read anything and everything Linda Holmes writes at this point. I wasn't sure I was going to love this one when I read the synopsis, but I should have known better!

Her style of writing, humor, building characters, and parsing out the story are all SO GOOD!
And the giant goofy dog!?! I mean, come on!
Perfect!
I'm ready to read this one again.

Thank you to Linda Holmes, Random House and Ballantine for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really struggled with this book. It just wasn’t speaking to me. It wasn’t the writing, which I thought was well done, but the content and the flow was difficult for me to become interested in.

linda you womens fiction goddess. i read her previous book and after really enjoying it, i decided to request this one! imagine my surprise when i also received it and ah subsequently devoured it 🙂‍↕️ she will never lead me astray!!!

3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for an advanced copy of this entertaining and charming book.
This is the second book I've read by Linda Holmes, and I'm a fan.
The story centers on Cecily, who creates and edits podcasts. To get more sponsors and listeners, Cecily's boss strongly pushes her to host her own podcast about going on 20 blind dates, organized by an influencer and dating coach. As the story goes, Cecily discovers a lot about herself, including her dreams, her relationships, and living for herself and not just helping others.
I really enjoyed Cecily and the main romantic interest Will. They had the type of chemistry that felt relaxing and comforting.
I enjoyed the discussion of trends of art, technology, and media constantly changing but also never fully going away. I also liked the idea of jobs and careers and how they don't have to be your identity and you can have jobs that you enjoy and are good at, but they don't have to be fancy careers that consume you.
I think my only complaints were that the pacing felt slower than I wished, especially the first half of the book. And I wish there were more consequences for the antagonist characters. I felt like there were a few characters who weren't great, and they didn't fully learn their lessons.
Otherwise, I think the book was light and relaxing to read. It was funny, interesting to learn more about podcast producing, and a cozy romance.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect with Linda Holmes’ Back After this when I started it, but what I got was a sharp and fresh story of Cecily finding her way. Podcast producer Cecily agrees to host a show where she gets help from dating coach/influencer Eliza Cassidy to find her match—but things only get complicated with office politics getting in the way, plus there’s also Will, the photographer and waiter she keeps finding herself running into. This is a non-spicy rom-com with a lot of banter and fun antics. Cecily’s 20 blind dates were well paced, and the story was light and heartfelt. Cecily is a great and strong character—she has a lot of growth to do and she’s not afraid to do it too. Ithink there were parts I would’ve liked to hear more of what the podcast came out sounding like, because there’s a lot of talk about it and around it in the podcast studio but it would’ve helped connect more with the podcast to get a glimpse of the content. I did love the serendipity of the story though with Cecily and Will. Will is funny and kind, and I liked the awkwardness of them at first, that crush feeling. And their banter was really strong. This wasn’t my favorite read, but I loved how honest this story felt. Everyone’s motivations made sense. They’re flawed characters all just trying their best, and I loved that realism. I think it leans more on the women’s fiction than romance end of the genre. It’s sweet, it’s endearing, and I enjoyed reading it.

Really enjoyable, easy read. All of the characters felt relatable and real. The perfect book where you can get lose yourself in the story and know that you're in good hands.

In Linda Holmes’ third book, readers are introduced to Cecily, a hardworking podcast producer hoping to produce her own show. The opportunity comes along, but at a cost to Cecily’s personal life. Holmes portrays Cecily as admirable, yet flawed and self-aware. There is a relatability to Cecily with lessons learned that don’t come across as preachy. An enjoyable book for readers who like light romance with smart characters.

Cecily is a podcast producer. When the company she works for asks to her host and be the subject of a self-help dating show, she is forced to comply to help save the company and their jobs. She is guided by a self-proclaimed guru, Eliza, who sets her up on twenty first dates. When she has a chance meeting with a man who interests her, she is told she is not allowed to peruse anything with him due to her role in the show. But fate has another idea, and they keep crossing paths.

I liked this as a rom com and Women's fiction; I've read also read and really liked Holmes' two previous books. She writes a more mature (in this case, 30's) protagonist and is witty. What I really love is how she wrote Cecily as a real woman, with complicated family and friend relationships and a true love for her job. The most interesting parts for me were about the making of a podcast and all that goes into this new kind of journalism.

If you want a really solid book that has some workplace drama, a little romance, and a good story, this book is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Can't possibly count how many times I laughed out loud or gasped (of course quietly to myself) while reading this book - in all the best ways. I have never been a podcast listener but I dove in and loved following this story set in the podcast world, falling in love with the characters and the genuine directions each were headed. The main character, Cecily, made this story so great with her quick quips and other humorous remarks. While agreeing to go on 20 blind dates in a podcast with the help of a social media influencer, fate had a way of bringing Cecily back to Will over and over. The love story was (and of course always is) a plus, but the relatable growth of the characters pulls at your heartstrings to keep the story interesting regardless of the love (and even lack thereof). This is life, and you'll love it.

Linda Holmes has become an auto-read author for me. I love her writing style and her characters. I truly enjoyed Back After This.

Cecily loves creating podcasts but is now in a back room job helping make other people’s podcasts better - her one huge hit was stolen by her ex boyfriend who is now a major name in the industry. Now her company is doing layoffs and the only way to ensure that she keeps her job (and a promise from her boss for her own idea to be produced) is if she allows a relationship coach teach her how to date and if she then goes on the 20 first dates the coach chooses. While Cecily doesn’t love the idea of publicly dating, she also admits she needs some help. But right before her first date she runs into Will (and his Great Dane), and then continually runs into him. She is no longer fully invested in the dates and can’t stop thinking about Will but her job is contingent on finishing the dating journey - and a lot of people are listening and invested in who she chooses.

This one had a bit of a slow start and the main character took a bit for me to like (she was quite a doormat) but I ended up really enjoying this one. I really liked the author’s last book (Evie Drake Starts Over) and so I had been excited about this one. I loved Will and his dog, the scenarios and dates were fun to read and I liked all of the ancillary characters. While Cecily annoyed me at first she came full circle and became a character that I liked reading about. This one is cute and funny and I enjoyed it a lot.

This is my third Linda Holmes novel, and was long awaited. I really enjoy her style - chick lit, but make it elevated. Her characters are well developed, the story is light but not contrived, and I enjoy the dialogue/banter. My only complaint is I just read The 12 Dates of Christmas and the plot was similar. But I enjoyed both!

This was cute. I enjoyed the premise and the characters engaging. I became invested on everyday she went on and couldn't wait to read the ending. I'll be reading Linda Holmes again.

This was a cute little read! I enjoyed the premise of Cecily’s podcast and twenty blind dates. I found both Cecily and Will to be likable characters and loved Buddy the dog of course.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
3.5 stars, rounded up.
I loved "Evvie Drake Starts Over," and was neutral on "Flying Solo." But Holmes' latest is somewhere in the middle for me. I loved the writing, dialogue, and the characters; what I didn't love is Holmes' slide into brainless rom-com and meet-cutes. "Evvie" was a great read because it was about a realistic, grown-up woman. It wasn't about yet another millennial white woman who reads as if she's 19, working in media, with a life that's "a mess," and lacking confidence to speak for herself, which decribes Cecily to a T. I get that this type of trope-y fiction is what sells nowadays; but I don't have to like it.

Linda Holmes
Back After This
Read as ARC via @netgalley! Thank you netgalley!
From the author of Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying solo, comes Back After This.

Cecily is a podcaster. After a rough breakup with a colleague who stole her podcast, she’s given up on love. But when her boss presents her with a podcast opportunity, that all may change. He wants her to go on 20 dates after meeting with a relationship coach and document the experience via podcast.
While it sounds like a terrible experience to her, she realizes that this podcast may be what saves both her and her best friends jobs.

While she’s getting ready for these dates to start, she bumps into Will, who is literally running out of a salon after a huge dog.

Love this meet-cute. Totally invested. Like the MMC and FMC. Linda Holmes is a solid author. I always catch her new book.

I credit Linda Holmes' book EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER as the book that got me back into reading after finishing my graduate program and finally having time to read "for fun" again. To this day, I recommend it to anyone who has been in a slump and is looking for something light and sweet to bring them out of it. That being said, I had high expectations for BACK AFTER THIS and it just missed the mark for me. The pacing was very off, with an incredibly slow start that had me putting down the book and dragging out a story that normally would've taken me no more than a couple of days to get through. Once the story did get going, I enjoyed it but found that a lot of the stories and side characters were underdeveloped and I didn't know enough about them to care about them.

The premise was great and unique, and I loved the love story despite being predictable but I'm not sure this will be one of my top recommendations for the year.