I really enjoyed this one! The banter and dialogue was witty and fun, the premise of the dating show was really cool and interesting, and I loved the characters! They felt so real and had real struggles. It was a really fun read, highly recommend!

What a delightful novel! I’ve enjoyed Holmes’s other novels as well. The characters are three-dimensional and human in the very best way. I liked getting a glimpse into the podcasting world as well. Would 100% recommend! It’s a cozy, thoughtful read.

I read this in a single sitting, because I was INVESTED. Back After This had everything I look for in a romcom: witty banter, laugh out loud moments, unexpected introspection (who would have thought the sort of vapid influencer would make me question things about myself and my purpose?), lovable characters, compelling backstory, and a unique premise. Oh, and Great Danes. I loved the plot. LOVED THE PLOT. Highly skeptical, tragically single, workaholic, behind-closed-doors martyr complex FMC is forced to go on 20 first dates and create a hit podcast to save her company? While accidentally falling in love with the Hot Waiter? Yep, say less. This was fun. It was cute. It was heartwarming. It was everything I needed to chase away the Sunday Scaries.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this delightful story about trusting your gut and falling in love.

I love Linda Holmes and this new release didn't disappoint. I loved getting to know Cecily and Will and of course, Buddy. You could feel this pull between Cecily and Will throughout the whole book even though they themselves were trying to figure out what they were (or weren't). I appreciated that the characters were fleshed out, flawed but lovable with great banter and dialogue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

4.5 ⭐️

I absolutely loved this book. I gravitated towards it solely based on the dog on the cover which looks like my dog. I loved the humor mixed into the story. I felt it wrapped up really nice and I’m interested in reading more by this author!

If you are looking for a easy and bingey read, this is for you!

The premise of this book (a dating reality show podcast) had me hesitant that it would be corny, but Holmes really pulled it off! I loved her characters and just the heart and this book. Thankfully, the dating game part took a backseat to the protagonist’s life and love. By the time the book really got rolling, I was all in for Cecily to get her happily ever after. Both of Holmes’ books have been 5 stars in my book. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a terrific Rom-Com. I loved this story from the very beginning. How can you go wrong with a Great Big dog that you help rescue and a man who adores you for who you are. Not me. This is a great story is you want to put a smile on your face and learn a little bit about yourself when you read it.
One of my favorite parts of the story is that even though people can give you good advise, you should still go with your gut feeling and you should periodically ask yourself if what you are doing in life is what you want to do or are you being complacent because it is easy. Another part of the story that I love is how her friends and family are there for Cecily when she needs someone to give her a hug, even if she is in the wrong, it was very comforting, like a warm blanket And my favorite part of the story is when Cecily kept meeting Will where ever she went and each time they meet they always seem to be having a good time. Ahh. I wish everyone had a Will.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this delightful story about love.

I read this in one sitting. The main character was flawed — but not in the ways we typically see the main character in a rom-com style story. She felt real, even when I got annoyed with her decision-making. Loved how fleshed out the other characters were. Really a lovely book that accurately depicted challenges in the audio/media space and also had a bit for the girlies (like myself) who like to watch reality TV shows.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank goodness! I feel like I have been reading a lot of meh books lately and Back After This any Linda Holmes was the perfect pick me up! Linda Holmes writes banter like few others! Cecil’y and Will were so fun and I loved getting to know them I. This story Definitely a book to pick up on. 2/25/25!

A regular listener of Pop Culture Happy Hour, u jumped at the chance to read an ARC of Linda Holmes’s new novel. I had read and loved Evvie Drake, and enjoyed her second novel (though not quite as much as Evvie Drake).

This third one is a gem. And while of course Linda Holmes knows podcasts - so this novel is full of a lot of the inner workings of a pod I was never aware of, she also knows dialogue. And the dialogue and banter between characters is delightful, easy, and really enjoyable.

This was a fast paced and enjoyable rom-com of a book and I definitely recommend it.

[ARC provided by NetGalley. Opinions all mine.]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was my first Linda Holmes novel, after being a fan of Pop Culture Happy Hour. Her voice is strong and I laughed a few times. However, I found the premise weak and a smidge half baked. I also found Cecily to be a passive character that frustrated me sometimes.

Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend it for someone who wants a closed door romance with equal parts story of a particular woman’s experience.

This was a rom-com!!! Omg that was funny.

I don't think that I connected to the story very much, but Linda Holmes knows how to write comedy! I found myself buss-laughing about every five minutes.

Wasn't earth-shattering, but I'm not mad that I read it!

A sweet romcom set in the podcast world follows Cecil’y as she is working with a popular influencer who deems themselves as a life coach and brings along Cecily on a journey of 20 blind dates. Just as these begin she meets Will outside of her apartment and the book follows their various run ins. A sweet and enjoyable rom com!

I was in the ruttiest of book ruts until i got the chance to read this little gem. It scratches all the itches - protagonist who’s got something relatable to learn about herself, antagonist who is flawed but in a way that could be true any of us, and a guy who’s attractive in an attainable-normal-human being kind of way. Plus the best bonuses; snappy banter and a dog. Light spice, heavy chemistry! Recommended for fans of Emily Henry, Carly Fortune, and Christina Lauren.

3.75⭐️

Linda Holmes delivers again with another charming romance. The main character and her love interest are both characters for whom you can easily root. The peek behind the curtain of podcasting was also enjoyable! I enjoyed this book very much!

Cute story about a professional podcaster trying to position herself as a podcast host on a successful show in order to one-up her very successful ex.

Cecily agrees to a crazy new show portraying her 20 date journey to true love, coached by a big time influencer. Motivated by ambition and concern for the long term job security of her friends and colleagues, she suppresses her doubts and concerns along with her interest in a guy she keeps bumping into.

I liked the banter between Cecily and Will, and loved the relationships between Cecily and her sister, Will and his sister, and Cecily and her bff Julie. Insight into the podcast world was an added bonus.

This isn’t my favorite by this author but it’s definitely one I enjoyed and makes me look forward to her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy.

Excellent! I love how this story started. A meet cute with a great Dane, can you even get any better?!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was so delighted to have the chance to read and review this book early. I have loved both of her other books, and this one is my new favorite. Her characters are so real and relatable, and I loved learning the details of the podcasting world as well. The romance is sweet and believable. I loved the dog as well. A wonderful read, and one I'm sure I will be re-reading and recommending to all of my friends.

3.5⭐️

This was my first Linda Holmes book and it was a cute little romcom. Sweet, funny, and wrapped up at the end with a nice bow — exactly what I love!

What I enjoyed most was the banter between Cecily and Will. The witty conversations between the two made me laugh out loud. I could easily feel the chemistry between them.

However, I didn’t really feel like I connected strongly with any character. I wish there’d been a bit more backstory about some of the side characters. I didn’t get the feeling Cecily and Julie were as close as I was told they were, and a huge part of Cecily’s actions relied on her supposedly strong relationship with Julie.

This story talks a lot about the world of audio, which I thought would be a distraction but actually found quite interesting.

I’ve added other Linda Holmes books to my reading list thuggish and look forward to seeing her fun and unique writing style in other plot lines.

I was provided an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Linda Holmes!

To be honest, I wasn't unsure about this story at first. It just felt a little slow in the beginning. The author did a great job regarding character development! The story picks up and the "meet cute" between Cecily and Will evolves from there. Cecily has decisions to make. I would recommend!