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.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhousepub for this ARC. Cecily is a producer for a fledging podcast company when her boss comes to her with an idea that could save their jobs. She is to meet with an influencer that says she can make over Cecily and help her find "the one". With Cecily the focus of the podcast and not behind the scenes, can she make this into a success not only personally but professionally? I love Linda Holmes sense of humor, her quick wit had me laughing! Cute book! #BackAfterThis #LindaHolmes #RandonHouseBallatine #Feb2025

This swoony rom-com is not to be missed! With an adorable meet-cute (that keeps on giving), you get a glimpse into the world of podcasts and production while following Cecily on a journey to find love and take back her life.

This was my first Linda Holmes, and I can’t wait to go back and read her others!

Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!

Cecily is a podcast editor and producer who really just wants to host her own show. But what is she willing to sacrifice to do so? Getting sucked in to a self-help dating show to save her job and her friend’s, she goes on twenty dates arranged by social media influencer, Eliza, to see if she can find the one.

I will be honest and say I like Linda Holmes and wanted to read this book simply because I’ve enjoyed her past work. But I didn’t buy in fully to this storyline. I’m not sure this would really ever be an effective non-video podcast so right away, I wasn’t sold. I thought Eliza was too shallow and she really didn’t give advice - just changed appearance.

The weight of the book felt lopsided with where the focus lied. Not to mention, characters felt very flat.

I liked Will and wish he and Cecily were more fleshed out. Their relationship, while cute, also felt shallow.

So needless to say, this wasn’t my favorite but I’d be willing to read more of Holmes’s work in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!

She’s back! If you’re like me and Flying Solo just didn't hit for you, please please please pick this one up. It was so good. I loved Cecily’s snarky often pessimistic side comments. And even laughed out loud several times. Will was a joy. The side characters were wonderful. The "bad guys" were delightfully awful and I was happy to dislike them. And I really liked the behind of scenes of how podcasts get made. It was fun, fast and satisfying read that I devoured in one sitting. Thank goodness we have a snow day because I stayed up until 2am reading it.
Just a head's up-the main part of this book is not about the twenty dates Cecily is supposed to go on. I was happy this was the case. I think it could have gotten a bit silly or repetitive if we'd had to read about all 20 dates in detail. I enjoyed the smaller snippets from each one instead.

Thank you to NetGalley, Linda Holmes, and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.

Another fantastic novel from Linda Holmes! This was such an interesting story with a deep dive into the podcasting industry. While this story is a romance, we also join Cecily as she navigates challenging work dynamics, relationship challenges, and figuring out what she truly wants for herself. This felt like a rom-com with added depth and nuance, and I really enjoyed it!

★★★☆☆
Back After This (Linda Holmes - releasing 02.25.2025)
e-ARC Review

✧ Read with me ✧ Instagram ✧| @haileydianereads

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, Random House Publishing & author Linda Holmes for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest book review! 🥰🙌

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy…
Podcasts
Blind Dates
Funny Banter
Great Danes
Happenstance Meet Cutes

Linda Holmes is always going to be a repeat author I choose to read. I LOVED Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo. Holmes is a talented author and through her stories, we see characters coming to terms with hard, yet realistic, challenges and situations. Back After This is no different. For me, my 3-star rating is simply tied more to the plot and pacing than her writing. The last few chapters felt much more like her previous works. While this falls into the “not a book for me” category, I still enjoyed it. And, of course, can’t wait to see what she writes next.

RATING SYSTEM: I rate my books by 5 literary element groupings: plot and pacing, characters and development, setting and world building, dialogue and writing style. See below for a full review:

📖Plot and Pacing
Cecily is a podcast producer that has spent most of her adult career working at Palmetto. While always dependable and ready to go the extra mile for the love of audio, she isn’t as far in her career as she had hoped to be. When she gets the chance to host her own show and provide some financial stability to her colleagues, she agrees to accept the help of a dating coach and go on twenty blind dates. But, when she keeps running into Will, a random man stumbled into, things get complicated for her and the podcast. First, I want to say that based on the plot itself, I wouldn’t have typically read this book. However, as I mentioned, I love Holmes. She’s a fantastically gifted writer. In my life, I’ve only really found one podcast that I enjoyed and routinely listened to. Additionally, I’ve been married for 11 years and I’ve not had to go on a blind date or date in the modern times via apps, so I understand that I am not the audience for this book. I think others will definitely enjoy it. The pacing was slow for me at the start. I found myself speeding through the last five chapters as plot points started to be revealed and I couldn’t get enough when the emotionality really surfaced.

🧞‍♀️Characters and Development
For me, one of the more underwhelming elements of the book is that we don’t really get enough of a background on Cecily (FMC) at the beginning of the book. While there is definitely character development and personal growth for Cecily, I wish readers got to experience more of this throughout the entirety of the book. I enjoyed discovering more about Will each time we met him. He is one of the most realistic young adults I’ve met on paper. Throughout the book, I found myself wanting to know more about the characters. I wanted Holmes to peel back more layers and provide readers with a more emotionally-driven narrative. When I finished the book, I felt like I was still missing pieces of each character.

🌇Setting and World Building
This novel takes place in Washington DC. While we don’t explore a lot of the city’s known areas, it’s clear that the geographical descriptions and typical stereotypes are present. Holmes provides the reader with an easy-to-imagine DC through the eyes of a young professional.

🗣️Dialogue
In this novel, Holmes does a wonderful job at giving readers a glimpse into just how extraordinary day-to-day interactions can be. I found that many of my favorite moments in this book were when Cecily (FMC) and Will (MMC) were getting to know one another. I loved their banter and appreciated seeing how their dialogue had a rhythm of its own. Reading their interactions felt more like observing two strangers move through the cycle of strangers to friends… and maybe, just maybe, more.

📝Writing Style
It’s evident that Holmes is a powerhouse when it comes to writing. While some of the writing was a bit more “wordy,” I found it enjoyable. Holmes has a unique style of her own that immerses readers in a way that feels all too relatable. Holmes is incredibly clever as evident in the pages. For me, the podcast transcript was such a creative treat for the readers. I could hear the character’s voice in my head while reading that portion of the book.

❉BONUS❉: Emotional Connection
While this story wasn’t as relatable as other reads, I did find the ending of this story to be rather relatable to my own life in specific ways. Having always had a job since I was 16 and striving to impress those around me, I felt that Cecily and I were more in common near the end of the book than I may have seen at the beginning of the novel.

😤The Flaws
For me, I had three items on my “flaws” list.
The initial chemistry between Cecily and Will. While most of their interactions worked for me in this book, there’s one interaction that felt pretty rushed.
There are a LOT of technical details of podcasting and audio in this book. However, Holmes dedicates this novel to the audiophiles, so it makes sense. While it can be laborious to read, I know that there are plenty of readers who will thoroughly enjoy the time and attention Holmes gives the podcasting industry. Her background shows, but maybe just a bit too much.
Personally, I wanted more background on all of the characters. I wanted to know more about Molly and Pete’s relationship. I also wanted more insight into Eliza and Cody. Eliza was explored, but I could never quite grasp who she was at the core.


Gratitude, always.
- H.

Cecily is producer at a small audio studio that produces podcast, where she is overworked and at times taken advantage of. In addition, the business is not doing very well. In a meeting with her boss, Toby, she is coerced into hosting a show where someone is a dating coach to help her find a new man in her life. Toby needs a hit and everyone that works at this studio needs a hit .. there could be layoffs. Before Cecily agrees to the show, she requires an unofficially meeting with the Eliza, the life coach. Then Toby must agree to allow Cecily to make her own show, a pilot only; her friend Julie has to be the lead and finally she needs to be truthful about the twenty dates. The only problem is that she keeps running into someone she really likes that is not one of the twenty dates and she is not supposed to get involved with but kind of does.

I was such a fan of Evvie Drake Starts Over so I was very excited with I was awarded a digital arc of Back After This. It had a slow start and dreaded going on the twenty dates but thankfully Holmes chose to do snap shots of each date. My biggest issue was with the main character Cecily. While I like her, I often found myself getting very frustrated with her character. I just wanted her to grow a backbone and speak up for herself. While she eventually does it was painfully to watch. I really loved Cecily’s love interest, Will .. who would not love someone that had no issue adopting a Great Dane. I never felt they had the right chemistry between them. Overall, I enjoyed the book but just did not love it.

Thank you, Linda Holmes, Random House Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. .

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Back After This is lighthearted, relatable, and a delight. I loved that this book centered around podcasts, which feels like all the rage in today’s world. Cecily is desperate to save her job and her coworkers, so desperate that she’s willing to go on 20 blind dates and be given a relationship coach. The entire experience will be covered in a new podcast, sure to pull in listeners and keep everyone employed. But, as imagined, the process doesn’t quite go as expected. It’s harder than she imagined to date multiple men and even with so many options, none of them quite add up to the one guy, Will, she met organically. Back After This takes readers on a delightful journey while Cecily tries to find herself and the love of her life, in a very unconventional way.

This was so good! Initially a little hard to get into because I’m not a podcast person, but once I did I was sucked into the plotlines. The characters were fresh and engaging, and the story worked well I really enjoyed the big twist and had hoped for this ending if I wasn’t sure I would get this ending. Very well written, don’t hesitate to read this book!

✅ Cecily, podcast producer, soon to be subject and host of a dating podcast & Will, photographer
✅ adorable meet cute
✅ Cecily goes on 20 first dates to meet “the one” and it’s all part of her podcast
✅ very bantery - read if you like the rapid fire dialogue of The Gilmore Girls
🌶️: mildly - mostly happens off page/is only a few paragraphs

Thoroughly charmed by this book.

Years after a breakup with the guy who stole her podcast and left her in DC, Cecily obsessively works for a podcast company as a sound engineer. It’s all she does, no time for dating. Until her boss approaches her with a podcast idea that could help save the near-bankrupt company. All she has to do is partner with an influencer and document her journey with being “life coached” into 20 dates to find love. Will she find love on air or when she least expects it?

Back After This was such a lovely read. It was genuinely the perfect mix of romance and contemporary fiction. The characters were written in such a realistic way that it was easy to make a movie in my head of what was going on. The plot moved along well, there weren’t any slow parts. The book was really funny! The dialogue was humorous and the banter was *perfect*

The only thing I wanted more of was blind date shenanigans and crazy mishaps during the dates. I felt like that was brushed over and rushed through. But, that’s only a minor gripe I have.

Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

I read this in a single sitting! This was a really sweet and entertaining rom com. I loved the characters and found the two main love interests super endearing. All in all, a fun read!

Thank you Random House (Ballantine) for the advanced review copy. The review contains minor spoilers.

I am consistently impressed with how nuanced and messy Linda Holmes writes her characters, even back to her first book. I saw much of Cecily in myself, very driven and career oriented, but Holmes manages to tap the nuances of perceived expectations and people pleasing in a way that was not overly caricature. She had a way of finding herself in a pickle and while I could see how she got there, I often felt like I’d do the same thing. Cecily has authentic and unique relationships with the family, friends, and love interest characters.

At first, I was worried the book was off to a slow start. I think the “stakes” of the relationship podcast felt a little thin and there was a lot of table setting for plot. However, when Eliza and Will both came into the book it really took off. Eliza managed to be both grating and intriguingly likable. I kept going back and forth on whether she would end up being a villain and what she might have cooking up. Will’s banter and easy chemistry couldn’t help but draw me in. The run ins almost seemed way too far fetched but I was so invested in how it played out that I didn’t mind. Once the tension kicked off, it was a hard book to put down and a comforting quick read.

All and all, I appreciated the book’s overall thesis — you need to do your own self-discovery journey but different people push you closer.

Linda Holmes is an instant-read and continues to publish unique and thoughtful books. I love how she writes the women in her books. It feels kind of silly to say, "I feel seen" in a romance novel as a 30-something single woman (the point is to feel seen!), but the way she writes single 30-somethings really does resonate with me in a particular way. I think especially in how she writes their friendships. Her stories could exist without the romance and still stand on their own because the world around these characters is so rich and comes with obstacles that are independent of the main romance.
The plot was fun (podcast producer gets talked into hosting a show about her own dating life) and Cecily felt so real and relatable to me. I really liked that Back After This had a sneak peek into the podcasting world. I love it when authors who have other careers write what they know (see also Julia Whelan's Thank You for Listening). I've fallen off listening to podcasts, but this made me want to start listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour Again. I will continue to pick up anything that Linda Holmes pens.

Thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Megan Whalen for this ARC. It will be published February 25, 2025.

This was my first book by Linda Holmes and I loved it! Having spent a large amount of time in DC/Maryland/Virginia area, there was something extra nostalgic in it for me. I could imagine walking down the DC streets and the general city life that she so beautifully describes. It took me a little bit to get into it - there was a lot of podcast jargon that I didn’t always connect with, but once I hit the 30% mark, I raced to get to the end of the story. The banter that Cecily and Will shared was sublime. Upon reflection, If I could say only one thing about this read, it’s this: I truly gleaned something quite powerful from it. Eliza’s assertiveness and confidence is something that I would like to bring with me into my own life. I’ve recommended this to friends and I’m super excited for it to be published. 5 stars!
Thanks to Megan Whalen at Random House for reaching out with this title and to NetGalley for providing an eARC.

Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo have been two of my favorite books in recent years, so I was beyond excited to get an advanced copy of Back After This. Linda Holmes has quickly become one of my auto-buy authors and this may be her best book yet.

Linda's background in podcasting gives readers SUCH a fun glimpse into how your favorite podcast really comes together. Cecily and Will's relationship was so fun to follow along with and I didn't want the book to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️
release date: 2/25/25

*FMC: Cecily - podcast producer/editor, workaholic, but dreaming of hosting her own podcast someday
*Cecily meets Will via an adorable meet cute involving a giant dog named Buddy
*Cecily is offered her big break, a dating show where she is the subject and goes on 20 first dates, picked by a famous influencer. She is told not to date outside of the show, but she keeps running into Will and they become friends (well, he clearly likes her but gracefully accepts his friend zoning).
*Cecily tries her best not to fall in love with Will but struggles (for good reason)
*Drama and self discovery ensue
*heavy 2000s romcom vibes

I enjoyed this book, but I wanted even MORE of Cecily and Will together being friends, because it was so much fun to read when they were both on the page. Overall a cute romcom with great side characters and an interesting glimpse into the worlds of podcasting and being an influencer.

Thanks to netgalley and Ballantine for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review

This book was absolutely phenomenal! BACK AFTER THIS is the will they/won't they book of the year -- it's funny, smart, and filled with heart. I loved the focus on the main character's own internal dilemma and the social commentary on work, passion, and love. This book is so relevant as it touches on the switch from audio/podcasts to other forms of media like short form video, as well as the way dating works today. Seems like the apps and matchmaking have made a huge comeback, along with this emphasis on paper compatibility. I liked how Cecily is able to meet someone organically, especially since the modern meet cute is often swiping right on an app. This novel was truly a delight-- I can't recommend it enough!