I love Linda Holmes - enjoyed her previous two books, all her online writings, podcast, and social media fodder. Back After This was not my favorite of her books and moved a little slowly for me. However, it's well-written (as is everything she does!) and the overall story was enjoyable. I love the way she writes such realistic, imperfect female characters.

3.5 stars ⭐️ It took me a while to get into the book but I enjoyed it once I did!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

thank you netgalley and penguin random house for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! :)

I found this a pretty run of the mill romance/chicklit novel, full of all the miscommunication & fake dating tropes that are expected in the genre. I really enjoyed linda holmes's previous book, so I felt pretty disappointed by this one, which I found wracked with underdeveloped themes, characters, and plot lines. The love interest wasn’t perfect, but he felt stagnant, almost as if he didn’t exist when he wasn’t with our main character.

The podcasting element, which caught my eye in the blurb, also wasn’t as present as I expected, and neither was the influencer angle. These are all people and ideas that should be compelling — they are a part of our world now! But instead, we drift in between these two worlds, never fully committing to one or the other. The feeling that the book is a collection of ideas without a clear commitment and direction was something I felt often.

Still, the book was very readable. I finished it in one sitting, and it had enough intrigue to keep my interest.

When you listen to a great podcast, it seems effortless, like the hosts just sat down and had a conversation and you listened in. This book gives you a little taste of how much hard work goes into podcasting, which I appreciated. I can also see a parallel between that effortlessness (which Linda Holmes shows in her podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour) and the effortlessness of her writing. Humor, pacing, etc -- it all feels as effortless and natural as her first novel, Evvie Drake Starts Over. I wasn't a huge fan of her second book, but this one is fantastic. Some of the humor fell off a bit in the last half, but the book remained enjoyable and I flew through it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It's wonderful to read another book by Linda Holmes, I've been a fan since Evvie Drake! Back After This follows protagonist Cecily Foster as she climbs the ladder of podcast producing and hosting, and tries to make sense of her personal life at the same time. Should she follow the direction of influencer Eliza Cassidy and date "successful" men or follow her heart and date Will, the charming and kind waiter/photographer? You won't regret reading to find out!

I loved FLYING SOLO and EVVIE DRAKE so I had high hopes for an emotional all-the-feels for this one and while it was fun and lighthearted, I think it leaned more heavy on rom-com side than I’m used to. But for those who love a good contemporary story about a young woman fresh out of a relationship, who has high hopes for her podcast career but is disappointed by the trajectory it’s taking no thanks to her ex and her bad boss, she’s game to try something new, well, not really, but our protagonist puts herself out there for the sake of her future and her love life and hey, you never know. Two birds, one stone. It's a witty combination of bad dates, one delightful dog, a chance encounter, and aren’t we over life coaches yet.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House and Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“Back After This”, by Linda Holmes, the author of one of my favorite books, “Evvie Drake Starts Over” is about podcast producer Cecily who is suddenly shifted from being behind-the-scenes to serving as the talent on a new dating podcast where she is required to go out with twenty men. And, no pressure, but her company’s future may rest on the success of the podcast.

This book is sweet and fun and smart. There are no tropes or made-up reasons why people who love each other can’t be together, just adults with real life problems trying to navigate love. I especially loved the ending and the way all the female characters resolved their issues with one another.

I also learned a lot about podcasting and the podcast industry from this book which was fun!

I’d highly recommend this book to fans of “Evvie Drake Starts Over” as well as romance and contemporary fiction readers who like their books with a lot of heart and not a lot of steam.

Linda Holmes is an incredibly reliable author for me. Her characters are funny and real. This story does have an evil ex, which I usually really don't like, but it felt fitting and honestly realistic here. The premise of a woman subjecting herself to be the star of a dating podcast is great, and the life lessons learned in the process felt very genuine. I think this book also had some really romantic moments, which I always want! Being shut in a bank ATM cubicle during a downpour is so good and sexy! I know this author's books are for me because I can't even pick a favorite, and I'm eager for whatever she writes next.

Super cute Rom Com which I am a sucker for a cute romance. Loved this book and definitely recommend!

I was so drawn into this book! As a person who is still dating in her 30’s, I found it deeply relatable but also informative. There are ways we learn a lot about each other just by observing one another’s bravery and that’s how I felt about reading Cecily’s journey. It’s so hard to be a person and I thought Linda Holmes summed that up nicely. The details of how she met Will were so delightful and unexpected. This is also hard to explain, but I love when books offer a good faith read on its characters and this book certainly did. Everyone always has their reasons for doing something. Anyway, Linda Holmes is a pretty consistent voice in my ears every week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, so I was also giddy to read her insight into podcasting! It was joy to read this, thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the advanced copy!

Back After This by Linda Holmes is a funny, charming rom-com about Cecily, a podcast producer roped into hosting a dating show where a life coach sets her up with 20 men. Along the way, she meets Will, a photographer and waiter, and sparks fly—with a few twists!

Holmes’ clever writing and podcasting expertise shine, and I loved her take on DC. Cecily and Will are great characters, and the epilogue delivers a happy ending without the usual clichés. That said, the romance itself felt underdeveloped, and their hookup came off a bit abrupt. Still, the humor and unique premise made it a fun read overall. 3.5/5 stars.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for my review copy.

I have loved each of Linda Holmes’ books and this was absolutely no exception. It is laugh out loud funny with Holmes’ distinct voice and sense of humor. It is also a beautiful story about how women chase after what they want in life, love, and work and along the way learn to put their own needs and desires first.

Cecily Foster is a podcast editor and producer; she's also the studio mom, the go to employee, and the one who generally gets walked all over at work. As rumors of lay offs build, Cecily is asked to host a self-help podcast where she's paired with a dating coach to go on twenty blind dates to find the love of her life. Before the challenge even starts, Cecily meets Will when they both help reunite a lost dog. Will's dreamy and sweet, but he's unsettled and transient and Cecily's dating coach makes her promise that she cannot pursue Will. Obviously you know that Cecily and Will fall in love, but this story is much more than that I promise!

Even though Cecily is not the eldest daughter, she has strong eldest daughter energy. She's always cleaning up messes, volunteering to help fill gaps, and generally putting the needs and goals of others before her own. I really loved her character development and what she learns from working with Eliza, the dating coach, to prioritize her own desires and to learn that sometimes its OK to step off the linear path you've been imagining for yourself for so long. It's a message I desperately needed to hear myself.

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Another fun and heartwarming story from Linda Holmes. Her characters always feel very real and relatable, and her storylines go into areas or professions that are less familiar. I also like that she has a DC setting, which we don't see as often. Overall, a quick read that I enjoyed thoroughly.

I absolutely loved Holmes' first book and found her second not to pack quite the same punch. This one is back to the same fun of Evvie Drake (though still not quite as good!). The story launches us into the behind-the-scenes of podcasting, an industry I personally partake in but know basically nothing about. It was a fun glimpse behind the curtain. The characters are likable and reasonably believable. As far as the story itself, I found the premise (woman agrees to be set up on a LOT of first dates and to do whatever the life coach says) mildly unbelievable and contrived. Still, as a person who was on the dating market for a long time and has been on my fair share of first dates, the accuracy of the ridiculousness of the whole thing and being completely disinterested yet having to force yourself to keep going, was pretty spot-on. I'd recommend this book, especially to all my friends who loved my dating stories (but were glad they weren't on the market themselves!).

This is my first read by this author and it was a sweet romance.

Cecily works for a podcast company that’s hurting. In fear of her and her friend losing their jobs she agrees to do a self-help dating podcast. She’s to meet with a popular influencer and go on 20 blind dates to find “the one”.
Although this is planned life happens and she keeps bumping into this sweet man, Will. She can’t stop thinking about him but promised to give the show her all.

I just have to mention a giant dog that is so sweet! ♡ Buddy

There are times the story did get a little slow but it was an enjoyable read. This is adult with a small amount of spice.

I genuinely enjoyed this book. It’s about Cecily, a mid 30s workaholic podcast producer who gets roped into this dating experiment podcast, where she needs to go on 20 dates with 20 different men in the hopes of finding love, all while being coached by this influencer/dating expert. And then there’s Will, the random guy she can’t seem to get away from.

It took me a bit to get into it, the beginning was a little too slow, but once it picked up, I couldn’t put it down! The banter was everything, the whole dilemma between doing what she thought was right versus what she actually wanted, it was a roller coaster ride and I loved every second. It was supposed to be about finding love, but it turned out that Cecily ended up finding a lot more than that—she found her voice, the ability of standing up for herself AND embrace the unknown.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley & Ballantine for the early digital copy! Opinions are my own ✨

I really, really liked this book! You can TELL that the author had plenty of experience in podcasting, but not in a way that alienated the audience. I wasn't totally bought in to the main plot line with the 20 dates, but I am not sure I was supposed to be. I appreciated how the influencer wasn't characterized as a bimbo or clueless, but also not as brilliant or uniquely qualified. The characters were balanced, and I liked that. I would read another book from this author!

I have been an avid PCHH listener for years and have read both of Linda Holmes' other books so I was thrilled to receive this as an ARC from NetGalley. I loved Evie Drake but was not as enamored with Flying Solo (although I can still talk about that duck, so certainly can't claim that it didn't stick with me...). I listen to a ridiculous amount of podcasts so the storyline called my name and I was off.

Back After This is a definite return to the writing and storytelling I loved in her first book. I loved the banter and the FMCs attitude toward the predicament she finds herself in. I thought her willingness to reflect and find the lesson in what was happening was refreshing and the relationship that grew seemed real and genuine. It was a great read to start the new year and I hope that Holmes will write another.

I enjoyed picking up Linda Holmes latest thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine. I was a huge fan of Evvie Drake Starts Over and find Holmes to be a smart and thoughtful cultural writer and podcaster. It was fun to see her leaning into a world she knows and her banter/dialogue writing is top notch.

The premise of the book is that Cecily, a podcast producer in her mid-30s, ends up as part of a life-coach/dating show at the podcast network she works for where Eliza, the peak millennial life coach, sets her up on 20 blind dates. Simultaneously she has a meet cute with Will, who may or may not be a waste of Cecily’s time depending on who you ask. Rom-coms have happy endings and this is no different, but there’s enough other questions and conflict to keep the reader engaged.

While the premise seems a little far fetched to me, I also don’t really engage with dating show content so I was willing to go along with it and the conflict derived from the premise felt real. Besides banter, I think where the book succeeds is in the genuine relationships between characters—mess and all. Cecily and Will have a very organic chemistry, but Cecily’s relationship with Eliza, and its ups and downs, also felt very real. Eliza was dead on to a certain type of millennial woman that can be insufferable so kudos to Holmes for making her understandable. Cecily’s relationship with important peripheral characters also felt very 3D. I particularly appreciated the development of both Julie and her sister. Overall a solid 3.75 star fun, quick read I would recommend.

Thank you Netgalley for this DRC to read and review.

I have read Linda Holmes's (Holmes'?) other books, mainly because I enjoy listening to her on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. I didn't love those first two books, and I didn't necessarily love this one, but I definitely liked it more than her other books. I read it in about a day on the airplane during winter break.

The main character, Cecily (a fun name you don't see too much), is a podcast producer living in DC. She and her podcaster boyfriend Justin broke up and her workplace is teetering on collapse, so she's the perfect person (cough cough) to star in a new podcast with a popular Influencer/life coach in which she is set up with 20 guys for 20 dates. Cecily agrees to guinea pig herself reluctantly, only after setting up a deal with her jerky boss that if she does said podcast, she will be able to create her own podcast soon, her best friend's job will be saved, etc etc.

Meanwhile, Cecily meets cute with Will, a somewhat lost soul. Witty banter ensues (almost too much for my taste) and they start seeing each other as friends with benefits since Will is moving soon and Cecily is doing the dating podcast etc etc.

Mishaps, misunderstandings and a HEA. I don't read a ton of these type of books but I thought it was cute. I didn't love the psychoanalysis of Cecily at the end - show me, don't tell me. And I thought the inclusion of Cecily's oft-missing parents was kinda weird. But this was a pleasant read and interesting to learn how much work goes into podcasts.

3.5 stars