Slightly slow start but well worth the investment. I really enjoyed the female main character and the growth that she experienced in finding her own voice and also still showing passion for her career. The meet cute and the ability to grow with other characters was also developed well. Overall, I really think the author did a good job in expressing what this world look like. As I hardly know anything about what goes into it I now feel like I’m an expert in podcast publishing an engineering.

This is a fun and modern rom-com. Very likeable characters with the backdrop of podcasts. I fell in love with Cecily and was rooting for her happiness!

This book didn’t hold my attention the way I hoped it would. It sometimes moved too slowly and went off on unnecessary tangents that could have been edited out. I liked our main characters, Cecily and Will, but we never got to know Will. I did not feeel chemistry between Cecily and Will. It might have landed better if we had a His and Hers POV in the narration. And though we were not supposed to judge Will for his lack of direction in life, it was brought up so often that I felt we were supposed to judge him.

I’m not a fan of reality TV, so I’m not sure what drew me to this book about a Podcast where a woman goes on 20 blind dates curated by a lifestyle coach to help her find “Love.” I think because I enjoyed Evvie Drake, I thought this would draw me in, too.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Evvie Drake was a home run read for me. Since then, though, I just haven't connected with Holmes. Hoping this would be great, I was so excited to read the ARC. It was good. I enjoyed the characters a lot. I however had a hard time connecting to the podcast aspect of the book- which was a large important part of the whole storyline. So while I liked it, that disconnect was hard for me. Holmes is staying on my list of auto reads... even if this wasn't my favorite by her.

I loved the banter in this one. Working in a male dominated field, I related a lot to some of the ways in which Cecily's work was represented or even taken with little to no credit. I really enjoyed Cecily and I liked Will right from the start and was hoping the escaped dog wouldn't be the last time we saw him.

I didn't love the 20 date story line, but since it was there, I wanted more from them. I feel like that was such a huge part of the plot, but the dates were wrapped up in a few pages.

Overall, I thought this was good, but I liked Evvie Drake more and felt like I couldn't rate the same.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

This book started off a bit slow, but the ending completely won me over! It’s a sweet and engaging rom-com that’s guaranteed to give you all the warm and fuzzy feelings. The characters were charming, and the story left me smiling by the end. A delightful read for fans of lighthearted romance!

This was way more fun that I thought it would be. The beginning is pretty slow with a lot of details about podcasting, but I loved the humorous discussions between the characters and they all felt a little real. Would definitely recommend for rom-com with some fun. I"ll look for more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Cecily works at a floundering podcast company. Her boss wants her to make a podcast with a woman who is becoming a life coach and will set her up on 20 blind dates in hopes of finding a keeper. Cecily hates self-help stuff but thinks it's the best way to protect her and a few coworkers jobs and also set her up to be able to produce a podcast of her choosing. Unfortunately, she keeps running into a waiter/photographer who she has instant chemistry with. Surely exploring things with him on the DL while also dating people for her show won't lead to disaster...

It was an enjoyable story about growth and going after what you really want.

First off thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review ARCs.

****REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS****

Ok…where to start…this book….wasn’t my favorite. I had high hopes for it because I LOVE podcasts. And I want to start by saying I loved the concept of this book and the idea that she learned from her “guru” even though it wasn’t the intended lesson! However that’s where it ended. Ultimately I feel as though the book didn’t really go with the blurb in the sense that the book actually wasn’t about her dating at all.

There were only short blurbs about each person she went on dates with. The most detailed one (including the 2nd and 3rd date with the only one prospect of 20 she agreed to) was the “practice date.” I really wanted to feel like I was listening to her podcast and a viewer in that sense but it felt like the actual podcast was kept at an arms distance the whole time.

I felt no real connection to the characters. Maybe Cecily but it was very surface level. I understand trying to portray Eliza as an “influencer” and whatever stereotypical ideals come with that however she was just a b!tch and no matter how many times she said “I truly want you to be happy” it never once felt genuine.

Almost every “serious” conversation between characters felt disingenuous and forced. As did the initial scene of Will showing up at Cecily’s house. I feel like there was only ever a surface level conversation/connection with them and then all of a sudden she was in love with him.

Again I did like that she learned something for Eliza even though it wasn’t the intended message and that she stood up for herself and left her job and was no longer a doormat. I do also wish the ending had a little more substance. Instead of just being “yea I’m doing some stuff now and it’s fine. Everything’s fine.”

Podcaster Cecily has been roped into doing a dating podcast that will require her to go on 20 blind dates with men selected by a dating coach. This is a problem because she's also just had a meet cute with Will, and they keep bumping into each other. In addition to relatable and fun characters, snappy dialogue, and a well-developed sense of place in the DC area; this novel explores the delicate, not always healthy, balance of what we owe to our jobs, our loved ones, and ourselves.

Linda Holmes' novels are always a guaranteed great time. She takes what could be a tired trope you might find in another book or in some random rom-com and elevates it with wit and realism. Her people are not only real but truly people I would want to be friends with. I only wish this book was longer.

Tropes: friends to lovers, bachelorette type dating show, podcasting
This book started out slow for me but I ended up loving it! Cecily is an overworked producer at an audio studio and is told she would get the opportunity to produce her own show if she does a dating/self help show to improve ratings. She ends up doing it, but at the same time as she's engaging in the process of going on dates for the show she meets someone on her own! She is told to not get involved with them because it would hurt the show but she doesn't listen! I related a lot to this book in regards to how Cecily was treated at her job and what it means to find yourself!

A sweet, engaging rom-com guaranteed to give you the warm and fuzzies!
Cecily works at a company that produces podcasts. Her boss shares an idea for her that he insists will save the company from having to do layoffs or worse. Well… with an intro like that how can she possibly say no?

She may have been wise to do so!

Cecily is partnered up with a popular influencer who now totes herself as a life and dating coach. She boldly claims she can set Cecily up for a successful relationship. Cecily agrees to 20 blind dates with the expectation true love will bloom from one of these dates. Oh, did I mention everything will be recorded and dissected for the world to listen to?

Before there was online dating...Think of the popular show, “Married at first sight” but here you meet at a restaurant instead of the alter. All you know is a name and maybe an occupation. No texting before-hand. No swiping. You rely on a trusted friend or relative to set you up with someone they know. A bit old school, but it works. It’s how I met my husband.

But just as the dates are getting started Cecily meets Will, who just happens to be running past her apartment, chasing a huge Great Dane.
Of course, the universe keeps putting the two together. So how can Cecily concentrate on her project of meeting Mr. Right when Will seems to be everything she could hope for?

I enjoyed both Cecily and Wills’ characters. Their banter was fun and refreshing and as a devoted dog lover, the Great Dane known as Buddy stole my heart.🐶

There was quite a bit of shop talk as we got to learn everything about the audio and podcast world. Maybe a bit too much. I’d have rather had more scenes with Buddy and less about podcast production.

Overall, I enjoyed this latest release by Linda Holmes. A light, fun and non-spicy rom-com. I needed a break from my thrillers and this one fit the bill perfectly!

Linda Holmes is a must-read for me. This one started slowly for me, and actually I was worried I wasn't going to love it about 50 pages in. When you start, you're still learning a lot about podcasts, and Cecily seems kind of stressed and sad. She really needs a win, and she gets convinced (or convinces herself?) to do something that she doesn't really want to do: make a podcast about dating. She meets with a relationship coach named Eliza who sends her on 20 dates. But of course, while this is all happening, Cecily keeps running into Will. He's not at all what she's looking for: he is a photographer and waiter, and headed out of town soon, but he's SO KIND and funny and they hit it off from the start. Seriously, I love Will. He's probably my favorite Linda Holmes MMC. This book also has some serious themes about what it means to be brave and speak your mind, what it means to stick up for yourself and not always just try to protect others. Cecily has growing up to do, and I love the way Holmes shows this in the book. Of course, I ended up loving this one, and maybe even more because it took a while for me to fall into it. The magic of a really great book.


Thank you NetGalley for the free digital galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much for the review copy. I look forward to reading more books by Holmes. I learned a lot about podcasts. I like the cover.

I enjoyed this book, started slow but then I couldn’t put down. I liked the sister relationship, the job details and the relationship with Will. I was glad the coach was generally three dimensional and not just an evil villain and that you kind of ended up liking her well enough. Toby was a realistic bad boss. Overall clever writing and good read!

This was a fun read with cool insights on the audio/podcasting world. Cecily is such a relatable FMC with her drive in her career and her desire for love. The dating coach podcast idea is unique and it's fun to see her female friendship with her coach and colleague. And Will... such a sweet and earnest MMC. Read if you enjoy stories with lots of character building and learning to love yourself and others for who they are. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Back After This was a fun and romantic read about a podcast producer who opens up her love life to the world as the star of a new show.

I thought that the characters in the book were very vibrant, the setting was picturesque, and the story as a whole was interesting and well-executed. The plot was unique in many ways, which can be hard to accomplish in a romance novel. The love interest also felt unique, another difficult feat to accomplish.

I also thought the world of audio production was fascinating to read about, and I appreciated seeing the author's expertise in the area shine through.

Overall, a well-done romance book that I would recommend to anyone!

The heart of this story centers around reinvention. How do we know who we really are? When we’ve found “the one”? When we’ve “made it”? Cecily and Will are a perfectly imperfect match who literally collide their way into being. You will be equally charmed by their missteps and successes, as they bump their way to a well fought, but easy kind of love. I loved the “inside baseball” aspect of getting to know the world of podcasting, and it made for some very fun and equally despicable characters. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

Back After This is a smart, fun, and sweet rom-com of a book. Cecily, usually on the tech side of podcasts, finds herself the reluctant star of a podcast dating show. Meanwhile, she keeps running into a cute guy - and his dog - who is decidedly not on the list of guys she’s supposed to be interested in. Navigating what her hearts wants in love and in work, Cecily has to finally be truly honest with herself without knowing where she’ll land.

As an avid NPR and podcast listener, and podcaster myself, this was especially fun because of the behind-the-scenes aspect of podcasting. But I think anyone who enjoys a fun and light romance with relatable characters will enjoy this book, plus get a peek at what happens behind your favorite podcasts.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing an ARC of this book for review!