Back After This

Pub. date 2/25/25

I have pretty much given up on contemporary romance these days. Most so-called romcoms rely on overused tropes, unbelievable conflicts and/or forced humor. Fortunately, NPR podcaster Linda Holmes' third novel reminds me that there is still hope for the genre.

Cecily Foster is a skilled podcast producer and editor who has long yearned to trade her behind-the-scenes roles for a chance at the microphone. Her boss Theo dangles a double-edged hosting opportunity - a podcast about dating in which Cecily will also be the subject. The hook is that she will be coached by Eliza Cassidy, a successful influencer who has a no-nonsense strategy for finding a compatible life partner. Cecily is reluctant to waste her debut hosting effort on such a shallow topic, but she makes a deal with Theo: she'll go on 20 dates and discuss the experience on-air. In return, her next gig will be as podcast host on a topic of her choice, and she can bring along her favorite colleague as lead producer.

Right now you are probably thinking, oh no, not 300 pages of bad date hijinks! Fortunately, the entire dating process is a montage of brief anecdotes that are dispensed with in one chapter. The problem is that Cecily has already experienced a meet-cute with a great guy. He's a part-time photographer and waiter who crosses Cecily's path when he is chasing down a runaway Great Dane. (Fortunately Cecily wields a Mary Poppins-like purse that contains a jar of peanut butter, stopping the cow-sized dog in his tracks.) Cecily and Will Cecily banter adorably, and Fate keeps putting them in each other's path. But Cecily is committed to her 20 podcast dates, and laid-back Will is not ambitious enough for Cecily even if she were free to explore a possible relationship.

Back After This is wonderfully grounded, in contrast to the silly romcoms that I've encountered lately. Holmes' sense of humor is primarily cerebral not physical, and the characters, especially Cecily's protective but blunt older sister, feel like real people instead of romcom archetypes. Eliza could easily have come off as a shallow snake-oil saleswoman, but she's never villainized or minimized. Cecily herself is inarguably flawed, deluding herself that she knows what's best for the people she loves and is therefore justified in keeping secrets from them.

Holmes adds just enough information about the art of podcasting to keep things interesting without overwhelming readers with every minor detail. The sex scenes convey passion and connection without focusing on the mechanics. The novel's only minor misstep is the stereotyped Evil Ex, although his final comeuppance is admittedly delicious.

I follow the author on social media, but I never felt like Cecily was a thinly disguised version of herself (or at least the self she presents online). Holmes' Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast has a regular feature called “What's making us happy.” Back After This definitely deserves to be on that list.

ARC received from Net Galley and publisher in exchange for review.