Back After This

 

Back After This by Linda Holmes (2025) 304 pages

Cecily is a producer of audio podcasts for a company that sees its business model failing. Her boss, Toby, sees an opportunity to bring out a series that will help right the sinking ship. Cecily hasn't had a relationship since her last boyfriend dumped her, taking their shared podcast with him. She is being asked to work with relationship coach Eliza Cassidy on a series that will have Eliza setting Cecily up with 20 dates in order to find her a husband. Advertisers are lined up to support this program. It is not what Cecily really wants to do, but she agrees because she will be hosting, it will help save the job of one of her colleagues, and Toby has agreed to let her make a pilot for her own project after this is done.

As the series gets underway, Cecily runs into a guy she doesn't know, and helps him corral a Great Dane who had gotten away from his owner. Later she sees this guy, Will, again and again. He has had his own relationship woes, but he's funny and thoughtful and she is drawn to him, but knows that she needs to take the dating project seriously.

The characterizations are good and the dialogue feels real and is often funny. Readers get the inside scoop on audio project details from the author, who works for NPR. I liked the novel a lot, just as I liked a previous novel of Holmes', Evvie Drake Starts Over.