This review first appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Feb. 23, 2025

Back After This,” a novel by Linda Holmes, is centered around a premise that might make the bravest and boldest singles cower: Go on 20 blind dates in rapid succession.

At first, we get the feeling that podcast producer Cecily Foster is sort of sitting back, watching the world go by, absorbing the office chatter and oddities. So when her boss approaches her with the idea for a new series about modern dating following her dating life, she gives off the vibe that she’s not immediately interested, simply because she thinks it’s all just so absurd.

She does, though, want her boss off her back as well as the freedom to create the kinds of shows she wants. So while everything in her bristles at the prospect of a dating podcast, she is also painfully aware that her own projects are not getting green-lit. To appease the boss, she agrees to publicly document her romantic life.

But Cecily Foster is no fool – which elevates the storytelling in Holmes’ novel, as “Back After This” engages the most satisfying of all rom-com tropes: The revenge of the competent woman.

Cecily agrees to move forward but with several well-negotiated conditions – including protecting a friend’s job. But first, as a part of her boss’ conditions, she must meet with influencer, relationship coach and self-help guru (a rom-com staple these days) Eliza Cassidy, whose jovial, saccharine outlook on life would make anyone roll their eyes.

Eliza is a walking Instagram post, complete with filters. Still – Eliza is another capable woman. She’s unconventional but she gets the job done, and soon Cecily is ready to jump right into the dating game.

“Back After This” is replete with laughs, including a high-speed dog chase that ends with Cecily pulling a jar of peanut butter out of her bag to help the owner coax the dog back onto a leash. That’s when she meets Will, a photographer with immediate appeal.

There are also 20 other dates, which, while covered in the book, are much less a part of it than readers might expect. Linda Holmes, who is best known for her NPR podcast “Pop Culture Happy Hour,” as well as the books “Evvie Drake Starts Over” and “Flying Solo,” gives enough material to satisfy rom-com devotees and regular readers alike.

Holmes makes wry observations about the undercurrent of sexism in the media. At one point in Cecily’s office five men get together to talk about “supporting women in all the aspects of their lives.” The lack of situational awareness from the men might feel laugh-out-loud familiar to so many of us.

The insider baseball is appreciated. Holmes, a former attorney and public radio celebrity, knows the ins and outs of broadcast media and podcasting, as is apparent by the meticulous details that are woven into the story.

The in-office scenes, antics and well-formed characters feel real, although the novel feels more dialogue heavy than most romantic comedies. Still – exchanges between characters are effective, useful and authentic. Readers might wonder if the conversations are based in reality.

The story took this joyfully-consenting reader on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, as Cecily struggles with her own inner voice, as she thinks about Will while going on other dates, and as she considers Eliza’s guiding influence (it’s what influencers do).

Cecily’s adventures also force her to reckon with her past without sacrificing levity. For example, an ex-boyfriend, coworker and radio show host, Justin, has a tattoo on his forearm of a sound wave – copied from a recording of his own voice.

“His name you heard at the beginnings of shows; mine was a name you heard at the end,” Cecily muses. They were not, it turned out, on the same wavelength.

Anyone who has ever had to wade through well-meaning advice from too many people will relate to this book. And anyone who prefers a journey of self discovery (and likes their “com” without as much “rom”) should find their way to “Back After This.”