I Think They Love You

by Julian Winters

Sometimes fake dating your ex can turn into a second chance.

When Denzel “Denz” Carter’s workaholic father and CEO of 24 Carter Gold unexpectedly announces his retirement, the competition is on for who will become his successor. To convince his judgmental family members that Denz is capable of commitment he impulsively lies about being in a serious relationship. Problem is the last serious relationship he was in hung him high and dry after leaving the continent.

Now Denz needs to find a fake boyfriend to bring to family functions and seal the deal on the CEO position. To do so he enlists the help of his best friend and roommate, Jamie. Someone his family already accepts in their inner circle. But when his BFF is a no-show, Denz is forced to turn to the last person he wants to be in a pretend (or any) relationship Braylon, the man who broke his heart.

Braylon’s sudden reappearance in Denz’s life turns everything upside down. But apparently, he needs Denz’s connections to the mayor to win his own promotion and Denz is currently up a creek without a paddle. So, they strike a deal. It’s all business, but between the funny texts and the confusing kisses soon enough Denz is struggling to separate business from the affairs of his heart.

In Julian Winters's I think They Love You, sometimes fake dating your way to success can mean finding the second chance at love you've needed all along.

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Contemporary, Queer, Audiobook, Fake Dating, Fiction

327 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 28, 2025

About the author

Julian Winters is the author of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Gold Award-winning Running With Lions; the Junior Library Guild Selections How to Be Remy Cameron and The Summer of Everything; and the forthcoming Right Where I Left You. A self-proclaimed comic book geek, Julian currently lives outside of Atlanta, where he can be found reading or watching the only two sports he can follow—volleyball and soccer..

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Reviews

[Shawnaci Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5
- This book needs so much more hype! It was such a fun and easy read, but you also get to dive into deeper topics surrounding family and following your heart which added the perfect level of depth to the story.
- I’ve never read anything by this author and hadn’t even heard of his work until this new release which is WILD. BRB going to binge their other books.
- I love a good fake dating trope when it’s done well and this was written so perfectly. Loved it!!

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not me hiding my Kindle during the steamy parts and hiding my tears during the heartfelt serious moments while on a plane (the laughter I figured I could get away with). This book has it all.

I’ll admit I originally grabbed this title for the cover. Second chance romances are hit and miss for me, but I like the fake dating trope and so was curious how this would play out and how much I’d enjoy it. I ended up loving it! The handling of both tropes was done so well and every character (including the side characters) had rich and complex personalities along with growth. I wouldn’t mind seeing a companion book with a different character as I didn’t want to say goodbye to any of them.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[Gaby · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are so many things I disliked about this book that I'm mad at past me for choosing to read it. However, if I'm honest, I just picked it up because I wanted the badge for the Rainbow Reads, and the cover was colourful.

Of all the things that annoy me when I read a book, shitty/overbearing/toxic families has to be in my top 3 and "The Carters" were the perfect trifecta making them a horrible family.

Why is the author expecting me to believe that a random family in Atlanta, who owns an Event planning company would be famous enough to be followed by Paparazzi to the point of having them dig through their garbage, like what? I know this is fiction, but come on, it has to be at least somewhat believable. They are not the Kardashians!

The book is all told from Denzel's call me "Denz" (even if in my head I kept reading "dense") POV, he is the social media director of his family's Event planning company, where his sister is a planning coordinator and his Dad is the CEO who suddenly announces his retirement and randomly decides to have his children compete against each other to be the next CEO. Now, that is pretty standard family-own business (I guess), but this book also had obnoxious overbearing aunts whose only purpose in this story was to diminish the main character via his fashion sense (?) and his single status, because if you are 25 and not in a serious relationship that automatically means you don't take life seriously and ergo you cannot have a high position managing the company, like don't we all know only people in committed relationships are good CEOs? Duh!🤦🏻‍♀️

Enter ex-boyfriend Braylon, who lived in London for 3 years and has been back in Atlanta for 2 years, but SOMEHOW he has a full-on British accent with a lot of "initss" and "ellos" because obviously why not? I'm sorry but after the whole paparazzi thing that is the 2nd most ridiculous aspect of this book, you don't just drop the accent you've had your whole life because you lived somewhere also for a couple of years, more so if you are back in your home town, like it most likely 99% would go back to what it was.

Somehow, they enter a fake-dating scheme that has more plot holes than a highway in a third-world country (trust me, I know) where they maybe interact a total of 5 times and BAM! they are obviously in love again. The whole reason of their original break-up was the most meh ever, Bray got a job in the UK, asked Denz to go with him, Denz pretended it didn't happen because he didn't want to leave his life filled with luxury and shitty family dynamics and when Bray left to pursue his dreams he was treated as the worst villain ever for breaking up with him, umm excuse me, what else should he have done?

To top it all off, after reading all this and seeing how bad Denz's Dad is, we get the most random moment where he tells Denz he has to pursue his happiness in the complete opposite of his actions through this book.

This book annoyed me greatly. I Hate It Here; may lower the rate to 1 star.

[Savvy Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐️ 3.5/5 🌶️

Omg I devoured this book! 😍🌶️😍

This was such a lighthearted, cutesy second chance/fake dating romcom. There were themes of queer community, personal growth, big family, love, and forgiveness. These heavier themes are well-balanced with humor and characters felt real in their flaws and quirks. Honestly, this was so easy to digest with a lovable cast, I could see it becoming a film-adaptation.

This book has:
•Achillean romance
•BIPOC MMCs and supporting characters
•BIPOC Author
•Second chance romance
•Fake dating
•Big, intrusive family dynamics and Gossiping Aunties
•One bed
•Genuinely funny banter
•The Spice🌶️🥵

Anticipated Publication Date: January 28, 2025

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for this eGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ayyy, another second chance romance that worked for me!! The fake dating really did a lot of the heavy lifting, but we move.

This was such an enjoyable listen, I loved the romance and wasn't even bothered by the fact that they were exes. The family drama was entertaining too, but Denz deserved better, he wasn't allowed to make a single mistake, while everyone else was.

The one thing I'd change is making this dual PoV, but I also think Bray was developed enough to not necessarily need his own perspective, it just would've been nice to have more insight.

Also the accent thing...I mean I get it, but it should've been a mishmash of American and British, because I kept forgetting the man wasn't from tea and crumpets land originally every time he was on page.

Anyway, this author is now on my radar, I'll be reading more of his books in the future.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

"You can spend a lifetime with someone, and they never fail to surprise you with another side of themselves."

~ Rating: 3.25 stars 🌟 ~

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters was my first read by this author. A sexy mlm contemporary romance with tropes like fake dating, only one bed and my personal favorite, second-chance, I was very excited to read this one and it fortunately didn't disappoint.

↪ BOOK SUMMARY:

When Denzel “Denz” Carter’s workaholic father and CEO of 24 Carter Gold unexpectedly announces his retirement, the competition for who will become his successor is between Denz and his sister. When his family questions his commitment, Denz pretends to be in a serious relationship, and tries to find a fake boyfriend to seal the deal. He asks help from his best friend, Jamie, who his family already knows and loves, but when Jamie doesn't show, Denz unexpectedly agrees to pretend date Braylon, the man who broke his heart, in exchange to help Braylon connect with the mayer.

↪ WHAT I LIKED:

● I quite liked the plot of the book. Unlike most books I read with the 'fake dating' and 'second chance' tropes, this book had a good valid reason for the characters previous break-up and the need for them to curently fake date.
● I also thought the writing was good. This book is certainly easy to binge, and each time I picked it up I was reading big chuks of it quickly.
● The characters were also good and each of them had a good storyline that was well thought out. I also felt the romance was cute.

↪ WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

● I didn't like the extended family characters. While they were realistic in some ways, I personally found them a bit boring.
● I also think this book could have benefited from dual POV a lot and would have made the romance way stronger.

In conclusion, I Think They Love You was a good read. While I didn't love it as much as I hoped, I would recommend it if you're looking for a romance to breeze through.

"You were my home. You are my home."

Reviewed on 30th March, 2025.
P.S.- Finally wrote a longer review after years!! What do you think of this new format?

DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.

How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/ was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/ was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/ was average / Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/ new favourite

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Julian Winters' YA books for years, so I was highly anticipating his adult romance debut, and I really enjoyed it! I was afraid the setting would feel very tense and stressful, since the story is set around Denz's family's company and him trying to become the next CEO, but his family was a lot nicer than I expected, even though they were intense. There were many funny moments and the writing was really fun as well, which really added to the romcom feel. I liked Denz as a main character, and I liked seeing him grown from someone who's frankly pretty self-absorbed into someone with a little more consideration for others. I liked the romance as well - I'm a sucker for a second chance romance, and they had a lot of lovely scenes together. I do wish Braylon had been a little more fleshed out though, because in the end, I don't feel like I know him super well. I think this book could have benefitted from being dual POV.

[Frank Socha (franksforeword) · Rating 5 out of 5]

NATURALLY Julian writes another book that has me squealing and kicking my feet. And naturally he writes another book where the couple has occupied every bit of space in my head ever since I finished the book. And naturally he writes another book that y’all are gonna get sick of me talking about. BECAUSE I LOVED IT SO MUCH AND NEED EVERYONE TO READ IT.

Reason 1: CHARACTER. DEVELOPMENT. Listen, I need some growth in my books. Some sort of change for the better. Big moves. DRAMA. Maybe a dash of heartbreak in there somewhere but it’s ok because it was meant to be this way. This DID that. Denz pivots into a ton more responsibility. Realizes a lot about himself. Has some very serious heart-to-hearts. Braylon jets off to London and discovers new passions, cleans up his act, cooks, and gets a sexy accent. HELLO. Swoon.

Reason 2: SIDE. CHARACTERS. Y’all know what my favorite book is and this cast was very much giving that. Kami gave me such June vibes and I was eating out of her HAND. Every single Carter family member contributed to this world and plot Julian developed and it all just CLICKED. Everyone stood out, I felt every single person’s purpose in the storyline, and it gave us the banterest banter to ever BAN. TER. Can I be a Carter?

Reason 3: FAMILY. DYNAMIC. Like I said, so much of the Carter fam had roles in this story and it was so addictive! Personalites across the board to include the best sister award, boisterous Aunties, a mom who is literally a lifeline, a dad who only wants the best for his kids, even when they’re his employees, a best friend who is the absolute best shoulder to lean on, a certain cousin who may be into said best friend, and so much more. So again, can I be a Carter?

Reason 4: WHOLE. PICTURE. We get glimpses into the past throughout the book and I LOVE THAT SHIT! It’s not actual shit, it’s gold. I love gold. But getting a peek into what happened in the past, to play into this character development, to see why Denz and Braylon act the way they do, and thus root for them even harder is just captivating. We get fully developed characters, who they are, who they WERE, and who they’re aiming to be which makes me just wanna squeeze them and pinch their cute little cheeks (either set) ;)

There’s more than four reasons, but I’ll let you discover the others. Yay Julian! And thank you so much to St. Martins Griffin for the gifted ARC :)

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding up from three and a half stars. On the surface, I loved this. The main characters are charming and endearing. The secondary characters are interesting and varied. The connection in the main relationship is solid. I enjoyed the big complicated family and even liked some of the secondary family drama storylines. I loved that this was a world where there appears to be zero homophobia.

Digging a little deeper, this book required a truly extraordinary suspension of disbelief. Part of my profession involves event planning and I just could not buy a lot of the stuff around the job, the family's celebrity status and the whole CEO search premise. I could also have done without the ample pop culture references, name dropping and wealth flaunting. The whole thing was a little bit formulaic and there were a couple of weird continuity things and the overuse of some devices.

But, when I leaned into the romcom-inness, I was able to just enjoy. And ultimately it was very successful in giving me warm and fuzzy feelings, which made it a lot easier to overlook the things that didn't work for me. I certainly liked this enough to check out the author's other work, including the potential Jordan and Jamie sequel bait.

I received a digital and audio Advance Reader Copies from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

[summer⁎ ˚ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"i love you, denzel. all of you. all the time."

i LOVED this!!!!! with fake dating, second chance, and a cast of phenomenal characters, what isn't to love???? FAKE DATING YOUR EX????? sign me up

i loved the family in this book so much. they really took care of each other and were so so kind to each other. denz was so open emotionally with his family and i loved their dynamic. denz and his sisters relationship was SO special!!!! when his mom held him towards the end i ached ❤️‍🩹

i love the backdrop of them fake dating during work scenes and while denz is trying so hard to become ceo. his insecurities in not being good enough and trying so hard to fit into a mold that ejects him, and him realizing and accepting and choosing himself, was done so well. he really believed he wasn't good enough and i just wanted to hug him so badly. 🩷

i adored bray and denz' relationship. i loved how raw and realistic they felt and the problems that went wrong for them. and listen they were HOTTTT🥵🥵 they both grew and learned how to communicate with each other. denz family's love for braylon was also so so precious 😭😭

can we please talk about denz and jamie's relationship too.... the healthiest friendship if id ever seen one. i love how jamie would cuddle him when he was upset. toxic masculinity was NOT FOUND!!!!

i recommend this for anyone who loves fake dating and second chance!!! 💘💘

[Shelby (catching up on 2025 reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I THINK THEY LOVE YOU by Julian Winters

Huge thanks to @stmartinspress @smpromance & @dreamscape_media for my #gifted copies 🫶🏼

📖 I Think They Love You follows Denz, who yearns to be taken seriously in his family's event planning business, as he's vying to succeed his father and become CEO. What better way to show his maturity and commitment to stability than to tell them about his serious relationship? There's only one problem. Denz isn't actually in a relationship, serious or otherwise. Enter Braylon — Denz's ex who broke his heart years ago. Braylon's back in town, and agrees to a mutually beneficial fake dating arrangement to help both of them advance their careers. But when old feelings resurface, the lines between pretend and real start to blur.

💭 Blending humor, heart and heat, Julian Winters delivers a knockout adult debut! While fake dating arrangements are always a hard sell, I really appreciate the second chance component here. Denz and Braylon are well-crafted, realistic protagonists, and I enjoyed the rekindling of their relationship and the way they worked through past hurts. All in all, this is a heartfelt contemporary romance that I'd recommend!

🎧 I listened to this one, and loved the narration! André Santana knocked it out of the park, with easily distinguishable voices for the two leads and side characters.

📌 Available now!

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cute.
I am not a big fan of second chance romances because the original break up is usually over something ridiculous.
This one though?
I get it and I am here for the redemption!
Add in some fake dating and I was practically salivating.
Denz & Braylon were everything for me and then the author threw in some entertaining family drama and my heart nearly exploded.
I will 100% be looking for more from Julian Winters!
Much love to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for my ARC.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The chokehold this book has on me 😭🥹🥹🥹

Also I will personally sue Hollywood if they don't turn this into the romcom of the century!!

[Laura A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Denzel is hoping for a promotion in his family's business. He convinces his ex boyfriend to pretend they ate still seeing each other. I enjoyed this book

[gracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was amazing. I loved all the characters, loved the story and loved how Andre Santana's narration brought them all to life. I rarely laugh at jokes in books but I cackled multiple times during this. I wish I could experience it all over again already.

[Angie Miale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Denz Carter is a part of a successful family enterprise, 24 Carter Magic, and his dad is getting ready to retire. But who will he choose as his successor? Denz is a moderately successful influencer on his own, @notthatdenzel, and the setting is high end Atlanta. Denz's ex-boyfriend Braylon is the one that got away, in college they fell in love but Bray chose to move to London and did not invite Denz to move with him. Now, years later, he has a chance meeting with Bray that led to a mutually beneficial situation of fake dating- Bray is using Denz to get a better relationship and connection to the mayor, and Denz will use Bray to look more settled in life and more likely to be named as his father's successor.

This is a good and typical romance, high spice level from an adult debut, with many typical tropes that are loved; second chance romance, fake dating, one bed. I was gifted the audiobook version in exchange for an honest review. For me this didn't work as well on audio, the pacing didn't lend itself well to it. When the book is published I will re-read the paperback. I didn't find the spark between the characters like I usually do and the plot itself sort of fell flat. I did love the set up and the premise, and the side characters really stole the show, some of the side characters had some really funny lines. And what beautiful cover art!

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape medial for an ALC in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published January 28, 2025.

[Rey]

I have to preface this review by saying that I DNF'd this book at 88%.

This book started out well, I did quite like the initial introductions to all the different characters. Unfortunately the more I read the more issues I had, particularly with most of said characters.

I did and still do like Denzel. I think this book does do a good job of creating complex and interesting characters. Most of these characters had conflicting traits which added a depth to them that I think made them more realistic and relatable.

My main thought when reading this book is that I wish it would've been dual pov. I felt like I had no reason to like Braylon, either than him being the love interest. I wanted to get to know and understand why he did the things he did from his own thoughts and feelings. I could never get a read on him. Every change in their relationship felt very abrupt to me for this reason.

The other issue I had is more of a personal peeve. Most of Denzel's family was so continuously unsupportive of him and I was tired of it. I have a feeling that his job worries/issues are probably solved at the end of this book but I just could not sit through it anymore.

Ultimately, in no way do I think that this is a bad book but it was definitely not a book to my taste. If you're still interested in reading it I encourage you to give it a shot.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC :)

[Rasa || beviltiska_romantike · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem! Sweet, funny, sparkling, spicy story about second chances, working in your family business, fake dating and finding your way in life. The fact that I'm not big on gatherings, parties and other big events, but was eagerly listening about organizing such events, speaks volumes. I absolutely loved it! Since the story is narrated solely from Denz's POV, it took some time to warm to Braylon, the love interest, but when it happened, I was sold, what a lovely couple. And I had so much fun while listening to the audiobook, kudos to the narrator, great job. 4.5/5

[thosemeddlingkids · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am pleasantly surprised!

I don't always love office romances or the second chance trope, but this pulled it off really well. Loved the slightly overbearing family and even their group chats. Thought the chemistry was awesome for the leads.

Excellent writing - flashbacks are hard to do and these did not come off clunky or as a plot device. They were very woven in which was awesome. I am happily surprised that this kind of took some tropes and general plot devices and made them more unique.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

These messy, lost characters completely stole my heart. Fantastic right-person-wrong-time, second chance romance.

Despite Denz always knowing he'd end up working for his family's event business, he is struggling to find his place at work. Determined to prove that he's not completely irresponsible and unreliable, he joins the competition to take over as CEO after his father's sudden retirement... and accidentally tells everyone he has a serious boyfriend.

When Braylon, his ex and only long term boyfriend, shows up at just the right time, Denz convinces him to be his fake boyfriend. Now wrapped up in a fake dating scheme, unresolved feelings emerge making the whole thing feel a little less fake.

Denz is a disaster main character in the best way. His unsureness in himself leads him to make a lot of mistakes and bad choices. But his heart is almost always in the right place. Braylon is his total opposite but the one person who seems to unwaveringly believe in him.

I loved the Carter's family dynamic. Despite the bickering and misunderstandings, they all clearly loved each other deeply. I just loved how realistic all of their relationships felt.

I did listen to this entire book on audio and the narrator André Santana did a fantastic job - even with Braylon's slight British accent in present day vs his lack of one in the past chapters.

Overall I just really loved this romance. I love a messy yet relatable characters and this hit that stride perfectly. I'm so excited Julian Winters is expanding to adult romances and I can't wait to read his next release!

[Andrea van der Meer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing book, 4/5 stars! I loved the characters and the plot. There was real depth added to the story, though I do think the characters could have used just a bit more development to feel fully complete.

This book deserves way more attention than it’s getting. After all, you can’t go wrong with the fake-dating plot.

[Jordan Fischer | julietfoxreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG y'all, I LOVED this book! I've been a fan of Julian Winters for a while - he's an Atlanta local and I run into him all the time at book events here. I was THRILLED when I saw that he was writing an adult romance and jumped at the chance to read I Think They Love You. AND I got to team up with my Atlanta book bestie Jocelyn for a buddy read - so freaking fun! While this book has some romcom vibes, I ended up getting super emotional over the end. If you love second chance, fake dating, or crazy family shenanigans, you NEED to read this one!

While I LOVED chaotic Denz from the beginning, it took me a while to come around to Braylon. Denz is still reeling over their breakup at the beginning of the story - he refuses to seriously date and is basically married to his job with his family's event planning company. When they randomly run into each other (twice!) five years later, you can FEEL the tension. However, a mutually beneficial agreement leads them to decide to fake date for a few months, and it's basically all over after that. EVERYONE can tell they are falling for each other again, and after they hook up for the first time, I was sold. Their fake dating rapidly evolves into some pretty swoony (and spicy) situations that had me rooting for them to FINALLY figure things out HARD.

In addition to Denz and Braylon's romance, I loved that Denz's close-knit extended family who ALL work for the family business play SUCH an important part of the story. I got very invested in their dynamics too, and I'm SUPER excited to hear that there might be a future book with some side characters I really loved. I'm so thrilled to have had the chance to read this awesome adult debut, and I HIGHLY recommend checking it out!

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

To preface this, I haven't actually read any of Winters' YA books, so this was my first introduction to this author, and it did not disappoint. Fake dating weighted with the significance of doing so with your ex? It's a premise that's ripe for drama, but also the achy return of long-buried feelings that can come back instantaneously when you lay eyes on the one who originally got away with your heart. Plus, I'm never not going to be biased in favor of an Atlanta-set romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Sophie (lambsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“How would having sex in front of your colleagues—your family—make our fake relationship more legitimate?”

4.25 stars

Denz is hoping for a promotion to CEO at his family's company, and to avoid looking like he can’t commit to things, he starts fake dating his ex who broke his heart.

Shit, when did starting a simple conversation with someone who’s seen you naked become the toughest part of my day?

* Cue all the resulting drama of a fake-dating rom-com *

He’s always avoided dating apps. Being gay and Black isn’t the easiest thing to navigate in online spaces. Why voluntarily sign up for people to showcase their racism or fetishism while hiding behind a fake profile pic? No, thanks.

This was cute and emotional! I liked how their relationship progressed, since it was a second-chance trope too, their banter, and the side characters were likable.

“Nephew,” she says mid-guffaw, “you’ve had some slipups before, but this truly drags the bar straight to hell.”
“I know.” He squares his shoulders. “I need your help.”
“You need Jesus.”

I didn’t like his extended family, I dunno if that’s like standard family behaviour, I don’t have a family like that, but I found them so rude and intrusive. I thought it would be this nice family-featuring book but instead their parts just annoyed me lmao I liked his mom and sister tho, but on the fence about his dad. He was shitty for most of the book.

ALSO, no one lives in a foreign country and picks up an accent after a few years. Come on.

Other than that, super enjoyable and I would recommend it!

“I need an expert.”
“Wow. Is that a compliment?”
“Is it working? Would it help if I said please?”
“Only if you get on your knees too.” He didn’t mean for it to sound so . . . suggestive. “What I meant to say is—”
“You’re into groveling?” Braylon flexes an eyebrow.
“Are you kink-shaming me?”

Thank you St. Martin’s Press/Griffin, NetGalley, and the author for this ARC!

It’s been rooted in each of them since they were little: Work hard. Never settle for average. Be the best version of yourself whether you think anyone’s paying attention or not, because when you’re a Black professional, they’re always watching.

[Christopher O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being predictable and following many romcom tropes, it went with the story as the main character Denz absolutely loves romcoms. I mooted the dynamics between Denz and his family, as well as the relationship between him and Braylon. Definitely a great book to read to escape the shitstorm reality we’re currently experiencing.

[Kyrah · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️2.75

Ok so, I think I hate books with rich people in them (actually any media at this point). It’s hard to relate to a character that thinks living in a bungalow was a simpler life than living in a 7 bedrooms house. I honestly think it’s because of the political and economical state of the world right now (thanks Jaden). Also, I don’t know if anyone caught that, but to make a rich character more likeable and less of a dick, there has to be a mention of them giving money to charities, complaining about wasting money or hanging out with sick kids in a hospital. If you’re lucky, its all of them combined.

Plus, idk if it was intentional but, every luxury brand was mentioned in this book. You couldn’t go as far as 2 pages without a reminder that these mf were rich. At this point, they could simply be breathing and you’d need to know that they are breathing unfiltered air or something.

I’m ok with reading books about annoying characters or unlikable characters, but Denz was a narcissistic prick. Everything always had to go back him. All I heard was "me, I". He couldn’t even tell that his best friend was into his cousin. Like dude, I guessed that shit the moment they talked about the other. Also, making Braylon look like a bad guy when he gave you 6 mf weeks to make a decision to go with him is insane. Being mad at him for choosing his life, when he gave you an opening to follow him, is mental. He was awful to everyone and somehow they were the ones that had to apologize smh.

Furthermore, I think the flashbacks to their past relationship would’ve been really interesting if 90% of the information wasn’t shared by Denz. It’s ok to let us question what happened. I like not knowing anything and then getting a flashback. It makes you want to read them, since you know nothing of their past.

Apart from that, I liked the family dynamic, the banter between Denz and Braylon was fun and Jamie I love you king.

P.s. The english accent thing was lowkey awful. Man sounded like those girls in high school that went to Barcelona for 2 weeks and started to spontaneously develop an accent.

[Caz]

DNF - no star rating.

Tapping out at 20%. I haven't wanted to pick this up in almost 3 days which is not a good sign. What I've read so far is dull and predictable - I think 20% is enough to be able to tell it's not going to get better.

[Jordyn Roesler | Sorry, Booked Solid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, learning about the event-planning company that this MC's family owns, and also getting to know the history between our MC and the love interest. I love second-chance romances that make it clear there is a lot tying the two characters together, and this had that. I enjoyed the second half less, largely because the whole subplot of our MC trying to become CEO of his father's company just felt really unrealistic to me and like our MC was severely under-qualified. The romance portions I did enjoy, but it did definitely stay in fun and steamy territory rather than deeply emotional which is where I prefer my romances to go. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fake dating and second-chance romance tropes and thinks they would enjoy reading about expensive, lavish events that this MC works on as an event planner.

[Maci · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid reader, I often find myself disappointed in books, frequently giving out 3 to 4-star ratings and then wondering what's next. However, this book was my fifth five-star read of the year, and it had so much depth and so many levels. I absolutely loved all the details. The characters were very complex and had a lot of drive. It was truly a beautiful story. The main characters, Denzel and Braylon, bump into each other at a coffee shop after being separated for five years. Following an embarrassing encounter, they find themselves fake dating to convince Denzel’s parents that he is the right choice for their family company's next CEO position. There were so many unexpected twists, and until the end, I wasn't sure how it was going to unfold. I think this book should be at the top of your TBR for 2025, if you can't snag it beforehand.

[kaylyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

2.5/5 stars

for the most part, this was tolerable. this was a second chance romance between denzel "denz" carter, who work for his family event planning company, and braylon, his college ex that has moved back from london and is now working in their hometown. while this was pitched as a romance, i would argue that the romance actually took a backseat in this book. because it was only from denz perspective, there was more to the story about his own journey in the competition against his sister, kami, to run for the next CEO of their company after his dad announces retiring, rather than the actual romance.

i loved reading about the carter family and their chaotic but loving and loyal dynamic with each other. their interactions were my favorite part of the book! they were hilarious, and the true definition of showing "tough love". i especially loved auntie eva - an fashion icon! i adored the sibling relationship between denz and kami because while they had their arguments and fights, they still always supported and loved each other.

when it came to the competition of who would become the next CEO, i have no idea why denz was delusional enough to think he even had a chance against kami. kami was a boss bitch who had her shit together and had to save denz from the mistakes he made multiple times. denz as a character was selfish, arrogant, disorganized, and forgot so many important things that i'm genuinely confused as to why he thought anyone would hand over him the reins of their company. he had his flaws and while there was a bit (A BIT) of character growth by the end of the book, it wasn't enough to make me like him lol.

also, braylon lived in london for only 3 years and he comes back with an accent and starts saying "innit" and "ello"????? huh??? lol and he was such a dull character. he fell so flat. he hardly contributed anything to the story besides the plot of fake dating and even the reason for that was so farfetch'd. their romance was boring and i felt nothing towards it. in the end i was really just reading on to read kami make it as CEO which of course, she does.

the writing was great but it definitely read more YA than adult. denz and braylon acted very young and naive for their ages, and also their actions and dialogue read very young as well.