My Date With A White Tee Shirt

by Dakota Cockaday, Anastasia Novikova (illustrator)

Annalise, an aspiring actress, is used to strange coincidences, but nothing could have prepared her for Michael—a man she keeps bumping into who she’s not sure is even really there.

Michael has been trapped in his childhood room thanks to a curse since 1989. But when he begins to appear to Annalise in 2025, they find themselves torn between the bond they’re building and the impossible reality of their situation.

As their reluctant friendship deepens into something neither can deny, Annalise and Michael search for answers to free him from the past. When Michael unexpectedly comes face-to-face with a twin brother he’d forgotten even existed, everything changes. Together, they uncover the truth behind the curse that binds him—and the one chance they have to break it.

Can love truly conquer all, or will Michael be stuck between the past and the present forever?

While it can be read as a standalone novella, My Date with a White Tee Shirt also serves as the conclusion to My Date with a Pair of Gray Sweatpants.

My Date With a White Tee Shirt is part of The Sentient Object Calendar Series, a shared series curated by some of your favorite off-the-wall Biblio Barbie, Dakota Cockaday, Holly Wilde, Luna Cantrip, Nicole Parker, Sylvia Morrow, Thea Masen, Unfortunate Reads, and Vera Valentine. It is meant for readers 18 and over who are ready to embrace a deeper experience with some unusual holidays.

Genres: Paranormal

67 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 16, 2025

About the author

Dakota Cockaday is the pen name of the most unexciting woman in the world. Dakota loves paranormal and true crime podcasts, romance books about aliens, and chicken tamales. She always wants to pet your dog or see pictures of your cat. Dakota hoards blank notebooks like it’s her job. She has no spare time, so she writes when she really should be cleaning the house. You can reach her at dakota.cockaday@gmail.com.

Reviews

[Sadie E · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I'm crazy. I'm seeing dead people, but instead of them sending me messages of love and light from the great beyond, they're hot and give me attitude.”

I was first introduced to this series through My Date With Bubble Tea thinking, “Cute cover. A cute date over boba tea? Sure, why not,” and then my brain immediately exploded. And I spent half the time screaming “WHAT IS HAPPENING?!” and the other half going, “I NEED MORE OF THIS.”

So I immediately sought more of whatever this is.

This book is a fever dream. But somehow, it works?

Annalise meets Michael, who's cursed to be a white t-shirt by his mother. His human form is held hostage somewhere and only appears when one of them is sleeping. For some reason. The book doesn't explain.

Naturally, sex is the answer. SEX WITH A T-SHIRT MAN. And somehow it’s funny and charming all at once.

The book is short. Less than 70 pages. Requires zero brain power. It doesn't take itself seriously. Perfect for switching off, forgetting the world exists, and diving headfirst into madness for an hour. So obviously I'm spending my Sunday devouring this series.

It’s chaotic. Silly. Cheesy. I have no idea how this exists, but an unhinged part of me is grateful it does.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was… short.

[Grapie Deltaco · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Boy Mom returns


CW: explicit sexual content

[『 Dıʀᴛʏ Gʀᴇʏ 』 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ 2.5 🌶

MCs: 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦 ♡ 𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭
🗓 National White T-shirt Day, February 11th

"𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦, 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵"

im convinced to shop my nxt clothing item from a thrift store & low key wish to pick me up a michael (or matthew) in clothing form😆😆 michael's silly self is ridiculously adorbs!! & at times had me swooning🥰 no wonder the older ladies be lovin him!! i get it. & again in a very dakota fashion...comes in franny🐰 thats juz too cuuute!! all in all, i love how annalise & michael's story tied up to matthew's (from 𝘔𝘺 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴). its actually pretty cool how everything came full circle. theyre twins & yes both cursed by their own mother... but different HEAs. both equally good stories & a great addition to the series!! lookn forward to read the next♥️

✨ part of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘖𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 & can be read as a standalone. this series is curated by some of our fave off-the-wall authors & is meant for readers 18 & over

[Frida · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
Book two of the duet, I guess. Enter: Michael, Matthew’s older brother, who is also cursed—this time, as a white t-shirt. At this point, I have questions. Mainly: What did these men do to deserve a fate so cruel? You'll be given hints, but I have questions.

But let’s talk about what worked. First off, I loved that this wasn’t just a copy-paste of the first book. Annelise and Michael’s story felt distinct, and their meet-cute? Absolute gold. There’s a paranormal twist, and it adds just the right amount of chaos.

Also, shoutout to Thrift Store Goth Boy, who makes another appearance! The fact that he’s Annelise’s brother and has a literal sixth sense for haunted secondhand fashion tied things together pretty well, and I will be forever obsessed with the idea that this dude just casually walks through life detecting cursed garments.

Now, here’s where my enthusiasm dims a little: While I think this novella had the cleverer premise, I actually liked the execution of Gray Sweatpants more. The balance here was a bit off, despite having more room for development.

All in all, this was another short, fun, and absolutely absurd ride.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Date with a White Tee Shirt
Sentient Object Holiday Series, #3

I Picked Up This Book Because: Continue the series.

Media Type: eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Dates Read: 1/21/25 - 1/27/25
Stars: 3 Stars

The Characters:

Mike Walker:
Annalise:
Francine

The Story:
I think I liked this concept a bit better the first time around. (My Date with a Pair of Gray Sweatpants). I appreciate the author trying to switch it up with Mike and Annalise but it just felt better the first time. Now I want to know what happened to the mom. Why was she like that? How did she die? Is the sister cursed?

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was excited to read this after reading book 1 (My date with a pair of sweatpants). I recommend reading 1 right after the other.
Michael's story ❤️ This one took a more wholesome route but still didn't disappoint. I believe I will be purchasing my clothing from thrift stores from now on

[Neapolitan670 📚🖤 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quick sentient read, this one follows on from the previous one in the series.

I bet you guessed from the title of the books that this is about a white t-shirt being cursed and finding a body to settle on. That body being Annalise who wears it for her play. We have a cross over from grey sweatpants with Matthew and Kaitlyn which was a good inclusion.

If you need to just slip in a really quick, amusing love story these are for you. You don’t need massive brain power and they kind of help your mind settle, not sure that makes sense to anyone but me 🤣🤣

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a such a fun time with My Date with a Pair of Gray Sweatpants that I couldn't wait for Dakota's next installment in the Sentient Object Holiday series. This was another fun, quick read! The theater setting was fun and Annalise and Michael are so cute. I loved every moment they had together!

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

def recommend just v fun

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved that this book is part of The Sentient Object Holiday Series. A bunch of authors coming together to create these quirky, unique reads is just such a fun idea! I had such a blast reading this one! While it can stand alone, I really recommend starting with My Date with a Pair of Gray Sweatpants. The first book does such a great job setting you up for the magic and humor that carries over into this story.

Annelise and Michael’s story in My Date with a White Tee Shirt had me hooked, but it felt fresh and different from Matthew and Kat’s. I appreciated that their story flowed in its own way—I never felt like I was just reading a rehash of the first book. The way Annelise and Michael meet really threw me for a loop (in the best way possible). Without giving too much away, let’s just say it was unexpected and made for such a fun setup. And, of course, there’s another magical twist/curse in play—it wouldn’t be a sentient romance without it!

I also loved getting to see the goth boy from Thrift Store Thrift Store again. Finding out he’s Annelise’s brother tied things together so perfectly, and his ability to “sense” the unique nature of the sweatpants and now the white tee shirt was such a clever touch.

As much as I loved Annelise and Michael, I have to give Francine the bunny a special shoutout—she completely stole my heart! And the ending? So funny! I actually liked this one’s ending even better than the first book’s. It had me laughing out loud.

This was another spicy, giddy read that kept me smiling like an idiot the whole time. I’m so glad I got the chance to read this duet-ish series. What a fun time!

Thank you, Dakota, for the opportunity to read this ARC for an honest review.

[Wandering Seal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eh now this story had no right being this wholesome and complete given that its only sixty something pages. As per the author’s note at the beginning, it is skirting the edges of what a sentient object romance is - it feels more like a haunted paranormal romance which strays very gently into sentient object territory towards the end. I wouldn't be put off by that - this is such a wee gem of a story, possibly one of my favourites by Dakota Cockaday so far.

Our FMC Annalise here is a star. She's busy with her own life, working shifts, being a good daughter, trying to make it as an actor (but with very realistic expectations). Her life is full and complete, it doesn't need a strange man in a white t-shirt to keep popping up unexpectedly. Our MMC, Michael, is the brother of the MMC in the previous book in this series (and I think you'd want to read that for this to fully make sense). I wasn't in love with the brother, but I liked Michael much, much more. He seemed more clued in to what was going on, and there was more time for Michael and Annalise's relationship to naturally develop. I just want the best for them both.

I'm a little sad that this is the end of Cockaday's contribution to this series - I'd have loved more tales from the thrift shop (because lets face it, if you're going to come across a haunted object its going to be in a thrift shop). Maybe next year!

I read an advance copy of this book. My thoughts are very much my own.

[Booksta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, hear me out—if I had a nickel for every time I fell in love with a sentient object in a book, I’d have… well, one nickel. But oh boy, did My Date With a White Tee Shirt make that nickel worth it!

This book is an absolute fever dream of fake dating, time travel, magical curses, and, of course, a sentient white tee shirt that somehow oozes more sex appeal than most human book boyfriends. (Is it the way it clings to a toned chest? The soft cotton fabric whispering against bare skin? We may never know, but I have Thoughts.)

Our heroine—bless her chaotic heart—stumbles into a bizarre (yet oddly believable) whirlwind of events that force her to bring home her "date" (yes, the shirt) to meet the family. And honestly? I've been on worse dates. The banter? Immaculate. The sexual tension? Unexpectedly steamy. And the sheer absurdity of it all? Perfection.

And let’s not forget Franny, the energetic bun (yes, as in a rabbit, not a hairstyle, because this book is delightfully unhinged). She might just be my new favorite sidekick.

If you love books that make you question your taste in romance (seriously, why am I swooning over a T-SHIRT?!), make you laugh until you snort, and somehow still deliver a satisfying love story, this one’s for you.

Dakota Cockaday, I don’t know what’s going on inside your head, but never stop. Five out of five stars—and maybe a slight identity crisis.

[Michelle Lebron · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short wait for the continuation in this little world of gray sweatpants and white T-shirts was worth it—I was enchanted by Dakota’s world. The thrift shop stories are a complete adventure, ranging from time travel through a piece of clothing to witchcraft entwined. Our FMC is a rising star striving to make her big debut in the film industry, juggling many jobs to keep pursuing her main dream of acting.

One day, exhausted on the bus, she accidentally sits on a man’s lap, swearing he wasn’t there before she sat down—he seemed to appear out of nowhere. He spoke to her for a few moments, then vanished, and this keeps happening repeatedly. He shows up briefly and then disappears. It turns out that our MMC only appears in Annalise’s world when he’s asleep.

Unlike the other story, the romance between Annalise and Michael deepens even further as they get to know each other better while pretending to be a couple. They look super cute together, and Michael does everything possible to be with her at all times, which is so sweet of him.

I loved all the title names—they always make me laugh with their cleverness. You definitely have to read this book by Dakota, along with the other one. The gray sweatpants wouldn’t be complete without the white T-shirt!

[Kayla Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Plot - 5/5
Characters - 5/5
Spice - 🌶️🌶️

I generously received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My Date with a White Tee Shirt follows on from My Date with Gray Sweatpants and is Michael's story. This is the perfect follow up to MDWGS, following on from the consequences of defeating the curse maker (Michael's mother) with some odes to characters from Book 1. While this works as a standalone, I loved it as a pairing to the first novel and would strongly recommend readers read them back-to-back.

Michael is different to his twin in that he takes everything in stride, aware someone is going on between the two timelines and accepting of his new romance. He is more than happy to flirt his heart out with Annalise and I loved the chemistry between the two characters. These two books are by far my all time favourite sentient object romances to date and as always, Dakota shows why she is the queen of cosy, quirky romances.

[Heather Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've read My Date with a Pair of Gray Sweatpants and remember Matthew, this is his brother Michael's story. And just like his brother he is cursed in an object; this one just happens to be a white tee shirt.

Annalise knows and understands the supernatural vibes but doesn't believe in it like her mother does. So, when Michael starts appearing everywhere she just brushes it off. The white shirt she just thrifted is cursed with the presence of Michael and as long as she has/ wears that shirt Michael will appear in her world, or she goes to his. I enjoyed the time difference between the two and the mystery behind finding out what was going on and how to solve it. Between the first book and this one I really don't like their mother. She took being a momma's boy to a whole new level and literally trapped her boys, so they don't marry their loves and leave her.

This book is the perfect funny, spicy pallet cleanser that leaves you asking why did I read this and why did I enjoy it so much LOL.

[Mattiehatter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another quick and unhinged installment

I received this as an ARC from the author and these are my honest, albeit, brief thoughts.

As a former theater kid there's nothing more annoying than someone wandering around backstage and making unnecessary noise. This short and unhinged piece is quite different from its sibling piece "A Date Witha Gray Pair of Sweatpants" where we meet Matthew, who had been cursed into a pair of sweatpants and has lots of heated moments with Kaitlyn before they realize they are definitely not dreaming. We get to see Matthew moving around in the modern day and Annelise learn how to bring him into her life while they figure out what's going on.

❤️ This installment is quick, but still brings on a couple of spicy scenes.

[Virginie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will start my review by saying that I think it is essential to read My Date With A Pair of Gray Sweatpants in order to understand My Date With A White Tee Shirt.

I enjoyed finding out about the rest of the story that began in My Date With A Pair of Grey Sweatpants and what happened to Michael.

Once again Dakota Cockaday manages to write a story where the two main characters, Annalise and Michael, have great chemistry together. I found their story very sweet.

I can’t wait to read the rest of The Sentient Object Holiday series.

[Jill Mess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annalise just needs a white tee shirt for the local theater production she's in while waiting to make her big break. But there's something magic in the thrift store find of hers - or rather someone.
Michael has been trapped as the t-shirt since the 80's, and only Annalise can help him break free. But can they solve his mystery and realize woman and tee shirt might be meant for each other?

It seems like a very screwball plot and should not be both sweet and sexy. But it is. Dakota Cockaday does an amazing job finding the balance between silly and serious at the same time. Definitely will be reading more from this author and in this series.

[Katherine Iverson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story picks up after the events in “My Date with a Pair of Gray Sweatpants”, so don’t read this book first — if you do, don’t be mad if you end up confused. Annalise’s meet cute with Michael starts off the story and continues after she buys a white T-shirt from the Thrift Shop Thrift Shop. I enjoyed the tie-in of characters from the first book. I also like how the time travel/timelines were handled. I was worried this would be a case of overlapping timelines and needing to meet at a precise crossing (I’m looking at you The Lake House…). This book gave me the warm fuzzies and had excellent spice. Add in a feisty bun, and you’ve got a great time.

[Darktwistybookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eee, I was so excited to read this story!
I loved book 1 and couldn't wait to find out more!
This is Michael's story, and it was just as good as the first. I loved Michael's playful character so much! The whole time travel and magical curse concept that Dakota has come up with is fantastic, and honestly, I want more stories from this world she's created!
Of course, it's not a Dakota story unless there's an adorable pet, and franny is just a little speedy bundle of fun!
It's funny, sweet, with a little spice, and it's surprisingly wholesome - I loved it!

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was super excited to read this one, especially after the first book in this duo. It’s a quick, fun read that is highly entertaining. It was really nice to see how Annalise and Michael were able to deepen their relationship over which a short time period. They were so perfect for each other.
You don’t have to read these in order, but I would suggest it. If you want a fast read with all the feels that can be finished in one sitting, this is for you. And if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find my own Thrift Store.

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evil boy mom strikes again! Picking up from the Gray Sweatpants story, this MMC is the missing brother of our other guy. Every time he goes to sleep, he encounters our MFC and slowly they get to know each other. Come to find out evil boy mom has turned him into a white T-Shirt that our MFC has purchased at a thrift store. Evil boy mom is gone and her spell isn't as strong, so with some spicy spell breaking, he is freed from his prison.
This was a fun story and it gave a feeling of completion knowing that this MMC and the MMC from the Gray Sweatpants are free from their evil boy mom.

[volatilisanguis · Rating 4 out of 5]

How did Dakota do it again?

(4.5) I have mixed feelings about sentient object romances. But this one is such a happy medium. Annalise meets Michael by accidentally sitting on him at a bus stop (cutest meet cute!), and it all devolves from there. He ends up following her around because of the curse, and he grows on her. Michael really is the sweetest book (T-shirt) boyfriend. I read it in one workout session, so it's also a quick and satisfying read for when you need something cozy! I hope we get to hear about Michael and Matthew's sister...

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like the first book, this book is hilarious and entertaining and fun. I loved the way it built off the plot from the first book without feeling like a carbon-copy (which would have been so easy as a cop-out). Once again I had exactly zero idea what was happening, but I still loved it. It’s got hot ghost-ish guys, drag queens, evil boy-mom-witches, and a girl who just wants to get freaky with her …. Unconventional man. 4.5 stars.


This book was kindly sent as an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Dog Eared Reads (Jen) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Dakota and how she can take a seemingly odd concept and turn it into a cozy and fun time. This story is no exception to that rule, I mean, he’s a white t-shirt and she’s a struggling actress and they fall in love. My only complaint with the story is that because it’s a novella, a lot of the romance was glossed over. We were told they fell in love over a period of time, but we didn’t get to see it. All in all it was a great edition to the series and I’m happy to have had the chance to read it 💙

[Angela Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually liked the flow of their romance a little bit more than Matthew’s book. Michael and Annalise actually got the chance to talk and get to know one another while they tried to figure out what was going on. And I thought the ending was cute and unique, and appropriate for what they did and did not know about Michael’s curse. Michael was such a fun loving jokester and Annalise was a serious woman with responsibilities so it was fun to see them come together and fall in love. Definitely recommend.

I did receive an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

[Robyn G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael's story!
After Sweatpants I was so happy to find out we would be getting Michaels story and it was just as I was expecting!
I loved Annalise she was an aspiring actress that doesn't want to be completely famous just to have a stable income which i get and then she has all this weird stuff with Michael and she just kind of takes in her stride and jumps right into helping him.
I'm so glad we got to see Michael's story!

[addy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one, and I liked the relationship dynamic a bit better than the first one!! I enjoyed the slow burn (even though it’s a shirt I mean shirt I mean short book😂)

I love the way Dakota Cockaday has spun the sentient object genre into a magical, fairytale-esque story of a lover removing a curse. Honestly I forgot it’s sentient object while reading this. Super fun!!!

Thank you for the ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily