I accepted the invite to read this book because of a recommendation from an author whose work I love. The verdict: it did not disappoint!
I enjoyed every second that I spent reading this delightful story. This romcom was fun, light, and delicious, with lots of depth. There was in depth character growth - I would have loved to read Braylon’s point of view to have gotten even more character depth/growth from him, because I feel he had even more to offer. That being said, Denz offers the reader plenty to think about all on his own. This is a second-chance that does contain a lot of misunderstanding (I prefer to call it that over miscommunication), but the characters slowly start to open themselves up to one another in a way they didn’t the first round. There were a few spicier moments that were well written and added well to the development to the story and characters.
Family carried a very important role in the book. The book also includes good queer and BIPOC representation.
I recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good romcom with a quality blend of heart and humour.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for a digital advanced copy of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Julian Winters delivers a fun, flirty, and heartfelt MM romance in I Think They Love You that had me hooked from the very first page! With a fake dating setup and a swoon-worthy second chance romance, this book hits all the right tropes—and does them justice.

When Denz finds himself scrambling to prove to his judgmental, high-achieving family that he’s stable enough to take over his father’s company, he makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to fake a serious relationship. But when his plan goes sideways, he ends up fake dating the one person he really doesn’t want to see—Braylon, the ex who broke his heart. What follows is a delicious blend of unresolved feelings, steamy tension, and the slow unraveling of what went wrong between them.

What I really loved was how Winters wove in deeper themes beneath the rom-com surface: family expectations, the pressure to live up to others’ standards, the conflict between duty and desire, and the strength it takes to choose your own path. Denz’s journey of self-discovery and emotional vulnerability felt so genuine and relatable. And while the romance took center stage (as it should!), the sense of queer community, complicated family dynamics, and the weight of forgiveness added so much depth to the story.

The characters? Phenomenal. Denz and Braylon practically leap off the page with their chemistry, history, and layered personalities. And the side characters were just as memorable—they all brought humor, heart, and richness to the story. Also: only one bed. Need I say more?

Steamy, sweet, and packed with both sass and sincerity, I Think They Love You is the kind of book that leaves you smiling and a little teary-eyed by the end. I’m already adding more Julian Winters books to my TBR—if you love BIPOC leads, second chances, and romances that balance fun with emotional weight, this one is a must-read!

Julian Winters writing an adult romcom. Say less.

Now here’s a second chance romance that I can get behind. Denz needs a serious boyfriend to prove to his family that he’s serious about his life. And why bother trying to find someone new when you happen to run into the ex who you already know your family loved?

It was so wonderful to see Julian Winters flex his writing muscles and take on adult romance. And he does it so well! I hope that he continues to write in this space. You can tell he’s having so much fun writing this charming and queer romance.

I Think They Love You is my first experience with author Julian Winters. It follows the competition that ensues when Denzel "Denz" Carter's father suddenly announces his upcoming retirement. As his children, Denz and his sister Kami, each have the ability to take over as CEO and the competition between them immediately heats up. Nobody believes that Denz is serious about becoming CEO as he has been known to be commitment phobic in the past. To prove them wrong, he pretends to be in a serious relationship with his best friend Jamie but, when Jamie doesn't show to "meet" his parents, he finds himself agreeing to pretend date Braylon, the man who broke his heart.

For the most part, I found this book to be okay. Although, it is touted as a second chance romance, I found that the romance was often secondary to the competition between the siblings. Much of the book it felt like Denz and Braylon weren't actually talking to each other. They were having the same internal thoughts but not communicating. Some of this might have been due to the fact that the book was only written in Denz point of view. An alternating point of view may have helped create a depth in their relationship - made it more believable. Also, maybe we would have gotten to the bottom of why they had broken up in the first place a little bit sooner.

The whole competition of who would become the next CEO really didn't make any sense. Honestly Denz was delusional to think that he wanted to/had any chance of being CEO. He was so disorganized! He also came across as selfish. Like he had only really cared about himself, not the company or those who may have been affected by his decisions. Meanwhile, Kami was killing herself trying to have a career, raise a child, and somewhat of a personal life. There was a little bit of character growth in Denz by the end but, I still found him to be selfish in both his personal and professional life.

Overall, I found that I Think They Love You had several good themes within it. These included strong themes regarding familial relationships, LGBTQIA+ representation, sex positivity, and the importance of second chances. Unfortunately, while I connected with the themes, the writing felt off balance, and I wasn't able to create a real connection to the characters, making it hard to stay full invested.
**Rating: 3.5 Stars**

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.

This book has everything. It is romantic but also heartfelt, and it is sooo funny. I also like that it has the classic tropes like "one bed" and "second chance romance" but it isn't cliche. It can be hard to achieve, but Winters did it well!

Second chance romances always seem to draw me in immediately, and this was no exception. With second chance romances, I find that the chemistry between characters tends to be much more real and believable because you can believe that the history they had together can lead them to where they are now and it is not some fantasy insta-love situation. Denz and Bray's connection was clear an strong and it was so easy to fall into their story and start rooting for them immediately.

Julian Winters writing style made this very easy to read and I enjoyed so much about this book. Even aside from the romance aspects of the book, some of the struggles they were having in their careers were so relatable. Now, I am not saying I can relate to the struggles of trying to become a CEO of a major corporations.... but I do think that many people can relate to trying to find a proper work/life balance, and what you may or may not be willing to do in your career in order to achieve a more appropriate balance for yourself. Prioritizing your own mental health while managing the expectations of your family, friends, and employer can be really difficult and I loved the exploration of that here.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is a second chance fake-dating romance between Denz and Braylon. This was such a fun, sweet, and fast read.

Denz is trying to prove that he is responsible and ready to be CEO of the family company so he lies about being in a committed relationship. Braylon just came back from London and wants to meet with the Mayor to get funding for the nonprofit that he works for. A perfect recipe for a fake dating relationship.

Denz is a very messy but relatable person that makes a lot of mistakes along the way. I do wish we got Braylon's perspective. I think that would have helped me connect to his character more.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. I wasn't a huge fan of the flashback scenes and the pacing was off at times so that's why it's not a five star read.

Thanks to Netgalley for my eARC. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own

I know that I'm not much of a romance fan, so my word shouldn't be taken as truth. But this book was just way too average for me, and so much of the dialogue was far too cringey for me to enjoy. The two main characters aren't bad overall, and they actually make a pretty good pair, so that part wasn't an issue. And honestly, most of the challenges they faced made a decent amount of sense too - it was just annoying that this entire book is just one big miscommunication trope. No one talks to each other, in the past OR present, and it just makes for way too many bad outcomes that are incredibly frustrating.

Also, my biggest grievance was Denz not knowing who Peeta and Katniss are. You mean to tell me that you, a 25 year old who loves movies and pop culture, don't know about the Hunger Games, but your sibling who is like 9 years younger than you does? Don't even lie.

By design second chance romances stress me out, but this book is beyond worth the anxiety. It's become a rare exception to my second-chance-romance-avoidance rule. It's so well written, nuanced, and energetic. Denz and Braylon have stellar character arcs, an evolving and complex dynamic filled with "I can't get enough of you no matter how much I resist you" type chemistry. In their time apart, they grew into these vibrant, flawed human beings and together they're cozy, sizzling french-toast-grilled-cheese home to each other. The book itself is structured like the most satisfying romcom. A lot of the expected fake dating plot points are hit, but what makes them sing is how fresh, funny, and fantastic the writing is. They're such perfectly imperfect matches for each other that the journey they take in this book is also so believable and grounded.

Apart from the love story itself, this book is a love letter to community. The queer community and all complex intersections of class, race, and queerness that both complicate and elevate our experiences as human beings. Denz and Braylon have two different and developing relationships with their identities as the narrative moves forward. Denz is the only openly queer member of his notable black family, a combination that forces a lot of familial and public facing expectations on a man who just wants to live his life. Braylon's expression of queerness gets louder as he ages, eventually becoming an inspired avenue for him professionally and within his own self confidence, as well as Braylon's intricate immigrant family background impacting his decision making. It's an ode to the celebration of queerness and intersectionality, how uniqueness can inspire and thrive.

I did find it frustrating that Braylon seems very closed off for a good portion of the beginning of the book, so it's hard to get a read on him, which, yes, is partially intentional because Braylon's intentions aren't supposed to be clear to Denz either. This aspect is definitely something that could've been explored further with dual pov, but I will accept an extra scene from Braylon's pov as a treat instead! All of the secondary characters, friends and family, are well developed given their minimal page time and I'd love to see this world explored more. I'll be crossing my fingers for a Jordan/Jamie spinoff! Denz + Braylon: a new all timer book couple for me.

Denz and Braylon have a past. So when they bump into each other after years of going no contact after their breakup, Denz resents feeling that same flood of feelings come back to him.

This story was so presh and the main characters were def likable. There was some heavy spoice in the middle of the story, but then it fizzled out because it got back to them processing their feelings.

Highly recommend for those of y'all who love a second-chance romance :)

Steamy! And heartfelt! This is why I love second chance romances. When they’re done right it fills you with so much desire. All the characters were fully flushed the side characters even had their own distinct personality.

Heat Factor: They’re still hot for each other

Character Chemistry: A little careful, a little pining

Plot: In a fit of pique, Denz decided to show his family WHO HE IS, only to make himself a nice big mess, complete with a fake (ex)boyfriend, and ultimately find his own self

Overall: This is a good book in so many ways, but I’ve realized that one thing about these journey of self-discovery growth arc romances that’s not for me is the MC apologizing for bad behavior (as he should), but never getting his family’s apology for theirs.

I picked up this book because it had general structural overlap with another book that I ended up really not liking, and I wanted a do-over. I didn’t say it was a good reason, but when I saw I Think They Love You, I was really hopeful that I’d like it.

I’m going to dig into the primary points of the book later, but the overall narrative arc is one of a young man who is struggling to understand his own desires and identity, and who is forced to come to terms with his need to do so when his work and home life converge in an emotional overload clash. Basically, Denzel needs SO MUCH therapy—individual therapy, family therapy, probably even couples therapy—but instead we’re going on his journey of terrible choices and self-esteem smack-downs until he figures his stuff out.

This story is about Denzel, who is flailing through his twenties after his college sweetheart, Braylon, moved to London without him after college. While Denz may have run away from home (barely) by hiding out at UGA during college, he’s right back in the thick of his family drama and expectations, working for his family’s Atlanta-famous event planning business after college. Then, he runs into his ex at the bakery down the road on the same day that his father announces his retirement and determination to seek a new CEO outside the company.

The family is outraged at the idea of bringing in an external hire for CEO, and after some family squabbling, Denz rage-enters the running with his sister. And, because his family keeps saying that the reason he’s not CEO material is because he’s SO unserious—I mean, he hasn’t even had a boyfriend in how many years?—he also declares he does have a boyfriend, excuse me! Then he has to scramble to find a fake boyfriend, convinces his best friend, his best friend flakes, and his ex shows up at an opportune moment with a request of his own. So even though it’s pretty uncomfortable (cause they’re exes), they manage a little “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.”

Anyway, if you’d like to delve a little deeper, the big three elements we have to work through in this book are Denz coming to grips with his own personhood, the battle for the CEO position between Denz and his sister (which happens after a family uproar that the company should stay in the family), and the way Denz’s family treats each other. Some of these overlap, obviously, but I’ll do my best to focus.

The CEO Competition
Let’s start with the CEO position, as this is the one thing driving the plot. At the meeting in which Denz’s dad announces his retirement, Denz is at first happy for his sister’s hat to be put in the ring. When one of his aunts chimes in and says Denz would also make a good CEO, followed by his other aunt saying he wouldn’t because he’s such a flake, he bristles and says he wants to be in the running, too. Okay, so, two things here:

Is Denz a flake?
Does he actually want this job?
Because the question of whether or not Denz wants the job is tied to his journey of self-discovery, we’ll table that for later and focus on his apparent lack of qualification for the job.

Even though Denz is successful enough as an event planner to afford a designer wardrobe, a BMW, and a top-floor luxury apartment in downtown Atlanta, apparently his lack of a committed relationship is what disqualifies him from being serious enough to become CEO. His aunt says it in a staff meeting (!!!), and then his sister piles on privately.

"He stands abruptly. “I may not have been around as long as you or Eric, but I’m devoted to seeing the company thrive.”

"“Are you?” Kami sighs. “God, Denz. You’re not even committed to your own personal life. How many years has it been since you put forth the effort to be in a relationship?”"

Can you imagine, the person closest to you aside from your best friend thinking that’s a fine thing to say? And it honestly gets worse, but I’ll save that for the family drama.

Denz and Kami are expected to prove themselves by organizing competing high profile events, and there’s something to be said for the person in charge understanding what the company is selling, but the CEO doesn’t need to be an exceptional event planner. They need to be a manager, and frankly nobody in this book is a particularly good manager. Except maybe Braylon. Frankly, sometimes Denz is shown to be extremely capable, because he’s willing to use resources in order to solve problems, such as when he uses his aunt’s connections to get some grace for submitting a contract he forgot about.

But Denz actually is a flake, and that gets worse when his relationship becomes a distraction. He starts the book forgetting his turn to provide treats for the morning meeting, so he ends up at the bakery where he sees his ex, Braylon, and is late for the meeting. He forgets to submit a contract by the deadline, he misses an email about dietary restrictions in advance of the mayor’s party, he oversleeps after having a pity party over Braylon, and he misses an appointment he made to help Braylon’s office. Worse, he lies about having a boyfriend, about catching the food email, and about oversleeping. Denz is a decent person, but he seriously needs to use his calendar and reminder apps to stay on top of his stuff. Making choices based on fear of disappointing people is not a great leadership quality.

Denz’s Extremely Messy Family
Look, I don’t think that this family is much different than my family except that they all also work together, and if this book isn’t an example of why that’s a bad idea, I don’t know what is. The thing about family is that we all regress a little bit when we’re in it. I’ve already mentioned how Denz has developed a family reputation as a flake, and he really wants to buck it.

But Kami—and, look, I don’t want to be too mean to Kami, because she is clearly extremely competent and also prioritizes her young son over micromanaging work responsibilities—but Kami sees the email about the mayor’s party and makes changes without consulting the person in charge of the event. And she excuses it as looking after the company because there wasn’t time to ask permission. Was Denz distracted by Braylon? Maybe. But it honestly takes one minute to pick up the phone and give a heads up and an offer to handle it. So actually, Kami undermined Denz and then excused it, which honestly is not a great leadership thing to do.

Then, let’s consider the fact that two siblings are pitted against each other in the first place. How exactly does the rest of the family see this playing out long term? This is so not smart. Even though Denz’s party receives superlative reviews, he gets raked over the coals by his dad, and his sister’s way of comforting him is to pile on.

"“I would’ve figured it out.”

"“It’s the mayor. Not some rich, pretentious family of ungrateful assholes in a city full of rich, pretentious, ungrateful assholes.” She frowns. “Our reputation was on the line. If you look bad, we both look bad.”

"“We’re not the same.”

"Kenneth made sure he knew that earlier.

"“We’re Carters,” Kami reminds him. “That’s all the people dying to apply for this job care about.”

"“Whatever.” He stubbornly looks away.

"“Denz,” she tries, her voice gentle. “It’s not a competition.”

"“It is. And I don’t want to lose. This is my dream.”

"“It’s mine too. But for different reasons.”

"“What’s that mean?”

"“It means . . .” Kami pauses, chewing her lip. “It means I don’t think we’re in it for the same thing. I know you. We grew up across the hall from each other. I wonder if . . .” She releases another breath, her eyes searching his face. “If it’s my dream and your fantasy.”

"The sting from holding in his tears is almost too much now.

"Quietly, she adds, “I’m trying to help you.”

"“I don’t need it!” Denz hates how screechy his voice is. Hates the way Kami backs away, confused and wounded.

"And then it all comes to a head between them when there’s a venue disaster right before their dad’s big retirement party.

"“I didn’t need you to do all that to get here. I got this.”

"“Do you?” She cocks her head. “Like you handled the menu drama on Valentine’s? Or how about something simple, like muffins for the staff meeting? Signing a venue contract?”

"“You heard about that?”

"“I’m not so focused on me that I don’t notice what’s happening with you.” She bites her lip. “Your track record in high-pressure situations isn’t—”

"“God.” Denz drags a hand over his face. “You sound like the aunties.”

"“I didn’t mean—”

"“No, you obviously did,” he interrupts again. “Clearly, it’s something you’ve thought for a while. Please, continue.”

"Outside, waves of pink melt the blue from the sky. Denz just wants to go home and shower. Destroy some Thai takeout while rewatching The Best Man. But he chooses to wait for his sister to elaborate.

"“Fine,” she huffs. “You’re always late. You constantly forget things. At every opportunity, you either run from a problem or lie. How is anyone supposed to think that this—” She waves her hand at his disheveled appearance. “—isn’t too much for you?”

"A beat. He asks, “Is that everything?”

"Gently, Kami says, “I want you to succeed. But you need to stop avoiding reality.”

"“Which is?”

"“You’re doing this for them. Not you.”

"It stings. Her words, her genuine expression. The way it sounds like what their dad said last month.

"She’s right. Denz wants to run. Or lie.

"Instead, he laughs, short and joyless, then says, “Thanks, but I don’t need advice from someone who can’t admit she’s too scared to share her personal life with her own family.”

"Kami steps away, blinking hard."

Let’s be honest, Denz does not handle this criticism with equanimity. But who would? And the kicker is that Kami gestures at a disheveled Denz, who had been in crisis mode, physically moving stuff all day to solve a problem, as if that’s an indicator that he can’t hack it, but when he claps back at her vulnerable spot (she’s been keeping her boyfriend a secret for the whole book), she runs away. Again. If Kami wins the CEO spot, she’d be Denz’s boss. Is this really the way to support her employee? It’s so messy.

Finally, let’s put the blame for this disaster where it squarely lies: with the dad. I can’t even with this whole succession plan thing. It’s not until nearly the end of the book, when Denz is having his moment of reckoning, that his dad explains why he wanted to look for a CEO externally. He tells Denz that he was hard on him because he was looking out for him. (World’s biggest eyeroll.) Considering how much the business impacted the entire family’s life, one can see where the dad is coming from, but he completely drops the ball, not only from a father standpoint but from a supervisor standpoint.

If Denz’s dad had actually been looking out for any of his children, he should not have:

1. Pitted them against each other for a position only one of them could ever have, creating a competition and also an uncomfortable power dynamic between them.
2. Failed to provide support and training that would allow one or both children to succeed in the role without all of this absurd hoop jumping.
3. ANNOUNCED THE WINNER OF THE CEO COMPETITION WITHOUT FIRST TALKING TO BOTH CHILDREN
I honestly couldn’t believe the CEO announcement was made the way it was. It was absolutely awful. What a horrible thing to do to one’s children. Ugh.

Denz’s Personal Growth Journey
And so, we are left with the heart of the issue, which is Denz choosing to live his own life. Like so many of us humans, Denz thought he was making his own choices, but he was really just scared to emerge from his nest of safety and family expectation. This is more evident as we learn about his past relationship with Braylon and how it ended, but we can also see it in the conversations where, for example, his sister is questioning if he actually wants this job and this future.

The reason Braylon and Denz broke up was because Braylon moved to London without Denz. He asked Denz to go, but…didn’t wait for an answer? Changed his mind? It’s unclear exactly what the problem was until much later, but ultimately Denz had six weeks to consider moving with Braylon before the executive decision was made for him. Six weeks at the end of senior year isn’t the best time to start making this decision, but this is where we see Denz avoiding making his own choices. He’s planning to live in Atlanta because his family lives in Atlanta. He’s planning to work at his father’s company because he has a job available there. Denz has never considered existing outside his family, and he doesn’t take the opportunity when Braylon asks him to, either.

But also, Braylon, what the heck? How is Denz supposed to up and move countries for however long without having a job lined up? Six weeks is a really short time to find a job and take care of visa requirements on top of deciding if this is even something Denz wanted to do. And so, this breakup was something that happened to Denz. He didn’t choose it, just like he didn’t choose anything else in his life. Except UGA.

Denz’s being forced to reckon with the loss of his safety net (because that’s really what this whole thing is), finally allows him to consider a number of what-ifs about his life. It also makes him a better partner, because instead of simply assuming that Braylon will conveniently fit into his life plan, Denz has to consider what he’d be willing to do to fit into Braylon’s life plan. So, that makes for a good romance. Partnership. Compromise. Helping the one(s) you love achieve their dreams while they support yours.

But he could have gotten there a little faster with therapy, though. Just. Everybody in this book needs therapy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

I enjoyed this! Second chance is always a little iffy for me but fake dating is going to consistently draw me in. The story took a minute to grow on me because I enjoyed the last half more than the first but I can’t quite put my finger on why. Possibly because Denz’s family low key hurt my feelings on his behalf?

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review but as with most contemporaries lately, I had to finish in audio. The narration by Andre Santana is very good.

I Think They Love You was an overall enjoyable but not standout romance. With a pleasant twist to the tried and true fake dating trope by tying it into a second-chance plot, the premise was a promising one. Opening with a flashback to happier times, the book instantly caught my attention in managing to contain little hints of issues and insecurity in the relationship, even at its supposed height. I find that very often in books based around the second-chance trope, the opening moment introducing a relationship which the characters don’t yet realize is doomed is often portrayed as too perfect, too idyllic, with the intention of catching the reader off guard and leave them wondering why the breakup happened. But this not only showed their chemistry, but also planted the seeds while still leaving us guessing. Unfortunately, I didn’t really find much of a spark between them beyond this.

For the most part, the dialogue and inner monologue was witty and amusing, certainly honouring the “com” in rom-com. It did on occasion fall to the genre-common criticism of reading as immature or below the adult reading level — though this felt largely attributed to the somewhat naive and even arrogant attitude of the main character himself— but this did not necessarily hinder the book with an overload of uncomfortable or “cringeworthy” moments.

Despite being easy to read, I didn’t find it particularly engaging, and I believe that came down to some of my reservations— and even frustrations— with the execution of the primary side plot, and how it hindered the likability of the main character. While his flaws were central to his character and the progression of the plot, the payoff felt lacking and the moments in between made it difficult to sympathize with him. Watching him attempt to justify lying to and hurting his family and jeopardizing the future of his father’s company on account of his wounded pride simply became too much. I think the book would have vastly benefited from a dual POV, to not only flesh out the love interest, but to see our MC from an outside perspective. Seeing Denz through the eyes of someone who cared about him might have allowed us to see how his flaws could be strengths, and see him as a man Braylon— and the reader— could come to love.

Some of the minor details took me out of the story as well, from confusion regarding the timeline, to my personal difficulty suspending my disbelief that Braylon (the love interest) could have developed an accent after living a mere handful of years in London. An obvious attempt to make the love interest more attractive which could have been easily explained by having him be born English, rather than seeming like a poser faking an accent (I just KNOW his London neighbours sighed when he greeted them with “‘Ello.”) I digress.

The family dynamic certainly stood out for me, from at-home gatherings to meetings in the board room. The side characters definitely stole the show, and had their distinctive personalities even without being delved deeper into.

Overall, despite some flaws with pacing and a perhaps overextended side plot, I Think They Love You was an easy and light read, suited to fans of both fake dating and second chance. I liked it well enough, but I admit I did feel glad to have finished it, and upon peeking at some reviews from fellow early-readers, I found myself in agreement with the comments and observations of the more critical readers rather than the satisfied.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

I adore Julian Winters’ YA books, so his first adult novel was a highly anticipated read for me. It did not disappoint. Denz wants to be taken more seriously at his family’s company and when his father announces that he is retiring, Denz and his sister both want to be considered as his successor. But The Aunts, as they are affectionately (or not so) known, think that Denz’s fear of commitment makes him a less favorable candidate. Denz’s only option is to find a fake boyfriend, and quick. His first choice falls through and in a dramatic way, his ex, Braylon, ends up taking on the role.

At first, I thought that Denz’s family would be awful, but they were such a delight. The second chance, fake-dating romance between Denz and Braylon was so fun! I loved the interactions with the characters and there was the perfect amount of steam 🌶🥵. I’m sad to leave the characters behind. I can’t wait to see what Julian Winters comes up with next.

A queer fake dating and second chance romance that was full of longing and old emotions was done so well. I really liked this book and Denz and Braylon’s relationship and how it changed throughout the book. They obviously still love each other and I loved seeing those feeling in each of them and everyone knowing they still love each other except them. I also loved seeing Dent’s own growth and understanding who he is and who he wants to be.

This book is a heartfelt second-chance romance with plenty of charm and witty banter. Yay, my fav! I enjoyed the relatable characters navigating complicated family expectations and unresolved feelings. Overall I'm not usually a fan of the fake-dating trope, but it worked in this story, adding a playful dynamic between the characters. Overall, it's filled with tender moments and genuine growth, making it an enjoyable read for fans of lighthearted yet meaningful romances.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Griffin for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an adorable and delightfully implausible second-chance/fake-dating romance. In college, Denz fell head-over-heels in love...and then Braylon left him behind. Now, five years later, Denz lives by the credo of not getting attached. Only, now that his father is looking for a CEO to step up after he retires, this unattached life is making him look like a bad candidate. So in an impulsive move, he tells his family that he does actually have a serious boyfriend. And when his perfect plans with his best friend fall through, he's left with his ex. Yes, the same one that destroyed him all those years ago, and also that his family really hates because of that. But they can help each other out, and somehow, they're working again. Can they make it work this time? Or will they fall apart again?
As ridiculous as the premise was, this was a very cute romance. Braylon and Denz had great chemistry. I also loved how big and dramatic Denz's family was. There are some really great side characters. One little detail that I adored is that homophobia is never a plot point. That's just a little breath of fresh air. Denz's family is nothing but supportive. As a whole, this is a very fun one.

Fake dating with cute, queer BIPOC main characters? Sign me up.

This was a great, easy read that still covered some difficult topics. Denzel and Braylon fell in love at the University of Georgia, but broke up at graduation due to job commitments and a lack of communication. They reunite unexpectedly and wind up fake dating to impress Denzel's wealthy and famous family as he attempts to take over for his father as CEO and so that Braylon can earn a promotion at the non-profit where he works.

Shockingly, fake dating reignites old feelings and past sparks.

These two are a freaking adorable couple. Denzel has the weight of the world on his shoulders thanks to family pressure, with 24 Carter Gold, the family event planning business, catering to the rich and famous. Braylon is just a sweetie, working at a non-profit for queer teens and recovering from the loss of his father. Both of these young men need to talk more to one another, but oh my, there's still plenty of spice and fun as well.

The story also does an excellent job of showing how much harder BIPOC, especially queer men, must work to prove themselves to others. I enjoyed its focus on family and loving who you are.