Second chance AND fake dating, PLUS it's Black AND queer?!?! This book was made for me. And I somehow loved it even more than I expected to. I honestly don't even have the words for how much I loved it. I will be reading Julian Winters' entire backlist immediately, I am OBSESSED.

What a beautiful, trope filled book.

While this had literally so many tropes, I didn't mind it at all. I love a second chance romance so much and I was fighting for them the entire time. I also do love a messy family because it just adds to the realness of the characters and what they are going through together. Also, top tier communication and #consent is sexy.

I Think They Love You was such a cute and quick read! I'm a total sucker for second chance romances, and absolutely adored Denz and Braylon's story!

I Think They Love You
Julian Winters

Wow, this book was not what I expected.

Fake dating, check.
Romcom, check.
Second chance romance, check.
Lovable MCs, check.
LGBQ, check.
Spicy spice, check and check.

This book has it all. I loved it, this is a short and sweet review, but there’s not much more I can say about it.


A big thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NegGalley for this eARC in exchange for my review.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Press & Julian Winters for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I totally appreciate a second chance romance when the first break up happened before life was lived. Denz and Braylon broke up right after college as they set out to begin their careers. Perspectives were gained, minds grown, time passed, - now they are both who they need to be for each other.

I loved getting to know Denz family and would love a novella about Kamila & Suraj!

I was actually fairly surprised by how much I ended up loving this book. I was always going to like it to be clear, but I fell in love with Denz, and his family. I found that the setting and like characters, while familiar took on a fairly fresh new take on it which I really enjoyed.

My favorite thing in any book is when the author puts as much thought into the supporting characters as the main characters, and Julian Winters went above and beyond for everyone in this book. From the sisters to the aunts, even the coworker's family; no character is too small to receive a storyline.

This book has everything I could ask for. The characters, family drama, fake dating, and friendships are all exactly what I want in a story. Julian captured the perfect level of cheesy rom-com to serious storyline, and I absolutely loved it.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.

Julian Winters is definitely an author I want to read more from. The writing style was great and had me hooked immediately.

I really loved Bray as both the ex and fake boyfriend. He was funny and charming and he felt so incredibly real. I would have loved to have had his POV throughout this book.

I loved a lot of the side characters as well. Jordan, Jamie and Kami were all absolutely wonderful.

**SPOILERS BELOW**

Denz, on the other hand, frustrated me more and more as the book went on. He’s disorganised to the point where it made me, the reader, anxious. And yet he thinks he can be CEO? I understood him feeling the need to prove himself after his family made out like he wasn’t capable, but proving yourself is in ACTIONS, not just saying you can do something then constantly needing other people to cover up your mistakes.

All his self esteem issues didn’t really make me feel sorry for him because he wasn’t actively trying to make any of the changes he needed to make. Braylon kept telling him his family was wrong about him but all I was seeing was them pointing out his genuine flaws that wouldn’t make for a good CEO. He’s enough AS A PERSON, which is important, but not for CEO, the position he spends the whole book trying to prove he’s worthy of.

Maybe I missed the point?

There were definitely moments I enjoyed in this one, but overall not entirely for me.

4.5 stars. I absolutely loved reading this romance. Winters has been on my radar forever, but when I saw the description for his adult romance debut, I knew I had to read it! The things I loved the most:
* the lovers to enemies to lovers relationship
* fake dating
* the relationship between Denz and his family (really I loved most of the large tight knit family dynamics they had and I laughed more than once at some of their interactions)
* the amount of growth that Denz, his sister (whose name I'm drawing a blank on at the moment), and Braylon all experience throughout the book
* the depth of the personalities of some of the characters, particularly Denz and his dad
* I also loved the deep and tight relationship Denz had with Jamie
* I am a huge fan of Atlanta, and I loved the book being set there
Some of the secondary characters could have been a bit more fleshed out (there are a lot of them and I think some decisions had to be made), but I would love to see a sequel where more of that happens. If you are looking for a queer romance with lots of depth and personal growth then definitely pick this one up!

if you are a fan of second chance romance and loveable characters, this book is for you!

there is a lot of depth to this story, which initially held me back from reading it for so long. i found it difficult to get into at first and needed time to come back to it, and i am so glad i did! i loved reading about denz and braylon and watching their fake love turn into something more. i also love seeing the personal growth in these characters as we go on in the book.

also, i don’t usually comment on covers of books unless they’re a major part of the story. however, i was obsessed with the cover of this book when i saw it on netgalley and it was one of the things that drew me to this book. i think it’s beautifully done and the colors are gorgeous.

thank you to netgalley & the publishers for the opportunity to receive this as an arc!

Denz starts fake dating his ex-boyfriend, Braylon, in order to show his family that he's capable of commitment. Braylon agrees in order to get a promotion by meeting the mayor through Denz's connections. Of course this leads to forced proximity in order to "prove" their relationship. Plus, there's the one bed trope in this.

I started bawling during that grilled cheese flashback. They both have their issues but have never truly got over one another 😭.

Then Denz had to fuck everything up. I hate seeing someone continuously make the same mistakes. He's under a lot of pressure from his family and the public but that doesn't give him the right to ignore the people who genuinely care for him.

Nonetheless it still made me sob. I think a dual pov or multi-pov would have given me better insight into the characters reasoning.

I was on the fence on how I was going to rate this but I'm bumping this from a 3 to a 3.5/5.

Sadly, this was just meh for me.

I'm not a huge second chance romance fan, I keep trying though, because sometimes the 2nd chance is deserving. I will say, them getting a second chance works, they broke up three years ago after college when Braylon moves to London and Denz doesn't follow.

I don't feel this book should be labeled as romance. The story is way more about Denz trying for CEO (more on that later), and figuring out his life, and way less about their fake relationship. About said fake relationship - it makes ZERO sense. <i>Oh, having a boyfriend will show my family that I can make commitments and would be a good choice for CEO<i>. Yet, their fake dating agreement only calls for Braylon attending things with his family three times, and then sending texts during the day. It's also not like his dad, the current CEO, made that stipulation.

Now on to the CEO thing itself. It is honestly laughable that Denz thinks he (1) has a chance and (2) would even be good at it. He's been out of college for three years, where he got a communications degree, and as far as we know he took no business classes. He only decides to throw his hat in the ring when his family tells him his sister would be a better choice. Then he continues to make large mistakes that his family has to save him from. All mistakes that could have been easily avoidable with a small amount of attention to detail. It annoyed me so much that he only did this to prove that he could, and not because he wanted it.

This book was also done a disservice by being only from Denz's POV. There are times he says things and Braylon gives him a look and I was dying to know what he was thinking. Braylon is this one-sided character, practically a cardboard cutout. I feel I know more about Denz's cousin and best friend's possible relationship/whatever it is, than I do about how Braylon actually feels. We don't even really know why he agreed to the fake relationship. Needing help to get a meet with the Mayor was lacking at best.

All in all - this book just needed more. We spent a lot of time rehashing things, focusing on Denz's relationship with his family and his work - which would be fine if this wasn't a romance book. I truly didn't care about them getting back together in the end and figuring it out, because nothing was shown to me to show why they should. Denz's character growth is just dropped on us like a light switch flipping, it wasn't gradual. Same with them figuring it out, just no, no, no, then BAM we're doing it.

Finally - the fact that these two GROWN adults can't talk about the sex they're having or want to have is absolutely criminal! It's like when teens are told that if they aren't mature enough to talk about sex they aren't mature enough to be having it. They little stumble over what they want to do, get embarrassed and shy. It didn't come off as cute and endearing, it came off as concerning.

I had the absolute best time reading this book, and I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time. Unless I was crying. There was plenty of that too.

Julian Winters’ “I Think They Love You” is a story filled to the brim with heart, charm, and humor. Not to mention, it’s also filled with incredible characters. Focusing on the Carter family, there are a lot of characters with big personalities, each one distinct. I loved every single character, and it was enjoyable to read about each one of them. I would 100% read more books set in this world and centered on these people. AKA: I miss them already.

At the forefront are Denz and Braylon. They have a long and complicated history, which we’re able to see in short flashbacks, but we spend most of our time with them in the present. When I say that these characters—especially these two—felt so incredibly realistic, I mean it in every sense of the word. Denz and Braylon are flawed and they make mistakes, but they also stole my heart in so many ways. I genuinely could not stop thinking about these characters, even when the book wasn’t physically in front of me.

And as an event planner myself, there was WAY too much I could relate to…

But if there’s one thing about me, I will always love banter. Whether it’s between friends, family members, romantic interests…I will always love it, especially when it’s well done and feels natural. The banter and the humor in “I Think They Love You” was so fantastic and organic, I audibly laughed numerous times.

I’ve also never read anything by Julian Winters, but I quickly fell in love with his writing style. (Are you sensing a pattern?)

There’s genuinely so many things I could say about this book, from the beautiful themes around family dynamics, race, sexual identity to the underlying idea that you are allowed to change and you are allowed to love the person you’re becoming. There were countless deep and meaningful conversations between these very fictional people that stole my very real heart.

I will also say that if you know anything about me and my reading tastes, smut is typically not something I jive with. However, despite a handful of those moments in these books, my enjoyment of the story as a whole was never deterred by it. Even more so, this was only my second read of 2025, and it very well may end up being one of my yearly favorites.

And if it says anything about the amount of fun I had reading this, I did make over 100 notes in my ebook. I’m fine.

“I Think They Love You” by Julian Winters releases on January 28th, so run don’t walk to your nearest bookstore or library!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

🦇 I Think They Love You Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD What's a comfort food you associate with a loved one?

🦇 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 family members that he’s capable of commitment, Denz impulsively lies about being in a serious relationship with his ex Braylon, the man who broke his heart. Braylon’s sudden reappearance in Denz’s life turns everything upside down. Apparently, Braylon needs Denz’s connections to the mayor to win his own promotion. So, they strike a deal. It’s all business until the funny texts & the confusing kisses leave Denz struggling to separate this temporary arrangement from the affairs of his heart. Can they fake date their way to success, or will real feelings get in the way of Denz's goal?

💜 The moment I saw that this was Julian Winters' adult romance debut, I SNATCHED this up--it did not disappoint! Denz is a protagonist you can't help but fall in love & empathize with, while Braylon is an absolute heart-throb of a love interest (I mean, the newly developed accent alone). Let's break it down:

✨ Characters: This entire chaos is beautifully diverse, chaotic, & well-developed. Each member of Denz's family has a distinct voice, but it's Denz and Braylon who steal the show. I do wish we'd seen a little more from our supporting cast (the 30 seconds of Suraj was NOT enough, because hi), but Winters did open himself up to a potential sequel (that focuses on Denz's best friend and cousin). I loved Denz's fear of failure/fear of success, the theme of familial expectations/pressures, and how you can learn from your past choices.

✨ Plot & Pacing: The pacing is steady, & any potential lags are broken up by flashbacks to Denz & Braylon's college years. There's one weird jump for me, when the fake-dating relationship becomes physical (as it always does), which is sudden & unexpected (though it does benefit the rest of the story's flow & pacing).

✨ World-Building: My biggest disappointment in this story is the lack of descriptive language during the 24 Carter Gold events. We don't see, feel, or experience as many of those moments as I'd like. The story is set in Atlanta and even mentions the area where I live, but it could have been set in any city and you wouldn't notice a difference. Denz is so rooted in his "home," both as a place & in terms of his family, but it's hard to feel that connection.

✨ Romance: I mean. Come on. This story is all heart-warming, swoon-worthy, delicious romance. If that's not enough for you, let's talk about the consent & communication between Denz & Braylon. I MEAN! Not to mention (my favorite) all the witty banter between them. The banter isn't even antagonistic enemies-to-lovers bark-&-bite wit; it's fun & flirtatious, demonstrating that the connection between Denz & Braylon still exists.

✨ Mystery/Suspense: I do wish the reason for their initial breakup wasn't revealed so quickly, to add an element of suspense & tension.

✨ Tone/Prose: Every character's voice is distinct, allowing you to differentiate between a large cast of family members. Julian Winters has a fresh & fun voice that will draw you in & keep you turning page after page. Again, I only wish the prose featured more descriptions to fully immerse readers in the story.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Fall for Him, Rachel Lacey's queer romances, or Boyfriend Material.

✨ The Vibes ✨
🫖 M/M / Queer Romance
📱Fake Dating
💗 Second Chance
❤ Adult Rom-Com Debut
💗 Only One Bed
📱 Work / Life Balance
🫖 Family is Everything

🦇 Major thanks to the author @wintersjulian & publisher @stmartinspress for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #IThinkTheyLoveYou

💬 Quotes
❝ Why is heartbreak that one scar that never heals cleanly? ❞
❝ Maybe this is all Denz wanted from today: a smoky kitchen, a stupid Marvel movie playing in the background, Bray wearing his sweatshirt, kissing the words “I love you” into soft lips until they’re swollen. ❞
❝ “Do you know what it’s like to be so scared you’re going to fail that you constantly fuck up anyways?” ❞
❝ You can spend a lifetime with someone, and they never fail to surprise you with another side of themselves. ❞
❝ Sometimes, pretending the worst things in your life never happened is how you survive. But sometimes, you have to shatter in order to figure out how to piece yourself back together. So you can heal. ❞
❝ “I’m better than good enough." ❞

4.5 stars.

I Think They Love You by Jonathan Winters is a delightful fake dating gay romance.

Five years later, Denzel “Denz” Carter still bears the scars on his heart from his breakup with his college boyfriend Braydon Adams. He is now working at the family business and is unexpectedly vying with his sister Cami for the CEO position at his family-owned business. Needing to be taken seriously, Denz concocts a fake-dating scheme with the man who broke his heart.

As far as Denz knows, Braydon is still working out of the country when he runs into him at local coffee hangout. Their reunion is very awkward and Denz has no plan to get in touch with his former love. But when his roommate and best friend Jamie flakes out on their fake dating plan, another unexpected encounter with Braydon ends very differently.

Denz is uneasy around Braydon who seems much more comfort as they spend the time together. Denz is surprised to discover his attraction to Braydon still burns hot but he is naturally hesitant to become too involved again. Both men have a lot at stake but will Denz put his heart on the line again?

I Think They Love You is a fun yet sexy gay romance. Denz is a wonderful man but is he putting family expectations ahead of his own happiness? Braydon is a great character with an altruistic soul but will he handle situations with Denz better this time around? The fake dating plan is the perfect opportunity for a second chance at love, but are Denz and Braydon ready to risk their hearts again? The storyline is engaging and the secondary characters bring this wonderful novel to life. Jonathan Winters ushers his first adult gay romance to a wonderfully uplifting and heartwarming conclusion.

Some books just pull you right in, hard and fast.

Veteran YA writer Julian Winters’s adult debut, I THINK THEY LOVE YOU, is exactly that sort of read. Right from the get-go, Winters delivers punchy prose and a cast of characters so vibrant you know they’re off living full lives even when they aren’t in Denz’s orbit. Add in some genuinely funny jokes, a few wacky hijinks, and an intimate (and ever-applicable) knowledge of the romcom canon and you’ve got something that’s mighty hard to put down. Especially since Winters also seeds his comedy with deeper issues like loving yet complicated familial bonds and the challenges Black professionals face.

If you’ve got any interest in contemporary romance, you want to grab this when it drops on January 28th.

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters is a captivating tale that explores the possibility of finding love again with an ex through a fake dating scenario. This deeply romantic story delves into the complex history shared by its characters, weaving in rich flashbacks that add depth to the narrative. Winters has crafted a sweet and surprisingly emotional romance that will keep readers hooked from beginning to end.

I received an advanced copy for review. This is my own opinion.

I think the best part about this book is how REAL this FAKE relationship feels. And not the second chance feels, but the screwing up and awkwardness. Denz feels so much like a real person, with his goals and selfishness and family and ambition, and it brings so much to this absolutely wonderful romance.

When Denz gets to opportunity to prove himself to his family to work toward taking over the family business, he scrambles for a fake boyfriend to prove he’s ready. Enter Braylon, his college boyfriend and source of his biggest heartbreak. Their “relationship” wasn’t supposed to be real, but when Denz’s realizes he has feelings for a new version of Braylon, he has to juggle his old, unattached self with the new “improved” Denz all while dealing with nosy family and a whole lot of work stress.

This book was an absolute delight and I look forward to more adult romance from the author!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

This was my first read by Julian Winters but it won’t be my last. ‘I Think They Love You’ was a great combination of sweet and spicy second chance romance and I very much enjoyed it.

Denz is a character who presents himself as someone who has life figured out and is living it carefree and fun-loving. He doesn’t take anything too serious, doesn’t let anyone get attached, and keeps things as surface level as he can. Yet so much of that is because he’s already had his heart broken once and has no interest in a repeat experience. When Braylon, the ex who broke his heart, reappears in his life at the same time he’s aiming to take over as CEO at his family’s company, it all comes to a head in a fake dating scheme where Denz can’t hide from figuring out what he really wants out of life for himself.

I was simultaneously rooting for Denz to find his way while bracing for the struggles I knew he was going to face as he had to work through what he was telling himself he wanted and what would actually bring him the most happiness. The Carter family dynamic was an incredibly complex one that also played into how he navigated the situation, but what I appreciated most about that was that no matter what, I never doubted the depth of the love they all shared.

When it came to Denz’s reconnection with Braydon, I was often touched by the tender moments they would share that made it obvious that neither had ever really moved on from the other. They didn’t know who each other had become during their time apart but they did *know* each other at the heart of it all. It was always clear that their connection was still there and they had unfinished business together. They were awkward and adorable and fiery and endearing, and I wanted them to find their happily ever after together from the moment they reunited.

I do wish there had been some more conversations on the page about their past and their parting the first time, but I was never worried they wouldn’t make things last once they had everything figured out this time around.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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

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.