I have to say that this is, by far, the cutest story I have read in years!!
It has all the feels, and it sucks you in from the first chapter. Denz and Braylon have been a couple of and on since college. When they met in college, they both thought this was it until Braylon moved to London, and left Denz. Since he was groomed to take over as the CEO of his family's event business., he spends most of his time doing his best to impress his father and the rest of the family with what a great business man he has become. Then he has to find an imaginary relationship to help with his chance at CEO, since his father is retiring. Guess who that ends up being?
Try not to laugh and cry while these two try too hard to navigate their new relationship, and realize what they have both always wanted from the beginning!

I thought i was going to get mixed feelings and there was certainly moments where i was like 'uh.... what?' but I am glad I pushed through, it did not disappoint. Believe me.

[Thank you to Julian Winters, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review]

This was an absolutely stunning read. I stayed up all night before a flight just to finish it, I could not put it down. I cried, laughed, and then cried some more. I will be buying this book once it is out and keeping an eye out for special editions.

Here is what I loved about this book:
The Characters - I would read a book about every single person in the Carter family, I hope there will be companion novels because each character practically pops off the page. I feel like I know each character personally and want to get to know them even more.

The Plot/Setting - I am not typically a huge fan of business/CEO/Billionaire romances, but the author really managed to keep them all relatable and likeable, while still staying true to their station.

The Couple - Another thing I am usually not a fan of: second chance romances. However, I fell in love with both characters so fully, and their separation allowed for a lot of understandable yearning, which I can not resist.

Everything was laid out so organically, while staying interesting by seamlessly transitioning to flashbacks.

What I didn't like about this book:
Nothing. Absolutely no notes. If you like beautifully written M/M second-chance romantic comedies with heart, do not miss this book. Even if you don't like those things, I still can not recommend it enough.

BIPOC 2SLGBTQIA+ Steamy Romance in which two men who dated in college get a second chance at love when they circumstances lead them to faking a relationship.

1/5 stars: This is Winters's stand-alone which is a BIPOC 2SLGBTQIA+ Steamy Romance that follows two businessmen who dated in college as they find themselves getting a second chance at love when their circumstances lead them to making a bargain to fake a relationship. Winters's writing and character work are nicely done; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain likable. Winters does takes on some very serious subjects; so take care and check the CWs. Unfortunately, I'm just not in the mood for this romance at this time; leading me to DNF it at 18%.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

It’s been so great to see YA authors I love branching out into adult romance. With his adult debut, I think Julian Winters has written my favorite one yet.

I Think They Love You is an ADULT romance (there are spicy scenes), single POV book, about Denzel Carter, who is apart of a very well known family of event planners in Atlanta. In an effort to appear more serious and responsible at work, Denz decides the way to do this is to fake a boyfriend. And who does he ask? Oh his college sweetheart who broke his heart, Braylon. Drama and hilarity ensues!

I loved this book from the beginning. The writing flowed smoothly and was engaging. The humor was wonderful and well balanced, and the characters all felt real and well written. Even the side characters had so much personality, especially Jamie, that darling golden retriever (I really hope he gets a book with *spoiler*)!

I appreciated that all of the conflict in the book felt like it served a purpose, which is a criticism I have for a lot of other romance. Silly miscommunications that lead to a third act break up are so pointless! Things are not always sunshine and rainbows for Denz and he definitely gets in his own way a lot but it all felt like necessary steps in his growth and figuring out what he wanted in life and in his relationships with his family, friends, and Braylon.

My only issue, and I am guessing that this will be corrected in the final version, is that I couldn’t actually tell how many years had transpired between the prologue and the rest of the book. At times it appeared to be 4, 5, and 6 years. Not a huge deal but it did break my brain a little bit trying to figure it out!

Overall, this is a super fun romance and I highly recommend!

Oh wow! Oh wow! I LOVED this book! I have to say I was in a funny frame of mind when I first started reading and even put it down for a couple days. But I am so glad I went back to it! There’s lots of angst. There’s lots of humor! But most of all there’s lots of love! All of the characters whether main or secondary were endearing (in their own way) but Denz and Braylon stole the show! And the ending-absolutely perfect! I can’t recommend this book enough. You really have to read it!

Denz and Braylon were everything I needed and more. 🥹 these two met in college and instantly became inseparable. Well graduation came along and they went their separate ways. Denz went to Atlanta to be closer to family and Braylon went across the sea to London. Five years later these two run into each other again and Denz needs Braylon’s help with something. He needs him to be his fake boyfriend so he can impress his family. We all know how this is gonna go 😂 but oh man I loved their journey. These two are funny, they are swoony, they are steamy. I just love them both so much. This was my first book by Julian and I absolutely cannot wait to read more!!!

Funny, witty and heartfelt. This was one of the best rom-coms I've read this year! I loved seeing this story fold out and can't wait for more from this author.

Its a perfectly paced wonderfully detailed rom com ripe for a Tyler Perry adaptation. Just enough spice to be exciting without being overly raunchy.

I don't give out 5 stars a lot, but when I do it's definitely added to my re-read list.

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.

Now Denz needs to find a fake boyfriend to seal the deal on the CEO position. Denz is forced to turn to the last person he wants to be in a pretend (or any) relationship with: 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. So, they strike a deal. It’s all business until the funny texts and the confusing kisses leave Denz struggling to separate this temporary arrangement from the affairs of his heart.

This book was brilliant. Laughter and tears and spice and all things nice! I love books that bring family into it, and fake dating is one of my favorite tropes of all time. Pick this one up! You will not regret it! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I was completely surprised and blown away by this book. It feels like it was written in the RWRB universe, which obviously gives me all the feels.

Feels extra contemporary. You have these "young adults" (not YA) navigating through work life, grief, "sibling-hood", friendship and past loves. All while finding their true selves. I laughed, cried and screamed at them.

Really looking forward to read more from this author!

Brief overview:

I Think They Love You is a story of Denz, who starts fake dating his ex in order to impress his parents while trying to earn a promotion at the family company. Denz is a social media wiz feeling the pressure to fit into his family and keep them proud of him and his accomplishments.

My thoughts:

It was a cute romance story. Very full of tropes, such as the one bed, second chance romance, and third act breakup. If you like your romances filled with tropes, you'll love this! Overall a cute queer romance that was very easy to read. Super lovable main and side characters.

I love a 2nd chance relationship, especially if there’s a fake relationship tied to the situation. I really enjoyed this. My only complaint is that since it’s so short, it could have benefited from a second POV.

I liked the second change romance/fake dating combination, and also the fun family all in business together and way up in each other's personal business as well. I could Denz really relatable and was definitely cheering for him and Bray to get together. But mostly, I enjoyed all the quirky side characters surrounding him and all the good character growth amongst them. It was a sweet, fun story.

This is a cute and fun rom-com that's chock full of tropes - an ex-boyfriend suddenly back on the scene, plenty of family drama, a fake dating romance, and a steamy "only one bed" hookup. The premise is pretty ridiculous: Denzel has to prove to his family he can be a serious person by demonstrating he can be in a serious relationship, all to get a shot at a job he does not seem remotely qualified for. He recruits a friend to be the fake boyfriend, only to be stood up, and instead his ex shows up - or happens to be walking by - at just the right time.

I loved the chemistry between Denzel and Braylon. The flashbacks to college, the cheesy pick up line jokes, and the "barely able to resist" kisses are everything romcoms are made of. The family drama and career plot felt to me to be very un-serious, between the interfering aunties and the family group chat. They seem to care much more involved about Denzel's love life than the family business, even when he's on the verge of losing major clients.

While the book hints at some heavier themes, including grief and abandonment, I didn't really feel it got very heavy into the emotions or angst. Even when it may have been justified, the emotional responses felt understated, especially between Denzel and Braylon's reunion. I think this book could've leaned much more heavily into the angst and made for a more fleshed out story. As it stands, this is a perfectly cute and light rom-com with some pretty funny moments.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. This was a cute book. I love the fake relationship trope and they were able to fit in the only bed thing. The story telling was compelling and I was sucked in and had to know how it ended. I enjoyed reading this book.

Why am I crying?? Oh wait, I know why, its because I love Denz and Braylon so dang much!! This second chance romance is filled with so much heart and laughter and sweet, silly moments...and more than a little bit of angst as Denz strives to prove his worth to his family/comapny/the world. I really hope the side characters get their own story too!

Posted to Goodreads

Denz convinces his ex boyfriend to fake date him so he can get promoted to CEO of his family business. Julian Winters is an established YA author and this was his first book in the adult category. I must say, I am impressed! I usually find spicy scenes to be at least a little cringey but that was not the case with this book. Winters did a great job developing the character of Denz. Braylon was a little annoying a times, particularly because he lived in London for a few years and seemed to make it his entire personality. I'd be happy to read another Julian Winters book and would highly recommend this one.

The family dynamics in this book felt realistic and I especially enjoyed seeing those interactions on paper. I love that Denz has a healthy, competitive bond with his sister and the friendships were a delight too. It's time to represent loving families where everyone cares about each other and can be nosy. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to show close-bounded families that don't have the best ideas or privacy, seeing how the unit of the family works differently in different cultures but also differs with every case. (I'm saying this as a brown person)

This book fits in really well with the tropes of second-chance romance and fake dating; the writing is very wholesome. I think Braylon could've been fleshed out better because the focus was mainly on Denz and I'd like to have seen more of Braylon and his character arc. Apart from reading the unique combination of fake dating with an ex (something I don't think I've read before and was intrigued by), the family interactions take center-stage in my opinion. I found this to be a highly engaging read and there's little I can complain about, so I recommend it!

It took me far longer than I like to get through this book because of life's business, but the story was a super charming second chance romance.

Denzel (not that one) and Brayden were college sweethearts whose romance ended due to Brayden moving to England and Denz moving to Atlanta. Neither really let the other go and that is clear from page 1. The find their way back together and fake dating madness ensues. There are wild family dynamics and crazy Auties thorughout the book that were all a bit overwhelming and irritating at times, but that was also the point.

I loved the banter and the heart of this book and will definitely read more by Julian Winters.