Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing for sending me an eARC of this book!

I love reading romance, but when it comes to the genre I have a high bar to clear, mainly because I have a lot of pet peeves. This book exceeded all of my expectations. The characters were fleshed out and felt real, the fake dating was done well - which, yes, I have seen situations where it was done SO horribly - and I had my heart broken and put back together with each page. It was witty and funny and heartfelt at the same time and the balance of that was done well. One star knocked off for a specific part, but it would be a spoiler so I'm keeping it to myself and overall, it didn't hurt my enjoyment of the book that much.

If you love Red, White and Royal Blue, you'll definitely love this one.

I think the natural progression of Denz and Braylon's relationship was well done. You felt the love and familiarity between the two of them right away

DNF because I can already see how this is going to disappoint me given the larger landscape of similar contemporary romances I've read recently. A second chance romance AND a single POV. Two big strikes and I'm not waiting around for a third. Second chances rarely work well for me because the narrative has to do so much heavy lifting in terms of justifying the second chance, and essent has to tell TWO love stories for the price of one in a perfect balance that is rarely pulled off satisfyingly. And I personally do not believe ANY romance should be less than a dual POV, ESPECIALLY given it's a second chance where it matters what each person's version of events are and individual agency is paramount to rebuilding something from the ashes of a prior relationship. From a writing voice perspective, I have no complaints over the author's style and voice, but the time jump itself was too disorienting a narrative choice for me to spend the rest of the book being frustrated over.

Denz is competing against his sister for the CEO position in his families company, but the only problem is that his aunties think he has some growing up to do. Hoping to convince them otherwise, he fibs to his family, pretending that he does, in fact, have a long term relationship. When his initial fake boyfriend pick doesn’t show for family dinner, Denz convinces his ex Braylon, the first love who broke his heart, to step into the role. Told from two timelines between their college relationship and their current fake dating relationship, Denz and Braylon have to decide if second chances are possible.

Rating: 5/5
Spice: 3/5

Tropes:
Dual timelines
First Love
Second Chance Romance
Fake Dating

Triggers:
Family Business Pressure
Break Up

My thoughts:
Julian Winters may have just become an auto buy author for me. This book is all about first love, second chances, growing up and finding yourself. A perfect read.

I devoured this book! I sometimes shy away from romance because it can be too cringey but this was a delight. I found the dialogue to be funny and the story was strong from start to finish. The pacing throughout the book was good—I read this in 3 sittings, not wanting to put the book down each night. I would absolutely LOVE if we got spin off stories for Kami and Suraj or Jamie and Jordan. I’d absolutely pick those up! 4.5/5 stars.

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, real and a little frustrating at times. I found that Braylon coming back with a British accent to be a little too much and that irritated me about him, but he had many redeeming qualities that helped me overlook that one flaw. Denz was super relatable, filled with the duty to carry on his family legacy and be who his family thinks he should be. It stunted him in many ways and he wasn't doing something that his heart was in when he put his name in the running for CEO. He buckled under the pressure of his overbearing family for a long time.

I think the natural progression of Denz and Braylon's relationship was well done. It wasn't too fast but quick enough to give a "same as it ever was" vibe, which I loved. You felt the love and familiarity between the two of them right away, even after having to learn about each other all over again. Chemistry doesn't change.

The side characters were all very well written and fully realized, but woo boy were they A LOT, which is a testament to the writing. They frustrated me and made me feel small and I was just reading it. I could put myself in Denz's shoes and see how he was confused about what his legacy truly was.

Overall, a great fake-dating book with diverse characters that were real, flawed and likable.

Thank you to Julian Winters and St. Martin's Griffin for offering me an ARC of this book. This review is entirely my own.

A completely relatable rom-com for so many different reasons! Denzel Carter carries the story as the main character and I think that all readers will find something that they can connect with in his story - losing someone you thought you would marry, trying to find yourself in your career, people not believing in you, and more. The two main plot lines are tied together throughout the story with a battle for who will be the new CEO for 24 Carter Gold overlapping with Denz needing a (fake) boyfriend to demonstrate to his family that he too can be responsible and stable.

There aren't any shocking tropes or major surprises in this novel, but rom-coms fans will love the movie references that are thrown in and the "Will Thacker Night" theme night that Denz and his roommate have throughout the book. While it's always fun to watch a love story develop, I think it was also nice to see Denz try to come into his own and see himself in the way that others around him already did. I think many of us have a hard time with that.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital advanced copy!

I don't normally enjoy second-chance romances but this one was great! Fun plot with overall very low stakes. I will say, I couldn't stand the idea that Braylon had an accent after living in London for 3 years. If I knew someone who had an 'accent' after that short a time I would never stop laughing at them. But other than that it was a good book.

This was such a cute romance and really made me fall in love with Winters storytelling. I can't wait to see more from them because this romance was one I couldn't put down because I loved the main couple so much and wanted them to get together so badly. It was a great read and highly recommend it

A fun, fresh queer romcom. Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes, especially mixed with fake dating or marriage of convenience, so I knew going in this would be a hit. I’m so glad I wasn’t wrong! This was delightful— like a sweet treat at the end of the a long day (if a sweet treat made you tear up a few times). The characters were excellent, the flashbacks never felt distracting or too much, and the romance was swoon-worthy. So good!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Denzel is hoping to get the promotion in his family's company. He convinces his ex boyfriend to pretend they are seeing each other again. I enjoyed this book.

I could not put this book down! I started it, thinking it'd be a fun, light, romantic read and BOY WAS I CORRECT! I started this at about 10pm??? Thinking I would read a few chapters. I finished the book at about 2:30 am.....

This is a second chance romance, and it was done VERY well. Braylon and Denz are such a great couple and I love love LOVED the clear communication between them! They're one of my favorite fictional couples now, and I just want to reread the entire book over again. This was my first introduction to Julian Winters, but I do recognize some of his other titles. I will definitely be reading some more of his books in the future!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC copy!

"I Think They Love You" is a charming romance that blends family pressures with personal dreams. The story centers on Denzel "Denz" Carter, who pretends to be in a serious relationship to win the CEO spot at his family's company. He teams up with Braylon, his ex, which complicates things as old feelings resurface. The characters are well-developed, and the flashbacks add depth. The romance between Denz and Braylon feels real and heartfelt, even as Denz struggles with his family's expectations. This book is a nice mix of love, self-growth, and the ups and downs of big family life. It's a sweet, well-paced read that leaves you rooting for the characters.

I don't what I've gotten myself into this fall, but its apparently all the second chance romances I can. Which is highly unusual as I have hate/love relationship with that trope. Julian Winters is able to get on the love side of things this go around with is tremendous ability to make me care about the futures of the MCs. It might not have the best third act, but its over all enjoyable.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I loved this book. From start to end I was never disappointed. I just wanted more and more and more. I definitely need to go back and read all the books by Julian Winters. I’m a huge fan now.

Second chance romance and fake dating? Count me in! Julian Winters is one of those authors that I instantly read anything he puts out, and this book did not disappoint! This book quickly drew me in and did not let go thanks to the complex characters, as well as the fake dating (of course). Additionally, although I usually do not like extended flashbacks in books (like a chapter long), I did not lose interest whenever they popped up in this book, and they added perfectly to the story’s development.

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

I Think They Love you is a fun, lighthearted second chance & fake dating romance that follows Denz and Braylon. Denz has nominated himself for the CEO position at his familys company and in an effort to prove he can commit to something, ends up fake dating his ex-boyfriend Braylon.

I absolutely love fake dating and second chance romances, and this one was definitely a fun read! I loved the duality between Denz and Braylon and how they interacted with each other after years apart. Braylon was such a sweet character and I really enjoyed him!

My main critique is that at times this felt like more of a YA than an adult romance. It made it a bit difficult to connect with the characters because some of the writing made them seem younger than they were at times. I love YA, but going into this expecting it to have a more adult voice threw me off.

Overall this was a super fun read and I'd definitely recommend it! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC!

I just couldn't get into this one. I usually love fake dating and second chances, the angst potential is off the charts, but it just wasn't here in this one.

I also found the family dynamics odd. What more did he need to do to prove himself to his family? Idk.

This was a pleasant read but … I feel like the author and I had two different interpretations of what was going on. While Denz is working so hard to prove himself, both to himself and his family, he’s thinking about the reasons he wants to be CEO of the family company. Of the changes he’d make; when push comes to shove, Denz can and will do the work, and do it well. He feels satisfied at a job well done, at a party well-planned … but his family constantly tell him he doesn’t want it. Not for the right reasons — whatever those are. He doesn’t want it enough for them. They don’t think he needs its, he ust wants it.

I found it to be rather offputting and it made me like his family quite a bit less. His father, who asks the impossible of him, puts him aside for taking the job seriously while his sister puts her family first. So going above and beyond, doing the work, working hard and being good at what he’s doing … isn’t enough. Denz isn’t enough, ever. It’s wearing and exhausting and made a lot of the family interactions sour. I just wanted him to turn his back on them and walk away … instead of his family politely telling him to go away, however politely.

This book has two black leads who communicate, cuddle, and are friends as well as lovers. I bought their romance and I bought their reconciliation. On its own, the romance is fine. I love a good second chance romance, but there was never a doubt that Braylon and Denz were in love. No tension, no simmering between them. They were already at the end of the book waiting for the plot to catch up, and the third act breakup felt disingenuous because of that.

I think I would have preferred it if, instead of the obligatory fight and separation the two of them just did what they wanted to do and stayed together, and if Denz decided — on his own — to be with someone who supported him and loved him rather than have his family chuck him out the door.

The writing is good, the pacing is good, and if you’re looking for a sweet romance between two men who respect one another as well as love one another, this book has that. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC.

i don’t normally like second chance but i doooo love fake dating! I love supportive friends and family and i love communication and also growth and change! this is a book about balancing family and responsibility and also true love and it’s heart warming