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

One of my favorite new adult romances I've read in a long time. I think a romance is at its best when it highlights the character growth of both main characters as well as how the characters fit together as a couple, and this book does both amazingly. I liked Denzel & Braylon as characters to be in the heads and they always felt true to their ages even if I didn't like every decision they made, which is a testament to how well deep and well done their characterizations are. it's hard not to fall in love with both of them yourself. I thought the competition for the new CEO of 24 Carter Gold, set up some really fun party plot points but also kept the stakes high for Denz & Braylon's fake relationship. All the side characters, esp. Benz's siblings, made this book feel so warm and full, I loved it.

I was so excited to get this one - I’ve really enjoyed Julian Winters’ YA books so I couldn’t wait to dive into his adult debut. It did not disappoint! This was such a fun and spicy romcom. I had an absolute blast reading this second chance, fake dating romance.



Denz’s father, the CEO of Atlanta’s premier event planning company, announces an early retirement and it becomes a fierce competition to find out who will succeed him. To prove how committed and mature he is, Denz announces to his family that he is in a long-term, committed relationship. He has to scramble to find someone, when his college ex, Braylon, re-enters the picture after moving back from London. They strike up a deal to pretend to date. As they fake date, they rediscover love and who they are/what they want to be along the way.



I loved loved loved Denz and Braylon. Denz was charismatic and hilarious while Braylon was a total sweetheart. Their chemistry (and spice) was absolutely off the charts. I really liked the flashbacks to the past, which added so much depth to their relationship. I also adored Jamie; he was such a fun and lighthearted best friend. I really hope we get a sequel with Jamie and Jordan!



Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC.

Well written spicy rom com book about a second chance of love. Succession like but with a lot of romance references with an Atlanta setting. I could feel the chemistry between the two.

This was so-so. It had a lot of the ingredients I usually like in a romance -- 2nd chance, 'fake' boyfriends etc.... But it never really grabbed me. I just didn't get invested in the characters or their stories. I did like Denz and Bray, but it just felt like there was a lot of random STUFF going on around them and their story progressed quite slowly. I also found it unbelievable that Denz's job / his family's business were so hotly pursued as newsworthy - like somehow press and media would be after them all the time.... about what? a party planning business?

The thing that irked me the most about this though was the fake British accent Bray apparently came home with after living in London for a few years. The way that random British words (e.g. " ' Ello " "Innit" "bloody" and "quite") were liberally sprinkled throughout Bray's speech were just so awkwardly terrible, it made me knock one more star off my rating.

Denz and Braylon met in college and drifted apart when Braylon moved to England. Years later, Denz is involved in the family business and getting increasing pressure to settle down. He runs into Braylon at a coffee shop and even though the two parted ways unhappily, Braylon agrees to pretend to date Denz for several family events which will hopefully help Denz get a big promotion. You can surmise that sparks start to fly and indeed they do. This is a wonderful romance and family drama that has two men finding themselves and reconnecting their relationship. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This was the most delightful romcom. The writing was so good, but unobtrusive - it made the story sparkle without drawing attention to itself. I loved the fake dating and second-chance romance mashup. (Although, as usual, I didn't really want to spend time in the past. This kept the flashbacks on the shorter side, which I appreciated.) There were even regular mentions of Hallmark movies and other romcoms, which made me want to see this made into one!

I found I Think They Love You to be an excellent adult rom com debut for Julian Winters. I loved both characters in the main couple. They both were interesting characters who felt very realistic. They felt like people who were growing throughout the story. They also made me laugh! As did the side characters, especially Denz's family members.
In some parts of the book, you could feel that this was Winters first adult rom com. Sometimes the characters felt a little younger than what they were supposed to be, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. Also!!! The end of this book made me cry, which is one of my favorite things to happen while I'm reading a romance novel. I'll definitely be recommending this one to my friends.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book because of the writing. Although I felt like I should have known whose POV it was from, the way it was written was quite confusing and had me going back and rereading lines because I was confused as to who it was who was having the thoughts/narrating. It eventually just go too cumbersome and I wasn't invested enough that I had to stop. I would prefer not to give this book starts as I didn't finish it but netgalley will not let me submit it without a star rating.

Set in Atlanta, Denz is part of a family business that his father runs and looking for who will take over when he retires.

The whole family think Denz is non commital based on his relationship status and his non serious nature makes him unfit to be the next CEO

Who comes back in town at just the right time to prove him family wrong? Denz’s ex Braylon who broke his heart when moved away.
I love me a good fake romance and this was cute story which a good ending.

There were a lot of family members and at times I got confused and annoyed with the dynamic of the elder members with the younger.
Thank you Net Galley, Julian Winters and St. Martins Griffen for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Obsessed. The tropes were TROPING in this book. Exes, fake dating, messy family dynamics, (one bed) - you name it. One of my favorite LGBTQIA+ reads this year.

Denz wants to prove to his family he is ready for more responsibility and commitment, so he nominates himself to be the next CEO of his family's company.
Braylon, his ex boyfriend agrees to be his fake boyfriend so he can prove that he is able to commit to something.
The family dynamic is a little overwhelming, but also very realistic. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of who is who, 1 felt like I had to take notes lol
Denz's complicated relationship with his dad is a big part of the story, but at times the way Kenneth judged Denz was really unfair and unreasonable. The heart to heart was pretty heartwarming, and it made everything make sense.
I really enjoyed the "boyfriend jokes" they were ridiculous but funny.
I felt like we missed out on Braylon's pov, like i just needed a little more to fall in love with their relationship.
The ending was sweet, and through it all the family, tho harsh sometimes, stuck by Denz and Braylon. I really recommend this book to those of us who are obsessed with Rom-coms!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

3.5 stars

I found this book very enjoyable, if slightly miss-marketed. The characters feel veeery young - the flashbacks to college didn't help with that feeling - and I had a hard time believing these were adults. When I started reading I had to double check that it wasn't a YA romance, and I realized that this author normally writes YA so that might be the cause of the voice being slightly off. I struggle with characters that can't think for themselves, and I think that was a bit too prevalent for me to really understand the characters, particularly Denz.

That being said, this was very easy to read and easy to like. The characters were fun, there were some great jokes that actually had me laughing, and I really love the blend of second chance and fake dating. I think those tropes work really well together, and lead to a lot of natural tension that keeps the story juicy.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the e-arc!

When SMP addresses the concerns of readers and reviewers I will send my full review. Until then I am withholding my review during the St. Martin's Press boycott.

This delightful tale of fake relationships, family pressure, and second chances is a pure five-star gem! From the moment Denz's world is turned upside down by his father's retirement, readers are swept into a whirlwind of laughter, heartwarming moments, and just enough steam to keep things interesting. The author masterfully blends humor and genuine emotion, creating characters that are both relatable and endearing. Denz's impulsive lie and the ensuing chaos are a recipe for comedic gold, while his interactions with Braylon, the man who broke his heart, bring a depth and vulnerability to the story. The sizzling chemistry between the two is undeniable, leaving readers eagerly turning the pages to see if they can navigate the tricky waters of their fake relationship. With witty dialogue, lovable characters, and a heartwarming ending, this book is a must-read for anyone looking for a feel-good, second-chance romance that will leave them smiling long after the final page.

60/100 or 3.0 stars

The LGBTQIA+ and POC representation in this story was done well and felt natural to the story. The sex scenes were *spicy.* Unfortunately, for me, this is where the positives stop.
The story felts like YA opposed to Adult Fiction (not just in the main character's behavior, but all the college flash backs didn't help). Perhaps the second chance romance and the fake dating tropes don't work well together for me, but it didn't quite work. I think the ending was predicatble, but it was also cute and satisfying.