4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and St. Martin's Griffith for this advanced copy! You can pick up I Think They Like You on January 28, 2025.

I absolutely adored this fake dating, second-chance queer romance! Julian Winters proves once again that he's the king of writing these hilarious, relatable romance stories full of love, laughter, and a bit of heartache.

Denzel "Denz" Carter has spent his whole life trying to live up to the expectations of his chaotic, successful family. He's constantly working to prove himself (even after a few mishaps) and show that he could take over as CEO of the family business from his dad one day. Part of showing his seriousness? Being in a serious relationship. Enter Braylon, his ex who left him for London 5 years ago (and who happened to be in the right place at the right time when Denz told his family about his new "relationship"). As the two work out a mutually beneficial deal to fake date, we see them fall in love all over again as adults, finding the same grooves they familiarized themselves with in college while exploring new ones.

Denz and Braylon's love story was the perfect mixture of sweet and sexy, and I also really appreciated the emphasis on family relationships as well. We see Denz's ties to his sisters, parents, aunties, and more grow and change throughout the story. This is a book just as much about familial love as romantic.

All in all, if you love fake dating and second-chance romance, this is your book!

4,5 stars

Second chance fake dating your ex? Yes please! This story really tackled the struggle between familial expectations and what one actually wants out of life. Denz thought what his family wanted from him and what the world expected of him was what he had to want himself. It wasn’t until Braylon re-enters his life and almost leaves without him again that he finally allows himself to decide his own path. Braylon made a tough decision 5 years ago based on his dad’s advice to leave Denz behind. But was London even what he wanted? Now his father is gone and he’s pursuing a career in non-profits back in Atlanta. As these two reconnect, they have to come to terms with the heartbreak they both experienced while falling back in love with someone who is fundamentally different than they were in college. A lovely story of growth and first love. I do wish we had gotten Braylon’s POV though be ause I wanted to see even more of his personality and growth.

The audiobook narrator was great and even had different voices for Bray and Braylon which was great and easier to differentiate between past and present (because written, it wasn’t always clear when we went back to the present time). I do wonder if the British accent was too strong for only living there for 4 years.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC and ALC!

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Fake dating, second chance romance. I liked both of the main characters and loved the sister. The love story between the two MMCs felt very realistic to me, including the breakup when they graduated from college. They both never stopped loving each other and it was obvious to everyone!

Honestly the only thing that I really didn't like about this book was the fact that Braylon moved to London after graduating from college, lived there for three years and then moved back to Georgia a year before the beginning of the book. Yet he has a British accent?! That is not how accents work! And it still wouldn't be that bad if it hadn't been mentioned at LEAST twenty times (no joke) like it was his most interesting character trait. They talked about it so often that halfway through the story I was thinking it had to be a bit, like he was faking the accent for some reason that had to do with the story. But nope! His "British accent" was just mentioned every few pages for no real reason and it made me crazy.

Thanks to netgalley and St Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

A fake romance leads to second chances for Denz and Braylon in this heartfelt story.
Denz needs a relationship to prove his personal stability in his quest to become CEO of his family’s business. An accidental run in with the boy who broke his heart sets up this rom-com. There is nothing to not like here. A quick read with two likable characters, a boisterous inclusive family, contemporary scenarios and lots of spice.
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins press for this read.

I definitely did not think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. I laughed.. I cried and I loved the Carter family!
Denz and Braylon’s second chance at love is worth the read!

This is my first book by Julian Winters, and the story and characters that he built in this book currently has a chokehold on my heart. This very witty, funny, and heartwarming book was exactly what I needed to read this past week.

I am a sucker for fake dating and this book may be one of my favorite fake dating books that I’ve read. Not only is it fake dating, but it’s fake dating an ex and second chance romance. Denz and Braylon are such lovable characters and I was rooting for them the entire time. (Do I sense new book boyfriends for me?!)

Winter’s also made this book so much fun with all of the Rom Com references throughout the entire book. As a sucker for romantic comedy movies, I knew every character and movie reference that was made and it helped me know exactly what the characters were thinking and feeling by using those references.

If you are a fan of fake dating, queer dating, second chance romance, and romantic comedies, this book is for you! Do not sleep on this book when it comes out next week into the world.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this gifted copy.

4.25 stars, rounded down
——————

I Think They Love You is a cute queer, fake dating, second chance romance that had me kicking me feet the whole time!

I was super excited to be invited to read this book. The premise immediately caught my eye and the execution was immaculate. I love the idea of spinning these common tropes together with that “boy who broke your heart” twist buried within it. There were certainly parts that escalated quicker than I expected or felt necessary, but overall, I really enjoyed the plot. Our main characters were really fleshed out and the character growth was great. I loved watching Denz grow into himself over the course of the book and grow into this relationship with the boy who broke him. Bray was a good counterbalance, but I would have loved to see his POV and perspectives of the events, too. That’s my main critique. I think this particular story could have easily been multiple POV, following both men and their emotional journeys. The cast of side characters are well handled. I loved Denz’s overbearing family and the ways they allow and help him grow. I wish we could have seen Bray’s dad more, but the death really developed him as a character. This book is a really good balance of character and plot driven that I appreciated.

I’m not even joking when I say I sat down with this book and read the entire thing at once. I could not put this one down. I’ll definitely be reading more by this author in the future.

**Thank you to St. Martin's Press for this free digital review copy.**

"I Think They Love You" is a spicy romance novel that's not afraid to go deep into the lives of its characters, exploring grief, expectations, and second chances at love. It included several well-known romance tropes while still feeling original, and it had me staying up late to keep reading and even shedding a tear.

It's really sweet how close and supportive Denzel's family is, yet at the same time they can be each other's biggest critics, and the expectations placed upon the younger generation are very difficult to reach. In contrast, Braylon is all alone after the recent loss of his father, and Denzel's family has a difficult time getting over the past history these men have to accept that Braylon is back in Atlanta after living overseas for several years post-college (and post-relationship with Denz). Reuniting after so much time apart is messy, but meaningful, and it was clear to me from the start where most of this novel was going.

There were many pop culture references that date this novel in a way that worked perfectly for me; I got so many of them, which is frankly shocking because I'm not a big pop culture person, but the main characters being just my age really helped.

Book 4 of 2025 - ✅! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin & Julian Winters for my ARC of I Think They Love You by Julian Winters, and NetGalley, Dreamscape Media & Julian Winters for my ALC of I Think They Love You, in exchange for honest review. (I listened to my ALC!)

When I saw the cover and description of Julian Winters’ book, I Think They Love You, I requested it immediately. Then, I started listening to the audiobook…and about 3% of the way in, I was predicting it would be a 5 star read for me. This ended up being true. This is my first Julian Winters book, and it’s his first adult rom-com.

In this second chance, fake dating romance, Denzel “Denz” Carter is born into Atlanta & Event Planning royalty, as the son of 24 Carter Gold’s CEO. Denz is in the running to be his father’s successor. Amongst the chaos of working for a high-profile event planning company, he reconnects with his ex, Braylon (fka Bray), who moved to London a few years earlier, but has since moved back to Atlanta.

In the midst of his campaign to take over as CEO, Denz asks his best friend and roommate, Jamie, to fake being his boyfriend. When Jamie doesn’t show up, Braylon steps up to the plate. While it starts as a fake relationship, it turns into the real deal.

I laughed, I swooned, I felt like I was in Atlanta. 5/5 ⭐️ overall. 2/5 🌶️ rating. Catch this book on shelves on Tuesday, 1/28/25! 🍑 🎉 💕

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to receive an eArc in exchange for an honest review

The premise of this book really excited me and I found myself enjoying seeing Denz grow as a character. Throughout the book Denz navigated his family’s expectations and his own identity. Denz, having always lived in the limelight of his family's experiences and successes, struggles with the pull and push of wanting to be the face of his family's company's future and the pull of finally exploring his own interests and identity outside of his family's scaffolding. Alongside Denz navigating his own identity we learn about Braylon and the heartbreak Denz experienced the first time Braylon left…Throughout their fake dating ploy I noticed how Denz became overwhelmed with the details, let things slip, and how dysregulated Denz seemed when trying to embrace the facade of the family business without really having a sense of self. I was nervous the ending would be dramatic and hurtful, I was scared Denz’s family would turn on him. I was so incredibly happy when not only was his family incredibly supportive, they also took the time to explain why they had chosen his sister to continue the company's legacy and I in particular appreciated their reasoning. In terms of Denz’s and Braylon’s relationship outside of their fake dating ploy I thought their reconciliation was genuine and allowed for their relationship to continue to build while also allowing each of them to grow independently. While I was reading I felt like I got to know Braylon a decent amount but towards the end I wanted to see Braylon a bit more and explore his character outside of their fake dating.

Overall, I enjoyed the fake dating trope!

I was very excited to receive an e-arc of I Think They Love You. I have read most of Julian Winters previous works and was excited to read his first dive into adult romance, it did not disappoint!

In this book we follow Denz. Denz's father is the CEO of 24 Carter Gold, a successful event planning company. When his father suddenly announces his retirement and that he is open to anyone taking over the company (family or not), he decides to throw his hat in as a contender. Always looked at as the party sibling, no one in the family believes he is ready for the responsibility of being CEO. Denz is devoted to proving them wrong. Step one, however, is proving that Denz can be committed which is a difficult feat since he hasn't been in a long-term relationship since his college boyfriend left him for a job in England. It doesn't matter though, with plans to fake it with his best friend Denz is sure he can convince his family that he is the commitment type. That is until his friend flakes at the last minute and Denz has to resort to roping the last person he would ever want to fake date into his plan: his ex, Braylon.

This was such a sweet second-chance romance. I loved the characters and the storyline. Denz goes through some much needed growth and learns about what truly equates to a successful life. I look forward to more of Winter's stories and hope he continues to write more adult fiction!

Thank you Julian Winters, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for an ARC of I Think They Love You! All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this queer second chance romance between two former college boyfriends who run into each other several years after their disastrous breakup. Braylon and Denz have clearly changed a lot since they last spoke, but also still have a bit more growing to do, both together as a couple and separately.

The side characters were also fantastic, encouraging main character growth and explaining how the two men grew to be who they were in their mid-twenties. Julian Winters’ writing style is excellent and enjoyable to read!

My two issues are pretty small, and both could have been remedied pretty easily or just omitted entirely. For starters, Braylon’s on and off British accent felt goofy. He spent a handful of years in London as a grown adult, and suddenly is saying certain words like that annoying person who studied abroad and can’t stop saying “the lift”. Using British slang bothered me less I think than Denz’s mentions of Braylon just suddenly using an accent. I’ve never met an adult who so so thoroughly adapts an accent after less than five years spent somewhere new after a lifetime spent in another country.

Second, I thought the jump from “absolutely no sex” to “BJ in the kitchen” was abrupt. Braylon seemed absolutely anti-physical intimacy when the two entered their fake dating scheme, and while he and Denz were still attracted to each other, Braylon gave no indication he wanted it to be more than fake until he was suddenly initiating a hookup. It just felt a bit forced in that moment to me and out of character as we had been led to believe before.

Other than those two issues, I did really enjoy reading!

POV: single third person

You can expect: fake dating to impress our bosses, competitive family, British accent of questionable legitimacy, social media director MMC, queer youth program director MMC, second chance, “it’s always been you”, flashbacks.

Rep: gay MCs, pan side character, Black MCs, grief, panic attack.

Spice: 3/5

CW: death of a parent (past)

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, learning about the event-planning company that this MC's family owns, and also getting to know the history between our MC and his love interest. I love second-chance romances that make it clear there is a lot tying the two characters together, and this had that. I enjoyed the second half less, largely because the whole subplot of our MC trying to become CEO of his father's company just felt really unrealistic to me and like our MC was severely under-qualified. The romance portions I did enjoy, but it did definitely stay in fun and steamy territory rather than deeply emotional which is where I prefer my romances to go. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fake dating and second-chance romance tropes and thinks they would enjoy reading about expensive, lavish events that this MC works on as an event planner.

Exes having to fake date is one of the greatest tropes of all time and adds a little extra something to a second-chance romance. I loved Denz and Braylon sooo much! I liked how their past relationship (and the reason for its demise) was slowly revealed. I do think the apology of that demise was glossed over a little too much, but that's because I LOVE a groveling moment and wanted that. XD

I also loveeee a "fake dating to get a promotion" trope. So... I was destined to have a great time with this book.

This was my first read by Julian Winters, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more of his adult releases! This was fun and heartfelt and romantic with the perfect amount of spice.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Cute!

This was a really great time. I haven't read any of Julian Winter's YA stuff, but I'm glad he's branching out to adult romance. The plot was enticing and the stakes felt high without inducing anxiety, and the issues with the relationship made sense. I loved the inclusion of strong family dynamics with the Carter family. The family legacy conversation and the sacrifices one makes, and whats truly important was excellent. Good food.

I read half via ebook and the other half with the audiobook, and the narration was excellent.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and St. Martin's Press for an e-copy and audio-copy.

“I wish you didn’t miss so damn much in this life trying to be someone you’re not.”

This was my first Julian Winters, but it won’t be my last.

What I liked:

Denz & Braylon: the tension, the banter, the longing - all of it was fantastic.

There were so many layers to this story. Denz and his feelings of not being good enough, and his complicated relationship with his family. There is a lot of depth to this story.

What didn’t work for me:

Nothing major

4 stars. Very cute second chance / fake dating romance. Denz and Braylon had great chemistry, and Denz’s family populated the story’s world with rich side characters. Some of the themes bordered on New Adult (finding your identity), so heads up if that’s not your thing. Also, Braylon is one of those people who lived abroad for a couple years as an adult, then decided to make it a big part of his personality by adopting the accent, slang, mannerisms etc. A bit silly, but I was mostly able to suspend my disbelief. Overall, this book was a lot of fun, with an enjoyable plot, lovable characters, and great chemistry between the MCs.

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

Such a super cute second chance romance that shows we don't have to let our past decisions get in the way of our future together.

I'll admit; it was really hard for me to get into this book to start with. While writing styles in the 3rd person normally don't bother me, this one did. At times, it felt clunky and hard to keep up with what was happening.
However, once we got into the story of Denz and Braylon, it was so adorable!
Denz just wants to prove his worth to his family by takin over his family's event planning company when his dad retires. His dad sets up a contest between Denz and his sister to see if either of them are capable of running the company. We can all relate to wanting to impress our families to the point of losing ourselves and our relationships over it. Throw in a bunch of nosy, opinionated Aunts, and there is sure to be some drama!

Pros: the adorableness that was Denz and Braylon's relationship, the relationships between the siblings, the relatability of the characters, spicy
Cons: longer chapters, 3rd person POV, scene hopping when it didn't feel necessary
Tropes: second chance romance, fake dating, one bed, "I never stopped loving you"

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this story! All opinions are my own!

Despite a bit of a complex plot, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Super cozy and sweet, I loved Denz and Braylon’s opposites attract vibes. Their relationship was super relatable and realistic - at the heart of any relationship, isn’t everyone concerned about their family’s opinions of their significant others? And they have real conversation and motivations behind career and politics and their mutual goals. I really liked this and highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book and read it in one day. I liked the characters development and the storyline. I would recommend this book.