<i>⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Stars Rounded Up To Four</i>

I liked this! It wasn’t anything mind-blowing or out of this world, but overall, I enjoyed it. Plus, it featured some tropes I do absolutely love: second chance romance, fake dating, and one bed—what’s not to like?

This was my first introduction to this author as an author since I haven’t read any of their YA books, & while I don’t typically read a lot of YA, there were moments where the writing definitely felt like a YA book (not necessarily a bad thing, just noticeably different than my usual reads). That said, the growth aspect of this story was even more well done than I’ve seen in books by many established adult authors, which was a pleasant surprise.

I do wish Braylon had been a bit more fleshed out as a character, but overall, I had a good time with this one!

I love a good fake dating trope and this one is fake dating an ex! Denz and Braylon were college sweethearts that weren’t meant to be…except years later, they decide to fake date to help each other’s careers. During this time, they learn more about why they broke up and how it made them into the people they currently are. I really enjoyed seeing their story unfold and the complexities of why they fell apart years ago. I really liked Braylon’s character, but found Denz to be too immature and a little too annoying at times. Kenz and Nina were honestly my favorite of all the characters because they both knew themselves. The ending was a tad too rushed and didn’t feel like the right fit for the characters, but was okay. I did enjoy this set in the world of elite party planning and loved all the representation! 4⭐️, 2🌶

Branching out, YA author Julian Winters has delivered an excellent MM second chance, dual POV, fake dating romance that sees two Black gay former college exes faking a relationship in order to improve each of their chances in the workplace. With flashbacks to their college life five years in the past, we get to see what went wrong, how they fell in love and whether they can make things work this second time around in the present. Spicy and heartfelt, this had lots of family drama and emotional depth. Good on audio too and perfect for fans of authors like Kosoko Jackson. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I Think They Love You was a fun second chance + fake dating romance. I really liked the book, it was funny and emotional. It didn’t quite go the way I expected but not in a bad way. Would recommend!

Denzel Carter’s father abruptly retires, setting off a competition to become his successor. To convince his family members that he’s capable of commitment, Denz impulsively lies about being in a serious relationship. In need of a fake boyfriend, Denz contacts his ex Braylon, who needs Denz's connections to the mayor to win his own promotion. Their fake relationship starts off all business, but faking a relationship means Denz's feelings might return.

Denz is seen as a player, so he's invested in this competition against his sister to win their father's approval. It's explicitly stated that excellence is the bare minimum, setting everyone up to be stressed and anxious to be seen as good enough. While Denz sets up a fake boyfriend plan with his best friend, he bumps into his ex and sets up the arrangement for their mutual benefit. Of course, this brings up the old feelings they had for each other. Toss in other fun tropes like forced proximity, only one bed, and working together for a deadline, and we have elements worthy of the romcoms that Denz and his best friend love so much.

This novel is very much a romcom, with some moments of deeper emotional beats. Denz doesn't ever feel good enough about himself and tries so hard to be what others expect. It's a very difficult line for anyone to keep up with. Braylon has similar fears, so both must overcome them for their happily ever after.

Well this was a really cute and charming romcom! 🥹

Denzel is trying to prove to his family that he can take things seriously, so he needs to find a fake boyfriend stat. And who should he just so happen to run into, right in the nick of time?! His ex-boyfriend Bray, who needs Denz’s connections to the mayor for his own job…so they make a deal.

First of all, Denz’s family, “The Carters”, are an absolute hoot. Parents, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles. It’s a big family, and there was a lot of good banter going on.

We only get Denz’s POV throughout the book, so there’s always a bit of mystery as to where Bray is coming from, but I didn’t mind because Denz has got a lot going on in his head, and a lot of insecurity to work through.

Being ex’s, there’s instant chemistry between Denz and Bray, and the flirting and tension that builds and builds between them is just so good, and their moments together are just so precious.

As for the story, I thought all the party planning and the “competition” for the CEO position was a lot of fun. (Although, I personally thought it was a pretty harsh way to go about it, Denz’s Dad! 😫😂)

Overall, I really enjoyed this fun and swoony romcom! 🥰

Thank you to #netgalley and @stmartinspress for providing me an early copy of this ebook. All opinions are my own.

What this book is giving:
✅ Romcom
✅ Single POV
✅ Second Chance
✅ Fake Dating
✅ Family Business
✅ Party Planning
✅ MM

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ / 5
🌶️🌶️¾ / 5

I really wanted to love this book because the world is in need of more MM queer fake dating romances. However there were a number of things that took me out of the story too much to be truly enjoyable. I wish, if we were going to get one POV that it could have been in first person. The 3rd person pov doesn’t allow for “showing, not telling”. Denz’s monologue and musings were just sometimes intolerable. It also was so emotionally slow. At 70% Denz is still adamant it’s fake even to his best friend.

I’m sure this will be a book that many people enjoy, and I hope it does exceptionally well, just wasn’t for me this time.

I was hooked from the first chapter. Witty writing, fun characters and an interesting plot! This book was unique and a great read about fake dating, family dynamics and second chances!

4 stars

Ah, Denz and Braylon! These two are the stars of an extremely satisfying and charming story of lovers to exes to lovers again, and they will win your hearts.

In an effort to seem like he's adulting as successfully as possible and thus ready for an impending professional opportunity, Denz decides to pretend that he's in a serious romantic relationship. While this fact alone - serious relationship = ready for serious professional responsibility - struck me as strange, the characters are not on the same page. They go for it, and in this case, Denz goes for it through happenstance with his ex, Braylon. Is this my personal nightmare? Yes. Is it theirs? Fortunately, no!

As much as I questioned the impetus, I really enjoyed these characters and the way they evolved individually and together. I am an incoming fan of Winters, and this book was enjoyable as expected. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Cute second chance, fake dating rom-com. In I Think They Love You, the unexpected retirement of Denz's father from the family event-management company leaves Denz needing to prove his level of commitment with a serious relationship in order to be considered for the CEO position. Unfortunately, he hasn't been in a relationship since college, when his boyfriend Braylon broke his heart by moving to London right after graduation. The sudden reappearance of Braylon leads to their agreement to fake date to convince Denz's family that he's committed and serious enough to be CEO.

Denz and Braylon's gradual rekindling of their relationship is sweet. I loved Braylon's dad jokes texts and Denz's slow realization that he shouldn't have let Braylon leave,

This was a 4-star for me because of a couple of things:
• So many supporting characters. Aunts, uncles, parents, sisters, nephews, cousins, sister's-secret-boyfriend, ex-hookup-barristas--the sheer number of names was sometimes confusing.
• Braylon's weird British "accent" after living in London only a few years.
• Denz being in the running for CEO of what seems to be a million-dollar company at the age of 25 and with only experience as a social media coordinator. I can overlook this because...fiction!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an eARC. Opinions are my own.

3.5 stars. This was a very cute romance book. Overall I enjoyed it, but there were moments where I feel like k couldn’t immerse myself in the story as much as I wanted. Some parts didn’t seam as cohesive and I would have liked. Denzel was a bit insufferable at times, but he redeemed himself at the end. I absolutely loved Braylon’s character though. Second chance romance books with rom com vibes and queer representation did work well together though. I would be open to reading another book from this author in the future.

This book was slower to grow on me. Denz was a lot to take in and immature at times. But truly no less than you’d expect anyone to be at 25. I wished we had Bray’s point of view…. I debated how I wanted to rate this book but ultimately I am going to go based on vibes and how much I ended up loving Denz and Bray.

From mid way through this book I was consumed by it. Consumed by them.

I love Braylon’s awful dad jokes.

« Why should you never break up with a goalie? Because he’s a keeper. »

« How do astronomers organize a party? They planet. »

I love Denzel’s inner monologue.

« The Kiss is in the back of his mind. It’s the Florida of his thoughts—he knows it’s there but refuses to acknowledge it. »

Part of me wished this book never ended. ♥️

And the side characters are also all so well developed it makes me hope and pray we do get another book out of this. Best friend Jamie needs a happy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author Julian Winters for the advanced reading copy, all my opinions are my own.

Two of my favorite romance tropes are fake dating and second-chance romance. Fake dating is always fun and usually results in at least a little pining (which is a requirement for me to get truly invested in a relationship). Second-chance romance can, when written properly, produce character and relationship growth that makes the happy ending feel earned. I Think They Love You is a prime example of how to do both of those tropes really well.

The book starts with Denz, the main character, preparing for a big event where his boyfriend, Braylon, will meet his family for the first time. After, we jump five years in the future, and see Denz run into Braylon again for the first time, a few years after their breakup.

Denz soon encounters a situation that makes him feel like he needs to present himself as being in a stable and committed relationship. When his best friend, Jamie, is suddenly unable to pose as his new boyfriend as planned, Braylon steps in, and the two are forced to deal with their lingering feelings and broken hearts.

The story is mostly told in the present but there are flashbacks sprinkled in that fill in their history. Through both timelines, their love for each other is clear. Denz and Braylon are a great example of the kinds of pairings I love in fiction: two people who really see each other (flaws and all) and push each other to be better and happier. These two had me laughing out loud and crying onto my Kindle at various points in the book!

Denz goes through some great character growth that I think will be relatable to many people. We don't get Braylon's POV but he's such a loveable character. Even without his POV, his personality shines through and the changes he brings about in Denzel are profound.

This story has a big focus on family: living up to family expectations, grieving lost parents, and found family are all themes. Denz's relationship with his family plays an especially large role in his life and the story. He has a close family filled with fun and realistic characters. His sister, Kami was a highlight for me. There are also parents, aunties, cousins, friends, and co-workers who fill out the cast.

One thing I really liked, as a romance fan, was all the references to rom-coms. Denz and Jamie love romance movies, so some big moments refer to some of the greats in the genre. There's also a quote about why romance appeals to so many that I adore and think other romance readers will too.

Finally, there are hints of another romance developing in the background of this book (including the epilogue). I have no idea if Julian Winters is planning a sequel but those two characters could make a great story that I would love to read! If this becomes a series, I will 100% be reading all future books.

I Think They Love You is a solid romance that does the second-chance romance and the fake-dating tropes right. It's emotional, sweet, funny, spicy, and everything that most romance readers look for.

I loved this one. It combines my favorite (fake dating) trope with a second chance romance. I think that there is such a benefit of starting in YA and then moving to adult is that there is a lot of experience in building tension and emotional connection without being able to lean on spice or shock value. Julian's adult debut was a great transition.

The connection and communication between the two characters had depth and felt emotional while still humorous and light. It blends light and heavy moments really well.

This was a sweet second-chance romance with a fake-dating scenario. You can stop reading here, if you're normal—from the other very satisfied reviews, being distracted completely out of the story every other page by one of the characters' totally affected accent and vibes is just a me problem.

Contrived, ill-informed, and weirdly generalized "Britishness" is a major pet peeve of mine (in fairness, I also hate it when British people write distinctly, idiomatically local dialogue for their under-researched American characters). To me, it's weird that Braylon's incredibly silly "British accent" and inauthentic British vocab, all ridiculously quickly acquired but somehow not at all lost over an equivalent period of time back in America, were treated as normal, instead of starting a plot point that he's an extremely fake and unserious person. (And my god, the idea that a person would have to become a tea drinker because they couldn't get good coffee in LONDON. A major metropolis that routinely imports trendy drinks from around the world about five years before anyone in America has heard of a flat white. London! Now if it was because the coffee was overpriced, I'd have no argument...). I get that the thought process here couldn't have gone far past "accents are hot" and then attempting to square that with the college sweetheart, second-chance romance angle—but it's just so GOOFY.

OHHH HOW FUN WAS THIS.
I love a fake dating book and that mixed with the second chance romance in this book was 🔥🤌🏼.

It was queer, emotional, sweet, really genuinely funny and spicy! 🥵

I really adored the growth and character development in our MCs. They truly grew in love with each other again while they also grew and it was a beautiful story to play out.

The writing was outstanding. It flowed well, it was easy quick and really bingable. I didn’t want to put the book down because I absolutely loved every character- main and side.

I would absolutely recommend this! You’ll find fake dating, one bed, second chance romance and 2 male MCs 🔥

I found this to be a much needed book in the queer romance space. Personally I enjoyed the family dynamics/work/personal storyline more interesting and impactful than the actual romance. It did take me a little while to get all the characters down since there were so many and honestly I’m still not sure exactly which aunt was the fashion the aunt lol. I could have skipped the flashback scenes as I didn’t think it added much to the otherall storyline.

The spicy scenes were good and the character growth was inspiring to read. I’m glad they found what they needed - “what if”

I was hooked from the very beginning! This story had it all:

- Fake dating
- Slow burn
- Second chance
- Queer romance
- Found family

I enjoyed Julian Winters’ writing style very much — the way he was able to have me laughing, blushing, and crying all within the same chapter is pure talent.

I will be thinking about Denz and Braylon’s story for quite some time and I am more than happy to have them live rent free in my mind.

Spice was hilarious and realistic (finally!):
🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

This was quite adorable. And would make a great movie imo!!
Swoony, a lil emotional and very funny.

Denz is hoping if he does everything perfectly his dad will take him seriously as a candidate for CEO when his father retires this summer, when an auntie makes a comment about him not taking anything seriously… just look at his love life. So Denz does the rational thing and makes up a serious boyfriend. Luck would have it when Denz is about to show off his boyfriend his ex shows back up after years of not hearing from him.

Lil fake boyfriend, second chance and lots of family drama.
Super cute.

I read the ebook so no notes on the audio experience.

Thanks to netgalley and st martins press for an eARC.

This. This is what I want in a romance. Longing. Learning. Good sex.💥 Romantic sex. Humor. Family, found and otherwise. And just really, really good storytelling. This book made my heart full. ❤️