Such a great book! Julian did a wonderful job on his frist adult novel! This story took me through so many emotions. Love the exes to lovers and the "there was only one bed" troupes that were used. Plus there is a HEA so stick with it. You'll be upset for a moment but by the end you'll be loving it.

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters is a total blast! This book is a perfect mix of sweet, funny, and totally relatable. It follows two high school guys who are navigating their feelings for each other while dealing with friendship, drama, and a whole lot of self-discovery. Winters nails the awkwardness and excitement of young love, and the banter between the characters is hilarious. It’s got that warm, fuzzy feeling that makes you root for the characters every step of the way. If you love YA romance with a lot of heart and humor, this one’s a must-read! It’s fun, fresh, and definitely leaves you smiling.

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐒𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥.

Another second chance romance??? I think I'm hooked. I think they are my thing now.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC and the ALC in exchange for this review.

Absolutely loved this book and the narration! It was so well done and I enjoyed it so much.

This book starts in the past with Braylon and Denz on the way to Denz's family dinner and everything is going well. But when the book picks up years in the present we know that they are not together and that Braylon essentially broke Denz's heart.

When Denz's father is retiring there is a competition of sorts to become the new CEO, and Denz feels like having a boyfriend will increase his chances. So when he bumps into Braylon who is freshly back from the UK, and his best friend stands him up as his fake boyfriend, he asks Braylon to stand in.

Fake Dating, Second Chance, One BED. Ugh, this book is good.

It's told from Denz's POV only which is probably the only thing that kept this from 5 stars for me. I would have loved a Braylon POV, especially since he was dealing with so much.

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟,” 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐳 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐬, 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐝, “𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞.”
“𝐈𝐭’𝐬 . . . 𝐧𝐨𝐭?”
“𝐍𝐨.” 𝐀 𝐰𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡. “𝐖𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐭.”

This book is sweet and swoony and precious and steamy and spicy and such a great read. I especially loved the little nods to Atlanta and all the little famous rom-coms mentioned. So cute.

𝐇𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐧. 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐲. 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐋𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬’𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐦-𝐜𝐨𝐦. 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚. 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧, 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐳 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞.

To convince his judgmental family members that Denz is capable of commitment he impulsively lies about being in a serious relationship.

WOAH! I think it’s been awhile since I’ve read a book in the third person, so that threw my brain off a bit, but it’s nothing to fault the author/story over.

I think this is an incredible adult debut from Julian Winters & this only makes me more excited to read his backlist.
The side characters create a great cast that I want more of (pls write more stories in this universe, these characters are lovely)

The thing I loved the most about this book was the character growth from both of the MC’s. I love when books balance being emotional, funny, & heartfelt.

Read if you’re looking for…
* LGBTQ+ Characters
* Achillean romance
* BIPOC author & mc’s
* Second Chance & Fake dating
* Healthy communication (even during the spice!!!!!!)
* ONE BED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
* Third person

Andre Santana does a phenomenal job narrating the audiobook. They brought this story to LIFE.

Major thank you to the author, the publisher, NetGalley, & Dreamscape for the ALC!

First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
I Think They Love You was a sweet second chance/fake dating love story between Denz and Braylon. Denz comes from an event planning empire and his father, the CEO, is ready to step down and name his successor. In an attempt to make himself seem more responsible, Denz lies about being in a serious relationship. In an act of desperation, he convinces his Ex, Bray (who now goes by Braylon), to fake date him after running into each other for the first time since they broke up years ago.

This book was cute and sweet and all the things I love to see from a fake dating book!! I’m not usually a huge fan of second chance romance, but this one was done well. I loved the way we got to watch them fall back in love, both facing their fears to do so. The secondary characters were excellent, I laughed several times listening to this, and it left me feeling warm and fuzzy. One thing I gotta say though- what do you mean Bray went to England AS AN ADULT, stayed there for a couple years, and came home with a British accent? That’s insane. But truly, a minor gripe all things considered.

4⭐️

The best exploration of the tropes fake dating and second chance romance! Plus the added bonus of talking about therapy, breaking cycles, and following your dreams. YES! Please and thank you!

This was my first book by this author and I can’t wait to keep reading his work.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC

What a gem! Sweet, funny, sparkling, spicy story about second chances, working in your family business, fake dating and finding your way in life. The fact that I'm not big on gatherings, parties and other big events, but was eagerly listening about organizing such events, speaks volumes. I absolutely loved it! Since the story is narrated solely from Denz's POV, it took some time to warm to Braylon, the love interest, but when it happened, I was sold, what a lovely couple. And I had so much fun while listening to the audiobook, kudos to the narrator, great job.

Thank you, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley, for the free advanced audio copy.

Uplifting, charming, and full of laugh-out-loud moments, 𝘐 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶, is romantic comedy perfection.

Five years ago, his college boyfriend, Braylon, crushed Denzel ‘Denz’ Carter's heart. But since then, he has worked hard to be an integral part of his family's business, built a vast social media following, and guarded his heart from any possible heartbreak.

And then suddenly, Braylon is in front of him with a new haircut, a new British accent, and a new body wash. But he has the same eyes and smile and somehow agrees to fake date Denz.

Except nothing feels fake. The pull between these two is taught! And oh, when they kiss it is kicking feet level of swoon. I LOVED the joy these two brought out in each other.

I love the exploration that comes with a second chance. Things that are new and new things that are old. Julian did an excellent job of weaving the past with the present. I enjoy when a flashback stands alone to add to the reader’s understanding of the couple's relationship.

The entire Carter family is incredibly close and supportive ( with a group chat that actually adds to the narrative ). The father-son relationship here was my favorite. I love how Kenneth challenged and supported his son (cue more tears from me). The family dynamics really made the book more fun, and one can only hope that cousin Jacob gets a book so we can have more Carter shenanigans.


This is an incredible adult debut—literally fantastic. The steam is incredibly intimate (I cried) yet also hot. The characters felt in their mid-20s, and their growth was excellent, both in terms of how they have changed since college and how they navigated their relationship this time. I loved the message that it is okay not to know what you want.

The narration by André Santana perfectly captures Denz, Braylo,n and the whole Carter family. His voice radiates joy, sass, and heartbreak with ease.

Radiating queer black joy, Julian Winters absolutely slayed his adult debut! Highly recommend

If you’re in the mood for a delightful rom-com that’s equal parts funny and tender, then I Think They Love You is for you! This wonderful story follows Denz and Braylon as they navigate the complexities of rekindling their romance as they fake date. Flashbacks to their college days add a nostalgic twist, making you root for this couple even harder!

I read and listened to this book. I highly recommend the audiobook! Narrator Andre Santana creates such a unique and enjoyable listening experience. He brings the many characters to life with distinct voices that capture their personalities perfectly. Santana’s portrayal of Atlanta’s golden boy Denz and his insecurities along with Braylon’s insightfulness is spot on. You’ll feel every laugh, sigh, and moment of sexual tension as they navigate their complicated feelings.

As a Georgia girl, I absolutely loved all the references to Atlanta and Athens!

Why You’ll Love This Book:
— Fake Dating Shenanigans: Because who doesn’t love a little “pretend” romance especially between exes?
— Second Chances: Denz and Braylon’s journey reminds us that love can (and should) bloom again if we’re brave enough to embrace the messiness and try again.
— One Bed Trope: Need I say more?!?!
— Family Dynamics: Denz’s boisterous, meddling family is a riot and adds a rich backdrop to the love story.
— French Toast Grilled Cheese: How did I not know about this flavor bomb of deliciousness until this book???

I Think They Love You is a refreshing dive into the complexities of love, family, personal growth, and finding your home. With its entertaining plot and lovable characters, it’s a must read for anyone who believes in second chances. I can’t wait to see what Julian Winters brings us next!

Overall it was a good book, did it have parts that infuriate me? Yes, and there were a lot.

Like I really think I would've preferred to not fake date my ex than doing it, but it's to my book and I'm petty AF. Overall very cute, I did think it was also chaotic and I was like "bro, get your shit together this is your job".

Narrators were great.

I got an alc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There’s nothing quite like getting an arc a few days before a book is published.

I read my first Julian Winters book last year, and since then I have read almost all of them (I think). I think I was accidentally reading them in reverse publication order, which was a really cool way to inadvertently see how much Julian has grown as a writer over the years. I knew that he wrote amazing young adult stories about queer BIPOC people, so I was really excited for his adult romance debut. I was even more excited when I realized that this was going to be a spicy, open door romance!

Des was dumped by the love of his life when he graduated college, and ever since he’s been afraid to take life too seriously - both with his love life and career. But when his dad announces he is stepping down as CEO of the family business, he decides to throw his name in the ring. And what better way to convince his family that he’s taking things seriously than by showing them that he’s in a committed relationship. And who is his fake boyfriend? Bray, the same man who broke his heart years ago.

I’m not always a fan of second chance romance. Sometimes I find it too hard to forgive them for the first break up. But in this book, I was rooting for them from day one. The more time they spent together, the more rules they broke. Fake dating is one of my favorites, and this one majorly delivered. I love these two idiots so much.

PS - I love a supportive and affirming southern family. The scenes from the family group text were some of my favorites.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I sobbed for the last 20% of this book and then for quite a bit afterwards.

This has been a highly anticipated read of mine and it did not disappoint in the slightest. Truly was even better than I could've imagined.

Denz has sworn off relationships after this college relationship ended in heartbreak. Instead, he moved back home and started working at his family's company, trying to find himself there. When his dad announces he's retiring, he wants to throw his hat in the race to become the next CEO. He hears his family say that he can't take anything seriously, and it's obvious in how he hasn't committed to anyone in years. He takes that moment to make up a serious boyfriend to show he is serious and he can do this. When his best friend bails on him, he ends up running into his ex. He needs a favor and of course they can make it through one mutually beneficial dinner. But it's not just one dinner, and Braylon is committed to helping Denz out for this promotion, while also getting some help for his job and promotion.

Everything you could want out of a fake dating & second chance romance, I loved seeing Denz and Braylon in the present while getting glimpses of who they were when they were together, and what inevitably tore them apart.

While this book is a romance, it's also about finding yourself and being true to you and not just letting your life revolve around others' expectations of you. I loved how well-rounded the characters were and to see the growth they've experienced since college, but also just within the story.

The audiobook is fantastic and kept me so engaged! I listened in one sitting and could not put it down - the narrator truly did the character justice!

Highly recommend this book - just maybe make sure to have some tissues with you!

I really adored everything about this rom com. From the cover to the epilogue this book had me hooked. I enjoyed the story of Denz and Brae but also the story about the Carter family/ business. This was a cute second chance romance and I’m just glad that the main characters not only got a happy ending but they also grew in the process.

This was a good mm romance with some laugh-out-loud moments, heartfelt emotions, and a pinch of spice. I enjoyed the fake dating and one-bed tropes and the spice delivered. Denz and Bray’s journey from exes to fake boyfriends—and maybe something more—was sweet and had its share of swoon-worthy moments (that "9 and 1" line from Bray? 🫠).

Denz’s family was a major highlight of the story. The family group chat and the aunties brought humor and energy to the book. The side characters truly shone, sometimes even more than the main couple. Kami’s big moment near the end was a satisfying payoff!

However, the pacing dragged in the middle, and I found myself skimming chapters to get to the resolution. While Denz and Bray’s chemistry was charming, I felt the story would’ve been more engaging with a dual POV.

This was my first book by Julian Winters, and overall, it was a solid read. If you love fake dating, second chances, and fun family dynamics, this might be worth checking out!

**Spice rating:** 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

**Overall rating:** ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks to NetGalley, SMP, and Dreamscape Media for the advance copies of the ebook and audiobook. I ended up preferring the ebook for the quicker pacing!

Julian Winters was already an auto-buy author for me, but I THINK THEY LOVE YOU just solidifies it, with a hilarious, hot, and delightful adult debut. This book focuses in on Denz and his close-knit family and their family business, and the intense pressure that comes with the desire to please your parents—and losing sight of yourself in the process.
Celebrity (adjacent) is one of my favorite tropes combinations in the fake-dating category, second only to second-chance, and this book has BOTH. I consumed this audiobook faster than Denz and Braylon can consume a grilled cheese french toast.
André Santana was absolutely stellar, as always!!
Mandatory read (or listen!) for romcom lovers!

I Think They Love You follows Denz as he fake-dates his ex to convince his family he's serious about life—serious enough to take over as CEO of their party planning company. Second-chance romances can be hit or miss for me, but this one totally worked. Julian Winters nailed the chemistry and tension between Denz and Braylon.

What I loved most was how their unresolved feelings from the past intertwined with their growing love for who they'd each become during the five years they spent apart. It felt authentic and earned.

Denz’s family was the star of the show. Every single member felt like a fully realized character, even those with just a little page time. The family dynamics were fantastic—messy, relatable, and full of love. They didn’t always like each other, but they had each other’s backs no matter what.

And Braylon? I loved that he had to earn his way back into not just Denz’s heart but his entire family’s good graces after breaking it the first time.

Also, if you’re into audiobooks, André Santana’s narration was spot-on and added so much to the story.

First of all I would like to congrulate the audiobook narrator for doing such a splendid job that the book didn't feel weighted down but some corny or cringy writing which I probably would have noticed more in print.

I Think They Love You is a second chance romance that strikes the delicated balance between understandable first breakup and understandable hoing back together. The fake dating element helps of course but I was really captivated by Denz' story and I really felt a lot of what's going.

Once again the narration really made the story come to life, it felt like the dialogues were written for audio rather than print
.
I appreciate that the author didn't try to pull a twist ending but rather let the characters' arc come to their natural conclusion. As a romance I have nothing to note, it was sweet, it was horny I wanted to see the characters date again.

OH JULIAN!!!!

I have really enjoyed his YA novels and I am so glad he's out in the adult romcom world now. This book was an absolute DELIGHT! I thought the plot was so fun, fake dating second chance might be my new favorite trope?!

I thought Denz was such a great MC, I really enjoyed his wit and personality. His family was so quirky and funny, and then BRAY WAS SO HOT THE WHOLE TIME OMG I LOVE HIM 4EVERRRRRRRRRRRR

As for the audiobook aspect, this was really well preformed! I had no trouble distinguishing characters or timelines, and I thought André Santana did a great job and his voices and narration were perfect for this story.

I also enjoyed the story. The combination of fake dating and a second chance romance was a fun twist on the two tropes. It was a perfectly enjoyable book. I gave it four instead of five stars just because it required a bit more suspension of disbelief that I would have liked (does the whole family of party planners really go to every party, seemingly as guests? Does a party planning business really keep a whole extended family in designer clothing? etc.) However, it was a very enjoyable read and a nice romance with a happy ending.

I love the second-chance romance and fake dating tropes. The characters are so well-developed and engaging, This book will not disappoint.