Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I didn’t hate this book, but I’m not really a fan either. I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters. The main character came off as annoying. There wasn’t anything interesting about them, and I found myself forcing my way through to finish it. It started off strong, but then it slowed down and got kind of boring.

Julian Winters has done it again with I Think They Love You! This heartfelt and joyful novel beautifully captures the complexities of friendship, identity, and self-acceptance. Winters’ signature wit and emotional depth shine as the protagonist navigates the ups and downs of discovering their true self while leaning on the love and support of those around them. A perfect blend of humor and heart, this book will leave readers smiling and feeling truly seen. Highly recommended for fans of feel-good contemporary YA!

This was an enjoyable fake-dating story! Denz and Braylon dated earlier in life, but went on separate paths. With Denz and Braylon both using the relationship as leverage for their respective careers, can they have it all?

I found this book enjoyable as I like the fake-dating trope, but also it gave perspective on families and making decisions for yourself. Denz develops throughout the story as he has a little bit of soul searching in regard to his life, and also who he is and who he wants to be.

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters is everything I could want in a rom-com and more. Denzel “Denz” Carter is the perfect protagonist—flawed, relatable, and oh-so-charming as he fumbles through fake dating his ex, Braylon, in a bid to win the CEO spot at his family’s company. The premise is delightfully over-the-top in the best way, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, heartfelt emotions, and just the right amount of drama.

What truly shines in this story is the chemistry between Denz and Braylon. Their banter is sharp, their history is palpable, and watching them navigate their second-chance fake relationship had me rooting for them from page one. Winters does a masterful job exploring themes of forgiveness, growth, and the messy, beautiful journey of learning to love yourself while loving someone else.

The supporting cast is just as vibrant—from Denz’s hilariously meddling family to the warm and diverse queer community that surrounds him. This book celebrates big, complicated families and the importance of chosen family with so much heart.

Funny, swoony, and filled with all the feels, I Think They Love You is an absolute gem. If you love fake dating, second chances, or rom-coms that leave you smiling and tearing up at the same time, this one’s a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC of this title!

When Denzel “Denz” Carter’s father announces his retirement from their family’s famous event planning business, Denz competes against his sister to take over the role of CEO. No one takes Denz seriously or believes he’s up for the job, so he impulsively tells his family that he does take things seriously, offering up his long-term boyfriend as proof. The only issue? Denz doesn’t have a boyfriend - long-term or otherwise. Denz needs to find a fake boyfriend fast and a chance meeting with his ex from college seems perfect. He soon realizes that despite how different Braylon is and how heartbroken he left Denz, Denz still harbors feelings for the man. And his feelings might be requited. Will their fake dating scheme turn into a second chance at love?

Every romance novel follows similar beats but there was something about this one that felt especially predictable. Nothing surprised me, nothing of note stood out to me - either positively or negatively. Long story short: I feel largely indifferent towards this novel. I love fake dating and I have nothing against a second chance romance but it felt like this novel was missing something. I’m already struggling to remember what happened after reading it this same month. I found myself bored through most of it, wishing the characters were more interesting and the plot was less bland. Braylon was especially boring in my opinion, with no discernible personality traits other than “nice.”

Denz is a frustrating main character to follow. He makes mistakes at his job that I think deserved greater consequences and he judges his sister Kami for not helping to plan one of the events when he himself shows up late and hungover.

I had to force myself to pick up this book and finish it. From reading Winters’s YA novels, I know he’s a talented writer capable of more interesting, layered stories. I Think They Love You just isn’t one of them.

Thank you to St Martins Press for this eARC! This was a nice read! It was an interesting take on a second chance romance story. Denz and Braylon have a lot of baggage between them that needs to be unpacked. Their chemistry is undeniable, even if their communication is really complicated and frustrating. The family drama is really well balanced though. Denz's whole family is tough on each other and competitive when it comes to business but the are able to soften immediately when they see a family member who needs help. Overall a really good read!

I liked how realistic this book was and that the relationship between the two main characters felt raw and real. The characters (including the supporting ones) all were very complex and I felt as though I saw myself a lot in the struggles they were facing with family and life pressures. I was rooting for the two main characters and all the twists within the plot had me fully engrossed in the story. Overall, one of my fav reads this year!

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy much about this book, even though I really wanted to. It was hard to root for a main character who felt obnoxious and arrogant, and I think there was just a disconnect between me and some major plot points (like the importance of the family business).

I'm so glad I was able to read this second chance M/M adult debut by Julian Winters!

Read this for:
- Fake dating
- Forced proximity
- Just a hookup
- Only one bed
- Second chance
- Workplace

Denzel Carter must prove to his family that he is capable of taking over as CEO at his well known and respected family's event planning company. He's up against his trusted sister, but there cannot be any wavering for him in his goals. When an unexpected foil to his plan leaves him with his ex wanting a favor and him needing one as well, he is suddenly fake dating his college former lover.

When Braylon shows up different after his time away in London, Denz isn't sure about this fake relationship and letting everything ride on it for getting his family's approval of being stable. As the two spend time together, they have to let go of the past versions they have of one another in their heads and start to see each other as the adult's they have grown into.

Braylon keeps showing up for Denz in so many ways that are unexpected. Denz tried to fight it, but he starts to fall for the current version of Braylon. Then tension heats up and the two decide that hooking up is not off the table. The fake dating starts to become real but Denz has to learn a few hard lessons of changing himself before he can really be ready for a relationship with Braylon.

This was such a sweet story between the two ex college lovers who both had to grow and change to be ready for one another again. I adored seeing all of the Atlanta places in the book! It was the best getting to see my city represented. I really loved the way that both Braylon and Denz had to face themselves and their issues. Braylon had done that previously with all the traumas he suffered, and now we get to see Denz move through to become the best version of himself. The real version and not the one with only his family's expectations.

If you're looking for a funny, good hearted romance with some growth in it for the characters then run and add this one to your pre-orders. It will not disappoint!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of I Think They Love You by Julian Winters!

When Denz's father announces his retirement, the company’s next CEO is to be determined. Denz lies about being in a serious relationship to show his family that he is capable of commitment. Denz’s ex, Braylon, ends up playing the role of fake boyfriend (in the right place at the right time 😊). The arrangement will help Denz as well as Braylon who is looking to use Denz’s connection to the mayor.

Denz and Braylon are irresistible!! The circumstances that led to Braylon being Denz's fake boyfriend was perfection! I so enjoyed the love Denz has for both rom coms and Marvel. And Braylon. Oh my goodness. You can see why Denz fell for him the first time around and why Denz can’t resist a second chance with him. It’s wonderful to get some lovely flashbacks of these two before they originally broke up. There were so many aspects I loved about this book: the fake dating, the supporting characters, these two giving into feelings, how these two learn each other and how the other has grown, and an ending with a grand gesture to remember!!

If you love a second chances, fake dating romance, this is one to check out in 2025!!

This was a perfect combination of fake dating and second chance romance. I loved both Denz and Braylon. They were flawed, realistic characters that were easy to route for. The story was predictable but not boring and flowed well. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. The only thing I didn't much care for was how British Braylon got in such a short amount of time. A more subtle shift would've been a little more believable for me. Sometimes his Britishness seemed forced. But other than that, I enjoyed the book.

4.5 Stars rounded up

This was a funny, second chance romance, fake dating trope that was light hearted and quick read. Denz is hoping to get to be the next CEO as his dad’s retiring. He is competing against his sister to get the job. In order to prove he’s serious he says he has a boyfriend. He runs into his ex-boyfriend Bray and they make a deal to fake date.

Bray is the one who broke his heart and he has never gotten over. Now, all the feeling he once had for Braylon is flooding to the surface.

I enjoyed the big meddling family, group texts, romcom movie references, and sibling rivalry.

I have never read anything by this author before, but I really enjoyed this book. I will be looking out for this author in the future and will be recommending it. This book is a great addition to any library.

4.2

Unabashedly funny and romantic, I Think They Love You by Julian Winters is a fake dating, exes to lovers, second chance rom-com that I found myself really enjoying. Winters crafts a funny story of family, romance, and societal expectations that help set the scene. I will admit that it wasn't anything I haven't read before; it was the writing in this book that particularly helped it stand out. Without the witty characters and smart writing, I have a hard time believing that this book would stand out from a crowd. Perhaps something could have been done to make the story more unique? I'd give this one a 4.2 out of 5 stars.

We love a fake dating trope with two hot men!

Denzel and Braylon were in love in college until a transcontinental move separated them and ended their relationship. Neither one has been successful in love in the years since — but when they run into each other at the local coffee shop and Denz needs a fake boyfriend to prove to his family he’s serious about his future — the two reconnect. But as we all know, it’s hard to fake date with very real feelings! As both men figure out what’s next in their professional lives, they’ll need to figure out if they can avoid making the same mistakes all over again.

Both of these characters annoyed me at parts with their emotional immaturity but overall the story was sweet, sexy, and very relatable!

You can not convince me french toast grilled cheese is good, no matter how good the book was. I was so excited that Julian Winters was making his adult romance debut, I've been struggling more and more to read YA but I've always been a huge fan, I'm really looking forward to more, especially if they are this emotionally charged as this was. I found myself fighting tears as I was reading more than once, and enamored with the entire family. I will absolutely be recommending this to everyone that's looking for romance

I loved the concept of this book so much. Who doesn’t love a good second chance romance and the fact that the guy comes back with a British accent makes it all the better! This book was a wonderful representation of diversity in a book and I really appreciated the representation for the LGBTQ+ community as well as how this book showed the struggle of being a successful gay black man in this day and age. I found this book to be highly entertaining and very endearing and I’m happy that we got our happily ever after for Denz and Braylon. This book was full of laughs and snarky comments as well as some serious topics, but overall I found this book to be absolutely wonderful.

If you look at my recent reads, I've been on a rom-com kick... escapism is real, y'all. And this one by Julian Winters fit the bill.

Full of fun rom-com tropes like fake dating and one bed, it was a cute, if predictable story. Denz is trying to prove he can take his father's place as CEO of the family's highly public party planning company. The way he devises is to fake-date his college ex (and only true love) Braylon. The guy who broke his heart by moving away without him. Braylon agrees because he's also looking for a promotion. Denz somehow convinces himself he won't fall for Braylon. You can imagine how that goes.

I thought Braylon and Denz worked well together and was rooting for them the whole time.

I started reading this because of the description, and I needed a quick pick-me-up. My initial assumption was that this book was going to make me feel the way I feel while reading fanfic. And I did, I got everything I expected--AND MORE. Every chapter tugged at my heartstrings in ways I didn't anticipate.

The thing is, I've read roughly 10,058 fanfics that contain the tropes used here: fake dating, exes to lovers, theres only one bed, and many more. But this novel is proof that if your story is driven well by its characters, it will be fresh and wonderful and satisfying.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!!

Mein Leseerlebnis

In der Liebesgeschichte gibt es eine interessante Kombination zweier Motive, die in dem Genre weit verbreitet sind: Es werden eine zweite Chance mit einer vorgetäuschten Beziehung kombiniert. Die Art und Weise, wie der Autor beides miteinander verbunden hat, fand ich interessant, aber nicht in jedem Detail überzeugend.

In der Geschichte ist so einiges los, die Hauptcharaktere wirkten auf mich vielschichtig und interessant. Komplett rund fand ich sie gleichzeitig aber nicht. Vor allem in Bezug auf Denz haben bestimmte Verhaltensweisen in Bezug auf seinen Job in meinen Augen nur wenig Sinn gemacht. Auch passten sie nicht so wirklich zu seinem Verhalten außerhalb des Jobs.

In Zusammenhang mit Denz fand ich den Erzählstrang mit seiner Familie und dem “Kampf” und die Firmennachfolge generell etwas zu konstruiert, zumindest wirkte das so auf mich.

In dem romance Buch gab es so einige Szenen, die mich gut unterhalten und auch berühren konnten. Es gab aber auch Szenen, in denen ich mir die Hauptcharaktere nicht als echte Personen vorstellen konnte. Damit hatte ich vor allem in der ersten Hälfte des Romans Probleme.

Oft finde ich den Einstieg in Bücher am besten, dieses Mal hat mir tatsächlich das letzte Drittel mit Abstand am besten gefallen. Denn in diesem erschienen mir die beiden Helden am lebendigsten und endlich wie sie selbst.

Die letzen Seiten im Buch fand ich wirklich berührend. Das Happy End passte gut zu den Helden und ich habe ihnen ihr Glück wirklich gegönnt.

Auch wenn der Roman für mich nicht komplett perfekt war, so habe ich ihn doch gerne gelesen und durch das schöne Ende die Liebesgeschichte auch mit einem sehr guten Gefühl beendet.

🖤🖤🖤 1/2

Für wen?

Wer Liebesromane mag, in denen viel los ist und die verschiedene, für das Genre typische, Motive verbinden, für den könnte “I think they love you” eine schöne Sache sein.