I think they love you is a fun queer romance, and my only complaint was the title led me to think it was about a non-binary person, and it wasn't. The title is made clear only late in the book, and they is just referring to people plural, but I spent too much time waiting for someone to come out as non-binary which never happened.

That being said, This is the kind of romance I love! Denz is from a wealthy Black family in Atlanta, and is working for the family's event planning business. He runs into Braylon/Bray, the love of his life and his college boyfriend, and for family and business reasons, they enter into a fake relationship. Of course, feelings develop. As the book goes on, we learn more of Denz and Braylon's history and why they broke up.

I would also read a spin off on any of Denz's family members, just saying!

I couldn’t put this book down! I love fake relationship stories, and this one has the benefit of being a second chance romance on top of that. How lovely that the protagonist loves rom coms as well!

I was rooting for Denz and Braylon the minute they ran into each other again. Their fake (or not-so-fake) relationship is charming and sweet and has real depth, in addition to being hot and fun. Second chance romances have to thread a needle for me—I need to believe they had a valid reason to have broken up in the first place, without the issue being so fundamental that it’s impossible to overcome. I’m so glad this book does just that. I understand where each character was coming from during the initial breakup, and I was so happy to see them fall back in love.

Denz’s complicated relationship with his family kept me on my toes, balancing everyone’s differing expectations is enough to stress anyone out, and the journey he takes to understand his identity in the family, the business, and his own life is one worth following. I loved the conversation with Kenneth at the end—a good life lesson in work/life balance, and so heartwarming to hear from an exacting father with high expectations.

I really enjoyed reading this, and especially as my introduction to Julian Winters. I’m looking forward to picking up more of his books!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!
Pub date: 28 Jan 2025

Fake dating, second chances, and family complexity? YES PLEASE. I Think They Love You is in my top faves of fake dating. Not only were they exes before, Denz's relationship forces him to examine what he truly wants. He's so sure he's on the path he should be on. But what happens if he's wrong? What happens if we just aren't letting ourselves see what our life could be because we're so convinced we're on the road to should be? With flashbacks to their past, I Think They Love You is delightful. It's raw and vulnerable, swoony and spicy.

I have to be honest about this one, it just wasn’t for me. It felt too reminiscent of so many other rom coms, which isn’t inherently bad, but this one has all the things I usually hate, which is a kind of annoying main character that snaps and lashes out at other characters so often that it starts making me mad. The amount of pop culture references was also a little annoying. Overall, the book did what it was supposed to do and it wasn’t awful. I enjoyed it in parts, and if I ignore what annoyed me, it was a solid debut. I just wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it.

Rom-coms can be hit or miss for me! This book feels a bit underwhelming, and know for the right person this is a good book!

5/5 stars
2/5 spice

Tropes:
Second chance romance
Fake dating
First love
MM romance
He cooks for him
One Bed
Big family drama
Dual timeline
Single POV

This story grabs you from the start. Denzel and Braylon were just so perfect for each other and it hurt to see them struggling because of fears and insecurities. The love was obvious. Every flashback just proved that and gets you wondering what the hell happened to separate these two soulmates. Sigh...

Anyways, I just really enjoyed this story. It was fun and sweet, the characters were likable, and you genuinely want to see everyone happy (even the meddling family). The spice was hot but also emotionally charged. I highly recommend this book for fans of fake dating and diverse characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really loved this one! I am not the best at writing reviews sometimes, but sometimes books take you by surprise and this one did just that. I got invested a few chapters in and couldn't put it done. It was so good! I highly recommend this one. I will always love Julian's books and this one was no different.

A beautiful story of black, queer love, second chances and living for yourself, not others. I loved Denz and Braylon and was actually devastated by how Denz and Kami betrayed each other at the end. They’re sibling soulmates, but also so emotionally stunted that their apologies/amends at the end felt unsatisfying.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.

This was a such a cute read! I'm usually not a huge fan of second chance romances, but I really liked the way it was done in this book. I also loved that this book used the fake dating too since it's one of my favorite tropes. I really liked Denz and Braylon, but I thought that Denz was pretty relatable with how he tries so hard to live up to the expectations from his family. I also appreciated getting to see how Denz grows as the book progresses. I also thought that the ending was insanely sweet and adorable. This was my first time reading something by Julian, but I'm definitely interested in checking out more of his books!

actual rating: 4.5 stars

I love a good second chance story - when you add in a fake dating trope, it makes it an absolute winner.

The reason I didnt give this a five star review is I really wanted to know more from Braylon's POV. I think it would have helped move the story along a bit more, although it was done really well with the single POV.

This was such a fun book and fully recommend if you are looking for a romantic comedy that will make you smile, cry and swoon.
I am not usually a fan of second chance romance but this book really worked for me and I believed the reason why it didn't work between them in the past but how things might work out in the future. These two main characters were absolutely lovable and so well developed and I just wanted for them to have their HEA.
Highly recommend it on audio

⭐ Rating: 4/5 stars
🗓 Publish date: Jan 28, 2025
🏷️ Tags: achillean romance, gay MC, Black author & MC, second chance romance, fake dating, single first-person POV

Julian Winters always delivers on a story full of diverse characters, silly shenanigans, and heartfelt moments. I don't think this is his most memorable work, but it was still very solid.

The second chance romance was a bit frustrating sometimes since I do think proper communication earlier on could have solved things. But I understand that insecurities can often get in the way and the tension was enjoyable, I will admit.

I liked that there was more going on outside of just the romance, which really drove the plot. And there were lots of great side characters who kept things enjoyable, as well.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an early review copy. All thoughts shared here are my own.

Spice level:🌶️🌶️.5/4

When Denz's father and CEO of the family company, 24 Carter Gold announces his retirement, Denz and his sister Kami put themselves forward for CEO. Other family members have some doubts about Denz's seriousness though, due to a lack of around relationship.

When plans fall through and his college ex, Braylon, that left for London comes back into his life through happenstance, Denz hopes they can pull off fake dating to prove he has what it takes. Can they keep it simple, no strings attached?

Wow, this was my first book from Julian, but now I need to go explore his backlist! This is his adult rom com debut and was so genuinely delightful. It was hard to put down, I inhaled it. There's fake dating, second chance romance, loads of family drama, an adopted British accent, and several dad jokes that made me snort. If you could use some queer rom com joy in your life, give this one a read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press-St. Martin's Griffin for an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book is due to be published 1/28/25.

A fantastic second-chance romance that absolutely knocks it out of the park. I love that it doesn't shy away from the issues they both had the first time around and how maybe it could have worked if they'd talked, but know they're older and more sure and seeing each other again gives them to push they need. I was grinning at every cute text interaction, how absolutely smitten they both still were. I didn't mind that it was a single PoV romance; I felt like it was balanced and we got a really good sense of both sides, how they were both feeling in the past and now. I was cheering for them the entire way through, and what I wouldn't give to attend a Carter party!

This one just wasn’t for me. Denz was a mess the entire time. He struggled with work and his relationship with Braylon for a majority of the book and he didn’t have to. The miscommunication trope just isn’t for me and it was rough reading through about 70% before figuring out what the main argument was about that forced Bray and Denz apart in the beginning. And the reason for the split was really annoying. Also, what’s up with Bray’s accent?

I will say that when things were working between the two, it was really working. The spice was great and they were really cute together. I wanted them to work out, but it was really a struggle to get there. The cast was really cute. The whole Carter family was adorable and I loved how involved they were.

This one just wasn’t for me, but it might be great for someone else.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I think this is perfect for fans of Red White & Royal Blue!
It had similar themes with a queer community, accepting oneself and sexuality, and the relationship dynamic was also similar to that of Alex and Henry’s.
I also loved how the writer was able to give every “side” character such memorable personalities - I didn’t feel like a single character was forgettable at all.
The spicy scenes were *definitely* spicy, but with such a realistic air to them.
I really loved being able to read this one!

I wanted to love this book as the premise seemed right up my alley - second chance love. Unfortunately, I feel like it missed the mark. The characters were boring for the most part; they seemed like caricatures, rather than characters - if that makes sense.

The spicy scenes were good; in fact, I think those passages were some of the best written, and contained the most development for Denz & Braylon.

The story itself is fine, although I never really bought Denz' internal struggle. It's a fine read, just not as good as I'd hoped.

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters is the kind of book that feels like a warm hug, funny, heartfelt, and filled with characters you cannot help but love. Winters has such a knack for writing people who feel real, with all their flaws, fears, and moments of unexpected vulnerability. Denz, the main character, starts off a little self-absorbed, but his growth over the course of the story is so natural and satisfying to watch. His fake dating situation with Braylon, his ex, is full of hilarious and painfully awkward moments, but also so much genuine chemistry that you cannot help but root for them.

What makes this book shine is not just the romance but the entire community Winters builds. The big chaotic family, the strong friendships, and the queer joy woven into every chapter all make for a story that feels like home. The banter is sharp, the emotions are real, and even the side characters are fully fleshed out and memorable. It is not just about romance but about figuring yourself out, learning from your mistakes, and realizing the people who love you are always in your corner. This book is a celebration of love in every form.

If you have read and enjoyed Red, White and Royal Blue and/or Alexis Hall's Boyfriend Material, I think you've enjoy this!

I Think They Love You is a very cute, fun adult romance novel about two black men who have a past together, entering into a contract dating scenario that best fits their situations. As someone who loves Alexis Hall, it was actually a bit difficult for me to get into this because the concept and storyline is very similar. However this book features who POC characters, and does have its own charm, so after about 30% through the book I was able to see it as it's own thing and appreciate it more. It's fun and has a lot of focus on family dynamics as well as personal growth and adulthood/coming-of-age and responsibilities. The romance is endearing and doesn't have as much of a push and pull that most contract relationship books do. I think the second chance romance (which is a trope I generally very much do not like) was done really well, and it wasn't annoying or irritating to me at all! There were some funny-ish moments and the family dynamics I'm sure will be incredibly relatable to people who come from big families who often interact. It's sweet and I enjoyed it. Again, I would have liked it more had I not been a fan of RW&RB and BM, but I would still very much recommend it! (it is personally a 3 star for me but probably deserves 4 stars.)

While I'm not the biggest fan of Winters work, I liked the premise of this book and am glad I gave it a chance. I really enjoyed reading this relationship, particulraly as I navgated my own spinning of the block in the midst of reading.