Review: I Think They Love You

Thank you @stmartinspress for the #gifted early copy! 😘

Written By: Julian Winters
Published: January 28, 2025

When Denzel “Denz” Carter’s workaholic father and CEO of 24 Carter Gold unexpectedly announces his retirement, the competition for his successor is on. Denz isn’t seen as really competition because of his commitment issues. So, to convince his family he’s a contender for CEO, Denz impulsively lies about being in a serious relationship. Looking for a fake boyfriend, Denz turns to the last person he wants to be in any kind of relationship with: Braylon, the man who broke his heart. Braylon’s sudden reappearance in Denz’s life turns everything upside down, but Braylon needs Denz’s connections to get to the mayor to secure his own promotion. So, the two strike a deal for their fake relationship.

Get ready to swoon at this one, y’all! 😍

This is Winters adult romance debut and, let me tell you, he delivered! This story centers on second chance and fake dating tropes and both were executed so well.

Every character in this book, from MC to every aunt, uncle, and cousin, were fully fleshed out people I could picture some semblance of because of how well their personalities were portrayed. I loved our MCs so much—I was rooting for Denz and Braylon from start to finish, just wanting them to be happy, no matter the outcome.

The storytelling was superb! I was laughing out loud, silently crying, and getting all hot and bothered while reading this book that also warmed by heart. Seriously, this book covers a lot of emotional ground so well—it will have you feeling your feelings for sure.

In particular, when it comes to speak on identities, this book does a phenomenal job at portraying not only marginalized identities, but the intersectionality of Black and gay identities in a professional setting within the US. The social commentary paired with the emotional impact of how the world perceives someone with those identities…powerful writing!

Verdict: Loved 😍

Rounding up from three and a half stars. On the surface, I loved this. The main characters are charming and endearing. The secondary characters are interesting and varied. The connection in the main relationship is solid. I enjoyed the big complicated family and even liked some of the secondary family drama storylines. I loved that this was a world where there appears to be zero homophobia.

Digging a little deeper, this book required a truly extraordinary suspension of disbelief. Part of my profession involves event planning and I just could not buy a lot of the stuff around the job, the family's celebrity status and the whole CEO search premise. I could also have done without the ample pop culture references, name dropping and wealth flaunting. The whole thing was a little bit formulaic and there were a couple of weird continuity things and the overuse of some devices.

But, when leaned into the romcom-inness, I was able to just enjoy. And ultimately it was very successful in giving me warm and fuzzy feelings, which made it a lot easier to overlook the things that didn't work for me. I certainly liked this enough to check out the author's other work, including the potential Jordan and Jamie sequel bait.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for the eARC and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

Did Not Finish.

Mini-Review:
Denz was adorable but too much of a hot mess for me. The man wants to be CEO of his father’s company but relies on post-it notes to stay organized? THE HORROR. Plus this is only told through Denz’s POV, so I felt like Braylon had no personality. No chemistry between them either. Cute but not enough to keep my interest.

ALC Review: I Think They Love You by Julian Winters
Pub Date: January 28, 2025
Narrator: André Santana

I really enjoyed this one! The story is complex, steamy, and really heartfelt. The issues that the characters are navigating are realistic and Denz goes through a whole lot of character development through this book! It has a really satisfying ending.

I've listened to André Santana narrate a few books and I really love his style! I'm super glad I listened to this one on audio because I do think it enhanced my experience.

Read this for:
-Second Chance
- Black MCs
- Fake dating
- Set in Atlanta

Thank you to Hachette Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was a bit hesitant since I have had a few issues with the authors YA books. But then I read the one before this one (the one about the royals) and then I LOVED it. So I gave this one a try. And Lordt, this was everything I needed. I’m not even sure why I liked it so much either lol But I couldn’t put it down.

Ok so this was fun! The characters were really the best thing about this. And I’m assuming that’s what made me love it so much since I am a character driven reader. All of them really played a part in this book. From the dad to the kids at the place where one of them worked. I’m serious when I say they all brought something and I was so impressed by that. But they weren’t all good. In fact one of them was really an asshole. But they even added some color to the book as well.

The main character Denz sounded and acted a lot like me. He threw out funnies to make people laugh and he always had a good idea for the jobs they had to do. And before you ask, yes, I related to him a lot which is why I wanted him to succeed so much .

The plot was basic, but the way the writing style just flowed so easily. I felt swept away in the different parties and ideas they had in mind. Which is where we see the new person, Braylon. Him and Denz had a history, but we don’t know the full scope of it until the end of the book. Which was good so that we liked him the whole book and didn’t have a reason to hold a grudge against him after that. When they start fake dating, they realize that they needed each other. In more ways than one lol

The romance was cute! Maybe I’m biased because it doesn’t matter what it’s about for me if there’s fake dating in it lol Normally I think I would have been a little ugh about them since they fell really fast, but they were also given a second chance. I kept saying out loud, “don’t blow this second chance!” And what did they do? Exactly that lol

This was a lot of fun! A Black millionaire’s son with second chance romance with fake dating all wrapped up in a queer romance was all I needed. I couldn’t stop reading this one. I know this is something that seems pretty specific to me, but I really think it’s good enough for everyone who likes even one of those things to like it!

As a mega fan of second chance romances, I DEVOURED this book! The chemistry between the characters was top notch *chef's kiss* The characters were believable and had me rooting for them the whole time. 10/10 would recommend!!

I had access to both the written and audio versions of this book and chose the audio. I think that was a mistake as I could not get past the fact that a southern black man went to London for just three years and came back with a full-on British accent. That was off-putting throughout the entire book. I also had a hard time believing a 24-year-old could compete to be CEO at a multimillion dollar company. But the romance and spice level were both perfect. Overall, a decent foray from YA into adult contemporary romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook copy!

I Think They Love You follows Denz and Braylon, exes, who reunite and find themselves in a fake relationship in order to achieve their goals. Denz wants to take over his family's company as CEO but he needs to prove he is serious by being in a relationship. Braylon needs Denz's connections to the mayor to get a promotion. Both at first are not happy with this arrangement but they soon realize that there may be some lingering feelings from the past. I was into the premise of this in the beginning but as the story went on, I started to care less about that and more about the main two's relationship. I felt if there had been less attention on the side characters, the story would have worked better. This was my first book by this author and I am willing to read others by him despite me not loving this release. I still recommend checking this out if you are already a fan of this author.

This is the perfect feel-good love story to read just before V-Day.

The narrator was engaging and helped propel the story to new levels.

ALC Review
I Think They Love You by Julian Winters
Narrated by: Andre Santana
3rd Person Solo POV

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.

I haven't fallen in love with a romance novel like I Think They Love You since I read Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuistion for the first time. It sparked that same type of joy. The romance is written beautifully with such dynamic and real characters. It does get quite spicy, but I adore the scene and didn't find them unreadable. The side characters bring this book even further.

Because I did listen to the novel, I thought the narrator did a wonderful job.

A perfect Valentine read, I couldn't recommend more.

What a sweet, emotional ride. I love a good second chance romance and this delivered in spades. The writing is fantastic and pulls you in. The characters are well thought out and likeable, despite their very human faults.

I had the pleasure of listening to this on audio and the narrator was great, each character receiving their individual voice, without feeling like a caricature.

This is my first Julian Winters book, but it certainly won't be my last.

I THINK THEY LOVE YOU by Julian Winters

Huge thanks to @dreamscape_media for my #gifted copy🫶🏼

📖 I Think They Love You follows Denz, who yearns to be taken seriously in his family's event planning business, as he's vying to succeed his father and become CEO. What better way to show his maturity and commitment to stability than to tell them about his serious relationship? There's only one problem. Denz isn't actually in a relationship, serious or otherwise. Enter Braylon — Denz's ex who broke his heart years ago. Braylon's back in town, and agrees to a mutually beneficial fake dating arrangement to help both of them advance their careers. But when old feelings resurface, the lines between pretend and real start to blur.

💭 Blending humor, heart and heat, Julian Winters delivers a knockout adult debut! While fake dating arrangements are always a hard sell, I really appreciate the second chance component here. Denz and Braylon are well-crafted, realistic protagonists, and I enjoyed the rekindling of their relationship and the way they worked through past hurts. All in all, this is a heartfelt contemporary romance that I'd recommend!

🎧 I listened to this one, and loved the narration! André Santana knocked it out of the park, with easily distinguishable voices for the two leads and side characters.

📌 Available now!

An ATL Debut Queer Romcom

Julian Winters’ I Think They Love You is a love letter to Atlanta, and for anyone who calls Georgia home, this book feels like a warm embrace of everything that makes our city special. From the subtle nods to local landmarks to the way the community and friendships are portrayed, Winters captures the heart of Atlanta in a way that will make any Southerner proud.

André Santana’s narration? Flawless, as always. Whether he’s voicing adults, kids, or gender-fluid characters, he brings each one to life with such care and distinction. At 1.75x speed, the story flows beautifully, making it nearly impossible to hit pause. Santana doesn’t just narrate—he elevates.

My only gripe—and any true Georgian will feel me on this—is that while Denz’s family wanted him to go Ivy League, the fact that he graduated from UGA should’ve been celebrated more. Around here, UGA isn’t just a good school; it’s the school. For Georgians, it holds just as much, if not more, prestige than some out-of-state Ivy. But that aside, this debut is brimming with heart, friendship, and the kind of love—familial, romantic, and self—that sticks with you long after the final chapter.

Thank you Dreamscape Media, Julian Winters, and NetGalley for this eARC!!

I Think They Love you by @julianwinters

Rating:

Review: Second chance AND fake dating? Sign me tf up. Immediately. I thought this book was incredibly cute and sweet. I loved the character development we see Denz go through and the way that Denz and Braylon interaction both in the past and present. I laughed numerous times and I thought the audiobook was incredibly well done. Definitely a cute book to read now that we’re nearing valentines day

Synopsis: When Denzel “Denz” Carter’s workaholic father and CEO of 24 Carter Gold unexpectedly announces his retirement, the competition is on for who will become his successor. To convince his judgmental family members that Denz is capable of commitment he impulsively lies about being in a serious relationship. Problem is the last serious relationship he was in hung him high and dry after leaving the continent.

Now Denz needs to find a fake boyfriend to bring to family functions and seal the deal on the CEO position. To do so he enlists the help of his best friend and roommate, Jamie. Someone his family already accepts in their inner circle. But when his BFF is a no-show, Denz is forced to turn to the last person he wants to be in a pretend (or any) relationship Braylon, the man who broke his heart.

Braylon’s sudden reappearance in Denz’s life turns everything upside down. But apparently, he needs Denz’s connections to the mayor to win his own promotion and Denz is currently up a creek without a paddle. So, they strike a deal. It’s all business, but between the funny texts and the confusing kisses soon enough Denz is struggling to separate business from the affairs of his heart.

Oh my gosh this book was so good!!! I fell hard for Denz. His struggle to find his place in the world was very relatable and I was rooting so hard for him to find it. I loved all the conversations about how being a gay Black man added extra pressure to Denz and made the bar for success that much higher. It was a joy watching Denz and Braylon fall into old patterns as they were fake dating and I was very invested to see how these new versions of themselves would work it out. The main obstacle to their relationship was painfully realistic and I felt for both of them as they struggled to find a path forward that made sense for both of them. It was ultimately so satisfying to see them both find a way to make their relationship work while still honoring who they were individually. That is peak romance to me. Their banter was fabulous and the chemistry was off the charts. Not only were the two main characters compelling enough to steal my heart, I also fell for the side characters. I'm particularly invested in Jamie and I hope he gets his own book soon. If you love fake dating romcoms definitely pick this one up!!

I'm especially happy that I received an ALC of this book because the audio was fantastic! The narrator really brough Denz to life. I 100% recommend that version of the story if you're an audiobook person.

ⒶⓇⒸ ⒷⓄⓄⓀ ⓇⒺⓋⒾⒺⓌ

I Think They Love You by @wintersjulian
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🌶️🌶️

i absolutely LOVED this book. fake dating is my happy place. and fake dating mixed with them being exes really just made it so much more exciting. i couldn't get enough of these two. Denz and Braylon are so stinking perfect together. watching them reconnect and fall back in love was amazing. I also really enjoyed that it was set in Atlanta, i lived there for a few years and even worked at the Fox Theatre (which was named dropped in the book, as well as an event i definitely worked there!) I was fun hearing about familiar locations throughout the book.

* 𝘪 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 and @dreamscape_media 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸*

I love, love, loved this sweet, second-chance romance. The characters had great voice and personality that kept me laughing and turning the pages. Even the secondary characters (shout out to Cami and Whit) were incredible and people I'd love to be friends with. Denz and Braylon were in a serious relationship in college and thought they'd live happily ever after -- but then Braylon moved to London and didn't give Denz a chance to say if he'd come with Braylon. Fast forward to years later and Denz has decided to throw himself into the race to replace his dad as CEO when he retires in a few months to prove to his family he can really do it. However, his family, including his sister, think he can't commit to anything, not even a man. In an attempt to prove them wrong, Denz says he actually has a serious boyfriend-- only he doesn't. When his fake date falls through and his ex, Braylon, shows up needing a favor at just the right time they agree to fake date. But as things continue the line between fake and real gets harder and harder to find and old feelings return. One of my favorite parts about the book was that Denz's family was its own character -- all of them are all up in his business and have something to say about everything anyone does. Another stand-out element was Denz navigating what he really wants versus what other people want for him. I related to his journey and his efforts to try and feel good enough and make everyone happy. While there were some mentions of therapy, I do wish that therapy had been part of Denz's character arc, especially as he tries to navigate what he really wants. A good book for anyone but especially romance readers!

I cannot even start to explain how much I fell in love with this!

As much as I enjoyed the story; an adorable fake dating/second chance romance (2 of my favourite tropes!), it was the characters that really owned my heart from the start. Denz was just so lovable and relatable. I also adored how the narrator brought him to life, the upbeat tone, the sniffles when he was sad, the breaks in his voice when he was shocked or upset, it was all perfect. Braylon was also a perfect love interest, part of me wishes part of the story was from his perspective but I loved the way Julian Winters managed to communicate his side of the story without doing that.

The side characters are also amazing. I loved the aunties, Micha, Kami and Jamie so much!

There’s plenty of beautifully written spice to top off all of the other amazingness of this book, too!

I have to admit that I requested this audiobook because I was expecting a fun rom-com but what I actually got was so much more than that! The narrative is an absolutely wonderful mix of all the joys and struggles that come with being part of multiple marginalised communities.

Overall this was a perfect balance of emotions. I laughed and cried in equal measures and even though the ending was gorgeous, I would more than love more Denz and Braylon content!

An excellent audiobook by a new to me author and a tried and true narrator = fantastic combo.

Narrator Andre Santana has a smooth voice and a talent for contemporary romance.

The story itself was wonderful and really covered all the fells. Touching, steamy, and cute. Fake dating your ex will always grab my attention. I love second chances and fake dating so it’s a double win for me and these two really grabbed my attention.

They both wormed their way into my heart and my desire to see them make it to the end. Not to mention all the other characters who also popped and provided depth to the story.

I will definitely be reading another book by Julian Winters. Bonus points if he uses Andre Santana again.