I Think They Love You

This week, Julian Winters makes his adult debut with I Think They Love You. A second chance romance, fake dating, career ambitions, complex family connections—this book offers a lot and is so richly drawn. This is my first time reading this author and I already look forward to more.

Why I Chose This Book:

I Think They Love You has been on my radar for several months, and I was so happy to get an ARC of it. That cover caught my interest initially, but I loved the idea of a man fake dating his ex in order to somehow make himself a better candidate for a big promotion at his family’s company.

What I Liked:

• Denz is such a fun character. He’s dramatic and impulsive, but also sensitive and sweet.
• Braylon! What a wonderful ex/fake boyfriend! He’s the epitome of thoughtful and charming, but in a genuinely endearing way.
• Big cast of characters, from extended family to roommates to colleagues. It makes the book feel like a complete world.
• Hilarious! Dad jokes!
• Emotional!
• Occasional flashbacks to their original relationship in college
• What do you really want in your career, and why?
• Set-up for another book?? I see another romance waiting to be read…

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• I only wish the characters had been a bit older and farther removed from their breakup. This story would have felt more believable if Denz and Braylon were actually in their late 20s or even early 30s. (And if Denz acted as such, of course.)
• Lol why does Braylon have an English accent after living in London for only two years?

Final Thoughts

I Think They Love You is such a sweet romance! I’m not the biggest fan of fake dating or second chances, but somehow, both tropes work well here. This is Julian Winters’s first adult novel, and I did find that much of this felt a little close to YA or NA, both in writing style and the characters’ ages and interactions. Regardless, I enjoyed this whole book, and if I’m right in assuming there will be a sequel involving two certain characters here, I’ll absolutely read it, too!

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy I Think They Love You here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters
Series	(#1)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance
Setting	Georgia
Number of Pages	336
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	January 28, 2025
Publisher	St. Martin’s Griffin

Official Summary

“A brilliant rom-com debut from one of my favorite authors! This book will stay with you like a last kiss goodnight.” – Ashley Poston, New York Times best-selling author of The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip

With his funny, big-hearted adult rom com debut, bestselling, award-winning YA author Julian Winters shows sometimes fake dating your ex can turn into a second chance.

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 family members that he’s capable of commitment, Denz impulsively lies about being in a serious relationship.

Now Denz needs to find a fake boyfriend to seal the deal on the CEO position. Denz is forced to turn to the last person he wants to be in a pretend (or any) relationship with: 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. So, they strike a deal. It’s all business until the funny texts and the confusing kisses leave Denz struggling to separate this temporary arrangement from the affairs of his heart.

I Think They Love You is a celebration of love, queer communities, big families—in all their beautiful complications— healing, and, most importantly, falling in love with the person you’re becoming.