I Think They Love You by Julian Winters: Review

Welcome to my review of I Think They Love You by Julian Winters! Julian is one of my favorite authors, so I was so excited to read his adult debut ahead of Black Romance Book Fest.

Cover of I Think They Love You by Julian Winters

Title: I Think They Love You
Author: Julian Winters
Genre: Rom-Com
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pub Date: 01/28/25

Description

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 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 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 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.

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.

Review

Julian Winters’ adult debut did everything it needed to. It was funny and heartfelt, and the brown paper bag scene absolutely sent me. Sometimes it’s hard to write reviews for books I enjoyed so much because what else is there to say besides read it? But seriously, a trad romance with a Black, queer, male MC feels rare, so I need people to tap in so we get more of these. I really appreciated the moments in the story of Denz being aware of how the world sees him.

Second chance romance is my bread and butter, so I ate up Denz and Braylon’s attempt to navigate their relationship based on who they are as adults versus who they were in college. The scattered flashbacks were nice to give more context into their past relationship and how things went awry. One of the best parts of these kinds of romances is how often the characters get met with a similar situation from their first time together, and they can either course correct when they face it again or allow themselves to make the same mistake. Denz’ growth was wonderful to witness, especially because he spent so much of the book in conflict with himself and pushed it onto the people close to him.

There were so many elements of the book that I enjoyed, like the one bed trope, when characters who love romance lean into the big gesture, and the Carter Family Group Chat text messages. Denz’s family was large and in charge, so it was easy to understand why Denz felt so much pressure to present himself in a certain way. Even though his family can be the fun kind of messy, their support did make me tear up at one point.

Overall, if you like rom-coms, I would add I Think They Love You to your TBR. You might also find yourself craving a french toast grilled cheese.

Author

Photo Credit: Vanessa North

Julian Winters is the author of the award-winning young adult novels Running With Lions, Right Where I Left You, How to Be Remy Cameron, The Summer of Everything, As You Walk On By, and Prince of the Palisades, as well as his adult romance debut, I Think They Love You. A self-proclaimed comic book geek, Julian currently lives outside of Atlanta where he can be found swooning over rom-coms or watching the only two sports he can follow—volleyball and soccer.