e-ALC, 09:10:53
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Release Date: May 26, 2026
Published by: Books on Tape
Read from: May 25, 2026
Stand-alone
Source: PRH Audio ( I received this ALC free from the publisher and their app. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Abandonment, Panic Attacks/Disorders, Mental Illness, Sexual Content, Medical Content, Car Accident, Classism, Alcohol, Fire/Fire Injury
For Readers of: Audio, Adult, Billionaire Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Summer LovinIf they start by pretending, can they end with something real?
Dolly Brick has never met a problem she couldn’t solve. Not when her mom left when she was twelve, and not at thirty-nine when she moves with her son back to Whitfield, Rhode Island, for the summer to keep her dad and brother from losing the family home.
So when she comes across Stewart Whitfield—annoyingly handsome scion of the Whitfield family—with a flat tire and at the wrong end of a very public, very humiliating breakup, it’s in her nature to help. But Stewart’s proposed arrangement ends up being more than either of them bargained for, because as public dinners and high-society benefits turn into sunset boat rides and kisses that hit her bloodstream like a ghost pepper, Dolly starts to feel something more than helpful. She’s never relied on anyone besides herself—can she really start now?
*MY THOUGHTS*
This was really good y’all. I can’t believe I actually binge read this in one day. There was so much going on, some good, some weird, but it was still very cute. I liked this a lot.
I don’t know what it is about fake dating, but I will eat it up every time. And this time was no different. In this one tho, we have a billionaire romance too. He basically pays her to make him look good to his family while they’re making their decision on a matter at work. And Idk why, but I loved this. But I also LOVE Pretty Woman (I’m talking me and my cousin watched it every night for 2 weeks straight and still watch it every Valentine’s Day LOL) and it gave off those vibes as well.
When I say I was invested, I was INVESTED. The writing style swept me away to the beach town and wouldn’t let me go until I finished it. I don’t even know what it was about it lol It was just an easy read that held my attention from the beginning to end. And it wasn’t that I was just half listening or anything like that, I was talking out loud to her while I was reading. This was just that good to me.
The romance was cute. I LOVED that she made him get real life consequences and that she was held him accountable for everything. INCLUDING the way he made her feel. It was a lot of small things that meant so much more when put altogether. I also really loved the way he didn’t leave her kid behind. He didn’t have to do anything that her kid wanted, but he did. And it never felt like he was doing it because he wanted to make sure she said yes. Because being honest, she had already said yes by the time he involved her kid. He was just a really sweet soul.
Which brings me to my next thing. The characters. He was so sweet. I loved seeing all the little things he noticed and did for her. And I could tell that he really believed that he was just fulfilling an obligation, He had no idea he was falling and hard for her. I also really liked Dolly. She was smart as hell and kept her family as number one. She deserved everything that came to her. But besides that, the side characters were also fully developed. So much some of them had their own thing every time they popped up. It was just like watching a movie play out.
This was one of the cutest things I’ve read in a long time. I remember only picking this up because I was afraid of FOMO lol At least this time was warranted. This was legit a fun time that made me hungry af.
Overall, I give this
