Author: Annabel Monaghan
Year published: 2026
Category: Adult fiction (romance)
Pages: 400
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Location: (my 2026 Google Reading map): USA (RI, MA)
Summary: If 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?
Review: The title and the cover of this book just made me think it was going to be a fun read! I did what I really enjoy, and went into this novel blind. I had heard good things about it from various bloggers, so didn't read the synopsis and dove in. So much fun.
Yes, it's a romance. Yes, the trope is fake dating. And class difference. And yes, I totally enjoyed reading.
I haven't read any other novels by Monaghan, but will have to find some of her previous works. I liked that the cast of characters was wider than just the two main characters and their best friends. We get to know both their families and freinds well; they are people who impact the story and help us to understand the stars of the show.
And Dollyl's family is relevant. They've been through a lot and are just holding it together with love and gumption. They are like so many people in the US. Making do with what they have, working really hard, and loving each other endlessly. I also liked that both main characters feel they have to be independent and do things for themselves without asking for help (um, yes, I do relate). In the process of falling in love, they realize it's ok to ask for help, to accept help, and to not do everything on their own. Good lesson.
Challenges for which this counts:
- 20 Books of Summer
- Big Book--400 pages
- Literary Escapes--Rhode Island
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