Review: Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
Thank you Putnam Books for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
Annabel Monaghan has been become part of my Summer traditions and Dolly might be my new all time favorite from her. I think this needs to be on everyone’s Summer reading list between the New England beach town setting, fake dating and single parent tropes, and the blend of humor and heart in the writing. My first five star read of the Summer!
Synopsis:
“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?” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Setting—My New England heart couldn’t have been happier with the Rhode Island/Newport setting. I could picture everything so clearly and felt the sun soak into my skin!
The Writing—I love the way this author strings words together. They way she does it makes you want to keep turning the page, no matter how late it is.
The Characters—I LOVED Dolly. And Stewart and all the rest of the Brick family. They all felt so real and their interactions together were so warm and wonderful.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
Nothing—I needed this summery 5 star read so badly!
Character Authenticity: 5/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 5/5
Content Warnings:
parental abandonment