This review contains affiliate links, which earn me a small commission when you click and purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business and allowing me to continue providing you a reliable resource for clean book ratings.
Dolly Brick has been taking care of everything and everyone since her mom left when she was 12. She’s a single mom to a teen boy; she has an adult brother with a disability; she is the oldest daughter.
A kindergarten teacher in Boston, Dolly visits her family home in Rhode Island every month to check on everything with her dad and brother. Now, a fire has damaged a small part of the house, so she decides to take her son and stay in Rhode Island for the whole summer. Being there full time just shows her even more how much has to be done. She works at her dad’s longtime seafood store and stays on top of a small side gig.
Dolly is holding it together. But it’s all on her.
Right after she arrives in Whitfield (a town next to Newport), she runs across Stewart Whitfield, the oldest son of the town’s namesake family. He’s ridiculously wealthy and privileged and seemingly has it all. But one thing leads to another, and it turns out he does need a little help with something. She ends up in a profitable fake-dating situation for the summer.
It’s really a blessing for the family finances, but Dolly has to keep reminding herself that their relationship is not real. Stewart is handsome, he’s rich, he’s actually … well, kind to her, and to her son.
Nothing can come of it. But…
Annabel Monaghan can be depended upon to deliver a solid romance complete with real complexities of life in general and family relationships that can be a bit messy but still have warmth and love. As an oldest daughter and take-care-of-it person myself, PLUS as the mom of an adult with a disability who likely will always live at home and be under my care, this book hit me on a number of levels. I enjoyed how she handled the needs of Dolly’s family, especially her brother, and how that evolved towards the end of the book. And it was touching to read her author’s note about Monaghan’s own special-needs brother, who inspired the character.
The romance in Dolly All the Time isn’t what I’d personally label super-swoony; the characters’ experiences together are, though. (It is definitely satisfying to enjoy through a story what it’s like to have a lot of money and access to cool opportunities!) However, Dolly and Stewart’s romance is sweet and tender, and they have chemistry that jumps off the page. It’s not as clean (closed-door) as Summer Romance, which is a disappointment for me, but still luckily it’s not a spicy one like so many popular books.
I can definitely recommend Dolly All the Time, as a great summer read (you know it was released on this date for a reason!), and just … all the time.
Rated: Moderate. Profanity includes 4 uses of strong language, around 15 instances of moderate profanity, a dozen uses of mild language, and 10 or 12 instances of the name of Deity in vain. Sexual content includes kissing, implied sex, and one scene that starts open-door and has removal of clothing and some intimate details.
Click here to purchase your copy of Dolly All the Time on Amazon.Â
*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
