Book Review: Dolly All the Time
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan will be released on May 26, 2026.
For me, it is not spring/summertime without a new release beach reach from Annabel Monaghan. Her books are reliably romantic, hilarious, heartfelt, and steamy!
This year, Christmas came early, because I got to read the ARC for Dolly All the Time in the deepest, darkest depths of winter while it was snowing out. And luckily, I was transported to a beautiful beach town in Rhode Island, smelling the salt in the air and tasting the banana bread baked by the one and only Dolly Brick.
Dolly is fiercely independent. She is a single mom to a 13-year-old boy and she leans into her responsibilities, until she has no time for herself and no romance on the horizon. She helps her family as a caregiver to her brother and often visits her hometown in Rhode Island to see her brother and dad, and to help out with the family seafood business. The novel is set in Boston (partly), but mostly in the breezy, salty, and cozy beach town in Rhode Island.
On a trip home to that cute lil beach town, Dolly is riding her bike, delivering food to an elegant mansion. Everyone in town knows about this family; she once struck out the son in baseball, a fun fact Dolly is super proud of. Now that boy, Stewart, is all grown up, Dolly’s age, dorkily handsome and on his way to being CEO to his family company.
And what is their meet-cute, you might ask? He has a flat tire, and she helps him change it. This part was sassy, funny, and awkward.
The tabloids pick up the photo and a fake dating scenario is negotiated, because Stewart wants to prove he is reliable and stable? to become CEO of his family business. While Dolly is hesitant at first, she likes Stewart well enough, and her family home needs a new roof, so she signs the NDA and negotiates a salary.
Like in many a fake-dating-scenario, faking turns to affection turns to attraction, but unlike some fake-dating books, this was all done in a cute, believable way, in my opinion.
Dolly is used to holding herself back from attraction and emotional intimacy, but her armor wears thin after some fun “dates” and a yachting trip with Stewart and her son. You get the feeling these are real people trying to fall in love and build a relationship. I am always here for real people with real problems in a romance. Dolly has to overcome her fierce hyper-independence and how she was parentified as a kid. Stewart has to overcome his anxiety, lack of confidence, and work-life balance. Each character has their own satisfying journey.
Overall, Dolly All the Time is romantic, steamy (low-spice), satisfying, and funny and I will probably read it again soon!
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
