Book Review: Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

 

Pages: 366

Genre: Romance

Pub. Date: May 26, 2026

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: It's a Love Story,

Summer Romance, Same Time Next Summer, 

and Nora Goes Off Script 

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

Goodreads says, "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?"

 

 

 

Dolly Brick is 39 years old and is a single mother. She spends her days as a kindergarten teacher and works a few side jobs to make ends meet. Her father owns Bricks Fish House on the coast of Rhode Island, but has needed help lately managing the business, the declining house, and her disabled brother. So, with the summer off, Dolly returns home to Whitfield, Rhode Island, to help out. After delivering shrimp to the Whitfield mansion, she runs into Stewart Whitfield, who needs some assistance with a flat tire. Dolly has always been independent and self-sufficient, so she helps him out as he doesn't know what he is doing, and they casually hit it off to the point where Stewart makes the suggestion that she be his pretend girlfriend. He was dumped by his fiancée, and work-wise, this is not a good look; his parents expect more of him, too. Dolly could attend a few events and dinners with him, and he would pay her. Dolly and her family (not to mention the house's leaking roof) need this money, so she accepts. How hard could it be to be wined and dined, plus get some new clothing out of it? The more time Dolly spends with Stewart, though, the more she realizes he is a caring man and an all-around good guy. The lines blur between what is her "job" and what is "real." Annabel Monaghan's Dolly All the Time is a heartwarming romance with lovable characters that you can't help but root for.
 
I always adore Monaghan's characters, and Dolly is no different. I love that Monaghan writes about "older" women who are mature and have real-life issues going on. Dolly is a single mom and is also part of the sandwich generation in that she must deal with her aging dad, his house, and, on top of that, her brother, but she does so with such warmth. The real-life issues Dolly encounters are so relatable that many women in their thirties and forties can see themselves in her. 
 
I was wary of the fake-dating trope in Dolly All the Time, but Monaghan pulls it off beautifully. It really worked for me, and Stewart and Dolly's interactions were believable. Their problems were rooted in reality, and it wasn't far-fetched in the very least.  While it's a nice pipe dream that the richest guy in town sweeps a single mom off her feet, it never felt unrealistic. I adored their blossoming romance and how it evolved. 
 
The coastal setting of Rhode Island makes this a good one for summer reading; there are beautiful dinners, baseball games, sailing, and more. Dolly is there for the summer, so that added to the many reasons why Dolly All the Time is one of the best books of the summer. Monaghan can do no wrong; I loved it!
 
Are you a fan of Annabel Monaghan? Have you read Dolly All the Time? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.