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.  

 

The Best Southern Beach Reads

Grab a sweet tea and head outside on a warm humid day, because it's time to round up some of the best Southern beach reads I've come across. In my opinion, some of the best beach reads are set in the South, where it's always warm, with palm trees, crystal blue waters, and a cold drink in hand. I’ve updated my list of Southern beach reads, and there's something here for everyone to enjoy!

 

Adult Fiction: 

 

 

Hemingway's Girl by Erika Robuck  (Key West, Florida)

Slightly South of Simple by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Georgia)

The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White (Georgia)

The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews - (North Carolina)

The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank (Charleston, South Carolina)

All Summer Long by Dorothea Benton Frank (Charleston, South Carolina)

Under a Dark Summer Sky by Vanessa LaFaye (Key West, Florida)

 

 

 

 

 

Cocoa Beach by Beatriz Williams (Cocoa Beach, Florida)

On Ocean Boulevard by Mary Alice Monroe (Charleston, South Carolina) 

Summer at Hideaway Key by Barbara Davis (Florida) 

The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Georgia)

Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Georgia)

Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey (North Carolina)

Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews (Florida)

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton (Florida)

Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews (Florida)

Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey (North Carolina)

The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt by Andrea Bobotis (South Carolina)

Dreams of Falling by Karen White  (South Carolina) 

 

 

 

 

The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews (Outside Savannah, Georgia) 

The Summer of Lost and Found by Mary Alice Monroe (Charleston, South Carolina)

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews (Florida)

Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras (Key West, Florida)

Flight Patterns by Karen White (Coastal Florida) 

A Lakeside Reunion by C.Chilove (Florida)

Beach House for Rent by Mary Alice Monroe (Isle of Palms, South Carolina)

 

 

 

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey (North Carolina) 

The Beautiful People by Michelle Gable (Palm Beach, Florida)

A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Beaufort, South Carolina)

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews (Georgia)

 

 

YA Fiction:

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (Colby, North Carolina)

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen (Colby, North Carolina)

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm (Key West, Florida)

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han (Southern beach town)

Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols (Alabama)

Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton (Georgia)

 

Book Review: The Shippers by Katherine Center

 

Pages: 336

Genre: Romance

Pub. Date: May 19. 2026

Publisher: St. Martin's

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books by Author: The Bodyguard

and The Love Haters 

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "She wants him to help her woo someone else. Genius. Foolproof. Can't go wrong. After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. Armed with pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly divorced wedding guest). Determined to woo him for closure, she ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, as her wingman. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but showed up anyway. Cooper: who moved to London without a word four years ago. Cooper: who broke her heart.

Shipboard antics abound in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance, as JoJo and Cooper team up, fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, get jealous, answer long-held questions, and finally, at last, discover truths about each other that will change everything."

 

 

 

 

Jojo has left her fiancé at the altar and finds herself starting over yet again; she feels she is notoriously bad at love. When her sister gets married and has a destination wedding on a cruise, she is forced to spend time not only with her quirky family but also with her childhood best friend, Cooper. Not only were they inseparable growing up, but to complicate matters further, they stopped talking after she got engaged and he moved to London four years ago. But the more time they spend together on the cruise, the more they fall into their old friendship. Cooper decides to help Jojo in the love department as she wants to gain the attention of newly divorced Finn, who was her first crush. So, over the course of the cruise, Jojo and Cooper try to flirt (and other antics) to gain Finn's attention, but the more time they spend together, the more they realize that maybe they have something there that's more than friendship. Katherine Center's The Shippers is a delightful rom-com with a great cruise ship setting; it makes for fun summer reading.
 
Jojo is a quirky kind of main character that I usually enjoy. I found myself laughing more often than not at some of the antics Jojo and her family get into on the cruise. At times, though, I did feel some of the "games" that she and Cooper were involved in felt a bit immature and got to be a little much. Nonetheless, I felt The Shippers redeemed itself, especially if you enjoy a good friends-to-lovers romance.
 
Center really did a good job developing the secondary characters in The Shippers, such as Jojo's grandmother and her cousin, Harmony. Imagine spending a week on a cruise with all of your extended family and the hilarity that would ensue. Center captured that and more. Plus, the cruise ship setting to a tropical destination makes this a great book to throw in your beach bag this summer.
 
While I felt some parts of the novel were a little overdone, and Jojo irritated me from time to time, overall, I thought The Shippers was a fun summer novel, and her fans will especially enjoy it. Readers know they can always count on a happy ending from Center! Let me know in the comments if you are a fan of Katherine Center and if you plan to read The Shippers this summer.

Dive into Thrills: The Best Suspenseful Beach Reads

So oftentimes beach reads are light, fun, and fluffy, but in a good way. Sometimes I just want to sit by the beach or outside and get lost in a lighthearted read....nothing too serious. On the other hand, sometimes I get sick of all the overly saccharine reads and want something with a little more weight and a little more oomph. Maybe there's a murder? Or an unreliable narrator? 

Today I'm sharing beach reads that still have many of the characteristics of a light novel, while featuring enough suspense to keep me on the edge of my beach chair.

Cocoa Beach by Beatriz Williams - Williams always does a good job of weaving history, romance, and suspense into her historical beach reads. I found this one to be a bit more suspenseful than her others.

The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews - A summer murder mystery set on a gorgeous North Carolina island.

A Single Breath - There's a ton of family secrets in this one and it kept me on my toes. Plus, look at that gorgeous setting!

The Blue by Lucy Clarke - This book features major drama and thrills aboard a yacht.

On the Island by Tracey Jarvis-Graves - This novel is the ultimate stranded on a tropical island survival story!

Under a Dark Summer Sky by Vanessa LaFaye - A hurricane is en route to the Florida Keys and of course it brings many dangers. Plus, it's based on the real-life hurricane that pounded the Keys in 1935.

With Malice by Eileen Cook - This is one of the best YA thrillers I've read in quite awhile. It's about a deadly accident set abroad in Italy and it involves amnesia, which definitely kept me guessing. 

 

 

 

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman - A psyschological thriller that takes place during a honeymoon.  

 

 

 

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand - This isn't Hilderbrand's usual beach read as it involves a murder! You may be familiar with the Netflix adaptation.

 

 

 

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton - What seems like it should be a good time turns really stressful as the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 approaches.

Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews - A major dose of a mystery with this beach read that follows a journalist's quest for the truth.

Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster - The second half of this historical novel has some major film noir vibes to it, which kept me flipping the pages. 

You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa - A summer wedding in Sri Lanka goes badly... an engaging summer thriller. 

 

 

The Siren by Katherine St. John - A juicy summertime escape with a lot of plot twists and mysteries that takes place on a film set in the Caribbean.

 

 

 

 

My Summer Darlings by May Cobb - This is a steamy romance that has some Desperate Housewives moments in it and even a murder!  

She Started It by Sian Gilbert - A bachelorette party on a beautiful private island in the Bahamas turns bad and I mean really bad! 

 

 

 

 

 

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones - A destination wedding in Portugal that's filled with secrets and a whole lot of drama.  

 

 

 

 

Sunburned by Katherine Wood - A sun-soaked murder mystery that takes readers from the Florida Everglades to the sunny shores of St. Barth's.

The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner - This is a mystery + a historical fiction that will transport readers to the tumultuous shores of the Amalfi Coast.

 

 

 

 

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware - This thriller is about five couples trapped on a stormy island and there's a killer on the loose.

The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton - This historical fiction includes a page-turning mystery involving a Gothic mansion in Miami.

 

 

 

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews - This murder mystery is set at a glamorous hotel, the Saint Cecelia, on the coast of Georgia. 

 

We Were Liars by E.L. Lockhart - This YA suspense novel shouldn't be missed and is now a popular TV series. 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender - A suspenseful, juicy summer read set in a private Florida community.  

On The TBR List:

 

  

1. The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz

 

2. Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Alison Brennan 

 

 

 

3. Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham 

 

4. Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay

 

 

 

5. The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh

 

6. The Block Party by Jamie Day

 

 

 

7. The Unwedding by Allie Condie 

 

8. The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley 

 

 

 

 

9. Summer's Never Over by Darby Bozeman 

 

10. Valley of the Moms by Hannah Selinger (Out 6/16) 

In the comments below, let me know what you think about the books that made my list. Have you read any of them? Let me know if you have any recommendations, too!