Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

Amy     

romance

Dolly, a single mom who works as a Kindergarten teacher, is visiting her dad for the summer with her son, Gus. They learn that the house needs a new roof which will cost about $50,000. She and her father don’t have that kind of money. Lucky for her, she comes upon Stewart, of the wealthiest family in town, who is on the side of the road with a flat tire. He, of course, doesn’t know how to change a tire since he has hired help to do everything for him. She offers to change it and, mid tire-change, a photographer for the newspaper snaps their photo. Concerned about his business image, Stewart asks her to pretend he was showing her how to change a tire and to pretend to be his girlfriend. She says she’ll do it for $60,000 and they have a deal.

I really loved reading this romance! Dolly has had to grow up too fast and help her dad raise her siblings. She’s never been able to put herself first. Stewart is a workaholic who has big goals and no time to enjoy himself. They make a terrific couple. She brings him the joy of taking breaks, having fun, and feeling calm. He shows Dolly how to allow herself to accept care and attention. He encourages her to put herself first and not accept whatever is thrown her way. These two people are from completely different worlds but almost instantly clicked. Stewart is not the snobby sort of rich person which helped. He is an appreciator and protector, not a power-hungry destroyer. He’s a genuinely nice guy whose battles are all internal. Dolly is able to ground him. He is able to spoil her.

And then, the darned conflict arrived which, inevitably, must occur in any novel. I will say that I was really glad the drama didn’t take up much of Dolly All the Time. The novel was mostly super fun! But I did feel that the problem lasted way too long for Dolly and Stewart. It was so sudden and long-lasting that it didn’t make total sense to me. Perhaps I’m being insensitive. But, I’m glad, as with all romance novels, there was never any doubt how the story was going to end.

The characters were terrific. The dialogue and settings were fun. Their courtship was adorable. Whether you’ve enjoyed Annabel Monaghan’s other novels or have never read her books, you’ll love this one!

Thank you so much to Putnam, Annabel Monaghan, and NetGalley for allowing me to have early access to this novel in exchange for my unbiased opinions. Dolly All the Time will be released on May 26, 2026.