DOLLY ALL THE TIME
It’s the summer of Dolly! Buy this romantic, smart, heartfelt book and thank me later. I absolutely loved this one!
In a small coastal town near Newport RI, single mom Dolly Brick spends summers at her childhood home, slinging crab cakes at her father’s fish house. Almost 40, resourceful, practical Dolly prides herself on needing nothing from anyone. But she is mired in responsibility: for her aging dad, teenage son, her brother, and family business, fixing crises large and small. When she has an unexpected run in with handsome, serious Stewart Whitfield, son of the town’s wealthy shipping magnate family, they are both desperate: Stewart for a pretend girlfriend to advance his career, and Dolly for a new roof. Against her judgment, Dolly enters into a contractual fake dating relationship with Stewart that opens her heart. Can Dolly finally give herself permission to be happy, risking her heart for a summer fairy tale that is realer than she ever imagined?
Oh this book - the romance, the setting, the makeover! (Not since Julia Roberts wore her brown polka dot dress to the polo grounds has there been such an endearing glow up!) But Dolly’s transformation from the fish house to the Whitfield’s yacht is only part of the story. This book’s true heart lies in the characters who find the courage to gingerly set down the weight they carry, allowing themselves time to discover their own happiness. This message goes beyond romance, because before committing to someone else, Dolly and Stewart must commit to themselves. A beautiful and true message wrapped up in such a tender story, a love letter to caregivers everywhere. Plus a wonderful supporting cast of characters, and a mother son relationship that made my boy-mom heart burst. Highly recommend this one!
Brick Fish House, opened by Dolly’s great-grandfather, sells lobster rolls and crab cakes all summer. Confession: I’m a lobster roll enthusiast with a lot of opinions (easy on the celery)! Swipe for some of my faves, but nothing beats homemade. Summer in a bun!
