Review: Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

I feel it’s hard to get that combination right. Some really focus on devastation and loss that you wonder if you’re more in the literary category. Or others are so light and short that they feel almost like a Reddit discussion.

But when you get each component right: the romance, the protagonist’s growth, overcoming real issues, and lighthearted banter. You’ve hit the equivalent of a home run for reading. That’s exactly how I felt with Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan.

Everything just felt right in this story. It left me with such a big smile on my face that my only regret is that I can’t get the experience of reading it for the first time again.

BTW, I selected Dolly All the Time as a summer book club read. Check out the rest of the list here.

What’s the Story About

Single mom Dolly returns to her hometown of Whitfield, Rhode Island, with her teenage son to help her father’s fish store/restaurant. She’s also working to ensure her father and brother don’t lose their family home, but the bills keep adding up.

Everything changes when she runs into Stewart, the son of the town’s wealthiest family. Stewart is in a losing spiral as his fiancée left him, and he’s worried it will impact his goal of taking over the family business, as he’s in direct competition with his cousin.

So he proposes a rather outlandish idea, pretending to be a couple with Dolly to show his family stability, and in return, he will help pay to repair her family’s damaged home.

But soon, the more time they spend together, it becomes apparent there are sparks as well. But when does the fantasy end and reality begin?

Dolly and Steward

These stories make or break on the romance itself. You can have all the depth, humor, and what have you, but if the romance does not feel authentic, it brings the story down drastically.

Happy to report that the romance is actually incredible in this one. I completely bought Dolly and Stewart’s feelings for each other.

My maybe one complaint falls toward the end of the story with the break-up. There are some actions Stewart takes that are pretty out of character, and while context is given, I thought it was still harsh. I go more into detail on that on my book club question article.

But really, that is just a minor issue because everything else is amazing between the two.

Dolly’s Journey

Modern romances that are done well are not just about a love story. It follows the growth of the protagonist. For me, it’s important that the protagonist goes on a big self-discovery journey too.

For Dolly, she’s always been a helper. When her mother left the family, she took on the mother role for her siblings, but robbed herself of a true childhood in the process. While she wanted to help her dad’s business grow, when he didn’t want to take the leap, she moved to Boston and became a teacher.

When she got unexpectedly pregnant and became a single mother, she handled it all on her own. But Dolly is so focused on taking care of others that she didn’t leave much time for herself.

But the move back gives her new clarification about what she really wants in life.

Verdict

If you’re still looking for summer reads, or really any time of the year, Dolly All the Time is an amazing pick. It truly is the best of its kind in the genre, and you can’t ask for more than that.

This is one of my favorites of the year, especially grateful for the joy it brought. Sometimes you just need a happy story to read.

For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here.