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Episode 1: Dolly All the Time (Four Stars and Up Podcast)
In the first episode of the Four Stars and Up Podcast, friends Jen, Shelly, and Ashley introduce their show concept: only reading books rated 4 stars and up on Goodreads (at selection time), plus their reading habits and genres. They discuss Dolly All the Time by Annabelle Monaghan (4.3 stars on Goodreads), summarized as a fake-dating romance between 39-year-old single mom Dolly Brick and wealthy CEO Stuart Whitfield, involving a $60,000 deal, a gala fallout, time apart, Dolly rebuilding her life into a bakery, and Stuart returning committed to her and her son.
All three hosts rate it under 4 stars (about 3.2–3.7), citing predictability, low stakes, and underdeveloped family/plot, while praising humor, Naomi, and some realistic moments. They answer prompt questions (casting Dolly/Stuart, birth order, and “ick” moments like not knowing basic skills), share other book recs, and close with non-book 4-star picks.
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