I ordered The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory from Book of the Month because I liked the cover. The last time I did that, it did not turn out well. (See my review for Queenie here.) Clearly, I don’t learn….. but let me tell you how glad I am that I don’t. The Proposal had me at hello and held me until the very end. If you’re looking for a page-turner, you’ve found it. I finished this book in less than 24 hours.
The Gist
Nikole Patterson is a freelance writer who is having a semi-good time with her not-so-serious actor boyfriend. Well, at least she was having a semi-good time until Fisher decided to propose to her over the jumbotron at a Dodgers game. One misspelled name, one resounding no, and thousands of disappointed fans open up a whirlwind of issues for Nik. Carlos Ibarra, a local doctor and Dodgers fan, helps Nik escape from the camera crew closing in on her, as well as the stadium. Their chance meeting comes at an unfortunate time for Nik. Sparks may be flying, but Nik and Carlos are both adamant about not getting into anything serious. Expectations are discussed and what is possibly my favorite rebound non-relationship ever begins. And then life happens……..
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Rebounding
I loved everything about The Proposal. Jasmine Guillory did a phenomenal job of delivering a cast of characters you could care about. Outside of Fisher, who comes off as a caricature of a vapid, valley-guy actor, everyone else is well-rounded and relatable. Nik is a strong woman and her character embodies all of the pros and cons that come with being a strong woman. Romance novels can really run the risk of being cheesy and cliche. Fortunately, Jasmine Guillory missed all of those pitfalls. Carlos is a good guy but he’s not romance novel perfect. The story is well written and I genuinely enjoyed experiencing Carlos and Nik’s non-relationship from both of their perspectives. Personally, I’d wait in line outside of Books A Million for the release of a sequel if Jasmine Guillory felt so inclined as to give us one.
All in all
The Proposal is definitely worth a read. If you’re into love stories then you’ll love it, but it’s also not sappy enough for you to hate it if romance novels aren’t really your thing. The Proposal was a fun read: quick and easy to get through while also thoroughly pulling you into the story. I’d recommend it to anyone. Grab a copy of The Proposal today and come back and let me know what you think.
If you want more from Jasmine Gulliory you can also check out her first novel The Wedding Date. She also has The Wedding Party set to release July 16, 2019, and The Royal Holiday scheduled to release in October of this year.