This was so cute! I loved Nik as a main character. I related a lot to her fierce in dependence and her need to never look weak. Carols was a sweetheart. I already loved him from The Wedding Date but he took my heart in this. The chemistry between the two was amazing. My only gripe was that the writing wasn't the best. The dialogue was awkward at times. But other than that I really enjoyed this.

This was the first book I'd ever read by this author, and while I enjoyed that it provided some diversity to the romantic comedy genre, I couldn't connect with the characters. The dialogue felt slightly stilted and unnatural, so I ultimately decided not to finish the book.

Plot: Carlos saved Nik from awkwardly explaining her situation to a news crew shortly after she turned down her boyfriend's very public proposal. The two hit it off and kept running into each other until they had no choice but to acknowledge their attraction and lay down the ground rules.



When I read The Wedding Date, I fell in love with the push and pull of the relationship and the commentary on the challenges of interracial dating. The Proposal was a bit more light-hearted and was missing the emotional appeal that The Wedding Date had. At the end of the day, The Proposal was cute and the ending put a smile on my face.



Characters: Nik was a woman I desperately wanted to learn more about and I felt that The Proposal barely scratched the surface. It was clear that she had trust issues and had been hurt badly in the past, but we never delved into what made Nik tick. In fact, Nik's friends kind of stole the show and I hope that Guillory decides to write another book that features Nik's best gal pals. Carlos was just as sweet as he was in The Wedding Date with a bit more stress. In The Proposal, we learned about his relationship with his family and the burden that he carried. It was good to see Carlos play the leading man and I loved how emotional he was.



Worldbuilding: While The Wedding Date took place in the Bay Area, The Proposal explored the L.A. area. I loved the biting commentary on the L.A. social scene and all of the food! Seriously, Nik and Carlos had the most delicious dates.



Short N Sweet: The Proposal didn't compare to The Wedding Date but was still fun.

Writing this review for The Proposal honestly hurts a little bit. The Wedding Date was such a charming debut novel that I couldn't help but have high expectations for Jasmine Guillory's sophomore novel. Unfortunately, my expectations for this book were not met. The Proposal lacked the addicting quality that I have come to expect from Jasmine Guillory and for the most part, fell flat.

If you read The Wedding Date, then you are already familiar with Carlos, Drew's best friend. I adored Carlos in that book and was hyped to read his story. At the start of this book, my love for the guy was still strong and I hoped that it would only get stronger as the story progressed, but that did not quite happen. In fact, his behavior and actions began to seem ridiculous and whiny, which made him an irritating character, in my opinion. By the end of the book, I was left with a feeling of discontent with how Guillory chose to write Carlos in The Proposal. I want to say that I had a better experience with Nikole, the heroine, but that was not the case. She was smart and witty, sure, but she also felt one-dimensional. Her feelings never truly reached me, which made it hard for me to be in synch with her. I never grew to care for her like I did Alexa in The Wedding Date.

As a result of my not particularly enjoying either of the main characters, I felt indifferent towards the romance. It lacked any sort of spark or chemistry for me. Carlos and Nikole were rather bland together. I was honestly surprised when the declarations of love were made, especially by Carlos, because they had barely even spent time getting to know each other. I simply wasn't convinced by these two as a couple. I did enjoy Nikole's friends and her relationship with them. I always think reading about strong and supportive female friendships is just empowering and Nikole's friends were a wonderful bunch.

From The Wedding Date, it was obvious to me that Jasmine Guillory is talented, but The Proposal felt like a book that she forced herself to push through. While it didn't exactly hold my attention, I will still wholeheartedly recommend The Wedding Date and will eagerly look forward to whatever the author decides to publish next.

Jasmine Guillory’s books are so much fun! I absolutely loved The Wedding Date and was super excited to dive back in with The Proposal. She didn’t disappoint! If you’re looking for a fun, sexy romance, she’s the way to go!

When I heard that Jasmine Guillory was writing a sort-of sequel to The Wedding Date, I knew straight away that I wanted to read it. My expectations were met and more! Nik is shocked when her boyfriend of 5 months proposes to her on the Jumbotron at a Dodger’s game. If turning down a proposal and being embarrassed in front of thousands of people isn’t enough, soon cameras start swarming her and she knows she needs to get out of there. Thankfully Carlos Ibarra and his sister Angela are there and are able to help Nik out of the uncomfortable situation. Carlos and Nik end up staying in touch and a low-key romance develops between them. What I loved about this book was how down to Earth both Nik and Carlos were. They seemed liked real people that I would love to meet! Like, The Wedding Date, this book also had wonderful descriptions of food! I craved so many of the delicious meals they had throughout the book! Nik is such a strong and smart female character, and her interactions with her friends was a real highlight of the book for me. I loved that they took a self-defense class together! It was made even better when Nik and her friends truly enjoyed taking the class and felt empowered. I do wish the book had more steamy moments, as the sex scenes were mostly “fade to black”, but I think Carlos and Nik had great chemistry and I enjoyed the “will they, won’t they” aspect of their relationship. Overall this is an enjoyable story and a worthy successor to Jasmine Guillory’s first book!

This was very charming and fun, if a little light. I loved the meet-cute: when Nik is proposed to on a Jumbotron at a baseball game, by someone who is absolutely the wrong man for her, Carlos rushes to save her from the cameras — and a new friendship, or perhaps more, is born.

Guillory is great at describing little details that make characters' lives feel real — favourite foods (I love her commitment to delicious meals), little preferences or quirks, and settings. She has a great sense of place. However, I didn't totally buy the male character's big realization that sparked the major conflict and resolution. It came a little too quickly for me. The characters' dialogue also tended to get overly explanatory about how they think, and they seem to constantly be explaining themselves to other characters. A fun, breezy read, great for a vacation or flight.

Charming story, perfect for our library collection. Will definitely be ordering a copy. Loved the relationships, both romantic and familial.

i'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo disappointed by this book! The writing was not good and very basic at best. It made me cringe a lot of the times when I read conversations between characters and it sucked my enjoyment out of it!

Actual Rating: 2.5 stars

I loved The Proposal, so I assumed I would enjoy this one just as much. Unfortunately, I just don't think it was for me and taught me that I'm not a fan of the casual hookup to serious relationship trope! Nik's casual jerk of a boyfriend springs a surprise proposal on her at a baseball game and when she turns him down, it goes viral. Carlos saves her from a camera crew and they eventually develop a friendship and a supposedly casual, no-strings attached relationship.

I found myself being incredibly irritated at Carlos and Nik as they do all the things people in a serious relationship do while being determined to make sure this is a meaningless hookup relationship. This trope might work for some people, but I really did not enjoy it. I also didn't love Carlos as much as I did when he was a side character in Proposal. On a different note, all the sex scenes seemed overly focused on Nik's breasts in a way that felt repetitive and overdone to me. My favorite parts of the book were the beginning (it was an entertaining hook), briefly getting to see Alex and Drew from the first book, and her interactions with her girlfriends. So there were portions that I really enjoyed, but I found the development of the romance to be very annoying, which was disappointing. I think this will work well for people who don't mind that trope! I received an early review copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A fun and light book. Perfect for reading by the pool sitting in a lounge chair with your preferred drink on a table next to you. Definitely pick this up if you enjoy light and fun books. It's worth it. The characters are people you will become wrapped up in and the writing pulls you right in. Happy reading!

I loved this book! It was so earnest and relatable.

Nik is ambushed by a proposal on a jumbotron from a guy she never even shared an "I love you" with...and is rescued from the ensuing media chaos by Carlos and his sister Angie. Carlos and Nik have a sweet connection that blossoms into something more, complicated by funny friends, an awkward ex and a desire for no commitment.

I loved how organically Guillory developed Carlos and Nik's relationship. Every road bump, thought conveyed and dialogue was something I could picture a young professional saying and doing. I especially loved the relationships between Carlos and his family, as well as Nik and her friends. It had me rooting for the couple from the start!

I would definitely recommend this read for anyone looking for a fun escape into an LA romance.

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory is a sweet, charming, and fun romantic novel.

This was my first read by this author and definitely won't be my last! This was a very cute plot.... Nik had her boyfriend propose to her at a baseball game in front of everyone... and let's not forget to add that she turns him down in front of the entire world. Talk about embarrassment!!! This adds the perfect scene for an entertaining romance with a hint of sassy spice :).

What I loved most about this book was the diversity in characters. I hate seeing novels with the typical cookie cutter couples and this had the perfect amount of diversity. So props to you Jasmine!!

All the characters were fun.. I especially loved Courtney. I thought she was hilarious.

This is a romance novel that isn't over the top.. or too graphic. So for my newly fans of romance this would be perfect for you!

Only minor issue I had was it was a tad bit predictable. This was a fun and super easy read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley publishing for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.

3.5 stars!

Expected publication date: 10/30/18
Published to GR: 9/9/18

This was a perfect book tor read after reading several heavy books. This is a book that is perfect for vacation. It is a quick easy read that I read in one day. I have not read Guillory's first book but I definitely will be reading books by this author in the future.

I enjoyed the story of Nikole and her disastrous proposal from her man-bun-wearing-actor boyfriend. What woman is immune to a prince rescuing her from this tense situation? Nicole's relationship with her two friends were also refreshing and fun.

Great light read that I enjoyed despite the fact it was a bit more racy then I tend to read. ;-)

I always wondered what happens when a public proposal goes wrong. Freelance writer Nikole goes to a baseball game with her boyfriend. Little does she know, he chooses this moment to propose in front of 45,000 people and spell her name wrong on the scoreboard! She has no problem saying no. But the reaction from disappointed fans is the worst part.

On a whim, a stranger comes to Nikole's rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He quickly becomes the rebound guy filling her days with food, fun and good sex. Nikole doesn't expect a full blown relationship but soon their hookups become more.

I have the same review of The Proposal as the author's other book The Wedding Date: it was just okay. This author's writing just isn't for me. Perhaps I would have enjoyed The Proposal more if it were a nice short story instead of a full novel. Nevertheless...

Happy Pub Day, Jasmine Guillory! The Proposal is now available.

LiteraryMarie

What happens when your boyfriend of five months unexpectedly proposes to you on the JumboTron at a Dodgers’ game just when you are wondering why you are still with him? You try very quietly to decline, unfortunately, it’s all being shown on the JumboTron, and then streamed on all the sports channels and online. Nik thinks this could be possibly be the worst day of her life when a well-meaning bystander, Carlos, and his sister, save her from the humiliation. What follows is a sweet friendship between Nik and Carlos that turns into so much more, but are either of them ready for a real relationship?

This is the first book I’ve read from author, Jasmine Guillory, and I really enjoyed it. I loved the relationship between Nik and Carlos and more importantly, the relationship between Nik and her two best friends, Courtney and Dana.

Fans of romantic comedies will fall in love with this book!

Cute, strong female character, LA setting, diverse characters all lead up to an enjoyable read. However, a week out I already forgot that I had finished it so the staying power isn't strong. But a fun summer beach-read nonetheless.

This was a light-hearted story that I just kept finding myself day-dreaming while reading it. I would put in down for a few days and forget everything about the story and characters. I took that as I sign I shouldn't continue it, so I didn't finish. Thank you for the opportunity though.

I fell in love with Jasmine Guillory’s fresh and charming debut novel, The Wedding Date, so when I saw she had a new book coming out, I knew I had to read it. This author is not a one-hit wonder. I loved The Proposal just as much as at The Wedding Date. Carlos is an amazing man and I want to be besties with Nik and her girls!



Nik is at a Dodger’s game with her casual boyfriend, Fisher. The very last thing she is expecting at this game is a proposal. I mean, who proposes to someone they’ve been dating for 5 months? And someone they’re not even serious about? Nik is befuddled and of course says no. Fisher storms out and it puts Nik in a position. Thankfully, Carlos and his sister, Angela help Nik out and get her out of there.

Carlos likes Nik right away. There is something about her that draws him to her. Neither one of them are looking for a relationship, but they form this friendship, and that friendship turns into sex. As long as it’s just friends with benefits things will be fine. Nik can’t do a relationship now, and Carlos has too many family things on his plate. But when someone catches the feelings- things get a little tricky.

If you’ve read The Wedding Date, you know Carlos is best friends with Drew. It was nice to get their little cameo in this book. I hope this series of stand-alones continues. I would love to get a book for either one of Jasmine’s friends. I loved both Dana and Courtney! 



Carlos was by far my favorite character in this book. He was such a stand-up guy. He wasn’t independent by a strong and independent woman. I love how devoted he was to his family, how he truly cares for people, and he cooks. Don’t we all want a man to cook for us? I just adored him! Nik was great, too. She has a big heart and is a great friend/woman.

If you are a fan of friends to lovers books, The Proposal is one you need to check out. It’s sweet, heartwarming, steamy, and made me laugh out loud several times. I enjoyed this one lots!

3 stars — I was really looking forward to this book, and the main reason is the obvious awesome diversity! Not only is our author a person of colour, but so are BOTH of our main characters! And I’d seen some good reviews for Ms. Guillory’s debut, The Wedding Date, so I figured it was a no brainer! Unfortunately, while there were some great moments, on the whole this book fell flat for me. Which is a mega bummer. Also, while this can totally stand on its own, it does have crossover characters with The Wedding Date. That doesn’t bother me, but I know some find it frustrating when that’s not obvious.

So hmmm…what to say. Like, what do I mean by flat? Well, the characters felt flat and two-dimensional. The conversations, the dialogue. The inner thoughts. It’s like it was missing some polish you know? Like everything felt very matter of fact and perfunctory, but I didn’t FEEL anything. Now, there were moments…a scene here or there, some glimmers of a spark, but it just wasn’t enough to sustain me. On the whole I was just left feeling bored and meh.

Nik and Carlos both appeared great on paper, and I didn’t dislike them or anything, but I never really connected with them either. I never quite understood (in my bones) why they were both anti-relationship, I was just eventually told you know? Like for some reason I didn’t get the extent that Nik was scarred from her relationship with Justin until nearer to the end when it was already too late for me to be empathizing with her. Similarly with Carlos, I was told he was concentrating on his family, and I guessed there was some fear, but I didn’t *feel* it.

Gosh, I didn’t even really feel their funny moments. There were scenes where I’m sure I was supposed to be giggling, but I was just like “oh, yeah, I guess that’s funny.” It was like their reactions were over the top. Or their dialogue would go without breaks in between. Honestly, I’m not a writer, I just know when something doesn’t work for me.

Samesies for their romantic chemistry. I appreciated their friendship, but when we got to the romance, I never felt any tummy tingles or butterflies. Heck, even the steamy scenes were very perfunctory and essentially fade to black. I don’t mind fade to black, but I want to *feel* something in the kisses then.

Honestly, there were two things that kept this being an OK book (and not a bad book). First, the diversity was fantastically done. I mean, there were times where I kind of felt like white people were being made fun of, and while part of me gets that, it felt more mean somehow…which, find, I guess, I don’t know. But so many fantastic characters of colour, and some great LGBT representation too. Second, the scenes at Natalie’s Gym, and Natalie’s entire story were really affecting to me. I truly felt so much. If the rest of the story had had that same level of emotional involvement, I would have felt differently.

So yeah. I don’t know. It was missing book magic for me. Maybe the delayed release means they’re going to inject some magic into it? I hope so, because it would be a shame to waste all the potential.