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.

Jasmine Guillermo does such an amazing job with portraying mixed raced relationships. She always ties in just enough detail to make you feel connected, and aware of how race may or may not play a factor in a real relationship with real people. This book was perfectly placed in Los Angeles, from the way people hold themselves to the value of family and even the friendships and issues with women’s fear of being weak. I loved Natalie’s gym, and I desperately hope it is based on a real place. The relationships both romantic and friendly felt honest and relateable. I will definitely be sharing this with my fellow readers.

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 found this title enjoyable. I thought it would be more like THE HATING GAME, but I think there might have been a beat or two missing to distinguish it from traditional romance so that it carries into commercial fiction. I would have liked to hear more about public proposals. It doesn’t come up after the first incident. Maybe if she had taken it up in her writing for work? Not sure. As someone who hates them, the initial story line caught my attention. But overall, it was a sweet story.

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 aDORED this book. I am so excited to be a reader alongside Jasmine Guillory as her career unfolds -- her diverse characters, hilarious dialogue, and love stories are just so fantastic. This book started out with a botched proposal and a girl that was obviously more guarded than she let on -- and I felt such a kinship to her! From a vulnerable beginning to a passionate romance to the sweetest ending, this book kept me turning pages from the beginning. I loved Guillory's debut novel The Wedding Date, and I love that this book dove deeper into the Carlos character that I adored so much in that book. If you're looking for funny, sweet romance with characters that you'll fall for yourself (Carlos, hellloooo), and with strong women as the backbone, this is it. Loved it!

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!

A sweet, light, heart-warming romance that does delve into some deeper issues including grief and harassment. Nik and Carlos have real chemistry which sparks off the pages. I loved the way their friendship blossoms into a romance as they cautiously navigate each other, after meeting when Nik very publicly turns down a proposal from her jerk fling. What I loved about this romance is that it also focuses on their family and friends, who are well developed with conflicts that propel the story forward. Guillory balances her characters and premise well, and you can tell there is real love and care for where these characters will end up!

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.

I love this sweet romantic story about two people who meet and fall for each other when a large-scale proposal goes horribly wrong. I thought Nic and Carlos were both fully-developed characters with their own faults, yet were relatable and easy to root for. Guillory writes fun, frothy soap and this was an easy, breezy fall read. Readers who enjoy romance, comedy, wish fulfillment and light-hearted reads will really enjoy this one!

This was a fun story for so many reasons. First of all, Nikole and Carlos are great characters that are not anywhere near perfect but are relatable. Their chemistry is just as much on the friend level as it is on the sexual level which makes them even more interesting. What makes them unique in the romance world is that they are both minorities. I love how Jasmine Guillory doesn't make the story about this but still makes it a part of the story organically just like it would happen in a real life relationship. I would definitely read more books by this author and would recommend this to anyone looking for a romance that is a little different and character driven.