I love Hallmark movies! Even more so as the channel provides more diversity. While reading, I thought, Hallmark. Grace Dawson, wedding planner extraordinaire, getting over a break-up, assigned to plan her ex wedding. what a drag. Bridget Cartwright, personal assistant to Christina, Grace's ex.

As the story unfolds, it is difficult not to like Grace, Bridget and Grace's parents. I enjoyed the location description of Mistletoe Mountain. Grace, is not interested in returning to her home town, though she loves her family very much. Bridget, having grown up being moved from foster home to foster home has lousy memories of Christmas. I smiled and warmed my heart as Grace interacted with Bridget and provided a different view of the holiday.

The Christmas Proposal by Lisa Moreau

Grace and Bridget. Bridget hates Christmas and now our two heroines are stuck doing task Christmas. This is your easy holiday romance story, where you curl up in fromt of the fire or bed with a hot chocolate. This feel like a hallmark movie and it's predictable as so but heartwarming also.

A lovely festive read about moving on and trusting in new relationships and experiences.

The story follows Grace and Bridget, Grace breaks up with Christina just before Christmas. One year later Bridget is tasked with planning Christina’s proposal to her new girlfriend. A twist of fate see the two stranded together in Mistletoe Mountain. There’s lots of festive fun and romance round every corner.

A fab read with a cup of tea and cosy blanket.

This was a relatively cute story, although I felt that the characters were lacking in chemistry. I lost interest once they got together and didn't finish the book. I even read it on Christmas Eve and it did give me a nice christmassy feel while I escaped from my in-laws. Not a book I would buy for a friend but I'd recommend it if it were 99p on kindle etc.

Really enjoyed this read it was festive and had snow what more could you want, the characters were good, the storyline was somewhat predictable but still draws you in to the point where you want to keep reading

3.5 stars

The Christmas Proposal follows Grace, who at the start of the book loses both her job and her girlfriend whren she discovers her boss (who is also her girlfriend) is cheating on her. One year later Grace has successfully moved on and is doing well working for a proposal planning company. Paths cross when Bridget, the new assistant of her old boss Christina has been asked to plan a Christmassy proposal for Christina and her new girlfriend. Only Bridget hates Christmas and knows nothing about proposal planning so she recruits Grace to help, but little does Grace know she is planning the proposal of her ex. As Bridget and Grace grow closer new and old secrets threaten their newfound happiness.

I enjoyed this book, I thought it was basically like reading a cheesy holiday christmas film which was exactly what I was looking for/expecting from it. I thought both Bridget and Grace were sweet characters and I liked seeing their romance develop and how they helped each other heal. I did think the ending was slightly rushed and as always I was annoyed by a third act break up lol (it's so unnecessary).

At the beginning I was a bit worried as I thought the writing was really cringy however after the first chapter this got a lot better and I actually thought it was pretty well written prose for a romance novel. I also loved the christmas atmosphere - the perfect seasonal read!!

One thing I have to comment on lol was Mistletoe Mountain, the location where a lot of the book takes place, where Grace grew up and where Christina wants Bridget to plan her proposal. Prior to actually going there there is a lot of mystery surrounding this place with Grace omniously making referneces to it in POV. This left me expecting some crazy Christmas cult or similar but it actually turns out to be a normal village lol.

TW : death of a partner, grief, abandonment as a baby, foster care, mental health, neurodivergence, single mother

AHHH THIS BOOK!! I loved that it's :

• So sapphic, wholesome, and so much openeness!!

• Talks about grief and overcoming traumatic experiences

• Feels good to read about relationships where people actually COMMUNICATE instead of just... not... and then the whole plot is centered around that and UGH

• I loved everything about Mistletoe Mountain.

This book was so fun and Christmasy, definitely that perfect Holiday read I've been searching for for years!

I thoroughly enjoyed this queer holiday romance.
Grace is a wedding planner, who desperately wants to find true love. After an embarrassing break-up leaves her broken hearted, Grace is determined to focus on her career, and nothing else. But just as she settles in to the new life she has made for herself, she is tasked with planning her Ex's proposal to the woman she cheated with. To make matters worse, she must plan it at her family's Mountain Inn. The only upside to the mess is that she gets to work with Bridget, her Ex's beautiful assistant. With only two weeks to plan, Grace and Bridget set out to create a proposal to remember that will hopefully see them both get perspective promotions. But they might also find love for themselves.

This sweet, steamy queer romance was a fun, quick read. The characters were well developed and the dialogue felt natural. While the story moved quickly, it did not feel rushed or forced. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys holiday romances that are heartwarming and sexy.

OK, this book was dang sweet.

Listen, I'm not usually someone who reads romance, but I like a good romcom every now and then, and especially around the holidays. I'm willing to give more leeway with contrived scenarios and super quickly moving plots if Christmas is involved - I mean, you kind of have to if you're going to get to the point, right? But what I can't stand is horrible dialogue, characters with no depth, and scenarios where a woman leaves behind everything for some dude in flannel.. Fortunately, this book does not have those issues.

Now, is the setup a little bit cutesy? I mean, yes - a former event planner, who just happens to be from a Christmas village, has to plan her ex's proposal to a new girl. But she's doing it with her ex's new assistant! Who is also a lesbian! This is the type of poetic license that I am totally okay with in a Christmas romcom.

What the book does have is strong, three-dimensional characters. Grace is an event planner with ambition (she wants to run a regional office in Maui) and she's pursuing personal growth (dealing with family issues in her past, trying not routinely fall for the wrong woman). Bridget is an assistant - for now - but she's actually a selt-taught computer programmer/game designer who is ready for a bigger challenge. Oh, and neither of them think that giving them all up for love is a great idea. (Bonus points added for Grace's sister, who is choosing to start a family on her own terms.) Add in actual, believable dialogue and a slow-burn romance and you've got yourself a winner. I definitely plan to check out more books by Lisa Moreau.

If you roll your eyes at Hallmark holiday movies but still want some sweet holiday cheer, if you like romcoms with real (for the most part!) people, and if you're looking for an accessible lesbian romance, I highly recommend this novel.

Thanks much to NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books, and the author for early access to this title in exchange for my honest review.

A sweet Christmas read. I'd say this was 3.5 for me. Two main reasons - Grace and Bridget are well rounded out characters but pretty much ever other character in the book is 2D. I would have loved a bit more depth Grace's family. Second reason is that whilst I enjoyed the plot of Grace having to organise her ex's wedding, I would have liked a moment for Grace and Christina to have closure.
Aside from that a cute read that I absolutely enjoyed.

2/5

The Christmas Proposal by Lisa Moreau is a sapphic romance about proposal planning and characters being stranded together in a secluded town. I was charmed by many of the ideas in this novel, and kind of enjoyed it, but it didn't meet my expectations. The overall felt bland, with writing and characters that were okay-ish at best. I was really excited about Mistletoe Mountain and the idea of a town dedicated to Christmas, as well as Tie the Knot, the proposal planning company, and thought there were many interesting aspects, but the characters were lacking something and the christmassy vibe was missing. I was also bothered by a bunch of cringy moments, including one where a character asks another what her nationality is because she has "striking looks", and said character replies that she doesn’t know, which makes absolutely no sense; nationality and ethnicity are two separate things. Ultimately, I thought it was hard to see past the flaws in this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this eARC!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this Christmas novel. It was charming and heartwarming, but more progressive than most Christmas books.

The Christmas Proposal by Lisa Moreau is your favourite Hallmark/Netflix Christmas romance movie but in the form of a sapphic book.

Set in Mistletoe Mountain, the story centres on two main characters. Bridget, a budding game developer who’s stuck working as a personal assistant and is challenged to plan her boss’ proposal in order to prove herself worthy of a promotion. And Grace, a wedding planner at Tie The Knot, who Bridget hires to help her plan the dream proposal, only to find out Grace is actually her boss’ Ex-Girlfriend.

The book was filled with everything Christmas; candy canes, baking, mistletoe, ice-skating, family, love, fate and a perfectly inconvenient timed avalanche that traps the main characters in Mistletoe Mountain together.

An adorable lighthearted holiday romance, best enjoyed with a glass of eggnog while curled up in your reading chair next to the Christmas tree.

This was definitely my favourite Christmas read of the holiday season. The only thing I would have loved to see was the secondary storylines of the book tied off a bit better as the ending felt it lacked a little bit of closure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Christmas Proposal follows Grace, a proposal planner trying to find her way after getting cheated on and broken up with by her previous boss. We also follow Bridget who hires Grace to help plan her boss's proposal. All seems well until Bridget and Grace realize that the proposal Grace is planning is for her ex and the girl she cheated on her with. After Bridget and Grace get stuck in Mistletoe Mountain they don’t have much else to do besides plan the proposal and get to know each other better.


I love a good stranded together trope and A Christmas Proposal absolutely delivered. I enjoyed the setting of Mistletoe Mountain and the issues that our characters had to deal with while they were there. I also liked that even with the absurd situation it wasn’t written in an unrealistic way if that makes sense? Nothing was too over the top to make it all seem overly fictional, it was done just right to be quirky and cute.


My biggest issue with the book is that there was great build up to the romance but once it really started it got so serious so fast and it felt too unrealistic and a little uncomfortable. My one question with Christmas romances is always why does one person have to be overly obsessed with the holiday and the other hates it? Maybe I’m a bit of a Scrooge but I would love a character who just has a “normal” excitement level for Christmas. Nonetheless, this was a super cute holiday read and I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a cute holiday/winter story or just an adorable romance.

This is by far, the best Christmas book I've ever read, it's got everything you're looking for, cozy Christmas village, Christmas decorations, celebrations, you name it, and of course, a sweet sweet romance, and more coziness. I'll definitely be re-reading it whenever I want some cheering up or get that cozy feeling.

I seriously would've stayed up all night to finsih it if I didn't have an exam the very next day.

The book was already perfect, but when I listened to the song Tangled Up by Parade of Lights while reading, it just took it to a whole other level.

Thank you @netgalley & @boldstrokesbooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review💕

After initially confusing the different names... Grace worked for and went out with Christina, who dumped her for Beryl and is Bridget's new boss, who now has to plan Christina's proposal, so she hires Grace... confused yet?

Well the plot is much simpler, includes a Christmassy small town and overcoming relationship anxieties in order to ice skate into the Happily Ever After. And yet I could not help being cynical about the two main characters suddenly conquering their relationship traumas and hang-ups over the course of a week. This would make an amazing Netflix holiday romance movie but as far as the book goes I did not find myself believing the "insta love".

Still: plus points for lesbian representation, a female boss who is actually good at her job and single prarenthood!

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a lovely, sweet holiday romance. It features Grace, who started working for a proposal planning company after breaking up with her ex, Chrstina, who was also her boss. The other MC is Bridget, a gaming programmer who is working as Christina’s PC and is tasked with planning the proposal to Christina’s current girlfriend.

The two meet when Bridget hires Grace for the proposal planning not knowing how they are connected. Grace’s hometown also happens to be where Christina wants the proposal to happen, and is a Christmas wonderland. Bridget, on the other hand, hates Christmas due to her childhood spent in foster care.

The two get trapped in Grace’s hometown for a week or so and spend a lot of time together in the town and with Grace’s family. The two eventually work out the connection issue and begin a relationship while working on the proposal. Both MCs are sweet and I loved them both together and separately. The secondary characters in Grace’s town were also fun. Both have baggage from the past, but they work through it with each other. There’s the usual breakup thing around the 80% mark, but it doesn’t last long.

Honestly, this was like reading one of the better Hallmark movies, if you like them, then you’ll enjoy this. It’s a nice way to spend a few hours this time of year. 4 stars.

Grace Dawson is completely over her ex, Christina. But that doesn’t mean she wants to plan her wedding proposal to another woman.
Grace dreams of the day she’ll have a romantic proposal like those she plans for her clients at Tie the Knot. She’s spent the last year reading a boatload of self-help books. No way she’s going to fall back into old patterns and date someone afraid of commitment ever again. When it comes to everlasting love, Grace is all in.
Bridget Cartwright, Christina’s personal assistant, will do anything for Christina with the hopes of getting a promotion, even plan her proposal. So what if she knows zilch about romance and doesn’t even believe in happily-ever-after? There are companies for hire that do that sort of thing.
When Grace and Bridget end up stranded together on Mistletoe Mountain, Grace has no chance to escape. Not from her painful past, not from her attraction to Bridget, and definitely not from all the romance in the airbook.
This is a LGBTQIA Romance that warms the heart.
Grace and Bridget are a perfect couple considering their background.
I might not have read this book had I realized the content but I'm glad I did.

The Christmas Proposal was a sweet festive read that explored unlikely relationships and love after heartbreak. Although it was a bit cliche and felt predictable, it was a light and romantic book that you could get lost n.

Grace walked out on her job and the boss, her girlfriend Christina, a year ago. During that time, she's read self-help books and tried to heal - but she still can't bring herself to go back to Mistletoe Mountain, the cute Christmas-themed resort where her family live, after a tragedy a decade ago. So when Christina's new personal assistant, Bridget, a coder at heart who doesn't really get personal relationships, is tasked with arranging Christina's proposal of marriage to the woman she was cheating on Grace with, and goes to - who else - Grace, who works at a proposal-arranging company, and reveals Christina wants to do the deed at - where else - Mistletoe Mountain, the stage is set for awkwardness, memories and a horrendous time.

But Mistletoe Mountain and Grace's lovely family weave their magic, and when Bridget and Grace get trapped there, Bridget's heart might just begin to melt and they might both just start to share their stories. Is there more of a new start here than just that? A really sweet book, the Christmas town and time setting is really nicely done, the villain of the piece is a vicious gossip who can't understand why Grace's sister plans to have a baby on her own and has made a rubbish website, but that's as bad as that gets, and it's all wrapped up in kindness and supportiveness. There are funny moments and I'd look for more of this author's books.

My full review https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2021/12/22/two-diverse-christmas-reads-lisa-moreau-the-christmas-proposal-and-louise-lennox-merry-kiss-me/