This was a cute fake dating romance (I do love this trope)! I’m not really a foodie nor do I drink much alcohol, so a lot of the focus on those things wasn’t my cup of tea but in general this was a lovely read.

I'm withholding this review in solidarity with the HarperCollins Union members currently on strike. I support their right to a fair contract.

Thank you Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC.

Maybe I'm getting too picky with romance but man this did not have enough spice for me. And by that...I really mean it had like none. If that's your thing, amazing. But I was just kind of disappointed by this one.

Kamilah Vega has sacrificed so much for her family's Puerto Rican restaurant and is trying to find a way for it to survive the gentrification of their Chicago neighbourhood. This time, her abuelo has told her if she wants to go ahead with her renovation plans, she'll have to marry the one man she can't stand, Liam Kane. Liam has spent a decade working to turn his family's distillery into a contender for the best whiskey. Then Granda tells him he has cancer and wants to see him marry Kamilah before it's too late. If they refuse, the grandfathers will sell the building that houses their businesses, so the two plan to fake their engagement to get what they want.

I LOVED this book! The chemistry between the two was palpable. The Latinx representation was awesome. The delicious descriptions of all the Puerto Rican dishes made me hungry. All the family dynamics with the big tight knit family. I loved it ALL :) This is the first in a series and you better believe I'll be reading them all! This is big for me, if you know me as a reader, I typically don't like to commit to series.

This was a salve on my callused and jaded soul. It was sweet, filled with good food, and made me believe in childhood-friends-turned-soulmates all over again. It read a bit like a debut (sometimes the pacing was mired by description or something similar), but otherwise, it was a cheerful time that I would gladly live again.

The characters were authentic and popped right off the page. From the troublemaker grandfathers to the troubled couple themselves, I cannot wait to read the next installment of the Vega Family Love Stories.

This. This. This. The world needs more romances like this one. It’s no secret I love a good marriage of convenience, but this one went to a whole other level. All of the characters warmed my heart and made me laugh. Family makes the world go round on and off the page. Well-done!

This debut rom-com was an absolute blast. I loved each and every page I read. Proposal was entertaining as hell, filled with humor and heart (and food!). Enemies to lovers at it's best. I cannot wait to read the next book in the Vega Family Love Stories series.

What I really liked was the pro mental health approach. Sure people have meddling families and savior complexes but do they address them?? It was also spice free if that's your thing.

Cuter than I expected based on the title. Nice to see that even when both characters are very much in love with each other and have been most of their lives, that the story of them realizing that for themselves and each other is so satisfying. Wasn't sure how it would all end but was glad to see how it progressed.

Cute premise, but I just could not get through this, the female MC's family was incredibly mean to her, it was hard to read. Too much about family drama and not enough about the relationship.

This was just a shocker hit for me! I loved the chemistry, some decent spice, and some actual depth to the male character. Usually I struggle with families that seem to me overbearing and nosy but this one didn't get to me too much. I will definitely be following this author :)

Did I finish this book in one day? Yes, yes I did! The banter was just so fun to read. The first half was much more light hearted than the second half. I really appreciated reading about all of the culture included. I didn’t love all of the miscommunication that occurred towards the end. However, I did enjoy it and I’m really happy I read it.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Very cute book! I highly recommend to people who loves the fake relationship trope. I felt that the story was entertaining. It was so sweet and funny. I also loved the heroine, and I am anxiously waiting/hoping for the next book.

Kamilah and Liam are blackmailed by their prankster grandfathers into getting engaged. Though they’ve been enemies for years, they give in to save their family businesses—they just hope they can’t get out of the engagement before they have to follow through with the marriage.

Themes & Tropes:
🇵🇷Puerto Rican food & Irish whiskey.
🇮🇪Friends to Enemies to Lovers
🇵🇷Second Chance
🇮🇪Matchmaking grandfathers
🇵🇷Fake Dating/Engagement

// Other thoughts:

I wish we would have had a bit more explanation into what happened between Kamilah and Liam that turned them into enemies. Very minor criticism as we do ultimately know what happened, I just felt this aspect could have been made stronger.

🌶 Ok, because I heard multiple times that this book was closed door or fade to black (which I don’t really agree with) I did not expect some of the moments and lines. Caña proves that we don’t need explicit sex scenes in romance books to make the book great (or hot). So, please don’t let that deter you, the chemistry and tension between the characters is perfection!

This book came at the right time because I had just finished a huge fantasy novel and feeling burnt out. It was nice to follow Kamillah and Liam as they tried to figure out their relationship and their lives. This book had all the tropes: second-chance romance, enemies-to-lovers, fake relationship. There was even a scene where there was only one bed! It was funny, relevant, and made me tear up at the end. I knew I would enjoy this one the moment Kamillah punches Liam in the nuts in the very first scene. I also am a huge food person, so the description of Puerto Rican fare alongside the delicious whiskeys made me crave both. I'm glad to have read it!

For readers who loved the Beauty and Baker movie on Netflix, this is an A+ followup to read. A solid plot and characters, I wish that it was spicier.

I really enjoyed the story, how Natalie explored family relationships, the complicated dynamic of trying to make your family proud, and the process of grief.

Also, it was beautiful to see how Liam and Kamilah got to reconnect their friendship and how it becomes something more, something that had always been there.

Cannot begin to say how excited I was to get this copy! I absolutely loved this premise so fun and clever. Fake dating/engagement and between two people in the food/beverage industry and a backdrop in Chicago? I just ate this up. This was such an entertaining read and I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys fake dating/enemies to lovers.

Full of delicious tropes and heart, romance readers will rejoice and cheer all the way through Natalie Caña’s A Proposal They Can’t Refuse!

Kaamilah and Liam used to be friends. That’s what happens when your grandfathers co-op a space and run their respective businesses side by side for decades. But after Liam’s granda announces he has cancer, he follows that right hook with an ultimatum: get married, or the building and businesses are being sold.

Not to be outdone by their scheming octogenarian grandfathers, Liam and Kaamilah embark on the scheme of all schemes: outfox their grandfathers and dupe their families by pretending to go along with the farce. After all, Kaamilah’s future is just as much on line as Liam’s.

There’s just one minor problem: these former best friends cannot stand the sight of each other.

Definitely full of heat and spice, A Proposal They Can’t Refuse has the following lovable elements:

- interracial / multicultural relationship
- schemes
- fake dating/ arranged marriage
- one bed
- forced proximity
- hilarious family dynamics
- one bed
- childhood friends to enemies to lovers
- silent and stoic /chaotic and messy
- opposites attract
- family business in danger

I did not finish this book so can't really rate it. The meddling families drove me too crazy - I just couldn't stand the lack of boundaries so apparently this book wasn't for me.