I asked to review A Proposal They Can't Refuse because I've made it a point to read more diverse romance and #ownvoices authors. I truly loved the way the culture was entwined throughout this book, but the relationships (all of them) were so toxic that I found it difficult to truly enjoy this book. I struggled to finish it, and while I was happy with the outcome, getting there was not pretty or fun. There was something in the author's voice I enjoyed, but overall this book was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5⭐️

I’m obsessed with this book, to put it simply.

Kamilah and Liam are so cute, and I’m an absolute sucker for anything with angst in it. Watching the two of these learning to work together for business and emotions was just amazing. Both of them think what they’re doing is for the best, not even realizing that they’re only hurting themselves and the people around them in the long run.

And the food?!! I was getting hungry while reading it, and this was after I ate my dinner.

The reason I gave this book a 4.5 instead of a 5 is because of some of the conflict resolution. Was it done well? Yes. I loved the inclusion of their families in the book. I love how both of them talked to their families because the issue was so much deeper than just miscommunication/argument. While, public confessions aren’t my thing, I did kind of like this one, but I found it weird that some of the people there were not family and part of the tour. But that’s just a personal preference. I just wish that afterwards we got to see a lot more in-depth communication and apologizes for things both of them had said and done.

I would definitely recommend this book!!

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing & Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title before publishing!

This book has a super fun premise that combines childhood friends to lovers with fake dating, grumpy vs sunshine, forced proximity and a touch of enemies to lovers! Kamilah and Liam grew up together as their families own businesses right next door: Kamilah’s, a Puerto Rican restaurant and Liam, a family whiskey distillery. When Liam’s grandfather is diagnosed with cancer, Kamilah and Liam band together to both save their businesses and keep their families afloat by faking an engagement. Despite some long-time animosity, they both find that there is some attraction that’s been lingering since they were young. They also learn that they’ve missed each other's friendship more than they ever let themselves believe.

Kamilah as a character was a total highlight in this book. She’s delightfully bright and loving, and she balances out Liam’s grump really nicely. I also enjoyed Liam’s particular brand of artistic grump who actually cares so much for these around him but can’t get himself out of his own head. They both have such a vested interest in their family businesses for really heartwarming reasons.

Unfortunately, I also found myself feeling that despite both characters being likable on their own, I didn’t feel much chemistry between them for the first half of the book. When their “tension” hits its peak, it felt a bit stunted and strangely paced. Once they were together, they did become a very cute and believable couple, but I missed the build and *tension* that we all covet in rom-com stories.

Despite this, the ending was truly touching, if a bit predictable in its events, but not it’s execution. I do feel like this is an author to watch. This had a lot going for it, and I can tell that she is a skilled writer. I loved the characters and felt like I knew them, even if the pacing left something to be desired at times. I hope there are sequels, and absolutely intend to pick them up.

Nothing better than reading a story with two main characters you absolutely root for in every way possible. This book had that classic rom-com movie feel - updated for the present day, with its familiar sparkle and safe, happy comfort. I am a sucker for enemies turned lovers book, and this one ranks as one of my favorites. The unfolding of the love story between Kamilah and Liam was brilliant and captivating. If it wasn't clear enough, buy this book on May 24th and thank me later.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for proving this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this book after hearing some good things and reading the description. It's a story about Mila and Liam, childhood best friends turned enemies and has some great tropes (grumpy-sunshine and forced proximity are two of my faves). I LOVED Mila, as well as reading about the different cultures explored in the story. I related a lot to the obligation Mila felt towards her family and really rooted for her throughout this book. She was so resilient, I wanted to give her a hug! But while I thought this was a cute and fun story overall, I ultimately found it a bit underwhelming As much as I love a grumpy-sunshine dynamic, I never found myself really rooting for the couple. They had some sweet moments, but I think this could've done with some more pining from Liam. Something about the pacing of this book also felt off to me, where they go from "enemies" to friends again to lovers too fast. I would've loved more moments with the couple once they started dating to see more of their connection, but it seemed like a lot of that was skimmed over. Also, definitely personal to me, but the way Liam treated Mila when they went out for her birthday made me so angry that I had a hard time enjoying any of their scenes after that. He annoyed me quite a few times, though I appreciated that by the end he understood that he had some shit to work through.

At the end of the day, I still had fun reading this and would recommend as a solid rom-com to any fans of the genre.

Review posted to GoodReads on 04/03/2022: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4627380067?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

"Fake dating? ✔️
Childhood sweethearts to enemies to lovers? ✔️
Mouth watering food descriptions? ✔️
Oh no! Only one bed?? ✔️

This was just delightful in every way. Filled to the brim with such heartfelt scenes, steamy moments and countless tropes we love. This exactly what I look for in a rom-com. I want drama! I want sexual tension! I want a dirty talking hero who defends his woman! I want shenanigans! And this book delivers.

Kamilah and Liam’s grandfathers were really wonderful additions in this story, giving our main characters that never-ending love that only a grandparent can provide while also laying out the harsh truth. And plus them scheming to throw the love birds back together was a wonderful plot line.

Mila and Liam both struggle with the balance of keeping family traditions present while also ensuring that their legacy lives on as they implement their own dreams into the family businesses. They each have painful moments from their past - whether experienced together or separately but they found their way back to each other and became incredible partners along the way. I especially loved their friendship together as well as how quickly they were able to jump back into supporting the other.

Some of my favorite moments between Liam and Kamilah were when they were working together. We get glimpses of each of them working individually but in the moments where they came together with their passions it’s very magical.

Also Liam teaches Mila how to properly taste whiskey and it was very hot 👁👅👁

Really excited about this author!! Thinking we may get a book for Saint next 🤔

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own."

3.5 ⭐

A Proposal They Can't Refuse is a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, fake engagement romance that follows two ex besties who now have to work together to outsmart their meddlesome grandpa's in their blackmailing scheme...

this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022, and I'm incredibly fortunate to have received an arc for it :)

in all honesty, i struggled a bit to get into the first few chapters (may or may not be because i was in a reading slump) but i did pull through and ended up really enjoying the story

there's a lot of bantering between our mc's which i liked because they didn't take shiit from each other, and loved how they fessed up to their problems. the way they complimented and supported each other was so incredibly adorable, and i also think the pairing with food and whiskey distillery mashed really well together

“𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥. “𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘥, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘥𝘰.” 𝘒𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘺. “𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 . 𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘺𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘐’𝘮 𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

family dynamic...wasn't into it at first. thought the family was rude and mean. the blackmailing seemed really petty but it all worked out in the end because i came to love them as well

i cried at the end, if that says anything...and i would definitely read more from the author in the future :)

*𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯-𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸*

A Proposal They Can't Refuse: 3/5

Natalie Caña

"Like the goddess to her love, my heart has always called for you."

Childhood friends-turned-enemies Mila & Liam are in a predicament set by their grandparents–get married, or lose ownership of their individual businesses.

First of all, the cover of this book is everything. With such warm engaging colors, it immediately caught my eye and I wanted to know even more about it. I also love fake dating-esque books, so of course I had to pick this up.

This was a good read with a sunshine female lead and a grumpy male lead, which is always my favorite trope! There's forced proximity and diverse characters with good representation. It took a long time for any kind of revelation about their past to come to light. It also took a long time for relationship to even begin forming between the two of them and then it sort of became a it-has-always-been-you situation which admittedly threw me off. While there is romance, I don't know if it's the main character here because it was more about family.

For me, between the two, I preferred Liam because at times Mila really irked me. I didn't fault her family or her friends for being mad at her when all the truths were finally revealed because it seemed like she truly deserved that. While I really liked the beginning of this book–despite the somewhat odd coaxing by grandfathers who were forcing this relationship–it fell flat for me near the end. I am not a fan of third act conflicts and this one in particular was riddled with miscommunication and immature behavior from both parties which I didn't like.

Overall, this book did have some funny lines that made me smile and a little spice. I liked the banter between the siblings and I'm intrigued with the little SofiRoman and Saint/daughter's teacher crumbs we were served.

This was a good quick romance read. I love childhood friends that grow apart and connect back and fall in love, with meddling family included. Who doesn't love meddling grandparents. The fake dating/engagement trope is always a fun read. Liam and Natalie were interesting characters. It was nice to see them scheme up the engagement to actually fall in love. This was nice light read.

This book was such a pleasant surprise! I suspected to open this up and find a light, entertaining rom com story. What I found instead was a book that met all those expectations and then some. This story, filled with lots of fabulous enemies to lovers tension, was so fun read. The diverse and unique main characters, all the foodie references, made it an enjoyable and entertaining story to dive into. I thoroughly enjoyed the laugh out loud moments and the heartwarming moments sprinkled throughout the book as well. Overall, I’m glad I gave this book a try! This beautiful cover is only the tip of the iceberg for this awesome story. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy, all thoughts are my own.

I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

At the center of this story is a childhood friends to lovers/fake relationship love story, but beyond that, this is a story of family and community. I LOVE Kamillah and Liam! I wish we were given a bit more of their history together before they get together for the first time because it seemed kind of abrupt, but I can’t be too upset because that moment was STEAMY!! While the whole book isn’t overly steamy, the first time they get together is steamy AF.

Both Kamillah and Liam SEE each other and I absolutely love that. Though her family kind of shits all over her, Liam sees her for her talent and passion and believes in her. Kamillah has confidence in Liam that doesn’t have in himself, and despite his other hang-ups helps him to help put the family business on the map.

The pacing of the story was great, and I never once felt like a particular part dragged on for too long, if anything I could have used more!

Delightfully delicious and a wonderful debut, I cannot wait to read more from this author! The depiction of the main character's abuelo and his best friend in their Senior Living Complex warmed my whole heart and being, not to mention the romance itself.

This book had all the elements for a swoony romance, but ultimately fell flat in all the departments that mattered most. We have two bad-ass main characters who are childhood friends turned enemies turned fake lovers. Liam helps his grandfather run a distillery, and Kamilah helps her family run a Puerto Rican restaurant. When their grandfathers threaten their livelihoods unless they marry one another, they find themselves driven to maintain the farce by a desire to succeed in their careers.
When I first started reading, I was absolutely enamored. The setup was fairly solid (although right off the bat, the grandfathers manipulating the two into such a serious relationship felt odd). I was really digging Kamilah as I always stan a strong, Latinx woman who loves her crazy family. But as the narrative progressed, so did the toxicity levels of basically every single character. Without spoiling anything, I will say that I feel like Kamilah was done wrong on several levels, and by the end I was absolutely not rooting for the main couple.
If you’re looking for a romance with a little bit of spice and don’t mind woman-bashing, this is for you. I get that many families really do function this way in real life, but the resolution left an awful taste in my mouth.
I will say that the author had a great writing style. I enjoyed the seamless incorporation of Spanish, the detailed descriptions of whiskey making and flavors, and the dishes described were downright mouth-watering. I just wish that there had been more thought given to the underlying message that this novel was putting out there, and maybe future novels will be more my cup of tea!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not going to lie, the cover for this one is what really drew me in! I am a sucker for illustrated ones and this is just perfect with the couple on it. I am pretty pleased with this book overall. It was cute and had different plot lines than just the romance. There were a couple of things I had issues with that kind of left me feeling underwhelmed but it was still a fun book to read.

The book is told from two point-of-views, Kamilah and Liam. They are different but also have a lot in common and have been friends since they were kids. Their friendship hasn’t always lasted and now they would probably call themselves enemies. Kamilah and Liam will have to deal with the past if they plan to move forward and deal with the crazy conditions their grandfathers have set forth if they want to keep their businesses. It definitely gets messy but isn’t that usually how family is?

One of my favorite things to see in romance books is the dual point-of-view. I want to get in both of their heads and understand why they want and love the other person. What makes them desperate to be with them? I do think that this book does a great job of showing both sides. Kamilah and Liam each have their own baggage and things from the past they must deal with. Some of it does have to deal with love and not being sure if they can truly be in a relationship where they feel they are inadequate.

I would say that the romance comes second place to other topic in this book which is family. Kamilah has been using her family as a shield as well as trying to do what is best for the family business. Her ideas aren’t always heard and you can definitely tell that she struggles to see eye-to-eye with those in her family. It will very much be relatable for a lot of people. It was nice to see how she handled all of the drama that came with her family and the business. Kamilah deserves more credit for what she tries to do and Liam is there to give it.

The two things that were underwhelming for me was the romance and the big breaking point for the couple. The romance between them is a slow-burn and it takes awhile to even learn what happened between them that broke them apart in the first place. I don’t mind slow-burn but it felt like they didn’t really hang out that much either until later in the book. The breaking point was just kind of meh and maybe it’s because it had to do with communication. I am not a fan of miscommunication and I think that this one was in particular a miss for me. It was at least more believable than some.

Overall, this was cute and I liked what it had to offer. Kamilah and Liam learn a lot from each other and it was nice to see them rekindle their friendship and make it into more.

Theoretically, this had all the elements of a great romance: childhood friends to enemies to lovers, sunshine/grump trope, faked engagement, big loud Latinex family members, and a love of food and culture that is woven in at every opportunity. The problem I had was suspending my disbelief of these characters, their dynamics, and how they were portrayed.

For example, the backgrounds of both characters were very offhandly mentioned, casual, and didn't really give us any depth to their relationship, or real reason to root for them. Both main characters were jerked around like puppets for reasons that made me uneasy and I found it pretty unbelievable that both these "strong minded" and stubborn folk were so susceptible to the slightest pressure. They didn't communicate, weren't all that trustworthy, and treated each other in ways that made me cringe. They were caricaturish, immature, and I don't think I ever rooted for them as a couple.

I also take issue with the family dynamics...I understand the workings of a large, loud, Brown diverse family (I'm apart of two), but there was no sympathy, understanding, or concern exhibited by anyone for each other (even through toxic methods). The parents didn't seem to care about the future of their livelihoods, or show any grace or concern towards their kids, the siblings took advantage and treated each other abominably... It showed the negative side of familial obligation and pressure, and while I understand that is often the case, I don't know if this was the place for it. I guess this gets points for representation, and I did love the Spanish incorporated unapologetically throughout this...But I detested the people. 1.5 stars.

<i>NetGalley gave me an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review...I hope they don't regret approving me </i>

This book was super cute and sweet, and exactly what I needed right now in my life!

Goodies:
• Childhood-sweethearts-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers
• Engagement of convenience
• Slight forced proximity
• Diverse characters

What I liked about the book:
1. I loved how Kamilah and Liam had a great back and forth! Nothing makes me fall for characters more than a good, sarcastic verbal sparring match!

2. I love the little rascals-esque hijinks their grandfathers get into. You can tell these two men mean a lot to each other and I love that even though they are older, they still act young at heart.

3. Flawed main characters are the best main characters. I love how they both were called out on their issues and how their viewpoints on the world, family, and love developed a lot throughout the story.

4. Kamilah had a very special relationship with her Abuela, and that is a big theme behind why she has the goals she does. I loved this, but I loved it even more when Natalie Caña mentioned how close she was with her grandmother, who unfortunately will not be able to read her books. I almost shed a tear when I read that part. I was already ready to cry at the end with the “conversation” between Kamilah’s Abuelo and Liam’s grandfather, and this just further wrecked me.

5. I love that while it’s not outright talked about like a self-help book for couples, this book definitely delves into how people have different love languages. I love that Kamilah is able to recognize this and accept that Liam is never going to be the guy outspoken about his love, but he will show it with his actions, while she is more the type to be affectionate with plenty of “I love you’s”.

6. A lot of lines that really did have me laughing out loud.

“You can’t just go around dick-punching people.” “You don’t sneak up on a woman and expect not to get junk-punched.” - Point for Kamilah

“If there was anything worse than listening to one’s parents discuss anal play, she was positive neither one of them had yet to experience it.”

“How do you know?” Mami asked. “Remember my cousin Jencarlos? One day he was fine, the next day he was dead.” “Wasn’t he hit by a car crossing the street?” “It doesn’t matter. The point is you never know.” – Perfect mom logic.

“Why did he always manage to piss her off? He’d be lucky to be married to her. She was a fucking delight. He was the one who’d make someone want to run away screaming.”

“As always, it’s been a real pleasure. Like lighting myself on fire and then trying to put it out with a screwdriver.”- Point for Liam

“You need to learn that shutting the fuck up is free, but constantly talking out of your neck can cost you.”

7. So much spinoff potential here! Kamilah’s Abuelo basically calls out that he’s going to be a matchmaker for his remaining grandchildren. I totally call Leo and Sofi being a thing!

8. The ending (pre-epilogue) was just perfect. His creation and its name?? Swoon. Swoon so hard. He loves this lady.

What didn’t do it for me:
1. I didn’t love all the talk from her family about her needing to get married and have babies before she was too old. Here she is working her ass off for your family and your restaurant and you’re more concerned with her ovaries?

2. Didn’t love how when they were both guilty of not communicating well on her birthday she quickly justified him being a d*ck. Like, no…you were both wrong and you both suck at communication. Do not justify his behavior.

Much thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA, and Natalie Caña for the opportunity to enjoy this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinions. Check it out May 24!

4 stars!

Told in dual perspectives, these to have so much banter that it can only lead to the most intense type of fireworks between them. It's a cute, diverse romance read that follows the classic friends to lovers trope plus some slow burn mutual pining goodness. Very cute, very fun, very enjoyable.

A Proposal They Can’t Refuse is the story of Kamillah Vega and Liam Kane who are childhood friends who have grown apart, but are forced to get engaged because of their meddling grandfathers. I really liked this book even though it followed the same themes and plot as so many other romance books. It stands out because a lot of the conflict felt deep and real instead of petty and surface level. Both of the main characters and some of the supporting characters showed growth and depth. It was like reading a story of two real people with real life issues. Even though there were themes like family trauma, death, and PTSD, I would still say this is a light easy read. I would recommend.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

Enemies to lovers, fake relationship. Literally the best tropes !! The perfect ROM COM !

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

okay, i thought this book was a fun quick read, but i wasn't really taken with the romance. i loved the different cultures and the back stories, i loved the meddlesome grandparents. the plot felt a little loose, like everything doesn't get resolved at the end.