Someone attach an IV and drip feed me these books because I am ✨️o b s e s s e d✨️

I read Hate Mail last year and ADORED it, and I can safely say The Proposal Project has just cemented myself as a lifelong fan of the author, @donnamarchettiauthor

I had been in a slump for a while when I decided to pick this one up, and it yanked me right out of it. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about the characters and itching to pick it back up again.

Priscilla is a recently fired events organiser who is hired by her best friend, Tina, to plan her proposal to her boyfriend, Ryan. Everything is going smoothly until Priscilla discovers Oliver, Ryan's best friend, is also helping Ryan to propose to Tina. Not willing to let Tina down and dash her hopes of her dream proposal, Priscilla and Oliver agree to work together so their best friends can both have the proposal they want.

The only issue? They hate each other.

Eeeeeeeee, the tension was EVERYTHING!! Poor Oliver was trying his hardest to lock Priscilla down, and she was just clueless 😂 I loved it so much.

It was never explicitly stated, but I felt like Priscilla was potentially neurodivergent. Her obsessive personality, sometimes misunderstanding context, and taking things at face value all stood out to me. It explained the miscommunication between herself and Oliver, plus she was trying to protect herself.

Oliver was swooooooon-worthy thank you very much! Priscilla is a lucky, lucky girl 😍 I love how nervous she made him that he often said the wrong things without meaning to. I loved him though. He was everything Priscilla needed, he didn't discourage her, he lifted her up and gave her the confidence she sometimes lacked. Just as a good man should.

If you're looking for:
🩷 forced proximity
🩷 fake dating
🩷 sizzling tension
🩷 flirty banter
Then add this to your tbr immediately. Do it. NOW.

Donna Marchetti has become an auto-buy author for me, I love the way she writes and the humour in her books has me cackling. The ghost nail scene had me laughing out loud, I love Tina 😂

Thank you so much to @donnamarchettiauthor and @onemorechapterhc for sending me an advanced copy of the book 🩷✨️

The Proposal Project is a cute rom-com with engaging characters and some favorite tropes: enemies (or antagonists, anyway) to lovers, fake dating, misunderstandings, mutual pining, sparky banter, and sharing a bed, to mention a few. The usual somewhat ridiculous situations, with the antics of side character Tina, in particular, the outrageously over-the-top best friend of the female main character, Priscilla, bringing the laughs. Priscilla is struggling to find her way in her chosen profession, and has also recently been fired from her job for circumstances beyond her control. Her love interest, Oliver, is smitten with her, but hides it so well that she thinks he's mocking her most of the time. The two become close as they try to bring off a spectacular proposal event on behalf of Tina and her fiancé, Ryan. Of course, Priscilla finds her way professionally by using the event to launch her own business successfully. There is no third act breakup, just a minor misunderstanding, which is refreshing, and the pace of the novel is excellent, holding my interest until the end. The love story between the two main characters is sweet, and the push and pull as they find their way towards romance has the right amount of tension and frustration. The story is cute and entertaining, with low angst and some laughably ludicrous happenings--in short, no big surprises here, just all the qualities that make rom-coms fun to read.

This was lots and lots of fun. Very big « but how blind can she be » feeling that had me laughing. The single pov from Priscilla worked very well, because as reader you have snippets of Oliver and it is obvious to you what is really happening, but Priscilla is the queen of denial. Even without Oliver’s pov, his feelings are pretty clear to read, doubt and determination, but also patience, and it was exactly what Priscilla needed as she took the time to accept her feelings. It was funny and heartwarming at the same time.

*I received an ARC of this book, this is my honest opinion*

4.75 ⭐️

This is my first book of this author and let me tell you, I just binged this bad boy and, not gonna lie, it's a total vibe! This book legit vanished in my hands, I'm talking lightning speed.

Oliver? Ugh, he's basically my new literary crush. He's got that undeniable charm, and seeing him totally head-over-heels for Priscilla? My heart! Their whole "fake-it-till-you-make-it" romance, especially with the double proposal shenanigans, was pure gold. And those cheeky "practice" kisses? I was there for every single one. The sparks flying between them were off the charts, and Oliver's shameless flirting? Chef's kiss!

Now, if I had to spill some mild tea, I'm always a sucker for dual POVs, and man, I wish we'd gotten a peek inside Oliver's head. He's such a gem, and it would've been epic to see things from his side. And let's be real, Priscilla's initial beef with him felt a little extra, like, girl, what's good? But honestly, those are just minor quibbles in an otherwise ridiculously fun read.

So, if you're on the hunt for a feel-good, breezy rom-com that'll teleport you straight back to early 2000s movie nights, this is your jam. It's the perfect escape, a quick, happy read that'll pull you out of any reading funk. Trust me, you'll be obsessed!

After reading Hate Mail by Donna Marchetti, I knew I liked her writing — but The Proposal Project completely blew me away in the best way possible.

This book was everything. The characters were beautifully written, not only as individuals but as a couple. Their connection felt so real and full of love, and I adored watching their relationship unfold. It was one of those romances where you just feel how much they care for each other — it made my heart melt more than once.

The plot was also a standout — original, engaging, and refreshingly different from the usual rom-com setup. It kept me interested from start to finish, and the pacing was just right.

Donna Marchetti's writing shines here. It’s immersive, full of charm and warmth, and made it incredibly easy to get lost in the story. She has a way of writing characters and emotions that feels effortless but hits all the right notes.

The Proposal Project is romantic, heartfelt, and smart — and it’s easily one of my new favorites. I’ll be recommending this one to anyone looking for a love story that feels truly special.

Priscilla Cain has just lost her job becoming “the fall guy” after a client made a bad choice resulting in him ending up looking foolish. She confides to her best friend Tina who made a ton of money when an app she designed sold for a lot of money.

Tina tells Priscilla that she can start her own event business and she will back her monetarily. She also says she wants to be her first client as she wants to do a spectacular proposal to her boyfriend, Ryan, that mirrors one her mother made to her father. She wants music and fireworks and everything.

Ryan’s best friend is Oliver. When Priscilla first met Oliver, she was what she calls obsessed with him. When he found out she said that, he teased her which made her furious and now she hates being around him. But she finds out that Ryan wants to propose to Tina and now Priscilla and Oliver have to join forces to make this proposal the best for both Tina and Ryan.

As the journey toward the proposal begins, Tina and Ryan are convinced that Priscilla and Oliver are a couple and they let them believe that as the time winds down for the big day. But are they just pretending or could there really be a spark between them?

This is a cute story that at times seemed a bit silly but pick up toward the end of the book. It’s a different plot and one that I enjoyed. Hope other readers will enjoy it too.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I went into this thinking the premise was adorable and that I love a well-done fake dating trope, but this book was honestly such a miss for me.

I quite honestly hated every single character. Not a one knew how to communicate and these people were bad friends!! Also, the love interest was so bad at expressing his feelings that I wanted to throw my phone across the room.

Also, no scenario felt realistic in this book. Everything seemed to magically come together because the plot needed it to. The characters didn't really work for this resolution, things just magically work out for Priscilla because the plot demands it.

The only thing I can credit this book for is that the banter very occasionally made me smile.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Priscilla is gloriously awkward, blurting out the worst possible excuses in already cringey situations and somehow making everything more uncomfortable. She’s got zero filter, big dreams, and a best friend who cheers on every chaotic scheme. She is so relatable and you can’t help but root for her.

While helping their best friends Tina and Ryan secretly plan competing proposal surprises, Priscilla and Oliver pretend to be in a fake relationship, but they craft the ultimate engagement moment for their friends, sparks fly for real. Priscilla and Oliver’s romance is a delicious slow burn with awkward moments, poor communication but with some deliciously spicy scenes. I loved this novel and I will definitely be reading more of Donna Marchetti’s books in the future.

Thank you for letting me read and review this book on Netgalley.

This was a good read and I enjoyed it. I've been in a bit of a reading slump and this helped but I felt a little underwhelmed by it. I can't quite pinpoint what it was but it could have been due to my reading slump.

Tropes:
Spice 🌶️
Miscommunication ❌
Fake Dating 👫
Forced proximity 🙅‍♀️
Enemies to Lovers ❤️‍🔥
Clueless FMC & Obsessed MMC 👩‍❤️‍👨
One Bed 🛏️

For all of my romcom lovers out there, this one is for you.

I really enjoyed The Proposal Project! Donna Marchetti gave us everything that was promised and I ate it up.

If you like
fake dating, one bed, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers.

This one is a perfect read for you.

Will definitely be stocking in my shop and recommending to my rom com lovers .

Priscilla and Oliver were a great enemies to lovers story for me because their “hate” was never a reality. The way the two worked together from the outset for their besties was adorable.

While I can see there will be an audience for this book, that audience wasn't me. On paper I should have loved this, but it never clicked with me. I struggled to get through it because once I put it down I was never pulled to pick it back up again. I loved the premise of it but the execution wasn't working for me and the FMC's hatred of the MMC felt over the top and forced, just making her sound childish early on which was a large part of what I struggled with. A secret of hers got out that had to do with him and he teased her about it. She was embarrassed which was understandable but then continued to talk about him and act as if he was literally the worst human on the planet to ever exist, referring to him endlessly as an asshole, meanwhile every time we encounter him he's nice to her and helpful, and maybe he gives her a hard time or is teasing toward her but its nothing terrible, it's just playful, but her reactions are so disproportionate to it, so while there was potential for fun banter, I was instead just frustrated that she was actually the one being mean to him. It was hard for me to get past that and buy their connection which left me not wanting to keep going.

This was such a cute and fun read!

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Priscilla and Oliver, and the mix of enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and close proximity worked perfectly. The dual proposal added a fresh angle, and the story had just the right balance of romance and humor. A great pick for fans of lighthearted romcoms with heart! I would recommend this to my romance loving friends.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early!

This was my first book by Donna & I will definitely be picking up Hate Mail asap! The enemies to lovers in this was excellent, loved the proposal planning & all the characters! Just nothing bad to say about it :)

Donna Marchetti's writing style is really amazing and I enjoyed every single part of the book. Especially the cabin scenes were really heartwarming. This book is a true enemies to lovers, but also features some fake dating and forced proximity. Even though this book doesn't have the banter Hate mail had, I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers aspect to it.

I really loved to see Priscilla's working experience grow during this book. This big proposal was just the project she needed after being fired from her previous job. But what if Ryan is ruining her plans my beating her to it? Even though I have to admit I wanted to get to know Ryan a bit better, I really enjoyed the two of them working together to create the biggest proposal of all time.

I really enjoyed reading The Proposal Project and cannot wait for yet another book by this author. I would really recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an enemies to lovers with a hint of spice. Sometimes The Proposal Project just lacked the depth of the characters which is why this book couldn't make the 5 stars for me. Even though this book isn't a 5 star read for me, I still really enjoyed it and therefore give a 4 star rating.

This is the second book I've read by this author, with the first one being hate mail, and the author has definitely grown since the last book!
Really enjoyed this and thank you again for allowing me to read this early

Two rivals who have to find a way to help their perspective best friend propose first to their significant other without either of said friends finding out leads to a fake dating scheme, a lot of tension, and of course a very complicated proposal to plan. Priscilla Cain is a wedding planner and when her best friend Tina tells her its her dream to propose just like her mom did: i.e. being the first one to propose to her boyfriend, Priscilla is determined to make TIna's proposal dreams come true... the only problem is Oliver, best friend to Tina's boyfriend Ryan and the guy Priscilla use to have a crush on until he said the wrong thing and now she can't stand him. Oliver is determined to help Ryan propose to Tina.. but when Priscilla tries to stop those plans, now both of them are in a competition to see who can pull off the best proposal for their best friend... yet this leads to fake dating and the fact that both Priscilla and Oliver have to figure out what to do with the very real growing attraction between them while getting over what actually happened that one night all those years ago. I really wanted to like this one because I absolutely adored her first book so much but this one just fell a bit off for me. I personally didn't enjoy the huge miscommunication trope in this or the fact that the arguing and fighting between the two made them seem like they were acting like teens. I will say, I do enjoy the way Donna writes and will absolutely be picking up her future books but this one just didn't work for me unfortunately.

Release Date: June 19, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Oh wow, Marchetti has only gone and done it again. I didn't put two and two together, so I only realised she is the absolute icon behind 'Hate Mail' after I finished this absolute wonder of a book but it all makes sense! She never misses, and I hope she never tries to because her books are too damn good!

Firstly, before we even get into the book itself the playlist at the beginning is my favourite book playlist I've read - it has so many phenomenal songs and also suits the book perfectly. So well done Donna, the details have not gone unappreciated. Straight off the bat, this book has no business being so hilarious. The opening, where the concept of time is discussed and how the same length of time can feel short/long ('for instance, when you're in bed with a guy and it only lasts twenty seconds, well it might as well have only been two seconds') was so funny. Also, shortly after, when Priss gets fired and she asks if she can keep the left-handed tape dispenser (already funny) and her boss retorts that she's 'not even left handed' also got me in the giggles. What did I say? The details don't just end at the amazing playlist at the start of the book, there are funny little quips too throughout.

I absolutely loved the premise of event planner Priss planning a surprise proposal for Tina to propose to her boyfriend. I've never come across it in a romance book before, it felt progressive and fresh and just an all round good time. I won't ruin the plot and give spoilers, but I was equally as pleasantly surprise for the remainder of the plot and thought it was such a fun idea and incredibly original. The fun thing about the plot too is that, because it involves fake dating in front of a couple we get to see a romance evolve in the context of a double date and with an audience which was really fun to do. It almost added an audience and another dimension to the romance and Oliver and Priss' relationship. I also loved the layer of irony that every character in the book knew about the proposal but didn't know anyone else knew, it was such a clever aspect of the plot that elevated the entire book.

Oliver, our MMC, is remarkably funny and I wouldn't want anyone else to be the MMC this book other than him ('you're not even wearing headphones. Were you just dancing to the sound of the traffic?' Is a hilarious thing he actually said to Priss). His dynamic with Priss was so brilliant and such a joy to read ('I'm not going to help you sabotage Ryan's plan, but I do have a proposal for you' (Oliver), 'oh yeah? You were inspired by Tina and Ryan and now you want to get married too?' (Priss). Priss is also a phenomenal character, so much care was taken with forming her character she has all these random quirks that made me feel like I knew her so well. For example, whenever there's a difficult situation and rather than talking she'll just stuff her face with food to avoid the topic at hand - once again, the attention to detail!

The chemistry is also off the charts with this book, when Priss nearly kisses Oliver and he teases her that she 'raised up' on her toes she retorts with 'I was looking for fireworks'. Our guy Oliver does not miss a beat and replies with 'in my mouth?' To which Priss says 'yeah. I didn't find any'. Oh my, can we get a round of applause for Marchetti, please! Also their chemistry doesn't just stop at flirty, they have great banter too. When Priss is talking about Malcom's nose job and says 'maybe he used to be a liar and he's not anymore', Oliver replies with 'he's not Pinocchio' - I found this funny beyond words. But that's also not to say that there isn't steamy moments. This book is oh so spicy, in the most classy of ways. There were so many moments where I would look up from reading and crack a window because it was getting hot - that is all I'll say without divulging into the actual spice that occurs in the pages of this masterpiece.

I wish Tina, Priss' bestie, had her own spinoff book because she was an absolute gem of a character. She is such a generous friend to Priss and the perfect sidekick in every way. She doesn't get in the way of the plot, but she does what every good best friend does: she supports it and helps improve it.

My only critique was that there are a couple of plot points that just felt a little unrealistic. The whole paying Priss for planning the proposal with a literal cheque was so unrealistic - I don't know anyone who even owns a chequebook nowadays. I get that it was a mechanism to drive the plot and for Oliver to find out that Priss was planning a proposal but it fell so flat for me because it just felt really unlikely. Another plot point that frustrated me a little was when Priss just shows up at Oliver's house, having only been there once before. I don't remember how to get anywhere off by heart that I've only been to once before, so this also felt a tad unrealistic. It also felt a bit icky when Priss is going through Oliver's drawers in his room in an attempt to find the ring - I get it's meant to show the stakes are high but also privacy please? The fireworks scene also freaked me out a little, why are they playing with little explosives as if it's a cute thing and throwing them at each other - wtf?!! The thing that did irk me the most was that a smiley face over text was denoted as '(:' - sorry is Donna okay? A smiley face should always be written as ':)', always.

There were some wording moments that also felt ever so slightly odd. For instance, when Priss 'can see the subtle thump of his (Oliver's) heart through his shirt' - huh? He would be literally dying if she could see that. Also, the flow of the conversation about pizza felt a bit forced. When Oliver says 'Hmm, Maybe I'll get some for dinner tonight' it felt like Marchetti was trying to write about two people having a conversation about pizza rather than two people having an actual conversation.

A truly great plot that is absolutely brimming with fun, spice and genuine romance. The funnest ride of a romance book I've been on in a very long time.

4.25! 🌟 I seriously had the best time with this book. There’s just something so fun about watching two chaotic people try to plan a double proposal while pretending they don’t hate each other (even though, let’s be real, they’re both down bad). Priscilla is that girl who’s always cheering everyone on, even when her own life’s falling apart, and honestly, watching her finally do something for herself was everything. And Oliver? Obsessed. Quietly obsessed. The way he just shows up for people without needing credit? Immediate book boyfriend. My only complaint is that I wish there was more focus on them instead of their friends :( but still, I loved every second of their little moments together. Such a sweet, feel-good romcom!!

Cute cover by one of my fav illustrators but for whatever reason I just couldn't get into this enemies to lovers story. I was listening to it and I think the narrators might have attributed to my lack of enjoyment. May pick it up some other time but I DNF'd for now. There was too much focus on other people than the main characters for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.