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!

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.

A very cute, easy and lighthearted read. It’s great for a pick me up. I did wish i had More time with the romance, I just wanted a little more.

This was my first book of Guillory’s and I found it to be a delightful rom-com which was just what I needed in the midst of thriller and serial killer books! When Nik is proposed to on the Jumbotron at a baseball game, it’s an understatement to say she is shocked - she definitely did not see more than friends with benefits with wannabe actor Fisher - and when she turns him down, he doesn’t take it well. Cue onlooker Carlos who steps in and saves Nik from the swarm of parasites.... now given that I mentioned this is a romantic comedy, of course Nik & Carlos begin to fall for each other - but not without obstacles. The Proposal was definitely a tad predictable but sometimes that’s what you want from this genre of book and that was okay with me! I enjoyed some of the side plots like Courtney the cup cake baker badass and the girls signing up for self defense classes as well. I’d definitely be interested in checking out more from Guillory in the future!

I chose not to finish this book. I found the humor to be flat and could not connect with the characters.

The Proposal is exactly the laugh out loud read I needed this week! I enjoyed Jasmine Guillory’s use of friendship and humor in developing characters we would want to get to know and care about. After a disastrous opening chapter where Nikole is proposed to at a baseball game on the big screen (and says no!) we find we are rooting her on to give love another chance. Will she and the handsome doctor who rescued her ever see a future with each other? I highly enjoyed this book! I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

My review is posted on Goodreads. It will post on Amazon and my book review blog (www.bugbugbooks.com) on the publication date (10/30/18). Thanks!

Nikole Paterson doesn't expect her boyfriend to propose to her at a Dodgers game after only six months of great-sex-but-nothing-more dating. But propose he does---and in front of millions of people who are all horrified when Nik turns him down. After her (now ex) boyfriend storms off in a rage, Nik is left alone at her seat, overwhelmed, embarrassed, and completely unprepared to handle the camera crew that shoves a camera in her face and starts asking questions.

Luckily, a few rows back, Carlos Ibarra and his sister, Angela, decide to come to Nik's rescue, creating a diversion that allows them all to get out of the stadium. Nik is grateful for the help...and surprised to find herself drawn to Carlos. She's obviously not ready for a new relationship right after such an awkward and very public break up, but the two make plans to meet up anyway. Day drinks turns into...something more, and eventually Nik finds herself joyfully pouring herself into a rebound relationship with Carlos. But as things get more serious between them, Nik can't help but wonder if their fling could be something more.

 *   *   *   *   *

Despite the unique and clever opening scene at the Dodgers game, The Proposal gets off to a slow start. The first 100 pages should have been edited way down. As it is, there is a lot of banter between Nik and her friends that I think I was supposed to find HILARIOUS! but just didn't. The story picks up, though, when Nik and Carlos's backstories are revealed and they become more well-developed, whole characters. Their first hook up feels a little forced, but, after that, the book becomes a lot more interesting.

One thing The Proposal really has going for it is its diversity of characters. I read a lot of books, and it's common to see basically one ethnicity featured. But this book has a little bit of everything, and, as a California native, I can say it perfectly captures the feeling of living in that area.

I still wish the book were about 100 pages shorter, but if you're looking for a light and youthful read, this one's worth checking out.

This is a super fun read and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I laughed a lot and I will most definitely read The Wedding Date.

Nikole Paterson is a super fun woman with great friends, an interesting job and a very interesting dilemma. I could so be friends with her! I loved her confidence and how she handles herself in an extremely awkward moment that just won’t go away.

Nik and her boyfriend have been dating for about 5 months and it’s fun, flirty and sexy but it isn’t serious and well after a while their pseudo relationship has become stale. Nik isn’t the type to break up with somebody on their birthday but she didn’t realize that their date would be entail watching the Dodgers game at the baseball field with all his buddies.

She was shocked when her boyfriend proposed with a Princess Diana style ring and the moment was televised live on the jumbotron as was her uncomfortable answer of no.

I felt the horror and pit in my stomach. Holy crap! What was he thinking! And yes, that is just the beginning of the story. Nik makes some new friends during the fiasco and clings to her best friends too. She learns a lot about herself, what she really wants and what it takes to be happy.

After experiencing this massive joy at reading The Wedding Date, I knew that given the opportunity, I would one hundred per cent read The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory. You see, The Proposal takes on one of the minor characters from The Wedding Date. So, I like when books revisit certain characters and give them their own stories. Guillory’s follow up does this in quite spectacular fashion.

The Proposal follows a woman named Nikole who is a freelance writer and Carlos who is Drew’s friend, but also a pediatrician and director of a teen clinic. Anyways, Nikole goes to a Dodger’s game with her boyfriend whom she’s thinking about ending things with. She knows it has been a couple of months but isn’t anything too serious. Only, that boyfriend, he proposes up on the jumbotron. Nikole says no. It goes viral.

Carlos, sitting pretty close by, comes to Nikole’s rescue along with his sister, Angie. They pretend to be long lost friends and whisk Nikole away from the cameras. So, Nikole’s relationship ends in spectacular fashion. She then ends up becoming friends with Carlos and then hook up buddies. Will it develop into something more?

I really think that Guillory has a true knack for chemistry. The chemistry between Nik and Carlos is off the charts. At first, the two kind of resist it. Nik is just getting out of a relationship and there’s the whole proposal drama. Carlos is not one to settle down (kind of like Drew). Over time though, their hookups become something more. The two have to get over this whole relationship fear and reluctance otherwise, they may lose a really good thing. I LOVED it.

Overall, if you’re looking for a book that is sweet with characters who are true to life and diverse, get your hands on The Proposal. I think Guillory is fast becoming a MUST read author for me. Now I know that when I want a guaranteed good romance book, I just have the next Guillory book to look forward to. And also you 100% do not need to read The Wedding Date to be able to enjoy this book — the previous characters show up in like one or two scenes. However, it will enhance your reading.

I fell in love with Jasmine Guillory's writing in The Wedding Date, so I went into this book knowing that I was going to be entertained and captivated. And Jasmine Guillory does not disappoint.

Nik and Carlos meet so cute that you'll need to get your sugars checked: they're at a Dodgers game, she gets proposed to (by a guy who doesn't know how to spell her name), rejects him, and Carlos steps in to protect her from a crowd that expected a yes. The two strike up a friendship at first, but undercurrents of attraction shine brightly. Jasmine Guillory slowly unfolds a relationship between these two reluctant lovers, and it is a delight to read.

As with Drew and Alexa in The Wedding Date, the racial differences between Carlos and Nik are not a factor. I LOVE THAT. People are people, non? Love is love. The color of your skin doesn't matter when your heart is at play.

Carlos has his reasons for wanting to avoid commitment, as does Nik. Yet they protest too much because you know and their friends know and their families know that these two belong together. It's just a matter of them realizing it for themselves.

I love Nik and Carlos. When I turned the last page, I felt like I was saying goodbye to friends. Read this one and hit up the comments to let me know your thoughts.


Scheduled for publication on the blog on Oct. 30.