3-3.5 stars

This was a cute and fun contemporary romance. It features a hilarious diverse cast of characters that I found really refreshing. I also really enjoyed the Los Angeles setting. This is my first book by the author and though previous characters from her book The Wedding Date appear, the book can be enjoyed as a stand alone.

I liked Carlos and Nikole (Nik) both individually and together. They each had some baggage haunting them and influencing their actions, but as you got to know each character it made sense why they were so hesitant to explore the possibility of more. I enjoyed seeing their friends with benefits relationship blossom and develop as they slowly let their guard down. Readers should note that the majority of the love/sex scenes are fade to black or occur off page, so if they're looking for a hot and heavy read, this is not it.

One thing I really loved about The Proposal was the relationships between Carlos and Nik's family and friends. Nik's friendship with Dana and Courtney was amazing and probably my favorite part of the book. We would all be lucky to have even 1 friend as loyal and supportive as these ladies.

The book started off very promising and I was really intrigued by the proposal (and rejection) heard round the world, but afterwards, the pacing felt a little off and seemed to stall. A lot of time was spent describing food/drinks, when I really would have liked more back story about Carlos and Nik since it was such a big part of their character arcs. When the conflict arose, I felt Carlos acted completely out of character and honestly, I wasn't sure if I truly felt that they were at the point of those types of declarations. It all wrapped up very quickly and though it was very cute, I'm not sure I was really satisfied. I think what was the most odd for me was that I didn't feel that these characters acted their supposed ages. They are in their late 20's and early 30's, but I had to remind myself of this several times. Overall, this was still an easy and enjoyable read.

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*

This was such an adorable read, I really liked the idea of a woman who isn’t desperately waiting for her boyfriend to propose and Nik most definitely was not prepared to have to turn down her boyfriends proposal in front of the whole world. I can’t think of anything more awkward and embarrassing but it set the stage for a super entertaining and charming read that I breezed through.

One of the strongest aspects to this was how incredibly diverse it was which is always so nice to see! It’s set in L. A. which is such a culturally diverse city so it makes so much sense to have such great representation, gotta give the author some props for that. The characters were all fun, relatable types from Nik and Carlos to her friends Dana and Courtney and his family, I really enjoyed all of them.

This was a super sweet romance with a hint of the spicy stuff, nothing super graphic or over the top. It reminded me of sitting down with a bowl of popcorn and watching one of my favorite rom coms, it had that same charm and appeal and was just an all around good time.

The Proposal in three words: Cute, Sweet and Charming.

This was a smile in book form. When I realized it was about Carlos, the best friend from her novel The Wedding Date, I smiled. Carlos is fun, smart and loves to cook. He’s also not perfect, not “horrible until the love of a good woman”, just normal quirks. Nikole has some issues too. They meet, enjoy each other’s company and try to make their quirks fit together.

Jasmine Guillory writes these wonderful, engaging romance stories that are totally realistic and charming. Think of the best cocktail party story you’ve heard about how a couple met and this book will be better. Funny, uplifting and lighthearted, it was a perfect Friday night date.

I really enjoyed this book! It was very sweet, and while I have not read The Wedding Date yet, I really want to read it soon. I nominated this for LibraryReads on another platform.

❝Why does it scare you so much for someone to say they love you?❞
She shook her head.
❝It doesn’t scare me! I just know from experience that that’s when everything gets bad, that’s all.❞

NIKOLE (NIK) PATERSON is a freelance writer who was proposed to in the grandest scale, only, this wasn’t romancing at its finest, it was a horrifyingly embarrassing moment that Nik wished she could get back.

CARLOS IBARRA and his sister, Angela, were at that game and watched that proposal in all its glory on the big screen at Dodger Stadium. A fixer at heart, Carlos knew he couldn’t leave Nik to the vultures (cameramen) even though he had no idea who she was. Swooping into the rescue, the two accompany Nik out of an unbearable situation and provide her with an exit strategy.

Intent on paying them back, Nik invites them to have some drinks at the bar where she is meeting her girlfriends. By the end of the night, drinks, stories, and laughter are shared. After Carlos and his sister leave, Nik’s girlfriends are positive Carlos needs to be her rebound. He’s funny, sexy, and obviously a good guy!

Since the death of his father, Carlos has shouldered the responsibility of taking care of the women in his family. He doesn’t have time for relationships, nor does he believe any woman would be willing to accept his need to drop everything to help out his family. So a “non-relationship” with Nik is perfect. He enjoys spending time with her, he admires her strength, her kindness and the fact that she doesn’t take herself too seriously. A rebound guy? Yea, he can be that! Until he can’t.

Even though Nik loves the way Carlos takes care of her and everyone around him, she struggles to put aside the bad relationships she’s been in. A rebound guy will be fun, he will be safe, and he won’t break her heart. Until he does.

I was thrilled when I found out that Jasmine Guillory was releasing another book. I LOVED “The Wedding Date“. Jasmine’s writing is captivating. She has me laughing with her sense of humor while leaving a lump in my throat with her thought-provoking dialogue.

“The Proposal” is a funny, heartwarming story about two people who are perfect for each other, but need to learn to believe in love!

I throughly enjoyed her first book but this one was lacking for me. The MC of the book didn’t have the same character development as Alexa did. And I didn’t enjoy Nik’s friends or Carlos’ family.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

One of my favorite auxiliary characters in The Wedding Date was Carlos, and I was therefore over the moon when I found out he was getting his own book. It was wonderful getting to know him better in this book, and I was so happy to see him get his HEA.

I thought the set up for this book was brilliant. I was all in during the first chapter, and loved getting that little peek at Nik. I do wish the whole failed proposal thing had been explored more, but only because I liked it so much, and thought it had a lot of possibilities.

Guillory found a wonderful match for Carlos in Nik. These two were so easy to ship as they had great chemistry withe each other, and it was a lot of fun watching them go from friends to more. She was smart and sassy and enjoyed such an ease with Carlos. He brought out this soft side of Nik, and I sort of loved that it was reserved for the special people in her life.

We did not get any information on Carlos' past relationships, but Nik was a little damaged from some bad love. This left her relationship weary and slow to trust. The exploration of this side of her was interesting, and there was this one scene, where Nik was confronting this pain via an external experience. It was so meaningful and helped her tap into her inner strength.

Carlos. I loved Carlos so much, and seeing him in his own environment just reinforced my love for him. I do wish we spent more time with Carlos and his family. I felt like more page time was dedicated to Nik and her friends, and let me just put it out there - I read this book for Carlos.

It isn't that I didn't love Nik's friends, because I did. They were a very vibrant group of women, who were always there to support each other. I loved strong female friendships and women supporting women, but like I said, I just wanted more Carlos, and I wanted to spend more time with him and his family.

One very pleasant surprise were the cameos by Drew and Alexa. My love of companion novels relies heavily on the author catching us up with past couples, and Guillory gifted us with some really wonderful updates on Drew and Alexa.

I thought the ending was fun and cute. It addressed the BIG question, and left me with a smile on my face, but I wanted a little more past that. I DID get a resolution, but it was just too abrupt.

Overall: A fun and cute friends-to-lovers romance featuring a hero and a heroine you will want to root for.

Even though the premise of The Proposal is catchy and engaging, Guillory's characters could use a bit more roughening around the edges to portray more complexity. The story is sometimes too rosy, too sirupy which is strange when the narrative indicates a plot in which the characters should be a lot more enticing.
Guillory is a good writer, but this one in particular was not successful in accomplishing what was initially promised.

After a disastrous and unwanted public marriage proposal, readers will route for Nikole to recognize her match. Carlos is in the right place at the right time. The chemistry between them shifts easily from friendship to more, and then between sweet dates and steamy bedroom scenes. Everyone (except for Nik and Carlos) recognize that what's developing between them is more than casual. Nik's confidence is refreshing and her friends are ideal. Modern romance with a happy for now ending (happily ever after implied). Strong choice for libraries wanting to diversify their collection. Fun & Contemporary!

This was a light and fun read. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, although they sometimes seemed to invent obstacles to their relationship along the way. Friend and family side characters added some fun elements, as well. Overall, cute story!

ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review

I have not read anything else by Ms Guillory so I didn't know what to expect from her .

The Proposal is cute and sweet and fluffy, and just the thing that I needed for my weekend read.

I liked the diversity of the characters - though it did irk me that when 2 POC characters met up they were surprised that their partners had not told them about the other being a POC. I just didn't understand why this was brought up when it didn't really seem to matter? But this could just be me.

Not going to lie, I did crave cake as I read and cupcakes were being talked about. Not good for the diet!

I liked Carlos and Nikole and wanted them to be more than friends right from the start, and enjoyed their journey to get more.

I liked this book, it wasn't one that will tax your brain or your feelings too much, but it was just what I wanted at the time.

I liked this book a little less than The Wedding Date, but it is still pleasant and an enjoyable read. I liked Carlos in The Wedding Date, but in this book I realized what I really liked about him was his interactions with Alexa, his best friend's girl (and the heroine of Wedding Date). Mildly controlling guys just aren't my cup of tea, but he stayed solidly on the right side of the line of emotional abuse (unlike other men in the narrative). As others have said on Goodreads, most of the sex scenes happen "off camera" and those that don't are fairly mild. I loved Nikole's friends the most in this book-- I would love to see a book about her friend that owns the cupcake shop! Love for self-professed fat cupcake bakers too!

I really enjoyed Guillory's first book, The Wedding Date, and I also really liked The Proposal! Great premise, (surprise, unwelcome public proposal from a tool, and then a romantic rescue of the damsel being distressed), very likable characters (I liked Carlos much better than Drew, and both Alexa and Nikole were amazing). and food, food, FOOD!
Very fun, very sweet contemporary romance, with few negatives. Loved it!

This book was amazing, Just as good as the first one and I am so happy I got meet some of the characters again

I read The Wedding Proposal, and I really enjoyed it, so I had high hopes for Guillory's second foray into romance (thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!). Sadly, I was disappointed.

The big positive here was the tremendous diversity of the cast. I'd love to see more of that in the romance genre.

The big negative was that I couldn't understand what they saw in each other beyond the physical. I couldn't feel the emotional chemistry, and found them to be annoying when they were together.

Minor negatives:
Why was Nikole even with her ex-boyfriend for months if she found him so boring?
The only well-written dialogue in the book was between Carlos and Drew (his best friend, and MC from TWP). The rest of it was clunky and immature, not painting the characters in a good light.
I had issues with how Nikole handled a confrontation with her ex, and with how she engineered the meeting to get back together with Carlos. Those bits were just icky.

I probably won't bother with another Guillory novel, but I do hope she gets back to the level of her first book.

I had loved Carlos in The Wedding Date and was thrilled to see that he was getting his own story, so when I got The invite to read this one, I couldn’t wait to get to it.

I love love loved Nik. She’s sarcastic and witty and smart af. Her friends Dana and Courtney were fun and I adored the scenes with the three of them together. Of course I was familiar with Carlos and he didn’t disappoint. He’s supportive and a complete marshmallow. I was so happy to see Alexa and Drew and I’m 1000% here for more scenes of all four of them.

Plot wise, it was, in a word, comfortable, and I mean that in a good way. Nik and Carlos build a relationship out of friendship first and it works. It’s absolutely adorable and when the inevitable conflict happens, I was crushed. Thankfully, it didn’t last long and I loved the grand gesture.

Overall, I loved this story more than the first one. It’s filled with women supporting women, has a cast of diverse characters, and loads of body positivity. My only complaint is that I wanted more at the end.

**Huge thanks to Berkley Books for providing the arc free of charge**

I hate to give up when I’m so close to 50 percent, but this is putting me in a slump.

First, there was no warning or disclaimer that this was a companion to The Wedding Date. I feel so lost like I’m missing out on something.
Second, I don’t feel a drop of chemistry between Nic and Carlos.
Third, to be honest, it’s quite boring to me. I felt like nothing has really happened since they met.

If nothing has happened this far and I don’t feel the chemistry between them. Then I don’t think I can make myself finish this one. I have a copy of The Wedding Date on my shelf that I haven’t read. Maybe I can read that one and come back to this later.

A fun, lighthearted, summer romance read with a wonderfully diverse cast.

I adored the author's previous work so I went into this with pretty high hopes, and while I did not love this quite as much The Wedding Date is was still a fun, sexy and cute read.

I loved Guillory's first book and this one was not a disappointment! It was just as much fun to read as The Wedding Date! Guillory writes such sweet contemporary romances that also have current issues in them. I love her writing!

This book is an absolute delight. I would dock it half a star for the sex scenes all fading to black just as they’re getting really good, but that half star is more than earned back near the end.