I’m a sucker for fake dating and I was really excited to read A Proposal They Can’t Refuse. Also, I was in the mood for a rom-com so when I got approved for this ARC, it couldn’t have been at a more perfect time.

As Natalie Caña’s debut novel, it was good but I felt like the pacing was a little weird, especially at the beginning. I liked both Liam and Kamilah, and the romance was enjoyable but I felt underwhelmed. There were moments that I loved and I thought I would finally get fully into it and I would go from simply enjoying it to full-on loving it. But those moments always fell short and in the end, I must admit that I’m slightly disappointed.

A Proposal They Can’t Refuse wasn’t a bad book. It was entertaining and cute, and I had a fun time. I didn’t struggle with finishing it or anything. But it definitely won’t be a new favorite.

Kamilah desperately wants to update the menu at her family’s Puerto Rican restaurant (against their wishes), while Liam, whose distillery is in their shared building, is nearly ready to introduce his father’s special whiskey that’s been maturing for the last 20 years and might be ready to unveil a special blend that he’s working on. Two upcoming events–one alcohol-related, one food-related–might be the perfect opportunity to launch their careers. And it’s possible their mischievous grandfathers are thinking they’re helping when they tell Liam and Kamilah to get the building, they need to get married to earn the deed; otherwise, the octogenarians will sell. Next thing you know there’s an engagement announcement and celebration, Kamilah’s belongings are being moved into Liam’s home, and the sparks start flying. Kamilah begins making recipes incorporating Liam’s whiskey. And predictably, they come to enjoy spending time in one another’s company, and move from simply bickering to acting as true partners. When the two culinary events are scheduled on the same day, can Kamilah keep her promise to Liam to support him?

This is a delicious and sensory friends to frenemies to lovers fake-engagement / forced proximity contemporary romance novel with a lot of culinary details, a lot of Irish and island culture, a lot of heart and a kinda scary amount of drinking for these nearly 30–year-olds. The narrative includes brief versions of Taino and Irish folktales, and is set in a vibrant Puerto Rican neighborhood of Chicago. The authenticity rings especially true because the author refuses to do the work for you and translate the Spanish that is sprinkled throughout, or describe the food. It is never a stumbling block.

Along the way, the author tackles gentrification, true love, feminism, familial dynamics, death with dignity, and grief with ease.

I received an advance reader’s review copy of #AProposalTheyCan’tRefuse via #NetGalley.

Did I love this book? No. But I definitely didn't hate it either. It's cute. Two folks thrown together by their granddads to keep business afloat...I get it. But I wasn't much moved by the story line. l do think Liam and Natalie were great together....separately but as a couple? Maybe not so much. I'll just say I wanted more with their romance. But at the end of it all, A Proposal They Can't Refuse is a cute fake dating story and it will vibe with those who have a love for the trope.

I love reading a good debut novel!

A Proposal They Can't Refuse is the debut novel for the author Natalie Caña and I'm so excited to have read this! I love a good multicultural romance book, especially when food is involved!

This book was very funny and filled with delicious food and a fun and quirky family that was cute with some spicy parts too!

Can't wait to read more from this author!

I enjoyed this one with its laugh out loud humor, family dynamics, culture, and food.
I loved the chemistry between K & L. I also loved their mischievous family members who were always bringing them together.
I liked all the Puerto Rican culture & all the yummy food that was talked about. It made my mouth water.
A cute, funny, steamy romance.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

This was a really terrific debut, laugh-out-loud funny in several parts with a big crazy cast of characters that made the book feel genuine and true. Liam and Kamilah's chemistry was delightful from their first meeting, to the point where I almost would've enjoyed a little more in the way of steamy scenes between them (but what we did get was very spicy and fun). The only thing that kept me from making this a 5-star read was that some character backstory details (like the accident that happened to Liam and his family when they were younger) felt dropped in rather late in the story, leading to a more angsty turn for the narrative that tonally felt out-of-place with the rest of the book. Having earlier hints leading up to the reveal when it finally happened on-page might have helped in making the transition between a more humorous rom-com and a weighty, emotional romance a little smoother.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book enough. It was a solid read. I wouldn't say it's my favorite romance, but it was good. 3 out of 5 stars.

There are so many things I loved about this book - from the interesting main and sidebar characters, the incredible storyline, and all the culture represented! I love a good friends to lovers trope, and this one did not disappoint. This book had heat but was also full of heart - and levity provided by their scheming grandfathers and Kamilah’s car (the scene where her car breaks down in the worst place it possibly could was gold). There was depth to the characters not often found in a rom-coms and I loved the relationship tips given to the main characters at the end - they were great tips on how to make a relationship last! I hope to read more about Kamilah and Liam - and the whole Vega family! I would recommend this book to other rom-com fans.

Thank you NetGalley and Mira for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is what I look for in a romcom - it was just full of life, laughter, love and joy with a smattering of tropes, fun banter, and relatable characters. I could definitely see this as a fun romcom movie. This was like a delicious dessert I had to eat up, speaking of, prepare to be hungry while reading this treat 😉

The story is that of Kamilah and Liam - childhood bffs turned enemies of a sort. They’ve grown up together and both have family businesses located in the same building - Kamilah a Puerto Rican restaurant and Liam an Irish style whiskey distillery. The story is choke full of many of my favorite tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Sunshine/ Grump, Second Chance, Fake Relationship… I was loving it!

I really loved all the characters- yrs the leads and their banter and tension, but the meddling, matchmaking grandpas Killian and Papp really stole the show. I loved the Vega family in general and can’t wait for more of their stories. I also really loved the cultural aspects and bits woven into the story by the author for both sides (Liam and Kamilah).

The banter in the book made me happy, the romantic tension was good, and I couldn’t help but laugh at those over the top scheming grandpas. This book had me smiling and despite touching on some heavier bits, still managed to keep things light and refreshing.

Definitely one I recommend and I’m so excited to see what Papp had up his sleeve next and for who… Saint? Leo? I think one of you is up next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mira Books / HTP Books for the opportunity to read an early copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and freely given.

Natalie wrote the perfect book for me! Young love and food. It's basically the book I live for! When she brought our the food pairings I knew it was all done for - amazing.

I just loved Kamilah and Liam. Kamilah is smart, sassy and funny. Liam is broody and sexy. The grandfather’s are a hoot. This is a book about family and the mistakes we make in trying to make everyone but ourselves happy. The book is very funny but poignant too. I really enjoyed reading it. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a lovely romance full of passion and culture. Both protagonists show respect and love for their family and neighborhoods. I liked the usage of food and whiskey it enriched the story and gave life to the characters. Steamy lovemaking and genuine narratives. An overall solid tale.

It was cute for what it was - friends to lovers, with communication problems and a traumatic past to overcome. There wasn't anything that made it stand out, other than the fabulous Puerto Rican heritage portrayed, which I enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC.

Well, that was a surprise. I knew it’d be a romance and I was prepared for the premise. But I really enjoyed the depth of cultural references and language involved in this story. I especially loved the food stuff, as it made me feel like I was reading about the love of MY life. And the story was much deeper than I anticipated, with examinations of grief and family and friendships and lots of other stuff. I dug it. 💜💜📚

Cutest rom-com I've read in a while. Loved the characters---especially the Grandpas! Several laugh out loud moments. A great read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

This book gave me everything that I needed. The fact that it was their grandfathers that forced them to get engaged was so funny and added a layer of comedy that I really enjoyed. I liked that we got to see the depth of their feelings for each other. The fact that they just know each other more than anyone else and support each other unconditionally makes me so happy.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I read this book in one sitting, in Chicago. Wow. What a beautiful celebration of community and steamy tale of two childhood friends who are pushed together amidst a backdrop of a gentrifying neighborhood.

A Proposal They Can't Refuse follows Kamilah and Liam, childhood friends and neighbors who are pushed together by their grandfathers in exchange for saving what they love most in the world - their family companies. As this charming fake engagement, single-bed, childhood-friends-to-lovers story progresses, we witness a rich ensemble of supporting characters - from abuelitos to primos, an ex-fiance, and even a visit from the mayor. The character and plot development feels real, as do the struggles that the community and the protagonists face. And don't even get me started on the chemistry between the Kamilah and Liam - wow!

Thank you, @nataliecanawrites, @netgalley, and @harlequinbooks for an ARC of this beautiful story! A Proposal They Can't Refuse hits bookshelves on May 24. Pre-order your copy now!

This book follows Kamilah, a chef working at her family's Puerto Rican restaurant, and Liam, an artist who runs the Irish whiskey distillery with his grandfather. Kamilah's abuelo and Liam's Granda are best friends who are prone to mischief, and upon deciding that Kamilah and Liam aren't taking enough time to find love, they threaten to sell the building housing the restaurant and distillery if Kamilah and Liam don't get married to one another. Since there are various complicated matters that both Kamilah and Liam need out of their grandparents, they reluctantly end up faking to be engaged and shenanigans continue to ensue from there.

When I first started reading, I was a bit taken aback at how ridiculous the premise was. Yes, both characters needed something out of the arrangement, but the fact that it was their grandparents plotting had me a bit incredulous. However, something I appreciated was how the book itself addresses how absurd the whole scenario is. The characters are more than aware that this takes meddling families to a whole new level. So it really does end up working, despite some suspension of disbelief required at the very beginning.

One of the things that I really loved was how fiercely passionate each of the two main characters were towards their chosen career. Kamilah had her restaurant, and Liam had the distillery, and they each made their place of work a home for themselves. That's part of why when the restaurant and distillery are threatened, the two agree to fake an engagement. They both have a lot of themselves and family members who are no longer alive tied into their workplaces and I really love how you're able to see that so clearly. Not only that, but both Kamilah and Liam are so proud of their heritage and use their work to share that pride with others. I learnt so much about Puerto Rican cuisine as well as Irish lore and I was so happy to see two such vibrant cultures showcased in this book!

As for the two of them together, I like how their relationship progressed. A bit slowly at first, but with enough nudging from their grandparents, their animosity towards one another turns into a tenuous friendship with a hint of lust. These two were friends growing up, but a lot has transpired since then, so it made sense that they had what to work through, but it also made sense that once they worked through that they were easily able to fall into a comfortable relationship with one another again. Besides for the main relationship, I also really appreciated how much of a focus there was on friendship and family. These characters had all sorts of complicated relationships going on, not just romantic ones. They had friends to rely on and spend time with. They had family members that supported them, argued with them, but always loved them. I found it really impressive that with so many side characters in this book, each of them had a unique personality and was well fleshed out.

This book only let me down in one area, and that was the conflict. I'm not a big fan of conflicts in romances, and unfortunately this book wasn't an exception to that rule. I really wish the characters had talked things out and had natural, normal arguments that couples have instead of letting things build and blow up at the end. There were several times where I was just frustrated that the two weren't talking things through. That being said, the conflict was realistic enough, and I did appreciate how it was resolved, with both parties needing to acknowledge their flaws and insecurities before attempting to make up. In that sense, this book handled the conflict much better than the romances I tend to read, where conflict can get brushed under the rug in favor of a quick resolution. In this case the characters really had to work for their happy ending and I appreciated that.

There was so much to love about this book that I couldn't consider giving it any less than 4 stars. Yes the premise was a bit ridiculous, and yes I wasn't a fan of the conflict, but everything else about this book was top notch. We have messy family dynamics, supportive friend groups, hints of enemies to lovers and childhood friends to lovers, an engaging plot, and a cute romance. What more can anyone want from a book!

3.5

This is a fun, second chance, fake dating, estranged childhood best friends category-length romance between a Puerto Rican chef and an Irish American whiskey maker, with meddling grandparents. It got a little heavy at parts and I don't think a loot of the dark moment was particularly earned.

This sounds very silly, but I loved the specificity of the Irish American details. Overall, a quick, enjoyable read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin/Mira for the ARC.

CW: drowning, death of a parent, cancer, death of a grandparent.

The perfect rom/com read. There is a great blend of attraction, shared history and family drama. I enjoyed the bilingual, multicultural aspect of the narrative.