I was really excited to be given the opportunity to read an arc of The Book Proposal. The writing itself is good and the story has an interesting premise. Both main characters were engaging. I ended up DNFing at around 25% though because the amount of talk about sharts, poop, farting, and other bodily functions was just so off-putting. It is one thing to make characters real and flawed and normal, but at the same time, I don’t think anyone wants to read about a shart in their romance book…sorry.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an eARC of The Book Proposal in return for my honest opinion.

Ok don't get me wrong, the concept and story is really cute but I just kept feeling like I was missing something. I just couldn't connect to Gracie or Colin, despite the author providing us with a decent backstory. I also struggled to believe that after no contact since high school that these two people would fall in love so quickly. I did enjoy the parts of the story where the two main characters communicated through email, I do think that definitely added to the story.

One thing that really didn't add to the story was the constant mention of STD's (and how Colin got one) and the repetitive burping, farting and pooping jokes, it was too much. Maybe the author was trying to make the character relatable here, but unfortunately it just really missed the mark.

If you enjoy spice, then this book probably isn't for you. Which I must admit, I found ironic as Gracie's a self proclaimed "smut" book writer, but when it came to Gracie and Colin it literally just faded to black. To use an analogy that KJ Micciche uses in the book, some authors leave the bedroom door shut and others leave it wide open, well Micciche keeps the door slightly ajar, but don't really see much!

Another thing is the ending (WARNING POTENTIAL SPOLIERS), I just felt like it ended and I was left with multiple loose ends and unanswered questions. For example, Colin and his Dad have a massive blow out, but there's no real resolution? What ends up happening with Colin and Elle's divorce? And most importantly, did Colin realise that the steamy letters he kept from high school where from Gracie? This last one really had me stumped, it felt like there was a lot of building that part of the story only for it to be forgotten?

Overall, a cute, quick read and a debut novel by KJ Micciche.

Sorry, I decided to DNF this book at 23%. The female MC with her bowel movements and sharting herself at age 30.. I just could not get behind. There were some plot holes already; for example, Gracie has Colin’s work email though they haven’t spoken in 15 years. It does not make sense.

The premise sounded really good but the execution.. lackluster. I can’t go into too much detail since I only got 23% in.. but the story had potential.

Gracie is a successful romance novels writer, but not so successful in her love life. So one day she gets drunk and emails Colin, her high school crush, dissing him. After being surprised, Colin starts to get curious about Gracie and they start to email each other back and forth. She ends up asking Colin to help her with the new book she's writing and he enthusiastically helps Gracie. But when feeling start to develop, a mistake breaks them apart, living both devastated, so the only way to save their relationship is for Gracie to write the book of her life.

It's a fun story about two unhappy people, that find happiness, love and light in each other. I just loved Gracie's sense of humor! I really recommend this book if you like snort laughs while reading.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC, especially to Sourcebooks Casablanca for granting my wish and allowing me to read this book. The opinions above are my own and given freely.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a fun concept, and there was a lot of amusing banter. There were a few times language regarding mental health (schizophrenic comes to mind) were used as adjectives of people and not as mental health disorders, and I could have done without that. There was also a lot of repetitiveness surrounding Colin's situation with his wife, and while I partially understood why, it got to be a little much. Overall, though, a fun read!

I really, really wanted to like this book. The premise was there. A lot of parts even had potential…the execution just fell short. There were definitely some cute, fun rom-com moments and I enjoyed reading about characters in my age bracket for a change, but it was lacking character growth for me, which is something that is key in these types of books.

I thought this story of Gracie and Colin was catchy. I caught myself giggling several times. I loved the sense of humor that came through. A bit predictable but otherwise a very entertaining read. Especially if you love books about authors or people that love books.

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC! Pub date May 16, 2023.

Thank you to NetGalley & SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for granting my wish and giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Gracie is such a fun and hilarious character. I wish I could be friends with her in real life! I thought it was nice to see the behind the scenes of what it’s like to write a book, and I loved that as a reader we were able read snippets of what Gracie was writing.
Once Colin was introduced I was hooked. He’s such a gentlemen and really knows how to respect women. The fact that Gracie realized that she’s never been treated so good in her life until now made me feel sad but also happy for her that she found someone she deserves. I liked the back and forth emails between Gracie and Colin, and the banter was *chefs kiss* perfect. I loved that you could feel the sexual and playful tension throughout their emails and once they were with each other in person.

Overall this book made me laugh out loud, gasp, and smile ear to ear! Highly recommend if you’re looking for a quick, funny read!

DNF - just could not get into the pacing. It felt very mundane to me and the characters lacked a depth right of the bat and I had trouble empathizing with them. When I’m the heroine’s POV the sentences were choppy and I understand that was to construe her thought patterns but it made reading it frustrating for me.

I Am Obsessed!
Amazing book to read for a book lover, it’s literally perfect. I can’t even explain how much I adored this book. I appreciate the author so so much. And i can’t wait to read more from them!

This was 4 stars of sassy, humorous, fun!! I had a great time reading this one and I laughed so much. The chatting between the characters was pretty perfect and the plot was great. I loved the romance and the bookish setting. This is romcom at its best.

This book was full of humour, like seriously one of the funniest most witty books I’ve ever read. Perfect for a binge.
I loved the character dynamics, most of the side characters and the duo pov- it all felt so natural and developed.
Overall I’d give this book 4 stars, it makes you root for both characters and see each struggle and reason behind actions which I really adored.

First of all, I love the dual POV! Like the characters can hear my thoughts and answer them immediately. Few chapters and I couldn't put it down. I love how it's written with characters close to my age, I can definitely relate on so much. I guess life and love begins at 30-ish now!! This is a must-read, can't wait for this to be released so I could get my physical copy!

The Book Proposal is a sweet story of a high school crush, sort of second chance romance, sort of enemies (one sided!) to lovers. Gracie is endearing, flawed, real and straight up hilarious! Colin is a full blown swoon! When I wasn’t reading I was thinking of Gracie and Colin! I do wish it wasn’t closed door romance, especially after reading Gracie’s book excerpts. I need a spin off series with Mrs. A and Olga! Thank you netgalley for this arc.

Thank you for accepting my request for this wonderful ARC. I devoured this book in less than a day because Gracie is so so fun and Colin is swoon-worthy, I loved the plot, the characters, the relatable and constant rambling of Gracie because creative professions are so tough, And I loved the side characters too, they had such heart especially Mrs A. Definitely going to recommend this to my bookish friends and non-book friends who are into romance.

Please please write an extended epilogue and a sequel because I want more of Gracie and Colin and if possible a little smut.

P.S: Found my new 'auto add' author in KJ Micciche.

I'm sure this is a cute bookish romance.
However, that wasn't what I was in the mood for at the time I picked this up, and I ended up putting it down.
I hope to return to it in the future.

I think this book might be more enjoyable if the characters were a lot younger – not characters in their 30’s. This book is written in such a juvenile manner. There’s crass and unnecessary language throughout it. I can’t tell if the writer was adding it for shock value or if she truly envisioned her characters in such a manner. Maybe if the characters were in their late teen’s/early 20’s, I would be able to excuse the characters and their dialogue.

I would like to know why the writer believes a woman who is 5’6 and 140+ pounds is “big”. There’s a lot of inaccurate writing about a “curvy” woman. And there's a few other instances of body shaming by characters.

It’s a shame cause the summary intrigued me and made me request the ARC. Unfortunately, the execution and judgemental tone in the writing hinders the potential of the book.

This was an interesting read, and very different from your typical romance. It felt like I was having a conversation with a friend. This was fun in some aspects, but I feel like we did get a little bit too much information from Gracie sometimes.
Gracie is also a bit intense, especially in high school. However, I did very much enjoy her character as an adult!

Overall I did find this entertaining, funny, and enjoyable to read. There are several parts that made me laugh while reading. I was able to get into this right away in chapter one, and I read it quickly. I liked Colin, and I did enjoy the dual POV throughout the book.

I would recommend this if you are looking for a hilarious rom-com!

I laughed out loud while reading this, and that’s not something I normally do. There were lots of OMG moments, and a twist I was not expecting. I really enjoyed reading this book, and did so in two sittings.

A fun debut that puts a fresh spin on an author writing an author main character. I can't wait for more work from KJ Micciche