I wanted to love this read, I really, really, really did. The premise and the description were so interesting but unfortunately this one just missed the mark for me.

As promised, Grace is a hot mess and after learning that her ex and the woman he left her for had their baby she decides to get a bit to drunk and email her old high school crush. The only issue with said high school crush? He caused an awful nick name to stick for her and overall caused her highschool experience to be ROUGH. Collin is also dealing with some issues of his own, his ex wife left him for the woman she arranged a threesome with and its turned his life a bit around.

My main issue with the story is it seems like throughout the entire read Grace is trying to reinvent herself but she keeps living the same exact way. Her and Collin both have childish tendencies and Collin almost seems to be solely interested in Grace to spite his father and his ex wife. He give Grace his story in the selfish hope that his ex will read it. Meanwhile, Grace constantly brings up her ex. Both Characters obviously have relationship issues they needed to work through before even entertaining someone else.

The Book Proposal is a romantic comedy that will have you in tears! Worth a read if you love romantic comedies but find most of them incredibly cringe-y. KJ Micciche has the rare skill to write a story that will make you laugh out loud!

What a good book! Grace (Gracie) Landing is a writer who needs inspiration and receives it in the form of her school crush, Colin Yarmouth, when she drunkenly emails him one day after seeing his picture in her high school year book. This sets off a chain of events that threatens Gracie 's and Colin's budding romantic relationship. Will their relationship survive? What about Grace's writing career? Read this romance book and find out. A word of warning, though. This book contains several four letter words. I highly recommend this book to other romance readers. I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley, and the opinion expressed is strictly my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book before release.

Usually it takes me a chapter or two to get me into the story but with this book it was instant. I felt like I knew Gracie and Colin’s personalities very quickly.

I love Colin and Gracie together. Their chemistry is insane and the back and forth emails are so cute.
I also loved that the conflict wasn’t solved immediately by some grand gesture like 90% of the other romance books I’ve read. This one seemed more realistic and had me actually interested in how they were going to find their way back to each other.

There were a few things that bothered me:

1. Colin needed to call out his friend’s misogynistic behaviour. It was gross to read and not have it shut down.
2. When adult men call women ‘girls’. I just find it gross and demeaning. They’re 30 year old women. Call them women.
3. Really not into gross out humour and there was quite a bit. Just not something I’m looking for in a romance novel

Other than those two things, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to friends.

I loved the idea for The Book Proposal, but sadly... I didn't love the characters. Gracie was immature and crude - and some of her "situations" were just gross and unnecessary. Colin wasn't very likable either. Gracie needed a dose of reality and Colin needed a swift kick of compassion. His plot line was unbelievable at best and didn't make him any more relatable or likable. I'm sure some readers will like this book, but unfortunately, I am not one of them.
Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca, Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

This was a very fast read, I easily finished this in two sittings of reading. However although a quick read it was hard for me to connect with the characters in this story.

Gracie had a ginormous crush on Connor in highschool. To the point of leaving raunchy steamy anonymous letters to him in his locker. Until the football team gets ahold of one and distributed it thru out the school.

Fast forward 20+ years we catch up with them both now adults. Gracie sense Connor a random drunk email and their relationship goes from there. She has now capitalized on her smutty love letters in making it into romance books with smut.

The premise of this book seemed super interesting to me. I do love books that feature authors, but I was confused by Gracie's book she was writing and what her job really is. The beginning of the book we learn that she is now a writer but when she talks to Connor I guess she is actually a ghost writer and hasn't had her own work with her name on it published yet?

I really enjoyed how this books writing style where 1/3rd or more is in email correspondence to each other, These were my favorite parts of the book and in enjoyed their interaction. The downside is it feels like everything just moved way too quickly. It went from a couple emails to them being both smitten for eachother,

There was a lot of oddly delivered jokes in here. Sooo many off comments about STD's throughout the entire book and how Connor got one from his ex. This was a little skeevy to me. Also alot of poop, fart, and burping jokes. It just seemed really unnecessary. Also makes the characters feel much younger than they are.

I would still recommend this book. It is fast paced and a super easy read. Perfect for a romance tbr, if you are looking for a missed love opportunity love story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

This book was not for me, unfortunately. Maybe it will be for some folks, but it definitely was not my cup of tea.

Things I did enjoy: The overal plot skeleton was interesting. I like the concept of a romance author being kinda bad at love herself–it’s a cute trope, if unoriginal in and of itself–and I like romance books where there is a rekindled crush. I also work in publishing myself, so I am particularly keen on books which focus on the behind-the-scenes of publishing in some way, so that was a perk for me. I even liked the plot twist/conflict in this book (which I won’t spoil here, but it worked for me in theory). So, the skeleton of this book? Cute, fun, romantic, I dig it.

The things that did not work for me:
* Really hated the overuse of fart/poop jokes and gross bodily humor. I suspect this was included as a way to make the main character seem relatable or to add humor, but for me it fell very flat and felt cringey/awkward/juvenile.

* Speaking of juvenile: This book reads like YA in many, many ways (not just because of the aforementioned body humor). I felt for the majority of the book like the MCs were adults behaving like teenagers.
* In this vein, I had to keep asking myself: What 30-year-old in their right mind is still obsessively thinking about a crush she had in high school?

* Having the entire story take place over a span of 10 days feels bizarre and highly unrealistic for people in their 30s. I think the main characters only hang out once or twice before deciding to be boyfriend/girlfriend, and then the rest of the plot happens over the span of approx a week. This time frame was…bananas in anycase, but even moreso in the world of NYC dating. Source: I have long suffered the NYC dating scene.

* One thing that really grated my nerves (and maybe because this is a particular trigger for me, I’ll admit that) was that the author describes the MC as being about 5’6 and 145 pounds, and then proceeds to act for the entire rest of the book as though this character is “big” or “curvy” with repeated mentions of her love of food, her appetite, the fact that she is not tiny, and so on. I would be remiss in my feminist duties to not point out that 145 pounds at 5’6 is at MOST incredibly average, but is in all probability quite slim. Why was this mentioned as a detail? If you want the reader to imagine a curvy or chubby character then just say that, do not subject the reader to your absolutely inaccurate view of what "fat" is, lol.

* There are repeated jokes about STDs and specifically herpes which is both problematic and also just not funny?

* Colin has actually incredibly problematic views of women. Big yikes.

* I didn’t believe their romance because I couldn’t understand why they even liked each other? Neither of these characters was likeable for me, but beyond my personal opinion of them , I didn’t really feel like the author did a very good job of making me believe that they had any good reasons to like each other. They barely knew each other, seemed to have nothing in common, and for some reason fell into this whirlwind romance based purely on the fact that they used to know each other in high school and both were out of other bad relationships?

I could go on, but I think we get the picture. Good idea, bad execution, it happens.

Loved this one, doesn’t everyone wish they had a chance with their secret high school crush? Great romance! Spicy little number about redemption! Love the author aspect of it!!

2.5
I'm joining the ranks of 'wanted to like it but didn't quite get there.' In no particular order: The author character wrote badly, which I hate. The guy was a still lake, and by that I mean a tepid puddle. And, importantly, the money/income/cost of living failed to make any sense whatsoever.

When I saw that this was a book about a romance author and her unrequited crush from high school teaming up to write a novel I immediately hit request. This was a fun and light rom com but unfortunately some elements missed the mark for me.

This book had such an intriguing premise but the execution fell short. My biggest problem was that while the lead characters were 30 plus year old adults, they acted like teenagers. When the heroine encountered a similar situation in the third act as she did at the start, she behaved in the exact same way which seemed like a missed opportunity for me as I would’ve loved to witness some character growth from her. While the characters had history, their romance in the present was a lot of tell rather than show. I didn’t feel the chemistry between them and their relationship felt superficial.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2 stars

When I saw that this book was about a romance author and her unrequited crush, I hit request immediately. It sounded right up my alley. Sadly, for me, it failed to deliver.

The lead characters acted like teens, despite being in their 30s, and there was no character growth. There were a number of plot holes and the chemistry felt superficial and forced. There was too much tell and not enough show, it felt like it was being narrated. There was so much in this book that made absolutely no sense, it was hard to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this in return for my honest review.

“Really?
Grace Landing wrote me back.”
“Now, I just write soft-core porn for hormonal women and people who aren't afraid to read about them”
Such a sweet romance book. I really enjoyed reading it.
A romance ghost writer and a lawyer both coming out of disastrous relationships, finding their way towards friendship and then something more !! Oh, and did I mention that she had a huge crush on him in high school ?? Well there’s also that !!!
It was fun getting through their conversations and the banter and witty jokes they shared where absolutely great !!! I had a real great time. And honestly whenever a book of a writer is involved in the plot, somehow things get even more interesting !!! This time we really get to explore how complicated the life of a new author could be, while trying to write a new novel and dealing with agents and life.
Colin and Gracie’s story was so sweet and so good. I can’t wait for this book to be out !!
“We're all just damaged goods, right?"
“I will not let this one go without a fight.”

I really wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. I loved the premise romance author reconnects with high school crush and uses that as inspiration for her next novel. There were parts I found enjoyable and entertaining but to be honest I didn't really like the main female character she seemed very immature and just a little ridiculous. A lot of the humor honestly came off as immature and almost gross out I think they were trying to make her relatable but it didn't really work for me. The main love interest was ok but also didn't really connect with him either. This book was just ok for me 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because it was a quick read and I didn't hate it. Thank you you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts and comments are my own.

I really liked the idea that this book was trying to present and honestly that’s about all. This book was very flat in my opinion. It felt rushed and the plot was hardly there. I feel like this book could have been written better.

The romance was hardly there. Gracie just seemed like a girl who jump at the opportunity to be with Colin because she’s been obsessed with him since high school. There were also a lot of parts of the story that were talked about multiple times but nothing ever came out of it.

I don’t know, the book just didn’t make much sense to me. Like I said I liked the synopsis and that’s why I requested to read it but I just didn’t really enjoy it.

Sadly, 2 stars.

I adored this story. I felt such a connection to Gracie from high school. This story was funny, fast paced, and I never got bored. I have to be honest though, Colin’s chapters were my absolute favorite. Reading from his point of view was just a little more fun. I really did adore Gracie though. The only thing that was a bit off putting was some of the toilet humor early on but I wouldn’t say it detracted from the book. I laugh at most of it but there were points where it felt unnecessary. The only thing I would have loved even more would have been an epilogue. I would have loved to have seen where Gracie and Colin were a year after the story. I saw that this was the authors first book and honestly? I think it’s extremely well done and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future. If you’re looking for spice, this isn’t it. There are some semi spicy parts but this book just has small mentions of it. This isn’t a book that needed it though. I think the wit and humor were enough to keep this book super interesting for me. I also enjoyed that I’ve never quite read a plot like this before. Definitely recommend giving this a chance if you’re looking for a new romcom.

Upon reading the blurb I was very interested in reading this book because it seemed like the perfect rom com, but I did not like this much. Actually I was more disappointed because I felt this book had a lot of potential to be great. But it fell short on so many things. First I do want to say I did like that this book was about a writer and I love books about books and also about characters that are also writers.

The dual perspective did not work for me, I felt Colin's was pretty dry and that he did not have much depth to his character. And also Grace's character felt like it was trying too hard to relatable and also making her seem more 'human' by having her go through some weird and cringy things.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Grace Landing has been dumped by one heck of a troll, almost left at the alter but just before.
Colin’s been divorced by his psycho of a wife and now is living his life as a “bachelor” in his lazy boy chair.

One drunken night Gracie emails Colin’s work account and tells him how she really feels (that he’s a piece of work) even though she’s crushed on him since high school.

Gracie is an author, working under a pen name and Colin is an estate attorney.

This book was quite the fun cute read. The spice wasn’t really there for me which wasn’t what I thought going in to this book, but the story was still good nonetheless. It’s definitely something I haven’t read before and will suggest to anyone who’s thinking of picking it up. .

Gracie is writing a romcom and is not sure about it. One evening she writes to her high school crush after drinking too much, and they exchange several emails before she decides to send him her manuscript. Between the evolution of his history and the new relationship with Colin.
I loved Gracie’s character. She’s so sweet and funny. Her writing is light and hilarious. Colin trust her and love her reading.
It’s a book that’ll make you laugh and smile more than once !

I'm so glad I decided to request an advanced copy of this book because I think it's my favorite read of 2023 so far. This was my first book by this author and now I want to check out whatever else they've written!

Gracie is a budding romance novelist who is trying to complete one more manuscript for her agent when her personal life falls apart and she stops believing in a HEA. On a drunken night of commiseration with her girlfriends, she returns home only to send a drunken email to her unrequited high school crush, Colin. To her shock (and horror!) the next morning, she finds an email from him in response to her scathing email. The two reconnect through emails and finally in person and all is going amazingly well....until Gracie is encouraged by Colin to use his real life experiences for the inspiration to help her finish her manuscript, and oh boy does the plot get fun after that!

This book was fast paced and full of witty dialog and lots of humor. I loved Gracie because she totally reminded me of myself as a teenager - shy, a bit nerdy and totally crushing on a boy from afar. Her reaction to not only getting to correspond with her teenage crush but then actually becoming his girlfriend was probably my favorite part of this book. I just really loved Gracie's quirky humor and outlook on life. Also, the secondary characters in the book were fantastic - so many great ones and they all gave me so many laughs. Really enjoyed this rom-com - 100% recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed the premise and the writing of this. Reading a novel where the main character is a writer and getting to see behind the scenes of her writing can be exciting to read.
Gracie is a romance novelist who has had a messy break up and facing a major writers block.
This book is a dual POV which i really liked. I got to see both Gracie and Colin’s characters in depth as a reader.