I'm so sad to say that I'm DNFing this book at 12%

I don't think that this is the book's fault. It's mine.

I don't like the fact that one of the characters who will end up in the romance is already in a relationship (it's doomed to fail, we know this) at the start of the book. I know that this was in the synopsis, but another book that I read by the same publisher also had this (not in the synopsis, it was a surprise) and I realize that I sort of hate going into a romance where we have a character already in a relationship with the wrong character.

I also don't know if it is because this is the author's adult debut after they've only written YA, but I don't like that within the first chapter we are informed that a character has a sex backpack carrying all their sex stuff (including handcuffs, rope, and sex toys). We are informed that this is the bag that this character will use with the aforementioned (gonna be ex) girlfriend. This just felt like too much thrown to me when we don't know anything about the characters. I want a developed relationship before we get to the sexy stuff.

I was super into all of the LGBTQ+ characters, and that we were going to have a fake/green card marriage storyline. It felt very relevant to today. But everytime I think of sitting down to read this book I can't find it in me to do it. It started to put me in a reading slump, so I'm calling it for now.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, to NetGalley and the publisher, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read this book.

My rating of The Broposal by Sonora Reyes is 3.5 stars (rounded up to a solid 4). The idea behind this book and the plot/romance was great and I enjoyed those aspects of this book. The writing, however, left a little bit to be desired for me.

As characters and regarding their development, Han (Alejandro) and Kenny often brought me joy throughout the book. Their friendship (and eventually romance) and their empathy and compassion for others, are what kept me reading and kept me interested in the story. One of the characters upset me, numerous times. Honestly, her character probably could have been eliminated from the story and it would be even better without her plot points and that was Jackie. The toxicity was rough and honestly, did not lend to the story.

This type of story is so important and I am grateful to have read it. Deportation and immigration are very “hot topics” and the more education that can be given (even through fictional works), the better.

well ain’t this the sweetest queer romance 🫶🏼 this was giving grown up heartstopper in the best way possible and i can’t recommend it enough!! this was my first foray into this authors work, but it certainly won’t be my last! with a swoon worthy romance and writing that pulled at my heartstrings, i think everyone should pick this up week rocky!!

i've said it before and i'll say it a million times over: SONORA REYES' BOOKS ARE CHRONICALLY READABLE. you simply won't be able to put any of them down, and this one is no different. you'll be completely sucked into the lives, emotions, and dynamic relationships between all the characters.

in typical soni fashion, this book made me feel ALL the emotions. i laughed, i cried, i swooned. i felt anger, grief, and anxiety. the magical part about THE BROPOSAL (and all of soni's books) is that amongst all the emotions the story puts you through, you will leave with an overwhelming feeling of joy.

yes, this book is about two big dummies who DEFINITELY aren't into each other ~~like that~~, but it's also a story of self-discovery. it's a story of the harsh reality for some folks who are seeking citizenship in the US. it's a story of overcoming an abusive relationship that you didn't even realize was abuse. it's a story of powerful platonic and familial relationships. it's a story of finding your voice and the confidence to stand up for yourself.

i wish i could better express how much soni's stories mean to me, but instead i invite you to read them for yourself.

read this one if you enjoy stories with:
-found family
-fake dating
-friends to lovers
-gossiping tías
-heavy topics

When I started this book, I thought that it would be a story about discovering sexuality and realizing that you can see your lifelong friend as more than a friend, but it isn't what I found. Instead, the story was very heavy, and I feel like it didn't focus enough on the romance aspects between Kenny and Han.

Kenny and Han have been best friends since they were kids. They live together, and they support each other. Kenny is bisexual, and he has been in an abusive relationship with a woman named Jackie for years. She gives him an ultimatum: choose her or choose his best friend, Han. Kenny chooses Han, but Jackie keeps coming around. There was too much of Jackie involved in this story, and it really took away from the other aspects.

Kenny proposes to marry Han so that he can get a green card. As they start fake dating, Han realizes that he might not be straight, which is how he has always identified. I would have loved to see more of this internal monlogue and discussion of feelings.

I feel like there was too much drama from Jackie, and there wasn't enough focus on Kenny and Han. I think that their physical intimacy seemed abrupt, and I would have liked a more slow build and communication.

Overall, the miscommunication or lack of communication hindered my enjoyment of this book. I appreciated that some of the storylines are topical and heavy, but I would have preferred some levity also.

“If I couldn’t have Kenny for real, at least we could enjoy the pretending.”

I was so sure this would be the queer autistic romance of my dreams, and I am absolutely devastated that this book didn’t blow me away!

That being said, I greatly appreciate the incredible representation and important themes present in this book, and I’m grateful to @readforeverpub for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

While this didn’t quite do it for me, there are so many things to love about it, and I’m sure a lot of readers would absolutely adore this. You might be one of those if you love:
🩵 friends to lovers romance
🩵 realistic autistic representation!!!
🩵 themes of abuse and trauma
🩵 marriage of convenience

The main reason I didn’t love The Broposal is that it had too many side-plots, and attempted to explore too many themes at once. As a result many of the plot elements weren’t satisfactorily resolved by the end, and none of the significant moments hit me as hard as intended.

Because of the many plot elements I also felt that the characters lacked depth, and I found myself struggling to understand the reasons behind their actions and thought processes. Both Han and Kenny are emotionally stunted, but I didn’t feel like this was properly explored, and as a result I was just mildly annoyed by both of them.

I was also incredibly frustrated by Jackie, Kenny’s almost cartoonishly evil ex-girlfriend, who is the driver behind the primary conflict of the story. I felt that the exploration of domestic abuse would’ve felt more nuanced and been more hard-hitting if there had been more depth to her character.

TW: Threat of deportation, domestic abuse, substance abuse, overdose, pregnancy, racism, homophobia

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes
Contemporary M-M diverse romance. NA.
Alejandro (Han) and Kenny have been best friends since grade school. When Han loses his job and sponsorship for a visa, Kenny asks Han to marry him. They have been friends for so long, they can get past any complications or questions from immigration. But Kenny’s ex girlfriend isn’t wiling to let him go. And she’s not above blackmail or threats to Han’s safety. Their upcoming marriage is accepted by both families as expected which has them self reflecting on what’s real and how they move forward.

This was not a comedy that I expected from the cover. It’s highly emotional with multiple troupes, abuse, coming out, angst, tears, and a debilitating fear of being separated from everything known or being alone.
It’s also a romance with a roller coaster of issues. Any time there is a “No kissing rule”, you know there are lots of hidden and locked down feelings.

Ultimately happy, but heartbreaking on so many levels along the way. Really didn’t like the ex girlfriend. More, to be able to communicate, they have to know their own dreams, issues and deal with them. So much angst in complicated lives.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

First off, Kenny and Han are so cute, as are their families for the most part. These poor friends (almost literally) don't realize they are in love with each other as they have been best friends since they were 6. One of my favourite parts of reading novels and romance, is getting a glimpse into other people's situations, and in this case my learning has been centered here on undocumented people AND queer neurodivergent characters. As a Canadian, I have fairly limited experience interacting with undocumented people and workers, and this book was quite eye opening, and I really felt the unfairness and contrast of Han vs Kenny. Kenny has his own issues, being in an abusive relationship. It should have felt really heavy, which it did at times, but Sonora Reyes has a way of writing these moments of pure sweetness and joy in their realization. The dual first person POV was a nice touch as it helped me at least be more patient with the main characters. At times things felt long, and the situation a bit one-dimensional with a very distinct villain, but overall o enjoyed the story.
Thank you for the ARC!

Steam: 🔥
Heart flutters: ❤️

I really enjoyed this book! I could not put it down. Loved all the characters (except two, you know who you are). Sonora Reyes has the gift of making you feel all the emotions within one story and this was no exception. Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Books for this arc.

I’ve been a fan of Sonora Reyes’ books since Lesbiana’s Guide, so it’s safe to say I was so excited for their adult romance debut. With complex characters who you want to shout at to just kiss (and communicate) and already, I had a great time reading The Broposal. And while the story is, at heart, a romance, it’s a romance that’s wrapped up in topics of things like immigration that are still heavily prevalent. There are very heavy moments in The Broposal, but there are also joyful moments, all within a romance story that I read in an entire day because I couldn’t put it down until all of the pieces had fallen into place.

Also, in general, we just love a different twist on fake dating/arranged marriages okay!

If you’re a fan of Reyes’ previous books, love a good romance with heart, or any of this sounds remotely interesting, I definitely recommend checking this book out! It’s well worth the read.

Thanks to Forever for the free e-ARC of this book! All thoughts are my own!

Jackie needs some jail time. She’s fucked up, and I genuinely wanted to see her downfall. I wish we had gotten more closure on that part of the story. With how extreme her actions and behavior was, I needed there to be some sort of resolution to that part of the story. I couldn’t believe that she would just give up and leave them alone to save her reputation.

There was a trigger warning for physical and emotional abuse, but I feel like it needed to be more specific. It’s also probably my fault too, because I just assumed it was either parental abuse or past abuse since it wasn’t a very clear warning. I think it would’ve been better to have a more specific trigger warning for that situation. I’m not even someone who really needs trigger warnings. However, I believe others would benefit from a more precise warning.


I loved everyone else in this book, though. I loved the side characters, Leti and Tatiana!! They were amazing and so fun. I really enjoyed their connections to our main characters. I enjoyed our main characters as well, even if I feel like Kenny needs some serious help to undo all the damage Jackie did to him. Han was amazing. His family was amazing. I really loved them all.

The plot was good, I enjoyed Han’s journey to realizing he was gay. I loved his friendship and relationship with Kenny. This book is full of so much love and care for these characters and the world they’re navigating. It’s truly a story of hope and finding joy, even when it feels hopeless. I truly loved watching these characters in this book, living and loving every chance they could.

I really enjoyed their growth together and separately. They both deserve so many good things, and I adore them. I can’t wait to read Sonora’s next book!

Kenny and Han are best friends. Kenny offers to marry Han when his immigration status threatens his future. While the idea of the marriage starts as not being real feelings start to creep up fast. While most of their families are behind their marriage, Kenny's ex girlfriend is waiting in the wings to cause problems.

Reading this book was a slightly uneven experience for me. It is a sweet romance that also tackles much more serious topics. Kenny and Han are so wonderful. They are my perfectly imperfect babies! I will say I really disliked everything having to do with Jackie. This easily would have been rated higher without that subplot and I got very frustrated every time we returned to her. This was the author's adult debut. While I had a few issues I will definitely be checking out more of her books. I did mostly enjoy the writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sooo cute and sappy while also covering some very heavy topics.

I love the support system that both of these boys had. It was refreshing to see their love embraced by both family and friends.

Sweet baby Han just could not catch a break. My heart truly went out to him. I was happy to see his development in dealing with his emotions. The author very delicately takes us through his thought process as someone on the spectrum.

Kenny was such a lovable character. I really enjoyed seeing him stand up for himself. He truly deserves all the best things.

Leti is my favorite supporting role in this book and I’d love to get a book on her story with Tatiana.


Jackie and Daniel can choke.

Final note: I love the HEA but doing reverse Lana BEFORE the wedding is crazy lol.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

In The Broprosal, we meet undocumented Han and his best friend, Kenny, and immediately see how much care they have in their relationship as lifelong best friends and roommates. The story tackles some very heavy topics - the author has a great note laying out what to expect - with a lot of heart, most notably healing from an abusive relationship and the constant fear of being discovered and deported as an undocumented US resident. A series of events leads Kenny to offer to marry Han for citizenship, but it's clear that the fake marriage is underpinned by deep and real feelings. Watching these two tap dance around what their feelings and practice kisses mean was really sweet; I loved seeing the lengths they would go to to ensure the other's safety and happiness. Reyes' prose is also beautiful and funny and tender in all the right moments to build this story and make you fall in love with Han and Kenny too - I loved!

The Broposal follows best friends, Kenny and Han, as they craft up a plan to get married for the sake of Han's pending citizenship. Despite the urgency of their wedding, with a crazy ex-girlfriend, nosy family, and growing feelings; the two must navigate their newfound relationship and somehow make it down the aisle without anyone finding out about their secret. This was a surprisingly sweet and raw story! The drama and serious topics balanced so well with the quirky characters and light romance in between. Kenny and Han were so cute together, and I loved that they came to understand themselves and each other better as the story progressed. Their relationship and growth was so emotional and completely needed to offset all the craziness surrounding them.

Read If You Like;
🌵Found Family🌵
🌵Gay Awakenings🌵
🌵Friends to Lovers🌵
🌵Nosy Family🌵
🌵All The Drama🌵
🌵Open Door Steam🌵

The Broposal was cute! It tackled a few issues that will definitely be coming into the forefront of our minds with the current political climate in the US. It was quirky and had some humor but mostly serious moments that I hadn't expected. I have my own issues (nothing to do with racism or orientation) with some of the scenarios that were touched on that may color my feelings about the story and I wasn't able to connect with the characters. While the writing was okay in general, I found myself hoping for the story to finally end. 3.5/5 stars

This was not the story I was expecting based on the romcom cover and title but I did end up enjoying it. I appreciated the depiction of how scary it can be to be undocumented in this country and the disadvantages it can bring. I also thought that the story was a good example of what it's like to be a young adult still figuring out what a relationship should look like and the people who can take advantage of that.

I thought Han and Kenny had good chemistry and I appreciated the ways they complemented each other. I liked that they made things like cleaning fun and knew how to take care of the other one emotionally already.

The story focuses heavily on experience of being an undocumented immigrant and abusive relationship so if that isn't something you are up for reading about right now I would skip this one. I think this is coming out at a good time to make people think about this issue but a time that it may be triggering for some to read about the story. That being said I thought overall the issues were handled well. I would have loved to see a bit more exploration of sexuality but that would have made the book a bit long with all the other elements. If you like an emotional new adult romance this is a must read!

Thanks to Forever for providing me with an eARC all opinions are my own.

This book was enjoyable and did a good job of talking about relevant, heavy topics without feeling overwhelming but the actual love story got old for me. I actually would have enjoyed it better if the two main characters had just stayed friends, I get that in the premise of the situation that would have been 100% illegal and the author didn’t want to do that for obvious reasons but I just didn’t feel a true connection between them.

This is exactly what I look for when I think of Best friends to lovers!

I love the queer rep in this too. So many what felt like realistic thoughts especially when Han was thinking about his attraction to Kenny. I will always appreciate how the immigrant mindset is handled on here. It also made so much sense on why Han cannot get close to romantic relationships.

I am also such a fan of how Kenny had to actively address his low self esteem. All along the side of his bestie all while falling in love. Le'swoon! Perfect romance.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC. This story is ADORABLE and a great read for anyone who enjoys romcoms. It has aaallllll the tropes — fake dating, there was only one bed, childhood enemies (briefly) to bffs to more, and they were roommates — plus some heavy issues handled in a meaningful way. All of the characters (besides the antagonists) are very endearing and represent a wide variety of identities. The sex is too explicit for classroom purposes (there are only 2 sex scenes), but everything else about the story is high school-age appropriate.