Sonora Reyes is among the best at writing characters that feel like I would see them in a grocery store. Their characters are so *normal* and real and honest, and the issues their characters face aren’t fantastical, but rooted in the lived experience of Latine people in the US. Some authors write characters I idolize, but Sonora Reyes writes the characters I live with. This story is no different. In Reyes’ forthcoming adult romance, Han and Kenny are best friends, ‘bros’, roommates, everything but lovers. When Han loses his chance at a work-sponsored path to citizenship, Kenny quite literally proposes a new plan. They know everything about each other; how hard could it be to convince not only the government, but their friends and families, that they have fallen madly in love?

I will say, there was A LOT going on. I could do without the accidental pregnancy. I could do without the boss stealing from the restaurant. We could spend more time on the community college application and everything else that happened right before the wedding. We just don’t need that many plot points! But it does all come together beautifully in the end. I think the development of Han and Kenny’s relationship is actually paced quite well given the circumstances, feeling rushed or stagnant where it should. Also, the car sex scene…why was I blushing and kicking my feet? Han still calling Kenny ‘bro’ around moments of intimacy was really funny, even if it is the most ‘no homo’ thing I’ve ever seen. I truly enjoyed the chemistry between these two, and I love how they love each other. They are perfect in their imperfection.

Congrats, Sonora, on a lovely adult romance debut! I will read anything you write at this point. Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Broposal is an emotional, sweet romance book about two best friends who decide to get married so one of them can get his green card, only for them to fall in love for real.

We get the perspectives of Han and Kenny and both of them were equally enjoyable to read from. These characters were complex and even when they were at odds, it was easy to sympathize with each of them. Han struggled a lot with vulnerability and could at times be emotionally unavailable to the point where it could be frustrating but watching him open up more throughout the story was so rewarding. Meanwhile, Kenny was an extreme people pleaser who had difficulty making his own decisions but we got to see him grow and develop satisfyingly too.

The romance between Han and Kenny was very cute. They had a strong foundation of friendship and watching it blossom into something more was delightful. The tension and chemistry was great, although their banter wasn't the best. Still, their transition from friends to lovers was smooth and felt believable. These two were deeply committed to and supportive of each other and it was beautiful to see.

This story also featured some wholesome familial relationships that were a pleasure to read about. It was so nice to see Kenny and Han's closeness not only with their own families, but with each other's as well. They were both completely accepted as parts of each other's family even before things turned romantic and it was lovely.

There are some sensitive topics in this book, so I would recommend looking at the trigger warnings (which are conveniently located in the front of the book) before reading. However, despite some painful and difficult moments, the overall tone of the book is on the lighter side.

Overall, this was a solid romance book and, especially if you enjoy the friends-to-lovers and marriage of convenience tropes, I would recommend it!

*review will be posted on saysmesaysmom.com 1/21/24*

Bro, I don’t know how they did it but this book made me feel seen and safe. It made laugh and cry, sometimes on the same page. This book brought to life the story of so many people in the United States. So many people go through what Han goes through every day, sometimes without the hope of it getting better, but they still push through that pain and live day to day. The fear of deportation is real and Kenny’s ex (I can’t even say her name) threatening them with that is also the reality for some people. Sadly people like that and Daniel exist in real life. Talking about Kenny’s ex, oh my god, the minute she slapped Kenny while he was driving I was ready to fight her. She is an abuser and I hope to god that she is not hurting the women she is working with. Every time she appeared I swear my flight or fight reflexes was activated. The romance, bro the romance was so cute. Han is so oblivious, he had a crush on Kenny and didn’t even know it the whole time. I had to force myself to put it down and go to sleep. Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the privilege of reading this early.

What a wonderful, genuine and pure story this was! The writing style was so easy, I couldn't put this book down! The bond and development of deeper feelings between Kenny and Han was so believable. They could have been the guys next door, your brothers best friend, your waiter ;)
And you would instantly been taken by their genuine personality. As a mom of 3 boys with ASS I loved the autism representation. It wasn't in your face and too much but a realistic growth of character. And they both grews9 much as individuals and together.

This was a highly anticipated book for me. Sonora Reyes has such a powerful and impactful voice and I look forward to their takes. I was so excited to hear that they were writing an adult romance book.

The characters were gripping. The way in which Sonora doesn’t shy away from tough topics and ones not talked about such as, domestic violence by a woman to a man was very needed. Many overlook male DV victims.

That being said, there was a discussion question in the back of the book that asked if there was enough balance between the hard aspects in the book and the joyful ones and this question is one I’ve been wrestling with since finishing. I think there was not a build to the romance. There was too much reliance on their friendship already being there pre- start of book that the tension or lead up to a romance just was lacking for me. I also feel like there was too much happening and it took away from them as a couple. I think if there had been a few tough topics/ situations happening it would have left more room for them to grow as a couple. So overall, I was pretty mixed on this one and really wanted more.

This book is amazing! I was rooting for Han and Kenny the whole time. They are both complicated characters with intersectional identities. I thought the author handled their story with nuance and care. The characters were flawed and sweet and so very human and relatable.

For example, the author did a great job depicting compulsory heterosexuality and how that delayed Han’s realization that he is gay. The story also explored how gender and sexual orientation affect people’s experiences and perceptions of relationship abuse.

This book also had a few open-door spicy scenes, which I thought were well-written and added to the story and character development.

Han and Kenny’s happy ending was well-deserved and satisfying.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading other romances by this author!

Highlights:
- achillean romance (gay MC & bi MC)
- immigration themes
- autistic main character
- gay awakening & coming out
- marriage of convenience

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

These two pick literally the WORST times to have sex I swear to god. Also this book is much heavier than you’d expect. I took careful notes to include any potential trigger. If you don't believe trigger warnings to be spoilery please tap to view the spoiler I included (it's crucial to the plot in act three).

TW: on-page domestic abuse (emotional and physical, abuser is not a main character); threat of deportation/ICE; blackmail; queerphobia, specifically bi erasure; (view spoiler); panic attacks (on page); vomiting; cheating ex; grief; death of a parent (off page, overdose); racism; childhood trauma; broken bone (ankle)

Like I said, this book is HEAVY. I picked it up to distract myself during Election Week 2024, and while it worked, I still ended up crying. Abuse is a major theme and is included throughout the whole book, so this is one I'd skip if partner violence is triggering for you. On the other hand, the inclusion of ICE is minimal, with the threat of deportation being the bulk of that plot element.

If you're like me and you love The Proposal (2009) an ungodly amount, this book will satisfy your cravings for a green card fake marriage. The plot revolves around the build-up to the wedding, which includes Han's gay awakening and a meddling ex (to put it lightly). AND if you love the caretaking trope, like yours truly, you will eat this book UP.

While this sounds like the perfect recipe for a 5-star rating, I did have several issues with the book that made this one a tad frustrating at points. However, days later I am still thinking about these two, so while it may not be a 5-star for me, it certainly won't be forgettable!

I wanted to see the inclusion of each character's disabilities more. The author has stated they're autistic and I found Han's brain to be very similar to my own neurospicy brain, but the two leads never really discuss their disabilities. It seemed almost like Han was hiding it, but that's likely me projecting. If they had discussed it even once I would have appreciated that.

I also was not expecting the degree of h e a v y, so my expectations feel a tad unmet. I'm going to blame that on marketing and do my best to realistically prepare future readers. All that being said, I reeeeally wish the plotline with the ex and her abuse was partially cut or shortened. At times it felt depreciative of the core romance. So this book was extra heavy AND full of drama not between the leads.

BUT
BUT
BUT I still really really enjoyed this one!!

The queer community is really lovely in this book. Han is questioning his sexuality, Kenny discovers his love for drag, and the friend group is so loving. These two are clearly long-time best friends turned roommates, and they're unafraid to show affection or be vulnerable. They adopt a pet cactus, who is on the cover!

And while they really do pick the absolute worst times to have sex like they're teenagers with zero brain cells (I'd include a screenshot of me screaming about it to my best friend but it's full of spoilers), I loved their romantic relationship and how their friendship developed into more. I can't believe I haven't picked up any of this author's backlist before.

Set in New Mexico. Read in one day!

Rep: undocumented, autistic, questioning/gay cis Mexican main character; bisexual cis Mexican-American main character with depression & executive dysfunction; queer Black side character; queer side character who uses they/them pronouns; many Mexican side characters

Thank you to Read Forever for the early copy. This does not affect my review in any way.

A big thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Two best friends who live together, break up with their girlfriends, one of which was abusive to one of the men. One of the men is undocumented and has recently lost his job. They decide to get married, but as they start to fool their friends and families, they start to realize that friendship and love can go hand in hand. But when the abusive ex girlfriend threatens their happiness, how will they find their way to happiness?

This had my attention and kept me reading without stopping. It’s a cute lgbt romance.

I'm a sucker for a good fake dating storyline, and this book definitely delivered on that front. The compatibility between Han and Kenny was realistic and believable, though it seemed to take forever for them to actually get over their hesitation and admit their feelings. Jackie was over the top as a villain and was more annoying than anything. She felt more like a plot device than a character. The story moved a bit slowly, using the same plot twists over and over to cause drama (Jackie being a b****, their manager being a d***, The characters' circling insecurities, etc.), and then a lot of action and new twists were all packed into the last few pages. Everything went form chaos to suddenly okay and it felt a little rushed.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, and I will probably add a physical copy to my collection when it comes out.

3.5 stars rounded up

This Latinx Adult Romance was so CUTE and for the readers who enjoy
1️⃣ Best friends to lovers w/ a little bit of instant love

2️⃣ Marraige of concenience to save one of the friends from deportation

3️⃣ Third act Break-up

Han & Kenny are so relatable and loveable I was cheering for their happily ever after from the first chapter. Han loses his job that had promised to sponsor his work visa and Kenny is in an abusive and manipulative relationship. I really appreciated the honest and vulnerable conversations in this novel & the depiction of loving and supportive friendships ❤️ The two agree to a marriage of convenience to help Han secure citizenship and to fulfill Kenny's need to help others.


While this novel is extremely fun and heart warming, I do want to provide some trigger warnings here as well in case readers find that helpful.

Trigger warnings: Verbal abuse & gaslighting, racism, homophobia, alcoholism/alcohol misuse and grief/loss

Thank you Forever for this ARC!

As soon as I heard this was a queer friends to lovers novel I knew it would be for me! This book has some heavier themes but I felt they were explored well. I would recommend!

Beautiful story. Characters were written well and plot was entertaining! This was my first book by this author and I’m definitely excited to read more! 4 stars recommendation!

DNF -- the title made me laugh and the premise sounded cute and intriguing, but it was apparent pretty quickly the writing style was not for me

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes marks their foray into New Adult, after publishing two Young Adult novels. Reyes knocked it out of the park again, so if you've loved The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School or The Luis Ortega Survival Club then I'm sure this one is for you.

Based on the title, you are right to assume that this romance novel is for fans of the fake marriage trope. But this book is so much more than that, and it covers some heavy topics. The best friends Han and Kenny have been together since they were kids, but now as young adults the world is throwing a lot of challenges at them. This story contains themes of abusive relationships, citizenship issues, and exploring sexuality. Reyes handles each topic with love, respect, and care.

Told in alternating perspectives, I loved being in the head of both Han and Kenny. After the first twenty percent and establishing each of the characters, I couldn't put this down. It's a slow burn, and there is quite the pay off with some spice towards the end. If you're in it for the emotional connection in romance books, this one delivers in spades.

I will read everything Sonora Reyes writes and I hope you will too.

Kenny and Han have been best friends and roommates since childhood. When Han, who is undocumented, faces the threat of deportation, Kenny proposes they marry so he can help Han secure his citizenship. This book gracefully explores a range of issues, including fear of deportation, abusive relationships, complex family dynamics, and sexuality. The characters are richly developed, making the story all the more engaging. I particularly like Han's cousin Leti and their protectiveness of their family. Both Kenny's family and Han's extended family are portrayed with warmth and authenticity, enhancing the overall emotional resonance of the story.

This book was such a roller coaster of emotions, oof, it was so good but it made me feel so much that I would have to take breaks because it would get overwhelming or I would get so mad, which is good, because that means the author is capable pf created deep emotions with these characters, and boy there were a lot of feelings: sadness, frustration, anger but above all love and hope.
It was very accurate in its portrayal of domestic abuse and how the Mexican community treats each other, you can’t really tell your mami anything because todas las tías will know immediately.
I highly recommend this book!

Wow. Absolutely blown away by Reyes’ adult debut. From the moving relationship to the authors note, I couldn’t stop reading. This has such depth and nuance and deserves to be on everyone’s “Top Anticipated Books of 2025” lists. Wish I could give more than five stars.

I read this book in one sitting and have been in my emotions since finishing it. I can’t wait til it comes out so I can get it multiple formats. My heart loves these two idiots and I’m so thankful I got to experience their story because wow. Everything is so well-written. I’m still digesting it all, but it was a phenomenal experience. The characters were so well balanced. I don’t know if I’ve met a character I hate more than I immediately hated Jackie.

This book was okay for what it was I am not really a romance reader but I wanted to give this one a try because the cover was cute and the story sounded interesting. Really dislike Jackie like wow she was terrible, the whole time I was reading and she approached Kenny I was screaming 'boy run!!' what I didn't love those is that all the problems or conflict that happened to han all happened at once like one right after The other, but it all conveniently got fixed all at once as well and came to a hea both parties ham and Kenny although they are bestfriends were sometimes working against each other because their lack of communication and that made me sad

This book is cute. A romcom with a fake relationship turned into real and friends to lovers. I like it a lot, but I expected something more.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.