Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!

Sonora Reyes should be admired by all other writers for how hard she got me to care about Han and Kenny. Her latest work is a feat in getting a reader to truly understand the harsh realities of being undocumented in America without getting into the nitty gritty of the US immigration system. But also the damage of abusive relationships. There's a ton of other ordeals the characters deal with in this story. However, Reyes talent only shines brighter with every step in this story. Plus, the chemistry between Han and Kenny is to die for. Overwhelmingly enjoyed.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

This book will have in fact a special place in my heart because The Proposal was my favorite movie for a long time and these two were just adorable.

Han and Kenny had the cutest friendship. The way they understand each other and their friendship. They quirks when they need space. The family had me crying a bit sometimes. There is a very big conversation in this book about abusive relationships and someone self worth. Overall just great.

I will reread close to pub date and add to this.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mein Leseerlebnis

In der m/m romance steht eine geplante Hochzeit zwischen zwei besten Freunden im Mittelpunkt. Durch diese will einer der beiden Helden dem anderen dabei helfen, legal im Land bleiben zu können. Das fand ich als Ausgangssituation für einen Liebesroman sehr außergewöhnlich und spannend.

Dass das Buch damit startet, das Kenny zu Beginn noch mit einer Frau zusammen ist, machte das ganze noch interessanter.

Die Beziehung zwischen Kenny und seiner späteren Ex nimmt im Buch einen wichtigen Stellenwert ein. In diesem Zusammenhang wird auch das Thema Partnerschaftsgewalt angesprochen. Darauf sollte man vorbereitet sein.

In Bezug auf diese Beziehung fand ich es schade, dass Kenny im Verlauf der Geschichte nicht wirklich verarbeitet hat, dass seine ehemalige Partner ihn verbal und auch körperlich misshandelt hat. Dass hätte zu faszinierenden, intensiven Szenen führen können, die man so nicht in vielen Liebesromanen findet.

Kennys Ex ist leider auch nach dem Ende der Beziehung noch ein Teil der Geschichte. Eine Entwicklung mit ihr war mir in diesem Zusammenhang etwas zu dramatisch, denn sie nahm der Beziehung zwischen Kenny und Han etwas den Raum zur freien Entfaltung.

Beide Hauptcharaktere empfand ich als durchaus interessant und auch sympathisch. Komplett überzeugen konnten sie mich allerdings nicht in jeder Szene. Ich denke, dass man vor allem aus Kenny als Charakter noch mehr rausholen hätte können.

In der Beziehung der beiden gibt es ein paar wirklich schöne, intensive Szenen, die mich berühren konnten. Davon hätte ich gerne noch mehr gehabt.

Rückblickend denke ich gerne an mein Leserlebnis zurück. In meinen Augen ist “The broposal” ein gutes Buch mit Potential ein sehr gutes zu sein.

🖤🖤🖤 3/4 (mit leichter Tendenz zu 3,5)

Für wen?

Wer Lust auf eine frische m/m romance hat, in der eine geplante Scheinehe zwei Freunde zusammenbringt und in der teils auch ernstere Themen angesprochen werden, für den könnte “The Broposal” eine gute Wahl sein.

Roommates Alejandro and Kenny fake an engagement to help Alejandro secure a green card, but their close friendship quickly evolves into something deeper. As they navigate the complexities of their charade, they must confront their true feelings before the wedding day arrives.

*spoilers*

This book gave me flutters in my belly. It was just so magical. I absolutely adored both Han and Kenny. They were both handling some pretty heavy stuff outside of their friendship, with Kenny being in an abusive relationship and Han being undocumented. Both of these situations were handled with care and I had very real reactions each time these two were threatened. At the point when Han is angry and Kenny has been conditioned to think he’ll be hit, I cried.

The dual POV was perfect for these two idiots to figure out their feelings for each other. I loved how Han slowly came to terms with his feelings for Kenny. I loved Kenny’s understanding of his feelings but being afraid to act on them. It was so relatable! And oooooo that first kiss had me giggling. They were so sweet with each other!

Their families and friends were truly lovely and I wanted to be a part of them. Loved how they learned to stand up together and figure things out - together. It was a beautiful book with the best happy ending. Those vows!!!! I am obsessed with them. So so so good.

*I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.*

I wanted to like this more, since I held Reyes' previous two works in high regard, but I can't.

First off are the things I do like: Han and Kenny. The POVs were in first-person and alternate between the both of them every chapter, and I think it was done well. Both men had distinguished voices while sharing some very nice chemistry with the other. They had their cute moments, and even though Han mistaking his attraction for homophobia for the first third of the book was slightly annoying, I still was rooting for them to officially get together.

The side cast was okay. There weren't any standouts other than Leti, Han's cousin, who I wish was more present than they were. The rest, like Kenny's parents and Han's tios and cousins, had a couple moments but nothing that would make me remember them in the long term. Although, I do like the ask-the-parents scene with Han and Kenny's folks; that was heartwarming.

The story had a lot going on. Between coming into one's queer identity, being undocumented, pregnancy/abortion, parents with addiction, abusive partners, there is so much that's being juggled all at once, and not all of it is resolved satisfactory by the end. I wish the story took its time and let all these heavy topics have some breathing room rather than cramping them together, because all these things deserve the time they need to in order to be fully realized.

Now, the main reason why I cannot like this book more is because of Jackie, Kenny's ex. She is so cartoonish in her role as the villainess, the primary driving wedge between our protagonists, especially since she is the reason why they have a third-act breakup. Kenny gives so many excuses for her awful actions in his thoughts and in dialogue, but all we see her actually doing is being straight up evil throughout the whole story. I understand that abuse, despite being so obvious to the reader, is a complicated process of grief and healing for its victim, but the way this novel depicted it with Jackie feels so over the top. I don't know if people who have been abused would read this differently, but for me personally, I just thought it could have been better.

All in all, this is fine as Reyes' adult debut, but I only hope I'll like whatever they publish next.

4.5 stars. Soooo cute! I love a “two idiots are the last people to realize they’re a couple” story, and this delivers. The romance is really sweet and light, but the plot does get pretty dark, so check the trigger warnings to make sure this is for you (I’ll add them below). The community the author created with Han and Kenny and their friends and families was so vivid. I just had a great time reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC!

Trigger warnings (copied from the list in the book): ICE/police/racial profiling/immigration issues, injury/breaking a bone (ankle), physical and emotional abuse, queerphobia, familial death, sex

rating: 3 or 3.5
Thank you to Forever Pub for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is the first novel by Sonora Reyes that I read. I was very excited about the premise, friends to lovers, marriage (engagement) of convenience, and Latine characters!

I want to begin with the things I liked about the book! I really loved our main characters, Han and Kenny, but especially the way they represented the different ways in which someone identifies being Latine. Kenny is fourth generation and admits to being white-passing. Han is undocumented, born in Xalapa, Mexico and lives with the fear of being deported. These identity markers have shaped them and I truly enjoyed reading their different perspectives.

I love how both Han and Kenny had such a strong community around them, both friends and family, that supported them individually but also together as a couple. Reading that brought me so much joy. Both characters have and had their own battle to fight, and I loved reading how they found comfort and support in one another. Han was always so accepting of Kenny and it warmed my heart.

This book obviously discusses heavy topics like domestic abuse (on-page), deportation, and substance abuse so I do want to make sure I point that out.

Although I did enjoy this I feel as though it fell flat in some parts. My main gripe was with the writing. The writing style wasn't for me, which is why I still want to recommend this book because I know that just because it wasn't for me that it can still work for others.

I wanted more moments between Han and Kenny, I felt like we didn't get enough of them being together, I was left wanting more, however I am happy that they get their happy ending in the end.

Also I hated Jackie with every fiber of my being, good riddance to that woman!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!

This was such a fun read, I’m branching out of my comfort zone with this book and it was definitely worth it!

As soon as I read the premise of this book I was hooked. Childhood friends to lovers? "Fake" marriage/Marriage of convenience? Sign me up!

I've become a fan of Sonora's writing because they're one of the few authors I've read who can really capture the essence of Latinx experiences and culture, more specifically Mexican people. Reading The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School was the first time I related so much to a character, Yamilet is so dear to me.

The Broposal also did an amazing job with the rep. Both Kenny and Han come from Mexican families, but Han's undocumented and Kenny's not. This plays a big part in the plot, as the main reason they're getting married is to get Han his green card. I've lived in Mexico my whole life, so I can only imagine how terrifying it is to be in Han's shoes. Even Kenny didn't really understand the magnitude of it until the possibility of Han being taken away hit him in the face.
Nonetheless I think Sonora dealt with the topic very well. Han's status wasn't just a plot device to move the story forward, it was an essential part of his character as well.

I loved how Mexican culture was integrated everywhere in this book, even in the small stuff. I grew up seeing shallow representation of my country in tv series and movies, full harmful of stereotypes. But not Sonora's books. From the accurate pronunciation and use of words in Spanish, to the parts of the culture that only people who love it dearly know it. One of my favorite parts of the book.

I can't not talk about Kenny and Han! Honestly these two made me giggle and blush so much! They're absolutely adorable. Everything about their friendship, how they cared for and protected each other. Their connection was so deep and pure. This is what I mean when I talk about good friends to lovers. I can't explain how cute they are, one of the cutest couples I've read.

The side characters were great as well. Charismatic, interesting and charming, especially Han's cousin. I love how families play such an important role in the story. Both Kenny's and Han's families were so involved and present in their lives. Han's struggles with his mother were devastating as well as relatable. It broke me how both he and his mom wrote letters to each other all these years. I don't want to dive into details much, but I appreciate how much care Sonora took to write Han's mother. Loving someone with an addiction is complicated. It's difficult because you can accept it's an illness, but you can't help feel angry at them for it.

So to recap, the Mexican rep is great, the side characters are charming and Kenny and Han's relationship is the cutest and most precious thing. All correct. But why wasn't this 5 stars?

The reason is Jackie (rant incoming)

One of the things I absolutely despise in a book is when there's a character whose only purpose is to be hated. It's not even an antagonist. It's a caricatured version of a villain. That's what Jackie was. Ridiculously evil, it felt like she was only there to get the reader all riled up. Kenny's abusive relationship could've been such a great topic, because it's situations like his that get overlooked when talking about domestic abuse. Kenny himself couldn't admit Jackie was abusive. But it was overshadowed by the lengths to which Jackie was willing to go to get him back. It felt realistic at first, but it was taken too far that it stopped contributing to the story and it became something that held it back.

What I mean by this is that Jackie's absurd antics covered a large part of the book and took away pages that could've been great to Kenny and Han's relationships and develop Han's struggles more. By the end, everything felt so rushed and I couldn't even enjoy properly when Kenny and Han got together again. It disappointed me because the book was in its way to become one of my favorites, but Jackie ruined it for me. I finished the book tired, she exhausted me so much istg I wanted slap her every time she made an appearance.

Even with that I still choose to give this book 4 stars. I love Sonora's writing and there were more things that work for me that things that didn't. I just hope with each book they get better at managing characters like Jackie. Because people like her and conflicts are important in a story, but the way her character was handled didn't work for me. Let's leave caricatured villains in the past, please.

This was a super cute book, I enjoy this author's work and this wasn't any different. This is the author's debut novel and I think it still had a touch of that new adult, upper ya vibe to it. The beginning was a bit slow for me but it sped up and was paced well for the rest of the book. The main characters were cute and I was screaming for them to get together lol. The mmc's have known each other almost their whole lives, they are best friends and currently are roommates. One of the mmc's is undocumented and after the other mmc breakup he proposes a fake marriage for a green card. As they prepare for the wedding they get even closer and realize that the feelings are real. There is this plot with one of the mmc's abusive girlfriend and I wasn't into it because of how horrible she was. There are some steamy moments and I liked how the relationship evolved though I wanted more. Overall, it's super cute and I hope the author writes more adult romance. Thank you Forever for this arc for an honest review.

CW: Racism, death of a parent(off-page), overdose, childhood neglect, ICE, deportations

Thank you Forever Publishing and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Such a sweet story! Han just lost his job and his direction to his Green Card that he had been working towards. Does this mean he might have to go back to Mexico? His parents sent him to live with his tíos when he was very young. He also has to debate whether he should keep this from his best friend and roommate Kenny. Kenny thinks he’s enjoying life with his girlfriend Jackie and his best friend. The problem is the two hate each other. In fact not many people do like Jackie. But she just gets Kenny. When Kenny finds out about Han’s situation he gets him a job but wants to do so much more. Jackie’s not supportive and forces an ultimatum. Kenny being newly single realizes that he can marry Han and that’s how Han can get his green card. They can make it work, there best friends and Han is straight so it won’t get awkward. But what if they get caught? And if Kenny’s feelings start to deepen? What if Han has some questions of his own? And Jackie will just go away right? Funny, charming, romantic, and a wonderful depiction of a deep friendship! I also loved how Sonora Reyes mixes in disability representation, race, queerness, among other things! All handled really well and will have you rooting for Han and Kenny! Highly recommend!

While you need to ignore the logistics behind the plot, overall this is a nice roomcom and it was wildly entertaining to watch these two idiots figure themselves out

The thing about Sonora Reyes' characters is that they may not be flawless, or likeable, but at the end of the day they'll always feel real.

I always appreciate when authors step out of their comfort zone, and Sonora Reyes' debut into adult lit was an enjoyable read; Kenny and Han were both fun, if intensely frustrating at times, to read about, Kenny with his desperation to please the people around him, and Han with his intensive fear of commitment. Throughout the story and as these characters begin to fake date each other, they begin to realize the ultimate root of their flaws, and the journey to growth and healing for both of them is beautifully written, full of nuance and mistakes, but so true to life.

However, there were a handful of small things that just fell flat for me, a few that I realized on my own and a few I realized in conversations with friends who I buddy read with (shoutout to @dhatislandbookworm). On the smaller scale: Jackie felt like such a one-dimensional character throughout the entirety of the book; I didn't need her to have a redemption arc or to have likeable characteristics, but the completely flat villainy of her character didn't flow well, leading to what felt like predictable plot points. For another, I felt like Leti and Tatiana were the main driving forces for both Kenny and Han; they both were such conflict avoidant characters that I feel like a lot of the plot was spent waffling around in miscommunication until Leti/Tatiana literally or figuratively pushed them to talk. And lastly, the sex scenes were entirely unrealistic; bottom-ing is not something just done out of the blue and to have a scene that transitions to that immediately felt far too fantastical. Not to mention how the kink conversations felt so diluted down to the point where it felt like a joke.

All in all, not my favorite from Sonora Reyes. I still love their characters and their highly compelling writing, but I'm hoping their next adult book will be a little more polished.

Listen, this is book is full of traumatic triggers and procedural inaccuracies about USCIS proceedings and the author acknowledges it all up front. What they set out to do and accomplished spectacularly well is tell a delightful story about two lifelong best friends and their biological and found families just trying to help each other and themselves out of shit life situations that are not their faults. The emotional turmoil and impact that abusive relationships and immigration status can have on an individual's psyche is portrayed unflinchingly honestly and with so much compassion. Did some of this come at the expense of some cartoonishly evil characters and easily resolved plot stakes? Sure! Am I mad about it enough to give it less stars and pretend I didn't finish this in one and a half sitting? Bro, please! Easiest 4 stars for vibes and Thornelius, the cactus son!

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes was a fun time. Was it a perfect book? No. Was I expecting a perfect book? Absolutely not. I think that this is definitely one of those books that you start with the expectation to have fun and you'll get fun. I enjoyed the characters, the banter and the development of them. I did find there to be some plot holes but I was quickly able to get passed it. It's cute, charming and adorable. I enjoyed my time while reading it and will definitely be recommending it for a fun queer read!

I read The Broposal by Sonora Reyes this weekend when net galley offered advanced reading access and I loved it! I had a lot of thoughts following it.

I felt really connected to the two main characters in different ways. I totally understand Kenny's people pleasing and could really feel his frustration when he wanted to satisfy everyone and couldn't, and I could also relate to his irritation over how Han couldn't say anything emotional without saying "bro". As the sappy friend in most of my social circles who tends to be over loving, I get it completely.
I had a lot of thoughts about Han too. I really felt for him, especially how he had to spend years with an ankle injury because he couldn't go to the hospital without his status as an undocumented immigrant being exposed. And as someone who is autistic myself, I also really appreciated the representation in him, it was very authentic.

Jackie made me so angry, especially when she threatened Han. She is the type of horrible character whom you cannot stop thinking about, probably because you can't believe someone that evil actually exists. I was so proud of Kenny when he finally stood up to her as well as Han when he fought back. I liked a lot of the other side characters much more, especially Tatiana.

I've never seen the Proposal, the movie this book is based off, but now I'm really curious to watch it.

My last thought is that next January can't come early enough because I am so excited to buy The Broposal when it comes out!

Kenny and Han have been besties forever—they grew up together, and they live together, and they're happy with the status quo. (Well. Mostly. Han doesn't get on very well with Kenny's girlfriend.) The one big difference in their circumstances: Kenny is a US citizen, and Han, though the US is the only home he knows, is undocumented. And when Kenny's relationship goes down the tubes, he figures the best best-friend thing he can do is to propose to Han instead—a few years of fake romance and Han will finally have the paperwork he needs to stay in the US legally. But of course, things rarely go to plan...

I didn't realize going in just how strong an Evil Ex plotline there would be. Kenny comes into the book in a long-term relationship, one that the people around him don't love but that he can't see an alternative to. And...ye gods, Jackie is AWFUL. She's physically and emotionally abusive; she's racist, homophobic, jealous, greedy; she cheats on Kenny; she actively works to isolate Kenny from his friends; she does things that I can't mention on NetGalley because there are no spoiler tags here; she levels some major threats against Han and continues to use those threats to manipulate Kenny throughout the book. I think the only positive thing we ever get about her is that she works at a domestic violence shelter, but considering that she both looks down on people who don't do such important work and is abusive herself (she doesn't believe that there's such a thing as woman-on-man abuse, natch), that isn't giving us much. (Oh, and I guess the sex is good, but since Jackie and Kenny—ooh, in an alternate universe their ship name would be Jackie Kennedy—aren't end-game, we don't see anything of that.)

Evil Villains Who Are Evil are boring. They have no complexity, and they're only ever in the plot to be evil. And the thing is: Jackie didn't have to be evil. She could be a liberal, supportive ally who gets on with Kenny's friends and donates to trans rights organizations and...like...doesn't get drunk when she shouldn't...and even one of the threats she makes against Han, perhaps made in a hotheaded moment, should be enough to make Kenny rethink his relationship. I mean—credit to Kenny—it is, but that should be enough to make it clear that Jackie is Not The One. She didn't need to be all the other things as well, and honestly I think there's enough racism and underlying threats from other characters (e.g., Daniel) to provide tension and stress. Toning Jackie way down (and perhaps cutting a few of the side plots; there were a lot) would have gone a long way for me.

So I don't know. I love seeing friendship stories; I don't think these two really have any romantic or sexual chemistry, but they seem to think they do, so that's nice for them, bro. (Also, to be fair: I'm more of an f/f reader than an m/m reader; people more invested in m/m spice might think differently than I do.) More than that, Han's situation—undocumented and with very few good options—is so underrepresented. I've known a handful of people in various circumstances who have had to think about whether getting married to get a green card is a viable option, and nobody has ever wanted to do it because it's so messy. Han and Kenny are lucky in that they are already friends and committed to being there for each other regardless of the shape of their relationship; Han never needs to worry about Kenny's ulterior motives. I think I'll be an outlier here in struggling so much with the conflict (read: Jackie), so still a good quick read if you like your villains so slimy they leave tracks (I don't) and social issues in your romances (I do).

Thanks to the author and publisher for inviting me to read a review copy through NetGalley.

Grade: B-

Best friends Kenny and Han live in domestic bliss together, except for two things: 1. Kenny's controlling girlfriend does not like Han, and 2. Han is an undocumented immigrant. After Kenny and his girlfriend break up following her ultimatum to pick between her and Han, Kenny and Han decide to get married to get Han a green card so he can become a naturalized citizen. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right? Definitely no one is catching feelings....

Review:

Pros:
- this book was smooth as butter and whenever I picked it up, I practically flew through it.
- this book walked the line between fun and romantic, and discussions of heavier topics like immigration well

Cons:
- there were too many plotlines for how short this book was. Between everything going on with Kenny's (ex) girlfriend (and there's a LOT), the issues with Han's parents, the issues with immigration, the issues with the thievery at the restaurant, Kenny's need to care for someone, Han's emotional avoidance and sexuality crisis, it was too much for me. I think just the miscommunication from the fake marriage would have been enough for 300 pages, without throwing everything else and the kitchen sink in there too. The author's note discussed that the story was condensed timeline-wise for length, but it was not likewise condensed of CONTENT for length.

Rated 4/5 stars because the author delivered what the blurb promised. I would recommend this book to someone looking for a bit of dramatic queer romance!

I was provided this ARC by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I am not normally a romance reader, but I do love a good fake marriage/marriage of convenience trope, and that is why I decided to try The Broposal. Well, that and the funny title.

I ended up enjoying reading about Han and Kenny. They both show definite growth throughout the book. Jackie made for an interesting side character.

Han’s status as an undocumented immigrant especially made the story interesting, and of course important. My one complaint is that the discussion around ICE and immigration felt very surface-level. Of course, The Broposal is a contemporary romance and therefore should focus more on the romance aspect.

I would definitely recommend this to people looking for queer romance.