This book made me frustrated and happy and all around emotional. A good best friends to lovers-romance is my absolute favorite and this is a sweet one.

But it’s not just a story about two friends falling in love. It’s also a story about abuse, about the fear of being deported and a lot of family and friendship.

There were a few about the book that made it not fully perfect and one was Jackie. She was absolutely awful, almost a caricature of an abusive partner. But I also found the way Han and Kenny never asked anyone for help. They had so many loving people around them who would have dropped everything to help. Or raise hell. So that made the book a bit less great for me.

But the romance, the sweetness and how the author made place for mental health, autism, domestic violence and exploration of sexuality, makes the book a bit more great.

/ Denise

Alejandro (Han) and Kenny have been friends for forever. When Han loses the job that promised to sponsor his work visa and Kenny finds himself free of an abusive relationship, the two friends decide to enter into a marriage of convenience so that Han can stay in the country legally. But what happens when they realize their fake relationship comes with some very real feelings?

This was such a fun feel-good romance. While the author doesn't shy away from difficult topics, such as the physical and emotional abuse Kenny suffers at the hands of his ex-girlfriend, his relationship with Han is so sweet and such a huge breath of fresh air.

There is one open door spicy scene, but if you prefer closed door romance, it's easy enough to skip over this scene without missing any main plot points.

I listened to this one on audio and really enjoyed both the narrators - they both did a great job really bringing their characters to life. My only complaint was that when it came to female characters, neither narrator did a great job creating voices so during scenes with multiple female characters, it wasn't always easy to immediately identify who was talking just based on voice.

Read if you like:
Marriage of convenience
Queer rep
Contemporary romance
Friends to lovers
Dual-POV
Strong family bonds

Reyes’ The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School is one of my all time favorite books and I could not wait to dive into their newest release. I deeply admire and appreciate how Reyes writes such complex stories and characters and delves into heavier themes and nuance with incredible care and sensitivity. And The Broposal is no exception to that as it handles topics like toxic relationships, addiction, immigration, and domestic violence.

While I think Reyes did a phenomenal job with these conversations and important representation, I really struggled with a few things. The first being Jackie. Jackie’s character was truly awful and she was manipulative and abusive and I have never loathed a character more. I do understand having her character on page as there are Jackies in the world and it isn’t as simple as “just leave” for the Kennys who are gripped by fear from constant lying, threats, and violent outbursts. That being said, it was truly too much and her toxicity was carried too far through the book.

The other qualm I had was the lack of communication. Kenny and Han, they’re endearing and I wanted to wrap them both in a hug, BUT my goodness… they still weren’t communicating at the 97% mark… like we get a declaration of love from Han but Kenny’s response is for them to get physical. Ahhhhh say it back, Kenny!!!

For those going into this book expecting a romance, I would say this is more contemporary fiction. There is a romance, but The Broposal is more focused on Han and Kenny’s individual journeys and the romance is not at the forefront.

Ultimately, I am quite conflicted because I enjoyed parts but there were others (ahem, Jackie) that had me yelling at the audiobook because I just wanted Kenny and Han to be safe, loved, and to admit their feelings for each other.

I did really enjoy the audiobook narration and was so glad that Reyes gave us a dual POV and the narrators each gave such emotional and moving performances as they brought these characters to life.

This romance was...uneven. It tries to be funny, but when juxtaposed with some of the serious themes of the book it kind of falls apart. I really enjoyed a good chunk of this book, but the last 10% really wrapped up too fast, characters moving through tense and traumatizing moments way too fast. The narrators of the audiobook, on the other hand, were unequivocally wonderful, truly bringing the characters to life. They made me enjoy the book a lot more than if I'd read it in print.

I really enjoyed this book. Whew Jackie worked all my nerves. I’m so glad that Kenny came to his senses and chose his childhood friendship over this toxic relationship. I enjoyed the undocumented character and I appreciate that it touches on a topic that’s currently in the headlines. Such a beautiful friendship that turns into so much more. Alejandro watching kids movies is so relatable. Overall, this was a great rom com and the narrators were the perfect fit to bring these characters to life.

I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review.

This was so lovely. I’d like to preface by saying that I will never understand the fear and anxiety that Han felt in regards to citizenship, and have no comments in regards to that besides how well I felt the fear that was written that citizenship problems cause. Especially- as someone who does not have to deal with these problems. I don’t want to speak for a group of people I am not a part of, so don’t want to overstep anymore about that topic matter.
The romance between Kenny and Han was so sweet and well spaced out. I loved the little bits we were given starting at the beginning, but not completely breaking the tension until the nearish-end. They had moments, kisses, tension all throughout the book the kept the romance going easily and keeping the reader entertained and wanting to follow their romance. It was truly so sweet, seeing how their love languages fit each other so well and how they were so intertwined in each other’s lives that their habits even complement each other’s. I loved the side characters as well, and felt that both boys’ families were really good additions to the stories. The complexities of each and how they changed Kenny and Han. I loved this book, and the narrators did an excellent job as well. Their voices really came to life with this audiobook.

ALC BOOK REVIEW

The Proposal by Sonora Reyes
4 STARS

Thank you Forever and Hachette Audio for the #free ALC of this book!

SYNOPSIS: “Alejandro (Han for short) has never been in love. He purposefully keeps his heart at arm’s length from anyone who might want it, which he lets his family and friends think is due to commitment-phobia paired with a heavy dose of emotional constipation. Now, though, he's coming to learn that it might have more to do with his fear of looking too deeply inward, whether that be his sexuality (he's straight, right?), or the looming anxiety about being undocumented in an increasingly hostile environment.

On the other hand, Han’s roommate and best friend, Kenny, is stuck in a soul-sucking relationship with a woman who wants nothing more than for Kenny to ditch Han and marry her. Kenny can't stand being alone, and has always been afraid of being punished for making the wrong choice, so his girlfriend happily makes most of his decisions for him. But when she forces his hand and makes him choose between their relationship and his best friend, he finally knows without a doubt who the correct choice is.

But things aren’t as easy as they should be with Kenny's ex out of the picture. When Han loses the job that had promised to sponsor his work visa, it leaves the two of them anxious as ever. In order to give his best friend a chance at security (and ok, maybe to make his ex a little jealous), Kenny asks Han to marry him. But neither of them are prepared for the very real feelings pretending to be madly in love stirs up.”

REVIEW: The Broposal is a strong debut in adult romance, blending humor, sweetness, and emotional depth. The story centers around a modern marriage of convenience plan between best friends, which brings a fresh twist to the romance genre. Their journey is filled with moments of levity but also addresses deeper, more serious issues.

What sets this book apart is how it balances its romance with important topics like immigration and abuse. These themes are woven into the narrative, giving the story added complexity and making it feel more grounded in reality.

Narrators André Santana and Alejandro Antonio Ruiz did a really lovely job bringing these characters to life.

I’m so happy I had the opportunity to read this one. It’s a lovely example of contemporary romance, offering a compelling mix of light-hearted moments and emotional intensity. It’s a thoughtful exploration of love, friendship, and the challenges that come along the way.

Publisher: Forever, Hachette Audio
Pub date: OUT NOW!

This was so much fun! A delightful, at times hilarious, and at other times poignant friends to lovers romance that hit all the tropes! The romance had me kicking my feet, and the more serious topics were explored with care. Loved it!

4 stars.

Go into Sonora Reyes's "The Broposal" knowing it is much, much heavier than you're likely anticipating based on the cover alone. I did enjoy this friends-to-lovers, fake dating, marriage of convenience romance, but my god, it frequently made me sad and angry (which is the point, but still!). I loved Kenny and Han so, so much. Sure, they are both flawed, but that is what makes them feel more realistic as characters. There is also a gay awakening plot in this story, which also feels authentic. This book tackles tough subjects like immigration, abusive relationships, being abandoned, lacking support, homophobia, and addiction. I laughed, I cried... but this story is not for the faint of heart. My one complaint is that there is *a lot* going on in this story, with lots of side plots and side characters to remember and little details that kept getting jumbled in my brain. It's probably just a me problem. Still, this is a well-written, excellent book that I highly recommend. I also highly recommend this book on audiobook thanks, in large part, to the stellar dual narration from André Santana and Alejandro Antonio Ruiz. They bring these characters to life in a fantastic way!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sonora Reyes, Hachette Audio, and Forever for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Oh my goodness. I loved this book so much. Such an enjoyable read. I truly enjoyed watching these two figure things out and become better in themselves, and with each other, along the way. So many good topics covered and those two make it all the better.

I appreciated the trigger warnings provided by the author. It's nice to know what headspace you may need to walk into this book. I truly did enjoy all aspects of this book, even though some of the topics were a little heavy.

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for the chance to read this book!

I Loved this book so much! the idea behind it felt so unique and it really held up to that expectation. The representation was amazing especially how it showed the intersectionaltiy of the characters identites. a well writen and beautiful story that I 100% recomend.

Thank you to Hachette Audio for the advanced copy of this book. I really enjoyed the narrators for this audiobook as well as the story itself. This story is something that is so real to many in our country today. Their story and the roller coaster ride it goes on was so heartwarming to read. They also did a great job of making you hate Jackie more and more throughout the book.

This is a truly lovely story! Everything about these characters and storyline is wholly lovely, exciting, heart wrenching and warming at the same time, and just overall a beautiful story.

I loved how the abundance of love and tenderness between Han and Kenny. How they both love so deeply and freely. I deeply appreciated the timely fears and tragedies of the story, and how the humane and compassionate response is centered. There is so much joy, fight, fear, and strength in this story, it rings so true to life and magically romantic all at the same time.

The narration was perfect, the narrators captured the characters so well, they let me fall so seamlessly into the story.

Thank you so much for the ALC!

I really enjoyed this. Love a good friends to lovers with a side of queer awakening. I also thought a lot of the tougher topics (undocumented immigrants, toxic/abusive relationships, etc) were all handled in a very realistic way and well done.

I did feel like things wrapped up a little quickly in the end considering how much was going on in this book, but overall, a solid adult debut and I can’t wait for more!

Both narrators did a fantastic job!

I really enjoyed this. Although it's understandably marketed as a queer adult romance novelm Reyes does A LOT in this story. Childhood bestfriends and roomates, one undocumented and the other leaving an abusive relationship, explore a marriage of convenience. It's touching, gay, angry, and very bannable. I loved the friendship, the emotional support cactus, the family around them, and that they found things hard to figure out despite using lots of romance tropes. Lovely stuff.

The Broposal was a delightful read, and I could not be happier that I took a chance to read this book. Sonora Reyes did a wonderful job developing characters and a plot that left me all in on reading. I found myself unable to stop listening to this work, which should also be mentioned. Hats off to the narrator for giving a voice to the characters throughout each chapter. One of the other things that stood out to me about this book was the subject and tension of this book at a time when all of this is so relevant and had me rooting for Han and Kenny even more. Somehow, this book perfectly balances the problematic and heavy subjects of abuse and immigration with the lightness and beauty of a slow-burn romance.

The Broposal was SO CUTE, and I felt all the feels! The story is sweet, funny, and full of heart, with characters that are impossible not to love. The romance had me grinning nonstop, and the emotional moments hit just the right notes. It’s the perfect blend of lighthearted fun and heartfelt depth. Absolutely adored it!

I've heard great things about Sonora Reyes, so I wasn't surprised to find that this was phenomenal. The cover made me think this would be a silly MM rom com - I was surprised to find a much more compelling and nuanced story about the experience of undocumented people, complicated families, and trying to flee an abusive relationship. This was so good and kept my attention from start to finish.

The narration enhanced my experience with this story in a major way. I felt like I really got to know each character because of the performance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette audiobooks for this ALC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this production of The Broposal and I would encourage you to get the audiobook. André Santana and Alejandro Antonio Ruiz brought this story to live. Their voices complemented well the different personalities of the characters.


I think this is a well-thought, well written story. I could tell Sonora Reyes is used to write Young Adult because while the themes of this book were definitely adult, the story was a bit clunky in terms of timing and also burdened by the miscommunication. If you don’t like miscommunication this may not be the book for you. I however liked this journey in spite of the fact that it wasn’t easy. It was a journey of self discovery and most of all a journey of love.
I liked how their families supported Kenny and Han but I wish Leti would have more of a role outside of encouraging these two cutie patooties to get their heads out of their arises. Jackie… When I catch you Jackie. It had been a while since I hated a character so much but this must be the sign of how well and realistically she was written.

I would definitely recommend this.

This is a hella cute romance about 2 roommates who plan to get married so that one of them can get a green card. It has all the tropes and is just delightful overall. I did think a lot of the tone read more YA so I was always a little thrown by the adult scenes (those definitely did exist) and I could have done with a little less drama in certain scenes.... but the main 2 characters were so likeable that I still loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley, Sonora Reyes, and Hachette Audio for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own.

The audiobook was also fantastically read, and definitely added to my enjoyment. I felt like the characters had such great voices, and it was read in a fast and funny tone that kept me engaged.