Don’t let the cover of this book fool you, it will make you CRY. With themes including abuse and the struggles of coming out, The Broposal is packed with layers of nuance one might not expect when simply looking at the cover. We’re there times I was like “OH MY GOD GET TOGETHER ALREADY!” Yes. But isn’t that what friends to lovers is for? Despite its darker themes, the narrative does have a good amount of levity that really made this reading experience enjoyable and I am eagerly awaiting to read more from the author!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy of the audiobook.

The Broposal is the story of two best friends falling for each other. Alejandro, or Han for his friends, has never been in love. Sure he's had girlfriends, but he's always had a fear of commitment. These relationships only last a few weeks and Han believes it's because he knows he can never truly commit. Han is undocumented, and he lives daily with the fear of having his whole life taken away from him. His best friend since childhood is Kenny. Kenny is kind. He's very easy going, he has a great relationship with his family and friends and he's Kenny's support. He's also bi. A fact that his girlfriend has always ignored. Though Kenny is a very open person, he'd never admit he is in an abusive relationship. However, Han can see the signs.
When Han is even more fearful of his circumstances, Kenny offers an idea. Marrying each other so Han can stay. Though at first Han thinks it a joke, he finally accepts when he admits his situation to be worrying. And what's always been a friendship between them changes into something more when they realise what they really mean to each other.

This book was okay. I appreciate the fact that it doesn't shy away from very timely and dark themes, like immigration, racism, and abuse.
The fact that this book explores a relationship with an abusive girlfriend is also quite important. Kenny has to go through so much to finally stop excusing her behaviour and realising he has been a victim for years. It's sad but written realistically.

I really liked the cast that surrounds these two main leads. Though as always with romance books, I wish we'd get more of these secondary characters as their own person and not only when they are necessary for the romantic plot to advance. It was a little disappointing how Han's cousin was really fleshed out at the beginning, but as the story progresses they're only there to be the character that forces Han and Kenny to communicate with one another.

All in all it was a good story though predictable and very slow paced. Though the fake engagement happens early in the story, the miscommunication and lack of romantic progress were what made me struggle with the story. Han has issues with communicating his true feelings and Kenny is so respectful that he never wants to confront their issues. So, this dynamic gave way to unnecessary problems and issues with the pacing, and all of it is resolved only at the very end.

As I listened to the audiobook, I think it was the dual narration by André Santana and Alejandro Antonio Ruiz that made me want to keep reading. It was them that allowed me to finish this story in a couple of days. They brought the characters to life and improve the source material. I really recommend the audiobook if you are interested in this queer story of childhood friends to lovers.

Super cute LGBTQIA+ romance with a lot of heavy topics like substance abuse, homophobia, abusive relationships, and illegal immigration. Alejandro a.k.a. “Han” is an autistic illegal immigrant who is worried about getting deported. After a crazy chain of events, including a breakup with his abusive ex, Han’s bisexual long time best friend and roomie Kenny offers to marry Han to get him a green card. They set out to trick everyone they know into believing they are in love, but maybe it isn’t an act?

The secondary characters are the real stars of the book! They are a colorful cast of mostly supportive friends and family, who guide and support the MMCs along the way. I wasn’t a huge fan of either Han or Kenny at first. They both had a lot of growing up to do and I didn’t agree of how they handled anything in the book. The majority of their issues and the ensuing angst was because they refused to talk to anyone else, often including each other. They never really thought out their problem and assumed their initial thought on handling an issue was the only way it could be done. It caused a lot of unnecessary drama.

I also really enjoyed the narrators on the audio book! I think they were excellent picks for the characters they portrayed.

This book has a lot of important topics and it feels even more important in the current times we live in. There are also TWs included about all the sensitive topics.

I really liked the beginning of the book and how all the different issues developed. I Only read one other book by Sonora Reyes before and hoped that I would like this more than the other one. And it really looked like that in the first 50-60%. At one point the story lost me and I also couldn't feel any chemistry between Kenny and Han. The most believable thing about their friendship was that they know each other for so long. I sadly also didn't really like any of the main characters that much.

The story had a lot of miscommunication/no communication at all. In the beginning it was okay but I got annoyed the more often they didn't talk to each other.

Overall I don't think that this book was for me. I liked the topic and it was interesting to learn more about the different struggles.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for this Audiobook ARC!

I think this book has tried to take on too much. By 60% it wasn't an enjoyable listen anymore. I think the issues addressed are important but I'm not sure a book like this was the right place for all of them at once.

I'm glad there were TWs prior to reading but I'm still not sure these went into enough depth and I didn't know the depth of which I was signing up for.

I listened to the audio and found the narration well done!

Thankyou to Hachette and Netgalley for the audio in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hachette Audio and Forever publishing for my copies to read and enjoy.

At first I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy this book but I was wrong I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved both Kenny and Han. They were so cute together. I did not understand Kenny and his desire to want to stay with Jackie, I HATE HER! She’s the absolute worst. I was thinking of the story went in a different direction we would learn that she had lied and he wouldn’t be the father. But she’s a horrible person and I hope she gets her karma. I was sad for Han and how he was always living in fear of being deported. I can’t imagine what people in the US are going through right now with that daily fear and not knowing who they can trust. It would be terrifying. But I did enjoy the friends to lovers trope in the story. And how cute were Kenny’s parents. I laughed and I almost cried as well in this book.

I also really enjoyed the narrators, I liked that both characters had their own narrator and voices.
I’d recommend this read to everyone.

Thank you so much Hachette Audio for the ALC!

I'm a sucker for queer awakenings and the marriage of convenience trope, and because of that loved Han and Kenny's story so much. Jackie was kind of the worst though, and the drama surrounding her took away of Kenny and Han's story for me. Overall though, this was a fantastic listen!

I can’t express how sweet and beautiful this book was, but at the same time really hard to read. Sometimes it’s hard to hear things, especially ones that are really important to the current world we’re living in and not want to break down in tears. There were so many tropes that I love in this book, including fake dating and queer awakening.

The Broposal has a strong sense of community and family (all kinds), that made me happy to have the people in my life that I have. It also made me miss all of the friends I made from going to clubs, bars and coffee shops. That strong sense of belonging that you get from frequenting the same place and spending time with the same people was definitely a part of the book that I felt at home in.

At the beginning of the book, Kenny is dealing with a horrible relationship where he is being abused, both mentally and physically by his girlfriend. He hides it when speaking to his family and roommate/best friend, Han, so that he doesn’t get “judged.” It isn’t until he’s given an ultimatum to choose that he finally gets free.

Alejandro (Han) has just lost his job and it’s getting harder and harder to find one. He is a Mexican immigrant, going through the steps to become a citizen, which at times is used against him throughout the book (by side characters). He’s also straight. So this entire book becomes a way for him to find himself, because fake dating… fake marriage, like fake dating, only ends in one way: actual love.

This really released at the EXACT right time. I fell in love with these characters so quickly and desperately needed them to find a way to be together. There were multiple time where I either teared up or actually full on cried, because the scenes that were rough were ROUUUUGHHHHH!!!!! And the ones that were sappy and happy made me smile and believe that love really is real.

This is a book that I’ll be talking about for a long time.






TW: physical abuse, mental abuse, parental neglect, character threatening to call ICE, racism, accidental pregnancy, death of a parent

This book tore me apart and then put me back together again. I love this author’s writing and knew this would be a good book but I was a bit apprehensive to read it. Han and Kenny’s friendship is so pure and I loved their flirtatious scenes together. As heartbreaking as some of the story was, I am so happy with how it ended. Reyes covers some incredibly heavy topics with care. The characters felt real to me. Heads up, this story contains a few explicit scenes, so don’t be surprised when they sneak up!

Please read this book y’all!

Content Warnings:
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Xenophobia
Moderate: Addiction

The premise for The Broposal instantly drew me in. I was able to listen to the audiobook of this and I have to say the narrators did such an amazing job at bringing Kenny and Han to life. Both brought such heart and passion to their roles, I will definitely need to find more of their work. Our two MC are best friends, Kenny is in not the best of relationships and Han hasn’t been in a committed relationship. Han is also undocumented and lives his life being mindful and fearful on the daily. Through a couple of circumstances, the guys have an idea to get married so Han won’t get deported. This seemed pretty straightforward but it also had a lot of heart. I loved seeing the connection these guys already had, and the slow revelation that’s there’s more than just a friendship there. I loved the displays of love and support from their families in so many different ways. The hispanic representation in this was also done very well, I chuckled a few times at some of the slang used, and omg the mention of all the Hispanic food made my mouth water. Now, one thing I have to say is that I never despised a character so much than I have in this book (IYKYK), I found myself literally telling off this character during their scenes on my drive home lol. I do think there were a few pacing issues as some parts seem a little repetitive but nothing that threw the story off too much. I also have to mention there are some heavy topics so please check your TW’s; I appreciated that these were called out in the beginning of the audio. This was so much more than a simple romance, it’s about family, mistakes, our self worth but also about the relationships we form.

This is my first from this author and I’ll gladly check out more.

Thank you to Hachette Audio, NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing me this in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Hachette Audio for the ALC, all opinions are my own.

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes was a hard read, but not because it wasn't good, but because it is so topical to the current political climate.

Roommates Han and Kenny have been best friends forever, and roommates for a while. The book was marketed as Han needing to get his green card so they decide to marry, I thought it was going to be fluffy. Actually this has so many ups and downs. Kenny has his toxic, abusive girlfriend from high school, Jackie, give him an ultimatum. It is either her .... or Han, and Kenny chooses Han.

This book is full of heart wrenching moments and the truths of real life. Han and Kenny both are fighting the feelings under the surface and come to terms with their own sexuality. Drug abuse, living undocumented in America, fearing ICE raids and police, injuries, and more.

If you want to feel some feels, pick this up and be sad. 😢

Kenny and Han have been best friends since they were six. They're roommates and each other's person.

Han has never been in love. He's had several girlfriends, enjoys an occasional hookup, but he never felt "the earth move". He's been hurt. He was sent home to live with his tíos in the US and that has left him with fear of getting attached to anyone (well, except for Kenny). When you add that he's neurodivergent, you understand he has a hard time "reading the world".

Kenny is the loving, people pleaser who's in a relationship with the girlfriend from hell (she  keeps denying his bisexuality, gaslights and abuses him). She would also want nothing more than have Han disappear of their lives. 

When Han loses the job that has been sponsoring his visa, he is terrified that he's going to sent  back to a country he barely knows. That's when Kenny steps in and proposes. Everyone already thinks they have "a thing", so they can pull it off and keep the friendship. Well, life if more complicated than that...

This was lovely! A new author to me plus two amazing narrators! The audiobook is narrated dual style by André Santana and Alejandro Antonio Ruiz and I feel in love with their voices! André gives us the perfect people pleaser, loving and caring Kenny. His soft and mellow voice conveys all the conflicted feelings Kenny is dealing with. Alejandro does a great job portraying Han with a slight accent and with the perfect inflection to show Han's autism and his occasional befuddlement with the things happening around him. Han is a pretty vulnerable character - not only terrified of an imminent deportation but also coming to terms with his own feelings and sexuality. Lovely and touching performances!

It's a sweet book (with a dash of spice) that deals with some heavy topics. I am glad I was introduced to a new author and two new amazing narrators!

Thanks, Hachette Audio for the audiobook! 

Representation: Latine MCs, queer rep, neurodivergent MC

Content notes: ICE, police racial profiling; immigration issues; physical and emotional abuse; toxic relationship with a partner; queer phobia; addiction related to death

Thank you to Forever and Hachette Audio for the ALC.

I had very high hopes for this one. Friends to lovers, gay awakening, fake dating, POC characters, LGBTQ+…what is not to like?

And it started off pretty good. Han is undocumented, so he lives his life exceptionally cautiously, trying to always stay under the radar. And his best friend (and roommate) Kenny is like this anxious chihuahua with separation anxiety, stuck onto the first girlfriend he ever had—even though she is emotionally and physically abusive. After Kenny breaks up with the horrible girlfriend, he proposes (har de har har) a marriage of convenience to get Han a green card.

But here’s the thing, the (ex-)girlfriend Jackie is what ruined so much of the story for me. I felt like all the characters just let her get away with everything. I know—I KNOW—that both recognizing and leaving an abusive relationship is hard. But does her storyline have to take up so much of the book? Isn’t this book supposed to be about Han and Kenny?

Bah, until I was writing this, I don’t think I realized how much that bothered me. On the plus side, the narrators were fantastic and they are the reason why I enjoyed listening as much as I did. The Broprosal was the first from this author, and I’d be open to giving them another try.

2.5 Stars
I think that this book is a case of taking on too many traumatic issues, by the 80% mark it was kind of a miserable listen. The topics explored in this book definitely have value but I think that this kind of romance novel wasn't a great fit for them. The concept of fake dating/marriage is very silly goofy and it feels tonally dissonant when paired with issues of domestic abuse and family members with substance abuse disorders. Obviously I knew going in this book would touch on difficult subjects, specifically ICE and immigration, but I didn't expect it to be stacked with other things.

In regards to the audiobook itself, this is my second book I've listened to read by Andre Santana and I think his style just isn't my vibe. I don't think his narration would ruin a good book, but it doesn't enhance a book that isn't working for me.

CW: death of a parent due to overdose, ICE, racism: on page racial profiling, homophobia from a parent, domestic abuse: emotional and physical on page

3.5 stars rounded up

I really wanted to enjoy this book. But I hated the antagonist Jackie. She was the worst. She made my blood boil. I really wanted to reach into the book and slap her. The writing was well done and the narration of the audiobook was great. I just couldn't get past Jackie. This book stressed me out and I like books to be an escape. This one wasn't.

This book was so good. It was a great mix of funny, sweet and heartbreaking. I adored their friendship that turned into more and just the way that they stuck up for each other. It managed to continuously give me warm and fuzzy feelings while also being emotional and tense.

CN for abusive current turned ex partner, discussions around abortion.

Thanks to Netgallery for access to this ARC.

Genre: Romance MM
Format: Audio
POV: Dual
Tropes: Marriage of convenience, fake marriage, green card/undocumented, excessive use of the word “bro”, abusive ex girlfriend, gay awakening, childhood friends, queer characters, neurodivergent MC, POC MCs
Ending: HEA
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Age suggestion: 18+

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes

Reading this book, the week of inauguration was a little rough. The story is so timely that it was gut-wrenching at times. It covers immigration and the fear of ICE, having a drug addictied parent and an abusive partner. But at it's core it's a story of found family and building a supportive queer community.

Han and Kenny have been friends since they were little, so close that they were voted most likely to get married in high school. Now, roommates they are still very close.
Kenny is bisexual but is with a girlfriend who is restrictive of his expression and abusive. Han is struggling to find work and is constantly in fear of being deported. So after Kenny and Jackie break up, he suggests that he and Han get married to help him get his citizenship. Of course, thorough this "marriage of convenience" charade, the guys discover their true feelings for each other. I love the "it's always been you" trope. And friends to lovers is always cute!
For Han, this also means discovering his sexuality and coming out to family and friends. These two have great chemistry. I love how soft they are with each other. But it was a bit of a slow burn.
Jackie, Kenny's ex, is horrible. The drama with her was almost too much. On top of everything else going on, I got so sick of her so fast. There was a little too much drama overall for me. But the story was paced well, so it kept me hooked.
I listened to the audiobook, which had two great narrators. Their emotional delivery was spot-on. It made me so much more immersed in the story.

I really loved this one, and it's really stayed with me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @hachetteaudio @readforeverpub @netgalley and the author for my audiobook ARC.

✨ ARC REVIEW ✨

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I fell in love with Sonora Reyes as a writer after reading THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL and THE LUIS ORTEGA SURVIVAL CLUB last year! They have such a unique voice and compelling way of storytelling that works so well in a YA, I have to be honest… I was a bit worried that their style might not work as well in an adult romance?

Happy to report, I had NOTHING to worry about - this book is totally awesome!

Han and Kenny have a special friendship that has spanned the majority of their lives, in THE BROPOSAL their friendship is put to the test when they enter into a marriage of convenience to save Han from being deported.

Han and Kenny’s story is all of the things a good romance should be, it’s fun and swoony featuring characters who are impossible not to love! But the reason I enjoyed it so much was for all of the things it celebrates; queer love, Mexican culture, neurodivergence, chosen family, drag and more!

The characters go on one heck of a journey in this book and so did I! 😭 Who doesn’t love a book that teaches you bout how to be a more understanding and kinder person?? Couldn’t we all use a bit more of that right now… ❤️

Thanks to the author, @hachetteaudio @readforeverpub and @netgalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review! THE BROPOSAL is out now! ✨

This book was a lot heavier than I was expecting which made it difficult to read in the past few weeks, while everything we've taken for granted is so heavy and in so much upheaval. I was like I'll read a queer book to help ease my heart but that... didn't work so well.

Parts of this did in fact ease my heart and make me forget about current affairs. Kenny and Han had such a great caring relationship, and the scenes between them were great.

I would get really into the story and forget the real-world happenings, and then ICE would be brought up and it would be a gut-punch reminder of oh, right, that's what our world is like now. And then I'd get sucked into the story again.

Han being undocumented and scared about ICE discovering him, enough that he couldn't go to the hospital when he broke his ankle so it never healed properly, was hard to read, especially in our current political atmosphere. And the way that was used to threaten him was horrid.

I really liked how most of the characters were Latinx. It immediately created a sense of community that added some much-needed comfort to the book.

Kenny's abusive ex Jackie really threw a wrench in things, and it was hard to watch him trying to stand up to her. She was just so over-the-top evil, though. The second half was hard to read because she just wouldn't go away.

Also, I felt like a lot of situations were glossed over so we didn't really have to delve into feelings or have heart to hearts. Kenny and Han would just suddenly fake a fight or make a joke and run away? That was a little weird. I just wanted them to open up emotionally. I mean the reasons they struggle with that are good, so I understand why they didn't, but it was frustrating.

For all of that, it had a lot of heart and touched on a lot of issues that I care about. I couldn't help but like Kenny and Han. And I really liked Letty. They should have been on page more.

I think I might have had an easier time really getting into the book and enjoying it more if we weren't living in the times we are living in.

The audiobook was really well done. The narrators did a great job bringing Kenny and Han to life. Listening helped with the immersion and with forgetting about the world.

Overall, this was a really good read. I would just recommend saving it for a time when the country isn't in such upheaval.

*Thanks to Forever and Hachette Audio for providing an early copy for review.

I had high expectations for this book, because I just read and liked The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by the same author. This one started out great, but by the end it got too messy for me. Someone who likes romance with lots of drama would probably enjoy it more than I did, so I would still recommend it. It was a well written book, just not the kind of romance I like. Also, the bad guy of the story was such a bad person, I wish she had gotten more of a comeuppance.
I got an ARC of the audiobook through Netgalley, so I listened to the book. Both of the narrators were really great.