Sonora Reyes has been known for their YA novels, but The Broposal marks their first adult novel. Alejandro and Kenny have been best friends since they were in elementary school and roommates for several years. But Alejandro (Han) is undocumented and limited in what he can do in the United States. Kenny decides to marry him so he can get his US citizenship. Never mind that Han is (probably) straight or that Kenny just got out of a bad relationship. Their fake marriage is all too believable to their family and friends… but is it real to Han and Kenny?

Why I Chose This Book:
I was immediately interested in The Broposal for many reasons. First, this is the most realistic reason for a modern fake relationship I’ve seen in contemporary romances. I also loved that this highlights immigrants in a way that is sincere and nuanced. It had all the right ingredients for a beautiful love story.

What I Liked:
- Latine and immigrant representation
- Kenny is bisexual; Han is straight.. maybe? Homophobic? Actually gay? He’ll find out!
- Getting out of an abusive relationship
- Navigating the addiction of a family member
- Loving family members and friends
- The fake relationship was actually way too real!
- Friends to lovers

Audiobook
André Santana and Alejandro Antonio Ruiz narrate Kenny and Han in The Broposal. They both do a phenomenal job, each bringing their respective character to life. I could picture them each so well, in large part thanks to the tone each narrator gives the characters. This was such an excellent listen, and I’m glad I read the book this way.

Final Thoughts
I absolutely loved The Broposal. It has so much heart and emotion, weaving in numerous different themes without ever feeling overcrowded. It touches on so many important topics—from immigration status to sexuality to the meaning of your relationships—and does all so well and with such nuance. This is a book I’d urge everyone to read. I can’t wait to read more from Sonora Reyes.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for allowing me a copy of this audio book in return for an honest review.

Han and Kenny are best friends and roommates. When Han loses his job which had been willing to sponsor his work visa Kenny, fresh from a toxic relationship, suggests they get married to allow Han to get his Green Card and stay legally in the country. Now they just have to convince immigration, keep their restaurant jobs and avoid Kenny’s ex all while realising their feelings for each other may be changing.

Both André Santana and Alejandro Antonio Ruiz gave wonderful performances as Han and Kenny, the humour, hurt and hope was achingly nuanced in their characters.

What I liked: I really enjoyed the first half, and the ending. I liked the friendship between the two MC’s and the relationships with their friends and families. I was happily listening to what I thought was going to be a new take on an old favourite trope, which for large parts was the case. I loved the neurodivergence of the MC’s and found the use of fear of living illegally in a country was well examined.

What didn't work for me: It became one of those stories where too much bad stuff happened to the main characters, this is why I gave up watching ‘Home and Away’ and ‘Eastenders’. The cover art and description led me to believe this was going to be a romantic comedy, hint to publishers, don’t put cartoon covers on books that aren’t comedies! Stuff got dark and sad! I was so angry with one character (which I know we’re supposed to hate) that I actually shouted in frustration that the book was continuing to throw up obstacles and had to stop listening for a few hours. And if the external issues weren’t enough the whole “truth pact” that Han and Kenny’s friendship is based on was blown out of the water on numerous occasions, a pet peeve of mine is when characters think they're doing what is best for the other by not speaking up or making assumptions, this happened too often for me in this book.

Final thoughts: A well written, if overly dramatic, romance that drags its heroes and readers through an emotional wringer.

Who would like this: Fans of contemporary romance and soap operas.

I *adored* Sonora Reyes' YA book "The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School" so I jumped at the chance to listen to the ARC of her latest novel (just published last week!) "The Broposal." This is a new-adult book (the characters are 23) and given the fairly graphic sexual content, probably not school-appropriate. However, if you serve a public library with books for all ages, you may want to consider this gem. While not everything worked for me (some plot bits didn't feel realistic, I wanted the ring to be mentioned again after the proposal, and there were times I wanted to shake the MCs and tell them to TALK), this is still a sweet story with real heart, featuring two guys who would do *anything* for each other. Alejandro ("Han") has been in America since he was a young child, but is undocumented, and constantly worries about getting found out and deported. After his bff Kenny finally breaks up with his toxic gf, Kenny suggests marrying Han as a way of ensuring Han can stay in the country. They've been close friends for more than 15 years, and have shared an apartment for 5 years, so fooling ICE should be easy, right? But what about fooling themselves? Han always thought he was straight, and it's a shock to slowly realize that fake-kissing Kenny feels more right than kissing any girl ever had. And while Kenny already knew he was bi, he hadn't ever realized how he truly felt about Han. But they both have longtime emotional injuries to heal - Han's mother's drug addiction, and Kenny's abusive ex. Can they be vulnerable enough to admit they want their fake marriage to be real? DO heed the content warnings, but they're important factors in the story for those who can safely handle them. @andreonthemic and @alejandroruizvo did an outstanding job on the audio book. Thank you @netgalley and @hachetteaudio for the audio ARC.

ALC Review: The Broposal by Sonora Reyes
Pub Date: January 21, 2025
Narrators: André Santana and Alejandro Antonio Ruiz

When Kenny's abusive girlfriend makes him choose between her and his best friend Han (Alejandro), there's no question for Kenny. It's Han. It's always been Han. Han has recently lost his job and as an undocumented immigrant, is worried about what he's going to do next. Kenny realizes now that he's no longer tied to Jackie, he can offer Han something that will keep him in America (and Kenny's life) forever - marriage. Though it initially starts out as a marriage of convenience, Han starts to realize that his hesitancy to commit with the women he's dated isn't because he's afraid of commitment, it's because he's gay. And he's definitely harboring a years long crush on Kenny.

This book is so complex, layered, and emotional. It did have me lowkey stressing for a large part of it wondering how these characters would actually get their HEA but of course they did! The pining is delicious and this is definitely a case of "idiots in love". The stakes here are really high, particularly for a contemporary romance. I was immediately invested. The characters are messy but that makes them feel all that more realistic. I loved both of their families and friends and hated Jackie with the most passion! Given the nature of our current political climate, books like this are more important than ever. Everyone deserves a happily ever after and to be able to see themselves represented.

I do wish a little more of the book focused on their relationship as opposed to the external forces keeping them apart. The only other little thing that bothered me is that it felt like the sex scenes were inserted at odd points. Very unlike me, but I think this book would have worked just as well for me without those scenes.

And I absolutely loved the dual narration! Particularly the narration for Han really brought this book to life for me. Both narrators were able to include so much emotion in their performances that really got me invested in the story and the characters. I'm really glad I listened to this via audio in order to get that addition of the narration.

Read this for:
- bisexual/gay representation
- Latinx
- Queer side characters
- Neurodivergent rep

Thank you to Hachette Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really liked this one overall. The main characters were really layered and I really enjoyed their friendships and how they were so different from each other but still worked so well together. I really liked the parallel storylines, the friendships and family relationships. The villain was a pretty realistic villain and I absolutely hated her. Leti was my absolute favorite. I wish we'd seen even more of them. Some of the romance felt a little fast though and I guess it didn't always feel 100% realistic. But that was a very minor setback.
I also really enjoyed the audiobook. The narrators were great and had really distinct voices. It really added an extra layer to this book!
Overall, this was such a good, layered romance that I fully recommend. I can't wait to read more books by Sonora Reyes!

Kenny and Han have been friends since the first grade. When Kenny breaks up with his long term girlfriend, it's a no brainer to offer to marry Han to get him citizenship. This marriage of convenience becomes anything but as long term friends turn into something more.

When I picked up this book, I was expecting a light romantic comedy. What I got was a fun but poignant story for the times. What I thought would be a fun story of two “bros” falling in love while fake dating turned into a book I cannot stop thinking about. This book deals with themes of coming out, spousal abuse, emotional abuse, and immigration.

I love to listen to any rom-coms I read on audiobook. I typically think that the writing styles and content work really well on audio. The Broposal worked SO well on audio mainly because of the two fabulous narrators, Andre Santana and Alejandro Antonio Ruiz. Both of the narrators had great comedic timing and did the voices of the other very well. I also loved the voice for Jackie (--every time she started talking, I had a visceral reaction). This book being dual narrated was also a perk as it was nice to have both Han and Kenny have their own voices.

This is a book that I will not stop recommending and I will definitely recommend the audio version!

Listening to this felt so timely with the new administration's take on undocumented immigrants. Marriage of convenience is always a favorite trope for me so I was intrigued by this story. Han and Kenny have been life long friends and are roommates too.

I thought their friendship and family ties were great but the antagonist felt so over the top. Their budding romance was great with the tension but the 3rd act breakup could've been prevented with more communication.

The Narration by André Santana and Alejandro Antonio Ruiz was great. I appreciate that they told us whose POV it was each chapter.

Thank you @readforeverpub @hachetteaudio for a copy of the audiobook.

It's the representation for me! Kenny and Han's friends to lovers story was an emotional roller-coaster! This book made me laugh, made me smile, made me mad, made me sad, but it also left me feeling hopeful! I loved this book so much! Definitely ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️!!!!!

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an alc!

the broprosal was simultaneously wholesome/smutty, and focuses on healing and entering a healthy relationship, but also very heavy. sensitive topics include: abusive relationships with manipulative partners, concerns of deportation, drugs and overdosing, and racism.

as for the audio, i enjoyed both the narrators!

Kudos to the narrators (André Santana and Alejandro Antonio Ruiz) for the superb narration. I think this is the first audiobook I've listened to that had explicit sex scenes. Careful who's around when you have it on! We get explicit description but not much in the way of vocalizations.

On the story and the romance at the heart of it ... well done and credible, despite the unbelievable I really enjoyed learning about the characters as the story went along. "Han" learning things about himself and is constantly, believably on edge, being undocumented, and the daily plots points deeply illustrate the hypervigilance and undercurrent of fear that peppers everyday life. Kenny is involved with a woman who is an abuser, and we've all known someone like her ... of course, she works at a women's shelter, plain as day. There's cute pets and a cuter sidekick character in a nonbinary cousin. The only part that annoyed me was a common trope in the romance genre: the characters get stuck in their heads instead of talking out the obvious. Sigh. I guess we can't have it all!

Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of this audiobook- timely debuting on January 21,2025. Broposal is the epitome of don’t judge a book by its cover. This is a heavy emotional and serious best friends to lovers adult romance. The triggers given by the author’s note on abusive relationships and immigration issues are significant in the story. Left you fighting for and supporting the MCs Kenny and Hans throughout the story. The character development of all the characters throughout the story (except Jackie) is very well done and the narration of the audiobook I feel really added to the depth of your compassion for each and everyone.

Alejandro "Han" purposefully avoids romantic entanglements, masking his deeper fears about his sexuality and the vulnerability of being undocumented. Meanwhile, his best friend and roommate, Kenny, is trapped in a controlling relationship with a girlfriend who forces him to choose between her and Han. When Kenny chooses Han and his ex leaves, the fallout deepens when Han loses his job, threatening his visa. Desperate to help his friend—and perhaps to provoke his ex—Kenny proposes a marriage of convenience to Han. But as they pretend to be in love, real feelings emerge, forcing both men to confront the truth about themselves and each other.

I would kill for Han and Kenny.
That being said, Jackie, count you're fucking days, bitch. 👊🏻🤬

This book was both beautiful and heartbreaking. Kenny and Han's story has always been one full of love. They were with each other through difficult times, and it was refreshing to see how their relationship had changed. The narrators did a fantastic job bringing this story to life and expressing Han's fear and uncertainty about his immigration status and not knowing what could happen at any moment. Jackie's character was manipulative, but I feel like her character added to the story and highlighted how abuse can look in different forms. Overall, it is a fantastic read that will have you in your feels.

Thanks to Forever and Hachette Audio for the ALC!

The Broposal was a surprising mix of sweet, funny, and emotionally intense. It's an adult romance debut about a modern marriage of convenience plan between best friends.

Kenny is bisexual and in an abusive relationship with his long-time girlfriend, but he doesn't want to admit she's abusive. His roommate and best friend since childhood is Han (Alejandro) a neurodivergent undocumented immigrant. Han hates the girlfriend, but tries to be supportive. He also thinks he's straight, but he's never had strong feelings for a woman either. And he's always afraid of being suddenly deported and losing the life he's built for himself. An ultimatum finally gets Kenny to break things off with his girlfriend, and then he decides to propose marriage to Han so he can get his green card. But what begins as convenience quickly becomes a lot more....

This book does an excellent job of balancing really difficult and heavy subject matter with the lightness and beauty of this burgeoning romance. I was really rooting for Kenny and Han, and this story feels really timely. I also think a later in life queer awakening is not uncommon among neurodivergent people and I appreciate seeing that represented. The audio narration is excellent and gives the vibes of the characters, and nails the varied emotions of the story. Definitely recommend. I received an audio copy for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, Forever, and Sonora Reyes for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a queer romance with a quite hearty plot. While the author's note states in the beginning that she does not intend to be educational or informative- I did find it to be an eye opening reminder of the circle many are caught in during the immigration process.

I think this will be a great book for a queer book club to discuss- one which I would love to be a fly on the wall for. I'd love to hear how people relate (or don't relate) to Han's experience discovering his sexuality.

Please check the content warnings before reading- as I implied before- this book has substance and faces real issues head on.

Narration was very well done and I would definitely happily seek out these narrators again.

I do love a fake relationship trope: getting married so your best bro can get a green card *chefs kiss* ✨ I loved all of the elements of this story that follow a fake relationship - the kissing for practice, the PDA feeling a little too real, both thinking they're the only one having Feelings, the p i n i n g, the blurring of the lines between real and pretend.

Even though this is mostly a feelgood romcom, it also deals with heavy topics. I recommend this for white readers to get an inside look at the fear that comes with being undocumented.

There was a little too much back and forth and drama with their relationship for my tastes. I prefer when the drama is something they have to face together, not something that keeps them apart.

Bonus: I love that Han is "straight" and wondered if he's homophobic bc he was uncomfortable when Kenny was with other boys.

The narrators also did a great job and were perfect for these characters and the story.

Such an incredible story! The third act breakup killed me. But such a relevant story with this times. 10/10 and the Audi was amazing.

I thought this would be a cute, over the top, "idiots to lovers" trope book, and it was certainly all of those things, but it was also incredibly angsty and filled with emotions. I loved the representation of Han as a queer, autistic, and an undocumented immigrant, it's refreshing to see intersectional characters that feel fully fleshed out, and the representation here felt like it was done really well.

The only character who felt somewhat one dimensional is Jackie, the villain. Jackie is described as a cartoon character villain girlfriend, and that's honestly what she feels like. She doesn't have many redeeming qualities, even when viewed from Kenny's perspective, which made her feel a bit flat. I couldn't understand her relationship with Kenny at all, and all the drama she caused dominated the story. I do wish there was a bit more room for Kenny to really process his freedom from her.

I wasn't a fan of the third act break up and how it played out, but then I almost never am! All of the plot drama is fairly over the top, but the emotions are evocative, and the book kept me hooked until the end (I stayed up until 1am reading it in a single sitting.)

In addition to the eARC, I was also granted the ALC from Forever and Hachette Audio (thanks to both!) and found the audiobook narrators to be perfect for these characters. They're both very emotive and sounded very true to life, the tone and mannerisms of each character were just perfect. I highly recommend the audio version of this book.

I expected a super cute MM rom-com and while it was, it was so much more than that. The story touched on a lot of really relevant issues. I was not expecting trigger warnings before the book started.

I loved all of the queer characters and people of color in the story. The queer community was represented well which is always so lovely to see.

I really enjoyed seeing Han's character grow and come into himself throughout the book.

I received an Audio copy of this for review. The narrators were great. The accents were perfect and they were really easy to understand at an increased speed.

Another fantastic queer book by Sonora Reyes. They manage to capture so much about what it’s like to be queer and also POC. I really enjoyed my time with these two MMC’s and seeing their story come together, bro!