The Proposal Project is another super fun romance read from Donna Marchetti, I was a big fan of her debut novel Hate Mail, and was so excited to be able to read TPP a bit early so I dove straight in.

I loved the characters in this one, Tina was so much fun from the get go. I really enjoyed seeing aspects of Tina and Ryan's relationship as well as the budding relationship between Pris and Oliver.

The romance was simply lovely, I always enjoy the hate to love, but not really hate type dynamics and Donna really did an excellent job with the chemistry between Oliver and Pris.

This book gives off 2000s romcom dynamics and I am so here for it. I just know all the romance readers are going to eat this up as it is the perfect summer read. I honestly could not put this book down.

I didn't think that Donna would be able to top my love for Hate Mail, yet she releases this. I have started to develop a strong love of romantic comedies, and this is the perfect example of one. Just the right about of cheesiness without being cringey. I laughed and swooned. If you like fake dating, heart warming moments, plenty of laughs and enemies to lovers, then you need to pick this up. Oh, and did I mention a little sprinkling of the one bed trope?

4 stars. Fun and cute!

Priscilla is planning her best friend Tina's proposal. But then she hears that Tina's boyfriend Ryan is going to propose! Together with Ryan's best friend Oliver (whom she hates at first) they start to plan together a true spectacle.

Planned proposals with marching bands and flash mobs are very far from my reality, but it didn't matter . This was perfectly light, romantic and cute read. It made me laugh and smile.

I haven't read Donna Marchetti's first book Hate Mail but after reading this I will absolutely read that too!

WHAT I LIKED: Priscilla and Oliver were cute together. And this was fun (the yodeling on the roof, oh my)! I think the idea of proposal planning for their friends was fun and original and I loved how the main characters planned a true spectacle together for their friends!

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: The miscommunication. That being said, it was understandable and the ending was even sweeter when they finally communicated!

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Pov: heroine, 1st person
Heat: open doors
Pacing: slowburn
Communication: miscommunication
Third act: hiccups
Ending: HEA

Main characters:
* Enemies to lovers
* Opposites attract

What?
* Fake dating
* Forced proximity
* Mutual pining
* One bed
* Second chance

Where?
* I'm not sure if the exact location was mentioned?

Drama?
* Miscommunication

Other vibes:
* The one that got away

4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very solid read! Perfect palette cleanser read that was quick to get through and kept me entertained. I enjoyed the writing style and found the characters to be fun to read about. It had the perfect vibes for a spring/ summer read. Great humour too I found myself giggling multiple times!

This book was so FUN! last year I read Hate Mail always by Donna Marchetti and i really enjoyed it.
This has a total different vibe that I really liked.
It always gives that 2000s rom-com vibes that are my favourite in these kind of books.
The characters were likable especially Oliver (cutie pie). Priscilla was so relatable at times! Also Tina and Ryan made me laugh so much!!
If you haven't read anything by this author it's now time to READ THESE BOOKS.

Oh my god this was such a fun read!! I read it all in one day because I just couldn’t stop. The characters were so fun and their constant bickering made me want to keep reading even more about them. The whole proposal planning was just purely adorable. 100% recommend this book!!

After falling in love with Hate Mail last year, I was beyond excited to dive into Donna Marchetti’s latest, The Proposal Project—and it absolutely delivered! This is the kind of story that makes me want to drop everything and read it in one sitting (which is exactly what I did). Marchetti has a real gift for writing swoony, nostalgic romcoms that feel like they came straight out of a 2000s movie marathon, and this one hit all the right notes.

The story follows Priscilla, who’s just been fired and decides—with the encouragement of her best friend Tina—to take a leap and launch her dream event planning business. Her first gig? Planning Tina’s dream marriage proposal to her boyfriend Ryan. But there’s a twist: Ryan also wants to propose, and his best friend Oliver is helping him. Cue the chaos when Priscilla and Oliver—sworn enemies—are forced to team up to pull off this double-surprise proposal without either party finding out about the other’s plans. Oh, and to avoid suspicion, they have to pretend to be dating. You know where this is going—and it’s the best ride getting there.

From hilarious misunderstandings to heartfelt moments and some seriously cute fake-dating shenanigans, Priscilla and Oliver’s journey is packed with tension, banter, and slow-burn goodness. The rivals-to-lovers energy is chef’s kiss, and Oliver’s quiet obsession with Priscilla? Adorable. (Seriously, I need more info on that secret notebook ASAP.) There’s fake dating, one bed, yearning, and so much pining—basically every trope I live for.

Beyond the romance, the friendships in this book are equally heartwarming. Tina and Ryan are total sweethearts, and the friend group’s dynamics made the story feel even richer and more immersive. The whole vibe is light, romantic, and perfect for spring or summer reading.

While the ending wrapped up a bit quickly, it didn’t take away from how much fun this book was. No annoying third-act breakup, just a feel-good, satisfying love story full of charm, laughter, and heart. Donna Marchetti has officially made my auto-buy author list.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Donna Marchetti for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

5✨️
3🌶
Romance

💍 Fake dating
💍 He is obsessed with her
💍 Close Proximity
💍 Enemies to lovers
💍 Only one bed

《You're going to ruin me for all of my future real boyfriends.》《Good.》

I devoured this book in 24 hours because it was just THAT good! I loved everything about it and I found it extremely entertaining and fast paced. Even though it was a romance book, I found it not as predictable as others romance books and I loved that! I also loved that the third act breakup wasn't exactly a breakup, but more of a fight (yes, I'm a big hater of third act breakups, just talk your problems out kids). The whole proposal gig was so fun and entertaining to read and the angst I felt when the fake relationship was becoming something more real was unmatched!

Every character was so interesting and had a specific personality, and sometimes to do so in a standalone is not as easy as it seems, while here you could easily discern Tina's stubborn character from Priscilla's more flexible one. I also loved the ambience and the sneaking around, everyone having secrets from each other! It was a lot of fun!
What can I say, I'm OBSESSED😉

Thank you One More Chapter, Donna Marchetti and NetGalley, for providing me an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own!

Mark your calendars for publication date, June 27 2025!

A super cute enemies to lovers romance, this book was an easy fun read. I enjoyed the characters racing to the proposals and their journeys along the way.

I really loved this, it's an easy to read, cosy, fluffy romance book. For me it had really fun character, a fake dating trope which I always love sprinkled with a nice amount of spice. It didn't take me long to read this at all and I thought the story line developed perfectly.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Proposal Project is a very cute book. I really enjoyed the concept of the book and seeing all the event planning process. This was my first book by this author and I highly enjoyed it. This was such a fun read and I loved every moment.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this book, I appreciate it.

My first book by Donna and not my last! I loved how the fake dating was done, it was done in a way that they pulled it off really well, but you still remember that it is fake without trying too hard. No 3rd act break up? sign me UP.

If you're like me and don't like tension, conflicts, and misunderstandings to drag on for too long, you're going to love this book! It's such an easy to read romance, with the right amount of spice and fun characters, I devoured it in two days.

It might not be a super deep and touching book, and some small details might feel a little random or disconnected... But if you're looking for a fun romance with a fake dating trope, where the MMC just can't stay away, The Proposal Project is a perfect choice.

I don't know how I stumbled across Donna Marchetti's first book, Hate Mail, but it was one of the most memorable romances I read last year. When I saw she had a new book coming out this year, I jumped at the chance to read it.

The premise is two people with a mutual friend-couple who got off on the wrong foot team up to make said friend-couple's proposal something to remember. That's right, both the man and woman want to propose to each other, unbeknownst to the other, but certainly beknownst (ha) by our two lead characters, Pricilla and Oliver. Planning the perfect proposal is about more than just making her best friend's day special for Priscilla, this is the moment she hopes will launch her new event planning business. Having to work with and trust Oliver was not on her bingo card, and neither was having to fake date him in order not to spoil their schemes.

Romantic comedies can be hit and miss for me. Often they veer over the line from cute and playful into cliche and annoying, but Marchetti, in both books I've read so far, seems to know exactly where the line is and bends it to her will. Cheesy? A little. Unbelievable? No. And the deeper character moments fill the gaps between mishaps with heart and tenderness that wins me over every time.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Donna Marchetti is quickly cementing herself as the go-to romance author! I was the biggest fan of Hate Mail, spreading the word to anyone who would listen when I read it last year. It feels unfair to compare them because Donna did something so special with her debut but, regardless, The Proposal Project is a laugh out loud and swoon worthy tale in its own right.

The Proposal Project has the holy trinity of tropes; rivals to lovers, fake dating and one bed. Combined with tension, humour and a spicy slow burn, and you have your new favourite read for spring summer!

Is the plot totally over the top? Absolutely. However, Donna’s ability to make sometimes silly, often far fetched scenarios well written, light hearted and enjoyable to read is a rarity. While I’m trying to stay away from comparing the two works, one similarity with her previous novel is that I could totally see this being a big screen rom com from the 2000’s. It’s boosted by extra slapstick comedy from Ryan and Tina, particularly during the Knicks game and at the cabin. Above all, The Proposal Project is a great display of both romantic and platonic love which is always great to see.

My only critiques are the pacing at the end felt somewhat rushed and I would’ve loved an Oliver POV at some point - neither take away from how much I enjoyed the book in the moment. Just like Hate Mail, I’ll continue to recommend Donna’s work and look forward to reading more from her!

This book was amazing.

The development of their story was perfect.

It was an easy and relaxing read with an amazing banter throughout! There were also so many moments which made me laugh out loud.

Thank you for letting me have this ARC

I loved this one! It was super fun, I actually liked it a lot more than Hate Mail. It was incredibly well written

the proposal project’s the second book written by donna marchetti that i’ve read and if i have to be honest binged because one the amazing things about donna marchetti’s books’s that her books are a very adorable with 2000s romcoms vibes escape and so every time i start a new book written by her in the end I’ll be ending reading it in a full sitting of reading… but nobody that knows me would be surprised actually since i’m such a romcom girl…🎀💗💐

in this book we have priscilla our girl that after being fired decides thanks to the help of her best friend tina to start her business as an event planner and guess who’s her first client? yes! u get it right! tina because she will help her plan her dream marriage proposal to her boyfriend, ryan but there is just a little problem called oliver aka ryan’s best friend and priscilla’s enemy because oliver’s helping ryan with his proposal and after tina will discover this she has to start working with oliver to not ruin her best friend plan… 🤓 from things and misunderstanding while trying to not let the secrets out oliver and priscilla will start fake dating and go to double dates with their besties and this will lead to a lot of funny moments but also very cute that will help to connect and eventually fall in love 😁

this book’s such a lovely ride and honestly perfect for the spring and summer vibes in my opinion and besides loving to read about priscilla and oliver i also loved to read about tina and ryan because the friendship’s part was cute and funny too and it was easy to immerse myself with all of the characters 🫶🏻 and so if u are in the mood for a light hearted romcom well this one will be waiting for u this summer!!

a lot of thanks to netgalley, harpercollins uk and one more chapter for sending me the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!!

Banter, fake dating, rivals to lovers, one bed trope?! Sign me up!

This was a cozy, lighthearted read 🥰 If you are after a story that's not too deep, fluffy romcom, this one is for you!

The MFC and MMC just vibed so well off each other, even when they hated each other! The characters were really well written, and you just wanted to root for them to get together and put their differences aside! It was a fast paced read, and there was always something happening with the OTT proposal plan which just made the book even funnier!

"The Proposal Project" was refreshingly funny and cute to read! The characters feel three-dimensional and the friendships and relationships in this book feel real. I had so much fun reading "Hate Mail" from this author last year, but I enjoyed this book EVEN MORE! All of the wit and banter and interactions between the characters were just so funny. This story is charming and so much fun! I was very impressed with this author's storytelling skills. I am not usually the biggest fan of romcoms that are completely centered around engagements/weddings but I loved this one! The romance is sweet and swoony! I would have preferred less spice but that is just my personal opinion. This was a very fun and enjoyable book with lots of emotional depth! So sweet! I loved it. 5 stars!

Thank you very much to the author Donna Marchetti, HarperCollinsUK, OneMoreChapter, and NetGalley for the wonderful opportunity to read and review this book honestly.

* I will post my review to more places closer to or on publication day