The Proposal

As someone who lived in LA, this story is made so much better by the strong sense of place. The Von's supermarket, Stella in Silverlake, Dodger's Stadium... it's a great read and a carlos Ibarra is one of the most delightful love interests I've been able to meet in awhile. Fun, cute story, great strong themes and engaging side-plots.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 Nikole is at the baseball game with her boyfriend who surprises her with a proposal on the Jumbotron. It’s a disaster and she has no intention of saying yes. When he storms off, the brother and sister sitting behind her take her under their wing and pretend to know her, sneaking her out the stadium. Paediatrician Carlos is a sweetie, and the more Nik and him get to know each other, the more they like each other. If only the pair could admit to their feelings! 𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 This is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. Be prepared for a whole lack of communication - there isn’t even miscommunication - that takes the majority of the book for these two singles to admit to. The vibe between Carlos and Nik and their supportive family and friends sparkles, and they way they interact is charming. It only they realised it too! 😉 Read on Kindle My rating 4/5 - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Where this novel excels is in bringing diversity to the genre of romance. There is racial diversity, there is a black lesbian character of significance and I feel like the diversity and inclusion in this novel doesn’t rely on tropes, which is good. I also get a degree of the fact that race and romance are an own voices theme for this author. I overall didn’t mind the premise and it was an enjoyable book to read, if a little jarring. I think the intention with this book was good. It read like the author had a really good premise and some excellent themes she wanted to cover in advance. The issue was that not all the themes fitted in seamlessly with the plot. For example, the way Carlos dealt with grief was seamless, it fitted. On the other hand, the theme of emotional abuse and it’s impact was dealt with in a really janky way. Maybe it’s just that Justin (Nik’s many times removed ex) was such a distant concept in the novel, but I did not buy that he was a reason Nik’s emotional stuntedness because of her characterization. I don’t think it was suitably explained why she was so afraid of love. I also had some issues with the plotting of this novel. I felt like a “Punch Like A Girl” self-defense class plot point was introduced and then sort of abandoned through most of the novel and then in the end, it was used to beat us over the head with the message. And the feminist messages and education about emotional abuse is one that I believed in and agreed with, but I don’t feel like it was delivered with much (or any) sensitivity or creativity. And coming near the end like it did, it felt like the author hadn’t been able to suitably include the messages she wanted, so she just got on her soapbox at the end and literally told us everything she wanted us to know in essay format by editorializing Nik’s internal monologue. Another thing I struggled with was the language and dialogue. I don’t claim to be an expert in how men talk but I kept getting pulled out of the story because I kept feeling like “which men talk like that?” And maybe that was intentional by the author to break stereotypes of how men talk and how women talk but when Carlos and Drew would discuss anything, it was a little jarring. My final beef with this novel was the fact that I just didn’t find the heroine sympathetic. There was something off about her character development and by the end, I still couldn’t tell who she was. I’m not a person who thinks that fictional heroines have to be likable but in romance, it is kinda sorta part of the job description. I couldn’t tell who she was and what she wanted and I felt the same way about her friends. What were their motivations? What was their end game? For Carlos, I could see that he was motivated by family and he wanted to look after everyone but what did Nik really want? I could never tell. If you’re looking for diverse romance, this is an okay read. The Wedding Date is closely related and there are lots of references to it so you should definitely read that first for a better understanding of Carlos and Drew in this one.

I'm saying yes to loving this story. It's sweet and tender yet tackles hard to talk about topics and shows character strength worth applause, realistic yet dreamy, full of laughs and tears...this book has everything, even delicious food! I love the character diversity. It feels good to be able to read a story and it feel like the world I live in and where the good people win. I also liked the continuance of the story line from the first book, even though those characters were tertiary characters. Drew and Alexa's story progressed in the background while we got to know, and fall deeper in love, with Carlos and were introduced to his family and Nik, who are all welcome additions to the story. I'm continuing the book series.

Happy black history month to Jasmine G and Jasmine G only. I loved everything about this book. I did not think I could find such a good book boyfriend in February and alas, Carlos was shoved in my face. Not only is Carlos: Hispanic, a doctor, a family man and sarcastic; he is kind, he is loyal and he is so well developed he felt like a real person. I also loved Nik. To have a black woman be the main herione in this is brilliant, I mean this is what happens when authors don’t let race drive the plot: the romance thrives. Nik is a no bullshit, genuine journalist. I loved how she was with her friends. I loved the intimate moments with her and Carlos. This was such a sweet read, this was the exact light romance I needed in my life, I wish this had an epilogue and more steam but from what I read, this is perfect for people who are looking for a light hearted, sweet romance to read with two people of color.

From the terrible, cringeworthy, bursting-with-second-hand-embarrasment proposal of the opening scene, this book celebrates Nik learning to love the power and strength of her body and the man who comes to her rescue. Full of humour, pathos, romance and down-to-earth realness, I loved this book, the characters in it and the subplot of inclusivity and empowerment. Nik is the woman I want to be. Courtney and Dana are the friends I want to have. Carlos is the man I want to fall in love with. And if I could find a gym like Natalie's I would occasionally put my book down and get off the couch to learn how to punch like a girl.

I feel like every time I read something by Jasmine Guillory, I end up screaming one thing at the end of the book. THAT’S IT?! I didn’t thing any story could top Drew and Alexa’s but the author has managed to prove that observation wrong every step of the way.

I really did quite enjoy this story. I do agree that there were some slow parts. However, I found it to stop be romantic and charming.

A novel with likeable characters and a story that kept my interest. This is the second book I have read from this author and looking forward to reading many more.

Read the first book, The Wedding Date, and really enjoyed it. Couldn't wait to read, The Proposal. I like the authors story telling. It combines humour and romance and strong characters. I read a review describing this book as a "charming, warm, sexy Gem of a novel". I couldn't agree more. A fun and enjoyable read. Shared both the Wedding Date and Proposal with my bestie. She loved them too!