THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick“There is so much to relate to and throughout the novel, there is a sharp feminist edge. Loved this one, and you will too.”—New York Times bestselling author Roxane GayThe New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Date serves up a novel about what happens when a public proposal doesn’t turn into a happy ending, … when a public proposal doesn’t turn into a happy ending, thanks to a woman who knows exactly how to make one on her own…
When someone asks you to spend your life with him, it shouldn’t come as a surprise—or happen in front of 45,000 people.
When freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, his man bun, and his bros, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn’t the hard part—they’ve only been dating for five months, and he can’t even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans…
At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik’s rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He’s even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik’s social media blows up—in a bad way. Nik knows that in the wilds of LA, a handsome doctor like Carlos can’t be looking for anything serious, so she embarks on an epic rebound with him, filled with food, fun, and fantastic sex. But when their glorified hookups start breaking the rules, one of them has to be smart enough to put on the brakes…
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Loved it, read it in2 days.!
The original premise of the book is good but then it goes downhill fast. I don’t recommend it.
Excellent humor throughout the book.
I didn’t really expect to like this book as much as I did
Nik is proposed to at a baseball game by Fisher, her boyfriend of 5 months. She is stunned and can’t respond, because she doesn’t want to accept! Luckily, Carlos and Angie, strangers to Nik, come to her rescue. This begins a romance between Carlos and Nik, although both of them want to keep it as friends with benefits.
Of course, everyone knows they are falling in love with each other, although they don’t know and won’t admit it. This is a cute romance, nothing earth shattering, but it fits the formula.
#TheProposal #JasmineGuillory
I really like the story plot of The proposal. At times it was kind of confusing who’s point of view it was. There wasn’t any headers telling the reader who was speaking next. Not that it’s a big deal but there where times when it jumped back in forth.
I really like the hero damsel in distress type vibe it gave off in the beginning. Like the movie Hercules but then nikole didn’t need a man in her life just a few booty calls I guess you could say.
This book reminds you to expect the unexpected, treasure your friendships and allows you to feel emotion that we can all relate to. It was a little predictable, but a good, quick read nonetheless.
A book you won’t be able to put down.
Rom-com at its best! So much fun to read!
this is the exact same story as book 1.
they accidentally meet, they deny the feeling, they go with it, they break up, they realize they belong together……bam, they end up together.
the only difference between this book and the first was that the first book put me in a major reading funk and this one even though is the same, weirdly took me out of it.
It took me a bit to finish reading the second book in Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date series. I was hoping to enjoy it more since it’s Carlos Ibarra’s book. If you read the first book in the series, then you would’ve been introduced to Carlos there. I fell for him hard in that book and was excited to read his book. I wanted to know what the lucky lady was that would win Carlos heart, but unfortunately, this book didn’t grab me as the first book did, and I was upset with myself that it took me longer to read this book.
Don’t get me wrong; I enjoyed some aspects for The Proposal, especially when it came to how caring Carlos was to his family. One of his family members was his cousin, who was pregnant and on bed rest due to her high blood pressure. He wanted to make sure she was taking care of herself and the baby. There was also how he came to the rescue of the heroine. Nikole (Nik) Patterson was being proposed to at Dodgers Stadium where her boyfriend put her on the spot, and she wasn’t even ready for it. Her so-called boyfriend didn’t like her response and ended up leaving her there to be gawked at the stadium. Nik had not also thought that their relationship was at that stage yet. Carlos and his sister Angela happened to have witnessed the whole proposal and rescued Nik from getting embarrassed even more by the media. Nik and Carlos end up becoming friends after that incident, which they both agree they are not looking for a serious relationship. Nik’s friends state that Carlos would be the best rebound guy after her crazy relationship with her ex-boyfriend that proposed to her in front of 45,000 people.
Here is when the book goes downhill for me because both characters didn’t want a serious relationship, but they end up not realizing they are in one from the beginning. I can understand Nik’s reluctance at first to it since her previous relationship was awful. She didn’t know the guy she was emotionally abusing her. Carlos though was the perfect guy for her because he loved the fact she was a beautiful, successful African American Freelance Writer. She was writing about stories that involved influential women in the Los Angeles area. She ends up signing up at a local gym run by a woman that gives back to the women community by having a place for women to learn defensive fighting skills, etc. There’s a boxing class that Nik and her friends sign up for, and they are reluctant at first until Natalie makes them realize their potential. I loved Nik’s friends and how they encouraged her and were there for her. Nik’s friends and Carlos family made the story interesting to me. They kept me reading and not the main characters.
Carlos was caring in the book towards his family, but he drove me crazy on how he reacted towards the end of the book. He should have known that Nik had it rough in her previous relationship, and he could’ve handled a specific situation better between the two characters. Let’s say that their relationship was not my favorite, but I’m glad they eventually get a HEA.
I’m glad I got some more of Drew and Alexa in this book too and look forward to diving into the third book in the series. I may not have enjoyed this book as much as the first, but it did show how much Carlos and Nik needed each other. They needed to find real love, and it took their family and friends pushing them.
Last note that I will take away from this book is every time I see sour cream now I will think Nik’s mishap of touching chilis when making enchiladas with Carlos. Yup…you’ll have to read the book to get the full story on what happened.
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Steaminess Rating: 3 stars
Standalone or part of series: Part of Series, but each book can be read as a standalone.
Do I recommend this book? Yes.
Will I read other books from the author? Yes.
Tropes/Elements: Strangers to Friends to Lovers
Hero: Doctor/Pediatrician; Protective and loves his family;
Heroine: Freelance Writer; Independent; Emotionally Abused in Previous Relationship
I don’t get the hype. Very predictable.
If you liked THE WEDDING DATE, this is the next natural book to pick up when you’re in the mood for another fun contemporary romance–especially if you wanted to get to know Drew’s best friend Carlos a little better. (I know I did!)
Carlos and his sister Angela are enjoying a Dodgers game when they witness a proposal gone very, very wrong a few rows in front of them AND on the Jumbotron. After the dude who popped the question ran off with his friends, leaving the rejector Nik alone to be booed by most people in the stadium, instinct kicks in and the twosome rush over to save her from the approaching camera crew and ire of onlookers, dashing her out of there.
It doesn’t take long for Carlos and Nik to stumble into a “just-for-fun” physical relationship, both making it very clear that neither wants a real romance or love any time soon.
LOL. Aren’t they adorable?
My one warning about this book: don’t read this while hungry, because the food descriptions will have you ordering WAY too much take-out (both Mexican fare and dessert) before the back cover closes.
The Proposal has been lingering around on my shelves and TBR for longer than I should admit. And for no good reason, honestly. I enjoyed The Wedding Date and was looking forward to The Proposal. But, too many books and too little time, I suppose. I was rearranging my shelves yesterday and saw it and decided I wanted nothing more than to read it right now. Good choice, too, because it was a really good read.
If I’m being totally honest, I don’t remember a lot of the finer points of The Wedding Date, but I do vaguely remember Carlos. Or at least I did once I started reading. He was a really good guy, protective (almost to a fault) of the ones he loves. It was easy to root for him and swoon over him. I also really liked Nik. Without making this review about me, I’ll just say I felt like I understood her aversion to love pretty well. She was easy for me to connect with. What she had with Carlos started out rather unconventionally, but I loved it. What a unique meet cute.
There were a bunch of reasons I just couldn’t put The Proposal down once I started. The romance and the friendships are two of them. I enjoy reading about the friendships just as much as the romance, to be honest. Whether it’s Carlos and Drew or Nik and her crew, I’m loving the focus on friendship (and family!) in this series. Now I’m even more excited to get to The Wedding Party. Here’s hoping I can make time for it sooner rather than later.
Favorite Quotes:
“Once you find yourself on the JumboTron with a guy kneeling at your feet with a princess ring in his hand, you start to reevaluate your life, ok?”
All the ingredients for a fun and romantic story, I highly recommend this novel for all of those romance junkies out there who loves a classic romance with a modern-day twist.
You can read my full review here:
https://binblogsbooks.wordpress.com/2018/07/25/can-a-proposal-from-hell-lead-to-happily-ever-after/
Enduring a baseball game when you aren’t really into the sport is the realization that many people face. When you find yourself dating, there are many destinations that don’t measure up to your cup of tea. For Nikole – a trip to the ballpark came courtesy of her actor boyfriend. With no desire whatsoever to watch the game, Nikole finds herself turning to her cell phone to pull double duty and get a little work completed during the ball game. It was a great plan until Nikole’s attention was diverted to the Jumbotron.
Who could imagine receiving a scoreboard proposal during a game that you didn’t want to attend in the first place? This realization hit Nikole squarely in the face when her boyfriend decides to propose in front of a stadium full of Dodger’s fans. Nikole wasn’t ready for such a grand gesture. In fact, why was he even proposing marriage after only five months of dating? The disaster that was quickly transpiring was playing out for all of the fans in the stadium and on TV to witness.
After having her rejection to the proposal played out for everyone’s enjoyment, Nikole finds herself fodder for news crews and nosy fans. How can Nikole go unnoticed when thousands are desperate to hear from her? Luckily for Nikole, Carolos and his sister were sitting a few rows behind her in the stadium. With a plan firmly in place to rescue Nikole from the paparazzi, Carols helped Nikole escape the spotlight that she found herself under scrutiny from. As the two hung out after the fiasco, the discovered there was more to this friendly gesture than either could ignore.
The Proposal delves into the trials of finding a romance that provides more than just a casual hookup. With the stability of a proposal on the table, Nikole is faced with the trials of rejecting a life that wasn’t what she planned. The ridicule that follows results in chaos on social media, and a hard look at the direction Nikole would like her life to follow. It is a journey that many face when trying to wade through the dating world and find their soul mate.
While the Proposal has been heralded for its up and coming story plot, I found myself bored by the predictability of what was transpiring. The Proposal has shot to fame courtesy of being picked as a book of the month by Reese Witherspoon’s book club – Hello Sunshine. However – I found the content between the covers lacking in originality. What I did discover that was VERY unique to a romance novel was the inclusivity of varying races, lifestyles and gender identities in the book. It was a refreshing change to have the characters represent so many different entities in the book! With that said – there just wasn’t enough plot ‘meat and bones’ to keep my undivided attention on this book.
You are quickly drawn into the story from the unexpected, very publicroposal. Easy to identify with the characters and their feelings and situations.
Toss Up
The 15% that I did read, didn’t suggest that things were going to get better. Juvenile, trite, slow and boring. I’m not sure what the purpose of the story is
This was another book way out of my comfort zone. It was full of romance, funny quirks, and friendships. While some of the relationships seemed a bit rushed I did not feel it took away from the story. Definitely a heartwarming read!
I LOVED Guillory’s contemporary romance “The Wedding Date” and have been recommending it to everyone. The Proposal, not so much as a sequel as a continuation of The Wedding Date universe, is a strong, but perhaps not completely as satisfactory, second book.
I get it. I’m a writer. Second books (and third, and fourth, and fifth…) are HARD. I cannot even imagine what it must have been like for Guillory to try and live up to the expectations created by the smash success of The Wedding Date.
Guillory’s voice is still witty and refreshing, and she draws immediately engaging, likable characters. Carlos and Nik have interesting friends and family and understandable motivations.
The Proposal just seemed a bit more forced than The Wedding Date, particularly the scene with the hysterics over the sour cream. Still, there is plenty to love here – fantastic sex scenes and chemistry and Gillory’s talent for drawing strong, intelligent, female characters. Recommended.