RBCxHS February '19: The Proposal
When a marriage proposal goes very wrong in a very public venue, a series of events unfold that take the main character Nikole down an unexpected path.
Image Source: amazon.com
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory is the Reese's Book Club x Hello Sunshine pick for February 2019! This book is a cute and easy read for lovers of contemporary romance.
Guillory’s characters are beautifully diverse, independently successful, and entertaining. They represent minorities in a way not often associated with new age romance novels - especially not those set in Los Angeles. In a world where most romance novels star a struggling damsel who encounters a wealthy man, it’s nice to see a story where the female protagonist is not only self-sufficient but also calling her own shots.
If you’re a fan of books by authors such a Sylvia Day or Sally Thorne, this would most likely be right up your alley!
my rating:
Here are some links to purchase the book and/or learn more about Jasmine Guillory:
Book: amazon.com
Audiobook: audible.com
Jasmine Guillory’s Website: jasmineguillory.com
If you would like to find out more about Reese's Book Club and/or follow along as well, here are some helpful links!
Reese's Book Club x Hello Sunshine Website: hello-sunshine.com/book-club
Complete List of Monthly Picks: hello-sunshine.com/post/reeses-book-club-all-picks
Instagram: @reesesbookclubxhellosunshine
Goodreads: goodreads.com
*** spoilers ahead ***
The word that keeps coming to mind after reading this book is “cute”. That is exactly what it was - cute. I enjoyed it enough to finish it but disliked it enough to have a lot of cynical comments that may or may not be deserved.
It isn’t that there was anything overtly wrong with the book, but there were aspects that just didn’t make sense to me. For one, I was convinced that Nikole’s ex Fisher going to attack her. Based on everything that Guillory wrote about Nikole being afraid and how intense the texts that Fisher sent her were, I assumed that it was all to build up our fear and create suspense before revealing him as a violent woman hater or something. Honestly, I spent many chapters sitting in anticipation, just waiting for a big moment that had been building up - but, nothing happened. When Fisher finally did show up at the end, he was just pathetic and weird and completely pointless.
I also had a hard time reading the dialogue between Carlos and his buddies. It felt like a woman writing what she hoped guys would talk about, as opposed to what guys ACTUALLY talk about and how they talk. It felt exaggerated and forced. It felt like a female writer, not like a male character - which is exactly what it was but it just made me roll my eyes.
The more I write, the more I realize that I actually didn’t like this book and only gave it a “Good” rating because it was intriguing enough to finish. The lack of plot twists, the forced dialogue, the exaggerated dramatic scenes - it was cheesy and played like a boring episode of a failed tv show. I also disliked that Carlos, a DOCTOR, seemed to have plenty of free time (which isn’t something I’ve experienced with Doctors) and refused to go to the doctor himself (which just seems like a stupid thing to play up).
What I did enjoy was the diversity of the characters and the fact that Nikole was independent. I enjoyed her playful scenes with Carlos. I enjoyed that they made enchiladas and that they were at a Dodgers game when they met. I’m a Dodgers fan and was excited that they started the book there but was then disappointment with her lack of enthusiasm for the team. NOT COOL.
Honestly, my points of dislike in this novel are probably related to my dislike of the genre, rather than my dislike of the book. If Reese had not chosen this book, I would have never read it. I’ve LOVED almost everything that she has selected and it really took me by surprise that this book was picked. I thought that there would surely be some crazy plot twist or a deeply relatable character, but there wasn’t. As I said at the top of this rant session, there isn’t anything WRONG with this book. If contemporary romance is your bread and butter, cool! It’s not mine and I really hope I love next month’s pick.