The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory is the second book in her The Wedding Date series. The series doesn't need to be read in chronological order, but the characters reappear throughout the books since they are in the same universe. In The Proposal, Nik is unexpectedly proposed to by her actor boyfriend at the Dodgers game, and when she says no, she is ostracized and publicly humiliated. However, Carlos, Drew's best friend from The Wedding Date, and his sister, Angela, come to the rescue and save Nik from a camera crew trying to embarrass her more at the game. Nik and Carlos really hit it off, but they agreed for Carlos to be a rebound for Nik, so when things start getting serious, it's up to one of them to be smart enough to quit while they're ahead.
I loved this book for many reasons, but I always like my comfort reads to have cooking or food scenes in them, and this book ~delivers~. There's cupcakes, enchiladas, pizza, risotto, a trip to an authentic taqueria in LA, and it's honestly heaven. I even made risotto (pre-made; I'm not that skilled of a chef!) after reading the scene where Carlos makes risotto for Nik because the care for all of the cooking scenes and food in this book are evident.
One of my favorite scenes in the entire book, though, is a not-quite-meet-cute at a local bookstore. Nik and Carlos had already met at this point, but they spontaneously run into each other while Carlos is shopping for his cousin who is on bedrest, and it's honestly a dream. Any scene in a bookstore in a romance book is an automatic 10/10, and I wish this was something in every romance novel to exist.
As for the characters, I really loved how Nik was the embodiment of Miss Independent (IYKYK). She is a freelance writer and is extremely good at her job, and I really liked how she owned her skill as a journalist but also saw her anxious side when it came to Carlos and how she navigates their relationship. I like how Guillory's characters are really human and are complex, multi-faceted people who have and show their emotions.
The Proposal was also the February 2019 pick for Reese's Book Club, which is moderated by Reese Witherspoon. I'm on a mission to read all of them (wish me luck), but I'm looking forward to the other books she's selected and the rest of The Wedding Date series.
Have you read any books from The Wedding Date series or a Reese's Book Club pick? Let me know in the comments!
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