The Proposal

July 1, 2018
After a disastrous and highly public proposal gone wrong, a no-nonsense freelance writer rebounds with her knight in shining armor.Nikole Paterson has been dating her boyfriend for all of five months when he goes for broke and proposes to her on the Jumbotron at a Dodgers game. When she turns him down and he leaves, furious, the attitude in the stadium begins to turn, and that's when Carlos Ibarra and his sister, Angela, step in. Pretending to be her friends, they get her out of the park and back on her home turf. Knowing that neither of them wants to be in a serious relationship at the moment, Nik and Carlos give in to their mutual attraction and decide to just have something casual. While Nik struggles with suddenly feeling vulnerable and Carlos is dealing with possible health problems in his family, their fling becomes more and more serious until the two have to reckon with just how much they mean to each other. Guillory's (The Wedding Date, 2018) sophomore novel continues in the same universe as her first, with previous couple Drew and Alexa showing up briefly to visit. However, Nik and Carlos are the stars of this outing, both standout characters who feel incredibly real. Guillory is a deft hand at creating likable, memorable characters and free-flowing conversations that make you feel like you're eavesdropping on some cool 30-somethings at a hip bar. Carlos' family and Nik's friends add to the unique joy of the mix. While there isn't much of an overall plot, the majority of the book being devoted to just watching Carlos and Nik going on dates and being cute, it's hard to get upset about it because the whole thing is just so delightful.A charming book for the modern romance lover.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2018
Writer Nik Paterson is, reluctantly, attending a Dodgers game with her model-actor boyfriend when suddenly her name, spelled wrong, is on the Jumbotron and he's down on one knee. A stadium full of people witness her rejection of the proposal, but only Carlos, a doctor, and his sister, Angie, come to her rescue, pretending to be old friends and whisking her away from the descending photographers. Nik's best friends (they meet at a bar) can see the chemistry between Carlos and Nik, but neither of them are up for anything serious. So they're in no danger when they start hanging out, then sleeping together, then cooking breakfast together. Full of warmth, quick banter, girlfriend group-texts, and food?so much good food!??as well as a multicultural cast and a strong L.A. setting, Guillory's follow-up to The Wedding Dat?e? (2018) should earn just as much buzz as the first, and Drew and Alexa even make an appearance. From the cringeworthy opening scene to the sweet mutual grovel at the end, The Proposal will leave readers full of good-book feelings.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)