THE PROPOSAL

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.