The Proposal
by: Jasmine Guillory
Nothing excites me more than a sequel to a love story, so naturally, I was going to pick up a copy of Jasmine Guillory’s, The Proposal. This narrative is the continuation of The Wedding Date; however, Drew and Alexa are not the focus of this budding new romance. Remember Carlos? — Drew’s best guy friend who’s a wildly successful doctor and skilled unofficial chef. Well, now it’s his turn to have a little fun. While attending a sporting event Carlos’s sister, Angela, spots a young woman, Nikole (Nik for short), who needs help escaping an unbelievably embarrassing situation. In an effort to do so, Carlos and Nik form an unintentional bond that gets a little steamy along the way. Exploring the idea of the infamous contract of being ‘friends with benefits’, can they both agree and continue to keep things casual? Or will feelings develop and ruin everything? Without giving you too much, let's talk about the reasons I know you’ll love this novel!
Carlos is a brilliant doctor and does extremely well for himself. Guillory’s ability to showcase people of color in positions we often occupy but don't get recognized for is one of the many reasons I come back for more. However, this time it gets a little more personal. As we see Carlos and Nik’s affair develop physically, we also see the emotional aspects that arise because of familial connections through the Latinx community. We get a glimpse of the relationships and bonds in relation to male/father figures and how that can change due to loss. What was interesting to see was how well Nik handled each difficult situation as it pertained to Carlos.
Nik is a brilliant freelance journalist who is always chasing the next big story. However, she’s found in a situation that makes her question security in her everyday social life. She takes proactive measures and signs up for fitness classes dragging her best girlfriend along for the ride. She seems to have always been a serial monogamous dater, but now she’s switching it up, having fun, and taking back her power and control in all aspects of her life.
What Guillory does well is allow these spaces to open up for people of color even if they are just characters on a page; the representation is definitely important. The women recognized in these novel own businesses’, are social beings, and are simply forces in their own narrative. Again, we notice the allowance of black women being able to explore their sexuality in these safe spaces without being oversexualized or slut shamed. Here, we get to see black women simply exist and enjoy life as they see fit without societal pressures. It’s refreshing to see an author negate the stereotypes of the black girl/woman and explore the joy in everyday life when it is present.
Now I know you’re over the analysis of it all so instead I’ll mention again that the sequel is so damn good! But don’t worry about missing out on Alexa and Drew’s journey! Guillory incorporates a few call backs to the predecessor and some exciting news is revealed about their relationship! I would have loved to see more of them within this novel, but I get it, let's move on to the next love match. Nevertheless, I had all the feels with this one so get your tissues ready! With that being said, I highly suggest that you pick up your copy and start reading today!