The Broposal

I loved the romance, the smut scenes were soooo good written. Including autistic characters and mixing all of that with Mexican culture is definitely a great formula for success!

Favorite quote: “I'm serious, Han. Use me. Marry me”

My only complain is that the ending felt a bit... rushed. We waited so long for the characters to really acknowledge their feeling for each other, just for the book to end, but I do appreciate the sweet epilogue.
I had a blast reading this, will definitely re-read ASAP.

3.5 stars. A somewhat uneasy mix of goofy rom-com and issues-driven drama, especially given its publication on the same day that DT declared the end of Constitutionally-guaranteed birthright citizenship. On the one hand you have two clueless Latinx bros, BFFs since childhood, engaging in a fake marriage of convenience and catching feelings. On the other hand, you have deadly substance use, family separation, intimate partner violence, and the looming threat of deportation. The plot is weakened by a cartoonishly evil ex whose increasingly desperate manipulations strain credulity. But I kept turning the pages because the two MCs are absolutely lovely, showing with gestures how much they understand and care for each other, even if their words are not quite there yet.

I suspect that I would have been able to enjoy the book much more if had been published a year earlier, but I couldn't help thinking of the real people whose lives will be devastated by new draconian immigration policies that can't be solved by a wacky escape plan. No fault to the author, of course.

N.B. MC1 is autistic and MC2 has ADHD. Reyes identifies as queer and autistic.

[2.5] I've never read anything by this author before, but I was immediately pulled in by the title, cover, and premise. They all sounded amazing, built on tropes that tickle my fancy (fake relationship, friends to lovers) and with notable representation.

However, I'll be first to admit the writing style didn't click with me. The flow felt choppy, in part due to the number of plot points being juggled, and the villains came across single-toned and cartoonish in their predictability. Especially Jackie, Kenny's abusive ex - she played such a huge role in the story from start to finish and in ways that went beyond necessary to make good on the promise of the premise that I ran out of fuel to trudge through meticulously.

This just wasn't for me, but I hope others have a better experience because there are particular parts of the story that are important to tell.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!