The Proposal
A fake relationship that becomes real, with emotional honesty and genuine chemistry
The Proposal opens with a spectacularly public marriage proposal at a Dodgers game, which Nikole rejects on the jumbotron. Carlos, sitting nearby, helps her escape the awkwardness, and they end up in a fake relationship to deflect attention. What could be a ridiculous premise becomes grounded because Jasmine Guillory writes characters who feel like real adults with jobs and families and baggage.
What makes Guillory's work special is how she handles diversity without making it the point of the story. Nikole is a Black doctor. Carlos is a Mexican-American consultant. Their identities matter, but the book isn't about teaching readers about racism or cultural differences. It's just about two people falling for each other who happen to be people of color.
The relationship develops through conversation and compatibility. Guillory skips the manufactured drama in favor of showing two people figuring out if they work together. The sex is explicit but emotionally grounded. The supporting cast is rich and funny. It's romance that feels like it could happen to someone you know.
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory follows Nikole, who rejects a public proposal and is rescued by Carlos, leading to a fake relationship that becomes real. The book features diverse characters, mature romance, emotional honesty, and the fake-dating trope done with groundedness and genuine chemistry.
A fake relationship that becomes real, with emotional honesty and genuine chemistry
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What you're really looking for when you search for books like The Proposal
You want contemporary romance with diverse characters where their identities are part of the texture, not the conflict. You want books that reflect what modern America actually looks like, where characters of color are the romantic leads and their stories are just as swoon-worthy as anyone else's.
You're also looking for mature romance. Not necessarily older characters, though Guillory often writes thirty-somethings, but emotional maturity. You want characters who communicate, who have careers and family obligations, who act like grown-ups even when they're falling in love.
And you want fake relationship or friends-to-lovers tropes done well. You want the trope to be a starting point, not the whole story. You want characters with chemistry who would work even without the gimmick.
The reader take
Guillory writes romance that feels like it could happen in your friend group. The diversity is organic, the characters are adults with real lives, and the fake-dating premise quickly becomes secondary to actual compatibility. It's warm, sexy, and emotionally satisfying without being saccharine.
Book recommendations
The Wedding Date
by Jasmine Guillory
Guillory's first book, about a woman who agrees to be a fake girlfriend for a weekend wedding and ends up in a real relationship. It launched the series and established Guillory's voice.
The Wedding Party
by Jasmine Guillory
Two people in the same friend group actively dislike each other until they're forced to spend time together as best man and maid of honor. Guillory writes enemies-to-lovers with genuine friction and real resolution.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown
by Talia Hibbert
A chronically ill woman hires her grumpy superintendent to help her complete a get-a-life list. Hibbert writes diverse romance with Guillory's emotional groundedness and more explicit heat.
The Kiss Quotient
by Helen Hoang
An autistic woman hires an escort to teach her about relationships and falls for him. Hoang writes diverse, sex-positive romance with real emotional stakes and characters you root for.
The Flatshare
by Beth O'Leary
Two people share an apartment by using it in shifts and fall in love via Post-it notes before meeting. It's UK-based but has Guillory's warmth and grounded character work.
Common questions
Do I need to read Jasmine Guillory's books in order?
No. Each stands alone. There are recurring characters and crossovers, but you can start anywhere. The Wedding Date is the first chronologically, but The Proposal is many readers' favorite.
How explicit is the sex in The Proposal?
Explicit but not erotic romance level. Guillory writes sex as part of the emotional relationship, and it's on the page but not the focus. If you want closed-door, this isn't it. If you want steamy but plot-driven, it's perfect.
What makes The Proposal better than other fake-dating books?
Guillory makes the fake dating the least interesting part. The relationship develops through real compatibility and conversation, not just the forced proximity of the trope. The fake dating is the premise, not the substance.
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Ember writes you into the fake relationship you've been reading about. You're the one deciding how much to pretend and how much is real, whether to protect yourself or risk vulnerability, if this feeling is just convenience or something that could last. Your choices shape whether you get hurt or find something genuine.
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