I loved this book, felt like a cheesy rom-com in all the best ways!! This is my first book of this author and it won't be my last! A great pick for fans of lighthearted romcoms!

“The Proposal Project” by Donna Marchetti had an interesting plot. Priscilla has just gotten fired from her events planning entry level job. Her friend Tina wants to propose to her boyfriend, Ryan, and she hires Priscilla to plan the over the top proposal. Ryan’s friend Oliver, who has been at odds with Priscilla since a misunderstanding last year, accidentally lets it be known that Ryan is planning to propose as well. They join forces to ensure they best friends get the proposal they want despite Oliver and Priscilla’s differences. When a compromising situation forces them to lie and say they are dating, the sparks that fly make them question their feelings for each other.

I liked the chemistry between the two when they were not fighting and I loved the friendship between all four of the characters. The road trips and plot elements were a lot of fun and kept my attention. I struggled with the lack of communication and the misunderstanding between Oliver and Priscilla that seemed to constantly come up. I found the main conflict to be a bit unclear and not really believable. Tina also seemed to lack privacy boundaries at times which was a bit strange and I liked Priscilla most of the time but I found her indecisive and erratic behaviour when it came to Oliver and her feelings for him frustrating at times. Generally speaking a good book but not one I would pick up to read a second time.

Rating:
For me it's 4 stars! I really liked this book. It was written in an easy to read way and I read it very fast. In my free time I grabbed my phone and read the book!

Plot:
It's about Priscilla and Oliver. They are friends? Enemies? Lovers? All three? They decide to work together for something their friends plan. But because it's a surprise they can't know. So cue fake dating ;). They start fake dating and they grow closer and closer.

UNTILLLLL miscommunication... But the problems solve very quickly, so everything is okay.

Someone attach an IV and drip feed me these books because I am ✨️o b s e s s e d✨️

I read Hate Mail last year and ADORED it, and I can safely say The Proposal Project has just cemented myself as a lifelong fan of the author, @donnamarchettiauthor

I had been in a slump for a while when I decided to pick this one up, and it yanked me right out of it. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about the characters and itching to pick it back up again.

Priscilla is a recently fired events organiser who is hired by her best friend, Tina, to plan her proposal to her boyfriend, Ryan. Everything is going smoothly until Priscilla discovers Oliver, Ryan's best friend, is also helping Ryan to propose to Tina. Not willing to let Tina down and dash her hopes of her dream proposal, Priscilla and Oliver agree to work together so their best friends can both have the proposal they want.

The only issue? They hate each other.

Eeeeeeeee, the tension was EVERYTHING!! Poor Oliver was trying his hardest to lock Priscilla down, and she was just clueless 😂 I loved it so much.

It was never explicitly stated, but I felt like Priscilla was potentially neurodivergent. Her obsessive personality, sometimes misunderstanding context, and taking things at face value all stood out to me. It explained the miscommunication between herself and Oliver, plus she was trying to protect herself.

Oliver was swooooooon-worthy thank you very much! Priscilla is a lucky, lucky girl 😍 I love how nervous she made him that he often said the wrong things without meaning to. I loved him though. He was everything Priscilla needed, he didn't discourage her, he lifted her up and gave her the confidence she sometimes lacked. Just as a good man should.

If you're looking for:
🩷 forced proximity
🩷 fake dating
🩷 sizzling tension
🩷 flirty banter
Then add this to your tbr immediately. Do it. NOW.

Donna Marchetti has become an auto-buy author for me, I love the way she writes and the humour in her books has me cackling. The ghost nail scene had me laughing out loud, I love Tina 😂

Thank you so much to @donnamarchettiauthor and @onemorechapterhc for sending me an advanced copy of the book 🩷✨️

The Proposal Project is a cute rom-com with engaging characters and some favorite tropes: enemies (or antagonists, anyway) to lovers, fake dating, misunderstandings, mutual pining, sparky banter, and sharing a bed, to mention a few. The usual somewhat ridiculous situations, with the antics of side character Tina, in particular, the outrageously over-the-top best friend of the female main character, Priscilla, bringing the laughs. Priscilla is struggling to find her way in her chosen profession, and has also recently been fired from her job for circumstances beyond her control. Her love interest, Oliver, is smitten with her, but hides it so well that she thinks he's mocking her most of the time. The two become close as they try to bring off a spectacular proposal event on behalf of Tina and her fiancé, Ryan. Of course, Priscilla finds her way professionally by using the event to launch her own business successfully. There is no third act breakup, just a minor misunderstanding, which is refreshing, and the pace of the novel is excellent, holding my interest until the end. The love story between the two main characters is sweet, and the push and pull as they find their way towards romance has the right amount of tension and frustration. The story is cute and entertaining, with low angst and some laughably ludicrous happenings--in short, no big surprises here, just all the qualities that make rom-coms fun to read.

This was lots and lots of fun. Very big « but how blind can she be » feeling that had me laughing. The single pov from Priscilla worked very well, because as reader you have snippets of Oliver and it is obvious to you what is really happening, but Priscilla is the queen of denial. Even without Oliver’s pov, his feelings are pretty clear to read, doubt and determination, but also patience, and it was exactly what Priscilla needed as she took the time to accept her feelings. It was funny and heartwarming at the same time.

*I received an ARC of this book, this is my honest opinion*

4.75 ⭐️

This is my first book of this author and let me tell you, I just binged this bad boy and, not gonna lie, it's a total vibe! This book legit vanished in my hands, I'm talking lightning speed.

Oliver? Ugh, he's basically my new literary crush. He's got that undeniable charm, and seeing him totally head-over-heels for Priscilla? My heart! Their whole "fake-it-till-you-make-it" romance, especially with the double proposal shenanigans, was pure gold. And those cheeky "practice" kisses? I was there for every single one. The sparks flying between them were off the charts, and Oliver's shameless flirting? Chef's kiss!

Now, if I had to spill some mild tea, I'm always a sucker for dual POVs, and man, I wish we'd gotten a peek inside Oliver's head. He's such a gem, and it would've been epic to see things from his side. And let's be real, Priscilla's initial beef with him felt a little extra, like, girl, what's good? But honestly, those are just minor quibbles in an otherwise ridiculously fun read.

So, if you're on the hunt for a feel-good, breezy rom-com that'll teleport you straight back to early 2000s movie nights, this is your jam. It's the perfect escape, a quick, happy read that'll pull you out of any reading funk. Trust me, you'll be obsessed!

After reading Hate Mail by Donna Marchetti, I knew I liked her writing — but The Proposal Project completely blew me away in the best way possible.

This book was everything. The characters were beautifully written, not only as individuals but as a couple. Their connection felt so real and full of love, and I adored watching their relationship unfold. It was one of those romances where you just feel how much they care for each other — it made my heart melt more than once.

The plot was also a standout — original, engaging, and refreshingly different from the usual rom-com setup. It kept me interested from start to finish, and the pacing was just right.

Donna Marchetti's writing shines here. It’s immersive, full of charm and warmth, and made it incredibly easy to get lost in the story. She has a way of writing characters and emotions that feels effortless but hits all the right notes.

The Proposal Project is romantic, heartfelt, and smart — and it’s easily one of my new favorites. I’ll be recommending this one to anyone looking for a love story that feels truly special.

Priscilla Cain has just lost her job becoming “the fall guy” after a client made a bad choice resulting in him ending up looking foolish. She confides to her best friend Tina who made a ton of money when an app she designed sold for a lot of money.

Tina tells Priscilla that she can start her own event business and she will back her monetarily. She also says she wants to be her first client as she wants to do a spectacular proposal to her boyfriend, Ryan, that mirrors one her mother made to her father. She wants music and fireworks and everything.

Ryan’s best friend is Oliver. When Priscilla first met Oliver, she was what she calls obsessed with him. When he found out she said that, he teased her which made her furious and now she hates being around him. But she finds out that Ryan wants to propose to Tina and now Priscilla and Oliver have to join forces to make this proposal the best for both Tina and Ryan.

As the journey toward the proposal begins, Tina and Ryan are convinced that Priscilla and Oliver are a couple and they let them believe that as the time winds down for the big day. But are they just pretending or could there really be a spark between them?

This is a cute story that at times seemed a bit silly but pick up toward the end of the book. It’s a different plot and one that I enjoyed. Hope other readers will enjoy it too.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I went into this thinking the premise was adorable and that I love a well-done fake dating trope, but this book was honestly such a miss for me.

I quite honestly hated every single character. Not a one knew how to communicate and these people were bad friends!! Also, the love interest was so bad at expressing his feelings that I wanted to throw my phone across the room.

Also, no scenario felt realistic in this book. Everything seemed to magically come together because the plot needed it to. The characters didn't really work for this resolution, things just magically work out for Priscilla because the plot demands it.

The only thing I can credit this book for is that the banter very occasionally made me smile.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Priscilla is gloriously awkward, blurting out the worst possible excuses in already cringey situations and somehow making everything more uncomfortable. She’s got zero filter, big dreams, and a best friend who cheers on every chaotic scheme. She is so relatable and you can’t help but root for her.

While helping their best friends Tina and Ryan secretly plan competing proposal surprises, Priscilla and Oliver pretend to be in a fake relationship, but they craft the ultimate engagement moment for their friends, sparks fly for real. Priscilla and Oliver’s romance is a delicious slow burn with awkward moments, poor communication but with some deliciously spicy scenes. I loved this novel and I will definitely be reading more of Donna Marchetti’s books in the future.

Thank you for letting me read and review this book on Netgalley.

This was a good read and I enjoyed it. I've been in a bit of a reading slump and this helped but I felt a little underwhelmed by it. I can't quite pinpoint what it was but it could have been due to my reading slump.

Tropes:
Spice 🌶️
Miscommunication ❌
Fake Dating 👫
Forced proximity 🙅‍♀️
Enemies to Lovers ❤️‍🔥
Clueless FMC & Obsessed MMC 👩‍❤️‍👨
One Bed 🛏️

For all of my romcom lovers out there, this one is for you.

I really enjoyed The Proposal Project! Donna Marchetti gave us everything that was promised and I ate it up.

If you like
fake dating, one bed, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers.

This one is a perfect read for you.

Will definitely be stocking in my shop and recommending to my rom com lovers .

Priscilla and Oliver were a great enemies to lovers story for me because their “hate” was never a reality. The way the two worked together from the outset for their besties was adorable.

While I can see there will be an audience for this book, that audience wasn't me. On paper I should have loved this, but it never clicked with me. I struggled to get through it because once I put it down I was never pulled to pick it back up again. I loved the premise of it but the execution wasn't working for me and the FMC's hatred of the MMC felt over the top and forced, just making her sound childish early on which was a large part of what I struggled with. A secret of hers got out that had to do with him and he teased her about it. She was embarrassed which was understandable but then continued to talk about him and act as if he was literally the worst human on the planet to ever exist, referring to him endlessly as an asshole, meanwhile every time we encounter him he's nice to her and helpful, and maybe he gives her a hard time or is teasing toward her but its nothing terrible, it's just playful, but her reactions are so disproportionate to it, so while there was potential for fun banter, I was instead just frustrated that she was actually the one being mean to him. It was hard for me to get past that and buy their connection which left me not wanting to keep going.

This was such a cute and fun read!

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Priscilla and Oliver, and the mix of enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and close proximity worked perfectly. The dual proposal added a fresh angle, and the story had just the right balance of romance and humor. A great pick for fans of lighthearted romcoms with heart! I would recommend this to my romance loving friends.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early!

This was my first book by Donna & I will definitely be picking up Hate Mail asap! The enemies to lovers in this was excellent, loved the proposal planning & all the characters! Just nothing bad to say about it :)

Donna Marchetti's writing style is really amazing and I enjoyed every single part of the book. Especially the cabin scenes were really heartwarming. This book is a true enemies to lovers, but also features some fake dating and forced proximity. Even though this book doesn't have the banter Hate mail had, I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers aspect to it.

I really loved to see Priscilla's working experience grow during this book. This big proposal was just the project she needed after being fired from her previous job. But what if Ryan is ruining her plans my beating her to it? Even though I have to admit I wanted to get to know Ryan a bit better, I really enjoyed the two of them working together to create the biggest proposal of all time.

I really enjoyed reading The Proposal Project and cannot wait for yet another book by this author. I would really recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an enemies to lovers with a hint of spice. Sometimes The Proposal Project just lacked the depth of the characters which is why this book couldn't make the 5 stars for me. Even though this book isn't a 5 star read for me, I still really enjoyed it and therefore give a 4 star rating.

This is the second book I've read by this author, with the first one being hate mail, and the author has definitely grown since the last book!
Really enjoyed this and thank you again for allowing me to read this early

Two rivals who have to find a way to help their perspective best friend propose first to their significant other without either of said friends finding out leads to a fake dating scheme, a lot of tension, and of course a very complicated proposal to plan. Priscilla Cain is a wedding planner and when her best friend Tina tells her its her dream to propose just like her mom did: i.e. being the first one to propose to her boyfriend, Priscilla is determined to make TIna's proposal dreams come true... the only problem is Oliver, best friend to Tina's boyfriend Ryan and the guy Priscilla use to have a crush on until he said the wrong thing and now she can't stand him. Oliver is determined to help Ryan propose to Tina.. but when Priscilla tries to stop those plans, now both of them are in a competition to see who can pull off the best proposal for their best friend... yet this leads to fake dating and the fact that both Priscilla and Oliver have to figure out what to do with the very real growing attraction between them while getting over what actually happened that one night all those years ago. I really wanted to like this one because I absolutely adored her first book so much but this one just fell a bit off for me. I personally didn't enjoy the huge miscommunication trope in this or the fact that the arguing and fighting between the two made them seem like they were acting like teens. I will say, I do enjoy the way Donna writes and will absolutely be picking up her future books but this one just didn't work for me unfortunately.

Release Date: June 19, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*