Thank you to Donna Marchetti, One More Chapter and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Proposal Project by Donna Marchetti, release date June 27th 2025, in exchange for an honest review.

The Proposal Project follows Priscilla, who has recently been fired from her job and is now taking on the task of planning Tina’s engagement, and Oliver, a teacher who has also been tasked with arranging Ryan’s engagement. The catch is that Tina and Ryan both want to propose to each other at different times with different ideas. Priscilla and Oliver, who are sworn enemies at the start of the book, then decide to team up to create the best dual proposal for their best friends. Oh, and they fall in love at the end of the book but I’m not spoiling how that happens.

The Proposal Project is an easy, quick read that’s a little bit cheesy but in the right way! I didn’t enjoy the miscommunication between the two MCs but appreciate that it was quickly resolved and the characters got on with their lives afterwards. I also need to know what was in that notebook 👀

All in all, I would recommend this book to my friends!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was an enjoyable read overall, with a fun premise and a lighthearted vibe. I appreciated the setup and the potential for a swoony romance, but I found myself a bit frustrated by how juvenile the characters' behavior felt at times.

Rather than having honest conversations about their feelings, both the FMC and MMC acted more like teenagers with a crush—dodging, deflecting, and leaning hard into miscommunication. While I understood the FMC’s embarrassment, it was disappointing that the MMC didn’t directly acknowledge how he made her feel. Instead, the story leaned heavily into the miscommunication trope, which felt avoidable and kept the romance from fully landing for me.

That said, there were sweet moments and a charming foundation here—it just needed a bit more emotional maturity and open dialogue to make the relationship feel truly satisfying.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

This is second book by author Donna Marchetti - following on from her debut novel Hate Mail which was a 5 star read for me.

I am was super excited about this book and she didn't fail to disappoint.

This follows Oliver and Priscella (Great names), Tina and Ryan's two best friends. They secretly want to propose to each other and have roped in Oliver and Priscella to help organise it.

Unbeknownst to Tina and Ryan , Oliver and Priscella team up together to bring both their proposal vision to life and so they can propose at the same time.

However , a year ago , after miscommunication, the two dislike each other and can't stand to be together.

Teaming up , turns into Fake Dating and devolves into a lot of not Fake kisses.

This book was super fun and easy to read. I wish I could get Oliver's POV , to see how much the man had it bad for Priscella.

A great follow on romance from Hate Mail.

The story begins with Priscilla who's getting fired from her dream job, and her best friend Tina, who is proposing something that sounds a lot better than unemployment or accepting donations - open her own event planning business, and begin by planning Tina's proposal (of epic proportions) to her boyfriend. Except...

... she needs to do it fast, because Ryan has also bought a ring for Tina on the same day, so Priscilla needs to work together with Ryan's best friend Oliver to make sure that Tina's plans aren't ruined by an earlier proposal. But Oliver just so happens to be Priscilla's enemy... or was he ever..?

I don't even know where to begin to explain how much joy this book has brought me. I found both couples lovable, and the plot was so much fun, both Priscilla and Oliver looking out for their respective best friends and trying to up one another's proposal attempts, until they realize it's better if they work together on a double engagement of even greater proportions. Which also lands them into a fake relationship... but was it ever fake?

I had loads of fun reading this book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it if you're looking for something light, sweet, hilarious, reminiscent of early 2000s rom-com movies.

3.5 ⭐️

The Proposal Project provides some over-the-top, fake dating shenanigans. I think if you’re a lover of the fake dating trope, you’re going to find some enjoyment in this book, as it hits all of the usual beats that trope provides. This book provides ample time spent mainly between the two main characters, Priscilla and Oliver, which I really appreciate in a romance book. Quality time and plenty of dialogue are always a big plus for me.

As for what I didn’t enjoy, the main thing was Priscilla’s cluelessness and the fact that the inciting incident for her dislike of Oliver was an obvious miscommunication. It was very obvious to the reader that he liked her the whole time, so her obliviousness to it for the majority of the book was a bit frustrating at times.

This book is great for anyone who is looking for a nice palate cleanser and loves a good dash of rom-com silliness!

I loved this book! This is such a feel-good heartwarming story. The characters were so well written, you felt like you was in on the secret proposal too. The enemies to lovers trope was perfectly written for this book, and no third act break up was *chef’s kiss*. I loved Priscilla and Oliver’s chemistry together - it was so sweet to watch their fake dating become more.

It is a perfect beach read, it has banter, a sweet story line and a little bit of spice!

My only wish - WHAT WAS IN THE NOTEBOOK?!?

The Proposal Project is a charming, feel-good romcom that hits many of the right notes. Priscilla and Oliver's enemies-to-lovers, fake dating arc is full of fun banter, sweet moments, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. Donna Marchetti does a great job creating that early 2000s romcom vibe, and the friendships—especially between Priscilla and Tina—add real heart to the story. The premise is a bit over-the-top in places (a competitive proposal plan, anyone?), but it works because the characters are endearing and easy to root for. It’s not without a few clichés and some predictable beats, and while the spice level might be too much or too little depending on your taste, the emotional depth balances things out nicely. Overall, this is a cute, quick, and uplifting read that’s perfect for when you need a lighthearted escape. A solid 3.5 stars from me.

Event planner Priscilla wants to help her bbf Tina to propose to her bf, Ryan. Unfortunately, Ryan already has a plan to propose to Tina... So Priscillia is foreced to work with Ryan's bbf Oliver to plan a joint proposal and keep their alliance a secret from everyone....

Love this writer's first book, Hate Mail, and this story is terrific too. The story is charming. Terrific characters... Fun banter and very cute. Lots of funny scenes too.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

The Proposal Project is another super fun romance read from Donna Marchetti, I was a big fan of her debut novel Hate Mail, and was so excited to be able to read TPP a bit early so I dove straight in.

I loved the characters in this one, Tina was so much fun from the get go. I really enjoyed seeing aspects of Tina and Ryan's relationship as well as the budding relationship between Pris and Oliver.

The romance was simply lovely, I always enjoy the hate to love, but not really hate type dynamics and Donna really did an excellent job with the chemistry between Oliver and Pris.

This book gives off 2000s romcom dynamics and I am so here for it. I just know all the romance readers are going to eat this up as it is the perfect summer read. I honestly could not put this book down.

I didn't think that Donna would be able to top my love for Hate Mail, yet she releases this. I have started to develop a strong love of romantic comedies, and this is the perfect example of one. Just the right about of cheesiness without being cringey. I laughed and swooned. If you like fake dating, heart warming moments, plenty of laughs and enemies to lovers, then you need to pick this up. Oh, and did I mention a little sprinkling of the one bed trope?

4 stars. Fun and cute!

Priscilla is planning her best friend Tina's proposal. But then she hears that Tina's boyfriend Ryan is going to propose! Together with Ryan's best friend Oliver (whom she hates at first) they start to plan together a true spectacle.

Planned proposals with marching bands and flash mobs are very far from my reality, but it didn't matter . This was perfectly light, romantic and cute read. It made me laugh and smile.

I haven't read Donna Marchetti's first book Hate Mail but after reading this I will absolutely read that too!

WHAT I LIKED: Priscilla and Oliver were cute together. And this was fun (the yodeling on the roof, oh my)! I think the idea of proposal planning for their friends was fun and original and I loved how the main characters planned a true spectacle together for their friends!

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: The miscommunication. That being said, it was understandable and the ending was even sweeter when they finally communicated!

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Pov: heroine, 1st person
Heat: open doors
Pacing: slowburn
Communication: miscommunication
Third act: hiccups
Ending: HEA

Main characters:
* Enemies to lovers
* Opposites attract

What?
* Fake dating
* Forced proximity
* Mutual pining
* One bed
* Second chance

Where?
* I'm not sure if the exact location was mentioned?

Drama?
* Miscommunication

Other vibes:
* The one that got away

4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very solid read! Perfect palette cleanser read that was quick to get through and kept me entertained. I enjoyed the writing style and found the characters to be fun to read about. It had the perfect vibes for a spring/ summer read. Great humour too I found myself giggling multiple times!

This book was so FUN! last year I read Hate Mail always by Donna Marchetti and i really enjoyed it.
This has a total different vibe that I really liked.
It always gives that 2000s rom-com vibes that are my favourite in these kind of books.
The characters were likable especially Oliver (cutie pie). Priscilla was so relatable at times! Also Tina and Ryan made me laugh so much!!
If you haven't read anything by this author it's now time to READ THESE BOOKS.

Oh my god this was such a fun read!! I read it all in one day because I just couldn’t stop. The characters were so fun and their constant bickering made me want to keep reading even more about them. The whole proposal planning was just purely adorable. 100% recommend this book!!

After falling in love with Hate Mail last year, I was beyond excited to dive into Donna Marchetti’s latest, The Proposal Project—and it absolutely delivered! This is the kind of story that makes me want to drop everything and read it in one sitting (which is exactly what I did). Marchetti has a real gift for writing swoony, nostalgic romcoms that feel like they came straight out of a 2000s movie marathon, and this one hit all the right notes.

The story follows Priscilla, who’s just been fired and decides—with the encouragement of her best friend Tina—to take a leap and launch her dream event planning business. Her first gig? Planning Tina’s dream marriage proposal to her boyfriend Ryan. But there’s a twist: Ryan also wants to propose, and his best friend Oliver is helping him. Cue the chaos when Priscilla and Oliver—sworn enemies—are forced to team up to pull off this double-surprise proposal without either party finding out about the other’s plans. Oh, and to avoid suspicion, they have to pretend to be dating. You know where this is going—and it’s the best ride getting there.

From hilarious misunderstandings to heartfelt moments and some seriously cute fake-dating shenanigans, Priscilla and Oliver’s journey is packed with tension, banter, and slow-burn goodness. The rivals-to-lovers energy is chef’s kiss, and Oliver’s quiet obsession with Priscilla? Adorable. (Seriously, I need more info on that secret notebook ASAP.) There’s fake dating, one bed, yearning, and so much pining—basically every trope I live for.

Beyond the romance, the friendships in this book are equally heartwarming. Tina and Ryan are total sweethearts, and the friend group’s dynamics made the story feel even richer and more immersive. The whole vibe is light, romantic, and perfect for spring or summer reading.

While the ending wrapped up a bit quickly, it didn’t take away from how much fun this book was. No annoying third-act breakup, just a feel-good, satisfying love story full of charm, laughter, and heart. Donna Marchetti has officially made my auto-buy author list.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Donna Marchetti for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

5✨️
3🌶
Romance

💍 Fake dating
💍 He is obsessed with her
💍 Close Proximity
💍 Enemies to lovers
💍 Only one bed

《You're going to ruin me for all of my future real boyfriends.》《Good.》

I devoured this book in 24 hours because it was just THAT good! I loved everything about it and I found it extremely entertaining and fast paced. Even though it was a romance book, I found it not as predictable as others romance books and I loved that! I also loved that the third act breakup wasn't exactly a breakup, but more of a fight (yes, I'm a big hater of third act breakups, just talk your problems out kids). The whole proposal gig was so fun and entertaining to read and the angst I felt when the fake relationship was becoming something more real was unmatched!

Every character was so interesting and had a specific personality, and sometimes to do so in a standalone is not as easy as it seems, while here you could easily discern Tina's stubborn character from Priscilla's more flexible one. I also loved the ambience and the sneaking around, everyone having secrets from each other! It was a lot of fun!
What can I say, I'm OBSESSED😉

Thank you One More Chapter, Donna Marchetti and NetGalley, for providing me an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own!

Mark your calendars for publication date, June 27 2025!

A super cute enemies to lovers romance, this book was an easy fun read. I enjoyed the characters racing to the proposals and their journeys along the way.

I really loved this, it's an easy to read, cosy, fluffy romance book. For me it had really fun character, a fake dating trope which I always love sprinkled with a nice amount of spice. It didn't take me long to read this at all and I thought the story line developed perfectly.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Proposal Project is a very cute book. I really enjoyed the concept of the book and seeing all the event planning process. This was my first book by this author and I highly enjoyed it. This was such a fun read and I loved every moment.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this book, I appreciate it.

My first book by Donna and not my last! I loved how the fake dating was done, it was done in a way that they pulled it off really well, but you still remember that it is fake without trying too hard. No 3rd act break up? sign me UP.