Read: The Proposal

There are some authors who have developed such a loyal fan base, that whenever they release a new book, their devoted readers just purchase it, without even knowing the plot. Writers like Jodi Picoult and Liane Moriarty come to mind. For me, that person is Jasmine Guillory. 

I learned about Guillory on one of my favorite podcasts, Forever35. She's been a guest on two episodes, where she's become known for her daily yoga practice (which she chronicles on Instagram) and her love of baths. I read her first book, The Wedding Date, in June and I devoured it. I was so into it that I was choosing to read more pages instead of watching TV, which for me, is monumental. 

When I discovered I could pre-order Guillory's next book, The Proposal, on Amazon, I did so right away.

I was ecstatic when it arrived. I decided to save it for my Thanksgiving trip to Miami, knowing I would have lots of reading time on the plane and by the pool. I finished it in a day and a half. 

The Proposal is the unexpected love story of Nikole "Nik" Paterson and Carlos Ibarra. If you read The Wedding Date, you may remember Carlos as Drew's best friend and co-worker at the hospital.

Carols and Nik meet in a very unexpected way. They are both at the same Dodgers baseball game, when Nik's boyfriend of a few months proposes to her on the Jumbotron. Horrified, she tries to subtly reject the proposal (with thousands of people watching). Carlos and his sister Angela are a few rows back, watching in shock. Angela notices news crews moving toward Nik and grabs Carlos to scurry down and intercept them. They help Nik sneak out of the stadium and offer to drive her home (she asks to be dropped off at her favorite bar instead). 

Over drinks, and a dramatic retelling of the proposal gone awry, Carlos and Nik begin to feel a few sparks. After they part ways, they each continue thinking about the night and attempt to hatch a plan to get back in touch. Nik decides to make the first move and send Carlos an email, thinly veiled behind a thank you for his help at the stadium. 

What follows is a series of outings and eventually dates, where both Nik and Carlos try to convince themselves they aren't really interested in a serious relationship (which is also the premise of The Wedding Date). That tension keeps you reading, wondering when they are both going to wise up! 

I don't want to give away the ending, so I will just say, Guillory is one of the best romance writers I've read. She pens flirtatious scenes that would make even the most stern person swoon and blush. Each time I've been immersed in one of her books, I always think, "This has to become a movie!" 

I wasn't sure if Guillory had plans to write more books, but last week on Instagram she debuted the cover for her third book called The Wedding Party. You better believe I'll be pre-ordering it! 

Tell me, have you read either of Jasmine Guillory's books? Are you as addicted as I am?

*Photo courtesy of Jasmine Guillory on Twitter.