The Proposal Project by Donna Marchetti [ARC Review]

*I’d like to thank NetGalley, One More Chapter, and Donna Marchetti for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The Proposal Project” by Donna Marchetti is a romantic comedy telling the story of Priscilla and Oliver. In this single POV novel, we follow Priscilla, a young woman just fired from her first big girl job, getting entangled with Oliver, her best friend’s boyfriend’s best friend — and a man she used to have a crush on before a conflict between them arose, dimming any sort of romance that might have flickered between them.

When Tina asks Priscilla for help while planning her proposal to long-term boyfriend Ryan, she doesn’t expect to encounter Oliver wrapped up in helping Ryan with his proposal to Tina. After some sabotage on both sides, Oliver and Priscilla decide to join forces and plan a joint proposal without their friends knowing. Due to circumstance — and having to explain why they spend so much time together — Oliver and Priscilla find themselves pretending to be dating. But pretend play and very real kisses quickly set dormant feelings between them both on fire.

This is Donna Marchetti’s second novel and the second time I picked it up for review. I have to say, I saw a lot of growth in Donna’s writing, which was a pleasant surprise. In comparison to Donna’s prior novel, this time around the entire story is told from Priscilla’s POV, which I think worked very well for this story. It’s not often that I feel that way, so take that as a compliment towards Donna’s writing and plotting.

I’m not going to lie — the premise of the plot does sound a little bonkers, but once you get to know the characters, especially Tina and Ryan, it starts to make sense very quickly. Personally, I found Priscilla to be very relatable. Being the one friend in the group who hasn’t fully found her footing in life yet, but is still loved and supported by her best friend, was a great testimony to girlhood. The friendship between Priscilla, Tina, Ryan, and Oliver was essential to the plot. I very much enjoyed the dynamic they had with each other. There’s a lot of banter between all of them, though when it comes to Priscilla and Oliver, the bickering quickly turns into a form of flirting.

Oliver was clearly a man with a mission when his life got entangled with Priscilla yet again. I think he took it as pure motivation to get with her when he overheard that no man had ever gone down on her. From that moment, his goal was set — and he worked hard to convince Priscilla that their relationship was more than just faking it for their friends. Be it the practice kisses or being forced into the same room in the cabin, he went full force without ever being forceful.

I loved how their dynamic was basically predetermined by their first encounter with each other. This book is yet another proof of what an essential trope miscommunication can be when done right. Oliver’s confession made me kick my feet.

And don’t even get me started on the steam. Though it’s more of a slow burn, when the pants finally come off, they are truly ripped off. We’re talking from the shower to the whirlpool to the king-size bed. I really appreciated that Donna focuses more on the sensuality in those scenes rather than being super graphic or grotesque. There’s so much sensual touch and tension building up to their first time together, and I was totally here for it. I have to say — this novel has some of the best kissing scenes I’ve read in a while.

The pacing made for a great reading experience. It didn’t feel stretched out, nor did it rush from scene to scene. Sometimes a scene lasted a bit too long in my opinion, but it didn’t impact my overall experience too much. The writing perfectly matched the vibe: romantic and fun. I’d say maybe in 10 years or so, some of the details might feel a little dated, but for now, it’s a really fun contemporary romcom that should definitely be on your TBR.

I did have some trouble with the overall premise of the proposal part of the novel. I know it’s supposed to be fun and humorous, but the over-the-top proposal was a tad too much for me at times. I also didn’t really get where Donna was going with the Malcolm plotline for Priscilla. In retrospect, it felt a bit unnecessary. But since it didn’t take up too much time in the novel, I can overlook it quite easily.

Overall, "The Proposal Project" has all that a contemporary romantic comedy needs. From the banter to the fake dating and forced proximity, there’s a lot to love in this novel. If you’re a romcom enthusiast and Donna Marchetti isn’t on your radar yet, you’re doing it wrong!