Bi Book Club: The Proposal

By Jennie Roberson

July 18, 2019

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Photo credit: Pexels/Timo Volz Follow

Howdy, readers! Welcome to those of you who are new around these parts, and for returning readers — welcome back!

Well, the weather's getting warmer, and that means many things — and weddings are one of them. That can also mean interminable waits in airports for connecting flights. Modern purgatory, I know. So I try to temper these waiting games with a good book. There’s usually a solid beach read that hit the bestseller list for sale next to the mountains of magazines in the newsstands, so I grabbed one per usual while I waited in an Iowa airport. And that’s how I came across The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory. And anything that starts off with praise from Roxane Gay (#Bi2), the author of Bi Book Club’s first book, is worth giving a look at. So I decided to give it a shot.

This review will contain some SPOILERS for the book. I should also note a content warning: emotional abuse.

Cover of The Proposal, that is a light blue illustrated cover of a black woman and man with summer vibes.

The Proposal focuses on Nik Paterson, a freelance writer whose casual and vacuous boyfriend Fisher proposes to her via the Jumbotron at a Dodgers game. When she turns him down in front of thousands of ballgame attendants, her refusal quickly goes viral. Carlos, a handsome doctor nearby, helps her find a graceful exit from the stadium — and right into a rebound relationship with him.

Oh yeah. We are in full beach read mode with this plot; make no mistake.

What I Liked:

Something I adored about The Proposal from the jump is that the majority of characters are people of color. That is still a rarity in mainstream fare, let alone bestsellers in books. From my count, there are a good dozen-plus named characters, and only two of them are white — Nik’s gym instructor, Natalie, and her oblivious ex, Fisher, who proposed to her in front of the entire world. But even though Natalie is white, she is bi — a different form of an underrepresented identity. So only Fisher, the cishet ex, is the straight white person in the mix — and he is the overall villain of the piece. How refreshing is that?

Not only that, but The Proposal makes sure to take moments to note when race would either be part of a perceived problem or expectations. There is a moment when Carlos (a Latino) and Nik (a black woman) note that their extended presence in the Hollywood Hills could get some unwanted attention. And while I felt for them both in these moments, I appreciated that these scenes and moments grounded this frothy novel in reality.

Also, I rather liked how Guillory reveals that Natalie is bi. Without revealing too much, this cheerful character actively dates one of the other female characters and later reveals she had a husband. She also actually uses the term “bi,” which I cannot remember the last time I read that in a light novel. In fact, I was so surprised at reading the word that I jolted in my airplane seat and scared my neighbors! The reveal is matter-of-fact, not a matter of conflict within Natalie, but does have consequences on her life (but not the major plot). The whole experience was so refreshing.

And on a different front, I appreciated how much both the characters love and admire Los Angeles. As an Angeleno myself, it was delightful to watch L.A. “play itself” and follow along as the characters crisscrossed across the Eastside, taking in authentic taquerias and citing accurate drive times. As anyone in a major metropolis can attest, that level of detail often falls to the wayside in mainstream storytelling.

What I Didn't Like:

I didn’t really have any qualms with the handling of bisexuality throughout the novel. The author made sure to use inclusive language at appropriate junctures and made sure that the audience knew through the views of the protagonists non-straight sexualities and gender non-conformity were not a problem.

My quibbles were more with certain patterns within The Proposal itself. Other than trying to resist making the main romance become more than a rebound, there is not much conflict throughout the book. I am all for charming dates one after another in the book, but despite secondary characters having problems that the two main protagonists worried about, there was no pressing problem — and no solid “clock” or timeframe within which events need to happen. So while the blooming love can take its time, I didn’t find myself worrying about either Nik or Carlos (her handsome doctor paramour) very much. If this had been more than an airport read, I would have felt more like I had gotten the short end of the stick, but it works for what it is.

Overall, while Natalie’s bisexuality was not a focal point in the main story, her detailed character and how her accepted sexuality later led her into a better relationship was a real treat to read. The book is fun, inclusive, and heartwarming — perfect for a way to kill some time on the beach or at the airport gate. Or wherever you like — it’s an open proposal (couldn’t help myself).

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