The Christmas Proposal was a sweet, festive Christmas read. If you like books with very festive, Christmas-y settings, this may be one to pick up!

LA dwellers Grace and Bridget are stranded together in Grace's hometown of Mistletoe Mountain, which is just as merry and bright as it sounds. Bridget has hired Grace to plan a proposal for her boss, who wants the proposal to happen in this year-round Christmas town.

There are several cute and festive scenes, and lots of Christmas cheer. This book is a mild grinch/sunshine trope with forced proximity, and both girls come with some heavy baggage that of course causes all sorts of complications. Romance stories always need conflict, right?

The pacing and the writing style didn't work very well for me. There were some very cheesy/cliche things the characters did and said that were just a little cringy. I was also mildly disappointed by the ending. It was sweet, but I feel like it could have been so much better. I also wanted more from the Epilogue; I wish it would have continued to at least the end of the day it was describing. I know that sounds ambiguous but I don't want to spoil anything. Also, I wanted to find out about the boss's proposal and if she ever found out that Grace was the one who planned it. I feel like that may have been a missed opportunity for entertainment there.

Overall, if you are looking for a holiday read to help get you into the Christmas spirit and like Hallmark movie-esque stories, this one may be for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

well SLAP ME with a hallmark movie and call me carol this is the cutest cheesiest holiday romance yet!!!

grace, a successful proposal planner at tie the knot, is itching for a promotion and a way to never return to her hometown of mistletoe mountain again (yes really that’s the name lol). bridget, an assistant for the CEO of a huge game design company, is freaking out because her boss wants the perfect holiday proposal to her girlfriend and … bridget is not a fan of christmas. but when bridget hires grace to plan the proposal, little do either of them know that bridget’s boss is grace’s ex-girlfriend.

okay this was definitely made for hallmark everyone.

was it the cheesiest? yes. was it super fluffy and cute? yes. did the main characters actually do things like kiss under the mistletoe, bake cookies, and live in a place called candy cane inn? also yes.

but it made me feel warm and cozy on the inside just by binging this one, and so for that, it gets alllll of the stars.

thank you to netgalley and bold strokes books for the advanced copy in exchange for a review. this one’s out 12/14/21 :’)

rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: cabernet franc ice wine

Arc kindly provided by Bold Strokes Books via Netgalley for an honest review.

DNF at 26%.

I'm very sorry that this book did not work out for me. I was very interested in reading it upon looking at that beautiful cover and reading the blurb, but the execution wasn't good.

I liked the writing style and the plot was good, but my main problem was the fetishizing of lesbians. It happened a lot, from the very first chapter, and I wasn't willing to look past it and continue with my reading. Plus, it was kind of insta love-y and while that usually doesn't bother, it annoyed me a lot in this case, what with Grace's and Bridget's obsession to show the other that they both like women.

I was looking for a cute and cheesy Christmas book as we are approaching the holidays and The Christmas Proposal delivered it all.
Although it wasn't my favorite writing style and thought the events were a bit rushed, the read was lovely. An evening spent very nicely.
Thank you Bold Strokes Books and Lisa Moreau for the e-ARC and allowing me to read this adorable book!

Thank you publisher for this e arc of The Christmas Proposal. Also, thank you Lisa Moreau for such a sweet Christmas novel. I have been wanting a good Christmas read as tomorrow starts December and this just got me in the Christmas mood.

This is a Christmas love story and the primary setting is Mistletoe Mountain! The town Mistletoe Mountain was one of my favorite parts of this story.

"When Grace and Bridget end up stranded together on Mistletoe Mountain, Grace has no chance to escape. Not from her painful past, not from her attraction to Bridget, and definitely not from all the romance in the air."

Think hallmark movie with all the feels... but a bit more romance and steam.

This was a great Christmas romance and quick read. I highly recommend you read this in December. 4*+ for me.

If you're looking for a sugary sweet lesbian romance (from an author who isn't scared of using the word lesbian) look NO further. I absolutely adored every moment of this ho-ho-holiday romance and can't wait for more from Lisa Moreau!

A fun read but unfortunately not for me. I didn't like the writing style and couldn't get into the plot - the characters seemed flat and uninspiring

Cute holiday read. If you like Hallmark movies, you’ll enjoy this. It was an easy, enjoyable way to spend my afternoon.
Grace works for Tie the Knot, a proposal planning company that helps to make wedding proposals extra special.
Bridget is an executive assistant who is asked by her boss to plan the perfect proposal for her and her girlfriend. When Bridget and Grace’s paths cross, Bridget knows Grace is just the person to make her impossible to please boss happy. Through the planning, they figure out that the proposal is for Grace’s ex girlfriend who never wanted to commit to her. Grace and Bridget have to work together to figure out how to get this proposal off without a hitch so that Bridget can get a promotion and Grace won’t get a broken heart all over again.
Sweet, cheesy and super Christmas-y romance. I loved the setting of a town obsessed with all things Christmas. Each character had their own issues to work through and the good part is that none of it was a straight line to working it out, which made it more realistic yet fun to read.
My only complaint, if you can call it that, was that the ending felt a bit rushed and the epilogue could have been a little more detailed. Other than that, it’s all good :)
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

The Christmas Proposal by Lisa Moreau is an easy to read holiday romance, the kind you grab when you want to curl up in front of a fire with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate. I don’t have a fireplace, but I did manage the hot chocolate (with marshmallows of course), a blanket, and a purring puddle of a kitty beside me as I consumed the story. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

The plot has quite a few twists and turns, especially when Bridget Cartwright goes to Tie the Knot, a proposal company, and hires Grace Dawson to plan a Christmas wedding proposal for her boss. Grace doesn’t find out until later that Bridget’s boss is Grace’s ex…the one she had a bad breakup with. By the time Grace realizes this, she is stranded on Mistletoe Mountain with Bridget, with little to do but plan the proposal, remember old hurts, and get to know Bridget.

This is a lovely story with likeable characters, a gorgeous setting (I could easily live on Mistletoe Mountain), and a fairly low angst tale of romance in a holiday setting. Really, what else could you ask for…besides the fireplace and the marshmallows. So grab your blanket and your steaming cup of chocolate heaven, and read this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

This was a fun holiday comfort read! It’s hard to find stories like this with sapphic main characters, so I was happy to have a book like this to read on my lunch breaks. I really liked the premise of Bridgett unknowingly hiring Grace to plan a proposal for her ex girlfriend who cheated on her. It made for some good drama, especially when you throw in the romantic tension between Grace and Bridgett.
Personally, I would have liked to see more time spent developing their relationship—everything just went a little too smoothly right away. However, their relationship made sense in the end and they were kind and supportive of each other, so it was a happy story.

📚Book review📚

I spent a great deal at the beginning of the story thinking about how different these two women are and how it is going to take a miracle for relationship to work between the two of them. I know it starts off heavily on the will they won’t they and throwing in always odds that are against them but also all of these things are pushing them together really play it with your mind.

This was a heart warming story with a fluffy ending. It was wrapped up nicely and I can totally see how this can get you in the holiday spirit. I enjoyed this book and recommend it. It was a little confusing because the perspective bounces back and forth which causes some slowing down during reading but doesn’t put you off.

Ratings:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌶🌶

😢

This was my best Christmas read so far. It does have some bumps, but for a holiday romance it’s just fine.

I didn’t really get how the book started, it was rather confusing. It does add this layer to the story layer on, but it was a bit unnecessary. If it weren’t there I wouldn’t have missed it is my point. It would have been just fine if Bridget was just hiring Grace as the proposal planner for her boss. Also, are those things for real? People actually hire people to plan “the perfect proposal”? I love that Bridget’s mind goes to business instead of weddings, it’s funny.
Grace is more of a sunshine-y person to Bridget’s more bleak outlook on life. Which is fully understandable and I like how the author added layers to the characters. Some more intense subjects are brought to light, and while the characters struggled with the events in the past, and are still finding their footing, the book never feel heavy.
It does feel like a super light holiday romance and just what one would expect for such a book.

One mayor point that has me doubting giving 4 stars. The dark moment, the break up, happens at the 86%(!) mark. This is just WAY too late. I’m giving the book 4 stars because I’m feeling generous at the start of the holiday season…

I absolutely loved this book! It read exactly like a Hallmark movie and everything about it was enjoyable. The characters were so likeable, the plot was well written and thought out, and the whole concept melted my heart. I loved how everything that was mentioned had actual meaning at some point later on and wasn't just disregarded. This is the perfect Sapphic book to get you in the holiday spirit!

This was a cute and fast read!

If you have been looking for a sapphic Christmas novel, then this might be it for you.

This felt like a fun interpretation of the Christmas enthusiast/grinch trope/premise.
I loved the setting of this book the most, Mistletoe Mountain felt like a real and magical place, full of all the Christmas spirit you could ever want or need.

In this book, Grace ends up having to plan the proposal of her ex-girlfriend, and while planning that event she gets stuck in her hometown, the Christmas village Mistletoe Mountain, together with Bridget, who is her ex's assistant. The two women are stuck in the town for about a week, and meanwhile have to face their fears and past, trying to fight off their attraction to each other.

This book is full of facing and overcoming your past, and I would have loved to see even more of that. Shy Bridget and bubbly Grace have an immediate connection which is wonderful to see, but felt very fast-paced. I think if we had more view into their past (especially Bridget's) it would have been easier for me to connect to these characters. The side characters aka Grace's family definitely carried a big part of this book for me, together with the scenery and setting.
I was also not the biggest fan of the third act conflict and would have loved a longer aftermath of that, since it was resolved so quickly. I might have even preferred a different conflict altogether, since things I thought we'd definitely see didn't happen on page.

This was a quick holiday read with some swoon worthy scenes (the "someone looks at something and calls it beautiful, while the other agrees but looks at their future significant other" trope HELLO) and the fact that it was dual POV definitely made this more exciting.

If you like the Christmas version of a (mild) grumpy/sunshine trope and characters that overcome their fear of relationships and commitment, this might be your ideal holiday pick.

This was a super cute Christmas romance. I really enjoyed the author's writing style and the premise. It was super Hallmark-y in the best way possible. A heart warming story that’s set to put you in the holiday mood. Give this sweet romance a go.

This was a cute little Christmas book. We start the book with Grace who finds out her girlfriend has been cheating on her. Grace is from this adorable town called Mistletoe Mountain where it's Chrismasy all the time, but she hasn't gone back in quite a while. Fast forward a year and we have Bridget hiring Grace to plan a proposal....for her ex girlfriend! In her hometown! The parts in Mistletoe Mountain were my favorite. Grace and Bridget get stranded there (of course) due to an avalanche. Forced proximity is one of my favorite tropes. :')

My least favorite trope is miscommunication and unfortunately there is some very annoying miscommunication toward the end of the book which is the reason I can't rate this one higher. Overall, I did enjoy reading it and I can recommend as a cute holiday romance.

A bit cheesy and predictable but if you want a feel good Christmas novel then this is for you. Definitely one to bring on the Christmas spirit while drinking mulled wine and eating mince pies!

I love Christmas and this book evoked all the warm and gooey feelings associated with this festival for me.

On a trip to recce Bridget’s boss’ proposal site, an avalanche left Grace Dawson and Bridget Cartwright stranded in Grace’s hometown, Mistletoe Mountain. Trapped in a year long Christmas village, Bridget, who is short of being called a grinch, simply does not care for the cold, the place where everything speaks Christmas and certainly not any thoughts of family. Bridget does not need entanglements yet Grace, the advocate for Christmas is one her heart cannot ignore.

Grace escaped Mistletoe Mountain after an incident and has struggled to return ever since. On a working trip to introduce Bridget to her hometown, stranded Grace has to face up to what and who she lost when she left all those years ago.

The author created a beautiful and romantic setting for the characters to fall in love. The characters fit each other and it was heartwarming to watch them let go of their fears and embrace love.

I just reviewed The Christmas Proposal by Lisa Moreau. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC.

This is a really sweet Christmas love story. Grace and Bridgett. are thrown together is strange circumstances.A brken love, a chance meeting and an earthquake avalanche. The plot is very goodand keeps your attention.
The characters are well writtyen with their own past which adds to the story.
I recommend this book for Christmas and romance readers.
I received this book from Netgalley for and honest opinion

The Christmas Proposal

3.5 stars

Sum it up
Grace loves romance and hopes to find the love of her life someday. Till then she plans proposals for other couples at Tie the Knot. After several bad relationships, Grace starts reading a lot of self-help books and figures it will happen when it happens.
Bridget works for Grace's ex-girlfriend. Bridget is not the type that believes in happily ever after, she just wants to succeed in her career that's her only focus. When her boss asks her to plan her proposal Bridget hopes that if she does it well enough she can get the promotion she's always wanted.
Bridget decides to hire Grace to help her plan it without knowing of Grace's history.
When Grace and Bridget get stuck on mistletoe mountain, They both have to deal with their past.

My thoughts
This was a quick read, wasn't my cup of tea, I love romance but I just couldn't fully picture it all like I usually can so that was a disappointment. I did absolutely loved that the chapters were titled each one a reference to that chapter, not seen in many books anymore. I loved all the Christmas stuff, I am not a huge Christmas fan but I would love to go visit a place as they describe. If you need a little romance and a quick read this is your book.