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The Proposal
Tully’s first marriage ended badly, and then she lost the true love of her life in a motorcycle accident. She longs to have a family, but knows she won’t get a third chance at happily-ever-after.
Mack’s wife died two years ago, and he’s determined to never love again. He has everything money can buy, but what he wants most is a mother for his three-year-old son, Cody.
When Tully and Cody bond over a sandcastle in the park, Mack impulsively offers her an unorthodox business proposition: a contract marriage with Cody at the center. There will be no love and no sex, but if Tully will move to Mack’s Colorado mansion and care for Cody until he’s eighteen, Mack will support her while she pursues her dream to write—and throw in a two million dollar bonus.
The idea is crazy, but for these two broken-hearted people, it seems to work. That is, until Tully starts to fall for Mack—a definite no-no for their bargain—and an outsider threatens the future of their unusual family.
Mack’s wife died two years ago, and he’s determined to never love again. He has everything money can buy, but what he wants most is a mother for his three-year-old son, Cody.
When Tully and Cody bond over a sandcastle in the park, Mack impulsively offers her an unorthodox business proposition: a contract marriage with Cody at the center. There will be no love and no sex, but if Tully will move to Mack’s Colorado mansion and care for Cody until he’s eighteen, Mack will support her while she pursues her dream to write—and throw in a two million dollar bonus.
The idea is crazy, but for these two broken-hearted people, it seems to work. That is, until Tully starts to fall for Mack—a definite no-no for their bargain—and an outsider threatens the future of their unusual family.
294 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 13, 2015
I can't remember how I stumbled across this book, probably a suggestion, but after reading the synopsis, I thought "why not." I basically went in to this with no expectations, but even that earned this book only about 3.5 stars from me.
I was good, but it lacked quite a few things. Firstly, I had a hard time buying into the emotions of the characters. The narrator claimed how characters felt for each other another, but I just didn't see it or feel it for myself. Mack's attraction toward Tully, felt very superficial. Maybe it was just me, that I interpreted it that way, but the following lines bothered me.
"She's not a woman I would have pursued when we first met, not someone I would have wanted to to take to bed. I was drawn to her because of her warmth and because of her attention to Cody. Now, everything about her seems right, seems to fit so well with what I want, with what I need."
I don't know about anyone else, but I don't find those lines romantic in the slightest. This was said after Tully changed everything she was. Her looks being part of it. Maybe I'm just a romantic, but I feel like someone should be loved for who they are, not who they will be when they change everything about themselves. Her confidence was a great change and good for character development on her part, but when Mack first met her, it wasn't enough for him to love her for her warmth and sweetness. She had to change her looks and become more confident.
The second thing that bothered me was the fact that Tully says multiple times that she is Cody's real mother and that's how she see's it. Once she said, "I am his real mother." After Mack says, "You're his stepmother, not his natural mother, but Cody loves you as if you were."
Tully, replies with, "That's because I'm the only mother he's known. I don't think of myself as his stepmother, and neither does Cody."
Okay, so now that that is out there, I'll go further into the story where she says this to someone after receiving praise for her children's book. "Thank you. I wrote it for my stepson and never dreamed it would be published."
If she thought of Cody as her biological son, I wonder that she felt it necessary to explain to a perfect stranger that Cody was her stepson. Maybe these little things shouldn't bother me, but they really do."
And lastly, the ending was seriously lacking for me. (SPOILER!!!!) After the way Tully left her son, I wish the end would have shown a reunion between the two after being apart for so long. I felt like it was much needed to wrap up the story. (Spoiler END!!!) I didn't get that overwhelming feeling of happiness at the end of this book, and that disappointed me.
Besides these points I've made, I did like the book even if I skimmed through some parts of it. It was good, but it wasn't great. That is where the 3.5 stars come in. I was torn between the half star rating. It could have been only 3 stars and it might end up that way after I've had time to dwell on it a bit longer.
I was good, but it lacked quite a few things. Firstly, I had a hard time buying into the emotions of the characters. The narrator claimed how characters felt for each other another, but I just didn't see it or feel it for myself. Mack's attraction toward Tully, felt very superficial. Maybe it was just me, that I interpreted it that way, but the following lines bothered me.
"She's not a woman I would have pursued when we first met, not someone I would have wanted to to take to bed. I was drawn to her because of her warmth and because of her attention to Cody. Now, everything about her seems right, seems to fit so well with what I want, with what I need."
I don't know about anyone else, but I don't find those lines romantic in the slightest. This was said after Tully changed everything she was. Her looks being part of it. Maybe I'm just a romantic, but I feel like someone should be loved for who they are, not who they will be when they change everything about themselves. Her confidence was a great change and good for character development on her part, but when Mack first met her, it wasn't enough for him to love her for her warmth and sweetness. She had to change her looks and become more confident.
The second thing that bothered me was the fact that Tully says multiple times that she is Cody's real mother and that's how she see's it. Once she said, "I am his real mother." After Mack says, "You're his stepmother, not his natural mother, but Cody loves you as if you were."
Tully, replies with, "That's because I'm the only mother he's known. I don't think of myself as his stepmother, and neither does Cody."
Okay, so now that that is out there, I'll go further into the story where she says this to someone after receiving praise for her children's book. "Thank you. I wrote it for my stepson and never dreamed it would be published."
If she thought of Cody as her biological son, I wonder that she felt it necessary to explain to a perfect stranger that Cody was her stepson. Maybe these little things shouldn't bother me, but they really do."
And lastly, the ending was seriously lacking for me. (SPOILER!!!!) After the way Tully left her son, I wish the end would have shown a reunion between the two after being apart for so long. I felt like it was much needed to wrap up the story. (Spoiler END!!!) I didn't get that overwhelming feeling of happiness at the end of this book, and that disappointed me.
Besides these points I've made, I did like the book even if I skimmed through some parts of it. It was good, but it wasn't great. That is where the 3.5 stars come in. I was torn between the half star rating. It could have been only 3 stars and it might end up that way after I've had time to dwell on it a bit longer.
December 12, 2014
2.5 - 3 stars
Warning contains mild spoilers
Well this was ok but to be honest both of these characters got on my nerves. I understood why Mack didn’t want to love again but really it got a bit irritating him not owing up to how he felt and pushing Tully away all the time. Also I really didn’t like what he did on the honeymoon, yes I know it wasn’t a real marriage but even so he could have spent time with her. It would have been a good time to bond before going home to Cody but instead he palmed her off on someone else.
Then when she gives up hope and does exactly as he told her by sleeping with someone else he gets all “hang on a minute this isn’t right” well duh of course not because you love her!
Then when he FINALLY wakes up and realises he loves her, the inevitable BAD thing happens and he doesn’t stick by her and totally blows it!!
I’m not a big fan of the whole “I want her but can’t allow myself to have her” and the “I’m not going to fall in love EVER again” thing but the synopsis had me sold, unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to the idea.
Can’t win them all I suppose, this one just wasn’t for me.
Warning contains mild spoilers
Well this was ok but to be honest both of these characters got on my nerves. I understood why Mack didn’t want to love again but really it got a bit irritating him not owing up to how he felt and pushing Tully away all the time. Also I really didn’t like what he did on the honeymoon, yes I know it wasn’t a real marriage but even so he could have spent time with her. It would have been a good time to bond before going home to Cody but instead he palmed her off on someone else.
Then when she gives up hope and does exactly as he told her by sleeping with someone else he gets all “hang on a minute this isn’t right” well duh of course not because you love her!
Then when he FINALLY wakes up and realises he loves her, the inevitable BAD thing happens and he doesn’t stick by her and totally blows it!!
I’m not a big fan of the whole “I want her but can’t allow myself to have her” and the “I’m not going to fall in love EVER again” thing but the synopsis had me sold, unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to the idea.
Can’t win them all I suppose, this one just wasn’t for me.
September 12, 2014
Ehhh, ok....
Not a horrible book but not great either. Just another predictable romance, the flow of the book felt stiff to me also.
Not a horrible book but not great either. Just another predictable romance, the flow of the book felt stiff to me also.
March 4, 2019
I'm between 3 stars, and 4 stars, so.. 3.5
I don't know how I feel. I couldn't put the book down, but at the same time, I hated Mack 99% of the time. Tully annoyed me half the time, but overall I enjoyed her metamorphosis during the story, I liked how she handled herself. Cody I loved. I still found myself not putting the book down.
I don't know how I feel. I couldn't put the book down, but at the same time, I hated Mack 99% of the time. Tully annoyed me half the time, but overall I enjoyed her metamorphosis during the story, I liked how she handled herself. Cody I loved. I still found myself not putting the book down.
April 21, 2024
3,5🌟 it's okay
I'm not sure how to rate it as the story was good but there was something missing to make it really good, but I cannot out my finger on it.
This is a fake marriage, she gap, single dad romance. They are both dealing with grief and he has a young son who needs a mother. The meets the little bit by accident and they click, so afterwards when she meets the father and he makes his proposal she accepts. A bunch of drama happens until they finally get together, disaster strikes, more drama, but eventually we get a hea.
The story is face to black, unfortunately. But it's sweet, with many melancholy moments and the boy is cute. But the romance is lukewarm, and even the flings both of them have are a bit meh 😕
I'm not sure how to rate it as the story was good but there was something missing to make it really good, but I cannot out my finger on it.
This is a fake marriage, she gap, single dad romance. They are both dealing with grief and he has a young son who needs a mother. The meets the little bit by accident and they click, so afterwards when she meets the father and he makes his proposal she accepts. A bunch of drama happens until they finally get together, disaster strikes, more drama, but eventually we get a hea.
The story is face to black, unfortunately. But it's sweet, with many melancholy moments and the boy is cute. But the romance is lukewarm, and even the flings both of them have are a bit meh 😕
March 13, 2015
I don't always put a lot of stock in what others say about a book or movie because ultimately the decision is yours based on the synopsis whether or not you read a book.
The title and synopsis for The Proposal caught my eye so I decided to give it a read. I'm glad I did. In the real world Mack and Tully never would have met. How many real-life "Cinderella"-type stories have you ever read about? BUT in this work of fiction they did meet by chance. He's a wealthy man and she wants to one day be a writer. Mack is a widower raising his son alone. Tully recently lost her fiance--the one she thought was the love of her life.
The book caught me with their marriage of convenience and I stuck with it because I wanted to know if Mack could or would be true to his word and not fall in love with Tully while supporting her for as long as she stayed in the marriage and raised Cody as if he were her own. Tully fell madly in love with Cody almost instantly and he with her. Tully became the only mother Cody ever knew because Mack refused to talk about his birth mother.
I was able to stay glued to the electronic pages of my e-reader. You will hate Mack at the beginning because as I mentioned before this is a marriage of convenience with a prenuptial agreement. She becomes the mother Cody never had while he has meaningless sex with whomever he pleases. At one point Mack even encourages Tully to take a lover discreetly.
You'll think Tully is stupid for agreeing to the marriage regardless of the amount of money she would receive in the end. You'll also think she's very naive and want to throw the book away but don't. Tully goes through a change for the better as she gets used to married life and being a mother. While she's going through this change you'll continue to want to put your hands around Mack's neck and choke the life out of him but be patient. Mack goes through his own change as well, almost at the expense of his marriage and Cody's relationship with Tully.
The title and synopsis for The Proposal caught my eye so I decided to give it a read. I'm glad I did. In the real world Mack and Tully never would have met. How many real-life "Cinderella"-type stories have you ever read about? BUT in this work of fiction they did meet by chance. He's a wealthy man and she wants to one day be a writer. Mack is a widower raising his son alone. Tully recently lost her fiance--the one she thought was the love of her life.
The book caught me with their marriage of convenience and I stuck with it because I wanted to know if Mack could or would be true to his word and not fall in love with Tully while supporting her for as long as she stayed in the marriage and raised Cody as if he were her own. Tully fell madly in love with Cody almost instantly and he with her. Tully became the only mother Cody ever knew because Mack refused to talk about his birth mother.
I was able to stay glued to the electronic pages of my e-reader. You will hate Mack at the beginning because as I mentioned before this is a marriage of convenience with a prenuptial agreement. She becomes the mother Cody never had while he has meaningless sex with whomever he pleases. At one point Mack even encourages Tully to take a lover discreetly.
You'll think Tully is stupid for agreeing to the marriage regardless of the amount of money she would receive in the end. You'll also think she's very naive and want to throw the book away but don't. Tully goes through a change for the better as she gets used to married life and being a mother. While she's going through this change you'll continue to want to put your hands around Mack's neck and choke the life out of him but be patient. Mack goes through his own change as well, almost at the expense of his marriage and Cody's relationship with Tully.
January 20, 2015
Clean contemporary romance with two damaged but essentially kind people that find a second chance at love after they raise the little Cody together. There is no christian themes, the author just keeps the bedroom door closed although these folks are being sexually active.
Tully is grieving so she can be excused from the crazy fake marriage that Mack proposes because she finally feels something, she feels love for Mack's little boy Cody. So of course love makes more love and their fake family starts to feel very real for Tully first and then Mack only when he might lose Tully.
Well written and edited story but now I'm going to go into my problems ... something was missing because I was being force feed too much story, there are parts that can definitely be cut out like a lot of the kidnappers motivations and evolutions were too detailed for the tiny part that they play in the story. A great author can 'show' with a few words instead of chapters of useless information from a new inexperienced author.
294 pages and kindle freebie
3 stars
Tully is grieving so she can be excused from the crazy fake marriage that Mack proposes because she finally feels something, she feels love for Mack's little boy Cody. So of course love makes more love and their fake family starts to feel very real for Tully first and then Mack only when he might lose Tully.
Well written and edited story but now I'm going to go into my problems ... something was missing because I was being force feed too much story, there are parts that can definitely be cut out like a lot of the kidnappers motivations and evolutions were too detailed for the tiny part that they play in the story. A great author can 'show' with a few words instead of chapters of useless information from a new inexperienced author.
294 pages and kindle freebie
3 stars
December 31, 2014
3 STAR
well well i guess this book was to fast read for me..it was the story of tully a woman heartbroken for her fiancee death and she still grieving but when she met cody , a sad little boy ..their meeting gave big impression for cody and he told his father mack...
mack was very much loved his son, when he knew that his love had new passion for a mother , then he proposed tully to become his wife..
tully became sinceerly in love with cody and she accept the arragement, their marriage went well until tully fell in love with mack but mack didnt respond..she was heartbroken but because of cody she still living with the arragement eventhough brooke her...
mack also in love with tully but he didnt realize it until someone kidnap tully and cody...
finally when they survive from kidnap, mack must proof his love for tully if they wanted to have a real relationship..but tully still in love with mack and she accepted him forever,,
well well i guess this book was to fast read for me..it was the story of tully a woman heartbroken for her fiancee death and she still grieving but when she met cody , a sad little boy ..their meeting gave big impression for cody and he told his father mack...
mack was very much loved his son, when he knew that his love had new passion for a mother , then he proposed tully to become his wife..
tully became sinceerly in love with cody and she accept the arragement, their marriage went well until tully fell in love with mack but mack didnt respond..she was heartbroken but because of cody she still living with the arragement eventhough brooke her...
mack also in love with tully but he didnt realize it until someone kidnap tully and cody...
finally when they survive from kidnap, mack must proof his love for tully if they wanted to have a real relationship..but tully still in love with mack and she accepted him forever,,
November 24, 2014
Mack’s wife died two years ago, and he’s determined to never love again. He has everything money can buy, but what he wants most is a mother for his three-year-old son, Cody.
When Tully and Cody bond over a sandcastle in the park, Mack impulsively offers her an unorthodox business proposition: a contract marriage with Cody at the center. There will be no love and no sex, but if Tully will move to Mack’s Colorado mansion and care for Cody until he’s eighteen, Mack will support her while she pursues her dream to write—and throw in a two million dollar bonus.
The idea is crazy, but for these two broken-hearted people, it seems to work. That is, until Tully starts to fall for Mack—a definite no-no for their bargain—and an outsider threatens the future of their unusual family.
When Tully and Cody bond over a sandcastle in the park, Mack impulsively offers her an unorthodox business proposition: a contract marriage with Cody at the center. There will be no love and no sex, but if Tully will move to Mack’s Colorado mansion and care for Cody until he’s eighteen, Mack will support her while she pursues her dream to write—and throw in a two million dollar bonus.
The idea is crazy, but for these two broken-hearted people, it seems to work. That is, until Tully starts to fall for Mack—a definite no-no for their bargain—and an outsider threatens the future of their unusual family.
December 4, 2014
Held my attention
I liked the characters and the story but I didn't feel the love the characters had for each other, nor their friendship with others. Would have liked to have seen more... building. The climax kidnapping believable some what but good job overall. I would read more from this author.
I liked the characters and the story but I didn't feel the love the characters had for each other, nor their friendship with others. Would have liked to have seen more... building. The climax kidnapping believable some what but good job overall. I would read more from this author.
May 17, 2014
This is a suspenseful love story that was hard to put down. It has an original plot that I found myself thinking about while I was away from the book. The characters were well-developed and intriguing. Fast-paced and enjoyable read. Highly recommend!
November 22, 2014
Love happens
Sweet story of heartache, and loss and what can happen when you least expect it. Plenty of drama, and thrill. Visit many places in just a few pages. Very happy I bought this book!!! It is definitely a good read.
Sweet story of heartache, and loss and what can happen when you least expect it. Plenty of drama, and thrill. Visit many places in just a few pages. Very happy I bought this book!!! It is definitely a good read.
June 3, 2014
Great book! Recommend this for anyone looking for a great book to read with a unique story-line.
August 29, 2014
Not your typical marriage. The story is full of so many twists and turns that I fell asleep with my kindle because I couldn't put it down.
June 15, 2014
This was a very well crafted story. It was a beautiful story with a lot to say about about trust and forgiveness.
June 26, 2014
I received this book free via Goodreads. What a great story! I started and finished it in about 24 hours. It definitely sucked me in right from the start.
August 29, 2014
Very enjoyable book to read, the love story was unusual from the marriage contract to the end. Love and trust are great lessons learned the hard way!
October 11, 2014
Trust
the storyline was good. I would have liked more sex. I was good to see Mack's character emerge through trust in love.
the storyline was good. I would have liked more sex. I was good to see Mack's character emerge through trust in love.
November 23, 2014
This story was ok but seemed to drag out a lot and had a lot of fine details that i didn't feel needed to be added ie the type of wine, clothes names and describing everything in great detail
April 6, 2015
excellent read!
June 28, 2015
Liked it
I really liked this book it was full of romance and drama but I wanted more out of the ending.
I really liked this book it was full of romance and drama but I wanted more out of the ending.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews