Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - The Broposal

Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes

9 reviews

greenfroggy2117's review against another edition

3.25

hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warnings

izzawit's review against another edition

4.0

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

binae's review against another edition

1.5

funny tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

bookish_afrolatina's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional funny fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This book tore me apart and then put me back together again. I love this author’s writing and knew this would be a good book but I was a bit apprehensive to read it. Han and Kenny’s friendship is so pure and I loved their flirtatious scenes together. As heartbreaking as some of the story was, I am so happy with how it ended. Reyes covers some incredibly heavy topics with care. The characters felt real to me. Heads up, this story contains a few explicit scenes, so don’t be surprised when they sneak up!

Please read this book y’all!

Content Warnings

kaschaller's review against another edition

3.75

emotional sad

Content Warnings

michelle_my_belle's review against another edition

4.25

emotional funny hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I really enjoyed this book! I could not put it down. Loved all the characters (except two, you know who you are). Sonora Reyes has the gift of making you feel all the emotions within one story and this was no exception. Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Books for this arc.

Content Warnings

melinasreads's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Sonora Reyes is among the best at writing characters that feel like I would see them in a grocery store. Their characters are so normal and real and honest, and the issues their characters face aren’t fantastical, but rooted in the lived experience of Latine people in the US. Some authors write characters I idolize, but Sonora Reyes writes the characters I live with. This story is no different. In Reyes’ forthcoming adult romance, Han and Kenny are best friends, ‘bros’, roommates, everything but lovers. When Han loses his chance at a work-sponsored path to citizenship, Kenny quite literally proposes a new plan. They know everything about each other; how hard could it be to convince not only the government, but their friends and families, that they have fallen madly in love?

I will say, there was A LOT going on. I could do without the

accidental pregnancy

. I could do without the

boss stealing from the restaurant

. We could spend more time on

the community college application and everything else that happened right before the wedding

. We just don’t need that many plot points! But it does all come together beautifully in the end. I think the development of Han and Kenny’s relationship is actually paced quite well given the circumstances, feeling rushed or stagnant where it should. Also, the

car sex scene

…why was I blushing and kicking my feet? Han still calling Kenny ‘bro’ around moments of intimacy was really funny, even if it is the most ‘no homo’ thing I’ve ever seen. I truly enjoyed the chemistry between these two, and I love how they love each other. They are perfect in their imperfection.

Congrats, Sonora, on a lovely adult romance debut! I will read anything you write at this point. Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Content Warnings

the_rainydayreader's review against another edition

3.25

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I am not normally a romance reader, but I do love a good fake marriage/marriage of convenience trope, and that is why I decided to try The Broposal. Well, that and the funny title.

I ended up enjoying reading about Han and Kenny. They both show definite growth throughout the book. Jackie made for an interesting side character.

Han’s status as an undocumented immigrant especially made the story interesting, and of course important. My one complaint is that the discussion around ICE and immigration felt very surface-level. Of course, The Broposal is a contemporary romance and therefore should focus more on the romance aspect.

I would definitely recommend this to people looking for queer romance.

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Content Warnings

aromanticreadsromance's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

When I tell you I have never clicked so fast on a "Read Now" on Netgalley IN MY LIFE! I've also never immediately started reading an ARC after downloading it, but with this one, how could I not???! Sonora Reyes has become one of my favorite authors this year, and for good reason. I fell in love with their books because of the queer, mental illness, and autism reps (OwnVoices), all focused on Mexican-American characters.

Like Sonora Reyes' other books, The Broposal is not without trauma (pleeeease check content warnings!!), so don't go in expecting a just light and fluffy fake dating/marriage of convenience romcom. Like seriously, this book is HEAVY. Of course, Han and Kenny together are FLUFFY PANCAKE MAGIC (pancakes have nothing to do with the book or their relationship, but the word fluffy reminds me of pancakes because who doesn't love a fluffy pancake). If you're not a fan of friends to lovers romance books, I still think you'd like this one! The way Han and Kenny slowly come to realize their feelings for each other is beautifully done. The buildup in tension was just... UGH. Chef's kiss. At so many points I just wanted to (consensually) smush Han and Kenny's faces together and be like "WAKE UP ALREADY, YOU'RE PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER GOSH DARN IT." Han's realization that he was in love with Kenny was also complicated by the fact that he thought he was "straight," LOL.

When Han loses his job that promised him a green card, he fears impending deportation to a place he hasn't been to since he was a young child. His best friend and roommate, Kenny, offers to marry him so Han can get his green card and eventually become naturalized. Kenny has been in an on-again-off-again abusive relationship with a girl named Jackie since high school. Abuse is about power and control, and I loved how Sonora Reyes depicts its cyclical nature and how it typically gets worse over time. They made it clear that no matter the reason for it, there is no excuse for Jackie's abuse. She is a grown woman making her own choices. Ironically, Jackie works at a shelter for women escaping abusive relationships; I appreciated this detail because a) I'm sure there are more employees who abuse their partners working at shelters than we'd ever be comfortable with knowing, and b) it made it that much harder for Kenny to acknowledge the abuse (not that I wanted it to be hard for him, but it was that much more realistic in showing how abuse can have a stranglehold on so many people).

I also loved the jellyfish motif, and how it kept repeating itself throughout the book!

Last point: I was endeared by Han's emotional constipation and his overuse of the term "bro" to avoid expressing any type of vulnerability. I loved that he watched Disney movies to make himself cry (relatable, honestly).

I can't wait to read whatever Sonora Reyes writes next (which will apparently be out in 2026)!

Content Warnings

More...