‘Is there really such a thing as a perfect proposal? Over the next hundred days I intend to find out. I will find one hundred ways to propose to our Chief Proposer Suzie McKenzie and post the results here for your enjoyment. One thing’s for sure, not one of my proposals will be on top of the Eiffel Tower with a dozen red roses.’
Best friends Suzie and Harry are partners in romance. That is, they run the.PerfectProposal.com, coming to the aid of would-be grooms to create the ultimate marriage proposal.
But when Harry decides to catapult the business into the big leagues with a PR stunt all Suzie can see is a hundred days of heartbreak stretching ahead of her. But however exotic the location, or breath-takingly romantic the setting, Suzie has to keep remembering that ‘Marry Me?’ is the one question she can’t say yes to.
This business proposal should come with one hundred broken heart warnings...
One hundred proposals, one hundred chances to say yes.
Holly lives in a little white cottage by the sea. She studied media at university which led to a very glitzy career as a hotel receptionist followed by a even more glamorous two years working in a bank. The moment that one of her colleagues received the much coveted carriage clock for fifteen years’ service was the moment when she knew she had to escape. She quit her job and returned to university to train to be a teacher. Three years later, she emerged wide eyed and terrified that she now had responsibility for the development of thirty young minds. She taught for four years and then escaped the classroom to teach history workshops, dressing up as a Viking one day and an Egyptian High Priestess the next. But the long journeys around the UK and many hours sat on the M25 gave her a lot of time to plan out her stories and she now writes full time, doing what she loves.
Holly has been writing for 8 years. She was shortlisted for the New Talent Award at the Festival of Romance. Her short story won the Sunlounger competition and was published in the Sunlounger anthology. She won the Carina Valentine’s competition at the Festival of Romance with her novel The Guestbook. She was shortlisted for Best Romantic Read, Best eBook and Innovation in Romantic Fiction at the Festival of Romance. She is the bestselling author of 26 books selling over a million books worldwide. Holly's books have been translated into French, German, Italian, Dutch, Bulgarian, Estonian, Turkish and Russian.
I could list a hundred different reasons why I loved this book, actually probably more. I started One Hundred Proposals yesterday afternoon, and couldn’t put it down. Anyone that knows me knows how much I love my bed and sleeping in it, so me getting up an hour early this morning to finish the book before the boring work week began, gives you a clue as to just how much I enjoyed it.
Is there really such a thing as a perfect proposal?
Well this is the crux of the book, Suzie McKenzie and Harry Forbes set up the.perfectproposal.com in an effort to help those struggling to make their perfect memory when it comes to proposing to the one they love.
There are so many good things going for this story, it is the perfect balance of happy to sad. The characters are likeable and easy to get absorbed in (even the villains). The story although all about love is unique on it’s take, and vibrant in its delivery.
Grab happiness while you have the chance...
I loved Suzie, your typical down to earth girl, who has been in love with her best friend forever. Harry has stuck by her and helped her through the best and worst moments of her life. One problem she loves him, but he is a bit of a revolving door when it comes to women.
I’d been in love with Harry for two long, painful years and we were further away today from getting together than we had been when we first met.
Harry in an attempt to boost business and increase visibility starts a blog about the perfect proposal to Suzie, to run alongside their business, and what starts out as a few followers’ turns into millions after a clip of one of his more memorable proposals is posted on You Tube.
I love seeing Suzy smile it’s one of my all-time favourite things in the world.
What began as a business venture, soon escalates and Harry and Suzuie find themselves jetting off around the world, so Harry can offer her 100 different proposals, some are big, some are small, some wacky, some romantic... All of them confuse the definitions of their relationship.
He just didn’t see me that way, never had, never would.
As a reader you know where the story will go and how they will end up. But the journey you take to get there is just a glorious technicolour adventure around the globe.
You are my best friend and I have never regretted a single moment in your company, when you’ve shouted at me, laughed with me, slept with me, or kissed me. being with you has given me the best moments in my life.
I love Holly Martin’s writing, her first Carina book – The Guestbook is firmly in my ‘Faves of 2014’ list, and it has now been joined by One Hundred Proposals. I am eagerly awaiting her next release!
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
As work is kicking my arse my review words are thin, but loved and recommend are the ones that should about cover it.
Romance isn’t always about big gestures though. Sometimes it’s the words the man finds or the effort that he has gone to. It doesn’t have to be something expensive.”
Harry beni deli etti ama çook tatlıydı.😍 Ben bütün kitap boyunca Suzie’den yanaydım, onunla daha çok empati yapabildim. Bu yüzden de Suzie’yi çok sevdim.🥰 Harry’i, akıllanması için bol bol silkeleyip kafasını duvarlara vurmak istedim. Yine de ikisi de çok şapşik ve çok tatlıydılar.🤩
📚George’un uzattığı küçük zarfa baktım, içinde kalın bir şey vardı. Kâğıdı yırttım ve kristalden yapılmış bir ay, avucumun içine düştü. Ustalıkla oyulmuştu ve çok güzel görünüyordu. George, yolculuğumuz süresince birinin içinde kristal yıldız, diğerinde de kristal güneş olan iki mektubu daha ağaca asılı şekilde buldu. Ağaçların arasından parlak bir ışık yayıldı.
Buz pisti ışıklar altında pırıl pırıl parlıyordu ama benim dikkatimi çeken şey pistin en ucundaki parlayan pembe ışıktı. Harry o pembe ışığın altında bekliyordu. Beni bekliyordu.
*****
Minik kristal kolye uçlarını ona doğru tutarak, “Hediyelerini aldım,” dedim.
“Sana güneşi, ayı ve yıldızları verdim, şimdiyse kalbimi vermek istiyorum,” deyip bir dizinin üstüne çöktü
ve elindeki pembe kristalden yapılmış olan kalp şeklindeki kolye ucunu bana doğru uzattı. Elindeki kalbi alıp parmaklarımla kalbin yüzeyine dokundum.
“Evlen benimle Suzie.”
Beklentisiz başlayıp çok sevdiğim bir kitap oldu. Tek eksiği sonunda güzel epilog olmamasıydı ama o da yayınevi kaynaklıydı bence. Sonrasında yazılan novellayı çevirip sonuna ekleseler çok daha güzel olacaktı.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
As I sit here with my cup of coffee, I have to admit that I'm still struggling to piece together the words that are bouncing around in my head; clearly the after-effects of reading a Holly Martin creation. I mean, I just.. I can't even.. And I... Urgh, it's hopeless.
When I sit back and really think about it, it makes me feel a little breathless, like the thought of something that damn romantic happening in real life? I don't think I could cope. I think I would crumble to the floor and sob my heart out, which is basically what I did last night once I had finished the last page, although it was more along the lines of crumbling into my pillow and sobbing into that instead. Holly strings together her words like beads onto a necklace; gently and smoothly, leaving you with an end result of something so indescribably beautiful and perfect, it's hard to look away or not pay attention. The scenarios that Holly creates are finely tuned to affect hopeless romantics in the most moving and emotional way, including myself, which is why I'm still sitting here wondering how Holly has written something so beyond the boundaries of perfect that I JUST CAN'T FIND THE WORDS!
As soon as I turned the first page and began reading, I instantly knew that I would love it. I've read Holly's previous titles The Guestbook & The Sentinel and I just have to say, she is one INCREDIBLE writer, whose style and plots are so magnificently written and slotted together it seems like her novels are pieces of magic, everything a reader could wish for. One Hundred Proposals took magic to a whole new level, leaving me with a feeling deep in my chest that I couldn't even find a word to define. I was and still am in complete awe of her. Well and truly.
One Hundred Proposals begins at a brilliant moment, and that's during one of my absolute favourite proposals in the story. From reading the blurb, you've probably got an idea of what happens. Suzie and Harry, who are inseparable best-friends, work together at the.Perfect.Proposal.com and under the eyes of their blog followers, they try and search for what could be described as the perfect proposal. One Hundred Proposals opens to a setting of a mystical, dark cave in Australia, where fireflies are known to dwell. What happens next is so romantically out of this world I was already in tears and I wasn't even three pages in. Holly then continues to inform the reader of what it's all about; why Suzie and Harry are there, and also about what Harry is planning to do - provide Suzie with the perfect proposal. But of course it's all for the blog followers, right? After that, Holly takes us back in time, to three months before that moment in the firefly cave, and it begins. This beautiful, enchanting story of two friends travelling the world together with a little more than friendship between them. Honestly, readers. It was incredible, absolutely amazing, and if you plan to read anything before the next couple are months are out, you should most definitely make it One Hundred Proposals by Holly Martin. It's one of those books that has the power to stay with you for a lifetime, and trust me, it totally, totally will.
One thing that I've noticed about Holly's previous titles, as well as this one, is that her characters are just so true to life and are all so, so lovable. You feel like you've know them for years because they have that much depth to them. It's actually difficult to believe that they're fictional once you're finished, and I did struggle to come to terms with the fact that I had to say goodbye to them. In One Hundred Proposals, it was the exact same experience. I cried and cried and cried, not only because the story itself was phenomenal, but because I just didn't want to say goodbye to Suzie and Harry. I wanted to keep on living in their world alongside them both, and seeing where they ended up next and what they got up to. Suzie was just so freaking cute! There were so many moments where I lay there, giggling to myself and trying not to wake my other half, because not only does Holly hit the nail on the head when it comes to romance, but she also does the same when it comes to humor too. Suzie was hilarious, and some of the things that she came out with were so bloody funny, I couldn't help but snort. I felt like she was a little bit dorky but in that overwhelmingly endearing kind of way, that way that makes you grin stupidly. I loved her, she was brilliant and funny and such a fabulous person to choose as Harry's partner. Holly couldn't have got it more spot on!
And Harry? Oh, bloody hell. Please, don't get me started on Harry. You know that lovely word, "romance"? Well, Harry is that word. Harry is EVERYTHING to do with romance. All things romance, Harry is them. If you look up the word romance in the dictionary, you will see Harry's name (Okay, well, you won't actually see his name, but you know...). He was handsome, a flirt, cheeky, sweet, affectionate, smart, heroic, funny, genuine, and just all those words that describe a hot as hell male. But then below the surface, Harry was a little troubled, shy, not too keen on the idea of throwing his heart out there into the big, wide world... And that just made me love him even more. I wanted to know about his past, almost as much as Suzie did, and Holly did a fantastic job of keeping it hidden right up until that 'perfect' moment came. Thinking about it now, The Hundred Proposals is full of perfect moments. It's a book of perfection. Moving back to the dictionary thing, if you look up perfection, you'll see an image of this book (again, you probably won't, but just pretend that you can). Harry made me smile so much, my cheeks were aching the majority of the way through. There were moments when I wanted to have a word with him about that f****** Samantha, because she really ground my gears! Bloody woman! But besides that, he was out of this world, and I think every girl deserves and should have their own Harry in their life. Somebody like that, who would move the earth and stars for you, is exactly what every female should be given, to make them feel beautiful and wanted. Holly's characters were sensational, taking her story so close to the edge of fiction, it practically felt real to me. You will love everything about Harry and Suzie, you'll want to be their best friend by the end of it.
I'm still not finished.
Hidden deep within the romance and the laughter and over-powering sense of emotion, there was also the aspect of travel. I love this. I love reading about travel in books. That can probably be put down to me not actually ever travelling anywhere myself, so when an author creates an incredible journey for me to be taken on, it's like I'm seeing everything right beside the characters. The travel in One Hundred Proposals was absolutely fascinating. I felt like whipping out my camera and catching some pics. Seriously though, the amount of detail put into each and every setting that Harry and Suzie visited was just unparalleled. They traveled all over the world and I loved it. It thrilled and excited me. From the Galapagos Islands to Mexico, and from San Francisco to Australia, there were so many beautiful, exotic places involved in Suzie and Harry's journey and I felt honored to be a part it all. Not only did Holly include some of the most gorgeous locations in the world, but her attention to detail made all the difference and I fell in love with each and every setting over and over again. From the palm trees to the sparkling blue waters, Holly didn't overlook a single thing and I felt like I was in paradise. I could feel the heat from the sun on my skin, I could just feel the sea frothing over my toes and I felt like booking a one way ticket to visit the locations that Harry and Suzie touched down in. It was just pure, pure escapism at it's very best and I couldn't pull my eyes away. Not once. I want to go on holiday and experience everything that these two characters did, all for my myself.
Still not finished.
There are just so many delightful aspects to touch upon within One Hundred Proposals, so I think I'll be a while. I do hope you're still reading and I haven't bored you to death, if so, sorry! Something else that I LOVED LOVED LOVED was the fact that Holly included the whole blogging scene. It was brilliant, and again, brought the story to life once more. I also spotted a few familiar names in the comments section, haha, GO GIRLS! Really though, the way Harry and Suzie's blog reached out to the world and got the public involved made me grin from ear to ear, and then the secret blog? KSGHLVTNO! Nope, sorry, can't tell you, it's a secret. But just trust me. KSHWHTVVWPHTN!
I feel like I've been holding my breath since I finished reading this incredible story and only now, after finally putting my thoughts and feelings out there, do I feel like I can breathe again. Readers, this is one of those special books that only crop up in life now and again. One of those books that contain the power to move you in phenomenal ways and blow your bloody mind. A book that will fire up your belief in romance once more, and make you yearn for your very own Harry to fly around the world with, and have him propose to you in a hundred different ways. I'm still sitting here in awe, shaking my head in fascination at how the words in this book have made me feel inside. I feel happy, for starters. I feel like Holly has just written a book that is going to be read and loved by millions and I'm so excited for her. I feel like I need to scream about this book in everyone's face. I feel like dancing with my Kindle and kissing it because it's made me feel so so happy about life and love and taking chances. Like I said earlier, if you choose to read one book sometime soon, then do not hesitate in choosing this one. You'll never be the same again.
Holly, I think you already know how many cupcakes I'm going to be rating One Hundred Proposals with. Readers, I think you know, too.
Harry ve Suzie'yi tüm kalbimle sevmeseydim vereceğim puan sadece 1 (bir) olurdu! Son anlara doğru o kadar çıldırdım ki yastığıma kafa atıp durdum :( birbirlerini anlamamak için büyük çaba sarf ettiler. Onun dışında kitabı gerçekten çok sevdim evet gerçek hayatta asla örneğini göremeyeceğimiz bir olay ama çok tatlı be..
I'm writing this review on June 14th but can't share it with you till July 5th which if you're reading this is today! Anyway. Holly Martin was one of the very first people to follow my blog and she is an amazing person. Having never read any of her previous books, the praise she receives from fellow bloggers meant that when I was asked to be part of the blog tour for this book I didn't even have to think about saying yes. I loved the original and unique idea for the plot and once I received my book couldn't wait to get started with it.
Before starting it I kept seeing fellow bloggers Tweeting their thoughts after reading the book and I was amazed! The comments some of them were making made it sound like this book was something really special and after finishing it I can see what excited them so much. It really was a seriously amazing book and I cannot reccommend it enough! Anyone following the blog tour will have probably read some fantastic reviews by now but hopefully mine will still be of interest and if you still have not picked up this book then what are you waiting for?!
First off the cover, how amazing is it? Carina definitely have had some of 2014's best covers. Obviously the book's content is the most important thing but it does help if the book has a brilliant cover that stands out from the crowd and this one definitely does the book justice. I can't bear my favourite books having ugly covers. Luckily the story here was just perfect.
From just the opening chapter I knew I would love Holly's writing. I really enjoyed her style and as the book went on her humour. I am desperate to read her previous books now and will be putting them near the top of my tbr. Suzie and Harry are our main characters and work together on theperfectproposal.com. Suzie was just fantastic and one of the best characters I've ever read about for the reason that she reminds me so much of my own best friend, so many times it was just like reading about her it was really strange. But she's such a lovely person and I felt every single emotion with her throughout this book. I wanted her to get what she wanted so much I was screaming inside whilst reading the book. The friendship with Harry is so believable. From the comedy to the arguments to the heartwarming moments only two real best friends can share.
I absolutely loved the idea for this book. Harry sets out to propose one hundred times in an attempt to find the perfect proposal. After a few rather boring proposals Harry gets the opportunity and the funds to make much bigger proposals and we find ourselves on a journey around the world. I love chick lit that takes you to a foreign country but one that takes you to so many amazing places is quite rare! I really felt like I was in all of the places with Suzie and Harry and completely lost myself in this book and was oblivious to the actual crap world around me. To name even one location would ruin it for the reader as it's best to discover for yourself. And just to give you an idea of how addicted I was to this story I downloaded it to the Kindle app on my iPhone and read it walking home from work. I was desperate to find out how the story would end.
It's almost impossible to even discuss minor parts of the story without ruining it but the whole thing from start to finish was just a joy to read. Alongside the humour there are some really serious elements too. The whole book to me feels very real, all the characters here aren't just the cardboard cut outs you often find in chick lit, they are lovingly created by Holly and are all original and unique and I'm gutted to have reached the end as I could have read about them for a thousand more pages. Obviously we don't get to see every proposal but for me I could've read on and on. The last few chapters especially I was literally on the edge of my seat holding my breath. And what an ending. I was worrying all through the book whether it would live up to what went before but luckily it was fantastic.
Ultimately I don't know what else to say apart from buy and read this book! 'Must read' 'amazing' 'unputdownable' 'perfect' are some of the most overused descriptions in reviews, I use them all the time myself! But I have rarely meant them as much as I do when I use them for this book. If I had to describe it using only one word that is what I would choose. Perfect. It really was and I loved every single page of it.
I find it so hard to write reviews for books that I adore because I never feel that my words can do it justice in the way it deserves. But, I promised Holly I’d try and form my thoughts into coherent sentences so here is my attempt…
I must start of this review by saying whilst Holly is quite possibly one of my favourite people on the planet, I have reviewed this book objectively and she has not paid me in hugs and/or snogs for me to write this review.
One Hundred Proposals is Holly’s second chick-lit title and I was pretty scared about starting it if I’m honest! After reading The Guestbook, I was quite certain this one wouldn’t live up to it but my god did it! It blew The Guestbook out of the water and now Holly is going to have to write something phenomenal to beat One Hundred Proposals!
One Hundred Proposals has the most ingenious and unique premise which sold the book to me straight away. Suzie and her friend Harry run a fictitious website called theperfectproposal.com where they aim to help hapless men prepare the perfect proposal for their other halves. Whilst they have an impressive repertoire of engagement ideas, Suzie is not really taken by any of them and makes a throwaway comment that it would take more than hot air balloon ride to get her to say ‘yes’. After Suzie’s ex-boyfriend proposed to her over a greasy kebab, she’s lost all hope that she’ll ever get the perfect proposal herself.
Harry decides to take matters into his own hands and sets up a blog where he makes his mission to propose to Suzie one hundred different times to try and find the most perfect proposal whilst blogging about each one. This would be perfect fun if it wasn’t for the fact Suzie is desperately in love with Harry. With every new proposal and every new way Harry finds to say, ‘Suzie, will you marry me?’, Suzie finds her heart breaking all over again because, the one question she wants to say ‘yes’ to, is the one question she can’t.
Holly has got this genre down to a fine art. She writes with such wit, experience and love which translates into addictive and humorous prose that you can’t help but fall head first in love with.
The characters in this novel were fantastically well written and I fell in love with Harry and Suzie instantly. I loved how relatable Suzie’s dilemma was – I’m sure we’ve all had that one person who we’ve fancied so bloody much but kept it quiet through fear of destroying a brilliant friendship. That part makes her ‘struggle’ real and means everyone will be able to empathise with her as she embarks on the most perilous journey of her life. Harry, on the other hand, is a total cheeky chappy and whilst he has his sensitive side, he tends to display his ‘ladies’ man’ persona instead which adds to the frustration we feel on behalf of Suzie, but still makes us all fall desperately in love with him!
The plot was perfectly paced and while I could easily predict where the story would end up, I kept getting worried that it wouldn’t as obstacle after obstacle was presented to the characters and I started to feel frightened that actually, the ending I had pictured might not happen. I was genuinely frustrated in places and my poor pillow took the odd punch as I tried to regain my composure and remember that they were only fictional characters. I was just desperate for them to tell each other the truth and found myself hanging on every single word, willing Suzie to just spit it out before she ran out of time.
I just can’t put into words how much I loved this book. Sometimes you read a book and you enjoy it but then can quite happily move onto the next book but sometimes you read a book and you get so drawn into the characters’ world that you find it hard to give them up. As I turned the final few pages of this book I shed a few tears, almost bereft at having to leave Harry and Suzie in the book. I wanted them to be real so I could hug them! And that, to me, speaks volumes. When you become so immersed in a book it that it becomes more than just a book you can enjoy now and again – it becomes a firm favourite and a book that you return to time after time to catch up with old friends.
I challenge anyone to read this book and not enjoy it.
Holly Martin is already becoming a name in the chick-lit world and I have no doubt in my mind that she will soon be one of the biggest stars of the genre. She constantly goes from strength to strength and with an Amazon Bestseller title under her belt already, I think she’s on track for very big things.
The perfect holiday companion – get yourself a sangria, lie back in your deck chair and savour every last word of this beautiful novel.
I received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF at 30%. Here are my thoughts up until that point:
I don't read chick lit a whole lot, but I do love a good one from time to time. When I read the premises of One Hundred Proposals I thought that it was right up my alley. It started well but I soon lost interest.
There are many things that didn't work for me in One Hundred Proposals. First, I didn't like the MC. It was annoying to be stuck in her head. She acted like a teenager and there is nothing I hate more than a grown woman acting like a 13-year old girl.
I didn't get the relationship between Suzie and Harry. They acted like a couple but Harry was sleeping someone else. What are Harry's motives for not wanting to date Suzie? I'm sure that the author will come up with a half baked excuse by the end but I just don't care enough to stick around to find out what Harry's big secret is.
Would I recommend One Hundred Proposals to anyone? Probably not. I'm sure that this book will appeal to a lot of people but it wasn't for me.
How does this book have a nearly 5 star rating? The story was cute-ish, I suppose, but the writing was terrible. In particular, the dialogue was awful. It read like a boy-crazy middle-schooler wrote it. The main characters were incredibly immature, in addition. Thumbs down unless you just want a dumb escape.
This is a very light chic lit about 2 stupid ppl! I like it but really they were so stupid in love ? Why in hell you try to propose 100 times without a declaration of love while you are being so madly in love with the one you are proposing to? Why in hell you keep your feelings to yourself but when you find this particular man with someone else you try to tell him ? In my mind that's CHEATING ! anyway i loved lovvvved the proposals, harry was adorable even "soooze" was sweet & both were stupid hahaha
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Çok şeker başlayan güzel bir kitaptı. Ama giderek çok sinir etti. Herşey bariz ortada okurken yıldım. O kadar sayfa boyunca sadece birbirlerini yanlış anladılar. Evlilik teklifleri başlarda çok güzel ve eğlenceliydi. Ama giderek sıktı. Sanki aşk kitabı değilde gezi rehberi okuyordum. Çok fazla ayrıntılı yazılmış geldi bana oralar. Ve Harry sen nefret ettiğim erkek karakterler listemdesin cidden beni sinir etti, çıldırttı. Sen kadınlarla yapmadığın kalmasın ama iş Suzie'ye gelince yoook olmaz engelle, kıza trip yap.😡😡 Ve şu en başından zaten seviyormuş durumu çok saçmaydı. Niye bir insan madem seviyordun bunları yapar? Son sayfalara doğru olan yanlış anlama beni iyice çileden çıkardı. Ve kitapta herşeyden çok nefret ettiğim, bana göre iğrenç gelen bir olay var ki Jules ve Badger. Bu bana çok saçma geldi. Onca kişi arasında kocasının kuzeni. Yok artık dedim. Suzie'nin bu durumu kabullenmesine de pes artık!😑 Kitaplarda bunun yapılmasını sevmiyorum. Neden illa bir akraba olmak zorunda. Öncesinde Walter Erkekleriyle hayatım da da bu durum olduğu için daha çok sinir oldum. Bu kitapta ben o aşkı okuyup hissedemedim malesef. Anca sonlarda sadece bir iki yakınlaşma sahnesi vardı o kadar. Evlilik teklifleri bu kadar çok olunca bana daha bir soğuma geldi😂😂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Comme je le disais en statut, ce livre est un rollercoaster émotionnel, il va faire glousser comme une dinde une page et maudire la terre entière dans la suivante xD et ce quasiment TOUT LE TEMPS (plusieurs fois je me suis même demandé pourquoi y'avait tant de poussière dans l'air #petitenature)... à ne pas lire en public donc ^^
attention j'ai pas mis la suite en spoiler pour rien :P
I'm rounding up because I did read this in an afternoon and the fact that I wanted to keep on reading till the end in one go counts for a lot. I was entertained enough to see how they'd wrap up their 100 proposals and where the story would take them. Unfortunately, this was mostly a letdown to be honest. I lacked chemistry between Harry and Suzie and while I had no problem accepting that they were best friends, my mind didn't want to go beyond that so I found it hard to get into the romantic side.
Because some of those proposals...they're enough to make a girl float away on cloud nine, dreaming of her own some day and I'm not even sure I want to get married. So I am giving the book credit for that.
I just wish both Harry and Suzie had been a little less stupid. They're quite daft, the both of them, and I just didn't buy the fact that Harry never told her how he felt because he was afraid of rejection. When it's gotten to the point where you're sleeping together almost every night (platonically, of course, and that's another thing; one of my best friends is male and we've shared a bed together on a couple of occasions, but never have we "accidentally" woken up completely tangled up in each other. Maybe because we're also not secretly in love, but you see my point? How does this keep happening?) and Suzie is clearly not dating at all, how do you not tell her how you feel? I truly just didn't buy the explanation for why they were so silly.
On top of which, the book is literally about the 100 proposals and constantly goes from Suzie being upset with Harry, then Harry being upset with Suzie, and that's back-and-forth for the entire novel. I can handle one or two misunderstandings, but I don't tolerate it throughout an entire book when there's not even a good reason for why the characters are acting the way they are.
It's well-written and kept me engaged, but very little else comes to the forefront, and while there is one interesting storyline involving Suzie's sister-in-law who is recently widowed, the rest of this reads like a travel novel.
Which I'm actually not complaining about because I loved that aspect of the book. Who wants to go travel around the world with me?! Reading about so many places I've also been to or that I want to visit made me enjoy this more than I would have otherwise. I just wish the romance had grabbed me more. There was definite potential that it would, but alas.
I had heard nothing but good things about Holly Martin. Book bloggers love her, saying she is one of the best up-and-coming authors in the romantic fiction genre, so I was excited to read her latest release One Hundred Proposals. Also, she is published by Carina and they seem to go in for books with strong, well developed characters and I love that.
As a bit of a softie myself, I loved the idea of One Hundred Proposals. My now husband proposed to me outside the house I had grown up in, when we were both rather worse for wear. I was nineteen, he was twenty. It was around an hour into the new year and he ruined his white jeans (yes readers, it was that long ago that white jeans were the fashion) by kneeling in a dirty puddle. It might not have been showy or traditionally romantic, but there is no denying it was heartfelt, and I smile looking back at that pivotal moment in our relationship.
There are all sorts of madcap ways that Harry proposes in the book-I'm not going to spoil it for you by telling you specifics- but there are small gestures, over the top displays and some disasters along the way.
One Hundred Proposals is like When Harry met Sally in book form. Harry and Suzie are best friends, but could they be more? Should they be more? I loved the angsty nature of this book, something which is woefully missing from too many adult romances. True love IS filled with angst, and insecurity and self-doubt. But there is more to One Hundred Proposals than just overblown declarations of love. I was giggling away to myself throughout at the fabulous descriptions of the madcap moments- hilarious! Romantic comedy at its best!
The characters were well formed, and more was revealed about both Harry and Suzie as the story progressed. I really cared about both of them and that had me turning the pages, willing them on to a happy ending.
Overall this was a sweet, comedic book perfect for a hit of romance on these long summer nights. I'll definitely be working my way through Holly Martin's back catalogue after enjoying this so much.
'One Hundred Proposals' is about Suzie and her best friend Harry. Suzie once started a website called 'the.Perfect.Proposal.com' and Harry now works with her. The website is for people, who want to propose and still need some great ideas for that. So Suzie and Harry search nice places or ways to propose, in order to help their customers. But most of the customers only want the general package, nothing really special. So one day, to boost the business a bit (and only to do just that, of course), Harry decides to start a blog and propose to Suzie every day for one hundred days.
The general story is told from Suzie's point of view, but you can also read some of Harry's blog posts. I like stories, that are told from different perspectives.
Oh, I loved it! I've actually never read a story like that before, which was great. Most of those chic lit books are quite the same, right? And of course, this one is not entirely an exception, but the idea was really witty and new. All those proposals were great. Some were totally cute, some romantic, some funny. Of course you don't read about ALL of Harry's proposals, but the amount was just right. It was very, very lovely. ♥
I would totally recommend this book to chic lit lovers, because it was wonderful and new and lovely. ♥
I hate people who let themselves fall into a big net of unnecessary stupid lies. Not just any lies. STUPID lies that nobody believes - especially not the person's closest friend. Those situations were so terribly cringeworthy to read and I granted Suzie every last drop of embarrassment. Tz it was her own fault.
Maaah I really wanted this to be a one - off little annoyance so I could love everything else, just as everybody I know promised. But Suzie was so embarrassingly jealous and annoying. My insides died a little every time I had to read her overreactions. She generally didn't do anything except from being in love with Harry, friendzoning him, being jealous and reacting screaming and laughing at any proposal.
At least, apart from that, the book was really lovely. I loved all those proposals and the trip around the world. I want that too :D
Harry is the real hero of this story. He's so nice and owns such an enviable organizational talent :D
*Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
First of all I’d like to Holly for sending me her book, I was so happy when I had it in my inbox, so thank you lovely lady, xxx.
I don’t really know where to start, because I have so many feelings and thoughts about this book.
As the title already say we will witness a lot of proposals ;). The story follows Suzie and her wedding proposal business. She’s not in the best lace, because her brother died a few months ago, she is happy to have Harry by her side. Harry the best friend she could ever wish for, but she wants him to be more, she has been in love with him for a while, but she is convinced that he doesn’t feel the same, since he’s sleeping around with different women all the time.
Harry and Suzie also work together and that’s where Harry comes up with this crazy idea of proposing to Suzie every day, for 100 day, to find the perfect proposal for her. In a blog he talks about these experiences and her reactions. Suzie is not really happy with all this, how can she survive proposal, which mean nothing to him and break her heart every time.
A magazine loves their idea and sends them on a world trip for ninety days and Harry blogging about the proposals. They travel to beautiful places, which was awesome to read about and I just loved how Harry prepared every single proposal with so much heart and detail. One could feel his love for Suzie through every single one of them, only Suzie doesn’t see it.
He creates a secret blog to talk about his feelings and we get to know him much better through that. It was great to read about his feelings as well. Holly did this in a beautiful and so effective way. We know that Harry only stayed in England, because of the woman he loves. Well, who is she?
Suzie’s reactions to his behaviour always end up with jealousy and eventually they have a big fight. I got really angry with both of them at one point, because they were stubborn and didn’t want to tell “their best friend” who they really feel. I just wanted them to be together and have the happiness they deserve, but that was a hard journey to go at.
Next to Harry, Suzie also has to get used to the fact that her sister-in-law fell in love with another guy, even worse her cousin Badger. Harry was there for her through all of that and I just love that he was so supportive, protective, caring and sweet. And a man doing what Harry does for Suzie with the proposal is just amazing and so romantic. I really fell in love with him. BOOK BOYFREIND!!!!
This book is full of love, friendship, small and big gestures, feelings and real emotions. Holly created a MASTERPIECE here, I couldn’t put this book down. I was sobbing in the end, I loved it so much and I just didn’t want it to end, I wasn’t ready to leave this beautiful and wonderful story. Is it really about the proposal?! The way the proposal is or is also other facts important. Suzie is about to find out. It took her a long time to realise it…
This books is incredibly beautiful, sweet, adorable, amazing, gripping… There are not enough words to describe this novel. Holly’s writing is perfection, she created authentic scenes with a great storyline, real characters and so much heart. I loved that Suzie was telling her story, but we got to read about Harry’s side as well, in a very special way. HOLLY MARTIN you’re an absolute GENIUS!!! ♥♥♥
I’ve started this review about 3 times and I am very rarely speechless but I literally cannot accurately portray how much I loved this book. I read Holly Martin’s The Guestbook last year so I am familiar with how fluent and easy Holly’s writing style is however this book was formatted differently to the last so I was interested to see if she could keep up that effortlessness in her writing. I had absolutely nothing to worry about because I finished One Hundred Proposals in 2 days and dreaded having to put it down for the fear that the characters were going to carry on without me. One Hundred Proposals is about best friends Suzie and Harry who set up their own online business which provides help to those planning to propose – from the small, personal gestures to the big, dramatic spectacles. Harry takes the business to a whole new level with his PR stunt to find 100 unique ways to propose to Suzie and ultimately find her the perfect proposal. As they’re jetted off around the world to propose in an array of beautiful countries, cities and locations, Harry has a hidden agenda but Suzie’s heart is getting slightly more broken with each proposal which she so desperately wants to say yes to.
It’s evident by the praise Holly is getting on Twitter that this book is going to be a huge success and it has every right to be. Holly has such a beautifully easy way of telling stories which leaves you hooked and just wanting more and more from the characters she creates which you will come to know and love. Suzie and Harry compliment each other perfectly and their friendship is one that everyone wants in their life. Holly has literally created the perfect book boyfriend in Harry – it is so not normal to fancy a fictional character this much. He was charming, flirty and insanely hot! Suzie was such a delight to read too because she was so normal! She did normal girl stuff like dance around in a cow print onesie and fall over and drop Chinese food on her head and it’s so easy to relate to a scatty character like that who represents most girls today! The first few pages of this book literally had me laughing out loud – which is a rarity for me. It was so jam packed with effortless funnies and didn’t feel awkward or forced which I think is a huge talent for writers to have.
If you haven’t read any of Holly’s work yet, I seriously recommend you do because you are missing out! This was so easy to read that at points I forgot I was even reading. I was so consumed by this story that it began to feel like reality and only when my dog barked in my face did I realise it wasn’t. Holly takes you all over the world in this book to the most far off countries, beautiful sandy beaches and vibrant, energetic cities. It was such a treat to be able to visit all of these immensely well described places right from the comfort of my own bed. At first I had no idea where this story was going as Holly doesn’t give much away. There were a few potential directions it could have gone but the path it did take had my heart pounding and soaring and lurching for everything these characters were feeling. I was crying of happiness and those that know me know I hate romance but this was able to convert even the most sceptical of types and leave me believing in love all over again.
Jeder, der mit dem Gedanken spielt, dieses Buch zu lesen, weiß im Grunde, worauf er sich einlässt und kann sich denken, wie diese Geschichte endet. Das bedeutet keineswegs, dass „Wenn du mich fragst, sag ich für immer“ nicht lesenswert ist. Im Gegenteil. Besonders gefallen haben mir die vielen verschiedenen Heiratsanträge, die nicht nur eine Menge Organisationtalent, sondern auch an Kreativität bedürfen. Es war zwar für Suzie und den Leser keine Überraschung, dass ein Heiratseintrag kommt, dafür aber die Art, wie dieser Antrag umgesetzt wurde. Und Harry hat sich ordentlich ins Zeug gelegt, denn von den kleinen Gesten bis zu den großen Auftritten war alles dabei. Es sei an dieser Stelle gesagt, dass es bei weitem nicht so kitschig ist, wie es klingt oder aussieht. Holly Martin hat hier jedes Mal ziemlich gut die Kurve bekommen, es nicht abgedroschen wirken zu lassen. Die Charaktere waren mir sehr sympathisch, besonders Harry ist ein wahrer Traum. Suzie schließt man an sich auch sehr schnell ins Herz, aber manchmal war es sehr nervenaufreibend, dass sie in alles zu viel bzw. zu wenig hineininterpretiert und immer wieder die gleichen Sachen hinterfragt hat, anstatt einfach mal Klartext zu reden. Dennoch sollte man diesem Buch eine Chance geben, denn alleine die Heiratsanträge sind es wert.
ABSCHLUSSWORTE „Wenn du mich fragst, sag ich für immer“ bietet zwar handlungsmäßig keine großen Überraschungen, dafür aber ein Höchstmaß an Romantik und die tollsten Heiratsanträge, ohne kitschig zu wirken. Harry ist ein wahrer Goldschatz und auch wenn ich mit Suzie gelegentlich ein paar Differenzen hatte, so ist auch sie ein sehr liebenswerter Mensch. Man sollte diesem Buch auf jeden Fall eine Chance geben, sein Herz zu erobern. Denn das wird es.
Okay, just had to get that off my chest. Seriously though, I do.
This book is just gorgeous. GORGEOUS.
Best friends Harry and Suzie run a proposal planning company, and have the sweetest friendship you can imagine. Harry makes it his mission to discover The Perfect Proposal, with a run of 100 proposals in 100 days. This would all be fine and dandy and rather sweet, if Suzie wasn’t head over heels in love with Harry, who was torturing her with the fake proposals she can never say yes to. Cue heartbreak.
Suzie is so lovable and sweet, prancing around in her cow onesie; I wanted her to be my best friend. And, oh! how my heart ached for her. She really is going through torture. Harry, on the other hand? He is hot! And sweet, and lovely and caring and, eurgh, just so dreamy…okay, yeah, I’m feeling a little obsessive about him. Read it: you’ll understand.
What unfurls is a wonderfully original story, full of so many unique and beautiful moments. I pretty much had a smile plastered on my face through most of this book, it’s just so lovely. There’s a fabulous twist that puts the reader one step ahead of the game (I love it when that happens!!) and it was simply impossible not to get wrapped up in this story.
One Hundred Proposals has firmly claimed a place as one of my favourite books; for me, it is every thing that chick lit should be! Please, if you love chick lit like me: read this book. You will not be disappointed.
5 huge, big, gushy stars for Holly Martin and her wonderful book – I can’t wait to get my hand on the sequel!
I really enjoyed this book. I finished my last book and I really wasn't sure what I was in the mood for next.. So I literally just picked up the book that was on the top of my physical to - read pile (I haven't got a bookcase yet I'm waiting till I get my own place).
Anyway, I digress. This was such a cute, funny and heart warming read. It was so light and it was exactly what I needed to start the month of July off. Suzie felt so real and relatable and Harry was just so cute and sexy and the chemistry was just unreal. I loved the idea of Harry doing 100 proposals to try and find the one that takes her breath away and that she will love. Everything Harry does is to support and care for Suzie.
Suzie is so.. human. I know that's weird to say but shes down to earth and you can literally understand everything she does and why she does it. However, that doesn't make it any less frustrating. I'm not gonna tell you why because spoilers but it gets more and more frustrating as the book goes on, pretty much right up to the end. But my god is it worth it. My heart was full to bursting throughout the whole book and it was such an amazing heart warming feeling. I don't really want to say anything else in case I spoil something. But it was a good read. It was my first of Martin's books but I don't think it will be the last.
This is one of my all time favourite romance books, and it drives me mad that no-one seems to know about it! Can you believe this gem of a book only has 300 reviews on Goodreads - it’s making me recommend it to everyone I know.
One hundred proposals is such a unique and fascinating concept, whilst combining the well-known trope of friends to lovers. Harry and Suzie run a proposal business, helping to make couples dreams come true. Their only issue - both of them are secretly in love with one another, and they don’t even know. When Harry comes up with an amazing idea to market their business, 100 proposals over 100 days in a round-the-world trip, Suzie can hardly turn it down. But can she go 100 days without accidentally revealing how she feels?
I adore this book so much. I first read it on holiday a few years ago, and that was the perfect place to read it. So many amazing locations to imagine, two romantic leads who feel like real people, with fully fleshed out personalities and quirks. The supporting cast, while a little underused, still have meaning and aren’t there solely to push the romance. And the writing is funny, cute, and painful at times, with Suzie and Harry’s constant misunderstandings with one another. But the ending is utterly perfect and 100% worth it. A lovely romance that will constantly make you smile each time you pick it up.
Oh wow. I absolutely LOVED this story. There's an instant connection with the characters, which makes the story very emotional and gripping. I was completely absorbed and overwhelmed with the raw feelings and emotions the characters experience throughout the story. It's incredibly moving and by the time I finished reading, I was in love. In love with the story, in love with the idea of romance... and in love with Harry. Every soon-to-be-fiancé should contact Holly Martin... and read this book. The proposals are moving, intimate, personal, overwhelming and grand. Romantic with a capital R. Harry is thé perfect guy. I don't think anyone could resist him. Not just for his looks, but he's just the most romantic, considerate man there is. But I wouldn't have made a good Suzie for this Harry. I would have spoiled the entire stunt and set yes to the very first proposal. Holly's ways of describing each new destination reads like the perfect brochure for "most romantic places on earth" and she takes you on an amazing journey you won't be able to forget. Harry, Suzie and their proposals will stay with you, long after finishing One Hundred Proposals.