When Bella Bostwick moves to Denver, she thinks she’s going to be able to take her inheritance from her long-lost grandfather and make a life for herself without any more family expectations. Jason Westmoreland sees her and feels an instant attraction – to the woman and her land. A familial twist of fate gives Jason the opportunity to have his cake and eat it to, so he offers to marry Bella to save her land (for both of them). But will Bella accept his proposal - and his love?

Having never read any of the other books in the Westmoreland series, I came into this book wanting to connect with the main characters of THE PROPOSAL, but it just never quite happened. The story relied too heavily on mentions of characters on previous books and catching up with their lives and didn’t give the main characters a chance to shine. Rather than showing the development of chemistry through multiple interactions, we’re told just how much they “want” each other, which makes the attraction fall a little flat. Fewer appearances by the VERY large supporting cast could have easily pushed this up a notch in my book.

The prose and plot devices used in this book felt a little out of place within the realm of a contemporary romance, particularly one set in the “American West.” It was sort of like I was reading a series title Regency that had been uprooted and placed in the 21st century. Conversations were stilted and didn’t really flow as naturally as I would expect from a contemporary. The familial pressures storyline, as well as several other plot details, really didn’t fit what I would expect of the characters. All of it felt a little forced. If it had been written in an historical, I would have believed it. In the context of this book? Most of the clichés used just didn’t work.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend anyone read this book, unless they’re just a HUGE fan of the Westmoreland family. I totally get being attached to a family series and continuing to write and read about those characters, but this is a perfect example of when it might be necessary to rethink your devotion. There’s a balance that must be maintained in these family stories and, unfortunately, this one missed the mark by a long shot.

~ Taylor