Book Review: An Unlikely Proposal by Toni Shiloh

AN UNLIKELY PROPOSAL by Toni Shiloh
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Love Inspired
RELEASE DATE: February 1, 2021
PAGES: 224

Their friendship can survive almost anything…

For two best friends,

marriage could be their greatest test yet…

Trinity Davis must not have heard firefighter Omar Young correctly. Did her handsome widowed best friend just suggest they get married? Omar needs a mom for his adorable little girls, and it’ll fix Trinity’s financial woes. But saying “I do” isn’t just business. Especially when the only vow they’re in danger of breaking is their promise to not fall in love…

From Harlequin Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

If you asked me for my top two favorite romance-novel tropes, I wouldn’t hesitate at all to say ‘friends to more’ and ‘marriage of convenience’. Imagine my giddiness to discover that Toni Shiloh’s latest romance combines both of those tropes. Throw in the diverse characters and that absolutely adorable cover and I was happy dancing when my copy arrived in the mail!

Even with such high expectations I had set for An Unlikely Proposal, Shiloh still managed to exceed them. The characters are so richly layered, as are their interactions, and I fell head over heels in love with all of them – especially those precocious little girls! Having a heroine with type 1 diabetes added to this book’s unique qualities, and I really enjoyed getting to know Trinity and understanding more about her health needs. And Omar – oh be still my heart, Omar. He’s super swoony (fireman, daddy, best friend, hello!) and his deep, long-held friendship with Trinity allows their marriage-of-convenience to make perfect sense, an element that often falls a bit short in contemporary MOC stories, An Unlikely Proposal being a notable exception. I also really appreciated how their marriage progressed in a way that felt natural to their friendship and their situations – again, it made perfect sense and stayed consistent with the well drawn layers that Shiloh wove into their story.

Bottom Line: An Unlikely Proposal by Toni Shiloh is a perfect blend of friendship, family, romance, and faith. The story stays entertaining and engaging from start to finish, and readers will easily adore Trinity, Omar and his precious little girls. Warmth, affection, breathless chemistry, a bit of sass, and situationally appropriate awkwardness – all of these emotions spring off the page so vividly just like the characters do, and you will likely find yourself grinning often as you read. I feel like I say this about every new Toni Shiloh book I read but this is her best yet! I loved everything about it and I hope for more stories with these characters.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. In the interest of full disclosure, as a co-owner of JustRead Publicity Tours, LLC, I received compensation from the publisher and/or author to coordinate a promotional tour for this title. It in no way influenced my review and all views expressed are still only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 5 stars / LOVE it!

KissingBook Level: 3+ / will forget to breathe plenty of times

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Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and multi-published Christian contemporary romance author. She writes to bring God glory and to learn more about His goodness. Her novel, Grace Restored, was a 2019 Holt Medallion finalist and Risking Love is a 2020 Selah Award finalist.

A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and of the Virginia Chapter, Toni seeks to help readers find authors. She loves connecting with readers and authors alike via social media. You can learn more about her writing at tonishiloh.com.

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Other Books by Toni Shiloh

What about you? What makes you want to read An Unlikely Proposal by Toni Shiloh? What are some of your favorite tropes to read about in a romance novel?