Blurb:
Just say yes to this unforgettable read and take a spellbinding, romantic journey from the dazzling days of the debutantes in 1950s London to glamorous modern Manhattan.
When Amy Carrell's wealthy boyfriend ends their relationship just before Christmas, she's left to nurse her broken heart alone. With nothing to lose, she replies to an advertisement requesting a companion for a mysterious 'Manhattan adventure'.
Whisked off to New York with eccentric British aristocrat Georgia Hamilton, Amy experiences a glamorous side of the city that she's never seen before. Along the way, Georgia initiates her protegee in the arts of old-school elegance.
But as Georgia shares her life lessons, Amy discovers a painful secret in her mentor's past. A secret that shattered her future. A story of love and betrayal that only Amy has the power to put right.'
Review:
I absolutely adored The Proposal – the book travels between the 1950’s and 2012, following the story of Georgia Hamilton, and how she came to be the woman in 2012 that meets Amy Carrell, a young American living in London with the dream of becoming a professional dancer.
Georgia and Amy are from two very different backgrounds. One day they find their paths crossing unexpectedly when Georgia advertises for someone to accompany her on a trip to New York. Amy, desperate to get back to see her family for Christmas after breaking up with her boyfriend, answers Georgia’s advert and their lives soon become intertwined.
I love the relationship that builds between Georgia and Amy. Along their journey they learn so much from one another, about who they are and who they want to be. As we jump back to the 1950’s, we hear about Georgia’s life as a debutante in London and the struggles her and her family faced as she grew up. In a time when most debutantes were searching for a rich husband to look after them, Georgia was lucky enough to find real love - Edward. I adored Edward, such a kind, compassionate man, always looking out for Georgia and, most importantly, always encouraging Georgia to aim high and always stay true to herself. Edward was the perfect gentleman. As Amy continues to encourage Georgia to open up about her past, we start to see the true horror of Georgia’s story – the heartbreaking truth – a twist that I definitely wasn’t expecting in the story.
Amy learns a great deal from her friendship with Georgia, and from the experiences that Georgia has faced in her life. Amy learns the importance of staying true to yourself and standing up for yourself. In a time when Amy is becoming disheartened from not having the successful career she had hoped for, Georgia helps Amy to realise that sometimes dreams can change. Georgia opens Amy’s eyes to realise her dreams and give Amy the faith and belief that she can do it.
The Proposal follows two very strong, unique women – who embark on a beautiful journey together. I love how the stories of the past and present link together and Perry’s writing kept me hooked on the stories from both periods. There were a lot of characters featured in the 1950’s, but Perry’s writing is so strong and her characters are so well developed that you quickly become familiar with them.
This book left me with a major #bookhangover!
A story of love and betrayal, with an unexpected friendship fighting for the truth.