4 Stars

One Liner: Pretty entertaining and thoughtful

 

Three women – Anouska, Ellie, and Jess are in different stages but seem to have an issue in their personal/ love lives. Anouska and Zach are happy but can her surprise pregnancy fit into their high-flying careers? Ellie has been with Scott for six years with no progress in her relationship. With a potential promotion on the horizon, she needs to decide what’s best for her. Jess has been in love with Mark forever. They even live like an old couple sans the marriage part. 

When Jess decides to take matters into her own hands and propose to Mark on the leap year day (29th Feb), it inspires Ellie and Anouska to take action about their love. But the road to HEA is filled with doubts and decisions. 

The story comes in the third-person POVs of Anouska, Ellie, and Jess. 

Based on the premise, you might have guessed correctly that this is more of women’s fiction and less of romance. Though we have three couples, the focus is on the various aspects of a relationship, the intricacies, the missing red flags, the passivity, doubts, fears, etc. There are some lovey-dovey scenes but the steam is 0.5 at the most. Nothing explicit or detailed. 

The three main characters are different in many ways. The age ranges from 24-35, their careers are different, the family dynamics are different, and the relationship troubles are also different despite the common factor. 

Though it may seem like marriage is the ultimate goal, it’s the intention behind this that is emphasized. The characters want worthy, reliable, and loving partners who are not afraid to commit to them (especially after being together for many years).  

The main characters are not friends from first but bond quickly. Their scenes together gradually shift from surface-level friendship to becoming each other’s found families. I really loved this progress. 

Naturally, there is drama in each track but nowhere does it get confusing. The conflicts are different enough to prevent overlap but too dramatic. 

The story takes place in a couple of months, so some aspects are put on a fast track. This may or may not fully work for everyone. I didn’t particularly mind since I guessed that’s how they would proceed. 

We get an epilogue to tie up the loose ends and close the story on a happy and hopeful note. The pacing is a bit slow in the first quarter but gets better in the second half. 

To summarize, The Leap Year Proposal is an entertaining read with some thoughtful themes and ideas about relationships. Though it is about love, the book celebrates female friendships. 

Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources and the author, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.