A Perfect Proposal by Katie Fforde

Sophie Apperly's family has never taken her seriously. Fiercely academic, they see her more practical skills as frivolous whilst constantly taking advantage of her. So when her best friend Milly invites her over to New York, she jumps at the chance. It'll do her ungrateful family good to do without her for a while. What s more, she's on a quest America holds the key to solving her family's financial woes, even if they don't deserve her help.

From the moment Sophie hits the bright lights of Manhattan she's determined to enjoy every minute of her big adventure. So when an evening at an art gallery throws her into the path of Matilda, a spirited old lady who invites her to Connecticut for Thanksgiving, Sophie willingly accepts, much to the dismay of Matilda's grandson Luke. Undeniably attractive but infuriatingly arrogant, he is very protective of his grandmother and seems to doubt Sophie's motives for befriending her. No match for the formidable Matilda, he eventually admits defeat, but first he has a proposal to make. He'll help Sophie in her quest to save her family from financial ruin if she repays the favour. But just what does she have to do in return...?

4 stars
I received a copy of A Perfect Proposal courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

Sophie is completely taken advantage of by her family in England. They don't appreciate her for being frugal and helping out whenever they need her to, and since they're 'academics' they don't feel like she measures up to them. Silly Sophie, for being their door mat! Luckily for her, she has a best friend in New York that convinces Sophie to come visit and work as a nanny for a month. So Sophie heads across the pond, only to have her plans changed once she gets to America. Along comes Matilda and Luke, and now Sophie has a different set of plans...

I thought A Perfect Proposal was the greatest in chick lit! I absolutely LOVE British novels, and this one was no exception. I want to be friends with Sophie, and have her make me fabulous shabby chic clothes! I'm not sure how realistic Matilda taking Sophie under her wing was, but it worked out, since Sophie was an honest gal. It doesn't hurt that with Matilda comes her protective watch dog grandson Luke. I was expecting the outcome with Sophie and Luke (chick lit read, after all) but I felt like the end was a little rushed. I'm glad I was able to read this one tho, it was just what I needed for a winter pick me up.

~Mandy