Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

The Proposal: A Leap of Faith is a romantic short story based on actual events, and written by Cheryl Holloway. After ten years of dating her much-loved beau, Marvin, Carol wonders if he will ever pop the question. Not wanting to die a single woman, she is determined to find out if they are on the same page about their future. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Carol is ecstatic to find out that Marvin has made romantic plans at a restaurant, but when he gets down on one knee and she is on the brink of passing out, due to her high anticipation of a proposal, she reels when he presents her with a gift of a different kind. Although frustrated, Carol accepts Marvin’s offering, and they carry out their new plans ... with disastrous results.

I was unsure of what to expect when I chose this book, but as a huge fan of romance, I decided to go with it anyway. It surprised me to learn that the book was based on a true story – so much so that I cried many tears at the end. Cheryl Holloway’s knack of presenting an in-depth love story, which would generally take most writers a lot more pages to complete, is remarkable. The detail in each page enabled me to connect with the characters beautifully, almost like I was holding Carol’s hand each step of the way, as Marvin caused her more and more impatience and anxiety by not making a commitment after being together for so many years. The Proposal: A Leap of Faith brings forth the sad reality in so many people’s lives, when neither party is willing to take that final step into marriage. Although a short story, it affected me greatly emotionally, although I enjoyed every word from beginning to end. I recommend The Proposal: A Leap of Faith to lovers of fine romance, short stories, and those who are willing read between the lines up to, and including, the final word.