A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 8, 2025

Jessamine Bricker loves a plan. Contingency plans and pros-and-cons lists are her love language, and because of that, her proposal planning business is thriving. But with rent costs rising at her office building, Jess jumps at the chance to plan a proposal between her snobby high school classmate, Diana, and her very wealthy boyfriend, Trenton Tillard…the Fourth.

Roped into joining Diana’s ”pre-bridal” retreat at the exclusive Golden Ash resort, Jess hopes to fade into the background, get some work done, and maybe find some time to unwind. Their first day is anything but relaxing: Diana is furious about the mountain spa’s lack of cell phone reception, the couple next door argues constantly, and Jess swears she just saw a drug deal go down. To top it all off, she’s warned to stay out of the woods by the gruff and sexy chef, Dean Osbourne. Is this a retreat or a horror movie?

As Jess tries to do her job while placating the bride-to-be and her increasingly over-the-top demands, she spends more and more time with the resort owners, finding herself much more in tune with the laid-back Osbourne family than her social climbing “boss.” Between a meditation garden-related drowning and Jess’s discovery of a body in a sauna, it’s clear that deadly secrets abound at the Golden Ash. Now it’s up to Jess to unravel the mysteries here in the mountains—before all her plans are cancelled…permanently.

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REVIEW:A PROPOSAL TO DIE FOR by Molly Harper, is a contemporary, adult, cozy murder-mystery focusing on former wedding planner turned proposal planner Jessamine Bricker.

Told from omniscient third person perspective (Jess) A PROPOSAL TO DIE FOR follows Jessamine Bricker as she is contracted by a former school mate and bully to plan the perfect influencer proposal for Diana Helston. Diana’s fiancé had previously proposed but Diana didn’t think her followers would accept such a lackluster event. Discovering Jessamine Bricker, a former school mate is working as a proposal planner, Diana tasked Jess with organizing the perfect proposal party in the Tennessee Mountains Resort and Spa The Golden Ash but from the outset everything went wrong, and Jessamine Bricker found herself in the middle of a double murder investigation, and the third potential victim of a psychotic mind. Old money, fragile egos, infidelity, extortion, jealousy and lost love became the focus of a week long retreat when the Helston, Tillard and Osborne families clashed in the wake of memories from the past.

There is a building romance and relationship between Jessamine Bricker and chef Dean Osborne. Dean lost his soul mate years before but our hero saw something in Jess he wanted until the end of time. There are no $ex scenes.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, sassy and somewhat questionable and toxic secondary and supporting characters including the Osborne siblings who own The Gold Ash: Jonquil, Poppy, and head chef Dean; the spa legal counsel Beth; Poppy’s husband Owen, and their cousin Sis: bride to be and influencer Diana Helston, and her fiancé, heir to the Tillard Pecan family Trenton Tillard, his best friend Chad Hardcastle, and Chad’s uncle and attorney Sev Hardcastle, wedding planner Aubrey, Diana’s cousin Kiki; spa guests Mr and Mrs. Jeremy and Susan Treadaway, assistant chef Jamie, and Sheriff Turnbow aka Blister.

A PROPOSAL TO DIE FOR is a story of secrets and lies, money and power, madness and murder, family and relationships. The slow building premise is intriguing and entertaining but the proverbial meat of the story doesn’t happen until about half way through; the romance is subtle; the characters are charismatic and energetic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy