Bookish Thoughts: The Decent Proposal by Kemper Donovan

Before gray hair, or crow's-feet, or achy backs and fickle knees, there is one sign of aging that makes appearance early enough to bewilder its young(ish) victims instead of alarming them, as it should. ~ Opening of The Decent Proposal

The Decent Proposal by Kemper Donovan

Harper Collins, 2016

Fiction; 320 pgs

From Goodreads: 

A debut novel in which two people are brought together by a very decent proposal cooked up by a very secretive benefactor in which the strangers go on one year of dates, one date a week, for half a million dollars each if they can stand each other for the whole time.

I really enjoyed Kemper Donovan's A Decent Proposal. I suspected it would be funny and maybe even a bit sentimental (although not overly so), and I was right. The novel also had an unexpected depth to it, which I found to be a good balance.

Our two strangers brought together for an unknown reason are quite different from one another. One is an out of work down-on-his-luck producer who enjoys partying late into the night and working off the hangover by sleeping in at his leisure. The other is a workaholic attorney who is every bit a perfectionist. When presented with the offer to go on one date a week for a year, Richard Baumbach is eager to give it a try. He needs the money after all. Elizabeth Santiago is more reluctant. Is this a trick? What strings are attached--because who in their right mind would do something like this? Deciding her life needs a little shaking up, Elizabeth finally agrees. Richard and Elizabeth begin to fall into a regular routine after a few rough starts. Their conversations range from the movies and books to life and the more personal.

I came to like both characters quite a bit over the course of the novel, although I most identified with Elizabeth. While not as compulsive as she is, we both share a love for books, and I could relate to the overachiever in her. Richard was charming in his own way (charming in a good way; not the smarmy bad way). He really is an all around nice guy. I loved his optimism. Both characters have their pasts to contend with, Elizabeth holding on more tightly to hers, which fits her character. She is a cautious person. Both are very caring people who seem to have good heads on their shoulders.

A couple of minor characters play a big part in the story as well: Elizabeth's homeless friend Orpheus, and Richard's best friend, Mike (short for Micaela). Both have their own ideas and motives in regards to the deal, and also both very attached and protective of their respective friends. I wasn't sure what to make of Mike at first, but by the end I quite liked her. And I am glad Orpheus's back story was shared with the reader as he is a character I was quite curious to know more about.

This seems to be another one of those novels I have read recently that is firmly placed in a particular setting and for which the setting plays an important part. While I suppose the same story could have been set elsewhere, the author's descriptions of Los Angeles, the diversity in the characters and their lives, really bring the Los Angeles setting to the forefront. I enjoy reading novels set in familiar locations, being able to visualize them more clearly in my mind.

I can only say so much about the end without giving away spoilers. Upon reaching the end, I wasn't sure what to think. There is a shift in perspective that was at first off-putting. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized how much it did fit--done up with that old Hollywood flare.

While the story and the direction it took was predictable to some degree, there were a few surprises. The mystery of who the benefactor is, the reasons behind the proposal, why Richard and Elizabeth were chosen exactly, being among those surprises. I was quite enamored with the writing. I was swept into The Decent Proposal quite easily and did not want to stop reading until I had reached the end. Even then, I am not sure I was ready to let go. Not completely.

To learn more about Kemper Donovan and his work, please visit the author on Goodreads and Twitter.

I hope you will check out what others had to say about The Decent Proposal on the TLC Book Tours route!

Many thanks to the TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour. I received a copy of this book for an honest review from the publisher. 

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© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.