Well, I know it sounds trite, but this book The Decent Proposal "should have been better than it was".
It isn't a bad book, and the author has the seeds of being a very good writer, but somewhere down the road. This book really needed a much better editor to reign in the author.
The story is basically this: take two people who don't know each other and offer them a prize- in this cast 1/2 a million each, if they agree to meet with each other for two hours every week, for a year. Gee what do you suppose will happen between the two?
I'm guessing like most movies- of which the author is part of the entertainment industry, where he is a lawyer who represents writers- this book was purchased by the publisher based on the premise, not the finished product. This is the author's first book, and it is painfully clear. There was way too much filler, details, lingo, of life in Los Angeles, that added nothing to the story. Add in wooden one dimensional main characters, and a couple of politically correct beliefs and liberal politics plus all of the predictability and the sudden hidden surprise near the end, and you have The Decent Proposal"
Watch for it or something like it at a movie theatre someday down the road. ( )

Richard and Elizabeth are perfect strangers until the day a lawyer contacts them both and presents a very interesting proposal. An person who wishes to remain anonymous will give each of them a half a million dollars. All that is required of Richard and Elizabeth is to meet for two hours a week, every week, for a year.

Richard starts referring to this innocent plan as The Decent Proposal.
His best friend (and ex girlfriend) Michaela "Mike" hates the idea. She has just realized that she's never gotten over Richard, despite having broken his heart in college.

Elizabeth's friend Orpheus hates the plan too.
Both Mike and Orpheus feel their relationships with Richard and Elizabeth are threatened.

I loved that you really can't tell what the reason is the offer was made to Elizabeth and Richard, you have to wait to find out. I also liked all the layers to these characters and their relationships with their friends.
Sometimes I found Orpheus hard to bear but he was a good way of illustrating what a big heart Elizabeth has.

Sweet story. It made me smile a lot. ( )

Enjoyable while I was listening, but forgettable. The part I liked best were the changes Richard and Elizabeth went through as they socialized with each other. Because they weren't trying to impress each other, they were able to be authentic with each other and discovered hidden parts of themselves. ( )

Well, I know it sounds trite, but this book The Decent Proposal "should have been better than it was".
It isn't a bad book, and the author has the seeds of being a very good writer, but somewhere down the road. This book really needed a much better editor to reign in the author.
The story is basically this: take two people who don't know each other and offer them a prize- in this case 1/2 a million each, if they agree to meet with each other for two hours every week, for a year. Gee what do you suppose will happen between the two?
I'm guessing like most movies- of which the author is part of the entertainment industry, where he is a lawyer who represents writers- this book was purchased by the publisher based on the premise, not the finished product. This is the author's first book, and it is painfully clear. There was way too much filler, details, lingo, of life in Los Angeles, that added nothing to the story. Add in wooden one dimensional main characters, and a couple of politically correct beliefs and liberal politics plus all of the predictability and the sudden hidden surprise near the end, and you have The Decent Proposal"
Watch for it or something like it at a movie theatre someday down the road. ( )

The Decent Proposal by Kemper Donovan is a highly recommended light hearted L.A. boy-and-girl-are-paid-to-meet story.

Richard Baumbach and Elizabeth Santiago are strangers who have been presented with a more than decent proposal through a lawyer representing an anonymous benefactor. They are being offered five hundred thousand dollars each if they will meet once a week and spend two hours together, talking, for one full calendar year. It is an offer that is legit, with a legal contract, which they both find hard to refuse.

Richard is a struggling, broke, frequently hungover Hollywood producer with a large credit card debt to pay off. He's a charming, optimistic, handsome 29 year old whose best friend is Mike (Michaela). The offer, what he calls starts calling the #DecentProposal (which Mike reduces to the DP) on social media will allow him to help finance his production company and it might provide him with a good plot for a future project. It could be fun too, an adventure.

Elizabeth, 33, is a serious, driven lawyer on her way to becoming a partner in the law firm. She is known around her law firm as "La Máquina" (the Machine) for billable hours and ability to focus on the task at hand without distraction. She doesn't do social media or TV. Running the numbers, the proposal will more than compensate her for her time and allow her to help a homeless man, Orpheus Washington, that she has befriended.

The two agree to the proposal and first meet at an In-N-Out Burger. It becomes clear that, while they both might like In-N-Out, they are also vastly different people whose lives and interests are quite disparate. If they are to survive 52 weekly two hour meetings comprised of one-on-one discussions, they need to find some creative plan to help facilitate it. The ingeniously decide to make it a book and film discussion club. One week they will read chapters and discuss a classic book under Elizabeth's guidance and the next week they will watch and scrutinize a movie of Richard's choice.

The Decent Proposal is satisfying on several levels.
It succeeds as a romantic comedy with elements of a mystery. The writing is quite good in this debut novel. It flows well and the plot is well paced and even. The contrast between the two main characters is well defined and their interaction with each other is believable. While I'm not normally known for reading novels described as romantic, The Decent Proposal is a comfortable, comedic, entertaining novel rather than a heavy romantic romp.

It is very clearly set in a current Los Angeles that will be recognizable to those who know L.A. and its environs. Donovan captures the culture and life style of those in the entertainment industry. He contrasts those in the entertainment industry to those who are native Californians (Elizabeth grew up in South Central) and not transplants from other parts of the country. In addition, the choice of movies and books the two discuss is interesting. Don't expect any great literary or cinematic discussion as a part of the novel, just the titles are provided as part of the plot. They serve to highlight the many differences between Richard and Elizabeth.

I had a few minor issues, especially with the ending. It felt a bit abrupt and awkward compared to the rest of the narrative. But don't let that stop you from reading The Decent Proposal. This would be a perfect choice for a summer vacation novel. It is light hearted escapism with some self-discovery and personal growth included in the parry between characters.

Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from HarperCollins for review purposes.

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