He asked her to 'turn to page 136'. Beside her favorite quote was a scribbled question that changed her life

Some people tend to get very creative with proposals to ensure their partner will remember the moment for a long time. One man did just that by incorporating his girlfriend’s favorite book quote into a heartfelt proposal. The girlfriend, 23-year-old Ella McGivern, was overjoyed as she proudly showed off both her engagement ring and the special book that held the proposal. McGivern—who goes by @ella.writes.alot on TikTok—later shared the moment on the platform, calling it the "best day" of her life.

"When your boyfriend proposes with your favorite book quote," the text overlay read as McGivern proudly showed off her engagement ring. Holding the book close, she flipped to the page where her favorite quote was highlighted in pink—right next to the words "Marry me?" written in red. The quote read, "Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday, you'll meet a boy who'll learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet. And even if he is too poor to get you any of them, it won't matter, because he would have taken the time to know you as no one else does. Only that boy earns your heart." The caption of the post read, "This is without a doubt, the best day of my life."

According to PEOPLE, McGivern had once told her boyfriend, Christian Keenan, that he would need to read her favorite books before proposing. Taking her words to heart, Keenan began reading "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo in December 2024 as he planned his proposal. While reading, he highlighted a line that resonated with him—one that also happened to be McGivern’s favorite quote. Unaware of what was coming, McGivern had no idea Keenan was about to propose when they traveled to Banff, Canada, for a belated Valentine's Day celebration.

Retracing the steps of their first date from four years earlier, the couple took a long walk together. "The stars were shining in the sky by the handful and the mountains were surrounding us. The Banff Springs also had lights up everywhere, wrapping around the trees and placing us in the middle of a winter wonderland. There was not a soul in sight," McGivern recounted. Her boyfriend suddenly pulled her off the trail. "I was so confused and asked where we were going, but he just grabbed my hands and placed 'Six of Crows' by Leigh Bardugo in my hands," she said.

"He told me to open page 136 and read it to him. This is when I thought something might be happening, so I tried to stay calm and I shockingly flipped to the page," McGivern recalled.

As she read the highlighted quote, tears filled her eyes. When she looked up, her boyfriend was holding out a ring. Overcome with emotion, she said yes, and the couple was officially engaged. McGivern’s video capturing the heartfelt moment has since gone viral, amassing nearly 2 million views on TikTok. Viewers in the comments were in awe, with many praising the romantic proposal.

@vasquez11420 wrote, "I have no one to share this with, so I’ll just say it here. You need to read 'Portals of Manifestations' by Oliver Grant, it will change your life." @remy commented, "May this love come for me, and if it couldn't walk, may it crawl to me." @audible remarked, "Congratulations! He’s proof that romance doesn’t have to be fiction."

You can follow Ella McGivern (@ella.writes.alot) on TikTok and Instagram for more book-related content.