10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston | Book Review

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

Sophie wants one thing for Christmas-a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation.

Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents’ house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That’s when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby.

When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she’s started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available.

This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever… or is it?

The Reason

I love the premise, and I love the idea of having all those blind dates and all the fun that could be had from them. I’ve also been really craving light and easy reads with low stakes and lots of fun. I must admit that I’ve been feeling a bit FOMO with the Christmas season and everyone reading Christmas-themed books. I’m still reading A Christmas Carol, but I thought this would be an acceptable Christmas read too.

The Characters

Omg, I love them all so much! Well, okay, not all of them. I love Sophie, Olivia, Charlie, and Wes, of course. I love Sophie’s sister and the baby, Anna. I love Sophie’s Nonna, and her big family, and how crazy they were. I didn’t like the Evil Joes! I also really disliked Griffin. Yuck. Eww. Blerghh.

Okay, to be perfectly honest, I didn’t like that her big family couldn’t keep confidences, and that they were basically using her heartbreak and love life for their entertainment. However, I love that element of big family dynamics being portrayed so well in the book, and for the sake of the story, it did help her get over her breakup.

My Thoughts

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did! I thought it would be a fun and silly teenage love story, something I could read and feel nostalgic about my own teenage dating days and how cringey I used to be with boys. It was fun and silly, alright, but it was so good!

The pacing is amazing, I have to say. The way the story was told, plans laid, each blind date by blind date, the dates we meet, the way they all moved the story along, the breaks between when it wasn’t all about the dates, but also about family and friendships and sisterhood. I started this book just before bed, intending to read a bit and continue the next day. I ended up staying up late to finish the whole thing!

My Feels

I am obsessed with this book! Who knew I could still feel this way about a contemporary YA romance at my age?! And honestly, while I never cared before about reading Christmas-sy books during Christmas season, I’m beginning to see why it feels so magical. It’s really something else to read the book, date by date, while I’m experiencing those same dates and feeling the spirit of Christmas.

My Rating

5/5 stars. I feel like I want to keep this book handy to read again next Christmas, but perhaps that’s only because I don’t have other Christmas-sy books on my radar yet. I’ll be on the lookout for more Christmas-themed books for next year from now on!

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?