[Skye’s Review]: 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

10 Blind Dates
by Ashley Elston
Pages: 336
Published by Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: October 1st 2019
Genres: Contemporary Romance, YA
Source: Publisher
Format Read: ARC, Paperback

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?

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

10 Blind Dates is the holiday contemporary we all need in our lives! It’s a story full of family, hilarious shenanigans, and finding out who you want to be. 

It’s Christmas break and Sophie has managed to convince her parents to let her stay at her grandma’s instead of going with them to Lafayette. This means that Sophie can sneak home and hang out with Griffin, her boyfriend, while her grandma is at work. But, when Sophie goes to tell Griffin the good news, she overhears him telling a friend that he’s considering breaking up with her because senior year is supposed to be fun.  Now, all of Sophie’s Christmas break plans are ruined. 

Once Sophie gets to her grandma’s house, she tells her what happened. By the time she wakes up in the morning, all of her family knows about her heartbreak. Then, before she knows it, her grandma has concocted a plan to help Sophie get out of her funk: she’ll go on a blind date every day (except Christmas and Christmas eve, of course) with someone of her family’s choosing. Her whole family jumps at the chance to set her up, and they all fight to sign their name on one of the ten days. It seems that her love life has turned into a game! Not only do they wait and watch to see who picks her up on her dates, but her family also bets on how long she will last on the date. 

This time with her family not only starts to heal her heart, but it also helps her recover her friendship with her cousins Charlie and Olivia, and Wes, the boy next door. Maybe staying at her grandma’s for the holidays won’t be such a bad idea after all!

I absolutely devoured this book! Ashley Elston writes such fun, realistic characters. Sophie is an incredible main character. I really related to her and understood her. She grows a lot throughout the book. When we first meet Sophie, she’s focused on her future. By the end of the book, she’s come to the realization that her focus on the future has come at the expense of her present. This realization makes Sophie come to terms with the fact that the future is going to happen regardless.

 Now, let’s talk about Sophie’s family.  Not only are they loud, chaotic, and fun but they are incredibly loyal. They’re the perfect picture of one big, tight-knit family. There’s absolutely no privacy or secrets; if you tell one person something, soon the whole family will know. Trust me, you’ll fall in love with her family. 

The Fab Four are definitely my favorite characters in this book. The Fab Four is the name Sophie, Charlie, Olivia, and Wes used to call themselves. They all grew up best friends until around freshman year of high school. Charlie, Olivia, and Wes all live in Shreveport (about 30 miles from where Sophie lives) and go to the same high school together. Once they started high school, Sophie started to feel left out. They had clubs and friends she wasn’t a part of, so she distanced herself and focused on her friends in her town. But, now, the Fab Four are reconnecting and Sophie’s realizing just how much she missed them. 

Lastly, we have to talk about the blind dates–you didn’t think I forgot, did you? 😉 All of the blind dates are fun, entertaining, and wildly hilarious. Some are sweet. Some are a disaster. Some are cringy. But, no matter what, you’ll be smiling while reading them all–even if Sophie isn’t smiling herself. 

This book was the perfect contemporary read. I can’t wait to see what the author writes next!