Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is a perfect example for a textbook cliche high school romance. This is mushy, sweet, sappy, corny, and everything mixed in. All the characters were cute and even when it was frustrating it was enjoyable. There were a few parts I laughed and one I cried cause I’m a huge baby, so that’s a plus for me.

I think the target audience will think this is perfect. As someone almost 30 who didn’t care a thing about prom or romance over a decade ago, I thought a lot of this was silly and unnecessary. Do they actually do those huge promposals all over school now? That sounds like Hell. I was a big fan of Elle’s first book and this one was simple and felt like it got back to the YA romance roots.

This was a nice story with decent characters and development. I had a hard time believing most people made such a big deal about prom and Would deal with public rejection so easily. Also didn’t get why someone who doesn’t want to go to prom would try so hard to help anyone else. I guess I assumed there would be more to it. The realization the MC has about her feelings for her bestie also felt forced as well as the tension with her Mom. It wasn’t a bad book I just felt like quite a bit of elements weren’t realistic and made it difficult to remain engaged with the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Super cute and quick read! Perfect for the age group length and voice wise.

A great friends to lovers story with just the right amount of tension to keep things interesting.

I'm a huge fan of the imprint, Joy Revolution, and of this author! It's her second book and I'm impressed!

I was hooked from the cover, it had everything that I wanted from this type of book. I enjoyed the idea of a Prom element and that the characters felt like they were supposed to. Elle Gonzalez Rose has a great writing style and making the characters realistic for the time. It was everything that I was hoping for and glad I got to read this.

Why do I love YA so much? I honestly don't know but man alive, I sure do.
This book is adorable. There is a fair amount of language in it, but the romance is just kissing. Do what you will with that information.

If you like 90s romcoms, I Cant Take My Eyes Off of You, promposals, friends to more, sabotage, plays and baseball, read this one and fall in love with Ivelisse's story!

I just adore prom season, love hearing about different promposals and just the whole experience is fun to read about. This was a perfect prom season book. A real friend to lovers’ type of book that just gives you hope for the main characters to finally figure things out.

We meet Ivelisse and Joaquin who have been best friends for the longest time. It's prom season and the promposals have begun. They've always gone to dances together but this time around Joaquin has a plan to ask out the most popular girl.

Ivelisse begins to realize that she may have more than just friend feelings for Joaquin. This realization causes her to consciously and subconsciously sabotaged every promposal he attempts. It's fun tread about how this goes about and what diverse ways he chooses to create these different promposals. Their dynamic is so good together you just must wait for the realization to hit. It was a cute read. Flowed smoothly, written well, and entertaining from the beginning to the end.

I enjoyed all the characters and what part they played in this book. This wasn’t about the two of them though, there were secondary characters we learned about and got to experience their story as well. We also got to understand the dynamic between Ive and her mother which had a bit of turmoil as all relationships do, especially at that teenage stage. Compromises and truths come out between them and it’s a beautiful thing to experience, especially between a mother and daughter. I can sympathize.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for some entertainment with a prom twist.

Merged review:

I just adore prom season, love hearing about different promposals and just the whole experience is fun to read about. This was a perfect prom season book. A real friend to lovers’ type of book that just gives you hope for the main characters to finally figure things out.

We meet Ivelisse and Joaquin who have been best friends for the longest time. It's prom season and the promposals have begun. They've always gone to dances together but this time around Joaquin has a plan to ask out the most popular girl.

Ivelisse begins to realize that she may have more than just friend feelings for Joaquin. This realization causes her to consciously and subconsciously sabotaged every promposal he attempts. It's fun tread about how this goes about and what diverse ways he chooses to create these different promposals. Their dynamic is so good together you just must wait for the realization to hit. It was a cute read. Flowed smoothly, written well, and entertaining from the beginning to the end.

I enjoyed all the characters and what part they played in this book. This wasn’t about the two of them though, there were secondary characters we learned about and got to experience their story as well. We also got to understand the dynamic between Ive and her mother which had a bit of turmoil as all relationships do, especially at that teenage stage. Compromises and truths come out between them and it’s a beautiful thing to experience, especially between a mother and daughter. I can sympathize.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for some entertainment with a prom twist.

Small Business BookTok ARC Reviews: “10 Things I Hate About Prom” by Elle Gonzalez Rose

Note: This ARC was given to me for free by the author and I am reviewing this book voluntarily.

It's Prom Season, and tensions will be scorching!

Ivelisse can care less about the chaotic, clique-like chaos that is Prom Season. She just wants to spend the rest of Senior Year with her best friend, Joaquin! When Joaquin wants to ask Tessa, the most popular girl at their school, to Prom, Ivelisse reluctantly agrees to help him come up with a Promposal! Will Ivelisse succeed in helping Joaquin, or will her best friend realize that what we wanted was in front of him the whole time!

This is truly an exciting YA Romance reminiscent of 1990's and 2000's Rom-Coms! From the comedic will-they-won't-they dynamic between Ivelisse and Joaquin to the Prom hijinx, Elle Gonzalez Rose does an excellent job of telling a Coming-Of-Age tale of the changes that come with relationships as we grow up. Through Rose’s writing, the commentary conveyed is that when changes appear to be on the horizon, one shouldn't let fear and doubt dictate or get in the way of the family, friends, and loved ones in their lives or the here and now. As an Afro-Caribbean/African American woman, it also means the world to me as a reader to see strong Puerto Rican representation portrayed in the form of the main character and love interest! If you’re looking for a captivating read that's reminiscent of “10 Things I Hate About You”, then don't miss out on this book when it hits online shelves on May 14, 2024!

Rating: 5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

-Tropes to Expect: Friends-to-Lovers, Pining, Promposal Hijinx, Coming-of-Age Narrative, Slow Burn Romance, and Self Discovery Narrative.
-Trigger Warnings: Family Conflict, Relationship Anxiety, and Implied Divorce.

This was a fun and modern take on how to tell your friend that you love them while poking fun at the insanity that has become proposals. It is also a sweet homage to "10 things I hate about you."

There was a lot in this book, not just the budding romance between friends. Elle Gonzalez Rose managed to bring in a lot of heart about what it is like to be a high school senior, trying to balance wanting to move away for school and yet being tied to home. Ivelisse and Joaquin have been best friends and neighbors for years. Ivelisse is being raised by a single mom who has just started dating like crazy and Joaquin is living with his grandmother after his sister has gone off to college and his mother moved back to Puerto Rico. Joaquin comes back from spring break and has decided he wants to invite Tessa Hernandez to prom via a big promposal. Tessa is the ultimate "it" girl and Ivelisse is still resentful over her involvement in a freshman year breakup. Ive starts to help, but at each effort, something goes wrong, accidentally at first, but then on purpose. Along the way, she realizes that she has feelings for him as well. All of this is happening while she is waiting desperately to get off of the waitlist at Sarah Lawrence rather than head to Rutgers with the rest of her class. It was a fun read that I could see a lot of teens enjoying.

I enjoyed that this had 10 things I hate about you vibes. I think the author does a great job with the friendship between our characters and how they have grown and changed in that friendship over the years.
I liked the look at prom-posals, even though I think they are totally blown out of proportion. But it was a good way to bring these friends closer. There are so many cute moments in this book. And I loved the look into the theater and how much it means to Ive.
The relationship between Ive and Joaquin is great and I liked seeing it grow and change. I felt like I was there with these characters.
I think a lot of teens will like this one and find it relatable.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

I couldn't even get through the first chapter of this book. I'm sorry to say that I disliked the character fight from the get go. So I am not a very good person to rivew this book.

See other reviewer for information purposes. Excellent book will be acquired for YA dept.
Review is on other approval.

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT PROM is exactly what I love about teen romcoms! Just like Elle Gonzalez Rose's debut novel, this had me giggling over the chaotic jokes and swooning at every romantic moment. More of this energy, please!