Sophie is looking for a break from her overprotective parents. Her wish is granted when she is sent to visit her sister over Christmas. Sophie is hoping for a little one-on-one time with her boyfriend but unfortunately, he's just looking for alone time. After the breakup, it's Sophie's grandma who comes up with the plan for Sophie to go on 10 blind dates over the course of 10 days. This turned out to be a fun, Christmasy read. There are bad blind dates, babies, and of course, unexpected romance. Recommended for teens who are fans of Kasie West and Miranda Kenneally.

The dates are super fun, and I found myself smiling a lot to myself throughout the chaos. Sophie's family is huge and loud and full of love and watching her find her way back to them was wonderful, but the dates truly brought everyone together. They were all so invested in her joy (outside of the evil Jo's) and it was so heartwarming to see.

The pregnancy side story added a level of weight that surprised me both times I've gone through this novel. It has a happy end, but it does weigh heavily on Sophie through the story and it was an interesting addition to an otherwise fluffy book.

The one thing I wish this book had more of was time between Sophie and the end-game love interest. He's definitely there, but more on the sidelines, and the book ends soon after their near HEA. While I loved their healthy approach to their relationship, I was disappointed to see there wasn't a bit more.

All in all, 10 Blind Dates is a fun holiday read, with a slightly heavier subplot. It has a great HEA, and I really enjoyed reading it twice!

TW: toxic relationship, sexual harassment; mentions sexual content, pregnancy, and pre-mature birth

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Disney-Hyperion via Disney Book Group in exchange for an honest review.

“10 Blind Dates” by Ashley Elston was delightful; absolutely perfect for the holidays. 100% recommend!

A delightful holiday romance - it was delightful, funny, sweet, and jam packed with family hilarity, and young love.

I really enjoyed this - I read it as a staff pick of the month contender, and it had my vote.

Entertaining teen romance novel, with some really fun characters.

Sophie is taking a break from her boyfriend over the Christmas holidays and her kooky grandma decides the best plan is that Sophie goes on 10 blind dates set up by her ridiculous family.

Light, fun and I can definitely see this as a movie.

Great YA holiday romance! Highly enjoyed the family and the banter of the all of the dates. Such a fun read that YA readers will resonate with.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It made me laugh and it was a really quick read. I've read a couple Ashley Elston books and I feel like they're all completely different. She's a very diverse author. I think this might be my favorite read by her though.

This was a cute read! I just didn't connect with it as much as I thought I would. I enjoyed following Sophie's story but I just didn't really click with her like I wanted to. It was fun to see her big family and surprisingly, I didn't have a hard time following all those characters. I felt like I didn't get to know Sophie enough. She was a decent character but I just felt like she didn't really stand out to me as a personality.

The dates were fun but... not that fun. The first date was cute, I knew some would be silly, but I don't know, they didn't quite make the book for me like I thought they would. The ending was cute and lovely and I really did enjoy the family aspect of the book. It was a bit of a mix of feelings for me but ultimately, this book just didn't stick with me, especially when I had such high hopes.

If you're a fan of Hallmark movies, then this is the book for you. Sure it's predictable. We can guess within a couple of chapters who Sophie will end up with. But the journey to that ending is pretty pleasant and amusing. There are a few plot points that I feel like went too far. While I'm not a big fan of rom-coms, I can see the appeal with this one.

I don’t remember why I checked this one out. I think it was because I saw it was available and it was something I had been wanting to read since last year as well. Whatever the reason, I’m going to go hella cliche and say I’m glad I checked it out, because I really enjoyed this.

Sophie is excited to spend her Christmas break with her boyfriend while her parents are gone, but just as she’s going to surprise him, she overhears him saying some not so great things. She flees to her grandparents house after breaking up with him, where news of her break-up spreads quickly throughout her large family. They come up with the idea to send her on 10 blind dates, that they get to pick. Which can only mean one thing….. That there are hi-jinks and weirdness happening at every one.

I LOVED the writing style. I don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard while reading a book. I think it had the perfect amount of swoon and laughing moments. Elston did an awesome job on giving it a balance. And I also liked that it was actually funny. Many times when I read a rom-com, it just gets a smile out of me. But with this one (the goat and the drive-in) I actually had some deep belly laughs!

I also liked the romance. I do wish it had showed more of them together though. But the road to get there was really cute. I was able to guess (or hope really) who the love interest was pretty early on. And when my hunch turned out correct, I wanted to see more of them together.

I also liked the characters. I love books that depict large families because it’s kind of like how my family is. And also because there’s always some thing crazy that happens when there’s a ton of people around lol And this one is no different. Every family member had their own personality and all had some defining thing about them. (Looking at you Evil Jos lmao)

Like I said I don’t remember why I requested this besides the fact that it was available, but it was actually really good. I didn’t want to stop reading it. Definitely would recommend to someone who is in the mood for some light, fluffy, holiday fun!

Sophie is spending her winter vacation with her grandparents. She had been hoping to spend it with her boyfriend - but he broke up with her. Now her extended family is determined to show off their matchmaking skills
by running a dating tournament. Ten relatives get to set her up on blind dates and, just like an office pool, they bet on how long the date is, whether or not she had fun, and more. Sophie reluctantly agrees to the deal and has a holiday unlike any before.

A great beach-read with likeable characters, relatable incidents, and cringe-worthy relatives. Sophie comes to realize how special her family is and at the same time, finds herself. Highly recommended purchase. Will appeal to readers of Han, Fitzgerald, and Menon.

Sweet romantic little book. I loved the family connections and relationships. Ten blind dates is a great book to remind people about the fun of dating and meeting new people and discovering more about yourself. The book is also a gentle reminder about social media and its uses.

This book was too dang cute! It was the perfect YA romance novel. It was predictable but still had a super enjoyable story. I loved every minute of it.

So basically imagine you have the perfect boyfriend and poof he breaks up with you. That is what happened to Sophie. Her family though doesn't want her to sit around and cry all Christmas break so her grandma comes up with the genius idea of having her get set up with 10 different guys over 10 days. Each family member picks the date and the boy. Cute idea right? Well some go great, other dates not so much. But it made for a fun and cute book that I loved. I can't wait to read more books from the author.

Ashely Elston continues to be a favorite! 10 Blind Dates is a different read than her previous titles, but she nails it. As a Louisiana native, I loved seeing North Louisiana in the background of this story. But aside from local bias, the story told is beautiful, heartfelt, and fun. The cast of characters are relatable and real, with a touch a whimsy that makes them incredibly endearing. You'll be rooting for the main character, and cringing with her, as she goes through a series of dates planned by her extended family and friends. This is a title that every teen who is a fan of romance should read, especially if they are looking for something during the holiday season.

This was a sweet read that I didn't want to put down. We have our main character Sophie, who's excited to spend Christmas break alone with her boyfriend Griffin while her parents leave to spend Christmas with her very pregnant sister Margot. Unfortunately, Griffin wants to spend his Christmas break on a break from Sophie. In her heartbroken state, Sophie heads to her grandparents house where her very large and very extra family are all together for the holiday. Soon, her family is taking turns picking deciding which days they will set Sophie up on a blind date thanks to her Nonna's wonderful (not so much) idea. Some dates go extremely well, while some are complete disasters, and in the midst of all this dating Griffin decides he wants Sophie to give him a second chance. But turns out, she's getting feelings for someone else, a someone who's definitely not an option, or is he? I think my overall favorite thing about this story was the relationship between Sophie and her family, especially with her cousins Charlie and Olivia. I LOVE a good romance, but this story was about so much more than that. The love this family had for Sophie (aside from the Evil Joes) was insanely unconditional, and their dynamic was just wonderful. I find immense comfort in reading books set during Christmas time, and it doesn't even matter to me what month it is. I'm always up for a good holiday story, and this fit the bill. This book was still very cute and enjoyable even if I wasn't sipping hot chocolate and reading it under the lights of my Christmas tree. This book can bring you cheer anytime of the year!

Thank you so much to Disney-Hyperion and Netgalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book!

After hearing some unfortunate and harsh words about herself from her current boyfriend Griffin, Sophie is incredibly heartbroken. Since her older sister is about to have a baby she is staying with grandparents and slew of cousins, They try to make her feel better, because who wants to see their family member hurting and it's the holidays, they all decide to set her up on 10 blind dates. Where each person gets to choose a person for her date. As hi-jinks ensue, plans for dates get more and more elaborate, Sophie begins to feel better about how everything has taken place. Griffin comes back into her life. I thought this book was adorable, cute, predictable and the kind of read you need anytime during the year however especially on Christmas.

This book was the light-hearted YA rom-com I didn’t even know I needed.

Sophie is delighted when her parents leave town to visit her very pregnant older sister. She’s expected to stay at her grandparents, but Sophie has major alone time planned with her boyfriend. Except, when she shows up at a party, she overhears him complaining that he thinks they should break up.

Heartbroken, Sophie plans on spending the time at her grandparents ugly crying and curled up in a ball. But Nonna has other plans. Sophie has to go on ten blind dates and the family gets to pick them.

“I don’t know the guy I’m going out with, but I feel sorry for him already. I can’t imagine what it’s like to pick up a girl for a date and have twenty people staring at you.”

10 Blind Dates is more than a rom-com. I mean, it’s funny and has such an adorable romance. But the main plot is about Sophie finding herself. She reconnects with her family, with the cousins she grew distant from and the relatives she sort of forgot about. More importantly, though, she reconnected with the girl she was. The girl she wants to still be.

This resonated deeply with me. I remember being at that age when hanging out with family felt more like punishment than anything. And then I remember what it felt like to reconnect. To sit at home and just absorb the chaos of family. And maybe that’s why I loved this book so much. It’s a reminder that we don’t have to be in a hurry to grow up. That we can simply laugh and have fun and that’s okay.

Also, the boys. I adored how wonderful they were. Sweet and supportive and even the dates that were a disaster, Sophie had her safety net and her back up squad on hand and ready for evasive maneuvers. Even when the characters in this book make you cringe, so many more times they make you smile.

“This date thing has moved to a really weird level where my family feels overly invested.”

Honestly, this book was so sweet, but not the kind that makes your teeth hurt. It’s funny and charming and just makes you feel good while you’re reading. I love the family elements and how loving everyone is. It’s a YA Love, Actually and is perfect for anyone looking for a feel-good book this holiday season. Whether you adore big, messy families or are thankful you don’t have one, this book is full of love and laughter and will warm your heart.

Thank you Rockstar Book Tours and Disney-Hyperion for including me on this tour and sending me a copy!

I couldn’t be happier with this book. It is exactly the kind of contemporary romance that I needed to help me out of my reading slump.

This was a light-hearted, sweet, comfy book that is perfect for teens who love romance and Hallmark movies. While it took a bit to get used to the number of characters in Sophie's family, I did warm up to them and enjoy what they added to the plot. I appreciated that the book showed the importance of valuing yourself, your family, friends, and a partner; it wasn't just about finding a new boyfriend. The dates were fun and I loved reading about Sophie hanging out with her cousins and Wes. I will definitely recommend this title to my library teens who love a sweet story.

I got an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was such a cute, light and fun read! I really enjoyed Sophie's family, her large family with it's various cast of characters was my favorite part of book. As someone who is best buds with some of my cousins like Sophie is, I could relate. Her family choosing dates for her was absolutely funny and heartwarming. Even though this book is set over the holiday season, you can really read it anytime of the year, I had no problem reading it in July. Despite that, I think this book is perfect as a great Christmas gift this upcoming holiday season! #indigoemployee (less)
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