I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.
4.5/5 Stars
I have been in such a reading slump lately, and this was just the book to help kick my hangover! When Sophie's bf "wants a break" right before Christmas, she is devastated. But then her awesome Nonna and her HUGE extended family decide that the best way to mend her heart is to set her up on 10 blind dates - each planned and picked by a different relative - over her 2 week holiday vacation. What ensues is pure hilarity. Her family creates a betting pool, her dates are all over the map from absurd (like being in a nativity scene with a VERY handsy 14yo) to great (the hottest party of the year with a very attractive college guy). Too bad she finds herself falling for her off-limits childhood bestie, Wes. Wes is a total catch and I was rooting for him from day one! This was such a fun read!!

“I don’t expect to meet the love of my life but maybe, just maybe this will help heal the pieces Griffin broke.”

I promise you, so many people are going to be checking this one out from their library this holiday season, and with good reason, because I read this book with a constant smile on my face. This was such a heartwarming story about family, and love, and finding out about yourself and your happiness when you are in that weird transition period when you are getting ready for college. This book really was a delight to read, and I am actually excited to see how well received it’s probably going to be in the book community soon!

10 Blind Dates stars a girl named Sophie who is planning to spend the holidays with her grandparents (and her huge extended family), while her parents celebrate with her sister who is a few hours away and on bedrest with her pregnancy. Sophie thinks that she might also be able to sneak away and finally get a little alone time with her longtime boyfriend, but things don’t work out the way she envisions when she finds out that he is having second thoughts about them staying together since they will both be going away to college soon.

She goes to her grandparents’ house feeling rather heartbroken, but her entire family who are all celebrating Christmas under the same roof, decide to try to cheer her up by setting her up on *looks at book title* ten blind dates! Sophie is for sure having her doubts, but when the first date goes alright, she thinks that maybe she can do this, and maybe she can get closer to some of the family members she has drifted a little apart from in the process.

Overall, this just really is a perfect, heartwarming, hopeful holiday read. It really puts an emphasis on the importance of (healthy) family, and how the love of family can be so unconditional. This book also puts a very big emphasis on sibling relationships, which you all know is something I love reading about in books, and I truly think siblings who are best friends have a power unlike any other. I just really think this book is perfect for December, and I recommend it with my whole heart if you’re looking for a cozy, Christmas story that will make you smile throughout. Also, this has already been picked up by Netflix, and I feel so much joy thinking about what a wonderful adaptation it will make!

What a fun book this turned out to be. I haven't read too many books by Ashley Elston but I'm going to need to change that because if her other books are anything like this one, I'm all in. This book features Sophie who thought she'd be spending the holidays with her longtime boyfriend but ends up being dumped and spending the holidays with her big ol' family instead. She shows up to her grandparent's house and she's heartbroken so in an effort to cheer her up, her family members set up her on blind dates, ten of them to be exact, and when she doesn't completely hate the first date, she figures, why not?

Sophie really grows into herself over the course of this book and it was a lot of fun to be a part of her journey. As she learns more and more about herself, and as she grows closer to the family members that she drifted apart from, I grew to adore her more and more. She wasn't perfect and there's some shadiness going on that I thought was handled well by the author but overall, this book was a fun, holiday young adult romance. I'm super glad that I read it. It was a fast read, it was a fun read, and I closed the book with a giant smile on my face so needless to say, this was a successful reading choice and I am going to Goodreads right now to check out Elston's backlist for more goodness to read. I really enjoyed the emphasis this book put on family relationships and I definitely recommend this one.

**Come visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

Sohpie has her Christmas break planned out with her parents out of town visiting her sister while she stays near home- and her boyfriend- with her grandparents. But when Sophie overhears her boyfriend tell his friend that he plans to break up with Sophie since she is no fun, it seems her perfect holiday break is ruined. But her family decides to step in and "help her" get over her boyfriend with a plan by her grandmother- Sophie's family members will set Sophie up on 10 blind dates of their choosing, and Sophie gets to experience one of the most memorable holidays yet...and maybe find love along the way.

This was the perfect amount of happy fluff, teen drama and cute family interactions that I needed. And while this was a romance, it was also about all kinds of love and how important family is. The relationship between Sophie and her sister, Sophie and her cousins, and Sophie and her Nonna were just as important as the relationship between Sophie and her potential suitor (suitors?). I will admit that I knew who Sophie was going to end up with right from the moment the boy was introduced, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the story and all the dates, be them cute, sweet or ridiculous. This was such an adorable premise and the dates were very memorable, some for good reasons and others because of the trainwreck they were, but all was highly enjoyable (for me the reader...maybe not do much for Sophie) and made for a great plot for a romance book.

This is actually the second book I have read by Ashley, my first being her thriller/mystery This Is Our Story, and she has now proven to me that she is capable of writing whatever genre she wants and make it believable. I can't wait to get my hands on more of her creations, whatever genre she wants to write because now I know her plots are always spot on and her characters are compelling, flawed and realistic. I think this is the perfect read to get you in the mood for the upcoming holiday season and such a cute choice for anyone looking for a sweet contemporary ya romance. If you are fans of the mix of drama and fun of Shani Petroff and Jennifer Honeybourn then 10 Blind Dates is the perfect next read.

This was a completely adorable read! The story follows along with Sophie as her boyfriend dumps her right before Christmas break. Despite her heartbreak, Sophie maintains her plan of going to stay with her grandparents for the break.

"I hate to call Nonna a liar, but it's tomorrow and everything still pretty much sucks."

When her Nonna devises a plan to help with Sophie's heartbreak, Sophie is absolutely regretting coming. But then her Nonna's plan starts to come around on her and she agrees to the crazy thing. 10 blind dates over the course of the break all picked out by different family members. What could go wrong??

"I don't expect to meet the love of my life but maybe, just maybe this will help heal the pieces Griffin broke."

Sophies family is huge and all very close to each other. Her blind dates become a big ol' family event which I thought was hilarious. Her dates ranged from actually pretty decent, to oh my god get me the heck out of here. I was laughing out loud multiple times throughout this. It was a very sweet, charming, humorous read! Recommended for fans of YA Contemporary, romantic comedies, books that make you smile and feel good inside, and books that focus on family, friendship, and self-discovery.

What a sweet book! This family centered in the main characters life make everyone feel so wholesome. This is a great ya contemporary and was a joy to read.

There was real life heartache and real life family support.

This precious story follows Sophie, who on the eve of Christmas break, is looking forward to nothing more than spending some quality time with her boyfriend, Griffin. Her parents are traveling to stay with her older sister, Margot, who is pregnant with her first child and having a slightly complicated pregnancy.
The stated plan is that Sophie will be traveling to her Grandparent's house to stay with them for the entirety of her holiday. Secretly, she hopes to sneak back home as much as she can to be with Griffin. Unfortunately, when she overhears Griffin tell one of his friends that he wants a break from Sophie, the only thing broken is her heart.
Later that same night, when her Grandmother, Nonna, finds Sophie crying outside her house, she hatches a scheme to get Sophie's mind of stupid-ole' Griffin. Her plan: have family members set poor Sophie up on 10 blind dates to keep her busy each night of her Christmas break.
I know this book sounds like the perfect plot for a romantic comedy and it definitely is. At the same time however, my biggest take away from this was the power of a supportive family. At the heart of this, it is about ties that bind that go way deeper than any high school relationship ever could.
Sophie has a LARGE dramatic Sicilian family and I ABSOLUTELY loved the positive family dynamic. There were Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Mom, Dad and her Sister involved. All rooting for Sophie's happiness and she was such a good sport about everything that was thrown at her. The dates were all unique and a little wacky. I looked forward to reading each on as they unfolded. It was such a fun and creative format. Elston's storytelling is just top-notch, there is no denying that.
Hands down, this is the most adorable, sweetest book about family and self-discovery that I have EVER read.

This was a delight from start to finish! I adored the characters, and the premise was clever. And I LAUGHED so much! I can't think of anything that would have made this book more perfect. With the exception of one or two of the dates that went to the risque side, you could hand this to a middle schooler without hesitation. Because of those two dates (one and a half, really - one didn't turn out to be a big deal) this might be a better fit for mature middle schoolers. High school, young adult and older will enjoy this one.

This was such a sweet story. I loved how her whole family got together to not only find her blind dates but to plan them. The competition was super cute. It’s a light, fun read that shows a wonderful family.

What a sweet, sweet story this was! I have been a fan of Ashley Elston’s books for a several years now and I think Ten Blind Dates is my new favorite!

Ten Blind Dates is the story of a girl named Sophie, who experiences a painful breakup at the beginning of Christmas break her senior year. Due to her sister having a baby, she has already planned on spending the holiday with her grandparents, but what she didn’t plan on was the incredible journey she was about to experience!

Sophie’s Nonna decides that the perfect cure for her broken heart is to go on as ten blind dates (all arranged by various members of her large family), and what is finds is so much more than healing....she finds her family again. (And maybe a little love on the way😉).

I absolutely ADORED Sophie’s family and the witty banter between all of them! This story made me want to drive to Shreveport, find a stool in Nonna’s kitchen and dive headfirst into her delicious cinnamon rolls. There was such a sense of warmth through the whole story, and I especially loved the storylines involving Wes, Olivia, and Charlie.

I was captivated by this hilarious, heartwarming story from the very beginning. It’s such a reminder as to the importance of family, and to that fact that you can always go home again....matter where you are in your life.

If you enjoy YA rom-coms, then I highly recommend that you read this delightful story!

great fun, super cute, loved my time reading this & can't wait for more wonderfulness like this from ashley

This book was your typical romcom, so fun and fuffy. Full review on instagram!

The characters were cute and relatable. The plot had me intrigued from the beginning and it kept me compelled to read from the start to the very end.

As a big fan of YA Christmas books, I was excited when I first heard of 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston. I was expecting festive fluff, and this book delivers on that with its dynamic family and perfectly cheesy dates. This is a light and fluffy read that is sure to get the reader in the Christmas spirit.

This book follows Sophie, who is dealing with a recent heartbreak, as she is set up on 10 blind dates by her family. It is easy to sympathize with Sophie, but it is also inspiring to see her transform and bounce back from her broken heart. The book is filled with winter vibes as it takes place over Christmas, and I loved reading about each of the festive dates, some more outrageous than others. There is also a balance between fun and heartfelt moments as there is a subplot with Sophie’s pregnant sister and complications she faces. As well, family is one of my favourite elements in YA, and I was happy to see such a big, lively family that (mostly) wants the best for Sophie.

10 Blind Dates is a cosy read that is perfect for curling up with as the weather gets colder. This one is both wholesome and heartfelt, and the main character truly transforms throughout the book. I would definitely recommend this one to fans of Hallmark movies.

This book follows Sophie and her big crazy Italian family over the Christmas holiday. Sophie’s boyfriend breaks up with her at the star of vacation, so her family decides it would be fun to have a competition, where Sophie goes on blind dates every day of Christmas break to see if her family can find her a good match. With some horrible, interring and funny dates, this book has me roaring with laughter and desperately wanting to know what happens. I KNOW I’m going to love this one, it’s so cute already!

Okay, so... I’m giving this one a five star review, even though I’m only 60% of the way done it. Why have I done this, you might ask? Well, I loved it so much already that I suggested we read it for the teen book club that I run at Chapters. It was THE PERFECT pick for our December book club, and it won by an overwhelming majority in our poll. So, I decided to stop reading it, and buy a hardcover version so I can read it and enjoy it at the perfect time... Christmas!! (and so I can keep all of the names straight at our meeting in three months time!)

This book was an easy read and a cute, unique Christmas story. It's a little predictable, but if I was 16 I would have eaten up every word! Since that is the target audience, I'd say it's a perfect YA Christmas story. I loved the family dynamic, as I come from a big family as well, and Wes is totally dreamy. One I'd recommend to lots of young people and anyone looking for a fun christmas read.

This book was so cute and perfect for middle school. Light romance. No drinking or drugs or graphic scenes. I can’t wait to put it in the hands of my students.

I requested this title because I loved Elston’s first two novels and I was excited to see what she would do with a romance. I was not disappointed!
This started right at the good stuff and just kept getting better. I never felt like anything was filler or that there was a drag in the storyline. I could not wait to turn the page, every time.
Elston provided a great cast of characters that explored a large cultural family, dating, friendships, and the ups and downs with all of them. I haven’t read a book in a long time that I have connected with so much.
To make this short and sweet, I loved every bit of this title. It made me laugh, cry, shout out loud, and stomp my feet. I cannot wait to recommend this one in the library.

I must admit I almost quit reading this book about 15% in. However, I am glad I decided to stick with it. Our main character Sophie is a high school senior and is looking forward to spending time with her boyfriend Griffin during the winter break while her parents are visiting her older sister. However, Sophie's joy is short-lived. The same evening as her parents leave town, she overhears Griffin telling his friend that he wants to break up with her. Sophie is devastated and goes to stay with her grandparents who live in a town a couple of hours away. There, she is surrounded by her large extended family, who take upon themselves to cheer her up and draw up a schedule to arrange 10 blind dates for Sophie. And so the adventure begins.

The book ended up having some really funny moments. I found myself laughing out loud a few times. Sophie's grandparents have 8 children, so her family is large, noisy and everyone is in everyone else's business. If you like the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you will probably enjoy this book. As often with YA contemporary novels, the main characters sometimes feel much older than they are supposed to be in the book: the fact that can be irritating to some readers. I myself almost quit reading it, as the beginning was a bit too melodramatic and hard to believe. I did end up enjoying the book and rated it 3 out of 5 stars. This would make a nice light holiday read.

An e-ARC was provided by NetGalley.com

As you probably have learned by now, I love young adult books and this one is no exception. In fact, I'm adding it to my top 2019 favorites.

Set in Louisiana, Sophie's plans for winter break take a turn for the worse. Her boyfriend wants to break up, her sister goes into labor prematurely with complications and her large Southern family with whom she is staying decide to set her up with 10 blind dates.

"We’re going to set Sophie up on a few blind dates, and by the time she goes back to school after the New Year, she’ll hardly remember what’s-his-name."

I can't remember how many times I laughed out loud during the reading of this fun young adult romance. Sophie's family is a hoot and when her colorful aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins start taking bets on her dates (with a betting sheet no less) the antics just keep coming.

The dates include everything from an enlightening nativity scene to a hilarious ugly sweater party, but out of all the dates, she finds she has feelings for someone who is not available.

First of all, I want to be part of Sophie's family and secondly, I would love to have had one date as fun and exciting as she had, not including the nativity scene. And finally, I am adding Ms. Elston to my favorite authors list. Recommend highly!

Thank you to Ms. Elston, Disney Book Group, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book without expectation of a positive review.

10 Blind Dates is a very cute, funny YA romance set in Louisiana with strong family elements that will be perfect for the holidays. Sophie and her long-time boyfriend break up right before Christmas. A Christmas that she is spending with her large, loud extended family while her parents stay stay with her older sister who is experiencing serious complications with her pregnancy (pre-eclampsia to be specific). Heartbroken over the ending of her relationship, Sophie flees to her grandparents house, intending to lick her wounds. But her grandmother has other ideas and is determined to take Sophie's mind off things by creating a competition where 10 family members will set her up on blind dates and compete to have the best one.

The story is filled with very funny misadeventures (like one date involving a handsy freshman in a live Nativity scene, plus a hungry goat), but also with sweet and heartwarming moments involving family, friendship, and maybe even a holiday romance. In some ways, it is about Sophie rediscovering her joy and zest for life while having adventures and reconnecting with her crazy but great family. I really enjoyed this one and laughed out loud at a few of the scenes. Definitely recommend if you are looking for a funny and heartwarming holiday story! I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings for depictions of pregnancy complications and premature birth.