When Sophie’s parents head off to her sister’s to help with a difficult birth, she’s supposed to go off to her Nonna’s to spend the holidays with her extended family. What she really wants is to spend the time alone with her boyfriend Griffin. When she overhears him speaking to a friend about their possible breakup she’s devastated and arrives at her Nonna’s hoping for a distraction from her heartbreak. What she doesn’t realize is that her family would take her mind off her ex by setting her up on 10 blind dates. This novel is a tribute to large families who are slightly crazy but have huge hearts….and I loved it!

Through the telling of these 10 dates, we learn the personalities of her family members. The dates themselves are funny, crazy, kooky and heartwarming, as is Sophie’s connection to the people who sent her on them. I laughed at their antics and relished the telling of each date.

Sophie, her cousin’s Charlie and Olivia, and the boy next door Wes were all best friends until two years ago. There are hurt feelings on both sides and through these 10 dates they reconnect and realize how much they all mean to each other. Their friendship is the kind a person always hopes to earn and I was totally jealous of their history and of their futures with each other.

If you are looking for a book where you can laugh and also be touched by the emotion in the characters you are reading- 10 Blind Dates is the book you need to pick up. I think it’s a departure from Ashley’s Elston’s normal genre as it is a true YA contemporary novel with a hint of romance, yet the emotions run deep. This is a novel I’ll read again when I need a laugh and pick me up! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

This is exactly the kind of feel-good, happy YA contemporary that people will love, myself included. I loved that it featured a large, incredibly functional family. I loved that it was set during Christmastime. I loved that the story was really light-hearted while also tackling some harder topics. I think this is just the kind of story that will make people happy because it made me really happy. And I'm glad I had the chance to read it early.

Elston chooses a novel theme and structure for this exceptionally enjoyable work. Sophie's large family never overwhelms the reader, and these minor characters feel rounded and lived-in. Though the ending scarcely seems in doubt at times, it's the getting there that provides the fun.

When Sophie is blindsided by her boyfriend’s idea of breaking up, she spends some much needed time with her large and in charge extended family for the holidays. The only problem is her Nonna has decided to play a little game of setting Sophie up on ten different blind dates and each family member is responsible for picking the date. Will she play along or does she already have her sights set on someone else?

This was cute and quick but I found it to just be pretty average which was disappointing for me. I had a little bit of trouble keeping the vast number of characters apart within Sophie’s huge extended family and it just felt like a super predictable contemporary read.

Posted to Goodreads: Sophie had the perfect winter break plan. She was going to avoid her family's gathering and spend the whole time with her boyfriend, Griffin. Then on the first night of break Sophie overhears Griffin telling his friend that he wants to break up with her. Sophie is devastated and retreats to her grandparents house where her grandmother makes a plan to help Sophie get over her heartbreak. Sophie will go on 10 blind dates each picked by a family member to help her get over Griffin. Sophie knows her grandmother's plan will fail but as she reconnects with her childhood friend, Wes, she begins to wonder if her heart is ready to love again.

This book was a very cute romcom filled with an equal amount of adorable and hilarious moments. Sophie and her family are undeniably likable as is her possible love interest Wes. My only issue with this book is that blind dates felt as if they went on just a little too long but other than that this was a fun and entertaining romance.

Cute & fluffy. Definitely a story you could finish in one sitting at the beach or on a plane.

Personally, the storytelling felt like it was for a much younger crowd: middle grade to grade 10. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case I was expecting more.

I did however, enjoy Sophie's family dynamic.

When Sophie overhears her boyfriend, Griffin, say “like a trial run of what it would be like if we broke up” she is devastated. At her grandmother’s house for Christmas break her huge extended family decides they will set her up on ten blind dates to cheer her up and get her mind off her real break up with Griffin. Various family members take a day and plan a date for her. Some are great, some are hilarious, and some are just plain awkward.

This was such a fun sweet read. I loved Sophie’s family even if they are a bit overwhelming, if well meaning. She has two female cousins nicknamed “Evil Jos,” and the saying is “Evil Jos are evil.” After the two dates they set up--the nickname is accurate. I am definitely buying this clean romance for my library.

Flirty, fast, and fun! 10 Blind Dates makes for the perfect holiday romcom I didn't know I needed!

Having to include long reviews are annoying, Netgalley, and one of the main reasons I don't utilize this platform as much as used to.

<b><i> Ten dates and two of them set up by my grandparents. Awesome. </i></b>

<i> I received an ARC from Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. </i>

this was so cute! i'm a big fan of cheesy romantic comedies, so a book about a girl who gets set up on ten blind dates is right up my alley. this read exactly like a hallmark christmas movie, and i adored sophie as a main character. seeing her develop throughout the story and rediscover herself really resonated with me, and i could not get enough of the 'fab four' and how they helped her loosen up and realize that it's okay to let loose sometimes. charlie is my absolute favorite (what a doof), and ugh, if i read this when i was sixteen, i'd be swooning over wes.

the only thing i would've liked from this is less of the baby storyline. it kind of took over the plot at times, and really just took me out of the story. i don't think that it should've been cut all together, but i do think that it shouldn't have been such a big, ongoing side plot in the story. but that's about the only thing i didn't like! everything else was pure gold, and i will be a bit salty if netflix doesn't adapt this (please, netflix, i beg).

read this if you enjoy winter romances, comical dates, and a girl to root for.

An absolutely fun holiday season read with a strong family theme. Different than Ms. Elston's other books, this is just plain frivolous silliness and romance.

TEN BLIND DATES was SO. CUTE.

I don't really know what I expected going into this book; to be completely honest, I was in a bit of a reading slump, hadn't read anything in a while, and wasn't even planning on picking it up for another couple of weeks.

I'm so glad I did.

TEN BLIND DATES is cute, quirky and adorable. It's the kind of book that'll make you laugh and smile, that'll make your heart clench in emotion for its characters, that'll make you melt and swoon. It had an incredibly positive family dynamic, something often lacking in this world of "solitary main characters in dystopian worlds!" novels, which was incredibly refreshing. The plot was SO fun, and at times, I wished I was experiencing the dates, the friendship and the love that Sophie was experiencing.

It was light, it was cute, it was fantastic. Whether you need to get out of a reading slump like I did, you're looking for a nice, cute book to read or you just don't know what to read next, pick up TEN BLIND DATES. You'll come away feeling so warm and fuzzy with the biggest smile on your face. I promise, you'll love it!

Perfect for fans of The Kissing Booth, this sweet and funny YA novel could easily be on screen.

High school senior Sophie is broken-hearted after overhearing her boyfriend, Griffin talking about a break-up. So, she spends Christmas vacation at her grandmother’s as planned. Because news travels fast, her overly invested Italian extended family meddles with her love life by setting her up on blind dates. Some were a hit, some were a miss. But a fun adventure nonetheless. Between her ex trying to get her back, the boy next door, and her sister who’s having a baby in a town 3 hours away, there’s enough dramarama to go around. In the end though, family is everything (no matter how involved they are)!

Note: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review in any way. All opinions shared are my own.

Ashley Elston’s books and I have a fairly amazing track record. Everything I’ve read by her thus far has been at least a 4 star read. (I think the only book I haven’t read is The Lying Woods. I really should pick up a copy of that…) It should be noted that 10 Blind Dates is different from her previous books. Her previous books all have a strong mystery in them. 10 Blind Dates, on the other hand, is definitely a YA contemporary romance. So I was a bit worried going in if her stories would be as solid as they have been without a mystery. However, pretty early on, I knew this was another great hit for me.

In 10 Blind Dates, Sophie finds herself going on ten blind dates set up by her relatives after her grandmother finds her heartbroken on her doorstep. As you can imagine a ton of shenanigans go on, and of course, her ex-boyfriend wants a second chance.

The romance in this story is solid. I knew early on who Sophie would end up with, but it didn’t stop the fun of reading it all come together. I also thought Sophie and the guy she ends up with had amazing chemistry in the story.

What truly made this story shine, however, was Sophie and her family. 10 Blind Dates may have centered around Sophie going on ten dates and all of the hilarity that occurred. (I definitely laughed out loud more than once while reading 10 Blind Dates.) However, it was primarily about Sophie reconnecting with her family again and in particular with her cousins her own age. There was obvious tension between her and her cousins from the start, and it was fun watching Sophie rediscover her relationship with them. It was exactly what I’d imagine a large extended family is like: supportive, loving, and absolutely embarrasing all at the same time.

I highly recommend reading 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston, and if you haven’t read one of her other books, I highly recommend them as well. I thought 10 Blind Dates was a hilarious YA story all about family and friends with some romance thrown in. If you read it, I hope 10 Blind Dates makes you laugh just as much as I did.

Best PG YA romance I've read in a long time. Great bet for fans of Kasie West. We will be purchasing it for our high school library as soon as it comes out.

This was such a fun and cute YA read! As an adult, I found it predictable but still extremely entertaining! I could definitely see my teenage self loving this book!

Thanks to Disney Book Group and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I loved following along with Sophie's blind dates and her big, quirky family. This is a perfect read for the holidays and it's so much fun! I will definitely be picking up more work by Ashley Elston in the future!

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book was ADORABLE! I plan on recommending this to anyone I come across. It is simply a fun, quick read that puts a smile on the face of the reader. The main character, Sophie, and her family really make this book as heartwarming as it is. The author creates a great representation of a traditional, LARGE Italian family and the family dynamics and interactions that accompany that. The farther I read into the story, the more I couldn't put it down.
I wish the author would have melded the Margot story-line and the Sophie story-line a bit better. It does slightly seem like the story lines don't mesh completely, and I think a bit more elaboration would have helped that. Although to be fair, the book does take place in the span of 10 days, so it would have been tough to elaborate more.
All in all, it was a great book and I definitely enjoyed the time I spent reading it! It just makes you smile!

At a "start of Christmas break" party, Sophie overhears her boyfriend Griffin talking about breaking up with her. She leaves and heads to her grandparents house early, and vows to try to hide from her huge extended family over the break. Sophie's grandmother comes up with a plan for family members to plan 10 different blind dates, in hopes of helping Sophie get over Griffin. What ensues are hilarious dates, family fun, and rekindling of family and friendship.

10 Blind Dates is an adorable humorous romance that is actually more fun than romantic.

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston. 336 pages.
Hyperion (Disney Book Group), 2019. $19.
Language: R (47 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Christmas break has never looked better than when Sophie’s parents let her stay with her grandparents instead of going to her pregnant sister’s itty bitty apartment. With the freedom to sneak away and see her boyfriend, Sophie is excited about the prospects of finally having alone time with him -- until she overhears that he is thinking about breaking up with her. Now Sophie is heartbroken and regretting her choice not to see her sister for Christmas, so her loving extended family decides to set up blind dates for her to get over her new ex -- what could be more fun?
This book was just fun to read -- so fun! There were no overly embarrassing or ridiculous situations like I was wary of when I started, which was a relief to Sophie as much as it was to me. I think it’s been a while since I was able to read a simply fun book that was compelling to read but didn’t cause anxiety by not knowing what was happening when I had to put it down. Elston put lovable and relatable characters in a silly situation, and readers are invited to join the delightful ride. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, nudity, and brief mentions of porn.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I received a complimentary copy of 10 Blind Dates from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Adorable!! This book was easy to love. Humiliation, humor and romance are perfectly portioned in this coming of age type novel. Sophia's grandmother has found a way to cheer up her heartbroken granddaughter Sophia, and the results are 10 questionable dates and one fabulous read!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.