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.

I absolutely loved this book! It was absolutely amazing. I loved all of the characters. I loved the family dynamic and I specially love that I was able to connect with this book on a personal level. Our main character Sophia was an aunt of a premature baby and so was I. It brought back so many memories. I enjoyed all of The Office references because The office is my favorite television show. If I can rate this book more than 5 stars I would.

Lovely Christmas story about family, friendship, and finding the right person to give your heart to. Light and fun read despite the heartbreak of the main character at the beginning.

This was a very sweet holiday romance. Sophie is spending the holidays with her large family after her parents decide to go visit her sister. At first, she thinks she will be spending time with her long term boyfriend, Griffin, until she is dumped. After hearing these, all her relatives rush to set Sophie on blind dates during the holidays. I really liked Sophie as a character and really connected with her large family. It was the perfect light and breezy book I was looking for.

This book was like the buttercream topped cupcake of the young adult section. Delicious and satisfying that left you looking forward to the next treat, 10 Blind Dates follows Sophie in the wake of her unexpected breakup. Enter her (very) large and well intentioned family and the title's mentioned 10 Blind Dates. In an effort to keep her from feeling glum during the holiday season, members of her family take turns setting her up on a blind date, keeping both the boy and the activity mainly a secret. Sophie gamely goes along with it, and is intensely likeable as she navigates a series of dates that range from horrible to out of this world.
Sophie and her main love interest wonderfully embody everything good about YA romance. Both of them are sweet and intensely lovable without being cloying or foible free. I especially liked her connection with her family and the text messages she shared with her pregnant older sister, Margot. The author did an excellent job of capturing the back and forth dialogue that is unique to siblings without it ever feeling forced.
This was a quick read, and yet the author still managed to write in a way that it didn't feel overwhelming with the vast number of characters. The chapters are primarily broken up by day/date, which made the pace feel even faster than it already did, which helped create natural stopping/starting places during my time reading. If you're looking for a fun book to perk you up, this is the one!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy. This did not affect my review.

Such a cute story about young love! I needed a feel good coming-of-age tale and this definitely fit the bill. A quick read, which was nice for a change.

10 Blinds Date is a cute and sweet rom com. It will translate perfect into a fun film. I enjoyed Sophie’s family. I like the Christmas setting. I highly appreciated how each date was something new and exciting. I liked how it was always updated and her ex had to keep seeing how much fun she was having. This was a fun one.

"Well, when life gives you lemons, you get right back on that saddle." "I'm not sure that's how that saying goes."

When her parents go to visit Sophie's very pregnant sister, Sophie thinks she's finally found a little bit of freedom and privacy--perfect for some quality time with her boyfriend! But Sophie's perfect Christmas break is ruined when she accidentally overhears her boyfriend, Griffin, say that the plans to break up with her. Devastated, Sophie retreats to her Nonna and Papa's house, full of an abundance of aunts, uncles, and cousins. It doesn't take long for the entire family to hear about her break-up drama... and Nonna decides to take matters into her own hands about it. Which, of course, quickly becomes the entire very large, very loud, very Italian extended family taking matters into their own hands. And how are they going to do that?

That's right. They're going to set her up on ten blind dates.

But what if the perfect guy for Sophie has been there all along?

Full of humor, heart, and a good deal of Christmas cheer, "10 Blind Dates" is a Christmas rom-com in the book-shaped package you love to see under the tree! In addition, there's a lot of family, friendship, betting pools, and fun as the family prepares and speculates on Sophie's dates. A sweet, fluff filled read that will make your (holi)day, "10 Blind Dates" is guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face!

Oh. And pray that the final published edition comes with a family tree. Otherwise, take good notes. Trust me, you're gonna need it to keep track of who is who.

Throughout reading this book I couldn't help but feel disappointed. I thought the plot would have been much more interesting if the main character had been bisexual. However, that aside, I do think the story was still lacking something. There was a certain charm regarding Sophie's family and I liked their eccentric personalities, however Sophie herself seemed very one-dimensional and I didn't really know her. I also could have done without the Margot/baby storyline since I thought it took too much away from the YA aspect and fluffiness of the story.

So much fun!! I love Ashley Elston's books, and this one is so different from her others. This will pair perfectly as a read alike for Kasie West's recent Maybe This Time. For those middle and high schoolers who want a romance book to read, I'll be recommending this one alongside Kasie West, Elizabeth Eulberg, Sandhya Menon, & Jenny Han.

This won't be winning any awards for being ground-breaking or having a lasting impact, but it was still fun, like the Hallmark Movie equivalent of a book. It was sweet and funny with its bright cast of characters and silly plot, so it's a great vacation read to just relax and enjoy something that doesn't ask very much of you and doesn't break the mold.

A Christmas Rom-Com, who wouldn’t love it! A cutesy YA book that is appropriate for middle school. The story was sweet and quirky. A cute, quick and fluffy read. Sometimes you just need that.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy for my honest review.

Loved every minute of this book. I cannot wait to book talk and recommend to middle school/high school students.

I think teens that looking for the next To All the Boys I've Loved Before will devour this book. Very quick, light contemporary romance. Hope students read it before it becomes a Netflix hit.

A peeve of mine in YA tends to be absent parents/families, but this can not be said of 10 Blind Dates! Sure the premise takes releasing a bit of reality to accept, but find me a rom-com that doesn't? Recently single and spending winter break at her grandparents' place (her parents are with her due any day pregnant sister), our leading lady is set up on 10 blind dates by her family members in an attempt to get over her ex as well as become an endearing source of family bonding. It was so nice to see a family that loves and supports each other, as well as friendships being at the center of this story despite the plot being driven forward by this traditionally romantic get-up. I also appreciated a story in which church is mentioned, accepted, but the characters' Christianity isn't made to be a big thing, it's just a part of their life. Thank you! All in all, this was super cute and were I still working in a high school, I'd grab this one for my contemporary fans.

If you are fans of Kasie West this would be a book for you. About 30 percent in, I had a hunch on where the story might go so I paid close attention to her interactions with this boy and they continued to get cuter and cuter. Her family is so fun and I particularly loved the “Evil Jo” blind date - so funny. Great read and would be an excellent winter break book.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: One member of the family is gay, but unfortunately he doesn’t play a huge role in the book.

Publication Date: October 1, 2019

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Recommended Age: 15+ (some sex is mentioned, some slight language, lots of cute romance)

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Pages: 336

Amazon Link

Synopsis: 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?

Review: Holy crap how cute is this book!?! I loved every minute of this read! I have a big family too and I just loved seeing a great big family working together to make one of their own happy. The characters were fantastic, the story was interesting, the romance was cute, the writing was well done, and I freaking love this book!

The only issues I had were that I wish I had more backstory on the other family members. The author could really market on this book and make it a series with some of the other characters from it, like Sara or Addie or even Nonna!

Verdict: I love this book so much.

So so cute! This is a great YA holiday read! I loved the big family dynamic! Sophie opens up so much while going on these blind dates and really re-discovers herself.
I just loved all these characters and all of the family.
I will be recommending this one to my teens for sure!