10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston-Review

10 Blind Dates, by Ashley Elston
Goodreads ¦ Amazon
Series?: No
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Length: 336 pages
Source: ARC
Format: Paperback
Times Read: Once
Rating: 5,000 Blind Dates/5

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?

I am filled with PURE AND IMMEDIATE J*O*Y THIS BOOK IS SO FUN

♥ Hello, my name is Katie and I am an Ashley Elston fangirl 4eva. YA CHRISTMAS BOOKS WHY ARE THERE NOT MORE OF YOU, WHY I ASK. So obviously this has been on my radar since I heard about it (NOVEMBER OF 2017, IF MY GOODREADS IS TO BELIEVED AND YOU KNOW IT IS). I got my grabby little hands on it at Yallwest this year (will I ever get my recap up? Honestly, you tell me at this point), and told myself I would not read it until it was the *holiday season*. September is the holiday season, yes?

I do actually take issue with the fact that this published on October 1. It is decidedly a Christmas book, so why not put it out in December? Even November makes more sense. But October has me all

ANYWAY THAT IS NOT ASHLEY’S FAULT publishing dates have nothing to do with her so I am still fangirling. Her books are all in wildly different genres, but all so well-written and just GOOD (remember how distraught I was when I couldn’t figure out how to review her last book because I liked it too much?). This is her first rom-com though, and I really hope it’s not her last because it was SO FUN!

And now, watch me as I try to form something coherent to say about why you should read this:

♥ I don’t think it ruins anything to tell you that Sophie’s boyfriend, Griffin, is all trash, all the time. He breaks up with her when she accidentally overhears him tell his friend that he wants space from her and wishes she was going away for the holiday break, then chases her down the street when she tries to leave and says he didn’t mean what he said literally 45 seconds ago.

Later in the book, he will chase her down to her grandparents’ house, even after Sophie continues to tell him that now she needs some space to think about what she wants and that she doesn’t really want to see him right now. Leave a girl ALONE, Griffin. And when she specifically ignores your calls and texts, asks you to go away when you show up uninvited, and you STILL try to trick her into going on one of her blind dates with you? NOT OKAY, GO AWAY, DO NOT KEEP COMING BACK YOU STALKER GARBAGE PERSON.

I have a lot of problems with Griffin

Anyway, Sophie does go away, to her grandmother’s crazy house. There are about a thousand aunts and uncles and cousins, and apparently Sophie’s mom is the only one who ever moved more than 5 minutes away. Best of luck keeping all of these people straight, because I loved a bunch of them and I still can’t remember who are siblings vs cousins and what kids belong to which adults.

♥ To get Sophie’s mind off of Griffin, Nonna comes up with an insane plan: for the next ten days, family members can sign up to plan blind dates for Sophie. They can tell her what kind of date it will be beforehand, but she never knows who her date will be until they get to the door.

Each date has its own chapter, and let me tell you, this was HIGHLY EFFECTIVE. Even though this is totally a Christmas rom-com, I COULD NOT STOP TURNING PAGES until I read about the next date, the next guy, then the next, and the next–all the dates made this SO SUSPENSEFUL you guys!

♥ I knew who the endgame was going to be the second I met him, but watching them figure it out is part of the fun. It’s beautifully predictable and lovely and honestly this just needs to be adapted for Netflix asap.

Final Thoughts: PURE JOY, START TO FINISH!