10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

10 blind dates

official blurb

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?

4 out of 5

what i liked

Okay well this was a super cute YA novel!  Totally adding it to my YA Make My Heart Smile list and to my list of Holiday Reads!I was nervous going into this book because I thought there would be a love triangle and I just finished a stressful semi love triangle book (In A Holidaze), but alas this is more of a love triangle in the The Truth About Foreversense and not in a Twilight sense. (Okay, I still haven't actually read twilight but I've seen the movie and that's a total love triangle!) This book made me want to bake, it made me smile read, it made me want to be at a huge family gathering (I know, family gatherings in the time of corona...)  It was great! The family was a close knit Italian family that totally gave me My Big Fat Greek Wedding vibes.  In fact, as I was reading this book, I was shocked that it hadn't been made into a movie yet!  WHY?! This would make the perfect movie! It was very close to a full five star read for me but there were a couple of things I didn't love about it.   I also must confess that I was sure this book was called "the ten blind dates of Christmas" the whole time I was reading it. (Which in fairness was just over the span of one night because I couldn't sleep).  The banter in it was funny and moved quickly.  Ready for a snippet?

"You should've been a Boy Scout," Charlie says."I was a Boy Scout," Wes replies.  "And so were you."

what i didn't like

There was a bit of a stressful storyline with the main characters sister and her pregnancy.  Now keep in mind, I'm pretty recently not pregnant - and I know I could not have read this book while pregnant.  Keep reading for my content warning on this if you want further detail.The other part I didn't like- when the couple gets together - it is pointed out that they're not girlfriend and boyfriend but best friends who makeout.  Wait, what?  I mean, that was my reaction.  Why are they anti labels?  It wasn't as if the whole book, the characters didn't like commitment and didn't want the labels.  It was really weird. I just couldn't get behind it at all, and it took away from the cuteness level for me.  Here's the official quote:

Whatever I'm doing with [redacted name so you don't have spoilers] doesn't have a label. He's not my boyfriend and I'm not his girlfriend. We're best friends who kiss. A lot. 

Content warnings for this book include:  a high risk pregnancy, a NICU baby.