I know. Two YA romance back to back in October. Who even am I right now??? But when Rockstar Book Tours calls, I am powerless to resist. And, as usual, this book was the light-hearted YA rom-com I didn’t even know I needed.

Sophie is delighted when her parents leave town to visit her very pregnant older sister. She’s expected to stay at her grandparents, but Sophie has major alone time planned with her boyfriend. Except, when she shows up at a party, she overhears him complaining that he thinks they should break up.

Heartbroken, Sophie plans on spending the time at her grandparents ugly crying and curled up in a ball. But Nonna has other plans. Sophie has to go on ten blind dates and the family gets to pick them.

“I don’t know the guy I’m going out with, but I feel sorry for him already. I can’t imagine what it’s like to pick up a girl for a date and have twenty people staring at you.”

10 Blind Dates is more than a rom-com. I mean, it’s funny and has such an adorable romance. But the main plot is about Sophie finding herself. She reconnects with her family, with the cousins she grew distant from and the relatives she sort of forgot about. More importantly, though, she reconnected with the girl she was. The girl she wants to still be. 

This resonated deeply with me. I remember being at that age when hanging out with family felt more like punishment than anything. And then I remember what it felt like to reconnect. To sit at home and just absorb the chaos of family. And maybe that’s why I loved this book so much. It’s a reminder that we don’t have to be in a hurry to grow up. That we can simply laugh and have fun and that’s okay.

Also, the boys. I adored how wonderful they were. Sweet and supportive and even the dates that were a disaster, Sophie had her safety net and her back up squad on hand and ready for evasive maneuvers. Even when the characters in this book make you cringe, so many more times they make you smile. 

“This date thing has moved to a really weird level where my family feels overly invested.”

Honestly, this book was so sweet, but not the kind that makes your teeth hurt. It’s funny and charming and just makes you feel good while you’re reading. I love the family elements and how loving everyone is. It’s a YA Love, Actually and is perfect for anyone looking for a feel-good book this holiday season. Whether you adore big, messy families or are thankful you don’t have one, this book is full of love and laughter and will warm your heart.

Thank you Rockstar Book Tours and Disney-Hyperion for including me on this tour and sending me a copy!

Feeling lucky? Click below to enter. 3 winners will receive a finished copy of 10 BLIND DATES, US Only.

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.

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?

“This piece-by-piece romance doesn’t need its Christmas theme to sell, but it makes it glitter all the more.”—Booklist

“In a funny holiday romance that has Sophie dog-sitting in a hockey rink, watching porn at a drive-in theater, and playing the Virgin Mary in a middle school Nativity, Elston cleverly reflects the family members’ personalities through their choices of dates for Sophie.”—Publishers Weekly

Pub. Date: October 1, 2019

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

Ashley Elston is the author of several novels, including THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING (a finalist in the Best Young Adult Novel category of the International Thriller Awards) and THIS IS OUR STORY. She graduated with a Liberal Arts degree from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. Ashley worked for many years as a wedding photographer before turning her hand to writing. Ashley lives in Louisiana with her husband and three sons. 

Ashley is represented by Sarah Davies at The Greenhouse Literary Agency.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the tour!!!

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/1/2019- BookHounds YA– Excerpt

10/2/2019- Odd and Bookish– Review

10/3/2019- Fictitiouswonderland– Review

10/4/2019- Here’s to Happy Endings- Review

Week Two:

10/7/2019- PopTheButterfly Reads– Excerpt

10/8/2019- Read. Eat. Love.– Review

10/9/2019- Paper Reader– Review

10/10/2019- A Bookish Dream– Review

10/11/2019- Savings in Seconds– Review

Week Three:

10/14/2019- book briefs– Review

10/15/2019- Shelf-Rated– Review

10/16/2019- Smada’s Book Smack- Review

10/17/2019- Do You Dog-ear?– Review

10/18/2019- Wishful Endings– Review

Week Four:

10/21/2019- Southern Girl Bookaholic– Review

10/22/2019- Eli to the nth– Review

10/23/2019- fictitious.fox– Review

10/24/2019-  Fire and Ice- Review

10/25/2019- Two points of interest– Review

Week Five:

10/28/2019- Riddle’s Reviews- Review

10/29/2019- Jena Brown Writes– Review

10/30/2019- Moonlight Rendezvous– Review

10/31/2019- Novel Novice– Review