BLOGMAS DAY FOUR: 10 Blind Dates Book Review

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
Publication Date: October 1^st, 2019

It’s a shame 10 Blind Dates came out in October because it’s such a cute holiday read. This book has all the things I love with basically no drawbacks. So, the story follows Sophie on her winter break as she flees to her Grandmother’s house after finding out that her boyfriend would like “a little more space in their relationship”. As Sophie spirals, her family gathers around her and her Grandmother sets up a grand distraction for them all. Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by her assorted family members. As mishaps and shenanigans abound, Sophie gets her feet back under herself, and learns that her family (and Wes) will always be there for her to lean on when she needs to. 10 Blind Dates has such a fun, cozy holiday feel, without the focus being too directly on the holidays.

What I Liked:

• So, my absolutely favorite thing is the big, chaotic family trope, which is all over this book. (The best example is really My Big Fat Greek Wedding.) Sophie’s family is all up in her business, but (for the most part) with well-intentions. There’s just something so warm about a houseful of people who have your back and also want to feed you lots of food.
• Between all Sophie’s family members, and all of her dates, there’s quite a cast of characters. It was fun to see how unique all dates were, and I really liked the Fab Four, AKA the sassiest friend group ever.
• Another favorite of mine is the repaired friendship trope, which this book has plenty of. It was nice to see the gang “back together” again. I don’t know, I just like when friends get un-lost.

What I Didn’t Like:

• My only real problem with this book is that the girl on the cover who is supposed to be Sophie, doesn’t look anything like what she’s described as in the book. I get it’s petty, but cover discrepancies are a pet peeve of mine.

Recap:

Overall, 10 Blind Dates is a fast, fun holiday-ish read, and I really do appreciate that it’s a book that takes place around the holidays, without being explicitly about the holidays. I recommend this book to anyone who likes contemporaries with quirky shenanigans and pockets full of sass. I look forward to seeing what Ashley Elston writes next.

4.5/5 stars

xoxo, Bree