Title: 10 BLIND DATES

Author: Ashley Elston

Pub. Date: October 1, 2019

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 336

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

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

Review

The cover is perfect. Festive, beautiful photography and design. I enjoyed 10 Blind Dates because of the bond Sophie has with her family. They are a large Italian bunch jammed into one home for Christmas, and taking bets on Sophie’s dating life. There were so many healthy dynamics illustrated, including post partum recovery, cousin love and close bonds with parents, grandparents and extended relatives.

Her neighbor Wes is kind, considerate, and takes good care of the main character as she braves a break up as well as a few sketchy blind date situations. A well rounded plot and endearing characters make this a heart warming, light read. I didn’t enjoy her evil cousins or their date activity. I wish the love interest hadn’t been all but settled until a little further into the book, to build suspense. My only two small complaints. Overall, a fun read!

Parental content: underage drinking, mention of pornography and nudity.

I received a copy from the publisher free as part of a blog tour.

About Ashley:

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.

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Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of 10 BLIND DATES, US Only.

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