10 Blind Dates

by Ashley Elston

[Sam@WLABB]

In an effort to help Sophie mend her broken heart, her Nonna proposed for family members to set her up on ten blind dates. Sophie reluctantly agreed, and though every date might not have been a love match, the entire experience brought her a host of rewards.

I knew when I first saw this cover, when I first read the synopsis, when I featured it for my Can't-Wait Wednesday pick, that this would be a hit for me. And, guess what? It was!

I always appreciate a good YA romance, and this one was rather sweet, but the romance wasn't the focus of this story. This was a story about family, and Sophie's family really won my heart.

My mother is the eldest of nine children, and I grew up spending my Sundays crammed into my grandparents tiny apartment in Brooklyn with all my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Therefore, I really related to Sophie's LARGE family, and I loved bearing witness to all their chaos. Those scenes with her family, never failed to make a smile appear on my face, and I loved all the page time I spent getting to know this clan.

I also enjoyed watching Sophie reconnect with her family. She had isolated herself from them in recent years, but with each day that passed during her break, she realized how much she missed them, and longed to be a part of "this" again. The missing wasn't one sided either. The other three of the "Fab Four" also longed for Sophie to rejoin the group, and Sophie easily slid right back into the fold as she was welcomed with open arms.

Not only did Sophie find her way back to her family, but she found her way back to herself. When she decided to avoid family gatherings, she threw herself into her school work, and that, along with her boyfriend, became the central focus of her life. It was an important part in her healing process, to recognize all the things she had lost, and it was great seeing Sophie get her groove back.

This book is called 10 Blind Dates, and the dates ranged from cute and fun to utterly outlandish. Throughout them all, it was easy to figure out, who was really the apple of Sophie's eye, and I must say, I absolutely 100% approved of this love match!

An epilogue! I got an epilogue! You all know that's one of my favorite things. Elston did a bit of a time jump to show me how Sophie's life had changed due to that winter break, and I was so happy with where the story ended up. It crackled with happiness and possibility.

I feel like 10 Blind Dates was a great way to start the holiday season. This book was filled with so much humor, love, and warmth. It was a cup of hot cocoa with at least four large marshmallows on a cold winter's day. It warmed me up from the inside out, and left me grinning like a fool.

Whoever said you can't go home again, wasn't part of Sophie's family, because they easily opened their arms and hearts to her.

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