... should absolutely be on that gift list. In fact, buy an extra copy for yourself and read it as soon as comfortably possible. It is POSITIVELY DELIGHTFUL — all caps — from beginning to end ... Elston breaks the unspoken rule of publishing that warns authors not to fill their pages with a cast of thousands, but you'll be too busy giggling to care that you can't keep all the aunts and uncles straight. I'll be honest, though, I did find myself wishing for some sort of family tree by the end. But as long as you've got a handle on the Fab Four (Sophie, her cousins Olivia and Charlie, and next-door-neighbor Wes) and the Evil Joes (Sophie's twin cousins Mary Jo and Jo Lynn), you'll be right as rain ... I was having an absolutely dreadful, anxiety-filled morning when I started reading 10 Blind Dates, and I have to say, it absolutely made my day. I can't guarantee that this book will do the same for you, but I dare you to try! When you're done with your pumpkin spice latte, of course.
The repeating first-date structure means things never get too intense between Sophie and her dates and keeps the focus on her relationship with her family. This piece-by-piece romance doesn’t need its Christmas theme to sell, but it makes it glitter all the more.
Elston cleverly reflects the family members’ personalities through their choices of dates for Sophie. Reflective moments balance the comedy as Sophie comes to realize how much her family means to her and is surprised by a possible romance. With its predictably happy outcome, the book closes with a comforting, if tidy, note.
This is a fun story of finding love, getting to know yourself, and getting to know your family. The pace is quick and light, though the characters are fairly shallow and occasionally feel interchangeable, especially with so many names involved. A Christmas tale, the plot is a fast-paced series of dinners, parties, and games, relayed in both narrative form and via texts, though the humor occasionally feels stiff and overwrought. The ending is satisfying, though largely unsurprising. Most characters default to white as members of Sophie’s Italian American extended family, although one of her cousins has a Filipina mother. One uncle is gay ... An enjoyable, if predictable, romantic holiday story.
