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. Cue devastation.
GENRE:
Young Adult, Contemporary
PAGES:
336 pages
PART OF A SERIES?:
Standalone
RELEASE DATE:
October 1st, 2019
PUBLISHER:
Disney-Hyperion
SOURCE:
Library E-Book
YOU CAN FIND THE BOOK AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE/LIBRARY OR THE FOLLOWING LINKS:
GOODREADS SUMMARY:
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. Cue devastation.
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?
MY REVIEW
This book was a lot of fun and was the perfect holiday sort of read. I really enjoyed though not as much as I would have hoped I would. I’ve been seeing it pop up all over the place for months prior to it being published so I was really excited to finally read it but it didn’t seem to completely blow my mind like it did others. That being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this book, I thoroughly enjoyed and honestly look forward to some more fun contemporary novels from Ashley.
The dates were definitely funny and unique and I definitely had some fun figuring out who would be next and what kind of date would be next. The nativity scene actually made me laugh at loud because it sounded absolutely ridiculous. I honestly thought it was the craziest idea ever but it was also really sweet and hilarious and I thought, if I’d had something like that when I got out of my long term relationship, it might have totally help, not only with the sadness but also with the idea of dating again – I didn’t know how haha! I don’t know how much I’d trust my family to set me up on dates but…it would still be interesting to see what they came up with haha!
What honestly made this story so good for me was the aspect of family and the aspect of large, close knit families. I’m one of six kids and my dad is one of seven. Up until a couple of years ago, I lived in my nana’s house for most of my life, which was like grand central station for the entire family and so all of that felt SO SO familiar. The family dynamic, the good and the bad, the jokes, the tears, the fights and friendships all felt so familiar and I really really really loved Sophie’s family so much. As I’ve grown up, it hasn’t been the same, even more since I moved out, and so it felt nice to get that feeling again in a book. All of the characters mirrored my own family members in different ways and I just really loved that.
Further on that, I loved the bond between Sophie and her sister while her sister went through having a baby with added stress on top of it. I have two sisters that I’m really close with and I really felt that too. I too feel like I would drop everything for them and do anything for them the way that Sophie does. Ashley really captured family bonds well but she knocked it out of the park with the sister relationship and I just loved it. I would read more about Sophie and her sister any day.
Lastly, I do truly love who Sophie ends up with – its sweet and genuine and it just gives you a good feeling. It was a sweet romance and after a lot of the heartbreakers I’ve read recently, I could use a break for sure. It was nice to read something so pure and innocent and fresh and FULL.
I definitely really really liked this book and truly can’t wait to see what Ashley brings to the table next because I think she’s really knocked it out of the park with this book and that she’ll only get better.
RATING:
4 out of 5 Stars
*******************
