Convoluted is the only way to describe this novel. There are so many contrivances that the plot feels manufactured rather than organic and the characters are just pieces to move around the boxes. I understand the desire to have a quirky structure to a novel but this goes too far. (I found out after I read this that it’s a sequel to Ten Dates which focused on one of this novel’s support characters, so maybe reading that would improve this? Personally, I doubt it)

Olivia won’t get to graduate as she hasn’t completed her PE requirement but if she works at a golf tournament for four days the coach will sign her off, but it’s the week of all the senior parties. Olivia is too embarrassed to tell her mother who is away on business, but as her mother is tracking Olivia’s phone and wants pictures from all the parties, Olivia comes up with a hare-brained scheme to swap phones with her three best friends - Charlie, Wes, and Sophie - so that they can be in the right place and maybe get the requisite shots as well as answering Olivia’s mom’s incessant questions. Also,Olivia comes from a giant family who just blend together except Nonna, who likes to cook, Uncle Michael, who’s gay, and the twin cousins who are the enemies of Olivia and her friends. Plus the first ten chapters start with a truth and the last one with a dare. Oh, and an old friend, Leo, is staying with the hated twins, playing in the golf tournament and, without much reason, is Olivia’s love interest.

Phew.

So that all comes out in the first chapter or two. After that, the story just plays out as you might expect: there are some misunderstandings, some close calls, and a cliffhanger ending. But it all feels a bit rote and the plot, as we used to say, rather shows its petticoat.

It is well enough written and is perfectly fine for a rainy day if there’s nothing else on your bookshelf or in your Kindle, but there are many more novels that are just a better use of your time.

Thanks to Hyperion and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

The first book in this series, 10 Blind Dates, is one of my favorite young adult fluffy contemporaries. So I was really looking forward to this sequel that follows another cousin in this huge family. There were a couple things I didn't love about this book, but overall I still liked reading this second installment.

I really enjoyed the big family aspect and the romance was really cute. The things that weren't complete wins were that I don't like when a plot line centers around someone lying to a close member of their family. In this case, Olivia, the main character, was lying to her entire family, except a couple cousins, and was actively deceiving her parents about her whereabouts. That is not something I enjoy reading and found the lying to be tedious. But I have to say that there is just something about Ashley Elston's writing that makes her books compulsively readable.

I am always a fan of stand alone series. It was exciting to see the family again, especially Wes and Sophie from 10 Blind Dates.
It was a really funny book, clean, compelling, I was definitely invested in it and wanted to keep reading! I loved the format, how each chapter started with a truth.
I really liked how it had a little bit of romance but, for me, it was really a book about families and priorities. I liked it a lot and will absolutely recommend it!

I loved this book! I loved the huge family for starters. The story was great. Olivia is to graduate second in her high school class but she blows off PE for the more important, she thinks, AP classes. It's fun to see how she gets through this problem while seeing the way her family lifts her up and she learns important life lessons.

I thought this book was full of family, fun, and frenemies. I enjoyed the main character of Olivia and the other members of the fab four. It was entertaining to see them interact, especially with the Evil Joe's. I thought most of the graduation parties mentioned were extremely extravagant, but I'd definitely love to be invited to some of them. As a golfer, I liked the golf aspect, it's not a sport usually mentioned in YA books. I also loved reading about Olivia and her very large family.

One thing I wasn't fond of: How quick the relationship with L happened. It felt a bit forced, I would've found the relationship with the other L a bit more believable.

I hadn't realized this was a companion novel to 10 Blind Dates, which I really enjoyed when I read it. While you do not have to have read 10 Blind Dates to read this novel, it was great to be back with this big happy family again. This time we are focusing on Olivia, one of the cousins in the Fab Four we met previously. The premise is of the book is that the three other members of the Fab Four cover for Olivia while she tries to fulfill her PE credit during "Senior Party Week" in order to graduate and be salutatorian at her school.

This was a cute YA romance contemporary with friends, family and graduating from high school. I really liked the antics that the Fab Four got into as well as the romance that Olivia found herself in. I did however struggle that Olivia's parents had an app tracking her movements so closely on her phone and I missed some of the big family dynamics that existed in the previous novel. The Fab Four friendship group in this book was perfect, I loved how much Olivia trusted her friends to take over her phone for the week, it is such a great dynamic.

This was an enjoyable and quick read. I loved being back with this family again. I look forward to seeing what Elston does in the future! I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher for an open and honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the companion novel to 10 Blind Dates, and although you don't need to read the first one to read 10 Truths and a Dare I recommend that you do. I loved coming into this book with insight into the characters and family dynamic. It was so fun to spend time with these characters again, although I did miss some of the family dynamics since this one focused more on the Fab Four.

I didn't end up connecting to Olivia as much as I did with Sophia in book one, but 10 Truths and a Dare is still such a fun, easy read. This definitely fits the spring vibes as it focuses on high school graduation and all the events that go along with it. I felt that this book was lacking some of the charm and family hijinks that we got from 10 Blind Dates but it's still an enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a new contemporary.

3.5 stars

Before requesting and reading 10 Truths and a Dare, I didn't know that this was a sequel to 10 Blind Dates. I also haven't read 10 Blind Dates yet since my local library doesn't have the book. While you certainly don't have to read 10 Blind Dates before reading this book, it appears that most of the reviewers who received an advanced copy did.

I think one of the reasons why I liked this book so much was because I am currently a high school senior with graduation being approximately two months away. Although I am definitely not Salutatorian at my school, I do relate to Olivia in the sense that I also care a lot about my grades in academic classes, but I don't really care about the non-academic classes. Oops.

It took me a while to get into 10 Truths and a Dare, but once I got past the first few chapters, it was a fast read! I really enjoyed the family dynamic, The Fab Four, and Leo. Yes, I really like Leo. I don't know anything about golf, but I would gladly watch him play.

When I began reading this, I did not know it was a sequel to "10 Blind Dates". After the first page, though, I realized I recognized several of the characters. While you do not need to have read "10 Blind Dates" prior to "10 Truths and a Dare," I would recommend it. There were some nuances to characters and references to events that made more sense knowing the back story. Of the two, I prefer "10 Blind Dates." Olivia was a hard character to connect to, and the deviousness did not appeal to me. While I understand her fear and embarrassment, she would have saved herself a lot of trouble if she had just been honest.

Great companion novel to 10 Blind Dates! Super lighthearted and fun and I loved being back with this family again and with the Fab Four. As a person who comes from a large family with endless cousins and have endured endless graduation seasons it felt like home. And I love that this is dedicated to the Class of 2020, me included! Definitely worth checking out after reading 10 Blind Dates.

I requested an ARC of this book from NetGalley because I enjoyed the author’s YA mystery novels. I struggled with this from the beginning because the premise is just so far fetched. As someone who works closely with high school seniors, the event that set off this entire story would never happen. Add to that the other events that take place are just more and more unlikely. That the main character is the salutatorian but dropped the ball in such a way, is both unrealistic and made her hard to empathize with. The story or one last hurrah for high school seniors was interesting, but I was just too far gone to really care.

** 3.5 Stars **

This was such a fun and quick read. It's probably not completely necessary to read 10 Blind Dates first, but I was glad I had that background of Olivia's friend group (which is very tightly-knit) and family (which is huge and always in each other's business).

The driving force of this book is the fact that Olivia's friend group helps cover for her while her parents are out of town. Olivia has an app on her phone that tracks her location so her parents can keep tabs on her while they're away. It was fun to see Olivia's friends react and respond to the messages Olivia would receive while they were on "phone duty." I honestly wish I had a friend group that I could trust to take my phone for an entire week and text people back as if they're me. But on the other hand, I'm glad I don't have a parent that would track my every move on an app on the phone and text me every 10 minutes from across the country about what I should be wearing and doing.

This was fun for a quick and cute YA contemporary. Not quite to the parr of 10 Blind Dates, but I'm not mad that I read it.

There wasn't really anything particularly wrong with 10 Truths and a Dare, it just didn't live up to my expectations after loving 10 Blind Dates in 2019. There was a much narrower focus on the family in 10 Truths and a Dare, and while I appreciated the Fab Four and loved seeing them again, I missed the big family feels, and it felt like some of the family was missing for plot convenience only. And I do think the plot was weak for me - I couldn't wrap my head around Olivia being the Salutatorian and having completely blown off a class she needed to graduate. It made absolutely no sense to me. And her mom constantly tracking her phone because she was out of town the week before graduation was a little too much for me. While the story was still fun and an easy read, it didn't connect with Olivia and her journey as much as I had hoped.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This was a really cute romance with layers of family, friendship and high school shenanigans.
10 Truths and a Dare is a companion novel to 10 Blind Dates, Ashley Elston’s debut novel, which I absolutely loved. I really enjoyed the big family aspect in the first book and I was so happy to be back with this large and loving family again.
This book follows Olivia as she enters Senior Party Week, the magical in-between time after classes have ended but before graduation, when families go all-out to celebrate their high school seniors before they head off to college. As class Salutatorian, Olivia is looking forward going to LSU in the fall after all of the hard work she put into her classes. But when she learns that an unsigned off-campus P.E. form puts her graduation in jeopardy, she has one week to set everything straight. The only catch? Making sure her very big and very nosy extended family doesn’t find out.
10 Truths and a Dare follows in the footsteps of Elston’s debut novel where meddling family members create a lot of the drama. They’re such a fun group and I love how much they care for one another. Even through their obtrusive ways, you can tell they’re doing it because they care. Friendship and family played a large role in the book and I loved those added elements on top of the romance storyline.
I really enjoyed the characters and the various antics and hijinks they were apart of. It definitely made for a fun and entertaining read, even if some of the situations seemed unrealistic. I wish the actual game of truth or dare was used more throughout the book. Based on the title, I thought that it would’ve played a more integral part of the story but it was really only referenced once for use in the plot.
I definitely know a lot more about the game of golf after reading this book than I ever thought I would. I didn’t know the majority of the book would take place on a golf course but it was an interesting setting and I learned something from it which is always a great outcome from reading.
This was a really quick and easy story that’s perfect for readers looking for a light and cute summery book.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed 10 Blind Dates, so I was very excited to get this as an ARC from the publisher!

It was really great to be back with the Messina family and all their wild shenanigans again. It was especially great to see Sophie and Wes still together and super happy together, as I was very invested in them from the first book! While the main conflict in this novel was a little farfetched, it was very enjoyable and did create some interesting moments for Olivia and the other characters. Leo and Olivia were very cute together, though I thought all the secrecy was a little over the top. I do wish we had gotten a little more on the other side of the feud between the Fab Four and the Evil Joes, since Leo definitely hinted that there was more to the story there. Maybe in another book???

Overall, this was a light, fun read and I enjoyed my time with these characters again!

4.5 stars
I loved 10 Blind Dates, so it was a no brainer to request this one. This one was just as fun. I love the Fab Four, I love the Evil Joes, I loved the romance, I loved the whole premise of the book, but most of all I loved the family dynamic. Olivia's Nonna and Papa had 8 children so their family is HUGE. It's so obvious how close everyone is and it is so incredibly heartwarming.
I thought the whole premise of this book was just so funny. Olivia learns the week before graduating as salutatorian that she blew off one too many of her off-campus PE class and her coach will not sign her form and now she can't graduate. Unless she helps out all week at a golf tournament. But! Her parents are gone for the week and tracking her every move on a phone tracking app and making sure she makes it to all the graduation parties. She can't tell her parents what she's done! How can she be in 2 places at once? Read the book and find out!
Every one of these parties seemed so fun and I felt so bad for Olivia that she had to be at the tournament for most of them. But I absolutely loved how she realized she did wrong and basically took her lumps. And getting to know a handsome golf player (I won't say who) was definitely a perk. Their romance was adorable even though it seemed to come on a little fast.
I really liked how a lot of this book didn't focus on the romance though. Most of it was about Olivia juggling 2 lives trying to graduate.
In my opinion, the ending was absolutely perfect. It wrapped everything up, it had a last minute twist, and it left me with all the warm fuzzies!

This was such a fun read!

The concept is a little bit sketchy, and Olivia's mom was kind of creepy and overbearing, but I did enjoy the reading experience. I was super glad to be reunited with the Messina family and their chaotic vibes that will always guarantee an entertaining story.

As usual, Ashley Elston's writing style is super engaging. I couldn't put the book down! I loved the various plot twists and the drama they added to the story.

I did prefer 10 Blind Dates, but this one was still super fun and I would absolutely recommend it if you're looking for a fun new YA contemporary!

I received an e-arc of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars

10 Truths and a Dare was one of my most anticipated releases for this year. I read and loved 10 Blind Dates when it came out so when I found out that there was going to be another book with the same family but different main characters I was so excited. You do not need to have read 10 Blind Dates before reading this one. However the main character from that book as well as the love interest do show up fairly often in this one and they do bring up some of the events from 10 Blind Dates as well. So if you don't want to be spoiled on any of the craziness that happens in that book then do read 10 Blind Dates first.

I wasn't in love with this book as much as I loved the previous one but I did still find this one very enjoyable and not a disappointment at all. One thing that I think just didn't sit as well for me was the idea that our main characters mom tracks her on this app and seems to check in with her fairly often. The check ins I can understand a little bit since they were out of town and it seems like it's a rare occurrence for her to be home alone so feeling a little over protective. But the tracking on the phone seems to be a bit much to me especially when it seems like our main character is typically a rule follower and doesn't get into trouble much.

I could definitely see the romance coming and who it was going to be between from basically the start but I still found it to be very enjoyable. I loved the build up of the relationship and watching them grow a bit. It was also nice to see the side characters grow a bit during this book as well. This family is such a fun one to read about and I would definitely read more if they decided to continue writing about them. While the storyline can be predictable at times its still a very fun and sometimes emotional ride to go on. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author no matter if it is with this family or not.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

After loving 10 Blind Dates, I was so excited to jump back into this world and read more about this big, loving family.

We follow high school senior, Olivia, who is salutatorian and very devoted to her studies. When she fails to complete a PE credit, she needs to find a way to complete the credit before her graduation...in one week.

Without wanting her family to know of her mistake, she secretly works at a golf tournament while her close family members pretend to be her (her mom is out of town and watches her every move by her phone's GPS).

I really enjoyed the strong family bonds, friendships and romantic storyline. I think it was wonderful showcasing that being "school smart" vs dedicated to extracurricular activities should both be valued equally.

The relationship between Olivia and her mom was very troubling. I think her mother's control over Olivia's whereabouts/business/attire should have been addressed more in the end. It seemed very unhealthy to me and I wish the mom acknowledged that her behavior towards her daughter was more harmful than helpful (especially since she will be living independently in college soon).

Overall, I was pretty underwhelmed. In the previous book, I felt like I was on a true journey with Sophie and all of her blind dates. In this book, the golf premise and various graduation parties did not hold my attention.

However, it was definitely enjoyable and entertaining, especially for any high school seniors out there!

Synopsis: It's Senior Party Week, that magical in-between time after classes have ended but before graduation, chock-full of gimmicky theme parties, last-minute bonding, and family traditions. Olivia couldn't be more ready. Class salutatorian and confident in her future at LSU, she's poised to sail through to the next phase of her life.
But when the tiny hiccup of an unsigned off-campus P.E. form puts Olivia in danger of not graduating at all, she has one week to set things straight without tipping off her very big and very nosy extended family.
Volunteering to help at a local golf tournament should do it, but since Olivia's mom equipped her phone with a tracking app, there'll be no hiding the fact that she's at the golf course instead of all the graduation parties happening at the same time. Unless, that is, she can convince the Fab Four--her ride-or-die cousins and best friends Sophie, Charlie, and Wes--to trade phones with her as they go through the motions of playing Olivia for the week.
Sure, Olivia's sudden "passion" for golf is met with some suspicion. And sure, her grasp of the rules is a little shaky. And yes, okay, a very cute, very off-limits boy keeps popping up in her orbit. But she is focused! She has a schedule and a plan! Nothing can possibly go wrong . . . right?

This is the perfect end of school year read for anyone feeling the nostalgia for the end of high school and that giant sea of opportunities before college. Olivia is smart and interesting and her journey. I really enjoyed the relationships with Olivia and her cousins and friends. The drama is both exagerated and totally believable for young teens.