Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This was a fun romantic comedy! This was about a Korean American who is pursued by multiple boys! This novel is filled with magic and romance! I recommend this fans of Jessica Jung, Kat Cho, and Stephanie Perkins!

Who doesn’t love a good rom-com? Meredith Ireland’s The Jasmine Project is perfect for fans of Set It Up and Jenny Han’s novels (and their adaptations). Combine an overprotective, well-meaning family, eligible bachelors vying for Jasmine’s attention, and an ex-boyfriend who might want her back and this premise is exciting and charming all at once.

This gave me all the warm and fuzzy feels, and is the perfect YA romance for when you just want to feel cozy. Ireland knocked it out of the park!

Listened to this on audio and loved the full cast narration. This book was an unexpected surprise.d Loved the family, the setting, the bachelor contest.

This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. I loved her family, even with how meddlesome they may be. This book was very character heavy but getting to know them all was such a treat. Jasmine was wonderful and i loved getting to see the growth from her.

Synopsis:
Jasmine has just been dumped by her long term boyfriend so that they can "see other people" for the summer. While her ex is out testing the waters with other relationships, Jasmine is staying at home waiting for the summer to end so her and Paul can get back together. However, Jasmine's very large, very invasive family has the bright idea to host a bachelorette game for Jasmine to prove her worth to her. The only problem? Jasmine has no idea!

Plot:
This plot was so fun right from the start. I'm always a sucker for competition/bacheloreish tropes so this fell right into my tastes! I also just adored the aspects of family in this novel.

Characters:
The characters were definitely the most fun part of the book, everyone was so wild and even though there were about 50 people to learn about - I still felt the individuality in all of them. However, I think Jasmine was my favorite character. Her growth through out the novel felt very relatable to a place I was previously in my romantic life and was so fun to watch.

The BOYS!
I will admit it felt like the book was rooting for one particular boy at the beginning of the competition and I was slowly trying to accept that happening, however it took a major turn and she TOTALLY ended up with the boy I wanted her to end up with. I'm not normally surprised by young adult contemporary so that was a pleasant twist!

Overall:
I have never been one to squeal over YA contemporary but there are definitely a few books out there in the genre that just *get* me and this is one of them. This will be a favorite for a long time to come! It's fun, fluffy, and everything I needed right now!

Ok, this book is adorable!!

Jasmine Yap has a dream: she wants to fly to Paris, and she wants to become a professional chef. But that would mean stepping out of her comfort zone, and she likes her comfort zone. Plus, she and her boyfriend Paul are going to move in together for their upcoming freshman year of college, a lot closer to home than Paris – and that’s safer.

Everything goes according to plan until she discovers Paul has been cheating on her, and now wants some “space” for the rest of the summer to date other people and decide if they still want to move in together. She feels uprooted, unanchored, but her very large and very involved family knows she is so much better off without him, if only she would realize how special she is to the people around her. So her family devises a competition that makes Jasmine a kind of secret bachelorette, the three bachelors being men her family has chosen for her; they have organized meet-cutes, chance meetings, and dates for Jasmine in order for her to see how she should be treated. But what they don’t think about is how betrayed Jasmine might feel if she ever finds out that her summer of love was all a game, and how it might end up destroying the whole summer in the end.

This book is so so sweet!! Jasmine is shy and insecure, hiding her dreams and feelings deep inside for other people’s sakes; I’m almost sure she is an enneagram 6 like me, because I really related to her thought process and her reactions to the events of the book, and I learned a lot from her growth and the way she handled herself by the end of the book.

Naturally, out of the bachelorette competition comes romance!! I had my winner from the get-go, but I was surprised how obvious it became that she was falling in love with one specific bachelor; I felt like the other two needed some more screen-time, but because they didn’t, it also emphasized that the point of the novel wasn’t the romance but the growth Jasmine needed – specifically, that she needed to discover her worth, how special she is to the people around her. Still, there were so so so many sweet, romantic moments (not just with Jasmine hehe), which just made my heart sing!!!

Overall, this book is full of heart-warming moments and lessons on what it means to believe in your unique impact on the world. The format also keeps it interesting, often switching to texts from the family group chat or excerpts from their podcast talking about the behind-the-scenes of the competition. I really liked it, and I recommend it to readers who like fluffy yet inspiring, young adult contemporary romances!

The premise of this book is so fun—a Bachelor-style set-up for Jasmine from her family, who sees she deserves better than her awful ex! The family group chats were one of my favorite parts, and it was so fun to root for these characters along the way.

This was such a fun read. If you're looking for character voice, big families who can't seem to help themselves, and strong female protagonists, look no further.
The first chapter was hard to get through, I just wanted to shake Jasmine, but that's the journey. She has to discover her worth and find the courage to make herself a priority. And boy is it a satisfying journey.
A unique addition to this story is the formatting of group texting having its own point of view. I really enjoyed the chapters where the family was scheming to help Jasmine. So fun!

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Meredith Ireland's "The Jasmine Project" was supposed to be a funny book about a girl finding her self worth and getting rid of her loser boyfriend with her overly involved family. While there were amusing parts, this was mostly a disturbing story of a toxic relationship and a girl who is constantly beating herself down emotionally. Thankfully the book ends on a hopeful note.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC. The main character Jasmine doesn't know how special she is. When her boyfriend cheats on her and suggest they take time apart until August 1. Her big family knows they have to do something before she goes back to him when time up. So her sister hatches a plan with the family to get 3 guys to go on dates with Jasmine without her knowing its a set up. Does she get with one of the guys or does she go back to her ex. Find out what happens to Jasmine in The Jasmine Project.. I enjoyed the book immensely. Meredith Ireland wrote a great story. I give this a 4 out of 5 stars. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

For me this book was equal amount of plot and dark academia aes , this is book is LITERALLY the definition of dark academia, I can say this as someone whose feed is dark academia and can read anything dark academia. The 90% of the book revolved around the library (mentioned in the synopsis) which was tbh the best part.
Lets start with plot - the plot was good enough to keep me reading it and main characters who switched pov alternate chapters were really interesting and likeable ! The action scenes were written really nicely too ! I wasn't a big fan of the romance , it kinda felt flat in the book tho ! I definitely recommend you to read it!

👩🏻‍🍳 Mini Review 💞
I don’t even know where to start with this review! I absolutely loved this book. I related to it in so many ways. Like Jasmine, I am Korean and adopted. I didn’t have a huge family as she did, I was actually an only child, but I still appreciated seeing myself so closely in Jasmine.

Jasmine Yap is happy. She has a crazy but loving family, a safe boyfriend that she has had for years, a safe career path, and a safe future planned out. That is until this boyfriend is seen with another girl and decides he wants a few months break before starting their future together. Jasmine is crushed and decides she will let him get whatever this is out of his system and will wait for him. Her family, all 50-70 of them, have different plans. They decide to set up a bachelorette competition, including 3 boys, that will last 6 weeks. The only downfall is that they have to do it secretly, so Jasmine doesn’t find out. They want Jaz to see her worth and to get away from the “safe” boyfriend that is keeping her down. All seems to be going well until feelings get real and the truth comes out.

Ugh… did I already say how much I loved this book?!?!? I LOVED IT! I loved Jaz, her family, the “contestants,” EVERYTHING. Although this book had some super swoon-worthy moments, what got me was Jasmine’s relationship with her close family and the growth that took place. I seriously stayed up till 2 am to finish this book and bawled my little eyes out soo many times. I felt what Jasmine was going through so deep because I had similar experiences.

If you love a swoon-worthy contemporary with amazing food sprinkled in, and so much growth, then this is the book for you! I gave The Jasmine Project ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book is out everywhere tomorrow, so make sure to get to your local bookstore asap and get it!!

Jenny Han meets 10 Blind Dates, with a Korean adoptee's entire family working together to set her up on dates with boys of their choosing so she learns to value herself after having had a shitty boyfriend for a long time.

This was so cute it was almost too much for me. I absolutely loved seeing the main character come into her own and learn her worth and daring to have dreams. I loved seeing her huge family all work together to make her see how amazing she is, even if secretly setting her up with boys was maybe not the best idea. The family group chat cracked me up so much!

I never thought I’d see the day where I actually prefer to read a contemporary over anything else. Yet here we are! I was over the moon excited to read The Jasmine Project.

I was hooked from the very beginning, simply because it mentioned tacos and burritos within the first chapter. I am simple. There’s also a lot of food mentioned throughout, too, because our main character Jasmine is an aspiring chef . . . so it’s fitting food is a constant component.

We follow Jasmine as she goes through her senior year of high school, a breakup with an emotionally abusive boyfriend, and her family setting her up with blind dates.

I really couldn’t stand Paul. He was a condescending asshole with no regard for anyone but himself. The way he treated Jasmine was appalling. I feel like the author did a great job making the reader despise him. Even him trying to redeem himself felt forced and fake as hell.

Also, good attentions aside . . . the way the family went behind Jasmine’s back with the project was a little upsetting. I know the family meant well and they thought they were doing something good for Jasmine. And they were. Just the secrecy of it all. All in all, I thought the whole project was actually pretty cute. It was obvious from the beginning who would “win.”

There were quite a few elements of drama, so it wasn’t just one conflict that needed to be solved. It was multi layered and that made it much more interesting to read. Jasmine has a strained relationship with her aunt, there’s issues within the family about money and the business, the Bachelorette style dating game and Jasmine finding out, and not trusting the guy she’s interested in. Even if a lot of it was predictable and obvious.

Jasmine really comes into herself. She goes on adventures and does things completely out of her safety and comfort zone, which is ultimately what her family wanted for her. They wanted her to realise there is more than Paul and the comforts of what she’s set up for herself. That she needs to take risks, etc.

Overall, this was an absolute adorable read. Don’t sleep on it!

This YA Contemporary was adorable! I enjoyed Jasmine's story. This was a good representation of young love and how over time we change which causes our relationships to change.

Jasmine is comfortable in her relationship with Paul that she doesn't see that the spark has fizzled. She has become complacent without realizing it so her family decides they're going to play matchmaker. I'm not a huge fan of The Bachelor but I thought it was a fun addition to this contemporary romance and I enjoyed getting to know each of the three candidates her family finds for Jasmine. I don't agree with them keeping her out of the loop but it made for an entertaining read.

I thought each relationship prospect brought something different out of Jasmine throughout the process and I'm glad that this became more about her finding herself again rather than just strictly about the romance. It became more of a coming of age story by the end of it and it was so great seeing Jasmine really figure out what she really wants and who she wants to be.

This book is filled with family drama, romance, and self-discovery. I definitely recommend it. It's a quick read and so enjoyable. I listened to the audio and enjoyed the full cast, especially when we got to see her family's group text message conversations, so I definitely recommend that format.

Jasmine’s in a relationship with a less than stellar boyfriend. Paul doesn’t treat her the greatest, but she doesn’t really see it because Jasmine has relatively low self-worth. When Paul is caught cheating and wants a break so he can explore other options, she vows to wait until he’s ready to start up again. If that doesn’t speak volumes about her character, nothing will. In all their good intentions, her family wants her to explore what other options are out there. They want her to see that she is a strong young woman and has so much to offer the world. In a fun bachelorette style, this is how the story unfolds.

This is a book that you want to hold tight to and not let go, long after you’ve finished reading. I can’t wait to snag a physical copy once it’s released. Poor Jasmine. So many people are telling her how amazing she is, but she doesn’t see it. She refuses to see it because they’re close to her. Watching Jasmine come into herself is an absolute joy. The Jasmine Project has a wonderful cast and a super fun storyline from start to finish. I cannot count how many times I laughed out loud reading this. Thank you, Simon and Schuster Children’s and Book Terminal Tours, for sending this along!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Jasmine Project

Author: Meredith Ireland

Book Series: Standalone

Diversity: Korean adopted Mc, Filipino side characters and family, Dominican Republic side character brother, Adopted family dynamics, South Asian love interest

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, family setting up blind dates trope, cooking romance, adopted family

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: September 7, 2021

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Pages: 400

Recommended Age: 14+ (Romance, Slight Language, Fat shaming, Slight emotional abuse, Slight microaggressions, Slight HP reference, Alcohol consumption by minors)

Explanation of CWs: There is a couple of instances of swearing. The fat shaming and emotional abuse are brief, but get brought up throughout the novel. There is also one very minute Harry Potter reference and only one scene of alcohol consumption by minors.

Synopsis: Jasmine Yap’s life is great. Well, it’s okay. She’s about to move in with her long-time boyfriend, Paul, before starting a nursing program at community college—all of which she mostly wants. But her stable world is turned upside down when she catches Paul cheating. To her giant, overprotective family, Paul’s loss is their golden ticket to showing Jasmine that she deserves much more. The only problem is, Jasmine refuses to meet anyone new.

But…what if the family set up a situation where she wouldn’t have to know? A secret Jasmine Project.

The plan is simple: use Jasmine’s graduation party as an opportunity for her to meet the most eligible teen bachelors in Orlando. There’s no pressure for Jasmine to choose anyone, of course, but the family hopes their meticulously curated choices will show Jasmine how she should be treated. And maybe one will win her heart.

But with the family fighting for their favorites, bachelors going rogue, and Paul wanting her back, the Jasmine Project may not end in love but total, heartbreaking disaster.

Review: I really enjoyed this book and it reminded me a lot of 10 Blind Dates. The character development was great and the world building was amazing. I felt like this was a really cute read and that it set the "family blind date" trope really well. I also think that the main character was very endearing. I feel like her plight was very relatable to a lot of people, especially me. A lot of people seek that sense of safety and the sense of never changing tides, and they have to learn how to branch out in a scary world.

The only really issue I had with this book is that sometimes the change between the story to the text message conversation and then to the podcast reading was a bit jarring at first, but otherwise I had absolutely no problem with this book.

Verdict: Highly recommend!

A joy to read and a powerful lesson about confidence.

Jasmine Yap is graduating and planning to move in with her long-term boyfriend. Unfortunately, he’s a manipulative cheater. Everyone except Jasmine knows this and when she finds out and confronts him, he decides it’s time to take a break from their relationship for the summer.

Jasmine’s family steps in to make sure he stays gone by hatching a plan to present three good-guy bachelors to Jasmine. But Jasmine doesn’t know the world is honed in on her family’s good-intentioned meddling through her sister’s podcast show.

This was a sweet, well-written, witty book that follows Jasmine’s journey as she finds purpose that works for her life.

Highly recommended for all readers who love YA romance, overcoming toxic relationships, strong family ties, and self-discovery.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the fantastic ARC; this review is my unbiased opinion.