10 Things I Hate About Prom

by Elle Gonzalez Rose

A fun, fresh contemporary rom-com that covers all the ways in which prom is overrated, and the biggest ways to sabotage your lovable best friend’s promposals to the school’s most popular girl.

The best things in life come in pairs. Peanut butter has jelly, Taylor has Selena, and Ivelisse Santos has Joaquin Romero. They are not only next-door neighbors; they’re platonic soulmates. Ive gets Quin like no one else.
At least, she thought she did before Joaquin shocks her by revealing that he wants to ask Tessa Gordon to prom. Tessa freaking Gordon. The same Tessa Gordon who spread the rumor that Ivelisse started the infamous Second Grade Lice Outbreak. Why her ?
Tessa and Joaquin are a match made in popular kid heaven. The head cheerleader and the star of the baseball team going to prom together makes more sense than Joaquin and Ivelisse—a member of tech crew—would. But just because it makes sense doesn’t mean it should happen.
To make matters worse, Joaquin wants Ivelisse’s assistance planning the grandest, most elaborate promposal Cordero High has ever seen. To win the queen bee over, he’ll have to go bigger than any of their peers have ever gone. Ivelisse would rather wrestle a bear than wingwoman Joaquin.
But with senior year coming to an end and their paths diverging, she'll take all the quality time with Joaquin she can get. So, she swallows her pride. At first.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Young Adult Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Friends To Lovers

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2024

About the author

Elle Gonzalez Rose is a producer and author from New York who’s better at writing love stories about short, queer Boricuas than she is at writing bios. Her dog thinks she’s okay. Caught in a Bad Fauxmance is her debut novel—Elle’s, not the dog’s.

Reviews

[Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Just like Caught in a Bad Fauxmance, 10 Things I Hate about Prom is the perfect read for those who love vivid and bright writing, chaotic main characters, witty remarks and banter, AND perfect Latin rep.

I flew through the pages while reading this story. Ive is a messy narrator, and that might be because she has a lot going on. Working at her Tio’s restaurant, her mom dating again, college applications, prom, etc. And, of course, her best friend Joaquin. He is adorable and everything a teen wishes for in a friend. And maybe in a boyfriend too, even though Joaquin wants to take someone else as his dare to prom.

I loved both Ive and Joaquin, but I have to admit that I didn’t laugh as much as I hoped I would. I blame my previous read. But I’m pretty sure lots of people will love this lighthearted and funny story, and therefore, I round my 3.5 rating up to 4 stars.

Thank you, Random House Children’s and NetGalley, for this ARC!

Follow me on Instagram

[Hannah B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the flip on 10 Things I Hate About You!!! This is basically if Michael and Cameron had been best friends for years and Michael secretly loved Cameron but now Cameron is obviously pining for Bianca (who can only now start dating bc her dad lifted the ban). In the past Chastity and Bianca were best friends, but some shit went down right around the time that Joey and Bianca hooked up…while Joey was dating Michael. So now Michael and Chastity are good friends and Bianca and her don’t speak.

The only people missing were Kat and Patrick…which hurt a lil ngl. I think their secondary romance would’ve helped the book feel a bit more complete in the romance department because the one between Iva and Quin was a bit one sided. I didn’t feel like I really knew Quin and would’ve liked a bit more focus spent on him, but I did like their friendship and the tension at the end!

Overall, this was another great read from Joy Revolution!! I’ll definitely be reading more from this author. The narrator was pretty okay, but not my favorite in terms of guy voice. She had great emotion though.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5


I received an ALC from PRHaudio. All opinions are honest and my own.

[nitya · Rating 3 out of 5]

- best friends to lovers
- mutual pining
- a little miscommunication
- he fell first, she fell harder
- female friendships!!

Maybe I read a lot of YA but this was a little predictable. The story was sweet though, and I enjoyed the dynamics between most of the characters.

Also I am super glad I wasn't allowed to attend prom, the proposal stuff sounded stressful! 😅

The fmc wears/wore glasses at one point and I am a bit disappointed this wasn't reflected in the cover art (yes I know about contacts and LASIK). Brown girls in glasses deserve appreciation and representation too!

Content warning: past parental death, cheating (side characters)

[Mariana ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 * Really sweet book!

✘ I really enjoyed Ivelisse and Quin’s friendship, and I liked seeing them slowly realizing and admitting they were in love with each other. I especially appreciate that this was a slow-burn! The “I sent you a letter” / “What letter?” trope was a bit cheesy, but I really enjoyed it haha. Quin’s letter was SO SWEET! 🥺

✘ I appreciate that the LI was really kind and sweet. I despise those rude, cocky, arrogant men in m/f romances. Bless Quin!

✘ Ivelisse was MESSYYYYYY!!! Don’t get me wrong: she was a nice girl and I liked her as a MC, but omgggggg, sometimes it was hard to root for her! Her jealousy and fear were so intense that she kept sabotaging her best friend. Girl, naurrrr 🤒! I do think her actions were really well explained, though! Her feelings for Quin making her overly jealous made sense, especially since Quin kind of started ignoring her to pay more attention to Tessa (the “homewrecker” of Ivelisse’s previous relationship); I’m glad they explained and apologized for their behaviours at the end. I’m also glad Tessa apologized to Ivelisse, and cleared things up regarding Danny, and I like that Ivelisse immediately realized that she was probably just being insecure, and that Tessa was probably never to blame at all. Seeing Ivelisse make peace with her mum was also very nice.

✘ There were some things that I wish had been explained and showed a bit more. For example, Tessa’s popularity (it’s weird that everyone in that school was obsessed with Tessa even though she never gave them the time of day. I wish we saw more reasons for her popularity and the overwhelming adoration everyone felt for her); as well as Ivelisse and Quin’s “class difference” (it’s mentioned multiple times that he is the popular guy and she’s just a drama-tech girl, but I honestly never felt their “class difference”).

✘ The humour in this book was fine, but I didn’t love it. I think it’s the type of humour that would 10000% translate better on screen. I REALLY hope to see this being adapted into a movie at some point! I think it’d be incredible!

✘ Overall, this was a sweet book, and I’d definitely recommend it if you enjoy YA romcoms! I’m super excited for Elle’s next book! 🤩

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute friends to lovers YA romance revolving around Prom season that has one friend trying to support their other friend who wants to prompose to the girl the other's ex dumped her for. Lots of drama, shenanigans and lies that ultimately ends with the two friends getting together. Perfect for fans of authors like Lynn Painter or the book, Prom babies and good on audio.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like it when cover matches book vibes, so cute.

[Tomes And Textiles]

This was a darling childhood friends-to-maybe more YA prom book. The title was a teensy bit misleading but overall I really enjoyed it! More to come.

[pia laplaca · Rating 4 out of 5]

the way this spoofed 10 things i hate about you was so silly

[er · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐
Pretty cute ya rom-com about prom season. Ive and Quin have one of the cutest friendships I probably ever read.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very quick read but the book was very flat for me. I did like the references to Shakespeare tho.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

[Raaven💖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is a perfect example for a textbook cliche high school romance. This is mushy, sweet, sappy, corny, and everything mixed in. All the characters were cute and even when it was frustrating it was enjoyable. There were a few parts I laughed and one I cried cause I’m a huge baby, so that’s a plus for me.

I think the target audience will think this is perfect. As someone almost 30 who didn’t care a thing about prom or romance over a decade ago, I thought a lot of this was silly and unnecessary. Do they actually do those huge promposals all over school now? That sounds like Hell. I was a big fan of Elle’s first book and this one was simple and felt like it got back to the YA romance roots.

[carina · Rating 4 out of 5]

don’t give up hope i’ve read a book i actually REALLY like!!!!!

i am a sucker for friends to lovers specifically childhood friends to lovers and this book really fueled my need for love so much. it gives off soooo much rom com aura and i need more cutesy high school romances now.

joaquin was such a good love interest and i loved ivisee’s realization that she loved him. tessa and anna were lowkey expected but i loved them nonetheless. i do think they could’ve flushed out the family issues better and ive’s love of sarah lawrence but otherwise it was stellar.

moral of the story i need to be in love so bad lol!

[mona ♡]

did i read the title and immediately think 10 things i hate about you?

of course i did

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A YA friends to lovers romcom by Elle Gonzalez Rose
🔟
Ivelisse and Joaquin are besties. Have been their entire lives. They grew up next door to one another, but as their high school journey comes to an end, Ivelisse begins to wonder what her life looks like at college without her best friend. At the same time Joaquin asks Ivelisse to help him pull off an elaborate promposal for Tessa Gordon, the school’s IT girl and Ivelisse’s nemesis. When Ivelisse starts to sabotage the events, she wonders if there isn’t more behind her attempts to keep Joaquin from going to prom with Tessa.
👑
I did not expect to love this book as much as I did, but swooooon! Joy Revolution continues to choose amazing BIPOC stories featuring characters and stories full of joy and that’s exactly what this was. I adored Ivelisse and friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. Fans of Lynn Painter will enjoy this one as well!

CW: parental abandonment, alcohol, emesis, anxiety, divorce, cheating

[Edy :D Wyngaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded to 4! This book was pretty good! I wish it would’ve been a little more interesting in some ways. I also wish the ending wouldn’t have been drawn out so long, but it still was pretty good. I thought it was definitely a cute story line, but felt a little repetitive. I did really like Quin and Ive’s relationship and thought it was super cute! I am always a big fan of the best friend’s tropes! Overall, I liked it and would recommend!

[Inês · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25⭐

“All I know is, you’re my favorite person. And I want every single one of my memories, from when we were ten to when we’re eighty, to end with me next to you.”

These cute childhood friends-to-lovers romcoms always warm my heart...

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a fun time! i truly loved listening to this and never wanted to put it down. i love prom and high school drama and the highs and lows of your senior year. friends to lovers is always a hit for me. and the 10 things i hate about you references and connections?? loved it all

[Anna McKay Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a surprising 5 star read for me because I didn’t have high expectations for it going in. I didn’t know anything about it and expected it to just be a cute lighthearted read— which it was, but it was far more enjoyable than I expected. I loved the main characters and I loved the childhood friends to lovers trope- it was so adorable. It was just so freaking cute! And relatable as someone who had a terrible prom experience haha😂

[Marisol M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Sarah Ressler Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute and an homage to 10 Things I Hate About You with hints of Taming of the Shrew as well as She definitely sabotage’s her crush’s promposals to someone else multiple times which made me questions how he forgave her so quickly but overall a fun story.

[Neo Shoemaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay.. it was kinda hard to follow as there were alot of slang words that I didn’t know what they meant and the story itself feels familiar. It was just kind of an okay book.

[A.J. Eversole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute & quick read. It's perfect for the age group.

[Bernadette Bloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUPER CUTE!!! Prom is the worst with all the non-stop promposals. The very worst when the best friend you finally realize you have a crush on is asking you to help him ask another girl.

Very fun young adult read with such great energy and characters.

[Annabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cute romance about going to prom

[Nidhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good but it kinda dragged out

[Sixella MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small Business BookTok ARC Reviews: “10 Things I Hate About Prom” by Elle Gonzalez Rose

Note: This ARC was given to me for free by the author and I am reviewing this book voluntarily.

It's Prom Season, and tensions will be scorching!

Ivelisse can care less about the chaotic, clique-like chaos that is Prom Season. She just wants to spend the rest of Senior Year with her best friend, Joaquin! When Joaquin wants to ask Tessa, the most popular girl at their school, to Prom, Ivelisse reluctantly agrees to help him come up with a Promposal! Will Ivelisse succeed in helping Joaquin, or will her best friend realize that what we wanted was in front of him the whole time!

This is truly an exciting YA Romance reminiscent of 1990's and 2000's Rom-Coms! From the comedic will-they-won't-they dynamic between Ivelisse and Joaquin to the Prom hijinx, Elle Gonzalez Rose does an excellent job of telling a Coming-Of-Age tale of the changes that come with relationships as we grow up. Through Rose’s writing, the commentary conveyed is that when changes appear to be on the horizon, one shouldn't let fear and doubt dictate or get in the way of the family, friends, and loved ones in their lives or the here and now. As an Afro-Caribbean/African American woman, it also means the world to me as a reader to see strong Puerto Rican representation portrayed in the form of the main character and love interest! If you’re looking for a captivating read that's reminiscent of “10 Things I Hate About You”, then don't miss out on this book when it hits online shelves on May 14, 2024!

Rating: 5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

-Tropes to Expect: Friends-to-Lovers, Pining, Promposal Hijinx, Coming-of-Age Narrative, Slow Burn Romance, and Self Discovery Narrative.
-Trigger Warnings: Family Conflict, Relationship Anxiety, and Implied Divorce.

[Birdie Schae · Rating 5 out of 5]

something a lot of people don't seem to know is that elle gonzalez rose, in fact, invented romcoms

[Living My Best Book Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 Things I Hate About Prom is a sweet and funny young adult romance featuring two Latinx best friends, Ive and Joaquin, as Ive helps Quin think of the best proposal for a new crush, Tessa. Ive would do anything for her best friend even help him date another girl when she realizes her feelings for him are more than platonic. Quin's 'nice boy' nature will make you blush and sweep you off your feet, Ive's promposal hijinks will have you applauding her skills while laughing at the lengths she will go to to keep her best friend from falling for anyone else, and the romance will keep you glued to the book hoping for the aha moment.

I started reading this book and it brought me so much happiness to see Latinx representation. It's such a fulfilling feeling when you can see yourself in a character. It was apparent that there were hidden feelings between Quin and Ive, and I hoped that by the end the pair would find their way. I think their connection sparkled and lit up the entire book. They have been besties for a long time and are neighbors and to say they know each other well would be an understatement. Prom is approaching and they normally go to events/dances together and change is brewing when Quin asks for help with his promposal for a girl named Tessa. Ive finds it hard to want to help because Tessa and Ive don't have the best track record. But she puts her feelings aside because if the tables were turned she knows that Quin would drop everything to help her. Things get even more complicated when Ive realizes that she has feelings for Quin. Why did it take her so long to see it? Will this crush change their friendship forever?

It's a fast-paced read and I finished it in one night. It left me smiling at the sweet nature and romantic side of such a young man in Quin. Even though he is the star baseball player and Ive is part of the tech crew, they are the right fit. Yes, they are different but the way they already know how to care for each other and treat each other at such a young age is beautiful. I had so many favorite moments in the book when Quin was so thoughtful with Ive and it made me want to tell her 'Can't you see how much he likes you'. By the end, I was squealing with excitement, and even left me wishing I could have had a cute and charming promposal like the ones featured in the book.

[Deotima Sarkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 Things I Hate About Prom by Elena Gonzalez Rose is a super fun and clever YA romance that totally captures the crazy and cool vibe of high school life. The story revolves around Ivelisse, a senior trying to juggle a part-time gig at her uncle's restaurant, her mom's new dating adventures, college applications, and, of course, the upcoming prom. Her bestie, Joaquin, is the center of her universe—a sweet and clueless dude who has no idea that Ivelisse is crushing on him big time. They are childhood friends and neighbours with many moments between them too!
.
Things take a wild turn when Joaquin asks Ivelisse for help in planning a promposal for Tessa, the popular girl at school who Ivelisse isn't exactly fond of. This sets the stage for a classic friends-to-lovers storyline, with Ivelisse adding some hilarious sabotage into the mix. Her jealousy and inner struggles are totally relatable, making her a likable, albeit flawed, main character. Watching her navigate her emotions while trying to support Joaquin is both heartwarming and splitting funny.
.
The book truly nails the complicated dynamics of teenage friendships and the agony of unspoken attractions. Joaquin, with his "nice guy" persona, is the perfect counterbalance to Ivelisse's wild energy. His genuine kindness and thoughtfulness make him an absolutely irresistible character. Their interactions are filled with snappy banter and heartfelt moments, creating a slow-burning romance that keeps readers hooked.
.
Ivelisse's internal battle between her feelings for Joaquin and her loyalty to helping him win over another girl adds depth to the story. The use of the "I sent you a letter" trope, where misunderstandings and missed communications play a pivotal role, adds an extra layer of tension and sweetness.
.
The book however is fast-paced and incredibly fun, light read, featuring well-developed characters and a plot that perfectly captures the essence of high school drama. It's straightforward with no twists. It's a charming love letter to classic rom-coms, offering a fresh and Latinx perspective that I enjoyed!
.
Thanks for the eARC @prhinternational

[Thya (wiltedpages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT PROM features Ivelisse (aka Ive), a high school senior with very little of a social life outside of her best friend Joaquin in their New Jersey town. Between Ive's mom dating again (and a dad that she hasn't seen in years) and Joaquin's mom moving back to Puerto Rico, the two of them are entangled in each other's lives, with Joaquin's dog living at Ive's house and his grandmother taking caring of both of them. Which is perfect, because they're best friends. When Joaquin asks Ive to help him prompose to Tessa Hernandez, the popular girl that Ive caught making out with her (ex) boyfriend freshman year, she's a little hesitant because of how badly she was wronged by Tessa, but lucky for her, every promposal attempt Joaquin and Ive plan crash and burn even more spectacularly than the previous.


Obviously, the romance is the main focus of the book. It's fun to watch Ivelisse slowly realize that she has a crush on her best friend as they continue setting up promposal after promposal. It's also fun to hear Joaquin vaguely mention another girl without saying her name (and the other girl is clearly not Tessa). It's adorable and wholesome and very much a teen story.

There's other side stories going on in the book, like college applications! Ive is waitlisted for her dream school and accepted to her "mom's" dream school, and she doesn't know how to tell her mom that they have different dreams. With her mom dating again, Ive feels neglected by her mother, and also like her mom no longer cares about her. The building resentment results in a touching moment between the two of them at Ive's lowest point. Another fun subplot is Tessa! I won't spoil, but the book continually hints at who Tessa will probably end up going to prom with/also dating, but I didn't entirely connect the dots until right before the reveal.

Overall, great book, loved that nobody was turned into the villain, and the way the book ended was SO CUTE.