What do you think?
Rate this book
Mates, Dates #1
Mates, Dates, and Inflatable Bras
Everything is changing around Lucy Loverling, and a turning point is exactly what she does NOT need. Suddenly she has to make all sorts of decisions including what she wants to be. And it seems that everyone else knows who and what she wants to be except her. Izzie has become friends with the glamorous Nesta, and Lucy isn't certain she likes a threesome. Nesta and Izzie look sixteen, but Lucy, at fourteen, can still pass for a twelve-year-old.
But then one day Lucy sees the most wonderful boy crossing the street, and things do start to change -- in all areas of her life...
But then one day Lucy sees the most wonderful boy crossing the street, and things do start to change -- in all areas of her life...
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 8, 2001
98 people are currently reading
4914 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
February 21, 2015
I first read this series when I was about 13 years old, and they were some of my favourite books. Now, years later, my reading tastes have matured, but I still really enjoy these books. They're fun, girlie, easy, light-hearted, and extremely quick. I read this in only an hour or so. I really look forward to rereading the rest of this series this year, and remembering my early teenage-hood, where the only things that mattered were school, friends, and getting your crush to notice you.
March 10, 2024
I loved this 10 years ago when I was a teenager, and I totally love it now!... I LOVE Lucy, Izzie and Nesta's adventures, they are adorable! :)
October 17, 2014
To see full review click here
I remember gobbling these up when I was younger, so I decided it was time for a revisit.
The result.
Well, it’s not terrible. Oh, sure I still cringed quite a bit while rereading it. But there are worst books out there. I just think I’ve really outgrown this series and instead of being labeled YA it should be middle grade.
Well, maybe ten years ago it was YA.
Let’s face it, the genre has matured a bit in ten years. Used to you’d never see characters have sexual relationships with each and now..well, it’s more common place.
Dates, Mates, and Inflatable Bras isn’t really the best book. And it hasn’t held up well over time either. Though to be fair it was a little bit behind the times when it was first published too, Leo Dicaprio was so late 90’s book.
Whatever though.
The characters, while flat were enjoyable. Out of all the main characters in the series, I remember enjoying Lucy’s POV the most so maybe that’s what made this one was stomach-able-Nesta I remember way beyond shallow in the series. I think one of the reasons I liked Lucy so much was she was the most levelheaded of the bunch and out of the cliche characteristics that this bunch had, hers was the most tolerable.
Oh, sure she whines someone and is as boring as heck, but at least she’s likable.
Before I read this book I was reflecting on it, and I remembered I really liked the love interest. But Tony is a bit of a bore to me now. And honestly his relationship with Lucy is at best one sided insta love.
Honestly, they probably shouldn’t have gotten together in this installment. I think a lot of my feelings for Tony were being mixed up with my feelings for Michael Moscovitz (another series that I’m planning on rereading in the next year or so). Both of them are the brothers of the protagonist’s best friend. But Tony is no Michael with his Leo DiCaprio face and womanizing ways.
And other than being pretty, I don’t get Lucy’s attraction towards him.
I think they only interacted for about ten pages.
I remember gobbling these up when I was younger, so I decided it was time for a revisit.
The result.
Well, it’s not terrible. Oh, sure I still cringed quite a bit while rereading it. But there are worst books out there. I just think I’ve really outgrown this series and instead of being labeled YA it should be middle grade.
Well, maybe ten years ago it was YA.
Let’s face it, the genre has matured a bit in ten years. Used to you’d never see characters have sexual relationships with each and now..well, it’s more common place.
Dates, Mates, and Inflatable Bras isn’t really the best book. And it hasn’t held up well over time either. Though to be fair it was a little bit behind the times when it was first published too, Leo Dicaprio was so late 90’s book.
Whatever though.
The characters, while flat were enjoyable. Out of all the main characters in the series, I remember enjoying Lucy’s POV the most so maybe that’s what made this one was stomach-able-Nesta I remember way beyond shallow in the series. I think one of the reasons I liked Lucy so much was she was the most levelheaded of the bunch and out of the cliche characteristics that this bunch had, hers was the most tolerable.
Oh, sure she whines someone and is as boring as heck, but at least she’s likable.
Before I read this book I was reflecting on it, and I remembered I really liked the love interest. But Tony is a bit of a bore to me now. And honestly his relationship with Lucy is at best one sided insta love.
Honestly, they probably shouldn’t have gotten together in this installment. I think a lot of my feelings for Tony were being mixed up with my feelings for Michael Moscovitz (another series that I’m planning on rereading in the next year or so). Both of them are the brothers of the protagonist’s best friend. But Tony is no Michael with his Leo DiCaprio face and womanizing ways.
And other than being pretty, I don’t get Lucy’s attraction towards him.
I think they only interacted for about ten pages.
May 11, 2015
Jokavuotinen perinteeni on lukea nämä kirjat, yleensä kesäaikaan. Jotkut ovat uusintalukeneet Potterit tuhannesti, Sara Frendejä, kundeja-sarjan. :DD Parhaimpina päivinä muutama tälläinen menee oikein kevyesti. (olisiko joku 6 ennätys...) Tänään marssin koulupäivän jälkeen kirjastoon jossa alkoi hirveästi mieli lainata jotain kevyttä ja nopealukuista. (niin käy aina kun aurinko paistaa ja jopa lämmittääkin :D)
No joo, perus teinihömppää. Oikeasti hauskoja, nauroin useasti. Muutama hivenen syvällisempi lausahdus (izzie!) mutta muuten kovin pinnallista. Jostain syystä vain pidän näistä vuodesta toiseen.
No joo, perus teinihömppää. Oikeasti hauskoja, nauroin useasti. Muutama hivenen syvällisempi lausahdus (izzie!) mutta muuten kovin pinnallista. Jostain syystä vain pidän näistä vuodesta toiseen.
March 27, 2019
Would you look at that? It's my childhood calling.
Although eventually the series gets a bit repetitive, I read them all. Because friendships, boy talk, and family drama is what I lived for in my early teens.
Although eventually the series gets a bit repetitive, I read them all. Because friendships, boy talk, and family drama is what I lived for in my early teens.
August 9, 2019
loved it
November 2, 2009
This book is about A girl named Lucy trying to get her best friend back, Izzie from the new girl Nesta. You see, Lucy and Izzie have been best friends since like forever and Lucy thinks because Nesta is new, that she might steal her best friend away.
I can connect to this because I fifth grade the same thing happened to me. You see, It was in fifth grade and this new girl gloriela came along and she kept on hanging out with my friends. And this is what happened to lucy, she felt like as if Nesta was stealing her friends. I thought about Gloriela the same way.
I really enjoyed this book. It had all the details and all the drama I wanted in the other book. Which is why I give this book exactly 5 stars. I also learned a life lesson in this book. That even though someone else is hanging out with your best buddy, you have to learn and try to give that new person a chance.
I can connect to this because I fifth grade the same thing happened to me. You see, It was in fifth grade and this new girl gloriela came along and she kept on hanging out with my friends. And this is what happened to lucy, she felt like as if Nesta was stealing her friends. I thought about Gloriela the same way.
I really enjoyed this book. It had all the details and all the drama I wanted in the other book. Which is why I give this book exactly 5 stars. I also learned a life lesson in this book. That even though someone else is hanging out with your best buddy, you have to learn and try to give that new person a chance.
February 18, 2025
Nice for nostalgia purposes. Scared to have a teenage daughter cos it is just the WORST, why is EVERYTHING the END OF THE WORLD and EMBARRASSING? Are these children ever home? Also dying at the mums outfit choice for parents evening, come on help your daughter out.
August 26, 2009
I decided to read Mates, Dates and Inflatable Bras as an IR book. This was about a girl named Lucy who was trying to find out who wants to be and about her romance and friends. Lucy lives in Britian with her best friend Izzie. Izzie and Lucy has been best friends forever. But she thinks this new girl named Nesta is gonna take her away. She also has to deal with this mystery boy she saw and tries to do anything to meet him and know him. When she finds out it's someone Nesta knows she keeps quiet. Through out the book to keeps her mystery boy a secret and learns to be a friend to someone new. Sh efindsout things evry step she takes.
I have a Text-To-Text connection to this book. I connect it to a book i've read called Love, Hollywood Style. It's also about doing stuff to get to meet a boy. Lucy goes around his school to find him. And the girl in the other book tries to meet him through movie methods. But they both find out that, that guy might not be all worth, or may not be the right guy.
I would give this *****stars. I gave it 5 stars because it showed how she had to decide on things. This bookdrew me in because every page seemed to get better from every juicy detailit gave me. Especially with the mystery boy you would always wanna find out whats next. I suggest this book to someone who like teen foction. Who likes the romance and decisions.
I have a Text-To-Text connection to this book. I connect it to a book i've read called Love, Hollywood Style. It's also about doing stuff to get to meet a boy. Lucy goes around his school to find him. And the girl in the other book tries to meet him through movie methods. But they both find out that, that guy might not be all worth, or may not be the right guy.
I would give this *****stars. I gave it 5 stars because it showed how she had to decide on things. This bookdrew me in because every page seemed to get better from every juicy detailit gave me. Especially with the mystery boy you would always wanna find out whats next. I suggest this book to someone who like teen foction. Who likes the romance and decisions.
July 11, 2009
Lucy Loverling is a girl after my own heart. She's short, and people are always assuming she's 12, when she is 14. Story of my life (when I was in high school). Mates, Dates, and Inflatable Bras starts off with Lucy in class. Her teacher, whom she calls Wacko decides to assign the students an essay question, "What makes me me?"
The whole book then consists of Lucy's search for self, her search for her special talent and her first kiss.
I definately think this book would work well with younger girls. What tween girl isn't obsessed with themselves? I mean, when I was 13-14-15, I was boy-crazy, self-concious, and had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I think this book would have gone over very well with that version of myself.
The whole book then consists of Lucy's search for self, her search for her special talent and her first kiss.
I definately think this book would work well with younger girls. What tween girl isn't obsessed with themselves? I mean, when I was 13-14-15, I was boy-crazy, self-concious, and had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I think this book would have gone over very well with that version of myself.
June 9, 2020
Quick Review:
This is a great YA teen romance to spice up your TBR! It's really amusing jumping back into early 2000s YA novels, and it's quite the treat for me. It's definitely different reading them as an adult rather than as a teen, and I'm not sure if they hold up with the times but I still enjoyed them! It's all about falling in love and chasing the boy of your dreams for the very first time... With a catchy title!
This is a great YA teen romance to spice up your TBR! It's really amusing jumping back into early 2000s YA novels, and it's quite the treat for me. It's definitely different reading them as an adult rather than as a teen, and I'm not sure if they hold up with the times but I still enjoyed them! It's all about falling in love and chasing the boy of your dreams for the very first time... With a catchy title!
March 10, 2025
J'adore, pas trop difficile en anglais !
November 15, 2011
Summary: The book is about a girl named Lucy who gets a writing assignment in school. The assignment is “What makes me, me?” In the beginning, Lucy does not know who she is. She is always comparing herself to other girls and telling herself she is not pretty and does not know what she wants to do with her life. Throughout the book with the help of her friends, Lucy finds out who she really is and becomes more confident with herself then she had ever been. In the end, Lucy gains everlasting friendships and winds up able to write the paper about herself.
Age: The age range for this book is for early teen girls. It is fun to read because it is from the U.K.
Elements: This book is fun to read because a woman wrote it from the U.K. so some of the words are different. Because of the content of the book, it is a better book for girls because it is about young teen girls who are trying to find out who they are.
Recommendation: This book is the first of a series and they are the books that really got me to enjoy reading. I loved all of them this one in particular focuses more on identity and what Lucy wants to be when she grows up. I probably would not recommend it for schools but for some kind of girl’s small group or social type of thing, I do. It is a great book because Lucy is trying to fit in but at the same time she does not and she gets lost and caught up in what she thinks she needs to be with who she really is.
Age: The age range for this book is for early teen girls. It is fun to read because it is from the U.K.
Elements: This book is fun to read because a woman wrote it from the U.K. so some of the words are different. Because of the content of the book, it is a better book for girls because it is about young teen girls who are trying to find out who they are.
Recommendation: This book is the first of a series and they are the books that really got me to enjoy reading. I loved all of them this one in particular focuses more on identity and what Lucy wants to be when she grows up. I probably would not recommend it for schools but for some kind of girl’s small group or social type of thing, I do. It is a great book because Lucy is trying to fit in but at the same time she does not and she gets lost and caught up in what she thinks she needs to be with who she really is.
January 22, 2012
I love this series! The "Mates and Dates" series by Cathy Hopkins is about a girl named Lucy how thinks she is losing her best friend to the new rich girl in school. Nesta is a perosn who everyone was suppose to be jealous of. She is rich, beautiful, and all the guys swoon over her. Lucy has to deal with this and many other teenage girl problems. In the end she ends up becoming friends with Nesta and they all become really good friends.
I love this series because it's so girly, which every girl needs every once in a while. It full of humor, love, and heart break that makes you relive all of those funny times in your life. I'm almost done with the whole series and can easily read one of Cathy Hopkins books in one sitting because of the way it hooks me in right away with it's endless fun. I can't wait till I get the chance to read the next book in the series.
I love this series because it's so girly, which every girl needs every once in a while. It full of humor, love, and heart break that makes you relive all of those funny times in your life. I'm almost done with the whole series and can easily read one of Cathy Hopkins books in one sitting because of the way it hooks me in right away with it's endless fun. I can't wait till I get the chance to read the next book in the series.
April 7, 2012
Emily Shepard
Humor
I found myself laughing and loving this story, it reminded me a lot of what forming into a teenager was like. The main character is Lucy Lovering. A 14 year old girl followed by her best friend since elementary school Izzie and a new girl Nesta. They were all given an assignment by their teacher, Wacko Watkins as they call her, to write about themselves; their likes dislikes, what they want to do when their older. Lucy is stuck. Shes unsure about herself, unsure about her underdeveloped body and wants desperately to have things back the way they were. She's afraid shes losing her best friend Izzie to the new girl Nesta and she really wants to meet the handsome boy she saw walking out of St. Micheal's school. To her surprise she ends up meeting the mystery boy in a very unlikely place, making an unexpected new friend and finds her new young adult self with the help of her hippie parents and friends.
Humor
I found myself laughing and loving this story, it reminded me a lot of what forming into a teenager was like. The main character is Lucy Lovering. A 14 year old girl followed by her best friend since elementary school Izzie and a new girl Nesta. They were all given an assignment by their teacher, Wacko Watkins as they call her, to write about themselves; their likes dislikes, what they want to do when their older. Lucy is stuck. Shes unsure about herself, unsure about her underdeveloped body and wants desperately to have things back the way they were. She's afraid shes losing her best friend Izzie to the new girl Nesta and she really wants to meet the handsome boy she saw walking out of St. Micheal's school. To her surprise she ends up meeting the mystery boy in a very unlikely place, making an unexpected new friend and finds her new young adult self with the help of her hippie parents and friends.
Read
June 22, 2013As a 16 year old when I read it, it really made me smile.
What was being written and the language used are things that actually happen to the english teen. Also, what Lucy thought and said were exactly the kinds of things that were zooming through my head at 14. The fact that Lucy got panicked over really silly things and overthinking what people had said- almost paranoid in some parts - was exacly the things that I did.
Especially when it came to friendships.
Also, I liked how everyhting was treated as a big deal.
This may make some more serious parts appear less serious than they are, but I felt that wasn't how it was supposed to be recieved.
When I was 14 - and even now that I think about it - everthing is a big deal.
Little or serious problems to a teen are all big deals.
So, in my opinion, I feel this book really hit a nail on the head on how it feels like to be a teenager =)
I really love this book =)
What was being written and the language used are things that actually happen to the english teen. Also, what Lucy thought and said were exactly the kinds of things that were zooming through my head at 14. The fact that Lucy got panicked over really silly things and overthinking what people had said- almost paranoid in some parts - was exacly the things that I did.
Especially when it came to friendships.
Also, I liked how everyhting was treated as a big deal.
This may make some more serious parts appear less serious than they are, but I felt that wasn't how it was supposed to be recieved.
When I was 14 - and even now that I think about it - everthing is a big deal.
Little or serious problems to a teen are all big deals.
So, in my opinion, I feel this book really hit a nail on the head on how it feels like to be a teenager =)
I really love this book =)
November 14, 2013
"Mates, Dates, and Inflatable Bras" is the fist novel in the Mates, Dates series. This novel follows a fourteen year old girl named Lucy, and her two friends Nesta and Izzy. Lucy thought everything in her life was taking a turn for the worst, her parents are completely Eco-friendly, which Lucy found annoying. Also,Lucy had a sneaking suspicion that that her two friends were trying to turn there back to her. But, everything changes when Lucy saw a boy from a near by school. She thought it was love at first sight. So, after a week of continuous searching, she found him! But, he wasn't who she thought he was. He was Nesta's older brother.
This realistic fiction shows how Lucy realized that friends and family were more important than boys. It described how her life went from what seemed the worst go to one of the best years ever. I enjoyed reading this book. Also, I know that in a few weeks I will definitely be reading this book again.
This realistic fiction shows how Lucy realized that friends and family were more important than boys. It described how her life went from what seemed the worst go to one of the best years ever. I enjoyed reading this book. Also, I know that in a few weeks I will definitely be reading this book again.
May 21, 2009
This book is about three girls named Lucy, Izzie, and Nesta. Lucy has a best friend named Izzie. Then Nesta moves in. She becomes their friend and she is very popular. Then Lucy's teacher asks her what she wants to be when she gets older and she doesn't know while everyone else does. She gets very worried.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2011
i really liked this book because its really girly and stuuuuuff. i kinda just picked it up from the shelf not expecting it to be good but i got really stuck into it and finished it in a day! so yeaah, good book. leaves you wanting to read more and more. and i have gotten stuck in to the rest of the series hehe :)
November 23, 2016
I really enjoyed this book, it was really cute and easy to read I flew through it. The book is written for more of a younger audience so that is why I couldn't give it the full 5 stars, but I really liked it! I can't wait to continue on with the series and see how the friendship of these three girls grows.
October 14, 2012
Very funny! I can relate to every character in the story. Each character has their own love story. But more than that, it is about family, school problems, friendship, everything about life.
November 9, 2013
Amazing, for a teen. I've pretty much finished reading the series, at least one a day. But I am actually sad because I feel I've gotten to know them. I LOVE THESE GUYS!!! xx
May 30, 2014
This book is great for a quick read on a sunny day. With totally relatable characters, it feels like having a laugh with your girlfriends
January 7, 2015
Cute with good messages. I liked the audiobook narrator.
February 7, 2017
This series was the first one I read when I was younger, and I was really in the mood to re-read it, so thats what I am doing! :)
May 14, 2018
3 1/2 stars - these books are light and easy to listen to. Teenage girls are the same the world over.
February 20, 2025
Miła, przyjemna historia dla młodszych nastolatek. Co ciekawe, prawie 25-letnia. Gdy po nią sięgałam, zastanawiałam się jak duża będzie przepaść pomiędzy realiami w książce, a współczesnością. (Nie)stety - nieznaczna.
Z jednej strony jest klimat lat zerowych - rozmawianie głównie przez telefony stacjonarne, Internet jako nowość czy szukanie inspiracji do metamorfozy pokoju czy ubrań w papierowych magazynach. Czytając, można odbyć sentymentalną podróż w czasie.
Do tego fajna, wspierająca przyjaźń. Dziewczyny szczerze rozmawiają, za swoje błędy przepraszają i wyciągają z nich lekcje.
Z drugiej strony: szczerze zaskoczyły mnie fragmenty o tym, że 14-letnie dziewczyny mają już za sobą szkolną lekcję antykoncepcji, bez skrępowania rozmawiają o podpaskach. Nie wiem, czy UK było takie nowoczesne, czy Polska jest taka zacofana. Zasmuciło mnie, że mimo tylu lat, dziewczyny dalej mają zbliżone kompleksy, jak prawie 3 dekady temu. Jest jeszcze wiele do zrobienia w tych tematach.
PS. Jestem szczerze ciekawa, dlaczego w polskim tłumaczeniu tytułu zamiast staników jest nieznajomy :D
Z jednej strony jest klimat lat zerowych - rozmawianie głównie przez telefony stacjonarne, Internet jako nowość czy szukanie inspiracji do metamorfozy pokoju czy ubrań w papierowych magazynach. Czytając, można odbyć sentymentalną podróż w czasie.
Do tego fajna, wspierająca przyjaźń. Dziewczyny szczerze rozmawiają, za swoje błędy przepraszają i wyciągają z nich lekcje.
Z drugiej strony: szczerze zaskoczyły mnie fragmenty o tym, że 14-letnie dziewczyny mają już za sobą szkolną lekcję antykoncepcji, bez skrępowania rozmawiają o podpaskach. Nie wiem, czy UK było takie nowoczesne, czy Polska jest taka zacofana. Zasmuciło mnie, że mimo tylu lat, dziewczyny dalej mają zbliżone kompleksy, jak prawie 3 dekady temu. Jest jeszcze wiele do zrobienia w tych tematach.
PS. Jestem szczerze ciekawa, dlaczego w polskim tłumaczeniu tytułu zamiast staników jest nieznajomy :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
January 1, 2025I'm not gonna rate it because it feels pretty unfair as I'm massively not the target audience anymore, but this was an extremely nothing book. I remember these books very fondly from my childhood, so they absolutely did their job then. It's quite dated in some ways, but it maintains the general messages which is about Lucy finding her confidence and who she is, of course with an undercurrent of telling its readers that if you're like Lucy too, that's ok. She's 14, she feels like she still looks really young, she's not gotten boobs, and she's never kissed anyone. She's gets anxious when her one friend makes a new friend bevause she doesn't want to be pushed out. It's a good message, I think, finding the right line of being fun and casual and trashy, but with some genuinely good stuff. However, I have found the answer to how I read so many books as a 13 year old... this one is 97 pages! I read it in an hour, maybe two. So of course, there's just not that much that goes on. All in all, fun to revisit, but in terms of "does it hold up"/"would I read it now" the answer is no.
October 22, 2019
Oikein kiva ja viihdyttävä, kuten lajityyppiin kuuluu. Tämä sarjan ykkösosa keskittyy itsetunto- ja kaveriasioihin. Päähenkilö Lucylla on huono itsetunto, sillä hän näyttää mielestään 12-vuotiaalta, vaikka on 14. Paras kaveri Izzie hengaa nykyään enemmän Nestan kanssa kuin Lucyn ja sekös harmittaa. Koulussakin opettaja tivaa toiveammateista, vaikka Lucy ei yhtään tiedä mitä osaa ja kuka edes on...
Kevyellä kattauksella yleisiä (nuoren) ihmisyyden ongelmia. Sarjan iän huomaa parhaiten mainituista julkkiksista. Nykyiset 14-vuotiaat tuskin pitävät Leonardo DiCapriota kuumimpana ikinä. Toimii silti nykypäivässäkin.
Kevyellä kattauksella yleisiä (nuoren) ihmisyyden ongelmia. Sarjan iän huomaa parhaiten mainituista julkkiksista. Nykyiset 14-vuotiaat tuskin pitävät Leonardo DiCapriota kuumimpana ikinä. Toimii silti nykypäivässäkin.
Read
February 19, 2025100% de her bøger og the hunger games som gjorde mig glad for at læse
Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews