How to get a life in 10 dates

What a cute rom-com that's begging to be a movie! This is a book set in the same universe as On The Plus Side but is a true standalone. I liked this one a lot more! This universe with fat women who are treated just as women is amazing!

Hayleigh (25) feels like no one takes her seriously (even herself) other than her best friend Jack. They have a super close (maybe enmeshed) friendship - one that would make it very hard for them to find romantic partners. They tried dating for a week and it dissolved after one fight because of lack of maturity. But Hayleigh wants a relationship so she asks her mom, older sis, Jack, grandpa, and roommate (Stanton, the fashion expert from OTPS) to set her up on 2 dates each hoping to find love. The dates were pretty interesting and mostly realistic (not the support bird guy). I really liked that Brian from OTPS was back and he was such a great relationahip for her!

As a therapist, while glad that anxiety and OCD were represented in this book, I'm not sure that Jack's OCD was given as much research and care as it could've been. It was more a stereotype of OCD. This disorder was handled beautifully in Last Call at The Local. I'm glad the conversation is happening because folks in their early twenties really are experiencing anxiety disorders at an alarming rate and this is important to normalize.

On a whole this book does allow its characters to be very loveable! Something that is so needed. Dating as a plus size woman wasn't always easy. Loving and accepting yourself makes it easier, as Hayleigh does in this book. It's it's easy to love Hayleigh. Jack is immensely likeable. I really would love this to be a mainstream romantic comedy. I can only think of one, Dumplin, where the FMC is taking seriously and not made fun of by the film. It would be so awesome to have a movie in which the fat FMC was seen as deserving of love and not the butt of a single fat joke or eye roll. Netflix please snap this up!

An enjoyable read that is so fun it makes you forget its (small) flaws. 4.25 stars Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I will start this one off by saying that Jenny L. Howe is one of my favorite authors so when I received this one on NetGalley, I was so excited…and it did not disappoint! This book was definitely a Jenny L. Howe book in that it did plus size with dignity and heart! I absolutely loved the love and the main character, Haleigh, and subsequently, absolutely fell for Jack! Overall, an amazing read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for access to the eARC.

How To Get A Life In Ten Dates was a fun, lighthearted romp through the dating life of Haleigh, a young plus-sized woman who loves books and aspires to be an editor, and seems to be cursed with bad dates. She allows her family and friends to set her up on ten blind dates in a bid to buy herself some breathing room from people asking about her love life.

I loved the representation of a larger woman in a romance novel where it wasn’t an issue or part of any challenge to overcome, we can just love Haleigh as she is. She’s funny, spews random facts, and has a strong belief in being true to herself at all times.

The string of bad dates was hilarious and super relatable for anyone who’s ever been single in their twenties or dipped their toes into the dating app scene. It was also refreshing that the badness of the dates was never really at Haleigh’s expense.

There were some things that I didn’t love though. Haleigh projects a lot of her own insecurities onto everyone around her, coming across as a very negative person who always looks for or assumes the worst in others. Her attitude is that she’s not like anyone else and that her shortcomings are just her marching to the beat of her own drum, and she lashes out at anyone who tries to help her or relate to her from a different point of view. She’s quick to dismiss dates as potential romantic interests over very minor things, and holds onto a lot of resentment and jealousy towards her sister who has done nothing but try to help her for her entire life. There’s a love triangle and I actually found myself more invested and rooting for the other love interest than the MMC, and the resolution felt a little unearned with a lack of growth on both Haleigh and Jack’s parts.

Overall, this was a fun read and I’m glad I read this, but really wish we could’ve seen Haleigh grow up a bit despite her constant complaints about adulting.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for making this eARC available to me in exchange for an honest review!!

Haleigh and Jack are just…everything. I love seeing plus size representation in FMCs even if their character development can sometimes feel a bit heavy handed like it does with Haleigh - she’s very negative at the start of the book but once you get through it you see her start to develop and shine.

This was my first read by Howe, and I am eager for more!! So funny and sweet, I really enjoyed this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Jenny L. Howe for the opportunity to read this arc. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster for me. One chapter I would be laughing and the next my heart would be breaking for the characters. Then there was the cockatoo date chapter 🤣(IYKYK).

Haleigh’s character was so uplifting and positive. This is one of the first books I’ve read with a plus sized FMC and the way she embraced herself and acknowledged the challenges that came along with it was executed perfectly.

Then there’s Jack, my poor heart broke for this character many times. Watching him navigate the struggles with his mental health was heart wrenching.

The author incorporated LGBTQ+ and mental health struggles throughout the book. It was written with grace and love and never derogatory.

Even though this book was a bit predictable, it was an excellent read! I can’t wait to read more from Jenny.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

Genres, settings, categories, themes: contemporary romance (M/bi F), rom com, editing/publishing, video games, mental health, plus size, Boston

💗 Tropes: 💗
> Dating Game
> Friends to Lovers
> Love Triangle
> Opposites Attract
> Shared Past

POV: 3rd person

Series/Sequencing Style: standalone

Format: ebook

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Overall ratings

🌶 Heat level: 3/5 spicy seduction 🌶
(from Ampersand’s guide to heat levels in romance novels – (0) sweet, (1) mild sizzle, (2) sensual steam, (3) spicy seduction, (4) red hot, (5) erotic)

~ Heroine (Haleigh) ~ 4.5/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
~ Hero (Jack(son)) ~ 5/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
~ Hero (Brian) ~ 5/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
~ Side characters ~ 4.5/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 Characters with real flaws, so people felt genuine/realistic.

~ Pacing ~ 3/5 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 Rachel's review makes some good points about the pacing & timing.

~ Plot ~ 3.5/5 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

~ Romantic connection ~ 4/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 In terms of the attraction & connection, I hesitate to even say anything, because I think this is more for me than objectively, but I felt a slight miss here. There's definitely steaminess (with both men), but the heat is very rooted in heart. Not sure why it didn't read quite as hot of a spark as some do, despite there clearly being physical connections? They're very cute, but I just didn't get all the feels as much as I do with some?

~ Writing ~ 4/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 The style is easy to read and the author handles topics & wording well. I just think one more round of edits and smoothing out some sentences could help.

~ Reading enjoyability & fun ~ 4.5/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

~ Depth & tone (light & fun --> more serious, addresses heavier topics?): 2.5/5 fairly light-hearted, but addressing some deeper issues

~ Diversity & representation: plus-size, bi FMC dating both men & women, neurodiversity (anxiety disorders & OCD), queer characters (roommate besties are M/M, sister getting married F/F)

~ Angst level: 3/5

~ Sadness level: none-low

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❗CW/Triggers:❗anxiety attacks (on page), death of loved ones (off page), depression (off page), sick family members (off page)

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📝 Review/Notes 📝

Before:
Excited to get this advance copy, because it sounds like a really cute rom com with some great representation.

Starting out:
I can tell it needs at least one more round of editing. Example:
“…in the people watching department.
And people watching was Haleigh’s favorite pastime.
You never knew what kind of story you were going to get.
And Haleigh loved a good story.”
Stunted, short sentences could be smoothed together better. Writing gets better as it goes along, seems to relax into itself.

After reading:
Overall not the most exciting book I've read, but it should do well with a large group of readers. A cute rom com. There were a few parts that felt a bit slow to me, but also other times where I didn't want to put it down because I wanted to see them develop.

Definitely a sweet romance in that it's very heavy on the love parts (maybe a bit sappy), but that obviously isn't a negative in the romance genre; I just personally have preferences within the genre.

There was a bit more angst than I personally prefer (further details/spoiler in full goodreads review). I can see many readers really liking this book. Who will she choose? The best friend or the new adventure?

On her choice:
(further details/spoiler in full goodreads review)

Some things in particular that I liked:
• I think the representation was handled beautifully on all angles (body types, neurodiversity, sexuality).

• Her handling of Jack's work crisis.

Some things I didn't like or would change:
• There are some overreactions throughout. For example, I think she (further details/spoiler in full goodreads review)

• I was looking for a bit more mischief & tension – maybe I wanted to see him sabotaging the dates & rules a bit more. From the description – "Until Jack starts breaking all the rules they’d made to mend their friendship in college. He produces a laundry list of flaws for everyone she likes, crashes some of her nights out..." – this didn't really happen? The way everything unfolded was all in all pretty mild.

• The obsession around Haleigh "being a mess" felt unfair and over-exaggerated.

**Further details with hidden spoilers included in the full Goodreads review (linked below)**

I picked this one up as a "palate cleanser" after a few heavier, sadder reads and it was just what the doctor ordered! This may be my favorite Jenny Howe read to date.

Haleigh is only 25 years old but she's completely over the dating scene. Trying to figure out her professional life without going back to a soul-sucking full time desk job is hard enough without adding bad dates to the mix. It's tough times out there -- especially for a plus-size woman.

It also doesn't help that the only person she's ever felt that spark with is her best friend, Jack. But after the two hooked up on vacation five years ago and threatened their friendship with the added layers of complication that brought, they have strict friend-zone rules that they adhere to closely to preserve the relationship.

With an upcoming family event that will require her to have a plus one, Haleigh gives the five people closest to her in her life -- her mom, her sister, her grandfather, her roommate Stanton, and Jack, the opportunity to set her up on two dates each. If she doesn't find the right match in these ten dates, they have to leave her alone about her earned dating sabbatical. These set ups involve hilariously unique dating surveys that Jack helped her create.

The date(s) portion of this book is as comical and relatable as you would expect -- with some true contenders for the award for worst first date ever. Haleigh isn't surprised -- this was the whole point of the experiment, after all. But she is very surprised when Jack submits himself as the tenth and final dating contestant. Are they ready to put aside their carefully crafted rules and try dating for real?

This book was incredibly down to earth and relatable, just as Jenny is IRL! It was just an tremendously fun read and exactly what was I was in the mood for. I love when the characters feel like friends by the end!

This story was a great mix of friends-to-lovers, hilarious fix-ups, a realistic view of mental health and second chances. I really liked Haleigh and Jack, though I do wish they’d talked about Hawaii. Pretending like it never happened was like an ever-present elephant in the room. Brian was really easy to like, and I admit that I shipped them and would have been happy if he was Haleigh’s choice.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffin and Jenny L. Howe for an advanced reader copy (eARC) in exchange for an honest review.

This is an ARC review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was super cute. I thought the dates were hilarious! I really loved the two main characters together as well.

I do feel that the ending was really rushed, especially the proposal. It felt really out of place. Would have loved to see it back in Hawaii or something meaningful to them.

I also felt like there was no closure with Dylan… we were made to be suspicious of her for no reason? Just felt random and out of place.

Overall though, I enjoyed this read!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Jenny L. Howe for this ARC!

I want to start by saying that I really appreciated that the author gave the characters some curves and made them more relatable. I wish it had more spice, but sweet romance does have an audience so this is a great fit for those readers! It’s a cute, fun, sweet romance.

I think this book definitely had potential, but really missed the mark. I really loved that the FMC is plus sized, and so is the MMC but I think they both came across as super mature. I liked that there was mental health representation, I struggled to stay engaged with the story because there just was something missing for me. It's a single POV which I already don't care for to begin with but I would have loved to get Jack's insight of his mental health struggles but this book was missing that.

Wow. First, I love Haileigh acknowledged that she’s fat and that it’s not a bad thing. I’m so over the “I’m so tiny he’s so big” thing. What if I’m not tiny? I flew through this book. It’s for sure going on the must buy list. I’m also really glad that it didn’t have a conflict in the third act after the two of them got together. I hate that. Major snaps all around

Firstly, this is a 3.5 rating, not quite a 4 star rating.

I liked a variety of things in the book: both the FMC and MMC were not stick thin, there was mental health representation, the 25 year old characters didn't have their careers picture perfect, it was both a friends to lovers and a second chance romance.

But I also really wasn't cheering for them to be together. I know in their case, them both dealing with anxiety helped them help each other, but from personal experience, as someone who has struggled with mental health, it can be really difficult to be with someone else who lacks mental stability. I knew early on that I needed someone who was stable and could balance me, but I'm not saying that should be the case for everyone.

I also just crave dual POV storytelling. I find it difficult to fully enjoy the single POV. It made sense for this book, but it's not my favourite.

This book was also almost a closed door romance which drives me crazy. Then they had the door cracked open and slammed it in my face at one point with another fade to black moment. More. Spice. Please.

The book was cute overall. I'd recommend it to people who are looking for a wholesome romance.

This one had a lot of potential but unfortunately fell flat for me. I always appreciate an author who takes the time to write a plus size character who is comfortable in her body and her whole existence is not about her body size.

All the tropes you need, from fake dating to friends-to-lovers! Plus an incredible fat, queer MC who is so so easy to relate to-- a feel-good, happy read.

I really liked that the representation of mental health and plus size main characters. Unfortunately I did DNF the book. I just found the characters to be written quite young, younger than their age is supposed to be. I struggled to stay interested in the story. It reminded me of another book I've read that was a Young Adult genre but somehow I was more interested in that version of this concept. I am sure this book would be someones cup of tea but unfortunately it did not jive with me.

Thank you for the opportunity to review!

How to Get a Life in Ten Dates is a sweet, fat positive love story about a girl, her best friend/LOHL, and the 10 dates she lets her friends and family set her up on to get them off her case.

OBVIOUSLY this is going to end exactly the way you predict, but also obviously, it's Jenny L. Howe so it's delightful.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffins for the ARC.

I was here for the fat and mental health rep of How to Get a Life in Ten Dates, but struggled to stay interested in the story.

I'm really struggling with how easy this was to read, yet how little I feel like recommending it. I do like the fat rep (though I wish the jacket copy/promotional materials played up Jack's fatness as well!) and the prose is solid, with many funny moments. Like many other reviewers, I really liked Brian (the other point of the love triangle) and felt ambivalent about Jack and Haleigh as a couple. And since mental health is a key facet of both Haleigh's and Jack's journeys, I felt the absence of Jack's perspective in understanding his character. Ultimately, this did not feel like a story about grownups. I'll certainly read more from Howe in the future, but this one didn't quite work for me. Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

This book has so much potential.
Anxiety and OCD handled in a realistic way? Check
Plus sized main character not endlessly trying to change her body type? Check
Friends to lovers trope? Check
Interesting and funny supporting characters? Check
Hilarious bad date sequences? Check
Both the FMC and MMC seem immature for their ages and I just couldn’t get into this story. It was an actual struggle to finish.
I could be the wrong reader for this book and others may enjoy it as a light romance with some humor.
BTW #teambrian

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Griffin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.