How to Get a Life in Ten Dates by Jenny L. Howe is a great novel! Although I had a hard time with it in the beginning as it felt a little slow, once it got going. A fun story with some well fleshed out characters who knew how to handle their stress and anxiety and what to do when it got overwhelming. Loved it! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I loved how this was about a fat woman who was not “fat and…”, but just a human being trying to find love (or really, wanting to take a break from finding love!) The dates were a lot of fun, with some really funny weird scenarios and some really sweet ones. I struggled a little with Haleigh and Jack not realizing that they were meant to be - honestly, it annoyed me enough that I was rooting for one of the other dates to win Haleigh and surprise me! - but ultimately they were cute together and seeing the “why” unfold helped them make more sense.

Fun read about Haleigh and the many supporting characters in her life. Jack is her lobster, though it takes a while for both to realize and settle in. Not a deep read but a perfect summer vacation one.

This book was a delight to read! The characters are lovable and funny. As Haleigh is having trouble dating and wants a plus one for a big party for her sister, she agrees to let her friends and family set her up on dates. Each date opens with a questionnaire that Haleigh has devised with some quirky questions. There are a few dates that go awry in hysterical fashion. This is the perfect rom com to add to your reading list.

Jenny Howe ate with this one. I really liked The Makeup Test, and I thought On the Plus Side was fine, but this one was great. Loved Haleigh, loved the slow burn/friends to lovers of it all, loved the dates. It was just so much fun! Maybe 4.5 stars because, ultimately, the conflict between Haleigh and Jack in Hawaii didn't feel like it was THAT bad to drive such a wedge between them but I can look past it. What an excellent read!!

a young woman who's fed up with dating challenges her family and friends to set her up on ten dates, but gets more than she bargained for when her best friend adds himself to the roster.

This one had so much potential but unfortunately fell extremely flat. The dates were hilarious and the mental health representation is refreshing and very well done but too much of the plot felt immature and silly. I felt like it was being stated that you NEEDED a partner to be happy and that’s simply not true. Sure some parental units/families put pressure on this and maybe I’m just lucky to have never felt that; but the main characters family was just being way too dramatic and over the top. I also thought it was cute how the author threw a nod to her other book On The Plus Side; but then it quickly became thrown into every second paragraph and ended up just being annoying.

Overall, am I glad I read it? Meh. It was alright but could have lived without.

Absolutely loved this! The heroine's journey through her dating adventures was both heartwarming and relatable. The plus-size representation was authentic and empowering, making the story even more impactful. The writing was top-notch, with vivid descriptions and emotionally charged scenes that kept me hooked from start to finish. Five stars for a beautifully crafted tale.

The premise pulled me in. Haleigh had to find a date for her sister’s upcoming wedding. Haleigh was a plus size 25 year old that wanted her family to stop worrying about her lack of a romantic life. She did the online dating with zero success. So she recruited her family and best friends to help pick out dates for her. The dates had to answer a questionnaire before the date and be shown a picture of what she looked like. There were triggers such as anxiety and the use of the term fat to describe herself. I wished though there was a warning of a love triangle. I really dislike love triangles. I also had an issue with her best friend. I thought he was horrible. He told her he loved her and then took it back. Yeah, nope that was when she should have walked away from him for good. Yet, she gave him a chance of being her best friend?! After they slept together! Nope! So I was cheering for the new love interest pretty much the whole time. The story was okay. It achieved the purpose of being light hearted. The ending was again okay. Overall, I was hoping for a better love story. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my review.

Jenny L. Howe perfectly captures what it feels like to come of age in your mid-twenties. As I went through Haleigh's journey, it took me back to the anxiety and stress of being 25 and trying to get it together, especially when it feels like everyone else has it figured out. I think if I read this at 25, I would have felt completely seen and validated that it is okay to be 25 and not know what to do with your life. That is a lesson I still need, sometimes, at age 30! I loved the premise of letting your family choose your dates, just so you can get them to back off once and for all, only to have the plan backfire in the end.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*
Jack and Haleigh have a beautiful, sweet, and very pure relationship. It's based on love and history and the two complement each other nicely. Jack is a complete ball of mush for Haleigh and it is adorable. And don't get me started on BRIAN. I loved him; I knew he wouldn't be endgame, which is why I suck at reading love triangles, I always end up half-in-love with the other person. I found the minimized 3rd act conflict super refreshing and I enjoyed seeing where the story would take me.

Random note, I would love to read Jenny L. Howe write a story in first-person POV. This is a personal preference and I just think she'd nail it. Her 3rd person POV is super strong and she writes so incredibly on a technical level. I'm constantly impressed with her craft!

This was an easy, light read for me. I am sucker for the friends to lovers trope I have found out lately... lol This has a second chance trope as well. However it fell kind of flat on the tropes for me. One reason I have it 4 stars. I was rooting for the other guy (Brian) more than the MMC. I LOVED the FMC, she is by far the best character Howe has written. I will gladly read another one of her books!

I love Howe's writing style. Her books are very engaging. This title was keeping me up late reading. I loved how well-developed and entertaining the main characters were, and their banter was great. Howe gets it right when she made this story about dating as a plus size woman. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars!

Overall this was a cute light read. However. I always seem to have issues with friends-to-lovers stories. Especially when they've already made their feelings known yet decide not to be together, but never truly give other people a TRUE chance. I loved the FMC, but the MMC fell short for me. I wish there had been more romantic moments between the two that had me rooting for them.

This was a really cute and heartfelt romance at the core of it. There was drama, heartbreak, and everything in between romance, overall a great read!. I would definitely recommend to Ali Hazelwood fans.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.