This was cute if a little ridiculous, and even given that the fundamental conflict between the main characters (their respective mental health conditions mean they respond to adversity and conflict in what appears to be incompatible ways) appears to be unfixable, I enjoyed the premise and the plot. This does feel like a book that you would most enjoy if you are a person who likes watching dating reality TV and watching people go out on dates. 3.5 rounded up.

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Who cannot relate to a bad date or dates? We should all take notes from How To Get A Life In Ten Dates. Haleigh is having a rough go at it. She is a young plus-size woman with horrible anxiety, brought on by her previous job ( more on that later) trying to find a romantic partner. She has a best friend, Jack, who makes the perfect couple on paper. ( And almost did ) until one passionate night together thinking it would finally lead to something, but it does not. To save their friendship they make a list of rules about that night and find a way to return to their close friendship. After so many bad dates she is ready to give up.

Haleigh's sisters' pending nuptials are coming up her family and friends are bugging her to bring a plus one, so to shut them up once and for all, she decides to let them each set her up with a date and if after those ten dates, she still has not found anyone they all have to leave her alone. She is so sure they will be bad and she will win.. but will they? They all have their favorites and we read about some crazy first dates. Even Jack is in on it, but he starts to fill her head with all the dates' flaws. The last date turns out to be something she does not expect.. I enjoyed this book and all of the different characters Jenny writes about. It was easy to picture each scenario.

One last thing I liked about this book is the discussion of mental health. We always talk about mental health but this is the first time I read a book where the job brought on anxiety and stress which I don't think gets discussed enough. And I appreciated that. A lot of times we stay because we think we have to but we don't.

This book had so many important themes and was well rounded in character development and pacing. Unfortunately, it also had a couple of my most-disliked romance tropes. I think there are some definite themes and main character experiences that will resonate with a variety of readers . I also applaud the author’s forward and insight into what she was trying to achieve.

I thoroughly enjoyed 'How to Get a Life in Ten Dates' by Jenny Howe. It was a fun and lighthearted read that had me smiling throughout. The book is perfect for anyone looking for a fun and easy escape, with charming characters and hilarious blind dating scenarios.

What stood out to me was the book's focus on mental health, specifically anxiety, which many of us can relate to. The portrayal of anxiety in the story is authentic and empathetic. I particularly loved the emotional support parrot's unexpected appearance! The book also does a great job of promoting body positivity.

This is a cute, feel-good read that balances humor and heart!

Unfortunately this story didn’t capture my attention. I wasn’t able to connect to the characters or the premise and I DNF’d at 25%. The writing is super well done and the dialogue is realistic.

This was too cute! I was absolutely in love with Haleigh and Jack from the beginning! I hope to read more by Jenny L. Howe as soon as I can! Thank you to NetGalley and to St Martin's Press for my digital ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for making this ARC available!

3.75 rounded up.

This was SO cute!

Haleigh’s bad dates were super entertaining, and seeing the good ones go well left me feeling hopeful. Online dating and being set up by friends and family is not easy nowadays!

I loved the inclusion of mental health struggles and feel like it was done well and accurately (as someone who also struggles with general anxiety.) Yay for therapy that works to get through that!

I would have loved to see more with Haleigh and her sister. There seems to be a lot of history that was a bit glossed over that could have been fleshed out a bit more.

Having a plus-sized FMC that is confident is always great to see ❤️

Thank you NET GALLEY for the ARC.

This wasn't my favorite book I've read. The plot fell flat, and the characters did not interest me.

This book is a fun and easy read with a classic rom-com vibe. Haleigh is tired of the dating scene, so she lets her friends and family set her up on ten dates. Things get interesting when her best friend, Jack, joins in, making her wonder if there could be more between them. While the story is predictable, it’s still a cute and entertaining ride. Perfect if you’re in the mood for something light and sweet. Thanks netgalley and publishers

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

🔽🔽🔽

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

🔽🔽🔽

📝 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.