3 stars - Overall this fell short of Howe's prior novels. I found myself exasperated by the FMC decisions and lost interest. She wasn't a strong, confident woman and it was hard for me to get invested in the book. Maybe this was because it seemed like a less good version of Sophie Cousen's Is She Really Going Out with Him?

Thank you to Netgallery for an e-arc and my library for the audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Jenny's books are always great. I've been reading since the first came out - and will continue to do so.

I really loved the OCD, and anxiety rep. I loved Haley as a character and Jack as a love interest.

Even Brian was a great character, and I was worried how he would react at the end. But the story was very well done. 🥰

A very cute second chance romance! Fell a bit flat for me in a few spots. Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC of this read.

My second read from Jenny L. Howe, I enjoyed this one! Fat rep in romance is so important, and Howe does it so well. It’s great that more are coming out now, but to have it more as an own voices representation with the reality and not a performative interpretation from a skinny author is what makes it best (coming from a reader who has always been on the bigger side).

Haleigh and Jack are BFFs, never with a romantic thought between them… until she needs a plus one for her sister’s wedding and decides to go on multiple dates to find “the one,” having her close friends and family set her up on ten dates. Jack suddenly realizes that he might actually have those kind of feelings, so realizes he’s sabotaging her plans to be that winner… especially when she’s pretty sure she’s found her guy, and it isn’t him.

A great read which I highly recommend! I enjoyed it greatly the entire way through. The best friends aspect added a lot to a regular friends to lovers storyline, and the awful dating stories was a lot of fun. A sort of love triangle done right, since that is a trope I really don’t do. Howe is a great author!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press (St. Martin’s Griffin) for the early copies. This is my honest opinion and feedback.

This is a review of the audiobook.

Jenny Howe has given us what we want yet again with How To Get a Life in Ten Dates. A new play on friends-to-lovers, we follow FMC Haleigh as she navigates the (awful, treacherous, fill-in-the-blank-here) space of online dating. Add in the pressure and complexities of familial pressures - drama and comedy ensues. Jenny expertly tells a tale of a 20/30something trying to find themself as a person and what they bring to their multitudes of relationships, realizing what may have been right beside them all along.

Goodreads review

This was a charming and light romance. The premise is fun and engaging, and the authors writing style is easy to read and entertaining.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was absolutely delightful. I love best friends to lovers more than anything, so I already knew I would like this one. What I wasn’t expecting was how much I appreciated the carefully written representation of mental health struggles. I think Jenny did a great job of showing people who are struggling, but also showing what they are doing to actively work on themselves. This was such a fun, thoughtful read

I love Jenny Howe's romances, and this one didn't disappoint! Such a lovely character study, plus lots of delightful banter, heat, and healing. Loved it as always!

I am finding a lot of new favorite authors lately, and I think Jenny L. Howe has to be one of them! How to Get a Life in Ten Dates is everything I love in a rom-com because it is hilarious while also having lots of depth. Like a Hallmark movie, it is likely you will see where this one is headed, but that doesn’t take way from the enjoyment of it. The dogs 🐶 in the book are adorable, and questionnaires the men have to fill out to date Haleigh are priceless. Howe’s humor felt much like my own, and I appreciated that she made anxiety a part of the story. There is a bit of spice, but it wasn’t overly spicy, and I felt like it fit quite nicely into the storyline.

I loved how authentic the characters in How to Get a Life in Ten Dates were and I don’t think there was anyone better to voice the audiobook than Billie Bryant. She hasn’t narrated much yet according to Libro.fm and I need her to voice more romance stat! She did such a wonderful job with this book and perfectly portrayed Haleigh from beginning to end. I also loved the growth that the characters (especially Haleigh) went through, and by the end I was a little teary over it. I will definitely be reading more of Howe’s work ASAP!

Read this if you enjoy romance books featuring younger characters (our FMC is only 25), a focus on fat (not derogatory here) women trying to find love in a tough dating world, and a dose of family drama.

My Spice Rating: 🌶🌶
Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*3.5 stars*

This was really cute and fun. I loved the concept. This book follows Haleigh who has had terrible luck with dating and she’s fed up with her loved ones hounding her about getting a serious partner. So, she decided to come up with a plan, she will let her family/friends set her up on 10 dates and in exchange, after the 10 dates they will stop judging her for not having a partner. It includes bi representation, anxiety representation, best friends to lovers, plus-sized FMC, and a slight love triangle. I adored Haleigh’s character, she was so fun and the little surveys she would have each person fill out before each date added such a fun element. I loved seeing all the different dates throughout. I also think Jenny L. Howe did an incredible job of showing how anxiety can feel for different people, both MCs dealt with their anxiety in different ways, which was done really well. I wasn’t a huge fan of the mild love triangle situation included, while it added an interesting part of the story, it was just obvious who she was going to end up with the whole time, and it felt a little unnecessary for moving the plot forward, in my opinion. However, I really enjoyed how the story wrapped up and how much both MCs really cared for each other. Overall, if you’re a fan of rom-coms, Jenny L. Howe’s writing definitely gives you that. I was laughing and smiling so many times throughout, she did a great job implementing comedy into the story.

A quick and fun read that kept me interested and entertained. However admittedly, it didn't stay with me after I finished the way my very favourite romances do.

Thank you so much St. Martins Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

What a fun delightful story! Haleigh is a young woman who isn’t sure what’s going on to cause all of these terrible dates. As a fat woman (used as a descriptor per Haleigh herself) she knows who she is, but she’s struggling with finding her place. At least she always has her best friend Jack, right?

Overall, this book has some of the healthiest representation of mental health I’ve ever personally read. There’s descriptions of general anxiety disorder both medicated and unmedicated, plenty of discussions about therapy from both MCs, and lots of real world strategies to trick the brain. This was so refreshing to see. I thought Haleigh and Jack navigated this really well.

I also liked the accurate depiction of dating while knowing your worth. Haleigh went on multiple dates, good and bad, and had healthy communication on why things were and were not working (for the most part). I appreciate her creating a character that while not perfect, was still honest and upfront with her dates.

This is a charming and heartfelt romantic comedy that brings laughter, tears, and a rollercoaster of emotions. Haleigh Berkshire is a plus-size woman who's exhausted from failed dating attempts and decides to take a break from romance. Her plan is to let her family and friends set her up with a series of dates, with the hope that none of them will be a match and she'll finally get her peace.
What starts as a humorous and lighthearted scheme quickly takes an unexpected turn when her best friend, Jack, begins interfering with her dates, revealing his jealousy in a series of unexpected and endearing ways. The slow-burn tension between Haleigh and Jack is palpable, and their dynamic is both relatable and swoon-worthy.
This story beautifully captures the struggle of navigating love, friendship, and self-acceptance, especially when it involves a complicated history and feelings that have been buried for years. It's a perfect read for anyone who enjoys a well-crafted, feel-good romance with plenty of humor, heart, and personal growth. Haleigh and Jack’s journey is one you won’t want to miss!
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing company for this Advanced Readers Copy of How to Get a Life in Ten Dates!

⋆.˚✮ 3 stars ✮˚.⋆

Thank you to St. Martins Griffin for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

i was looking forward to reading this romance as childhood friends to lovers is the main trope, and while I am a firm believer in enemies to lovers this trope has been rising on my list of favorite tropes.

the dates that the main character Haleigh went on were actually really well done. i’m someone who’s been with my boyfriend since high school and I’ve never wanted to go on a ton of dates even before him, but honestly how many different people Haleigh met was really fun. i know in the real world dating is complicated, but each person she went on a date with was so unique and i think the author did a good job differentiating them.

my favorite date she went on was definitely Brian, he seemed to be really enthusiastic about her and it appeared that they had good chemistry - but that’s also where i had a problem with this book. while I definitely saw the appeal between Haleigh and Jack as I enjoy childhood friends to lovers - but they were really different. and there was one point in the story where she was deciding between Brian and Jack, and she went on a date with Brian and all of a sudden he seemed so different. it felt almost unfair, and like the story was just adjusting to let her and Jack end up together. that’s what sort of threw the book off for me from being a really great read.

don’t get me wrong I did like Jack - when she got upset at one point he took her to a bookstore and told her to choose books for herself and one for him to read. he cooks for her, plays video games with her, and has been with her through a lot. but i wish the author had made their coming together a little more natural.

i did really enjoy her family though, and seeing their dynamics as they picked out dates for her. they were definitely not perfect, but what family is? the love they had for her came out in many ways and it was so fun.

↬ trigger warnings: fat shaming, depictions of anxiety and depression, depiction of panic attacks, death of a family member mentioned

This one was pretty complicated! There was pining, second chance, new romance, blind dates. When we got some real competition I didn't know which way she was going to go!

Haleigh Berkshire is ready for a change. She's living in the spare room of a friend's place, she's working two part-time jobs that are going nowhere, and everyone around her is coupled up. Except for her best friend Jack. Jack who knows her so well, but because of the 10 Rules, they base their friendship on... will only BE a friend) Her mom and grandpa are frequently reminding her about how single she is. She's tired of dates that are going nowhere.

Haleigh gets the idea to let everyone in her life set her up on two blind dates to see that she HAS been giving dating a real try. And it is really time for a break.

So on and on Haleigh goes on these dates. Some funny, some boring, some normal but no spark. Then she gets set up with Brian. Brian, who loves animals like she does. Brian, who's pretty sweet and cute. And supportive.

Suddenly, it's looking like she's found a real someone. A someone who can help her get over Jack once and for all.

Through all of this, Haleigh is looking for a job that gets her out of the situation she's in. And possibly a new place, too. This girl is going through lots of upheaval.

One thing I was conflicted about is how adamant her family was on her finding someone. She was only 25, not anywhere near being a lost cause. But families are different.

Haleigh Berkshire, 25, is done with love after a string of dating failures and unresolved feelings for her best friend, Jack. When her sister announces her engagement, Haleigh is forced into a "decathlon" of 10 blind dates set up by her friends. As she navigates the dates, Jack’s interference makes her question if he’s the one she’s been looking for all along.

While the premise had potential, Haleigh’s character felt overly frustrated for her age, and her resistance to adulting and quick judgments about her dates were hard to relate to. The romance with Jack was more unhealthy than endearing, and a potential match that seemed perfect suddenly wasn't, leaving me disappointed. The book didn’t quite live up to expectations, though it may still appeal to fans of light romance

The pining in this book was off the charts. The reader only gets Haleigh’s perspective, but it is no surprise that the pining is on both sides - how she can even doubt it is a mystery to me.
Putting my thoughts together for this one is a little tough because, while I did not dislike it, it was not my favourite of Howe’s books - and I have read the other two that she has released and will definitely read more. The author does a great job representing plus-size characters and it’s refreshing to see this in books. This book also includes representation of LGBT+ characters, as well as very well handled anxiety rep.
The story does center around trying to find a successful relationship in a world where it can be tough to weed people out from dating apps. While trying to find that special someone, Haleigh agrees to be setup with people of her family and friends’ choosing, all the while pining after her best friend Jack. This book delivers on the second-chance and friends-to-lovers aspects, but I didn’t connect with these characters as much as I have with the author’s other books. I can’t quite put my finger on why. I think that I really would have liked to get inside Jack’s head and see him bust out some more moves to win Haleigh over and to make his intentions even clearer to her - a failed grand gesture could have been fun.
I would, however, recommend this book to people that enjoy the tropes mentioned above, as well as some of the other positives that I mentioned above - the book has some good rep. This is a solid 3.5 stars for me.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this one. I am typically a huge fan of all romance books, but I just really could not get into this one. It was too slow of a pace and I did not finish. Thank you for the opportunity to read it. This one may be great for someone else but was not for me, unfortunately.

This was a very nice story. I liked the set up of the plot and how it developed. The FMC a 25 year old that was tired of bad dates one after another, unfortunately she decides to let her family intervine and then well!!!! Anyway I enjoyed this book a lot and definitely will recommend