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.

DNF

The premise was interesting, but the execution left much to be desired. I found the FMC to be insufferable and the MMC to be bleh. The writing and pacing also made this kind of a slog to get through.

First and foremost, I feel I should lead with the opinion that this book needs to be included in a LGBTQ+ category. It’s honestly a bit off-putting to read about a “non-straight” character dating both sexes without any prior warning. I certainly can’t relate to it. I wouldn’t necessarily expect a reader who is part of that community to read a romance about two straight characters and find the story relatable. This situation definitely knocked my overall experience, and therefore my review, down a peg.

That being said, the story was pretty good, and I feel that Howe did a fair job of depicting how those of us who live with anxiety and/or depression can sometimes feel.

TL/DR: decent read, needs LGBTQ+ categorization

•𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯’𝘴 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.•

Haleigh our plus size heroine is a wee bit of a disaster . She’s trying to find her place in the world while attempting to fall out of love with her best friend. This leads to members of her family and friends setting her up on different dates, that range from offensively bad to hilariously outrageous to absolutely perfect. But Haleigh soon has to decide what is the best choice for her.

This book was so cute. It has great representation for plus size women as well as the LGBTQ community. You find yourself rooting for Haleigh and hoping for the best! This was such a relaxing read, seriously binged it in one night.

3.5/5.
Overall I liked a lot of this book. The story. was cute and I liked the variety of representations. The dates were fun and funny to read. I feel like some plot elements needed a little more expansion and depth. I am not a huge fan of FMCs that are a "mess" as a character trait and don't have basic life skills. I found the dating scheme to be an overly convoluted way to get the main characters together without one of them having a more major revelation. It's still a cute read if you can overlook a few flaws.

I loved this book, it was a great friends to lovers story and Haleigh was so relatable. The banter between the characters was great, and the dates were hilarious and frustrating. I also loved the added aspect of there being actual competition to the MMC, it made the characters feel more real and the overall story less predictable. Overall a great story!

You guys, "How to get a Life in Ten Dates" is an absolute delight! Haleigh Berkshire is fed up with the dating world, so she decides to let her family and friends set her up on ten dates. What could go wrong, right? But then, out of nowhere, her best friend Jack—who she's been secretly crushing on for years—decides to join the dating game too. Cue all the feels! The dates are fun, the banter is hilarious, and watching Haleigh navigate her feelings for Jack is just the best. If you’re looking for a cute, laugh-out-loud read with a side of swoon, this one’s a must-read!

This book had me laughing out loud from the start. I absolutely devoured it on holiday. If you are looking for something relatable and witty this is the book for you.

I really enjoyed this book. I love a good friends-to-lovers and this one delivered it in a sweet, romantic and rather hot package! Also, I loved that not all of Haleigh's dates were terrible, and that some were just not good fits - not all dates are bad! Also, I loved Brian. Does Brian get a book? Please? He was such a sweetheart and I loved their banter. Of course I wanted Jack to "win", but I have to say, Brian's appearance made me a little torn!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC of this book! What a fun read. I love a good laugh out loud romcom when you can actually feel the chemistry between the main characters. Friends to lovers isnt always my favorite trope, but it was done very well here. I also was a big fan of having a curvy leading lady. Get it girl!!! You couldnt help but cheer for her. I will definitely be recommending this to my friends.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading it! The characters were engaging, and the plot unfolded nicely. It provided a thoughtful perspective on individuals navigating life with anxiety.

This was the first book I have read by this author and I really loved it. I’m always a big fan of books that have curvy FMCs so that immediately drew me to this book. I really loved both Haleigh and Jack and the chemistry and banter they had. I also really loved the cute questionnaires that Haleigh had her dates fill out. The questions had me laughing so hard. Would highly recommend if you enjoy a good friends to lovers romcom.