Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the earc, all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed On the Plus Side but How to Get a Life in Ten Dates is not for me. Haleigh is fairly insufferable, she seems to have a not so great life but refuses to do anything to better it. She pines after her ex bf/bff Jack incessantly, I assume they hook up at some point, but I'm giving up at 30%.

This book was just so funny and so satisfying. I identified so much with the FMC and though part of me didn't want the way it ended up to be the way it ended, she sold me on the ending and it was so perfect.
#arc
#netgalley
#howtogetalifeintendates

I really enjoyed On the Plus Side, by the same author, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. I love any book that offers plus size representation without making every plot point about overcoming the feeling of being too fat, or not enough, or dealing with some jerk who won't date her because she's plus sized, etc. I've read a few other reviews that were dissatisfied with the main love interest, and I can't say I fully disagree. Especially in comparison to On the Plus Side, where the love interest was, indeed, perfect. Overall, I'm looking forward to whatever Howe does next.

DNF. This was a struggle. I tried to like it and I got myself to the 35% mark but I just couldn’t push any further.

It’s definitely a fun and lighthearted read. I think the push and pull of the friends to lovers trope wasn’t as tense and exciting as I hoped, which made the story so slow.

I love how Jenny L. However writes. It's real, relatable and just amazing. This story wasn't any different. It'll make you seen, heard and tell you you're not alone in your feelings.

So, I finally picked up How to Get a Life in Ten Dates, and while it was a cute and sweet read, I was left wanting a little more. The concept had so much potential—Haleigh trying to revamp her life through ten dates—but I feel like it barely scratched the surface of the challenges of dating while being plus-sized. It was touched on, but it didn’t dive deep enough to really resonate. Instead, the book focused a lot on the dates themselves and her complicated family dynamics, which were fine but not what I came in expecting.

As for Haleigh herself, I didn’t feel as connected to her as I hoped. She had her moments, but I just didn’t click with her the way I usually do with a main character. That said, the love story was predictable (in a Hallmark kind of way), but still very sweet. You know where it’s going from a mile away, but it still manages to give you that warm, fuzzy feeling.

Overall, it’s a light, enjoyable read, but I think I was hoping for more depth and connection to Haleigh’s personal journey. It’s worth a shot if you’re in the mood for something fun and easy, just don’t expect to feel blown away.

Jenny Howe is quickly cementing herself as an author on my must read list. Her characters are always so well developed and relatable - and her happily ever afters the happiest. Going through the dates with Haleigh was a great plot device - I laughed so hard at the worst of them. My main critique is Haleigh's age - 25 is too young. I would have loved to have seen her be closer to 35 with more experience under her belt - I think it could have made her character's motivation even stronger.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this title to read and review. Wow, I really enjoyed this and completely flew through it. I hadn't read "On the Plus Side" beforehand, though I do own it and want to go back to it soon - I felt like I was missing a few references or the general love for characters that may have. been pre-established, but otherwise could read this as a standalone for sure! I love a pop culture reference and a fun premise, so I loved the idea of friends and family setting Haleigh up on specific dates before thereby forfeiting their right to comment on her dating life. This was written in such a breezy way that I was caught up in the story and was genuinely rooting for the leads to get together and realize their feelings. So fun and engaging, with the dating profiles each date filled out as such an easy way for us as readers to get a sense of their characters before the dates. And some of the dates were hilariously bad but not in a dangerous or awful way that dates can be, just in a ... "wild stories to save for later" kind of way. I would say that the LGBT elements felt like actual afterthoughts and the would-be love triangle resolved itself way too easily and conveniently to me, but otherwise a great read! Will be checking out more from the author soon.

This is a delightful and uplifting read that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt the joy of self-love and acceptance, particularly those in the LGBTQIA+ community and plus-sized women who crave stories that celebrate body positivity and the beauty of embracing one's true self.

Thank you NetGalley, Jenny L. Howe, and St. Martin's Press for this ARC copy of How to Get a Life in Ten Dates - in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Haleigh Berkshire is a 25 year old plus size woman who is over the trials her dating life continually brings. She's looking for a break in the dating world when her sister gets engaged. Now the pressure of finding a plus one is higher than ever... but feels impossible considering that Haleigh has been in love with her best friend Jack for years. Haleigh reluctantly agrees to let her loved ones attempt to set her up on a series of dates - thinking that once they are done (an proven unsuccessful) - that they will finally get off her back once and for all about her dating life. But what she doesn't expect is to actually have fun... and catch the attention of the man she wants most - Jack.

This delicious plot had such amazing potential! I was sucked right in and couldn't wait to get started. This was my first time reading a novel written by Jenny L. Howe - and honestly it didn't meet the bar that I had mentally set for it going in.

Haleigh Berkshire was extremely negative as a person which took away from the enjoyment as a reader. Her mentally tearing others down in her mind made her feel more like a mean girl undeserving of the help her loved ones were offering - in my opinion. Being a plus sized girly myself - and facing the internal thoughts in my early twenties fearing of being alone -- I didn't share this same negative tone and perspective the FMC had. Everyone is different - but reading a character like this made the overall story line lackluster. I will give this author another shot in the future, but this one sadly missed the mark for me.

This was so freaking cute. I was so torn because I thought Haleigh had great chemistry with both Brian and Jack, but I am a sucker for a friend's to lover story so I had a bit of a Jack-bias. Haleigh's frie ds and family setting her up for dates provided some much needed comedy and kept the lights coming. A super fun read and I was kicking my feet feom the cuteness.

Plus sized curvy FMC who doesn't want to have responsibilities but needs a relationship (a plus one) for her sister's party. Started off great, ended off sour.

In this funny and unconventional modern romance novel, readers follow Haleigh Berkshire, who has found dating to be difficult over the last decade, especially since she’s been in love with her friend Jack for years until a single disastrous weekend taught her that they could never be more than friends. With her sister’s engagement party approaching, Haleigh agrees that her friends and family can set her up with ten people, confident that none will work out and make her family give her some peace. However, the unexpected occurs and Haleigh actually has a good time, until Jack decides to break every rule in their friendship and make Haleigh risk their friendship for something they might not have intended to be. With high emotional stakes and a fascinating protagonist with a complicated romantic past, readers will love the tropes, hilarity, and emotions involved in this fascinating new novel. Perfectly hitting the emotional notes and covering the internal and external conflicts of this novel, readers will love the story that Jenny Howe has brought to life in this charming and heartwarming new novel. Excellently written and with fantastic characters, this is a fun new romance novel that readers will love for its heart and emotional bravery.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Jenny Howe for the advanced copy of How to Get a Life in Ten Dates!

I loved this book just as much as On The Plus Side. Haleigh and Jack were so cute as best friends and then lovers. I really loved the plot of her family /friends choosing her dates and failing miserably and Jack swooping in at the end. Jenny Howe just knows how to write plus size romance without the main character sounding whiny or self-important.

I can't wait for the next one!

I've read 3 Jenny L. Howe books at this point and every one of them is better than the last! I love reading her books and seeing her at a bookstore around Boston (a local author!) every time she publishes something new. Of the three books of hers I've read so far I think this is my favorite so far. Everything about this story was so bubbly but I also loved all of the meaning behind every aspect of the story. I felt like this story was so simple but also so fun and easy to fall into. I loved watching our protagonist go on so many terrible first dates (even if some of them were a little painful to watch) and I loved how she worked through her feelings and found a good balance to her life by the end of the book. This is definitely the Jenny L. Howe book with the most humor out of the 3 I've read and the humor in this book was written so well. It was playful without being cringy and lighthearted without being embarrassing. It just worked really well in a very easy way. I also love how each book lowkey takes place in the Boston area. The weather and the vibe is super easy to place being someone who experience this weather every single year. Overall this was 10/10 and I am so excited to read Jenny L. Howe's next published work because it is going to be her first young adult!!

This book had everything I love in a romcom. There’s a fat FMC, but the author doesn’t make it her entire personality and doesn’t feel the need to try and justify why she’s fat. There’s queer and mental health representation. There’s a fun and unique theme to the story that keeps the plot moving (in this case, Haleigh gets set up on 10 dates by her closest friends and family). It was beautifully done.

Haleigh was such a fun FMC, and I could relate to her in a lot of ways. I loved the chemistry between her and Jack. I also loved that their relationship was very real. They both had mental health concerns, and there were times where they helped each other out of dark spaces. My husband and I are living that reality every day, and it was nice to actually see that represented.

The writing flowed and kept me invested from beginning to end. It was also interesting to see another love interest thrown in the mix. I wasn’t sure how the author was going to handle that, and it was cool to see it unfold.

I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC!
Overall, this was a really cute story that shows what a disaster dating can be. This book had me laughing out loud. I love the plus size character representation and I think the author did a good job portraying what it is like to be dating as a plus size person. The ending is a little predictable but I still enjoyed reading!
I will be posting my review to my bookstagram account @bookofthemeg on 1/19!

I really enjoyed Haleigh's character and her friendship with Jack. The dates were hilarious to read about. The pacing was great until the end, it felt a little rushed but I enjoy a short book.

I've had mixed experiences with Jenny Howe's books, but I definitely think this is my favorite. Loosely connected to On the Plus Side, this tells the story of best friends Haleigh and Jackson. When Haleigh is tired of bad date after bad date, she asks her friends and family to set her up on ten dates. If none of them work out, she can go on a dating sabbatical without any meddling from her family. The challenge forces Jack and Haleigh to consider whether they've always been right for each other.

Friends-to-lovers can be a tough trope because it often feels like one of the friends has always been in love with the other. This usually makes it feel like the friendship isn't really a friendship. However, Howe manages to make it work because both Haleigh and Jack love each other so that uneven balance isn't there. Instead, you see two people who need to work through some of their issues, as well as their complicated past, to be together.

Howe, as usual, does a great job writing fat FMC with such perfect neutrality. Maybe that's not the right way to frame it, but Haleigh is fat, and that's just a fact. It doesn't cause unnecessary trauma, there's no real fat shaming, and it ends up being such an inconsequential part of the plot that I greatly appreciate it. Ugh, I'm not explaining that well, but I appreciate the way Howe writes her FMCs a great deal.

* Thank you to Griffin, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

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

This was a really fun book. I enjoyed it from the very first page!