Haleigh's journey through the tumultuous world of dating, while harboring feelings for her lifelong best friend Jack, takes a comedic turn when she consents to a series of 10 dates arranged by her loved ones. Amidst the chaos of these encounters, Haleigh discovers her true self. The premise promised a laugh-out-loud romcom experience, yet the narrative's potential was hindered by Haleigh's portrayal as a rather vexing character. Despite the story's shortcomings, the conclusion was satisfying, and the representation of a plus-size protagonist was a refreshing touch. While the novel had its moments, a dash more of excitement would have been welcome. Nevertheless, the author's style has piqued my interest, and I'm keen to explore their other works.

Haleigh has had a hard time dating for awhile and she’s secretly still in love with her life long best friend, Jack, so she agrees to let her family and friends set her up on 10 dates. Some of the dates are truly chaotic and through it all, Haleigh learns who she is.
Haleigh was the most annoying protagonist. She spends the entire book complaining about how her family puts her down but they are actually just supportive and worried about real practicalities of being an adult, like health insurance and paying rent. Haleigh was the perfect example of a privileged white woman who thinks her life is sooo hard. My second issue with the book is the fact that Jack and Haleigh DO NOT work as a couple. When he is anxious, he wants organization and Haleigh is complete chaos. Neither of them had changed but they simply decide to give their relationship another try. Third, Jack only chose to pursue Haleigh once she was with someone else and that is not a strong foundation for a long-term relationship.

I probably read more of this book than I would’ve simply to find out where it was set because it was absolutely bonkers that the premise was family and friends pressuring a 25 year old to settle down (one of the most immature 25 year olds I’ve read). In Rhode Island?! I couldn’t invest in this story based on that alone and it didn’t help that Haleigh as a character was so annoying and unlikable. I honestly wish I had DNF’ed this. It wasn’t poorly written, but the character development was severely lacking; this book has a TW for characters with anxiety but I felt it didn’t handle the subject in a developed way. I don’t feel I really knew any character by the end, an end that felt weirdly rushed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jenny L. Howe continues to write such lovely, amazing plus size heroines. I never feel like she's straining to create realistic characters. I am always taken aback by my inability to predict how the story will end. Except for you know the HEA, but its all about how Haleigh and Jack get there in an original manner.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

10/10 to this book for an amazing love triangle! I was rooting for both of them at one point or the other, and I appreciated that the final pair was based on the connection between the characters and not a "oh the other guy did sth bad and it was this one all along" - it was a very mature and realistic triangle, and it was absolute fun to read!

The narration was great, and I really enjoyed the creativity and the humor in the dates the MC went on! 100/10 for the cockatoo scene 🕊️

Also loved how wholesome the final pairing was, like it was so well thought out and handled 😭

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC opportunity!

I struggled with this one. Not because of the story, i think the concept was really funny and plays into a romcom type vibe. But the execution fell flat for me.

The FMC was so wishy washy on her entire life and it made it so difficult to want to keep dealing with her. It was so obvious from the beginning that Jack was the one she needed to go with but when the opportunity happened, she panicked and wouldnt let Brian go. And the constant over worrying was basically self sabotage for her, and she knew it but wasnt trying to even change it or get better.

My biggest problem was the amount of times she called herself fat and brought it up like it was nothing. I am a bigger girl and this bothered me because it wasnt very empowering, especially when you see the FMC romantic lead constantly referring to herself that way.

This was a cute, fluffy romance, with not a ton of intensity or risk. I thought this would have more of the reality show vibes that the author’s On The Plus Side book had, but overall it was fine. I wasn’t a huge fan of the love story here, and honestly I wished she’d chosen the other guy (shocker) but I’m glad it wrapped up nicely. I of course am obsessed with all books starring fat characters, especially fat activists like Haleigh and hr sister.i was impressed by that!

I thought it was okay!! I would have loved to see more spice but I love the plus size rep!!
I would definitely read more from this author

3.5 stars rounding up to 4 because there is a lot to like about this book.

Jenny Howe’s expression of body positivity is refreshing. And her inclusion of mental health struggles where the smallest thing can drop a good day into self-doubts and self-sabotage is achingly realistic. She handles these issues with care and sensitivity.

The writing is light and easy and fun. The questionnaires and the dates are very entertaining. And while the characters are maybe a bit one-dimensional and the plot is predictable, there are plenty of lovely moments and little surprises along the way. And, with witty banter, loveable supporting characters, and depictions of positive and loving relationships – this book has a lot of heart.

This feel-good story was a lovely way to spend a day or two and I sincerely thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for a review.

This was such a sweet, low stakes, easy book! I loved the banter and the wit from Haleigh. Its so refreshing to have a plus size woman just be loved and not have any of it focused on her body, or size. I see a lot of myself in Haleigh, with her ability to just always be herself and express her mind. I love that she didn't let any of her dates force her to be anyone else. Ill be honest and admit I don't love Jack, I don't love that he let his issues spill over and took them out on Haleigh, and just decided to finally say something about his feelings for her once he realized that someone else could swoop in and actually love her out loud. I do appreciate that this was low spice, I think if there was any more it would have taken away from the story instead of add to it. Other than that, this book was a great, fun, witty love story.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to receive this ARC!

The premise was great and the cover was cute. This is a plus size rom-com, friends to lovers romance with very low spice. The characters are great and the book had me laughing out loud many times. I am not normally a friends to lovers trope reader but this one was super cute so well written it has me wanting to read more.

The book is about Haleigh, a twenty something that does not have all her ducks in a row as society would dictate. She graduated college but lives with a friend who charges her next to nothing in rent, works as a freelance editor and dog walker. She has always compared herself to her sister and they do not have the closest relationship. Her sister is graduating law school and getting married in one whirlwind weekend. Haleigh needs a plus one (according to her family) but after a string of bad dates she is ready to throw in the towel and be single for awhile.

Her best friend Jack has known her for most of her life. The two of them decide to appease her family that 5 people will be given two changes to send her on dates to find "the one". Jack insists on being one of those 5 people. They come up with a crazy questionnaire for each person to complete prior to the date.

The questionnaire responses are hilarious as are the dates she goes on until she meets one that seems to a pretty good match. All goes well until she goes on dates 9 & 10...

3⭐️

I enjoyed this book for what it was - an easy, low stakes, friends-to-lovers romance - but it felt way longer than it needed to be. I liked the idea of Haleigh’s family setting her up on dates - I wish we could’ve seen a bit more of that play out. I liked Haleigh a lot, but I was not the biggest fan of Jack. It was frustrating to see that they could have been honest and together, but due to some major miscommunication (which I don’t usually mind), they weren’t. It annoyed me that Jack only became interested in telling Haleigh how he felt because she was starting to be happy with someone else. The ending felt way too easy and convenient-I feel like the story needed higher stakes. This was a well written book, and I would consider reading more from this author.

Thank you to Jenny L. Howe, NetGalley, St. Martins Press and St. Martins Griffin for this advance reader's copy!!

Anyone who has suffered through awful dates on the dating apps will enjoy this book! Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and St. Martins Griffin for this advance reader's copy. Haleigh has been dating for years without success, and her family constantly pressures her to find her match. She is secretly in love with her longtime best friend Jack, but unwilling to act on her feelings after they agreed years prior to stay friends, nothing more. She comes up with a scheme to allow her friends & family members to pick matches for her on the dating apps, and agrees to go out with 10 of them, if her family will give her peace about her love life in return. I loved this premise and could really relate to the challenges of trying to find a decent/nice guy on the apps!
As the experiment progresses, Haleigh actually enjoys some of the dates her family sets her up on. Things get sticky when her friend Jack throws himself in to her pool of candidates. Haleigh struggles with her feelings and how to navigate the situation with Jack. Ultimately she gets her HEA.
I enjoyed this book and thought it had a great plot/premise that many readers will be able to relate to. I did struggle a bit with her family's treatment of Haleigh. Our love lives often don't turn out how we plan, regardless of our effort, and I got frustrated with her family's constant negativity towards Haleigh. I liked the friends to lovers storyline of Haleigh and Jack, but didn't always feel tension or chemistry between them. I love Jenny L. Howe's plus-sized main characters, and the sensitive way she addresses mental health issues. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I really appreciate the opportunity to read and review it!

4.5 stars

I needed a “palate cleanser“ after a couple heavy historical fiction books, and this filled the bill perfectly! Haleigh Is a plus size bisexual woman looking for her happily ever after. It seems like it’s right in front of her, in the form of her best friend Jack, but after that incident in Hawaii, they agreed never to go there.

Frustrated by a series of bad dates, Haileigh asks her family and friends to set her up. with potential candidates for the love of her life. Some are distal failures some are pretty successful, but needless to say one is her happily ever after.

I liked this. Wanted to love it--I really enjoyed On the Plus Side--but there was missed potential here in both plotting and characterization. On the whole, I'd recommend this for someone who wants a nice friends-to-lovers story. It just left me wanting more.

Haleigh and Jack have been besties since elementary school, and Haleigh has been in love with Jack almost that long. It seemed like they would become something more when they were in college, but when that appeared to be a bit of a disaster, they vowed to go back to being friends...this time, with rules to maintain their platonic relationship. When Haleigh makes the decision (at the ripe old age of *checks notes* 25?!) that she wants to go on a dating hiatus, she gives her friends and family the chance to set her up on 10 dates to either help her find the right person or leave her alone to her spinsterhood. And when she starts to see glimmers of potential with one of her dates, Jack has to make a decision: will he leave her to enjoy her new romance or step up as a candidate himself?

The good: Strong fat, LGBTQ+ (at least one lead is bi- or perhaps demisexual, and there are several same-sex couples and dates), and mental health representation. Some funny bad dates, including one with an oyster that is haunting. Healthy adult communication between romantic leads.

The could-be-better: The central romance. It's a problem when there's more heat with the one you know she won't pick than the one she will. Some of that is due to the stakes being so obviously predetermined, for a romantic relationship we're told to care about half a book before we ever see the failed romantic attempt standing between Haleigh and Jack. There's mild awkwardness without any tangible explanation, and virtually no heat between them until Jack decides to jump in the ring. It was sweet they got together, but more in the "aw, good for them" way you'd think about acquaintances than a "thank god, because that sexual tension was killing me" way you want to see in a good first-person friends-to-lovers romance.

It's cute and predictable, which may be exactly what you are looking for. If you are looking to be moved by your romance, this may not be it. (Which is really hard to write because it had such potential!)

Whenever I find out Jenny L. Howe has a new novel out, I can't help but get excited. I've thoroughly enjoyed past titles of her including On the Plus Side and The Make-Up Test, and her latest effort is no exception.

"Dating while plus-sized" shouldn't be daunting, but instead it has left Haleigh feeling jaded and exhausted. She is ready to declare a dating sabbatical and just take some time for herself and hang with friends, including her best friend, Jack.

However, her sister's sudden announcement that she is getting married-soon-prompts Haleigh's family to inquire about her "plus-one" status-unceasingly. Not willing to be the object of pity, Haleigh reluctantly agrees to turn over the reins of her dating decision-making to her family and closest friends. They will each get the opportunity to set her up on a date with a person of their choosing. The hope is that after this experiment-ten dates total-Haleigh will have a date to the wedding and hopefully the potential for a new romance.

Haleigh cannot predict the hilarity and the awkwardness that ensues, including a rogue "emotional support" bird, zero chemistry, and dinner drama.

However, just as Haleigh feels that she found someone that she can take to the wedding and continue a dating relationship afterward, her best friend Jack decides to break their previously established friendship rules. Jack invokes the mention of the one night that threatened their friendship forever and introduced the idea of them becoming something much more than friends.

Is Jack declaring his intentions or is Haleigh setting herself up for heartbreak and hurt yet again?

Howe creates the perfect friends to lovers romance with realistic characters, captivating plots, and true heart. I loved this one!

Fun book! I am divorced and trying to date again is hard. People can be the worst. And it is tiring to sort through all the stuff with dating. I have viewed myself as a failure so many times. I liked the idea of allowing others who love me to set me up but I know they have different priorities than I do.

It was a bit predictable that Jack had set himself up as the 10th date so I knew that was who she would end up with, but I’m grateful that Brian handled things so well.

I plan to share this book a day or two before release. I will come back to update this with a link and date when it is planned.

This book hooked me from the beginning and kept me guessing the whole time. I couldn't tell who she would end up with until the very end and even then my original guess wasn't right.

** spoiler alert ** This was a light fun read and I loved the concept so much! The framework of the 10 dates set up by her family and besties was chef’s kiss perfect! The anxiety rep was also very well done. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes but this one felt forced. I found myself cheering on Brian in the eventual love triangle. It felt too predictable for her to end up with Jack after all those years. The timing felt suspect (oh NOW you say something when she’s just finally able to start to move on) and the Hawaii miscommunication didn’t seem like enough to avoid their true feelings for that many years. So when she chose Jack after Brian didn’t like books, I was disappointed. The final chapters of their relationship renewed my interest in their love story but I do kinda wish she’d ended up with Brian, just to shake things up a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jenny L. Howe and St. Martin's Publishing Group, for allowing me to reach this book!
When a main character struggles with horrible dates after meeting them online, she comes up with a plan to engage those who know her best to set her up. Will it lead to success or will everything come crashing down? I wanted to keep reading this book to see what happened next!