2.5 🌟

Thank you NetGalley|St. Martin’s Press|St. Martin’s Griffin for an eARC of this book. **Though I received an ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review in any way**

How to Get a Life in Ten Dates follows Haleigh Berkshire’s quest to prove to her family that dating just isn’t for her right now. How is she doing this? By allowing them to pick the dates for her. She’ll give them an honest shot and after 10 dates, if she doesn’t connect with anyone then her family has to get off her back about dating.

While I loved the concept of this book, it fell flat for me in delivery. From the very beginning, you know who she is going to end up with, which I can be fine with, but the path to getting there was irritating. Haleigh makes a lot of assumptions throughout this book that border on being the cousin to miscommunication or just a plain lack of communication. First, it started with the very first date in the book where she assumed it was going to go south because of the small talk. She didn’t even fully give the date a chance before she was over it. Later she immediately assumes that her roommate is going to kick her out because their partner might move in. No discussion had, no other indication, simply assuming from what she overheard. She later assumes that her front-runner might be seeing other people, so why shouldn’t she? In all of these instances (plus others) she cuts people off from talking and that is one thing that bugs me the most in a book. Stop thinking you know the answer when you can simply communicate.

I truly did not like the storyline of Haleigh and her best friend. It takes her going on dates with someone else and actually hitting it off for him to finally step up and put himself in the picture after he already had ample time to do it and did not. It felt possessive and manipulative. It did not come off as lovey and cute to me. Their rule list also did not make sense to me. They have to tell each other everything involving their relationship, yet “couldn’t” try out a relationship again after “the trip.” — trying not to give away the full story — if you want to get over each other maybe give each other space, not set stipulations to your friendship.

If “comparison is the thief of joy” was a book, it would be this one. Every single date and moment was compared to her relationship/connection to one person and that got old and annoying really fast. She called herself giving people an honest try, but just kept comparing everything, even the good things, to one person.

Haleigh also felt like she had to have EVERYTHING in common with the people she was seeing and any sign of them not having a similar interest sent her running. Even the person that she went on multiple dates with and had no signs of having issues with all of a sudden because of a few differences in basic interests, he was no longer it. Given that Haleigh ultimate goal was to focus on herself, it would have been nice to see that used as an opportunity to allow her to explore her own interests or maybe learn something new from someone else. It could have also been a fun storyline to see her take herself on 10 dates in a quest to get a life.

I did like the mental health representation in this book, though there could have been more time spent in therapy than on dates. I also appreciated the diversity in sexual orientation, ethnicity, and body-size, but unfortunately these things were not enough to save this book for me. This was my first book by this author and I do like to give authors another chance, so I may try another book in the future.

Haleigh has been unsuccessful in dating so she decides to get help from her family and friends to find a date to her sister’s engagement celebration.
I enjoyed the dynamic between Haleigh and her family because it felt real. It showed that sometimes your family misunderstands you, but have a good heart.
Jack is Haleigh’s childhood best friend, who she had a brief fling with on a vacation 5 years prior. They’re super close and he bails her out of any bad date.
Haleigh has a handful of bad dates that she got set up on, but then she meets Brian. They have good chemistry and genuinely like each other.
Jack, unbeknownst to Haleigh, sets up himself to be her last date because he’s been in love with her his whole life.
I loved the friends to lovers dynamic in this book. They both had to grow as people before they could be together and work out.

How to Get a Life in Ten Dates is a heartfelt and humorous rom-com that delves into the complexities of friendship, love, and self-discovery. Haleigh is a relatable and endearing protagonist, navigating the challenges of dating while managing anxiety and societal expectations. The dynamic between Haleigh and Jack is both tender and tension-filled, capturing the essence of a friends-to-lovers narrative. The inclusion of diverse and quirky dates adds levity, while the exploration of mental health and body positivity provides depth. Jenny L. Howe's writing is engaging, balancing wit with genuine emotion, making this novel a compelling read for those seeking a modern love story with substance.
Macmillan Publishers

This was a predictable, but cute story. I enjoyed the read, but won’t be shouting about it to everybody I know.

This was a fun rom-com-ish palate cleanser for me. I enjoyed "On The Plus Side" by the same author, so I gave this one a shot and was pleasantly surprised that it, too, was a good read. I appreciated the plus-size representation and inclusion of mental health and LGBTQ+ aspects. This theme was friends-to-lovers and a good second-chance style romance.

I absolutely devoured How to Get a Life in Ten Dates! There is so much to love about it - friends to lovers, plus-size rep, and such a relatable character who struggles with her mental health. I need to go back and read everything this author has written.

I wanted to like this book but just couldn't. And it wasn't even the love triangle aspect to it which is a trope I dont really like. Harping on how she is such a lost cuase at only 25 was just too much for me.

How to Get a Life in Ten Dates by Jenny L. Howe was a cute rom-com with second chance romance and even blind dates. My favorite part of this story was the childhood friends attempting to date. Fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by Jenny Howe and it definitely will not be my last.

I really liked her writing style. If there is one thing I will eat up every time it is the "we just need to be friends" trope. I enjoyed getting to see all of the men Haleigh went on dates with.

Jack won me over when he took her to a bookstore and let her pick books for herself (and told her to choose one for him). He also cooks for her!!

I'll just end by saying I gave three stars to this book because justice for Brian.

From the first chapter, I felt like Haleigh Berkshire could have been one of my friends — messy, funny, tired of the dating circus, and just trying to survive the chaos around her. Jenny L. Howe didn't just write a rom-com; she gave us a woman who's exhausted, vulnerable, and still somehow hilarious while navigating a world that expects her to shrink herself in every way. I loved how real Haleigh's struggle felt — the constant pressure to perform for everyone else while secretly holding onto the one person she'd loved all along.
The dynamic between Haleigh and Jack had me grinning like an idiot and clutching my chest simultaneously. Their friendship had so much messy history packed into it, and when Jack started throwing himself into the dating experiment like a human grenade, I was utterly hooked. It was clear from the beginning that their feelings weren't as buried as they pretended, but watching them wrestle through it, mistake after mistake, felt so true to life.
One of the things I appreciated most was how Howe treated Haleigh's plus-size identity. It wasn't a punchline or a sad story—it was just a fact of her life, woven into the narrative with honesty and heart. It made her wins feel bigger, her fears sharper, and her joy much more earned. I didn't just root for her to get the guy; I rooted for her to choose herself at every turn.
This book is a celebration of second chances, growing up even when you think you already have, and believing you're worthy of the kind of love that sets your whole damn world on fire. I finished the last page feeling like I'd just hugged my best friend after a long overdue heart-to-heart — hopeful, complete, and ready to believe that maybe the risk was worth it.

I was excited to read this book because the FMC is plus sized. She was relatable from page one and I liked her immediately. This was a sweet romcom and I think romance lovers will enjoy this book.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Haleigh and Jack. They have known each other since second grade. They are best friends. They come up with a plan to get Haleigh dating. She ask some family members and friends to set her up on blind dates. She meets some crazy people. The last one is Jack. They realize they love each other.

I enjoyed this and recommend this rom com!

In the beginning, I did struggle with the main character. She was quite negative and I was pretty frustrated with her. Thankfully that got better.

I appreciated how the author spoke about anxiety! How it can affect your day to day life (as well as your relationships).

This is my first book by this author but I would definitely read more by her!

As a plus size person, its nice to see romance catered to people who are plus size. So much of this novel is relatable, from her struggles with family expectations, as well as finding dates in general. I found myself constantly flipping sides, and wondering where the plot was going to go! This book felt like a comforting, familiar read, but the turns and twists were just enough to not ruin the feeling the book carried.

Thank you for the ARC!

How to Get a Life in Ten Dates was a sweet romcom. A little cheesy, but sometimes that’s okay! I found myself really rooting for the main character Haleigh and loved that the focus wasn’t on her size the whole time.

Synopsis:
Dating as a plus-size woman has been exhausting for Haleigh Berkshire. Sure, she's only twenty-five, but she's been doing it for a decade, and she's beginning to think it's time for a sabbatical. It doesn't help that she's been madly in love with her best friend, Jack, for years--but one disastrous weekend in college taught her the hard way that they'll never be more than friends.

Thoughts:
It was good. It wasn’t the best book, but it wasn’t the worst. Also, Haleigh was kind of annoying at times. This book is good if you’re looking for a cute, fluffy romance!

A very enjoyable read. As the intro stated, the author did not overly focus on the size of the lead, except for the usual insecurities we might have,… her date experiences were funny, and some far fetched (bird date) but made me laugh. True delayed love was very nicely written. I enjoyed this one.

I thought this was a cute romantic comedy. I think you will enjoy this book if you like best friend turned lovers. The scenarios that the author thought up for the dates were truly hysterical. This book had me laughing out loud with tears in my eyes. I also love that the main character is a plus size woman. There needs to be more plus size representation in romance. Overall this was a great book and perfect for your next read.

I liked this more than I expected to. I was really invested in the main character and wanted her to not only find romance but happiness and fulfillment in herself as well.

Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC. I loved the premise and feel like it was executed so well. The book was genuinely SO funny with each of the dates and the way that the author blended the questionnaire into the storyline. I really enjoyed seeing Haleigh mature and chase her dreams. It was a bit predictable at times which is why I took a star off but it does not take away from the fun I had reading this one. I also don’t love the miscommunication trope but I think in this book, it worked for me. I would whole heartedly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun quick romance book!