I really enjoyed reading How to Get a Life in Ten Dates. I would have loved to see more angst between Haleigh and Jackson while she was going through her date-pocalypse but absolutely ADORED how Jack was rescuing her when she needed it.

It’s tough being out in the dating world and this book shines a light on how having some extra curves can make it much harder. It was also nice to see anxiety and OCD being explored more and how it can affect our every day lives and relationships.

A nice cozy read and a cute story between 2 lifelong friends who finally find their happily ever after and with low spice but there’s definitely some on-the-page spice scenes.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin New York!

This book had a lot of potential but missed the mark for me. I was excited about the plus size main character and the premise is cute but it just fell flat.

I loved the representation in this one--a diverse cast including bisexuality, anxiety, and OCD--and some of the terrible dates made me snort out loud.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC!
All opinions are my own and freely given.

I got bored and the characters annoyed me.

I liked the last 25% of this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me. Cute premise, but the first part really dragged. There were so many mentions of the “Hawaii” incident that I was over it by the time it was explained. The fall out from that also didn’t make sense. I honestly felt that there was too much leading up to the actual 10 dates. Some of the dates were funny, but the characters were flat and you could see the “end” coming from page 1. I know it’s all about the “journey”, but I just didn’t enjoy the ride as much as I had hoped.

Absolutely, positively loved everything about this book!!! I will ready anything by Jenny L. Howe, because I love her writing style, the characters, and their stories. You swoon, laugh out loud, and fall in love. 🥰🫶 I loved that this book caused some indecisiveness on the reader’s part too. Like who are we rooting for?? Cannot wait for the next one, and hopefully a returning character?! 🫣🤞 You don’t want to miss this one!!

I read this book last summer. I don't think I reviewed How to Get a Life in Ten Dates before now simply because I found it unbelievable. Haleigh and Jack are BFFs but a move up to the next level from platonic friendship to something more nearly ruins everything. They apparently spend years afterward unable to discuss what happened or why. Haleigh dates everyone male and female in her search for a mate, but the one she wants is the one she has crossed off the list. So when she decides to find a mate in ten dates, when Jack even jumps into the plan to help her,, what will become of their friendship?

The concept was cute. The story just didn’t do it for me. Haleigh was flighty and would complain about her situation but wasn’t I a hurry to change it. Comparing her life to her sister’s whose life is falling into place. Not wanting to show up to her sister’s engagement party / Harvard graduation solo she starts a dating plan. Her being bisexual was a surprise when that was nowhere in the description of the book. The would you rather questionnaire was brilliant but should e been a key indicator that some were clearly not her match. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press for the free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily

3.5/5 Star Read

As a girlie who spent far too much time swiping Tinder, and allowing friends to set me up before finally realizing that I loved my best friend, this book was a great read. It was fast-paced enough to keep me hooked, and I really finished it in one coffee-fueled sitting.

What I loved:
Plus-size FMC representation
Queer character representation.
I'm a sucker for the best-friend romance arc. Genuinely.
OCD/Anxiety representation that is handled well throughout the book.
Side characters. Almost all of them honestly. Roger is wonderful, Stanton is hilarious.
Haleigh's money issues and insecurity about her future is actually really relatable. Whiny at times? Absolutely, but who isn't. I feel like it's real. It fleshes her out as a character who has flaws.
The hilariously ill-fated dates throughout the book. Honestly I adored it, the second-hand embarrassment was absolutely astonishing, but it kept me hooked.

What I didn't love:
*Spoiler* The proposal was just jarring. Like honestly. I feel like out of all the things we've learned about Jack and Haleigh's relationship, a public proposal (at her sister's wedding) is so far out of left field.
I do wish that Haleigh's relationship with her sister is a tricky thing to navigate for them. However, I do feel as though it wasn't really explored in a way where they move toward repairing any broken bonds, and making their relationship stronger. We get one moment where re realize that maybe she isn't terrible, and then the book ends.

Expected Publish Date: December 10, 2024

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Reviews posted on NetGalley and Goodreads.

I loved on the plus side so was excited to get my hands on an early copy of this book.

First, more books need to focus on mental health. I know this genre is the ultimate escapism but we can have escapism and have the characters have real life issues. I felt so seen in the main character.

Second, while it was clear she was going to end up with Jack I love that the author had me rooting for both Jack and Brian.

Finally, I love the main character was able to find herself, though she ends up with someone in the end I think she also would have been happy on her own.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the advanced reader copy.

This was a sweet romance that did a great job of portraying mental health issues (anxiety and depression) in a realistic and not catastrophic way. Haleigh was a great embodiment of the distinct sense of being lost in the world that can come with being in your twenties. Another lovely book from Jenny Howe

4/5 ⭐️ 1/5🌶️
What a funny and light read! I am now a Jenny Howe fan & can’t wait to read more. How to Get a Life in 10 dates had a lot of banter, a funny FMC and enjoyable friendships. I always enjoy a good mental health rep and I think Howe did it in a relatable way and went as far as explaining what it feels like to have anxiety and how impactful it can be. I loved the concept of Haleigh having her family set her up for dates and how Jack threw himself into the ring. If you’re a fan of Emily Henry, Christina Lauren or just a low-angst, feel good book, I highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

How to Get a Life in Ten Dates… who wouldn’t be curious enough to pick up this book just based on its title? From the very beginning, I rooted for Hailey to discover a date worth holding onto. Although I see myself as a romantic, I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted her to end up with her best friend Jack; I was Team Brian. Nevertheless, I’m pleased with how the story concluded. She ended up with her true love. Who can dispute that?

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the E-ARC! So cute! Loved the characters & the love triangle. Also enjoyed the plus-size rep. Another great book from this author!

What a,charming book! How to Get a Life in Ten Dates follows Haleigh, who has developed a list of rules with her best friend Jack to keep their friendship strong (and not let any inconvenient love feelings get in their way). However, when Haleigh gets serious about dating, allowing each of her loved ones to set her up with two blind dates, those rules might just have to go out the window…

I enjoyed this sweet page-turner of a romantic comedy! The characters are easy to root for, and the blind dates provide a lot of laughs. I appreciated the authenticity of the characters and look forward to reading more books by this author!

Haleigh Berkshire’s dating life has been nothing to write home about. When she learns she has a plus-one to her sister’s engagement party, she enlists her family and friends to be the ultimate matchmakers, including her best friend Jack who she’s been in love with since she can remember. Will she find the perfect person through matchmaking, or will she risk it all to be with her one true love?

Have you ever had someone in your life that you could see yourself marrying even though you have made it clear you’re JUST to be lifelong friends? Or someone that you mesh with so well as friends, you’ll always wonder “what if?”. If so, this book is the one for you.

This book follows Haleigh Berkshire, a plus-sized bi woman who is not only navigating the dating world but also her career. This story has inclusive representation with not only the FMC, but with many other characters we meet along the way. The characters also face anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder, and we see how they face them head-on. The way Jenny writes each character is extremely relatable and endearing, as at the end of the day we all just want to be loved and appreciated. There were a few moments when I was frustrated with some of Haleigh’s decisions, but looking back I probably would have made many of those decisions as well. Maybe that’s why I was so frustrated, because I could see myself making those mistakes as well.

I enjoyed the concept of Haleigh enlisting her friends and family to help set her up on dates. Once the matchmaking begins, the chapters include the responses from the matchmaking questionnaire. I enjoyed reading these as it sets the tone for how the date could go based on what we know about Haleigh and also serves as a cute preview for future characters. The responses were hilarious and I found myself laughing out loud at many of them. It made me happy that Haleigh ultimately ended up with the person she’s loved forever because the “what ifs” are always so painful.

Throughout the story, there are lots of pop culture references - from movies, tv shows, music, and more. I personally enjoyed them because I understood them but I could see this may be challenging to understand if the reader is not familiar with them and since there are so many, it could be difficult to connect with.

I think this book is ideal for someone who is looking for an endearing, lighthearted, contemporary romance with inclusive characters. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the chance to read this as an e-ARC!

Haleigh is feeling pressure to settle down from her family and friends, so she decides to allow them to choose dates for her to go on. Her best friend Jack helps her escape the bad dates while also throwing his hat into the ring to date her himself.

I appreciated the concept of this story but found it a bit lacking in execution. Haleigh and Jack seemed to lack chemistry in the early part of the book, and I just didn’t find myself rooting for them. The bad dates were so over the top and it seemed silly to me that a twenty-five year old would be expected to settle down in a relationship or career. I think this book might appeal to those who enjoy plus size representation, friends to lovers stories, and dating mishaps.

Thank you to Jenny L. Howe and St. Martin’s Press for the arc and opportunity to read and review this book.

Haleigh has been on a long string of bad dates. The one relationship that's felt right to her was with her best friend Jack. After a bad ending, they were able to make their way back to each other as friends and now have some strict rules to maintain their friendship. Her "perfect" sister has scheduled her engagement party and Haleigh needs to give notice of who her plus one will be. She feels like her entire family thinks she's a mess and is constantly trying to tell her how to improve - from getting a full time job instead of several part time ones to settling down with someone. She wants to take a sabbatical from dating but knows her family will say she's giving up so she and Jack come up with a plan - Haleigh choses several friends and family members who get to set her up with 2 people each and, if none of them work out, she gets to be left alone about her dating life for at least 6 months.

For me, the book is 2 stars for about half and 4 stars for the other half. So it gets 3. Haleigh and I both have anxiety so I get some of the things that make her spiral and may make her a less than lovable character. What drove me especially insane in the early part of the book was the constant pining over Jack. And then immediately talking about how their tryst almost totally ruined their friendship and they couldn't go there again. When she and Jack come up with the plan, I enjoyed the questionnaire they came up with and that the author included the responses for each of Haleigh's dates. A lot of the dates were bad, but honestly that makes them a lot more enjoyable for the reader...until we're back in pining for Jack land. When Haleigh meets someone she actually likes, I thought the story became a lot better. She still continued on her dates as she'd promised, but also keeps talking to and going out with the guy she likes. That was when the book really became better for me. Overall, it was a quick, easy read and I enjoyed the second half enough that it was worth reading. I loved Howe's book On the Plus Side but this didn't live up to that for me.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one. But I read 40% and feel I can provide an appropriate review.

The writing was fine, the main female character sucked. The MFC was self critical and oozed insecurities, which would've been alright if she wasn't so judgemental and harsh on everyone else. I mean, she felt bad and was hurt when someone saw her and just immediately said "No" and walked away, but she didn't have a problem being super judgemental of everyone else? Wild.

“Whoever decided swiping a screen was a good way to match with someone on a dating app had a wild sense of humor. ”
Here are reasons to read the Contemporary book:

Bad Dates - After Haleigh has had a lot of bad dates, she gives up
Best friend - besides she would rather hang with her best friend Jack anyway
Family Challenge - but Jack has an idea to get the family off Haleigh’s back
10 Dates - the 5 of them have the opportunity to choose 2 people each for her to date, 10 dates total

This book is the third in the author’s universe, centered around plus size women. Having now read 2 of the 3, I can say that I really connect to not only the portrayal of her characters but also the style of writing. Sometimes with contemporary I get a little bored, but these books are really thoughtful in how they explore the additional challenges of being plus sized. The characters in this book have social anxiety, among other things, and I thought it was just a great representation.