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!

I've never been so happy to stumble upon a book in the library in my life. I'm pretty sure it was the ebook copy of Jenny L. Howe's first book, "The Make-up Test," that caught my eye early last year. A plus-size gal on the cover always catches my eye. Since then, Jenny has done nothing but inspire me.

Her heroines, like Haleigh, are just living their lives. Plus-size fiction of the past was always about losing weight or how the plus-size person was less than or something. In some way, the plus-size person had to improve their body to be seen as a real or better person. I'm so glad to be alive to see this fictional revolution where Haleigh can go on ten dates with people who are mostly into her, and not one is disgusted by her. As a plus-size person, that alone was really healing. Haleigh talks about having been in that situation. It's not the point of the book, but Jenny gets it, and she bases everything on reality. But she writes about happiness, and jobs, and anxiety, and life in general.

I love Haleigh and her best friend, Jackson. Tiny spoiler: there is a love triangle, and I love both guys in the love triangle. Jenny wrote them so well that she had to pull out a grievous sin (not infidelity) to make the one guy lose. But, actually, she really just made one guy undeniably amazing.

I am trying to understand how people pick their favorite authors. It's like picking your favorite air molecules. I need this to live, how I could I pick just one that is the best? Jenny L. Howe is definitely in the top 5 at this point, though.

I love these books so much and I will absolutely continue to scream about how awesome her books are either way.

I love how Jenny writes her characters, especially plus sized women. I loved chemistry between the characters and overall thought this was a fun cute read.

I've loved other books by this author and this one was no exception. Haleigh is stuck in a rut-juggling bills while living with her friend Stanton. Her family doesn't understand her lack of a full time job or why she won't settle down. Haleigh is in love with her best friend Jack but after a past hookup with him on vacation, they've decided that their friendship is more important. Her sister invites Haleigh and a plus one to her wedding. Haleigh decides to let her family and friends pick 10 dates for her total so that she can hopefully find a plus one and move on from pining over Jack. Haleigh was a fun character and I loved her extended chosen family, as well as her biological family. As Haleigh navigates the dates, she starts to understand who she is and who she wants to be.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Haleigh is at a crossroads in her life. She has a roommate she adores and a best friend she can't imagine life without, but she needs to figure out her romantic relationships and her job situation. After a never ending string of dates that never goes anywhere, she agrees to let her family and friends set her up with 2 people each. She will go on each date and give it a real shot, but if none of them work out, they all have to get off her back about dating for at least 6 months. What she never expected was to actually have some good dates, and even less she expected that her best friend might want to throw himself in the mix. Haleigh never saw this coming and now she has to figure out how she really feels about him.

This is a fun easy rom-com. I liked the deeper plotlines like the anxiety and OCD experienced by the main characters. I wish we could see a little more into those struggles. The dating storylines were cute and very funny. This would be a great book to break up some serious reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of How to Get a Life in Ten Dates.

I adored this book and it kept me interested throughout the characters were so much fun to read and I adore books with curvy girls

Highly recommend!

After years of dating, Haleigh Berkshire is ready to embrace the single life. In one last effort, Haleigh allows her family and friends to set her up on 2 blind dates each with the caveat that once these dates fail miserably, they have to leave her alone about dating for six months.

The dates are laughably bad until Haleigh goes out with her roommate Stanton’s pick, Brian. Haleigh and Brian click instantly and Haleigh suddenly thinks this experiment wasn’t a bad idea. That is, until her best friend since childhood and forever crush, Jack, enters himself as Haleigh’s final date.

Now Haleigh finds herself having to choose between a new, exciting adventure with Brian or rekindling old flames and trying things again with Jack.

Jenny L. Howe can do no wrong, and How To Get a Life in Ten Dates is just further proof of that. Jenny’s humor makes this story so cheeky and charming, and I couldn’t put it down! Haleigh is such a relatable FMC, having both mental health and plus size rep, which both have a big place in my heart. Overall, this one is a laugh out loud, heart warming story you’ll be sure to love!

I’m always intrigued when I see book titles that reference lists or contests or games or anything like that, which is why “How to Get a Life in Ten Dates” caught my eye. The premise, with Haleigh allowing her friends and family to each set her up in an effort to prove that dating in this day and age isn’t so easy, is fun. Admittedly, it’s not fully in-line with Haleigh’s character, given that she’s trying to prove that dating is messy while also simultaneously hoping and hoping to find her person, but that’s easy to look past.

Both of Haleigh’s main dating prospects (best friend Jack, who she had one night with years ago, and newcomer Brian) are great characters. We know who to root for from the beginning, but the push and pull is still engaging. On top of that, Haleigh’s a great FMC. In some ways, it’s almost more easy to root for her as an individual, with her own life journey and career goals, than it is to watch her romantic journey unfold, especially if you find yourself rooting for the wrong guy (which could very well happen, at least for a short time in the middle of the book … by the end, though, you’ll probably find yourself happy with her choice).

*How to Get a Life in Ten Dates* by Jenny L Howe is the kind of romantic comedy that will leave you laughing, swooning, and questioning your own dating life, all in the best way possible. The story follows Haleigh Berkshire, a plus-size woman who's completely over the dating game—after ten years of trying, she’s ready for a break. But as her sister’s engagement party approaches and her family’s expectations mount, Haleigh agrees to let her friends and family set her up with ten different potential suitors. Her plan? To prove that none of them will measure up, and then retire from the whole romantic mess once and for all.

What I loved about this book was how real Haleigh feels and the portrayal the author gives us. As a plus size woman myself, I see myself in her exhaustion with dating, her self-doubt, and her vulnerability. It’s refreshing to see a plus-size protagonist navigating not just the pressures of dating, but the emotional baggage that comes with it. Haleigh has been in love with her best friend, Jack, for years, and the dynamic between them is complicated and real. Their deep, complicated friendship is the heart of the story, and as they begin to navigate the idea of *more than friends*, things get hilariously messy.

The date setups are, as expected, both awkward and hilarious, but what really sets the book apart is the emotional undercurrent that runs through it. It’s not just about finding love with someone else—it’s about confronting your own feelings, your fears, and sometimes, the scars of your past. The slow-burn romance between Haleigh and Jack is handled so well. There’s chemistry, tension, and plenty of "will-they-won’t-they" moments that kept me turning pages.

Jack, in particular, is a standout character. His well-meaning (but often irritating) attempts to sabotage Haleigh's dates had me cringing and laughing in equal measure. But his motives and insecurities gradually come to light, and you can’t help but root for him and Haleigh to figure it out. I loved how the book explores the idea of taking risks in relationships, even when it feels like you’re putting everything you value on the line.

This book isn’t just about romance; it’s about personal growth, self-acceptance, and figuring out what you really want—not just from others, but from yourself. Howe balances humor with heart, and while I was rooting for Haleigh to find love, I was also rooting for her to find peace and confidence in her own skin.

If you're looking for a sweet, funny, and emotionally satisfying read with a relatable heroine and a dreamy (but flawed) best friend, *How to Get a Life in Ten Dates* is the perfect pick. I found myself smiling, tearing up, and fully invested in Haleigh’s journey from "meh" to "maybe it's worth taking a chance on love." Plus-size representation is so often overlooked in romance, but this book does it with depth, sensitivity, and plenty of humor.

It’s the kind of story that will make you believe in second chances—and in the idea that sometimes, the best love stories are the ones that have been there all along.

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.

How to Get a Life in Ten Dates is charming and easy to read. Some of the date scenarios felt a little far-fetched, but the relationship between the FMC, the MMC and the third in their love triangle feel honest. I enjoyed the plus size rep as well as the mental health rep.

Give Jenny Howe alllll the stars!
I loved it. The characters were incredible and the plot was HILARIOUS while also exploring real issues that women experience with family, society and (online) dating.
The main character, Haleigh, agrees to ten dates to get her family off her back about dating and being single. The catch, she has feelings for her bff Jack, and it’s mutual. However, they have friendship rules and those rules state they absolutely can’t date.
This book is going to blow up, I know it. I read it rather quickly bc it felt like the right dose of reality tv, good feels + comedy. Ahh, give me more, Jenny!

Thank you Netgalley and Griffin for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love that this is about a curvy woman- I think representation is so important. I figured out how this book was going to go from the beginning, but I was hoping it would surprise me. Overall cute read

Howe’s book is a fun and cute read, still it is predictable and very repetitive. The main character, Hayleigh constantly rehashes her feelings, reactions and thoughts in regard to her best friend Jack, a vacation and sets of rules. In addition, Howe has incorporated the mental health issues of anxiety (including panic attacks) and depression.

After dating so so long, Hayleigh tires of it and needs a break. Of course, upon her decision, Hayleigh finds herself in need of a plus one for her sister’s engagement party. Hayleigh and Jack come up with a plan to find her plus one which includes involving her family and friends in the quest. I had to laugh at some of the insanity of the dates. Everyone takes their turns, the dates (with some insanity!) and the set rules for finding this plus one begin to break down.

Howe brings the topics of anxiety, panic attacks) and depression into the mix of the story. Mental health is not easily handled in books. I feel her portrayal of anxiety/panic attacks is enough for this book. On the other hand, I feel Howe’s depiction of depression could have used more depth. Her depiction is vague and the symptoms needed to be more clear for the character.

I did like the book however I pushed through it more than anything. Since it is easy to see what is coming in the book it is a fast read yet not one to get lost in.

Audio Review
Howe’s book is fun, predictable and very repetitive. The narrator, Billie Bryant is a solid narrator. There was nothing in her performance that particularly stands out but her narration is solid. She does a nice job transitioning from female to male voices. Also, she moves between Hayleigh’s constant rehashes of her feelings and thoughts in regard to her best friend Jack quite easily.

I like the audio but mostly because it moved this particular book along at a fast pace.