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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Just gotta say at 23 you do not need to get married lmfao
A fun quick quirky romance!
these kinds of books are some of my favorite niche, there's such a fun quality about these books.
the characters were so fun, our dates were hilarious and so fun. I need Netflix to get on this movie ASAP cause I need this as a movie!!!! it's just such a classic little Rom-com! the anxiety rep was great it felt real and relatable.
Very Happy to have this as my first book of 2025!
the audiobook was great! I really loved the narrator she fit the sassy-ness of the main character perfectly and just really brought Haleigh to life.
Thank You Netgalley and Spotify Audiobooks for the audio copy!! All opinions are my own!
A fun quick quirky romance!
these kinds of books are some of my favorite niche, there's such a fun quality about these books.
the characters were so fun, our dates were hilarious and so fun. I need Netflix to get on this movie ASAP cause I need this as a movie!!!! it's just such a classic little Rom-com! the anxiety rep was great it felt real and relatable.
Very Happy to have this as my first book of 2025!
the audiobook was great! I really loved the narrator she fit the sassy-ness of the main character perfectly and just really brought Haleigh to life.
Thank You Netgalley and Spotify Audiobooks for the audio copy!! All opinions are my own!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Maybe a 4.5 because I didn't love this *as* much as On the Plus Side, but that's a high bar and this was still a quite enjoyable read that I finished in one day. Also, I'm pretty sure Jenny L. Howe very specifically stalked me and my sister when I was 25 to write our exact relationship down on these pages? (Golden child law school student in Boston versus the literature major "mess"... right down to the father who died when we were younger... yep.) How does she keep writing me into these books? lol
I gotta be honest, I was rooting for Brian all the way up until that last date... I'm glad she threw in the curve ballof him not liking reading to kick him out of the running for my book boyfriend.
I'll write a more detailed review on my blog later but for now, I've got end-and-beginning of the year write-ups to make!
I gotta be honest, I was rooting for Brian all the way up until that last date... I'm glad she threw in the curve ball
I'll write a more detailed review on my blog later but for now, I've got end-and-beginning of the year write-ups to make!
This book was well-written and entertaining. Haleigh's bad dates ranged from ridiculous to hilarious to just awkward, and it was a fun ride. There was one bad date that was so reminiscent of one of my own that for a moment I wondered who told the author my story!
It's clear throughout the book that the only person Haleigh wants is Jack, her best friend since 2nd grade. But due to one dark time in their friendship after a hookup, they've sworn each other to strictly platonic friendship. Haleigh's a bit of a mess (sorry!) and Jack cannot handle mess (literally or figuratively.)
There is one bright star in the black hole that is Haleigh's dating experiment, and that's her roommate's suggestion, Brian. He is so nice, and thoughtful, and funny, and honestly, I feel like he was perfect for her in a real, practical sense. He didn't make her feel bad about her messy life, or let her wallow when things didn't go her way. BUT, his fatal flaw is... he's not Jack.
I have to say, I am a sucker for a friends to lovers storyline, but this book actually had me rooting for the new guy! I liked Brian so much, and it annoyed me that Jack only expressed interest once she found a great guy that she was really into. Like, wtf? Sounds sort of like the childish classic *don't touch my favorite toy even though I haven't played with it in ages*. BUT, in the end, many of Jack's flaws have been addressed (maybe not yet *fixed*), and I feel like they have a chance at lasting happiness.
4⭐ 2
It's clear throughout the book that the only person Haleigh wants is Jack, her best friend since 2nd grade. But due to one dark time in their friendship after a hookup, they've sworn each other to strictly platonic friendship. Haleigh's a bit of a mess (sorry!) and Jack cannot handle mess (literally or figuratively.)
There is one bright star in the black hole that is Haleigh's dating experiment, and that's her roommate's suggestion, Brian. He is so nice, and thoughtful, and funny, and honestly, I feel like he was perfect for her in a real, practical sense. He didn't make her feel bad about her messy life, or let her wallow when things didn't go her way. BUT, his fatal flaw is... he's not Jack.
I have to say, I am a sucker for a friends to lovers storyline, but this book actually had me rooting for the new guy! I liked Brian so much, and it annoyed me that Jack only expressed interest once she found a great guy that she was really into. Like, wtf? Sounds sort of like the childish classic *don't touch my favorite toy even though I haven't played with it in ages*. BUT, in the end, many of Jack's flaws have been addressed (maybe not yet *fixed*), and I feel like they have a chance at lasting happiness.
4⭐ 2
This is a cute, cozy, friends to lovers, second chance romance. I love the idea of Jack always saving Haleigh from her bad dates, it was sweet but I’m not sure if most readers would figure it out right away where Jack is going with this, like I did.
I was a little bit nervous about having to go through the ten dates with Haleigh as the questionnaires are very predictive about who’s going to workout or not. Fortunately, the author did a good job of saving us from all the cringe moments!
Character development in this book is definitely in there as the characters needed it to figure their stuff out. There was not much banter but there was such great chemistry between the main characters that you’d keep wondering like all their nosy and concerned people why they’re not together.
I was a little bit nervous about having to go through the ten dates with Haleigh as the questionnaires are very predictive about who’s going to workout or not. Fortunately, the author did a good job of saving us from all the cringe moments!
Character development in this book is definitely in there as the characters needed it to figure their stuff out. There was not much banter but there was such great chemistry between the main characters that you’d keep wondering like all their nosy and concerned people why they’re not together.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love Jenny Howe’s writing style - her leading ladies are full of fire, sass, and emotion, and their stories are uplifting and funny! Haleigh (pronounced HAY-lee, OFFICIALLY! We asked!) is an anxious but outgoing editor, she is extremely relatable in that we all think we are total disasters at 25 because we compare ourselves to older, allegedly more successful people.
However - I can’t say the same about the leading man in this book. I could not stand Jack for much of the book, when we got to see him it put me off that he was happy to see her dates continue to be miserable because he wanted her but refused to ever say it, just like he refused intensive therapy and meds (neither are a bad thing!) After they finally get together is when we get to see him be kind to her, but it was so late in the story I felt sad that Jack, for me, just wasn’t up to snuff as a love interest and it ended when he was just getting good. I can honestly say I preferred Brian, even if he doesn’t read, and it was because he got so much more air-time than Jack that we actually knew him.
The dates Haleigh went on ranged from good to bad to downright uncomfy - a 5 mile mountain hike with a woman who doesn’t watch TV, a bagel stealing bird named Scooter, a guy named Bradley Cooper (not that one) trying to force feed her oysters, and a man who I can only call a pedantic, pompous prick, all came together to create cringe worthy experiences that were so fun to read it felt almost criminal to put the book down.
I couldn’t get a real read on Haleigh’s dynamic with her family - her narration made it seem like maybe her sister was the golden child and they all looked down on her, but I only ever got the sense that they worried about her. It seemed like her own self doubt clouded her perception of her family, and in the moment when she was borrowing clothes from Joey I thought she may see that and come to the same realization, or even maybe Joey would prove her right, but neither thing really happened. Until the end of the book, Haleigh continues to cut herself down and then accuse her family of doing it, when really they never do. It felt like a moment that should have happened earlier - but I am glad it happened at all.
The representation of OCD and anxiety in this book was well done, that both Haleigh and Jack continued to have episodes (good/bad days) and deal with their mental illness was part of what made it right. These things don’t disappear with medication and therapy but instead become manageable.
I could easily see this being adapted to film, which I say often in my personal reviews but never in my public ones, and I would love to see this perfect rom-com set up played out on screen, a valentine’s day chick-flick hit. Don’t ask me who I’d cast aside from Manny Jacinto as Brian, because I love him and he is SO funny, and my mother’s dog Rocky as Peanut the Chihuahua.
The spice was limited, such is life, but not every book needs to be 50% smut to be fun and enjoyable!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Death, Death of parent
OCD, Anxiety, Depression
⭐️⭐️.5
***I received a copy of this as an audio ARC via Netgalley for my honest review ***
- Plus size FMC - BFF to lovers - romcom -
I feel like this book just missed the mark for me. There was potential for it to be really cute, but something is missing. There were parts i enjoyed, but overall, I just wasn't that into it.
We have a plus sized FMC, Haleigh, who enlist her friends and family to set her up on two dates each to help her find a partner and a plus-one to her sisters engagement celebration. One of these friends is her BFF that she's has been in love with forever, Jack. After going on a bunch of not-so-great dates and one that actually could work out, Jack puts himself in the ring to be considered confessing he has been in love with her as well. Then, she has to decide if trying a romantic relationship with Jack is worth risking their friendship.
***I received a copy of this as an audio ARC via Netgalley for my honest review ***
- Plus size FMC - BFF to lovers - romcom -
I feel like this book just missed the mark for me. There was potential for it to be really cute, but something is missing. There were parts i enjoyed, but overall, I just wasn't that into it.
We have a plus sized FMC, Haleigh, who enlist her friends and family to set her up on two dates each to help her find a partner and a plus-one to her sisters engagement celebration. One of these friends is her BFF that she's has been in love with forever, Jack. After going on a bunch of not-so-great dates and one that actually could work out, Jack puts himself in the ring to be considered confessing he has been in love with her as well. Then, she has to decide if trying a romantic relationship with Jack is worth risking their friendship.
Thank you to St. Martin’s press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I’ve read Jenny’s first two books and really enjoyed them, and I really really wanted to love this one, too, but unfortunately, it’s more of a “like” for me because there was one glaring aspect of the book that really didn’t work for me.
Here’s what I did love:
* Jenny’s writing is engaging and funny without trying to be too clever. She’s wonderful at writing a likable protagonist—I was rooting for Haleigh so hard through this book.
* Jenny captures really well what it’s like to have a family to pressure you to be “paired up” in your 20’s, especially the aspect of said family members trying to set you up with another person solely because they’re single, “nice”, and maybe there’s one thing that you have in common with them. Maybe.
* LOVED the bi-/queer rep in this book.
* The plot device of the individual bad dates worked really well and had me both laughing and cringing.
* I enjoyed the easter eggs connecting to Jenny’s other books. I hope that bodes well for possibly getting a more Brian-centric book in the future!
Here’s what I didn’t like (SPOILERS ahead):
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*
*
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* Haleigh’s family is pretty awful towards her. For her character growth, I really wanted to see her start to set some boundaries with them and their meddling/pressuring, which would have been appropriate for a 25-year-old who’s finding her independence. I know that romcoms need their HEA, but I almost would have rather seen this one go the women’s fiction route and have Haleigh just attend her sister’s wedding solo and be happy with finding herself…which leads me to…
* I couldn’t stand Jack, the main LI. He’s super moody, continually critical of Haleigh, and only decides to tell Haleigh his true feelings when he gets scared that she’s legit starting to connect with someone else. I felt like they ended up together mainly because they were comfortable with each other and had known each other forever, rather than them actually being good for each other.
* On the other hand, Brian, on the losing leg of the love triangle, is a total sweetheart. No, he doesn’t devour books the way that Haleigh does, but he’s Haleigh’s biggest cheerleader in their interactions, is flexible, and in general, I thought was a much better balance for Haleigh’s anxiety. I had really hoped that Haleigh would choose Brian, as that would show Haleigh moving out of her comfort zone and choosing a partner based on how he treated her, rather than having every possible interest in common.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but at the end, I felt that Haleigh deserved a better partner than the one that she got her HEA with.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I’ve read Jenny’s first two books and really enjoyed them, and I really really wanted to love this one, too, but unfortunately, it’s more of a “like” for me because there was one glaring aspect of the book that really didn’t work for me.
Here’s what I did love:
* Jenny’s writing is engaging and funny without trying to be too clever. She’s wonderful at writing a likable protagonist—I was rooting for Haleigh so hard through this book.
* Jenny captures really well what it’s like to have a family to pressure you to be “paired up” in your 20’s, especially the aspect of said family members trying to set you up with another person solely because they’re single, “nice”, and maybe there’s one thing that you have in common with them. Maybe.
* LOVED the bi-/queer rep in this book.
* The plot device of the individual bad dates worked really well and had me both laughing and cringing.
* I enjoyed the easter eggs connecting to Jenny’s other books. I hope that bodes well for possibly getting a more Brian-centric book in the future!
Here’s what I didn’t like (SPOILERS ahead):
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* Haleigh’s family is pretty awful towards her. For her character growth, I really wanted to see her start to set some boundaries with them and their meddling/pressuring, which would have been appropriate for a 25-year-old who’s finding her independence. I know that romcoms need their HEA, but I almost would have rather seen this one go the women’s fiction route and have Haleigh just attend her sister’s wedding solo and be happy with finding herself…which leads me to…
* I couldn’t stand Jack, the main LI. He’s super moody, continually critical of Haleigh, and only decides to tell Haleigh his true feelings when he gets scared that she’s legit starting to connect with someone else. I felt like they ended up together mainly because they were comfortable with each other and had known each other forever, rather than them actually being good for each other.
* On the other hand, Brian, on the losing leg of the love triangle, is a total sweetheart. No, he doesn’t devour books the way that Haleigh does, but he’s Haleigh’s biggest cheerleader in their interactions, is flexible, and in general, I thought was a much better balance for Haleigh’s anxiety. I had really hoped that Haleigh would choose Brian, as that would show Haleigh moving out of her comfort zone and choosing a partner based on how he treated her, rather than having every possible interest in common.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but at the end, I felt that Haleigh deserved a better partner than the one that she got her HEA with.
This book was fine. I didn’t particularly connect with any of the characters but thought the plot was entertaining. Haleigh (which you’d expect to be pronounced like ‘Haley’ but is pronounced ‘Hallie’ in the audiobook) is frustrated with her dating life and the fact that the people in her life accuse her of being too picky. So, she asks her friends and family to set her up on 10 blind dates. If none of them work out, no one is allowed to bother her about her being single for 6 months.
Hearing about all the dates was fun and there was one date that I did actually feel invested in. I felt like the ending romance was disappointing though. I wish Haleigh would’ve ended up with Brian instead of Jack. I don’t think there were enough scenes between Haleigh and Jack for me to actually grow to like them as a couple. All that attention was given to Brian and then he wasn’t even the one!
The ending also felt very rushed. I was listening to this while working on my end of the year reading wrap up Instagram post and was surprised when it was over. It didn’t feel like the story wrapped up in any particular way but maybe I was just distracted. Either way, I’m not mad that I read it but I don’t think I’d really recommend it to anyone.
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes