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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
How to Get a Life in Ten Dates
By Jenny L. Howe
Haleigh and Jack have been best friends since second grade. They had a "thing" that didn't end well, so they now have friendship rules. She's at the end of her rope dealing with bad after worse date. So what better way to avoid more than letting your family and friends set you up on yen dates. Buckle up friends, these are not for the faint of heart. Makes you wonder if these people actually like her when you realize how colossally bad some of them go.
I love how well this book portrays the everyday coping with various mental illnesses. It's a struggle and just because you can't "see it" doesn't make the effects sometimes debilitating.
You will laugh out loud, maybe yell at them a bit, smile and go aww, then hopefully be happy with the last date.
By Jenny L. Howe
Haleigh and Jack have been best friends since second grade. They had a "thing" that didn't end well, so they now have friendship rules. She's at the end of her rope dealing with bad after worse date. So what better way to avoid more than letting your family and friends set you up on yen dates. Buckle up friends, these are not for the faint of heart. Makes you wonder if these people actually like her when you realize how colossally bad some of them go.
I love how well this book portrays the everyday coping with various mental illnesses. It's a struggle and just because you can't "see it" doesn't make the effects sometimes debilitating.
You will laugh out loud, maybe yell at them a bit, smile and go aww, then hopefully be happy with the last date.
3.5 ⭐
.25🌶️
.25🌶️
Tropes Friends to lovers, it’s always been you, coming of age, second chance, anxiety rep, OCD rep, fade to black
Dual POV, 3rd person
This book was pretty predictable with low angst, but for the most part I enjoyed it. As a 40 something married woman I’ve moved past this coming of age part of my life and I don’t really know what the dating scene is like out there so it was harder for me to connect with the FMC. I did appreciate how Haleigh’s character was written as a plus size woman though. I have very high standards for curvy FMCs, and haven’t come across many I think are done well.
The gist of this story is that Haleigh is trying to find a plus one for her sister’s wedding, and agrees to let her friends and family pick out 2 people for her to go on a date on to prove to said fam/friends that the world “out there” is actually as difficult as she’s saying, and not because she’s being picky.
It’s a cute storyline, and it was fun to tag along on her dates (some were hilariously bad), but her unwillingness to attempt adulthood really irritated me. I felt like she knew what she needed to do and had the answers but just refused to even try. I realize a big part of that issue is caused because of her anxiety/mental health but I found it frustrating. It also needs more spice.
My assumption is that this is a “not for me” book, and will be best for the college/recent graduate/early 30s crowd.
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 12/10/2024. Haleigh is just 25 but, between her overachieving sister and her overly concerned mom and grandfather, she feels like she has already failed at life. She's a mess, she's underemployed, she doesn't have her own apartment, and (worse yet) she is caught in the chronic hell of endless first dates while harboring a passion for her best friend. When her sister announces her engagement party and Haleigh knows she is expected to bring a Plus One, she proposes a new scheme - 10 dates, chosen by her loved ones, given a fair shot by her, and they will all back off for six months if none of the dates work. The concept is pretty adorable and fun. The book also has plenty of rep for plus-size, mental health issues, and LGBTQ+. The writing is pretty good, too, and the author is clearly creative as all heck. The Bad Dates are the stuff of hilarious legend. Emotional support cockatoo? Yes, please. In theory, this should have ticked all of the boxes for me.
Unfortunately, while I enjoyed the bad dates and the writing, too many of the characters were either flat-but-inoffensive or actively-unlikeable. Haleigh, in particular, quickly annoyed me. For all of the therapy that she had supposedly been through, she was incredibly unprepared to interact with other humans. All excuses, no action, plenty of complaints. For someone so wary of being judged, Haleigh makes judging and assuming a way of life. The first date you see her on, even before the plot really starts, shows her giving up on a date within approximately 10 minutes because the other woman wasn't talking her ear off. So, yeah, not a great first impression for me, the reader.
When she calls her BFF to "rescue" her, we get to meet this paragon that she is hopelessly in love with but they can never be because of REASONS. (The reason comes as no surprise to anyone who has read a lifelong BFF romance). You can immediately see how they work together; codependency is a definite thing here but they also 100% know and accept each other's dysfunctions. Frankly, when it is just the two of them hanging, the book relaxes and is adorable. Jack and Haleigh click in a way that cuts down on her hyper-defensiveness, allows the playful parts of her personality out. With this so obvious and them both being adults, this should have made the book much shorter as they talked and decided to bypass the challenge and just date. The End.
But, nope, because Jack is kinda toxic in ways, too. His cooperation with therapy appears to be as, ahem, effective as Haleigh's. Plus he never says anything to her about being equally in love with her until she actually finds a really nice guy named Brian is very much into her. Only then does he decide to insert himself into the mix. Aggressively, I might add, and recklessly.
But it is a romance novel so we'll get our HEA but I, for one, want #JusticeForBrian. So pretty please, author, can you write another book where he gets his HEA? I like your writing. Just... not Haleigh and Jack.
PSnAlso has it ever occurred to Haleigh to wonder if her buttoned-up sister also suffers from anxiety but copes with it in a wildly different way than she does? Of course not. Because the only mental health problems that exist are hers and Jack's. Sorry, not sorry.
Unfortunately, while I enjoyed the bad dates and the writing, too many of the characters were either flat-but-inoffensive or actively-unlikeable. Haleigh, in particular, quickly annoyed me. For all of the therapy that she had supposedly been through, she was incredibly unprepared to interact with other humans. All excuses, no action, plenty of complaints. For someone so wary of being judged, Haleigh makes judging and assuming a way of life. The first date you see her on, even before the plot really starts, shows her giving up on a date within approximately 10 minutes because the other woman wasn't talking her ear off. So, yeah, not a great first impression for me, the reader.
When she calls her BFF to "rescue" her, we get to meet this paragon that she is hopelessly in love with but they can never be because of REASONS. (The reason comes as no surprise to anyone who has read a lifelong BFF romance). You can immediately see how they work together; codependency is a definite thing here but they also 100% know and accept each other's dysfunctions. Frankly, when it is just the two of them hanging, the book relaxes and is adorable. Jack and Haleigh click in a way that cuts down on her hyper-defensiveness, allows the playful parts of her personality out. With this so obvious and them both being adults, this should have made the book much shorter as they talked and decided to bypass the challenge and just date. The End.
But, nope, because Jack is kinda toxic in ways, too. His cooperation with therapy appears to be as, ahem, effective as Haleigh's. Plus he never says anything to her about being equally in love with her until she actually finds a really nice guy named Brian is very much into her. Only then does he decide to insert himself into the mix. Aggressively, I might add, and recklessly.
But it is a romance novel so we'll get our HEA but I, for one, want #JusticeForBrian. So pretty please, author, can you write another book where he gets his HEA? I like your writing. Just... not Haleigh and Jack.
PSnAlso has it ever occurred to Haleigh to wonder if her buttoned-up sister also suffers from anxiety but copes with it in a wildly different way than she does? Of course not. Because the only mental health problems that exist are hers and Jack's. Sorry, not sorry.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I absolutely love Jenny Howe’s other books so I was very excited to read her next one! How to Get A Life in Ten Dates was honestly so much fun and perfect for fans of 90’s and 2000’s rom coms. I think Haleigh is now my favorite MC of Howe’s and I loved seeing a few familiar faces from On the Plus Side like Stanton, Logan and Everly! The bad dates Haleigh went on were hysterical (not Bradley Cooper was THE WORST) and I liked how she was very firm about what she wanted/needed in a relationship. Full disclosure, I knew going in exactly how this would end because, well I’ve read a lot of romance books and while I do think it came together extremely well…I was rooting for the other team to win. Even though it didn’t go the way I wanted it to, I still loved reading this book and was really happy with the characters, humor and the mental health representation. I think this is a must read for any rom com fan!
CW: fatphobia, anxiety, mental illness
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A perfect rom com. I was hooked from the synopsis & it only got better. My heart feels so full after reading ♥️
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another triumph for Jenny!
She has such a gift for portraying confident, dynamic beautiful fat women in romance who are wholly unashamed of the space they take up in the world, while also acknowledging that the way the world treats fat women can really fucking hurt. That both can be true. That you can feel the sting of the distaste so many have for fat women without accepting it as deserved or even true. And that she can weave that into such tender and funny books about love is, as I said, a gift.
While I typically despise a love triangle (I hate when someone gets hurt), this was a masterclass in how to make a love triangle that doesn’t suck and everyone comes out a winner! It was a joyful read from cover to cover. While there were some very real and heavier topics discussed, it never *felt* heavy. If anything, it made me feel lighter and lighter with every turn of the page.
Jack and Haleigh’s care for one another was tender and selfless. It was wonderful to read and no angst! Just giggles and contented little sighs.
Jenny is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary romance authors whom I trust implicitly.
Fat-friendly rating? 💚, a celebration of fat love and fat joy in both our leads!
Side note: my only “note” is that as a veterinarian myself, the only thing true about Brian’s depiction of being a vet ins that it’s a stressful job, the rest was…not authentic and did grate me a little.
This is my first book by Jenny L Howe and I really enjoyed it overall. I feel like her writing style is unique and I loved how it was about a plus sized woman, which isn't something that is too common in books (at least IMO anyway).
Haleigh is waaaaay over dating, but she's been secretly in love with her best friend jack since forever. they tried dating 5 years ago, but it just didn't work out for one way or another. In order for her to get over how she feels about Jack, she challenges her fam and friends to set her up on ten different dates (hence, the title, which I loveeeeee!). however, things get complicated & rules get broken...
You can absolutely tell that Haleigh ultimately wants to end up with Jack, despite going on dates and her trying to just convince herself to get over him. I kept telling her the whole time in my head that he loves you and to just go for it! I loved how the author went into detail about OCD and anxiety. mental health is a big deal and I think including it in books makes it more realistic. I also really enjoyed the supporting characters and the banter they added to the book. There were a lot of swoon worthy moments, which I truly always enjoy, especially in a romcom!
if you enjoy:
friends to lovers
slow burn
plus size body positivity
phenomenal side characters
lots of swoon moments
dating challenges
then this is the book for you!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC!
Haleigh is waaaaay over dating, but she's been secretly in love with her best friend jack since forever. they tried dating 5 years ago, but it just didn't work out for one way or another. In order for her to get over how she feels about Jack, she challenges her fam and friends to set her up on ten different dates (hence, the title, which I loveeeeee!). however, things get complicated & rules get broken...
You can absolutely tell that Haleigh ultimately wants to end up with Jack, despite going on dates and her trying to just convince herself to get over him. I kept telling her the whole time in my head that he loves you and to just go for it! I loved how the author went into detail about OCD and anxiety. mental health is a big deal and I think including it in books makes it more realistic. I also really enjoyed the supporting characters and the banter they added to the book. There were a lot of swoon worthy moments, which I truly always enjoy, especially in a romcom!
if you enjoy:
friends to lovers
slow burn
plus size body positivity
phenomenal side characters
lots of swoon moments
dating challenges
then this is the book for you!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC!
This was SO cute!! I really enjoyed Jenny's last two books and was so excited about this one. This was another fun one. Special shoutout to the narrator, Billie Bryant, who was FANTASTIC!
Haleigh and Jack have been best friends forever. A few years ago they finally admitted their feelings and hooked up during a vacation in Hawaii, but things went south before they came back home so they created rules to maintain their friendship and move on from what happened. The only problem? Haleigh isn't over Jack and despite giving the dating game a try, she can't seem to get it right. Bad date after bad date and added family pressure led Haleigh to consider a dating sabbatical. When Jack suggests giving it one last try by letting her relatives and friends (including Jack!) set her up on 2 dates each, she expects more of the same.
Haleigh was relatable and fun and I loved her relationships with her family and friends. As an adult with a pretty lackluster dating history, I felt her pain, and going through each date with her was all too real! This book was full of hilarious and disastrous moments but also a lot of super sweet and heartwarming scenes. As always with Jenny's books, I loved the plus size rep, body positivity, mental health rep, and diversity. Also, the cameos from some of my faves from "On the Plus Side" was a pleasant surprise!
Thank you to SMP and Jenny for this ARC and ALC.
Haleigh and Jack have been best friends forever. A few years ago they finally admitted their feelings and hooked up during a vacation in Hawaii, but things went south before they came back home so they created rules to maintain their friendship and move on from what happened. The only problem? Haleigh isn't over Jack and despite giving the dating game a try, she can't seem to get it right. Bad date after bad date and added family pressure led Haleigh to consider a dating sabbatical. When Jack suggests giving it one last try by letting her relatives and friends (including Jack!) set her up on 2 dates each, she expects more of the same.
Haleigh was relatable and fun and I loved her relationships with her family and friends. As an adult with a pretty lackluster dating history, I felt her pain, and going through each date with her was all too real! This book was full of hilarious and disastrous moments but also a lot of super sweet and heartwarming scenes. As always with Jenny's books, I loved the plus size rep, body positivity, mental health rep, and diversity. Also, the cameos from some of my faves from "On the Plus Side" was a pleasant surprise!
Thank you to SMP and Jenny for this ARC and ALC.
I really enjoyed the narrator’s voice and tone. She did a great job characterizing all the different people in the book too. The story itself…. There were parts where I zoned out while listening because I may have lost interest or was distracted….
All in all it was a decent listen with a fun plot. There were some great moments, but I wished Jack & Hallie’s history was told at the beginning rather than middle because that would’ve made it more compelling for me personally.
I loved a lot of the banter or horror dates that Hallie had…. Those were the great funny moments that I really enjoyed!
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸…
❤️Friends to lovers
❤️Blind dates
❤️Mental Health
❤️Single POV
❤️Open door - mild
I received an advance listening copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
🔟ARC Review🔟
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
I have enjoyed other books by this author so I was excited to read this one and see what she had in store for her readers this time.
She did not disappoint!
This was such a cute read. Being a plus sized person myself, I could really relate to the FMC’s struggles with dating. People don’t realize how hard it can be for a plus sized person to date. It was nice to see this represented in a book as I could see myself in some of the situations and scenarios. Though no, I have never been set up on 10 blind dates.
This book had one of my favourite tropes too, the best friends to lovers. I’ve always loved this trope and wished for a male best friend to fall in love with.
Heartwarming, cute, a fun read overall!
How to Get a Life in Ten Dates by Jenny L. Howe releases Tuesday, December 10th, 2024.