reading_while_fat 's review for:

How to Get a Life in Ten Dates by Jenny L. Howe

4.25

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

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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.