Quick Synopsis

In this charming new rom-com from Jenny L. Howe, a young woman who’s fed up with dating challenges her family and friends to set her up on ten dates, but gets more than she bargained for when her best friend adds himself to the roster.

Publisher’s Synopsis

Dating as a plus-size woman has been exhausting for Haleigh Berkshire. Sure, she’s only twenty-five, but she’s been doing it for a decade, and she’s beginning to think it’s time for a sabbatical. It doesn’t help that she’s been madly in love with her best friend, Jack, for years—but one disastrous weekend in college taught her the hard way that they’ll never be more than friends.

With her sister’s engagement celebration fast approaching, and her friends and family nagging her about a plus-one, Haleigh and Jack do what they do best: scheme. Haleigh agrees to let her friends and family set her up with ten people—and she’s sure that, once none of them prove to be good matches, her loved ones will finally let her fade into romantic retirement in peace.

To her surprise, some of Haleigh’s dates go better than expected, and for the first time in forever, she’s actually having fun. Until Jack starts breaking all the rules they’d made to mend their friendship in college. He produces a laundry list of flaws for everyone she likes, crashes some of her nights out, and finally shocks her by throwing himself into the mix. Dating Jack has always been the dream, but Haleigh is afraid of the reality. Is it worth risking her best friend for something that may have never been meant to be?

Book Review

Last year, I read Jenny Howe’s novel On the Plus Side and really enjoyed it. There are few writers that feature fat protagonists and even fewer who do it well. Jenny Howe’s protagonists are fat and fabulous without perpetuating self-hate or negativity. It is refreshing representation. When I saw she had a new novel coming out, I knew I needed to read it.

How to Get a Life in Ten Dates is a friends-to-lovers, second-chance romance that features mental health, LGBTQIA+, and fat representation. Haleigh is tired of dating as a fat woman and really wants a break. However, Haleigh’s family insistently pesters her about coupling up. When she needs a date to her sister’s engagement party, Haleigh sets up a scheme to go on 10 dates chosen by her family and friends. If she does not find a relationship from these dates, they will finally allow her to be single in peace.

How to Get a Life in Ten Dates starts out strongly with a blend of heart and humor. I love that Haleigh creates a survey to get to know her dates prior to meeting them. I felt like the dates themselves were pretty representative of modern dating, especially with the inclusion of some truly cringeworthy dates.

As I previously mentioned, I really appreciate the representation in Howe’s novels. Haleigh’s entire identity is not wrapped up in her being fat, anxious, or bisexual, which is refreshing. In addition, Haleigh’s journey of self-discovery felt truly authentic and deeply relatable. However, I did find her to be immature and self-centered at times.

I have seen a lot of people criticize Haleigh because she hates “adulting” and also feels like she needs to have her life figured out at 25. I personally think their criticism is harsh, and they seem to have forgotten what it was like to be 25. As a neurodivergent person, I feel no shame in saying that I also hate doing adult tasks and frequently struggle to do them. And no one I know enjoys paying bills. I definitely felt like I should have a solid 10 year plan at 25 and freaked out that I did not.

Part of my enjoyment of How to Get a Life in Ten Dates was curbed by Jack, Haleigh’s best friend who is secretly in love with her. First, let’s just note that the two of them have codependency issues. But beyond this, Jack is a little toxic. He never tells Haleigh his feelings until she is in a successful relationship with Brian. Only then does Jack aggressively insert himself. To be honest, I liked Brian a lot more and would have preferred Haleigh end up with him. There was also more on-page chemistry with Brian compared to Jack. I found there to be a lack of tension and build-up to Haleigh and Jack coupling up… which left me uninvested in the final 20 percent or so of the novel.

Still, I thought the novel was well-written. I am also figuring out that second-chance romances are not my cup of team, especially when the initial romance occurs off-page.

Overall, I enjoyed How to Get a Life in Ten Dates but did not love it like I hoped I would. If you enjoy second chance romances, I would recommend it. Yet, I would recommend Howe’s On the Plus Side over this novel.

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