How to Get a Life in Ten Dates is Jenny L. Howe’s latest release. Anticipated to be released on December 10, 2024, this romance features a plus-sized lead trying to prove to her family and friends how horrible the dating world really is. Haleigh has been on more terrible dates than anyone should ever have to endure. She makes a deal with her friends and family; after they set her up on ten dates, she’s taking a dating sabbatical. What happens when she finds a connection with someone new and someone who’s been in her circle for years?
I want to thank St. Martin’s Griffin Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of How to Get a Life in Ten Dates. All opinions presented here are solely mine.
Synopsis from Goodreads
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 party 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 men or women–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?
Positives
- The book promotes body positivity.
- There are discussions about mental health.
- It’s a fun, quick read.
- The author includes a list of trigger and content warnings and explains her use of the word “fat.”
Negatives
- The people in Haleigh’s life don’t criticize her choices, but they don’t offer her support.
My Opinions
How to Get a Life in Ten Dates is a standalone companion to On the Plus Side, also by Howe. Some characters overlap, but you can read them in any order. Isn’t that always a good thing? You can find my review for On the Plus Side here.
Where were these books when I was younger? As someone who has struggled with their weight their whole life, it was always disappointing to never see myself in the characters in the books I read. If there was a plus-sized character, she was either the main character’s best friend or the butt of jokes.
Another thing that is discussed in the book is Haleigh’s anxiety. Howe uses Haleigh’s anxiety and Jack’s mental health issues as well to help people better understand their own. She mentions in her notes at the beginning of the book that she has the same mental health diagnosis and felt the need to include them in her story. Howe explains that she hopes to remove the stigmas attached to that diagnosis by including them in How to Get a Life in Ten Dates.
Overall, How to Get a Life in Ten Dates is a fun rom-com. Some dates Haleigh finds herself in are too funny and tragically realistic. I’m sure everyone has been in one of these situations and can laugh it off now. If you haven’t, you’ve been in something similar and can still laugh at them. If you are looking for a quick, funny rom-com with a few scenes that fade to gray, you should grab a copy of How to Get a Life in Ten Dates.
Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.
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