I’m not going to lie; I read this book almost two months ago and just haven’t had the time to put together this review. I think it was a bit because I wasn’t totally sure what to say about it—and I wanted to think about it. But then time just kept dragging on and the details started to escape me. So is this my most fair review? Definitely not. But I did mostly enjoy it, so I wanted to make sure that I captured what I could. You’ve been warned.

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?

I’m not sure having space from this book before I did the review did it justice. It made it hard for me to remember some things, which doesn’t necessarily bode well. But I do remember it being very funny at times (especially closer to the beginning)—and that it started strong(ish) and ended…frustratingly, for me.

What didn’t work for me

The set up of the plot: The fact that Haleigh was only twenty-five and was acting like she was this old woman who was never going to find anyone to be with and that she absolutely needed someone to go with her as a plus-one to her sister’s wedding bothered me. Her family kind of sucked, true (though I would have liked to know a bit more as to why), but, like, it’s a family wedding—it’s not like she wasn’t going to know anyone. And Haleigh seemed really negative at the beginning of the book. It definitely turns around, but there were other things that were happening near the end of the story that didn’t make it for it. Namely…

Jack: Without venturing too far into spoiler territory, I really didn’t enjoy their relationship. The reason they fought on vacation was silly—it could have been handled way better, especially for friends who seem as close as they do—and Jack’s actions from about halfway through the book to the end didn’t seem genuine to me. I just couldn’t see it.

What I liked

The portrayal of mental health & plus-size bodies: Both Haleigh and Jack suffer from some mental health issues that are portrayed both realistically and sensitively, which I enjoyed. Howe presented coping mechanisms that actually work and were very relatable. In the same vein, I liked how Haleigh’s body type was mentioned and how her feelings about it were explained, but it wasn’t her whole personality.

Brian: This man deserves the world. I really, really hope he gets his happily ever after in the next book of Howe’s.

3 STARS

“God he was a dork. And that only made him hotter.” —Jenny L. Howe, How To Get A Life In Ten Dates

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced book copy in exchange for my honest review.