Review by Booklist Review
Haleigh is unhappy with many aspects of her life. Financially, she is barely scraping by, walking dogs and doing freelance editing. She has some great friends, one who has given her a room in his apartment, and Jack, the lifelong best friend she almost lost when they hooked up while on a vacation. A rigid slate of 10 rules has allowed them to remain best friends. Her successful sister and her fianceé are planning a fancy party to celebrate their engagement, graduating law school, and passing the bar. Haleigh needs a plus-one for this event, but she is done with dating apps. When her mother, grandfather, sister, and friends join forces to find her a date, she agrees to go on 10 dates they've chosen for her. Some of the men they come up with are wildly wrong for her, including the guy who invites her to brunch and brings his emotional support cockatoo, one who wants all her financial information, and one who abhors genre fiction (shudder). Howe (On the Plus Side, 2023) creates characters to love and is able to keep the reader guessing all the way through. Love and laughter abound in this joyful read.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this inclusive and charming contemporary, Howe (The Makeup Test) pairs two neurodivergent friends who try to deny their feelings for each other. Plus-size bisexual Haleigh Berkshire, who has generalized anxiety disorder, has long loved her best friend, Jackson Brooks, who has OCD. But after a disastrous try at a relationship years ago, they created a list of "rules for staying best friends after hooking up," designed to keep them strictly platonic. Now Haleigh's sister is pestering Haleigh about bringing a plus-one to her wedding, so Haleigh invites her mother, sister, Jack, and her roommate to set her up on two dates apiece. The outings range from disastrous (being force-fed oysters by an overeager man) to boring (hiking with a pop-culture averse woman)--until Haleigh meets Brian Lee, a hot and witty veterinarian. Things are looking good until Jackson throws a wrench in the works by putting himself into Haleigh's dating pool and asking for a second chance. The love triangle feels well balanced and the cast is delightfully diverse. Readers in the mood for a big-hearted and amusing rom-com will want to check this out. (Dec.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Haleigh Berkshire, a plus-sized bisexual woman, is tired of chasing the One. Burned out after a decades-long unfulfilling dating life, no one compares to her best friend, Jack. A disastrous hookup years ago taught Haleigh that nothing is more important than their friendship--even though she's in love with him. With her sister's engagement party approaching, Haleigh agrees to let her friends and family set her up with 10 prospective partners before quitting dating for good. When some of Haleigh's dates are actually fun, a future without Jack seems possible. That is, until he starts breaking all the rules they'd made to mend their friendship post-hookup--such as introducing himself as a potential suitor. Haleigh knows how to be Jack's best friend but must decide if the potential of her happy ending is worth risking their friendship. Disappointingly, this novel suffers from pacing issues, one-note characters, and a predictable plot. VERDICT Howe's latest doesn't live up to her previous enjoyable titles The Make-Up Test and On the Plus Side.--Rachel Alexander
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Forgoing the apps, a 25-year-old freelance editor allows her family and friends to set her up on 10 dates. Haleigh Berkshire is ready for a break from dating, but her family keeps putting pressure on her to find her forever plus-one. None of them understand why she isn't dating her best friend, Jack, but they don't know that five years ago Haleigh and Jack hooked up in Hawaii, almost ruining their friendship forever, and have been following strict friendship rules ever since. She concocts this plan to let her loved ones choose her dates if they'll agree not to bother her about dating for at least six months afterwards if none of them work out. She has only a few requirements for the dates: They can be of any gender, height, and weight, but they must fill out a questionnaire beforehand, telling her about themselves, and they must know that she's fat: "There are people out there who arevery not okay with that.. . .and I don't want any of you to inadvertently subject me to that." The dates go badly until Haleigh hits it off with veterinarian Brian Lee--and when Jack starts breaking their friendship rules, Haleigh has to figure out if she can truly move on from him or if it's time for a second chance. Howe deftly balances humor with realistically depicted struggles with anxiety. However, it's clear from the start that Haleigh and Jack are meant to be, and the other dates and an eventual love triangle just distract from their story and create too many pages of them without each other. It's satisfying when they finally get together, but since it hinges on Jack finally admitting his feelings, not getting his viewpoint in the Haleigh-focused narrative makes for a novel lacking buildup and tension. A charismatic heroine can't save this meandering romance. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
