Haleigh Berkshire is uninterested in courting. It’s a tough world on the market, and her latest string of disastrous dates is exacerbated by the truth that she’s deeply in love along with her childhood pal and present bestie, Jack. However Jack’s off limits as a result of they’ve already been down that street and it practically destroyed their friendship. After one more horrible date, she decides she’s had sufficient — however how can she get her household on board along with her plan to go on a courting hiatus?
Haleigh decides to provide her closest household and mates two tries every to set her up with somebody they genuinely imagine she might be appropriate with; and he or she guarantees to genuinely attempt to give everybody she’s arrange with an trustworthy probability. However after they all fail (as she’s sure they’ll), then she’ll have the ability to take a break from courting with out stress.
The following dates, some with girls, some with males, alternate between being hilarious, thought-provoking, and candy. All of them are shaded by the actual downside at behind Haleigh’s love woes, which is the truth that her coronary heart already belongs to Jack. So when Jack decides to throw himself within the ring, nicely, all bets are off.
Haleigh is a self-described fats girl. It’s a impartial descriptor she makes use of with out unfavorable connotations. This facet of her character isn’t portrayed as one thing to be mounted, neither is it depicted as a hurdle to be overcome to ensure that her to attain happiness, love, or success. As an alternative, it’s part of her that she is aware of different individuals generally have issues with, which suggests she’s been on the receiving finish of some fairly crappy fatphobic conduct.
This novel has a intelligent technique for sidestepping the dangerous copy of fatphobia on the web page. As a part of the courting deal Haleigh’s household agrees to, she asks them to ensure their dates know that she’s fats earlier than they comply with the dates. She makes it clear that is to guard her from the sorts of unfavorable experiences she’s had up to now (amen!), nevertheless it additionally refuses to permit fatphobic discourse to take up house that belongs to Haleigh’s story.
As every courting expertise pushes Haleigh to develop as an individual in several methods, her character matures in tandem along with her romantic journey. Outdoors of courting, she struggles with anxiousness and has given up on a few of her skilled goals. She’s a robust feminine lead, and watching her navigate her anxiousness and discover her confidence in her profession objectives is inspiring.
Howe’s remedy of psychological well being on this e-book is unimaginable. Haleigh and Jack each reside with common anxiousness issues, and Jack additionally has obsessive-compulsive dysfunction. Their psychological well being is depicted as a part of their lives and a part of their friendship. One of many sweetest scenes within the e-book is one by which Haleigh supplies bodily look after Jack (in a very platonic means) when she sees him struggling along with his psychological well being. There was a lot tenderness in these characters’ interactions, and lots of that got here from their lengthy historical past with one another and the precise methods they’ve realized to look after and help each other through the years.
For those who haven’t figured it out already, I completely love this e-book! Haleigh’s character growth was actually enjoyable to comply with, and the courting experiment took some surprising turns (I imply…the recent vet was wonderful!!) that I actually loved. The evolution of her relationship with Jack was so cute, and watching her advocate for herself along with her household was inspiring.
This can be a e-book to learn, a e-book to present, and a e-book to recollect. Right here’s hoping Howe has many extra tales to inform as a result of I, for one, can’t wait to learn every e-book she writes!