See Jane Date

by Melissa Senate

Twenty-eight-year-old Jane Gregg, an assistant editor, has sixty days to find an impressive date for her cousin's elegant society wedding, and after many riotous blind dates, a bout with nicotene withdrawal, and a revealing identity crisis, she finds love in the most unexpected place. Original.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Womens Fiction

283 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2001

About the author

I'm the author of many novels, including my debut, SEE JANE DATE (also available in cute TV movie form to stream). I write emotional, heartfelt romance novels for Harlequin Special Edition. I've also had two novels published under a secret pen name, but I will happily share if you message me to ask. I also wrote seven Special Edition novels under the pen name Meg Maxwell.

I'm a proud mom and animal devotee who lives on the southern coast of Maine. 3 new Harlequin Special Editions novels are coming in 2025 and also in 2026.

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm beginning to think the entire
generation of twenty-something
females is neurotic. And no
wonder, if all they read are
books like this. Jane worries
about everything, every thing
she does, every word out of her
mouth. Bad Jane. Bad, bad Jane.
Lighten up, Jane, lighten up.

[Christiana · Rating 2 out of 5]

So meh. I've read this book before-not literally but in that this plot line is tired. That's my doing picking it up anyway. But this book never really distinguished itself as special or different for me.

Everyone is very proud of themselves living in Manhattan although they are so poor they can't pay attention. The first half of the book was mainly about smoking cigarettes all the time. The second half of the book was mostly self-realizations that at times felt unnecessary and at other times seemed completely fictional. Go get yourself some Sophie Kinsella instead. You can thank me later.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of, if not the best, chick-lit book I have read. See Jane Date follows Jane Green's quest to find a date/boyfriend to take to her cousin's wedding, since she's already told her aunt, cousin, and high school rival that she's so seriously dating someone that they're practically living together. With the help of her two best friends, Jane goes on a series of blind dates to find that guy, all the while vying for a promotion at work and editing her hometown rival's tell-all book.

What I liked so much about this book that sets it apart from other chick-lit books was how much I identified with Jane and that getting the guy was actually not the end goal. Not really. Instead, the book is more about Jane's non-romantic relationships and how Jane is learning what it is she wants out of life. The guy hunt is just the vehicle for Jane to get there. (warning: little spoilery alert, but not really) In fact, Jane knows and realizes that she doesn't have to have a guy to have a full life. But, she, like a lot of us women, gets pulled into that mentality by her well-meaning aunt and society. And I loved how Jane and her friends were so supportive of each other. Their conversations were realistic and not just full of zingers with each character trying to be the wittiest or quirkiest. Think of this book as a coming-of-age story for the twenty-something single.

Read this book and then pass it along to all of your friends.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

So. See Jane Date was not the worst book I have ever read. It wasn’t even the worst book I read this year. It was a quick read, entertaining, some depth to the characters. A little of “Must Have a Man” but equal amounts of “Why Do I Think I Need A Man?”. Jane gets annoying here and there, but she knows it. I’m not sorry I read it. I don’t feel like I wasted my time & if anyone ever asked me for a good “chick lit” rec I might even suggest it. But, it’s no Jane Austen.

[Penny · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was god-awful. The author actually says at several points that you are a worthless person if you're 30 and still single, that you can't be complete without a man by your side. Jane was not a sympathetic character, but just as phony and self-centered as the people she complained about.

[Aruba · Rating 3 out of 5]

L’histoire est bien, mais la forme n’est pas la, les chapitres sont beaucoup trop longs, ils sont mal découpés, ça casse vraiment la dynamique du livre.
Il se passe trop de chose par chapitre, c’est trop long jusque la moitié ou cela devient enfin intéressant.

La fin est prévisible dès les première page …

Je pense que l’histoire serait mieux en film qu’en livre.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best chick-flicks I have read. I had no expectations starting reading it but it surprised me by having good and strong characters.

I am used to self-doubting, insecure women. Jane Green, though trying to find a date to her cousin`s wedding, in my eyes is a strong woman. She knew her worth at work and with men. Yes, she had a purpose to find a man because she thought it would define her (that belief changed by the end of the book) but she did not just pick anyone.

Jane had lost her parents and that changed her life a lot. Throughout the book she got to know herself again.

I liked Natasha, Eloise and Amanda. Women who did not fear to show their weaknesses.

[Min Li Li · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aşkı arayan ama o aşkı kitabın son on sayfasında bulan bir kadının hikayesiydi.Şahsen ana erkek karakterin sadece son on sayfada en fazla on kere anılması benim için olmamıştı.

Melissacım üzgünüm ama bu kitabın diğerlerinden bir kaç tık aşağıdaydı bence.

[Elusive · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘See Jane Date’ is about twenty-eight-year-old assistant editor Jane who is looking for a guy to bring to her cousin Dana’s wedding. In the meantime, she’s also yearning for a promotion which hinges on how well she performs as she works with her former school mate she’d always envied, Natasha (referred to as Gnat by Jane) and trying to understand why it’s so difficult to keep a guy interested in her.

Although this book sounds like typical chic lit, it’s actually quite different. It has a serious undertone despite the occasional humour and tackles several subjects such as people’s expectations, relationships, chasing after your dreams, taking action and assumptions seriously. What really made the book stand out was how all of those issues were integrated subtly yet handled in-depth and very realistically. As a result, Jane is the sort of character that you care about and can somehow relate to, whether you like her or not. She does not only think about getting a boyfriend; she also cares about important matters such as getting the job promotion she deserves.

Despite Jane being presented as the type of person that is easily ignored or someone that people take for granted, she doesn’t come across as a doormat at all. Instead, she focuses on things that matter and is able to deal with people she can’t stand (such as Morgan and Natasha). The series of blind dates that she was set up with were well done as they were detailed and every guy is distinct though most didn’t make a second appearance. Meanwhile, Jane’s hopes that the next guy would turn out to be Mr. Right were conveyed convincingly and you do feel sorry for her because it’s evident that she cares too much about what others think.

The friendship aspect was well-written as Amanda and Eloise felt like characters rather than just props intended to be there only when required by the plot or Jane. Their respective relationship issues were also relevant to the story and helped to show different situations that people can find themselves in as well as how they react and the reason behind their choice. Another thing that was great was how Natasha was fleshed out. It’s also somewhat of a surprise when Jane discovers so much she never knew about Natasha or rather, when she realizes that she’d only presumed everything was perfect in Natasha’s life without getting to know her.

Overall, it was a refreshingly thought-provoking and meaningful book.

[Shonali · Rating 4 out of 5]

If a book can cheer you up and make you laugh and feel good at the end , it was totally worth the time you spent reading it . I loved the book from page 1. I was still laughing when I started this review :)

Jane is an assistant editor at Posh trying to make her way towards Associate Editor and in desperate need of a boyfriend because her YOUNGER cousin Dana is getting married and she doesn’t want to be pitied by her family and mocked at by Dana for attending the ceremony without a date.

To make the matters worse her school mate Natasha (whom she absolutely hates ) is back in her life and Jane has been entrusted the job of editing the memoir that Natasha is writing , a tell-all about her affair with a hot shot movie star. She cannot let Natasha know how pathetic her life is and that she is just an Assistant Editor . But she can do something ? Yes ,of course. She can find a guy , make him her boyfriend and take him to the wedding. Seems easy huh? To do that, she has to date guys and survive the dates. So she dates and she dates and dates big time!!!

From one guy to another , while juggling her work pressures (read Natasha’s memoir ‘not yet started dont know when she will finish the first chapter memior’ ) and being there at her cousin’s pre-wedding events (which seem to be never ending) Jane does it all.To tell u the truth, I didn’t like Jane in the beginning. Not the typical chick lit heroine u connect to instantly or even think about fondly. She was cold, non self assured , distant but as the book progressed and I saw her emerge from her hilarious date sequences and got to know her better I started liking her and pitying her too.

Melissa Senate brings out humour so well that I was really having a hard time keeping a straight face while reading it. A great take on the social life of a working woman and also today’s dating scene.

Give this book a try. It might surprise you. It surprised me:)

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I was in a total tv movie phase a few weeks ago, I dvr'd this title off of Lifetime. Yeah, you already know where I am going from here. And oddly, I think I liked the dumb movie more then the dumb book! If only because of when the girl meets the guy she ends up with in the end. In the book, it's just some random guy who her aunt wants to set her up with, but we never see or hear from him except via third person. And in the end, it's like, so why did you end up with him? In the movie, it's some guy she keeps running into in a store where she has to buy a million wedding gifts and we see him from the start and see the interaction right away. I like that set up better. In both, the girl totally sucked. And maybe even more so in the book! So she goes out on some date with a great guy and after one date she wants to take him to her cousin's wedding, she freaks the fuck out when she finds out he is going to be out of town. I am like, are you kidding me??? Of course she is totally crazy and a bitch. I wanted to strangle her there. Also, smoking? Sooooooo 20 years ago. This book was dumbdumbdumb.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wonder how it's possible to change so completely in mere minutes? Is it really like they say "beauty in the eyes of beholder"? Like Jane's relatives acted awful just because she thought they would but the minute she gave up they became loving and friendly and understanding? I'm not buying it. I still think Dana was not acting nice most of the time. Even aunt Ina was cruel at some point.
But I liked heroine being awkward. It's like she was from that movie 13 to 30 -- turned 30 overnight but inside still feeling like insecure little girl. Not to mention, pressure put on her was enormous. It was actually funny that not one of the friends' offered blind dates actually worked when grandma's did. It's usually the other way around...
I actually think Driscoll wouldn't be such a bad match after all if only Jane wasn't in such a mess and completely unprepared to date again so soon after disaster with Timothy. And after all she was supposed to marry Ethan so Driscoll was doomed from the start.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

See Jane. See Jane work. Work Jane work.

See Jane. See Jane date. See Jane get dumped.

This is the story of Jane Gregg. The 28-year-old assistant editor just can't seem to win. She can't get promoted, and she can't find a date for her cousin's upcoming wedding.

All of this will eventually change. But in the meantime, readers will experience a few blind dates, a few awkward business meetings, and a whole lot of heartbreak.

Published at the height of chick lit's popularity, See Jane Date contains all of the elements of the genre. It may not be the best of its sort, but it is a decent vacation read.

[Kimberly · Rating 1 out of 5]

The whole book is about Jane whining to find a man, and the self-pity drips off of every page. It is boring. Instead of waiting for the right man to come by, she could just focus on her job and friends, and be happy with that, but nooo.. She has to whine about not being able to find a guy and thinking it's all her fault. Well, guess what, Jane? It is. Nobody wants a whining little bitch.

I never want to read it again.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, this is the first book that I loved the movie more than the book! The first half of the book is about her obsession with cigarettes! WTH! I own the movie but have the book in the trade in bag. It was ok after the first half of the book, but who wants a book like that.

[Librariann]

Seeing Jane date was about as fun as watching paint dry. So unmemorable in fact, that I can barely distinguish it from Milkrun, the other red dress ink title I just read.

[Cassi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe if Jane spent more time talking to her dates instead of over-analyzing her every move or suffering severe flashback syndrome she would have better luck.

[Dorothy Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

December 10, 2024
𝐀𝐬 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐦, 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞'𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐠𝐮𝐲 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐮𝐲, 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲. 𝐖𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐇𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐲, 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐩. 𝐅𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨, 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐦! 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐈 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨, 𝐈 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐢 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫. 𝐈 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 $𝟖𝟔𝐤 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦. 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡, 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐟𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐱 𝐀𝐓 𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦 .. 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟖𝟓% 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦. We just have to becareful out there with all these trading and romance scam

[Pınar Elif Karabal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her şey hiçbir zaman göründüğü gibi değildir. Bir adım kuzeye, güneye, doğuya ya da batıya adım atarsanız yeni bir bakış açısı elde edersiniz. Bu da gerçekleri görmenize yardım eder. Yüreğinizi gerçekten açarsanız yaşamın tadına varırsınız.

[Alexis Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane needs to take a chill pill. Dripping in angst and clearly suffering from chronic anxiety, it's a wonder she can get herself out of bed in the morning. Not a bad romance, but I couldn't really take to Jane. I doubt we could ever be friends.

[Um mar de fogueirinhas · Rating 3 out of 5]

De verdad, aunque suena un poco datado (años 90), es interesante.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book isn't the greatest in the world ,but it did the job!I remember seeing the movie when I was younger on ABC Family so I wanted to read it.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. It made my weekend better to get pulled into a book.

[pinar gencaL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben nedense çok sıkıcı buldum. Sırf kitabı bitirmek için bitirmeye çabaladım.

[Nesrine Louati · Rating 2 out of 5]

Facile à lire, modérément sympathique mais sans plus. À lire quand on n'a plus rien à lire ou quand on a besoin d'une pause entre deux romans puissants

[Fara7 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Annoying in a good way!

[Sanchita Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such wow!

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a light, fun read with a satisfying if predictable ending.

[Cactus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Aucun intérêt

[Jules · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my second book by this author. I found this one disappointing. It was just your standard chick lit, nothing special.