People's search for love in the digital age is at once funny
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A must-read if you're contemplating internet dating. A whole different approach that was, er, not one I had thought of, ha, ha. It's a real page-turner. Beulah's voice is unique and hilarious. Her writing style is almost that of a 3rd person who is observing her antics. People's search for love in the digital age is at once funny, ironic, and heart-breaking... not for the faint of heart. You will love this book. I did.
54240
I'm an internet dating consultant, and I've studied and read nearly everything there is on the subject.  Although I fancy myself as a masculine role model, I have to say this book had me getting misty and laughing out loud at the same time.  I was getting some awfully strange looks on the plane as I was reading it but I couldn't help myself.  I felt like Linda Richman (Mike Myers on SNL) when she would say, "I'm so verklempt - Talk amongst yourselves!"

When I purchased the book, I thought I was going to get a lesson in x and o's - and discovered it was more of XOX's.  It was truly a hilarious and touching love story while at the same time still incorporating some excellent strategies to discover a best friend and lover online.  I've definitely added some wisdom and insight into my future training and consulting.

You know you're really into a book when you find yourself mimicking the faces being described in the book.  If only I could have captured the faces of those I caught looking at me.  By the time I finished the book, I felt like Amy was my friend and I couldn't wait to meet Brian, Hillary and the rest of the family.  I don't have to meet Todd because he sounds just like me.

This book rivals Sleepless in Seattle as a romantic comedy, and I can't wait to see it on the big screen.  It's an amazing love story with an incredible lesson on internet dating.  If you want to be immensely entertained and equally educated at the same time - You've got to read this book.

Leonardo Amorado
The Baby Boomer Companionator
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Funny and light, without being trite.

If you have ever wanted to bash your significant other around the head with a blunt instrument one moment and in the next instance wondered if you might actually be married to a real life superhero because you are so in awe of them, then you will identify with this book. We all love our other halves, right? But crikey oh blimey they know how to push our buttons.

So many romance books (not sure this entirely falls into that category, but for argument's sake) are about the chase. They are about the 'boy meets girl', the desperate tumble into love, the overcoming of inevitable disaster, etc. What I loved about this book is that it picks up where most others end off. We meet these 3 couples when theyve done the falling in love part a long time ago and are now well into the humdrum of daily life.

And so this book, in a funny but delicate way, looks at the trials and tribulations of marriage and family life. How couples support each other through some of lifes biggest challenges. How they wonder what the hell they have got themselves into. How children will find a battery to put in their mouths, no matter how hard you watch them.

Owens captures that special brand of light sarcasm that every long term couple seems to have developed with each other - the one that can turn barbed at a moment's notice. And he paints family life in such wonderful, technicolour hilarity. Several times I had a fit of the sniggers and had to compose myself while reading on the bus.

And then it deals with the big issues. Whether being a stay at home dad makes you less of a man (spoiler alert - it doesnt), whether infertility makes it OK to get secretly mad at pregnant ladies (it does, just a little bit) and if it is entirely legitimate to turn your garage into a games room (the jury is out on that one).

I just loved every cotton-picking minute of it. It was a quick but gorgeous read. And its out now, so go get your hands on it.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Married to a Cave Man is OUT NOW by Unbound
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Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

Brief Summary: Based on research and told in comic style, this book tells what modern singles go through to find romance go through to find love in the digital age.  This is an easy and must read for anyone online dating but even those meeting people offline and using digital communication like texting or social media.

Highlights: Ansari breaks down the whole process from searching for your soul mate to the initial ask to breaking up. He uses both empirical research and anecdotal tales from the actual experience of him and others.  He starts with an experience of his everyone can relate too: the unreturned text after a great hook-up or encounter. He gives practical advice about optimal profile pictures and how to send a message someone will actually respond too. He also addresses commonly encountered issues we all find challenging such as what to do when you aren't interested and reminds us that behind every online profile is a real person we should be respectful of. This is a quick and easy read!

Explanation of Rating: 4.5/5 The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star book is that he does spend time on subjects that I really didn't think made strong contributions to the overall content, like dating in Tokyo and Argentina. As much as I love traveling, and can certainly appreciate cultural diversity, those sections were not as interesting or applicable as the rest of the book.

Psychology Factors: I appreciate all the psychology brought into this book and the psychotherapists that helped with the research! This book gets a strong recommendation from this clinical psychologist!

There are many things to take from this book; however my favorite just might be that online dating is really just an online introduction or way of meeting people! While the dating site logarithm can certainly match you on variables important for compatibility; the only way to see if you have that dynamic we are all looking for is to meet in person.

This book would certainly be an interesting book club read. This is a must read for singles navigating dating in the digital age. However, this is also good reading for those that care about them and want to support them in their journey for modern romance; especially those who aren't single and met their partners in more conventional ways.
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I heard about this book on NPR. When I saw it on my cousin's table, I opened it to the middle and began reading.  I immediately started laughing, and continued to flip around until I'd read nearly the entire book.

Ansari explores the digital dating world and makes a startling conclusion: too many choices can render us incapable of making a decision.  He extends this idea from online dating to online shopping, citing the personal experience of being up all night researching a simple product purchase.

A very funny man, Ansari makes this book an easy read, but the implications of his findings (backed by real research) are far reaching.
1556436
This book slayed me. It is so damn funny, and it's also worth checking out as a refreshing voice on dating - the author is clearly a woman who wants the right guy, not just any guy for the sake of having one. There are plenty of us out there, but we tend not to be the ones to write about dating - the market is saturated with silly Cinderellas looking for their prince charming and offering advice on how to compromise yourself to get a guy at any costs. These women tell us that a woman is defined by her marital status, no matter what kind of a jerk, idiot or moron their guy may be. Judy McGuire reminds us all that no one should put up with an idiot, meanie, psycho, moper, whatever, and it's better to commiserate with friends than to settle. But this is not a feminist book - no way. Judy gives just as much space to the crazy and stupid chicks out there. By sharing these entertaining and sometimes frightening tales, she reminds us all that we deserve the best, we should behave ourselves, and that men and women may well be from different planets, but we're united by our unpleasant dating experiences. It also reminds us why "sense of humor" is one of the most important thinsg to look for in any date.
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I do speak twenty-something. The problem is, I speak twenty-something from the 1970s. The dialect has changed rather a lot in the last 40 years. I could neither speak nor write this way today, and it made me quite envious. I do, however, understand the language, and it made me laugh.

I loved every minute of this book, although I was a little worried at first. Chase Taylor Hackett (real? pseudonym? Well never know) is a very good writer. He has a light touch and a sparkling sense of humor that keeps this romance moving quickly while at the same time hitting hard on those things that make us feel deep in our hearts. He is literate (theres even a grammar joke that plays a rather pivotal role, and it made me want to cheer) and he manages to dance around cultural stereotypes with surprising delicacy.

Fletcher Andrews and Roger Prescott have a history. An unhappy history. Fletch is a self-made man, after a fashion, and is one of those gilded youths whom everyone wants to be or be with. He is, however, both less and more than he appears. Roger Prescott, on the other hand, is exactly what he seems to be in every way. He is a reluctant lawyer and a passionate violinist. He is an uber-WASP, romantic, and shy and wants only to find his happiness and settle down. Fletch once appeared to be the unlikely answer to Rogers impossible dream.

Well, that didn't go so well.

There is a lot that is familiar from other gay romances in this book. This genre is, after all, dependent on tropes that define it as a literary form, but can, in clumsy hands, limit its potential. Hackett has the hands of a virtuoso, and thus takes this trope-filled formula into fresh and endearing places.

At the core of this tale is an issue central to all human relationships, but particularly potent for gay men since time immemorial (i.e. ever since we were allowed to imagine ourselves as valid humans who deserved love): fidelity and monogamy. Having survived with one man at my side for over 42 years, I have some perspective on this, and of course we each bring our own experience to every book we read.

Fletch doesnt believe in love or in relationships or in promises. Roger believes in all three to the very core of his adorable nerdy being. Each of these young men has their reasons, and, truth be told, neither of them is wrong. Monogamy is, as a certain part of the gay community will tell you loudly and at every possible opportunity, unnatural and impossible. Another part of that same community will remind you patiently that, with humans, nothing is natural anymore. The idea of fidelity and monogamy is a cultural construct, and it has been constructed for a reason.

Some people are naturally monogamous (genetic, cultural, who cares?); others are not. The genius of the human mind is the ability to adapt to circumstances. However, all things being equal, all things are never equal. The human mind is a bizarrely complex thing and is consistent only in its constant failure to function in a logical way. This is the dilemma that forms the central barrier in Where Do I Start?

Dan Savage would hate this book. I, therefore, shall take the other part, and declare my love for it. The good thing about the world of gay culture is that it offers plenty of nourishment for differing points of view, unlike, say, Hollywood.

Ive already bought the second book by Chase Taylor Hackett, because this first book made me a promise. Well see if Hackett can be faithful to that promise.
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Crosstalk by Connie Willis combines social satire, science fiction, and romantic comedy in a very highly recommended novel.

Set in the near future, a new procedure called the EED has been developed. It is touted as minor brain surgery, an "enhancement procedure" that creates a neural pathway which makes partners more receptive to each other's feelings, resulting in a deeper emotional connection. Briddey Flannigan and her boyfriend, Trent Worth, both work at Commspan, a small communications technology company. Trent is pushing hard for the EED. He implies that he will propose after the EED is done and he and Briddey have achieved the perfect relationship with complete empathy and understanding that should result.

Briddey's very connected and outspoken Irish American family opposes the procedure, as does her coworker C.B. Schwartz. She is used to her family being too involved and intrusive in her life, but she is surprised by C.B.'s insistence that it is a bad idea. When Trent somehow manages to get them in for the operation in a few days rather than spending months on the waiting list, Briddey goes ahead with the EED. What is shocking is that when Briddey finds herself connecting to someone it isn't Trent. She's hearing C.B.'s voice in her head, and the connection is telepathic.

To read a novel by Connie Willis is to know you are in the hands of a master. She is an incredible, awarding winning writer who know how to handle dialogue, character development, and plot advancement, all while mixing social commentary on our ever increasing need to be connected with a romantic comedy. I was actually surprised to see the number of pages in Crosstalk because they just flew by effortlessly in this engaging, fast-paced story. The way that Willis addresses our addiction to smart phones, social media, and an increasing amount of information in an intelligent, funny plot that is a little sci-fi and a little romance, is brilliant.

Now there are parts that go over the top, like Briddey's over-involved family, but don't be too quick to dismiss or judge the novel based on their boundary issues. Step back, after you're done with it, and consider the novel as a whole. As someone who can easily (and happily) turn off their cell phone and doesn't always have to be connected, I can see that I'm the odd one out in the current trend to be more and more connected and how all this information and over-sharing on social media is, perhaps, not heading in a healthy direction. Willis captures these extremes in an astute, and inventive way in this social satire.

The title is perfect in more than one way:
crosstalk (krostok) noun 1. a disturbance in a communication devices (radio, telephone, etc.) transmission caused by a second devices transmission, resulting in crossover, intermingling, and confusion; the presence of unwanted signals and/or interference due to accidental coupling 2. incidental, off-topic conversation during a meeting 3. witty, fast-paced repartee; banter

Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of the publisher/author.
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"Chick lit" has become a generic term for light fiction for young women. But what about guys? Kyle Smith presents the flip side of chick-lit, a light relationship-based book for guys called "Love Monkey." It's funny, light and sometimes quite sweet.
Average guy Tom is in his early thirties, lives in New York, has a rather pitiful rewriting job at Tabloid, enough money to live cushily, and a LOT of ex-girlfriends. He is a "manboy" who lives an essentially lonely existance despite the women who surround him, including platonic-but-might-become-more-pal Bran (and one particular male friend, a playboy called Shooter who dispenses love life advice).
Then... Tom goes out with Julia, a pretty feminine young woman whom he has silently longed for for months. Unfortunately, the following little dance-of-dates just frustrates Tom further, as he starts to clue in what kind of girl Julia really is (here's a hint -- she has a boyfriend already). But a sudden disaster might force Tom to change for real...
The basic mold of "Love Monkey" is shared with Nick Hornby's "High Fidelity" -- dissatisfying lives for thirtysomething males, who reflect on their failed relationships and vaguely problematic lives. Hey, Smith even mentions "High Fidelity" early on. The big difference between these two is the tone of the novel -- "Love Monkey" is a bit less sardonic, more comedic.
Smith does a good job of balancing out contradictions in a modern guy's life -- how to be real, and how to be the kind of guy that women say they like. He does a good job of taking a tangle of sex, pop culture, romance, questions about maturity (grow UP already!), and just what the heck it is Tom wants from his life. Most of the time he himself (Tom, not Smith) seems pretty confused about it.
Smith has a certain knack for snappy dialogue and genuinely funny comedic scenarios that will make you giggle and cringe at once. Tom takes awhile to grow on you, but he seems like a nice guy once you read on (much, I suspect, like his real-life counterparts). The supporting characters are all pretty sizzly; Shooter is an especially delicious character.
"Love Monkey" is the flip side of chick lit, relationship fiction about young men and their love lives and careers. Amusing light study of the modern male.
2035287
A well-rounded, fun and topical view on today's world of modern romance, Right Click, Love sees our two single characters set up a blog to post about their dating experiences. From the moment I read the first paragraph, I was hooked...not only on the idea behind the story, but on the characters, and their not always quite successful experiences in the dating world. It made me realize how the dating scene has not become easier, but in fact is probably more complicated than ever. M.B. Feeney has a style that is entertaining, funny, and unique with its British flavor and well-rounded characters. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. Great read.

LJ Harris.
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It was a pleasure to review Click: An Online Love Story by Lisa Becker.  The book is based around Renee who is approaching her 30th birthday and still hasn't found the perfect man. Encouraged by her one of her best friends Mark she joins a dating website. The book is set out in email's between friends Renee and her best friends Shelly, Ashley, Mark and Renee's many online suitors.

The book was so much fun to read, I laughed, I cringed and I cheered along with Renee and her friends. Renee was a great character, a nice, pretty person who just hadn't found Mr right and been hurt before in a relationship, an easy character I think women can relate to. Her friends are just as great. Shelly is such a brilliant character, I loved her, as author Lisa puts it she is "over-sexed" she loves men and she surely gets them. It is funny when Shelly and Renee come up with names for Shelly's many men.

Ashley is Miss Judgmental she judges everyone and when she does the same thing she doesn't seem to think it's wrong, I think everyone knows someone like this in real life. She judges Shelly alot because of the way she is with men but what I love about Shelly is she couldn't give a dam he he. And finally we have anal-compulsive Mark, it's his idea for him and Renee to do web dating but it takes him months to join one as he has to research all the pros and cons of each website then after that each person that messages him, but he is such a nice person and makes up a good dynamic between the four friends.

Overall I loved the book. In my opinion its a fun, light hearted book that left me wanting more.
A PERFECT SUMMER READ!!
1604931
Claudia is a college freshman. Having just dumped her boyfriend, she is ready to date and flirt. The only problem is she doesn't know any boys and turns into a nervous wreck around them. She devises a plan to flirt with one boy a day for thirty days. This way she is sure to find Mr. Right.

This novel is great! It is a cute, fun read. I think it is completely relateable. It is tough to get back into the dating scene after having a boyfriend for several years.

The purpose of "target practice" is about teaching yourself to talk to people despite awkwardness. Claudia definitely has some embarassing moments but lives through them. I found humour in the situations that arise.

I also liked the Claudia's character growth. At the beginning, she has very little self esteem. By the end her self esteem is much higher and she has no problem talking to guys.

Basically, this book is about the boys we love and the ones that drive us nuts. It also encourages the reader to go for what they want in life and to never stop believing in true love.
711917
This is a humorous look at dating and romance. Leah owns a bakery and likes to eat her sweets. Sam does construction and loves treats, too. Sam tells Leahs ex that he and Leah are getting married to make Leah feel better. Her mother finds out about their supposed engagement and invites the couple on a weekend cookout. They make a deal that hell pretend for two weeks to be her fianc if she gives him sweets. He acts badly to get her family to step up and stop her from marring him, but he soon finds that her family is not as benevolent as he thought. I like most of the characters and they make the story fun.
1025899
Daring to Date Again: A Memoir is a sassy internet dating memoir with an attitude, and comes from a woman who offers tales of romantic ventures in cyberspace and how they led to adventure and changes in her life.

Before she re-entered the dating world, Ann Evans was celibate for twelve years and in her sixties - and not contemplating becoming sexually active. But sexual activity isn't the heart of this memoir: hers is a fun story of a search for love using the internet circles, and as such, it provides a story of overcoming two divorces to re-enter the world of romance.

One doesn't expect wit along with the wisdom, but it's there. What's also unexpected is the spirit of adventure in a sixty-something who is willing to travel halfway across the world to Zimbabwe to meet an internet contact - but it's there, too. Most surprising of all is the quest for sexuality in older years: something few dating books even discuss. The result is best viewed as a rollicking train ride that leads to a few wrecks, excitement, and a lot of fun.
1423343
I read Left Swipe Chronicles by Jody Pardo. I have to say that it left me in a book hangover and I am no anticipating more.

How do you bring fun to online dating? Make it a game....
Put guys through a test...if they can't survive the Kryptonite, keep swiping.
I rather enjoyed the playful banter between Michelle and Liz and Derrick made me laugh. The humor is quick and hilariously sexy. I give this one five stars!!
1092475
Madison -- aka Mads -- is in love with Sean Benedetto, a hottie Senior. Lina is in love with Dan Shulman, their Interpersonal Human Development (IHD) -- aka Sex Ed -- teacher. And Holly -- aka  the Boobmeister - is in love with herself. For their IHD class project, the girls set out to prove that boys are more obsessed with sex than girls. They establish a blog where they post the Dating Game questionnaire, which asks students at their school about their sexual attitudes and experiences. And they post a web site where they provide matchmaking services for students and send them out on actual dates. Overnight the three girls, who consider themselves misfits, become the most popular kids in school! Everyone gets into the Dating Game and a Pandora's box opens wide. When Mads tweaks the matchmaking service to finagle a blind date with Sean, she gets more than she bargained for. Lina's newfound popularity gives her the courage to pursue being more than teacher's pet, but it's not exactly what she dreamed it would be. Obsessed with her reputation, Holly chases down rumors and lies about her sex life while running away from the one guy who really cares about her. When the dust settles on the sexual explosion these girls unleash, the results are not at all what they expected.

This book provides a road map for kids to create their own dating game, plus there's a companion web site that includes a personality quiz and newsletter. Whether it's kids talking to kids, kids talking to teachers, or kids talking to parents, this is a fun, frank, and safe way to get kids to open up about sex, drugs, and alcohol. It's all in the book, yet handled with a good dose of humor and great sensitivity. For parents -- and kids -- who want to know what teens are into, the answers they find in "The Dating Game" will blow their minds!
547336
I'm a big Aziz Ansari fan, so when I saw that he had written a book giving his take on the good, the bad, and the ugly regarding romance in this day and age, I had to read it. But far from being just a repetitive set of riffs on dating, sexting, sex, breakups, etc., Ansari teamed up with a noted sociologist and other researchers, did a tremendous amount of work (including in-person and online focus groups all over the world), and provided a fairly comprehensive look at relationships, love, sex, and dating trends, complemented by his distinctive comedy style.

"In the history of our species, no group has ever had as many romantic options as we have now. So, in theory, this should be a great thing. More options is better, right? Well. It's not that easy."

Ansari takes a look at the way different generations approached dating and choosing the person with whom to settle down, as well as how the advent of computer dating, personal ads, dating apps (like Match.com and Tindr), texting, and sexting have impacted relationships. He looks at how the so-called "phone world" (where all of us are so ruled by communicating via our phones) affects infidelity, paranoia, and snooping. And he also looks at dating and the relationship between the sexes in different societies, such as Qatar, Japan, France, and Argentina.

While I didn't find most of what Ansari wrote about to be particularly shocking (except, perhaps, looking at certain statistics, like how many people in younger generations think it's okay to end a relationship via text or social media, yet don't want it done to them), but his spin on everything, punctuated by quotes from those who responded to focus groups or other inquiries conducted through the research for the book, is humorous, insightful, and in most cases, dead-on accurate.

This is an interesting book with flashes of humor, rather than a humorous book with flashes of information, as you might expect simply seeing Ansari's face on the cover. If you go into this book knowing that, and are interested in just how much the dating world has changed through the years, you'll be surprised, enlightened, occasionally appalled, and entertained.