Men I Dated So You Don’t Have To

This was a book that I would not have normally read. But, in the spirit of venturing out, I shrugged and thought to myself ‘why the hell not?’. And if that wasn’t enough, the title enticed me. So, like always, without much further ado, I found myself curled up on the sofa, ready to throw myself in a new read.

The story explores the landscape of modern dating and depicts some of the various experiences that come with dating. The narrative was easy to follow and I soon found myself immersed in Verity’s world. It was amazing to see how brutally honest her experiences had been portrayed. The narrative was raw and I felt privileged about being let into the darker and traumatic side of her world. There were some moments which completely resonated with me and I realised that there will be something in the narrative that everybody can relate to in one way or another.

This wasn’t just about dating; the book also explored the power and necessity of friendship. Max, Naomi and Lily were a trio of perfect friends – each bringing something of their own and having different approaches to each situation that presented itself. It made me think of my friends and in that moment, I felt incredibly grateful for them. Interestingly, the narrative also spoke about how finding yourself is perhaps the most important aspect when it comes to dating. I could not have agreed more with that sentiment.

“I now see my dating life as a vast learning paradise, filled wit realms of discovery in the form of people who inadvertently armed me with the weaponary to navigate the chaos of the modern world.”

It surprised how varied Verity’s dates were but it was good to see that something could be taken from each and every one of them. I loved the ending – the message and reflections at the end were simply brilliant. The sheer resilience depicted throughout was inspirational.

In a nutshell, this is a book that anyone who has ever dated will find something to relate to within the narrative. A story that manages to depict a variety of dating experiences and discovering yourself.

Ciao,

Saz

Evidence of the Affair

Let me start by saying that I generally tend to avoid short stories. I have never really liked short stories or novellas. My preference has always been to sink my teeth into chunkier stories. However, this was definitely the exception.

It had been well written; the format of the letters worked incredibly well. It was easy to get a sense of the main protagonists, Carrie and David as well as their partners, Ken and Janet who were involved in an illicit affair. From the letters, the distinct voices of both Carrie and David shone through.

It was heart-warming to see their friendship grow over the course of the letters. Yet, at times, it did feel a little rushed – there was a sense of both Carrie and David gushing about each other in a short space of time which seemed a tad unreal. It was interesting to see how Carrie and David grappled with what they wanted and their choices.

In many ways, this story also opens up conversations about love. How real-life love is often so different to how it is portrayed in films and stories. Real love tends to be messy, complicated and hard work; something that needs to be worked on each and every day.

A lot of the events happen off page, leaving the reader to piece together what has happened from the next letters, which added to the enjoyment of the story. The ending was brilliant and for me, unexpected but in a very good way.

It surprised me that a story narrated in less than 100 pages could make me feel a whole spectrum of different emotions. Even after the story was finished and the ending tied up in a neat bow, I was left wanting more.

This was a book that I read quite easily in one sitting. This was an enjoyable read that explores the nature of illicit relationships, friendships and real-life love.

Saz

P.S. I never thought orthopaedic shoes would really work for me. I stand corrected 😉