Book Review: Match Made in Manhattan, by Amanda Stauffer

So now, in the last third of my twenties—most people's dating prime—I've had two three-plus-year relationships, two or three mini-relationships, and not one blind date, setup, or genuine first date. And I haven't the foggiest clue as to what a typical date looks like. But of paramount importance, it's high time I figure out how to find people to date—assuming I want to branch out beyond the alumni population of my college. The world is big and I am small. Where do I begin?

This book sounded interesting when I received an email about it—from the author herself, actually—because I am very familiar with online dating. I met my boyfriend on Tinder, and in the past I have used a good portion of the dating apps available. It was definitely a fun read because it's so relatable.

Official synopsis:

After two intense, dead-end relationships, serial monogamist Alison finds herself confused, lonely, and drastically out of touch with the world of modern dating. Refusing to wallow, she signs up for a popular dating app and resolves to remain open-minded and optimistic as she explores the New York City singles' scene. With the click of a button, her adventures begin: On one date, she's dumped before the first kiss; on another, she dons full HAZMAT gear; she meets a tattooed folk singer turned investment banker, an undercover agent who tracks illegal exotic animals, and dozens of other colorful, captivating personalities.

Giving them each her signature "pants speech"—her pants aren't coming off unless she has a real connection with someone—she desperately wants to push past the awkward small-talk phase to find true love, but finding "the one" is starting to feel impossible. That is, until she meets Luke, who is sophisticated, funny, and not to mention, hot. Alison finds herself falling for Luke harder than any guy she's dated and finally letting her walls down, but will he stick around or move on to his next match?

Match Made in Manhattan is a fast-paced, contemporary story about the struggles of dating in the digital age. Replete with online profiles, witty dialogue, and a super-supportive group of female friends, this all-too-real and relatable debut novel will have readers laughing, crying, and rooting for Alison all the way to the end.

Alison is kind of different than others her age—this is her first time trying online dating, and she's had a few 3+ year relationships in the past. Once one of those relationships ends, she hops on the online dating bandwagon, and her adventures in dating are fun to read about.

I was told that this book was actually first shopped as a memoir, and then details were changed and it was rebranded as fiction. I loved that the author separated each online date by chapters and also included the messages between Alison and her suitors—books that have emails or texts in them are always interesting.

I will say I wanted more of a "HEA" (Happily Ever After) ending, but the one that the author chose is probably more realistic. Overall, though, I enjoyed this book, and anyone that's ever done online dating will most likely enjoy it as well.

3.5 stars out of 5.
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*Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for reviewing purposes. However, the opinions expressed here are my own.