Around the World in 80 Dates

Jennifer Cox could not find love in workaholic London. With contacts worldwide as a PR person for the Lonely Planet travel guidebooks, she sets out to find Mr. Right by sending out a casting call for dates, and ends up with 80 all told. As others have pointed out, she doesn't date outside her race, barring a mixed Thai-Italian man. This beautiful man is actually a model, but no sparks fly. Everyone is entitled to their tastes, but this racial restriction seems a bit staid, and amazing for a traveler. Guess her network of Date Wranglers was somewhat restricted in who they recommended to her, consciously or unconsciously? Among her Caucasian dates, she actually meets Mr. Right. After agonizing about what to do, she decides to continue her journey, and then appears to meet a second Mr. Right, a wonderful American pilot working in New Zealand. While this causes Cox emotional consternation, it fascinated me as a reader. TWO Mr. Rights in the space of fewer than 80 dates? This needs to be announced to every workaholic woman discouraged by her dating scene. Cox seems to be a one-woman demography and mating experiment, demonstrating that the very real man shortage for women in their 30s and older in Western cities can be foiled by determination, a sense of adventure, a winning personality, and the willingness to expand one's horizons. Even women without the budget to date men on four continents can take a page from Cox's book to find love on less costly or extensive adventures. Would especially recommend this book as about 10 times better than the comparable "The Year of Yes" (the author similarly takes control of her dating situation by being positive, and with a good result, but oh the drecky guys she wastes time with on the way) and "My 1,000 Americans: A year-long odyssey through the personals," which is far more depressing as author Rochelle Morton meets loads of narcissistic and married men. I suppose the lesson here is that Cox was wise to rely on her date wranglers, while Morton did far worse using the personal ads. I'm sure Cox could have found a Londoner as Mr. Right -- had they met each other traveling! A relationship counselor told me once that romance and passion require time, which no one in a demanding job has. Hence the link between travel and romance.

Have you ever wondered where in the world your soulmate might be hiding? Maybe the reason you haven't met him yet is that he doesn't share you zip code? In fact, he may not even share your continent! In this poignant, witty, exposed memoir, Jennifer Cox attempts to answer these questions for herself. At 38, still single, a trail of failed relationships looming behind her, this editor and PR manager for Lonely Planet decides to set out from her native London on a round-the-world voyage to locate Mr. RIght. Through the help of internet searches and her "Date Wranglers" she manages to create an 80-date itinerary that spans 6 months and 18 countries. If you believe in love, fate, following your heart, and braving monsoons, food poisoning, weeks in the desert in order to find what you've always been looking for, this is the book for you! Singles and not-so-singles alike will revel in Cox's hilarious, plucky, first-person account of her international dateline trials and tribulations. Will she find true love? Will she come up empty, aside from a lot of frequent flyer miles? Read this engaging, inspiring, page-turner to find out!

i read it last year and the thought of a woman traveling around the world to meet men attracted me to it.i have travelled long distances to meet women and while some thought it was extreme( i once flew from san francisco to frankfurt, germany to meet someone), i thought it was fun, plus it gave me a chance to check out places i had never been. Ms. Cox's story is well written enough to be entertaining and she definately meets alot of men; of course, the real conflict in the book comes when she meets the love of her life when she's in the middle of her quest. Should she finish it and risk losing him or complete the quest regardless. Gary, Jennifer's boyfriend, encourages her to complete it, which shows him to be a class act. not just another run of the mill travel memoir.

I couldn't put it down. Jennifer Cox spun a terrific story about what she was really looking for--and the method she undertook to find it. She pulled me so deeply into her journey that I was unbelievably discouraged during the low points--and rooting for her every step of the way. I admired her bravery--and honesty. About what she really was feeling through all of this--about herself, about men and about being willing to make sacrifices for what you really want.

I loved this book the moment I read it and have been recommending it to everyone I know since then!! Jennifer's adventure around the world is captivating, her determination to find the right guy admirable, and her dating adventures exciting to follow. I really enjoyed her witty tone and thought she was incredibly brave to take the plunge and put herself out there! 80 times, no less! On the more practical side, I found her tips for how to survive dating fatigue and how to build a relationship resumé (among other things) very helpful. So if you like to travel or meet new people or have ever thought you're alone in your search for the right partner, this is the book to read!