For Alexa McIntyre, the answer to everything comes down to numbers. Three sons. One divorce. One great life…except her boys are getting older and they really need a man around. Enter the number twenty, as in after twenty minutes with someone she knows whether or not she wants them in her life. So, she hatches a plan to meet any man who remotely strikes her interest–for a twenty-minute date at … at her favorite coffee shop. It’s the perfect way to find her perfect match in the most efficient way possible.
Too bad coffee shop owner Marshall Calloway isn’t keen on her using his shop as her speed-dating zone, especially since she’s made it clear he’s too young to be a contender. But against her better judgement, Alexa finds herself drawn to Marshall in ways she can’t quantify. There’s no easy answer, and once the kids become involved, her well-ordered world threatens to fall apart–twenty minutes at a time.
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This is how books should be written. There were so many feelings in this book. There were parts I laughed at, swooned for, cried and was so angry I wanted to throw my kindle across the room.
Alexa is a divorced woman who’s whole life runs on numbers. She tried to take the emotions out of things and think critically. This is where the whole 20 minute date comes into play. She is a woman who thinks as long as she sticks to the plan she will be happy. She is getting upset that men are not playing be her rules. I really felt bad for her, she is a woman who just wants to be happy, and her kids to be happy but she is just going about it wrong.
Marshall is a younger man who has been interested in Alexa since the first day he met her but is rebuffed every time he mentions it. He has to sit and watch her go through these 20 minutes dates and he hates it.
I have to say I LOVED Marshall. He in my mind was the perfect man. He knew when to be an adult but he also knew when to have fun and not take life so seriously. He was exactly what Alexa needed. He was a genuinely good man that Alexa wasn’t giving a chance. I loved the movie quotes and how he was with her kids.
There were parts of this book that I was very frustrated with. Alexa wanted to be happy and be this great mom, but her strict regimented rules were making everyone unhappy. As a reader you found joy in her the same time Marshall did and you wanted her to have more of that.
Loved the characters
I went into this book thinking I would love it. The blurb was so interesting and unique.
This storyline was interesting and unique, though. Twenty-minute dates is all Alexa needs to figure out if a guy is worth a second date. But Alexa was so stuck in her statistics and her dismissal of Marshall, I couldn’t ever get over how she treated him, even up until the very end. I honestly didn’t even want them to end up together because of it. Marshall could have done better.
The saving graces in this book were Marshall and Brenden. Marshall is funny, successful, and patient. Brenden was surprisingly insightful for a 13-year-old boy and I loved how he beat his mom at her own game: statistics.
This one was just okay. I had a hard time getting into the story, the writing didn’t capture my attention the way I would have liked. I knew this was going to be an older woman/younger man story, but I didn’t realize how much I wasn’t going to like them as a couple. Alexa was a single mom, and she was set in her ways. I wasn’t a fan of her “20 minute” rule. I understand instant attraction, but you can’t know everything about a person in 20 minutes. Even after she agrees to go out with Marshall, I felt like there were times she treated him like a kid, not an equal. I liked Marshall, and thought he was a good guy, I just didn’t buy them as a couple. This was a first for me from this author, but I would be willing to read her again.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
Alexa has decided that her three sons need a male influence, and opts for online dating, which does not prove ideal. Marshall, the hot barista, is rather entertained by her endeavour but he wishes she would think of him. Alas, Alexa made it clear that at 32, he’s ten years older than her, and not on her radar, even though her hormones negate her assertions.
The premise was pure catnip for me, and after reading an excerpt, I knew I needed that book, and ADVENTURES IN ONLINE DATING did not disappoint! Alexa and Marshall are delightful characters, as are Alexa’s sons – all very well defined and genuine. Alexa’s stubbornness to see Marshall as a potential mate grated a bit, but I understood her hesitation. He does act like an overgrown boy sometimes, but then again she is extremely serious and honestly needs someone like him in his life. What a relief to have a hero who is a good guy, and who is handsome and sexy; this is the proof that you don’t need a bad boy for a good romance. I also liked the fact that Alexa’s ex is not the devil incarnate, and I do wish more authors took that road with writing heroines; it’s a nice change. I very much appreciated that Marshall understood her concerns without being demanding, even though it was hurting him that Alexa kept pushing him away because she it didn’t fit with her agenda. Alexa is a numbers person, she’s an actuary, and romance and attraction baffle her logical mind.
Julie Particka possesses a lovely flowing writing style, and I loved how each character had a distinctive voice in the dialogues. Peyton, Alexa’s friend, is entirely different from Alexa and it shows in their conversations. I loved how the romance progressed, even with Alexa’s indecision, but I honestly couldn’t understand how they could stand their short trysts! Which made me like Marshall even more, because he was so different from those male protagonists I dislike so much. I enjoyed ADVENTURES IN ONLINE DATING very much, and I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Particka’s novels because I was seriously impressed with her way of writing a convincing romance that really appealed to me.
I gave this Book a rating of 5 ’s
Title: Adventures in Online Dating
Series: Standalone
Genre: RomCom
Author: Julie Particka
Format: Kindle Edition
Published on: Nov 12, 2018
I voluntarily received a Courtesy Copy of this book from AuthorsPal and am choosing to leave a review.
>-< >–< >–< >–< >–<>–< >–< >–< >–< >–< >–< >–< >–< What I liked/Didn’t Like: My first book by this author and it was funny, Witty, Easy to read and full of fun. I loved the authors writing style and her characters descriptions and attitudes. I will be looking to read more from her in the near future
I love that this story is not the typical romance novel. Marshal and Alexa’s relationship is typical of the many challenges most couples face in real life. Alexa is divorced with 3 children and trying to put her life back together. Typography a single mom, her children are her priority which does not leave much time for dating or sex. Coupled with that she has boys who are becoming teenagers and they are a foreign species to her. She decides it is time to find a compatible male to share their lives. Unknown to her Marshall, her barista, has been keeping an eye on her for a while. As her adventures in speed dating begins in his coffee shop he decides to throw his hat in the ring and the fun begins.
The story is filled with warmth, laughter and fun. There is plenty of sexy escapades and witty banter. The author explores the dynamics of a older woman dating a younger man, how society views it and the insecurities a woman can face as she struggles with her age. It is a wonderful story of family and how it can be anything we want it to be.
This is a story about a single mother looking for a male figure for her boys. She begins speed dating at the local coffee shop and catches the interest of the owner.
This was a simple contemporary romance story with an HEA. I had a real hard time at the beginning and nearly gave up on the book. I powered through and became invested at about 70%. I had a hard time with the dialogue and confused as to the tone of the characters during conversations. It wasn’t very descriptive and I found myself rereading the paragraphs once I realized which direction the dialogue was taking the story. I think with a few tweaks this could be a great read.
I was eager to read this story after reading the blurb, and was disappointed once I started it due to the lack of good description. I will say, I was really counting on this to be more about her actual dating experiences, rather than her developing relationship with the owner of the coffee shop she is using as a place to speed date. Cute story. I got feels when Brendan the 13 yo son had a heart to heart talk with his mom. I loved how Marshall the hero was so invested in the heroine, Alexa.