Review of 28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humourous Memoir
Posted: 16 Feb 2024, 00:26
[Following is a volunteer review of "28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humourous Memoir" by Poppy Mortimer.]
Poppy Mortimer shares stories of 20 years of her dating life in her book 28 Disastrous Dates.
From age 20 in Manchester, England, to age 40 when she’s living in ‘the city that she loves’ Melbourne, Australia, she takes us on a journey of 28 horrible dates with some of the world’s most revolting men.
28 Disastrous Dates is binge-reading at its finest. You can’t help turning the page and finding out how the next date(s) go. I read it in three sittings.
I hope that some of the stories were exaggerated; in Mr Captain, for example, if all that really happened, I would have jumped overboard like Poppy seriously considered.
A word of warning: don’t read this in a public place (like I did). There were too many laugh-out-loud moments that I was starting to get odd stares due to my too-frequent fits of giggles.
Just when you thought you’d read every possible awful date comes Date 28, the speed dating chapter — 20 awful dates in one go. As Poppy said, she might as well go out with a bang.
As an Aussie, I loved how she slipped Australian slang into the chapters about her dates in my home country.
I learned a lot from this book. I discovered that men really can treat women appallingly, and some 40-year-old men still think it’s ok to act and talk like 5-year-olds.
Being happily married now (even though he slightly resembles Mr. Muscles — Chapter 10), I’m so glad I no longer have to go out into the dating world; it’s dangerous out there. I sure wish I’d known about the ‘hug and dash’ when I was single.
It was refreshing to read, between some of the dates, that she’d had some longer-term relationships. I was beginning to think that this poor lady would never find love. The final thoughts section was eye-opening and a little sad, but that’s just my reaction to it.
Despite the humor in the book, I read a recent interview with Poppy Mortimer, and she claimed that there is a serious side to her stories. That’s demonstrated in the final summary of lessons learned — a one-sentence refresher of each date. She wants people to understand how poorly many men behave on dates and to use her stories as lessons.
28 Disastrous Dates is impeccably edited, and I didn’t spot a single mistake. I applaud Poppy for taking the extra steps to ensure this was the case. Based on my sheer enjoyment of the stories, I’m rating this book a solid 5 out of 5 stars.
This book is for everyone who has ever swiped right, answered a dating ad, or even said yes when they should have run screaming down the street. You’ll laugh, you’ll gasp, you may even have to put the book down and have a stiff drink. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
******
28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humourous Memoir
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Poppy Mortimer shares stories of 20 years of her dating life in her book 28 Disastrous Dates.
From age 20 in Manchester, England, to age 40 when she’s living in ‘the city that she loves’ Melbourne, Australia, she takes us on a journey of 28 horrible dates with some of the world’s most revolting men.
28 Disastrous Dates is binge-reading at its finest. You can’t help turning the page and finding out how the next date(s) go. I read it in three sittings.
I hope that some of the stories were exaggerated; in Mr Captain, for example, if all that really happened, I would have jumped overboard like Poppy seriously considered.
A word of warning: don’t read this in a public place (like I did). There were too many laugh-out-loud moments that I was starting to get odd stares due to my too-frequent fits of giggles.
Just when you thought you’d read every possible awful date comes Date 28, the speed dating chapter — 20 awful dates in one go. As Poppy said, she might as well go out with a bang.
As an Aussie, I loved how she slipped Australian slang into the chapters about her dates in my home country.
I learned a lot from this book. I discovered that men really can treat women appallingly, and some 40-year-old men still think it’s ok to act and talk like 5-year-olds.
Being happily married now (even though he slightly resembles Mr. Muscles — Chapter 10), I’m so glad I no longer have to go out into the dating world; it’s dangerous out there. I sure wish I’d known about the ‘hug and dash’ when I was single.
It was refreshing to read, between some of the dates, that she’d had some longer-term relationships. I was beginning to think that this poor lady would never find love. The final thoughts section was eye-opening and a little sad, but that’s just my reaction to it.
Despite the humor in the book, I read a recent interview with Poppy Mortimer, and she claimed that there is a serious side to her stories. That’s demonstrated in the final summary of lessons learned — a one-sentence refresher of each date. She wants people to understand how poorly many men behave on dates and to use her stories as lessons.
28 Disastrous Dates is impeccably edited, and I didn’t spot a single mistake. I applaud Poppy for taking the extra steps to ensure this was the case. Based on my sheer enjoyment of the stories, I’m rating this book a solid 5 out of 5 stars.
This book is for everyone who has ever swiped right, answered a dating ad, or even said yes when they should have run screaming down the street. You’ll laugh, you’ll gasp, you may even have to put the book down and have a stiff drink. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
******
28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humourous Memoir
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Even if we laugh at those 'dates' later, the thought of dating freaks me out. This book is a woman's experience dating men, but I know some men who have had scary dates with women, too! Dating is scary. Period. I loved this fun review! 
After reading it, I long to read the book. I totally believe that I would enjoy it.