I was turned off by the explicit sex early on in the book and did not find this to be an enjoyable memoir to read.

📖My Thoughts📖

Typically I’m able to push my way through most books even if I don’t feel entirely connected to it, but this one is just a lot for me. I just can’t relate and I think this going back and forth between people is making it confusing, and while yes I sometimes read books with some smut in it, this just is just uncomfortable for me. I’ve tried so many times and so hard to finish this, but I just can’t do it. I’m not sure what part is making me feel this way, but it’s really just not my cup of tea. Thank you Netgalley, Carolyn Lee Arnold and She Writes Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately it just really fell short for me and I just didn’t connect.

As a divorced woman, I was excited to read this book. I expected the fifty dates to be with one person for some reason, but as I kept reading, I noticed the title again. To me, fifty first dates seems like a whole lot. It was an interesting concept and topic of conversation and this book could be a good one for a book club.

The book was not quite what I expected. Gave me an insight into a different kind of life. Opened my mind to life of the author Carolyn. Glad she was sold to find someone and a way she was sold to make a happy life for herself

I've never read a romance novel about people over the age of thirty, so I really liked the diversification of this novel. It was cute and cozy and hilarious.

Oooo this was a brave memoir. As a 40 something lady heading swiftly towards my fifties I can't claim to have any similarities to the protagonist which made it tricky for me to warm to the book as much as I would have wanted, however saying that I found it a very entertaining read

This is a memoir by Carolyn describing her dating experiences after she split up with her partner Peter of 7 years.  I'm in my 50s and I was curious to read about another woman's 50something life's experiences.  

The memoir was really different than I expected it to be and I would have known this if I had read the reviews about the book first. The book captured my interest and kept me reading until the end because I became vested in her experience and kept me curious.  I do feel like this book felt like a guilty pleasure and reminded me of some of the reality shows that are out on tv.  I continued to read it because I was curious and compelled to read that she found her happinesses with someone or on her own.

Carolyn's lifestyle is very different than mine and as she was comfortable participating in casual sexual interactions and was very comfortable participating in polyamorous situations.  I respect that everyone has the right to do what brings them happiness as long as others are not being hurt in the process.
I appreciate and respect Carolyn's openness and comfort level.

This book was refreshing in terms of the genre, but I found the heroine unrelatable and I got a little annoyed with her making the same continuous mistakes with each suitor. While I liked the book, I don't think I would pick it up again.

Thank you for the gifted copy! Unfortunately this book wasn’t the book for me. I couldn’t resonate with the MC. The premise was nice though!

Even with the help of the synopsis provided, I find it hard to continue the book because of the slow pacing of events.

I really enjoyed this book!
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS BOOK WITH ME!
I got behind in the COVID DRAMA and missed posting about this important book when it came out.
Thank you!

"Fifty First Dates After Fifty" is the memoir of a woman in her late 50s who goes through a significant breakup and decides to date 50 different men as part of her search for a long term partner

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I started this book without knowing what this is about. My expectations were more like fifty dates with the same person because of the movie with the similar name but this book is completely different.

Carolyn is in her fifties and single after her partner Peter decides to go on a trip around India. She decides this is a good opportunity for her to date multiple men and find the right partner and also help her move on from Peter. She starts a project of dating fifty men.

I liked the idea behind the book but it got very repetitive for me after the first few dates. Carolyn has making the same mistakes either while selecting the partner or on the date.

I was expecting a very different book and still found it to be an interesting read. The author takes us along on her unapologetic journey to love, sex, respect from within, feeling comfortable being exactly who she is and going after what she wants.

I think this book needs a different cover. This one is beautiful, but it does not match the content. It confuses the target audience. I know young adult readers prefer illustrated covers, lately these have been the most requested books on NetGalley. But I don't think this story was written for them. And when people buy a book for the cover but hate the story, they feel really betrayed. So, in order to connect with readers who can relate to these experiences and actually enjoy this story, I think the author deserved a better cover.

I didn’t feel that this book was very realistic! Going on 50 dates should be left in the movies, where a high level of day dreaming is acceptable!
As a ‘handbook’ for finding a partner, the storyline was not believable, nor did it hold my interest! Overall I didn’t connect with the main character.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A fun real-life story about Carolyn's dating life after fifty - and coming close to that myself, I don't think it's as shocking as others seem to think that her first dates were wild and more adventurous than others might have picked. This is a sex-positive book, and one I enjoyed.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So I either didn't read the description carefully or something but this was NOT the book I expected. I had anticipated reading about a 50-something re-entering the dating world after either a divorce or (like me) early widowhood and thought I'd be reading tales of PTO moms and dads and fitting in dating with kids, work, etc. This is NOT that book. Instead it is the story of how 50-something Carolyn -- Bay Area free spirit who volunteers at sensual and sexual workshops and throws an annual winter solstice party based on a pagan ritual -- decides she is ready for a permanent partner and promises herself to go on 50 first dates to find one. Once I accepted this this was not going to be a story that I could at all relate to and switched my mindset, I found myself both enjoying a peek into a world so different from my own (hello sex parties, naked dance parties, workshops on how to carrels, and open marriages with primary and secondary lovers) and also frustrated that Carolyn professes to want a monogamous relationship when she so clearly doesn't - as evidenced by her multiple dates with married or otherwise committed men and her keeping multiple lovers on during her own multi-year project. While not the book I expected, it was a fascinating glimpse into a different world - perhaps not one I'd be comfortable in but one that clearly exists out there and more power to those of you living that life. Good for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am in my fifties so this book was of interest to me.

The pacing is so slow and it seriously removed from the story.

Some scenes feel contrived at times and to be honest, I could not wait this book to end.