31 Dates in 31 Days [Paperback]

Tamara Duricka Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 2011

On the eve of her 31st birthday, after yet another painful breakup, Tamara Duricka Johnson decides it’s time to overhaul her dating habits. When a friend jokingly suggests that she embark on a “dating project,” inspiration strikes: in honor of turning 31, she'll go on 31 dates in 31 days — and resist the urge to turn each date into her next relationship. Instead, she’ll have to wait until the 31st date to pick one of the 30 men to go out with a second time. Some dates are awful, while others are amazing—but all of them help change her attitude about dating and men in general. She opens up to the world around her and develops a handful of crushes, making it difficult to decide who will be the lucky final date. In the end, though, she realizes there’s only one man of the entire thirty that she can see herself marrying — and one year later, she does. Chatty, fun, and confessional, 31 Dates in 31 Days is an entertaining journey that offers astute insights into the modern dating scene.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Through this fun experiment, Tamara gives every girl out there hope: do something different and something different will happen!" - Kimberlee Auerbach, author, The Devil, The Lovers & Me: My Life in Tarot

From the Back Cover

"31 Dates takes you from being chosen to being the chooser, from feeling rejected to doing the rejecting, and from loneliness to love. It's a must-read for any woman who has told all of her friends that she's swearing off men but who can't seem to swear them off for good." - Alisa Bowman, author, Project: Happily Ever After

"This tale is much more than a dating marathon, it's a story about picking yourself up and getting on with your life when it would be easier to sit on the couch with a bucket of bon-bons. This is a daring adventure... with and ending that delights." -Anna Mitchael, author, Just Don't Call Me Ma'am

"When Johnson challenged herself to go on 31 Dates in 31 Days, she didn't realize that it would end up being an act of radical self-love. Her journey proves the ultimate truth that you have to love yourself before you can find and have great love." - Christine Arylo, author of Madly in Love with ME and Choosing ME Before WE

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press (September 27, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580053661
• ISBN-13: 978-1580053662
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #751,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate dating adventure September 20, 2011

By alligirl

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I loved it! I loved it! Who doesn't love a good 1st date story. At some point, we have all sat with friends, laughing and cringing, about our own 1st dates. In 31 Dates in 31 Days, Tamara takes us on the ultimate dating adventure; 30 first or blind dates, in a row (without a second date until day 31)!
There is something terrifying and thrilling about going out with a complete or near stranger for the first time. You never quite know what you are going to get. Will it be boring or uncomfortable? Will we have anything to talk about? Will we have any common interests? Will I feel self-conscious, or will he put me at ease. Will something happen where I make a fool of myself or will I make a good first impression? Will he be someone I don't even want to spend the evening with, or will I want to spend the rest of my life with him? Will he like me? Do I want him to like me?
As Tamara embarks on this dating project, she hopes that she can figure out what she has been doing wrong. Now she has 31 opportunities to relearn how to date. The task is both physically and emotionally difficult, but as she takes the time open up, reserve judgment, and look for the best in each man, she learns to respect, appreciate, and many times, really connect with them. She mostly learns about herself, and how to have hope for the future.
I couldn't wait to start each chapter to read about her next dating adventure in New York City. Would it be terrible or thrilling?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This should be made into next year's best Chick Flick! September 18, 2011

By LoveToRead

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I grabbed 31 Dates in 31 Days to read on a road trip with my family. Generally when I bring a book to read in the car, I barely read 10 pages before I put it down to interact with everyone else, listen to the music, or just soak in the drive. But I couldn't put 31 Dates down! I found myself reading for most of the drive, in the hotel bathroom late at night, and the second we got back into the car to go home!:)

In this charming book, the author takes you down the road of her past, failed relationships. It begins with another break up and her sense of helplessness, and a pathetic desire to make a bad relationship work just to be in it. She wants to give up on men, but the reader can tell that she is really tempted to give up on herself.

Instead, encouraged by her girlfriends, she embarks on a self-made dating boot camp project to learn how to be a better dater. In the process, she finds that every guy out there has something wonderful to offer-- but more importantly, she learns her own worth. As she uncovers tidbits of wisdom in each date about love and life, she shares them with us.

This book is great for the single girl who wants to change her life, for the married girl who loves romance, for the man who wants to understand what women want. Tamara Duricka Johnson is funny, self-deprecating, blatantly honest and so endearing. You will find yourself rooting for her, and perhaps for one (or four) of her dates along the way. Who will she choose for a second date? You've got to read to find out!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 31 Dates in 31 Days--Fun and Thought Provoking October 9, 2011

By K. Flegal

Format:Paperback

Tamara Duricka Johnson's 31 Dates in 31 Days is wonderful! This is the story about her dating experiment, which turned into an amazing learning experience (and eventually led to her marriage).

The memoir starts out with Tamara's boyfriend dumping her (on the subway!), followed by her realization that she needs to completely overhaul her dating style. It's easy to start dreaming about the potential future with someone after a single date. Tamara's goal is to get control of that impulse. So she embarks on a one-month dating challenge to help her learn about herself and how she approaches dating. With the help of friends, Tamara sets up her project: she will go on 30 dates with 30 guys in 30 days. Date 31 will be a second date with one of the men she went out with in the previous 30 days. The rules are that the dates must be in public places, be alcohol free, be with single men, and be G-rated. In 31 Dates in 31 Days, Tamara shares her experience. She describes each date and each man. More to the point, she describes what she learns from each date and each man. Not just what she learns about dating, but what she learns about herself. Among the lessons that Tamara learns is that there are lots of good men out there, and not every date has to be the start of a relationship.

31 Dates in 31 Days was a lot of fun to read. Tamara is an excellent writer, and her story is thought-provoking and inspiring. She shares her thoughts and feelings, and the story comes across as honest and genuine. Plus, there are some great ideas for things to do on dates! If you want a book that is both fun and worthwhile, read this. It may not change your whole life, but it might help you look at your approach to relationships more clearly.

I'm glad that Tamara wrote this, and I'm glad that I read it.