Senior Online Dating

An instructional guide coupled with a humorous memoir that discusses the benefits and perils of online dating for older adults.

When the author’s beloved wife of more than four decades passed away, he fell into a three-year depression. Slowly, he began the process of moving forward. He sold his house and relocated to a small apartment, at which point his sister gave him a subscription to an Internet dating website. After some internal turmoil, he dove into the waters of online dating and found great joy in socializing with new people. In his debut book, the author explains what senior citizens can expect when looking for love on the Internet. With plenty of wit and good-natured self-deprecation, he describes his successes at playing the dating game—and his mishaps, as when lying about his age led to an uncomfortable conversation with a potential mate. He offers an honest, clever perspective on writing an online biography, poking gentle fun at people who list “long walks on the beach” and other stereotypical lines as their interests. He also gives helpful tips on navigating challenges his peers are likely to face, from dining on a fixed income to traveling with limited mobility options. (A retired ophthalmologist, he lost his driving license due to an eye disease, about which he quips, “I did appreciate God’s fine sense of humor…had I been a neurosurgeon, I would have undoubtedly developed a brain tumor.”) The book would benefit from a bit more information on avoiding malicious characters or online scammers, and a few points are repeated more than once, such as the challenges of an active sex life at an advanced age and the author’s gentlemanly refusal to let his dates pay for their meals. However, the charming and disarmingly honest vignettes compensate for the lack of instructional information. Overall, the book’s charismatic tone and the author’s moving personal journey prove to be a winning, memorable combination.

This delightful book is less of a how-to guide and more of an entertaining, inspirational memoir about finding love and happiness after loss.