When Katie Beringer’s beloved husband passed away from liver cancer at only 58, she was crowding 60, and suddenly, sadly, alone for the first time in nearly 30 years — during which time, the world of dating had changed radically.
But Beringer wanted to meet a good man and settle down again. That meant she would have to explore her options, the most obvious being online dating; and so she took on the challenge with wit and courage.
Then she wrote about it.
He Said What?! Tips to Filter Out the Mixed Signals, Scamsters, and Schemers to Find Mr. Right (LML Publishing) is an essential read for women of a certain age who are on the hunt for the right man. In the labyrinthian cyberspace of online dating, no one can rely on “feelings” — and with the endless opportunities for editing and photoshop, matchmaking websites can be misleading or downright deceitful.
Beringer is likable from the get-go. She’s lively and humble, even recommending another author’s book in her introduction. “Let’s talk,” she says, and the ensuing pages are conversational, witty and a little bawdy.
The first section of the book is a dictionary of dating terms: LTR (long-term relationship), kittenfishing (posting an older and more flattering profile pic), sapiosexual (person who finds smart sexy). Although interesting, knowledge of these terms is only marginally important for negotiating the world of online dating. Breeze through the terms. Enjoy the irony. There won’t be a test.
The rest of the book, however, deserves some close study. Beringer’s a no-nonsense dater, and she shares her personal experiences with bold honesty and verve. She doesn’t want you to make the same mistakes she made or that she watched her friends make. She can spot a Nigerian scammer a mile away, and she wants you to, too.
There’s a rating of dating websites — she’s used most of them. This can help readers choose the site that might be best for them. She gives advice that we should have known without being told, like do not send sexy pics with your face visible, but in the world of falling in love, we’ve all done dumb things.
Throughout the book, Beringer drops little nuggets of advice and wisdom in square black boxes. “Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed,” she writes. Or “You are only helpless when your nail polish is wet. Even then, you could pull a trigger if you had to.” She quotes Buddha and consulted a professional matchmaker. She’s done her homework, and it shows.
Although He Said What?! was written with heterosexual women in mind, the advice can be as applicable for all sexual orientations and features good advice for anyone. The last chapter is prefaced by this little black box:
Perhaps we should listen to the whispers of our hearts — and read Beringer’s helpful guidebook for dating in this brave new world.
He Said What?! is available for purchase. For more about Beringer, visit her BookTrib author profile page.
https://booktrib.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Katie-Beringer-1.jpg
About Katie Beringer:
Katie Beringer is a debut author who, after losing her beautiful husband to cancer at age 58, was encouraged by her more daring and adventurous girlfriends to jump into the exciting online dating arena! She knew that she had many more life and “love chapters” left in her youthful spirit, and she was ready to delve into this new experience. Ha! … little did she know the roller coaster ride that awaited her.
She is a native “Los Angelean,” who leans to the artistic side. She has owned many vintage cars, collects antiques and enjoys investing in real estate projects. She also competes in the Ballroom dance arena.
She splits her time between her charming 1923 Rosebowl home (she shared with her hubby) and her “enchanted storybook” cottage at the lake in Big Bear, CA. This cottage was previously owned by the popular singing movie cowboy, Roy Rogers!
Buy this Book!
Amazon
Genre: Book Club Network, Nonfiction, Self Help
