Random Things Tours: Welcome to Your Life by Bethany Rutter

 

It takes a lot of courage to decide the day of your wedding to give up a 10-year relationship. In addition of the break-up, there is the organisational mess left behind and the discontent of all the relatives and guests getting ready and investing emotionally and financially in the big event. However, Serena Mills, the main woman characters of Welcome to Your Life by Bethany Rutter.

Some relationships are not supposed to happen, no matter how time and emotions we invested about. Time cannot solve the riddle of feeling in the wrong place, with the wrong person. Therefore, I can fully understand Serena´s decision. Alistair may have been heartbroken for a long time, but after a while, all will be back to ´business-as-usual´. Dating business, to be more precise.

Serena´s next move is to settle in London, into a new, better paid job, and start a journey of - at least - 52 dates; one for every week of the year. Would she succeed? Will she find The One? At least, will she have some great dating fun? Actually, a little bit of everything, as she is seriously delving, with an open heart, into the complex jungle of (mostly) online dating. It looks like it was all for the good.

Selena is playing a different London game, with grace and curiosity. She is a likeable character, although she sounds sometimes superficial - but she is not supposed to be. Dating is for her not only an opportunity to find new men, but also to discover herself and what kind of person she is meant to be. I also loved the natural women solidarity and easygoing relationships. It may be just a literary projection but it sounds good to read about such a possibility anyway.

Welcome to Your Life is a well written easygoing book, that may help anyone looking for some dating fun and inspiration in a big city. Besides a very noncommittal way of approaching dating and relationships, it also encourages body positivity. Reading this book is a pleasant experience, worth giving it a try as a relaxing weekend lecture. Some characters are maybe too inconclusive or just unconvincing, but the dating game is open and worth giving it a try.

Rating: 3 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour, but the opinions are, as usual, my own