Jo Elliot is the author of I'm Celibate, Get me out of Here! which we raved about back in May ("This book is witty, fast-paced and highly entertaining... 5/5") and her guest blog for us gives us an insider glimpse into the topic of her book, about looking for the love of your life online.
AND! One lucky reader can WIN! a free copy by emailing us your name and address with Celibate in the subject line- you won't regret it!- Sorry, we love our international readers but this one's UK only.
Jo Elliot on Finding the Love of Your life... or not
Internet dating. Isn't that for freaks and weirdos? That's certainly what I thought when I inadvertently joined a dating site 6 years ago. Having been single since God knows when, I was strangely flattered when 'Handsome_Gentleman' landed in my inbox telling me I was his ideal woman. However, one click on his profile revealed that he most certainly wasn't my ideal man.
Tom Evans was, but he broke my heart in 100 places (one of them was Soho). But if at first you don't succeed, then try, try again. Surely there was someone for me in this enormous virtual meat market? And what's more, I could search for them from the comfort of my own desk. And so began a journey that sometimes made me wonder if I'd joined a joke site, and other times took me to such salubrious places as Birmingham Travelodge. Who says romance is dead?
It's just on a life support machine. My friends' hysterical laughter as I recalled my dating stories made me realise I'd be doing the rest of the world a disservice if I didn't share the amusement. So I wrote 'I'm Celibate...Get Me Out Of Here!' I'm glad I'm not Bridget Jones, with two rich, handsome men fighting over me.
I'd never have met The_Hairy_Cornflake.


