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Eight Dates: A Romance
Skylar Cassidy has been on her own for less than a year after a disastrous breakup. She's found that meeting women is difficult - kind of daunting, actually. She feels like she's been run through the mill and doesn't want to go through it again. But when her best pal and business partner Mitchell signs her up at the GirlsGaylore.com dating website and characterizes her as a happy-go-lucky, amorous, risk-taking single, strange women suddenly come out of the woodwork and Sky hardly knows what to make of it. EIGHT DATES is a comical story of a woman's search for Ms. Right-and how she finds quite a few Ms. Wrongs along the way.
250 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2014
3 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Lori L. Lake
26 books70 followersLori L. Lake is the author of ten novels, two books of short stories, and editor of two anthologies. She'll soon have four books available in The Gun Series as well as the next book in The Public Eye Mystery Series. Her crime fiction stories have been featured in "Silence of the Loons," "Once Upon a Crime," and "Women of the Mean Streets. She's had romance stories anthologized in "Best Lesbian Romance" and "Women in Uniform." Lori lived in Minnesota for 26 years, but re-located to Portland, Oregon, in 2009. She presents seminars and workshops on writing topics such as character building, plot, the writing process, the writing life, mystery structure, and form and structure in the modern novel. When she's not working at her computer, you can find her either at the local movie house or curled up in a chair reading. She is currently at work on her next novel. Lori very much likes to hear from her readers. (from the publisher's website)
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 28, 2016
This is the first book I have read by Lake. I liked it, but had some mixed feelings about it.
The MC is looking for love after a disastrous previous relationship. Sky moves into an apartment complex and makes friends with a single mom and her daughter. Sky's best friend bets her to go out on eight dates to get out of the funk shes living in.
I really enjoyed the secondary character of the daughter of the next door neighbor, she was adorable.
What I did not care for was the internet dating aspect. The book made it seem like some insane place where ugly, crazy people are out to get you. And while yes the women she dated were train wrecks, the author made Sky come off so superficial to me.
It was obvious where the real love interest would come from. And I think if the author would have put more time into their chemistry and less with the "crazies", the book would have been better.
I did enjoy the book enough to read Lake again.
The MC is looking for love after a disastrous previous relationship. Sky moves into an apartment complex and makes friends with a single mom and her daughter. Sky's best friend bets her to go out on eight dates to get out of the funk shes living in.
I really enjoyed the secondary character of the daughter of the next door neighbor, she was adorable.
What I did not care for was the internet dating aspect. The book made it seem like some insane place where ugly, crazy people are out to get you. And while yes the women she dated were train wrecks, the author made Sky come off so superficial to me.
It was obvious where the real love interest would come from. And I think if the author would have put more time into their chemistry and less with the "crazies", the book would have been better.
I did enjoy the book enough to read Lake again.
August 29, 2015
I enjoyed this book but found two parts extremely frustrating. One, the Internet dating aspect -- though it is surely true that there are some crazy people out there, representing all Internet dating people as damaged people with no social skills is unfair and unwarranted. While many strange people are out there, there are many more normal people who just don't click -- though there was one "brother", she was the only normal person encountered. it would have been much more realistic to have skylar meet at least one other person who was potentially interesting, they had a normal coffee shop date, maybe dinner, but they didn't click romantically after a meeting or two. It also seems to suggest that any lesbian who meets another lesbian who they find the least bit attractive wants to and will fall into a long love affair, unless there is an impediment (see Nina and her polyamory). So to make sure that none of the other dates were even a potential rival for the main love interest, they had to be over the top, off the wall crazy. The second aspect that bothered me was with the main love interest ( spoilers ahead) -- it was telegraphed well ahead where the relationship was inevitably headed, and it made no sense, if Rebecca was so okay with being bi and having had previous relationships with women, she wouldn't have mentioned that at least once to skylar as a part of her flirting tactics. I can understand not mentioning it the first time skylar came out to her, but not at any point, over the many weeks, especially as she was considering kissing her and going out with her. That seems unbelievable. It is such a stupid reason to have skylar be in the dark about the potential relationship with Rebecca.
August 5, 2021
2 stars
I'm afraid I found it boring, occasionally stupid and generally not very good. There was nothing seriously wrong with it, so I didn't give one star, but I actively disliked it.
I'm afraid I found it boring, occasionally stupid and generally not very good. There was nothing seriously wrong with it, so I didn't give one star, but I actively disliked it.
April 23, 2020
I started off really liking this book and ended not liking Skylar. The thing is she's right to be upset when people lie or misrepresent who they are. People should truly say what they are interested in. So I understood her disappointment and frustration with people wasting her time. What I didn't understand I why she had such a negative opinion of who they really were.
What really put me off was how much she hated anyone fat and assumed that they weren't fit. I caught the throwaway comment that was supposed to put Skylar in the non fat hating category. Basically she says that she has met fit fat people so she's not a hater, but she's a hater. I know that we live in a society that says its okay to be disgusted by and dehumanize fat people but I am just not in that lane. Oh and when she goes hiking with Denise and they go on such a fat hating rant fest that I should have closed the book. That's on me. Also Skylar didn't find anything redeemable in anyone that she dated. Not a single thing. I think that she was so disappointed that she didn't get what she wanted on the surface level that she couldn't see them as people.
The story idea wasn't bad but the emphasis on being a certain kind of visual "healthy/active" didn't work for me. I was really sad about that because this book would have good, if Skylar's true self wasn't shown to be so ugly based on her responses to the people she dated.
What really put me off was how much she hated anyone fat and assumed that they weren't fit. I caught the throwaway comment that was supposed to put Skylar in the non fat hating category. Basically she says that she has met fit fat people so she's not a hater, but she's a hater. I know that we live in a society that says its okay to be disgusted by and dehumanize fat people but I am just not in that lane. Oh and when she goes hiking with Denise and they go on such a fat hating rant fest that I should have closed the book. That's on me. Also Skylar didn't find anything redeemable in anyone that she dated. Not a single thing. I think that she was so disappointed that she didn't get what she wanted on the surface level that she couldn't see them as people.
The story idea wasn't bad but the emphasis on being a certain kind of visual "healthy/active" didn't work for me. I was really sad about that because this book would have good, if Skylar's true self wasn't shown to be so ugly based on her responses to the people she dated.
September 26, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. Great characters. Great story. I can definitely relate to the "eight dates." Some were laugh out loud funny. Loved the relationship between the main character, Skye and eight-year-old Maya. Good read.
September 20, 2014
Was enjoyable for the most part, found myself chuckling in several spots and Maya was adorable. Unfortunately it suffers from 'misunderstanding won't let the other explain' trope for the drama. The book also felt like it was more of a comedy about online dating than being a romance. I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two ladies. I felt like they never did anything to show any hint of interest, then suddenly they kiss a few times-The End. Kind of anticlimactic.
September 19, 2014
Ms Lake does it again
I have read several offerings Ms Lake has sent into the world. I have enjoyed them all. This book was different from her others. In this book she gives us a set of characters that are so real....they have real problems that most of us can identify with. No rich model types. Skylar is a woman who is starting over at the bottom. She is funny, and sweet, sometimes sad and angry, she feels weak but eventually finds her strength...as well as love.
The dates she goes on border on the insane yet, from experience, I can tell you most have more than a grain of truth in them!
The story is well written and flows very well. I like the first person voice very much, it gives a glimps into her thoughts and feelings and makes the book feel more genuine.
I could gush for hours over this book, and truthfully I have. Three days after reading this story it is still so fresh in my memory and I have only grown to love it more.
I have read several offerings Ms Lake has sent into the world. I have enjoyed them all. This book was different from her others. In this book she gives us a set of characters that are so real....they have real problems that most of us can identify with. No rich model types. Skylar is a woman who is starting over at the bottom. She is funny, and sweet, sometimes sad and angry, she feels weak but eventually finds her strength...as well as love.
The dates she goes on border on the insane yet, from experience, I can tell you most have more than a grain of truth in them!
The story is well written and flows very well. I like the first person voice very much, it gives a glimps into her thoughts and feelings and makes the book feel more genuine.
I could gush for hours over this book, and truthfully I have. Three days after reading this story it is still so fresh in my memory and I have only grown to love it more.
April 25, 2020
Really enjoyed this one.
September 1, 2014
Skylar Cassidy had gone through a bad break up from her long term relationship. Even after a year, she still hasn’t managed to move on. She can’t seem to meet a woman. Although lonely, she’s not sure what she really wants.
Skylar’s best gay friend and business partner, Mitchell is pro active and opens up an account in Skylar’s name on an online dating website, GirlsGaylore.com. He puts up her profile as a risk-taking, loving, happy-go-lucky single woman. Skylar gets so many emails, she can’t keep up with them. What can she do? Or more to the point, what will she do? Skylar doesn’t really want to be alone anymore.
Mitchell challenges Skylar to go on eight dates in a quest to find Ms Right. Unfortunately, Skylar finds more Ms Wrong’s than Right’s.
A nicely written and well edited comedy/romance. There are so many laugh out loud moments throughout, that I found the book a little heavy on the comedy and not quite enough romance. Not exactly a bad thing, but not quite what I expected from the title. None-the–less, I did enjoy the book.
I loved Skylar’s character and her interactions with the little girl next door, Maya, were really funny. Add to this that Rebecca her mother is the proverbial good looking girl next door and you have three wonderful and loveable characters, backed up by some equally as nice and intriguing secondary characters to move the story forward. Mitchell, is a hoot. His interfering makes for interesting hilarity.
This book is not all sweetness and light, there are a few nasty scenes and a character I could have cheerfully slapped. But, it is tastefully written and there is nothing violent.
Some of the replies Skylar got on the dating website and dates she went on had me wondering if there are actually people out there like that. But, I suspect, there may well be.
The book title of Eight Dates was appropriate. I only wish that we could have seen a little bit beyond Skylar’s eighth date. An epilogue would have been good. I felt the book ended a little bit before it should. Or maybe that is just me being greedy and wanting more. A very enjoyable and entertaining read.
Skylar’s best gay friend and business partner, Mitchell is pro active and opens up an account in Skylar’s name on an online dating website, GirlsGaylore.com. He puts up her profile as a risk-taking, loving, happy-go-lucky single woman. Skylar gets so many emails, she can’t keep up with them. What can she do? Or more to the point, what will she do? Skylar doesn’t really want to be alone anymore.
Mitchell challenges Skylar to go on eight dates in a quest to find Ms Right. Unfortunately, Skylar finds more Ms Wrong’s than Right’s.
A nicely written and well edited comedy/romance. There are so many laugh out loud moments throughout, that I found the book a little heavy on the comedy and not quite enough romance. Not exactly a bad thing, but not quite what I expected from the title. None-the–less, I did enjoy the book.
I loved Skylar’s character and her interactions with the little girl next door, Maya, were really funny. Add to this that Rebecca her mother is the proverbial good looking girl next door and you have three wonderful and loveable characters, backed up by some equally as nice and intriguing secondary characters to move the story forward. Mitchell, is a hoot. His interfering makes for interesting hilarity.
This book is not all sweetness and light, there are a few nasty scenes and a character I could have cheerfully slapped. But, it is tastefully written and there is nothing violent.
Some of the replies Skylar got on the dating website and dates she went on had me wondering if there are actually people out there like that. But, I suspect, there may well be.
The book title of Eight Dates was appropriate. I only wish that we could have seen a little bit beyond Skylar’s eighth date. An epilogue would have been good. I felt the book ended a little bit before it should. Or maybe that is just me being greedy and wanting more. A very enjoyable and entertaining read.
June 1, 2015
I had the opportunity to hear Lori L. Lake read an excerpt of Eight Dates and immediately turned around and bought it. She had me laughing my butt off with the first chapter and the premise of the story intrigued me to no end. Lori L. Lake did not disappoint with this story, which in my experience deviated from her previous stories. She still had strong characters and an engaging story that I respect about her writing but this had some added humor that had me chuckle along the way. Overall though, Lake not only had me laughing at the outrageousness of the dates Skylar Cassidy goes on but developing a connection to Cassidy's search for contentment in a life that has definitely not been very kind to her in the past year. Definitely a story to read.
April 23, 2023
I don't generally read books labeled "romance" but I'm a fan of Lori's other writings, so I gave this one a try. It is written very much in Lori's voice, and I found the stories humorous. I especially enjoyed the character of the little girl Maya. Lori has a gift for writing about children and their thoughts, feelings, and actions. That most of the eight dates were disappointing was to be expected, in my opinion. I felt Lori used bad internet dating as a way to steer us through to true romance. I enjoyed reading about the character Skylar's work on computers, her soft butch personality, and her attempts at decorating -- in spite of still being in the midst of recovering from heartbreak.
May 27, 2015
It's not bad but it's not good either. I also did not found this funny or maybe the jokes went over my head.
The 'jokes' were mean spirited and judgmental making Skylar (seem) shallow. Especially when Skylar kept reiterating that she was not being shallow - it had the reverse effect on me and making me see her as a shallow person.
I had to force myself to finish this book, glad to be done with it finally . The writing is not terrible but I just did not relate/connect to the characters.
The 'jokes' were mean spirited and judgmental making Skylar (seem) shallow. Especially when Skylar kept reiterating that she was not being shallow - it had the reverse effect on me and making me see her as a shallow person.
I had to force myself to finish this book, glad to be done with it finally . The writing is not terrible but I just did not relate/connect to the characters.
September 24, 2014
i loved the play of the sub-characters [hopefully i'm described correctly]. the actual eight dates was funny we all have been through dates from the underworld and we see it through.
October 21, 2014
I always enjoy a story with a kid character.
November 9, 2014
I enjoyed reading this book. It was organized and very entertaining. keep writing
June 5, 2016
very amusing!
January 30, 2017
Mature and realistic without being heavy. Well-paced story, warm and believable characters. Solid work, and recommended - for those who like the genre.
December 6, 2015
2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews