The Year I Dated the Internet

by Stacy Lynn Carroll

With her thirtieth birthday fast approaching, Chelsea Wilson decides she is done being single. She is going to be married by the end of the year if it kills her. And sixteen first dates might just do that. With no male companionship, other than her cat Daughtry, Chelsea reluctantly creates an online dating profile. She begins meeting all kinds of men in a world now full of man buns and skinny jeans. While trying to find one good man, she ends up with four. How will Chelsea ever decide? The best part is she doesn’t have to. It’s up to you.
In this romantic comedy like no other, you, the reader, get to pick who Chelsea chooses in the end. Her fate is in your hands

Genres: Romance

347 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 10, 2017

About the author

Stacy Lynn Carroll has always loved telling stories. She started out at Utah State University where she pursued a degree in English, learned how to western swing, and watched as many of her fellow students became ‘True Aggies’. She then finished her BA at the University of Utah where she got an emphasis in creative writing. After college she worked as an administrative assistant, where she continued to write stories for the amusement of her co-workers. When her first daughter was born, and with the encouragement of a fortune cookie, she quit her job and became a full-time mommy and writer. She and her husband have three children, two Corgis, and a fish named Don.

Reviews

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want it clear that this rating is for the concept and not the writing. I fell for Chelsea very quickly and the problem is that I fell for her men nearly as fast. Carroll's writing is clear and evocative and exactly what it needed to be for this to be a fun romance. This is a huge improvement over her last book I read and I love to see that improvement so I kind of hate giving this one the same rating because she deserves better recognition for that improvement.

The problem is that this is a "choose your ending" book and that sucks so hard I had to stop reading for the dread that was weighing me down. At the halfway point we've gotten to know two of the guys who have their own ending well enough for me to start hating this book. Another sounds like a lot of fun, too, but we've only seen texts so far. The thing is, I read romances for the choice the characters make. I don't want a raft of equally viable options and then to have to choose, myself. Frankly, even having a raft of equally viable options kind of pisses me off. It feels too much like Chelsea is cheating to be that emotionally involved and still date other guys and that's before we've even gotten to know them all!

So yeah, I hope Carroll goes on to write some actual romances. Maybe I'll take a closer look at her backlist because it's obvious that she's grown as a writer since that first impression. I just hope this book isn't an early manifestation of a trend because reader-chosen endings fill me with dread and loathing, now.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Choose Your Own Ending

I used to read Choose Your Own Adventure books as a child. I've read two other books with romances where you choose the ending, and never felt completely satisfied. Even though I am still not a big fan of this concept, I think Stacy Carroll did a good job with it.

There were pros and cons about each of the four guys Chelsea had settled on. I had two guys I was rooting for and could just read those two endings.

My favorite part of the story though was the amazingly awful online dating stories. Some of Chelsea's first dates, or online conversations were downright hilarious.

Content: cleanish (kissing multiple men, talk of a previous sexual relationship, mild innuendo-usually from creepy guys who Chelsea blocks)

[Tressa (Wishful Endings)]

Didn't understand this was a choose the end kind of book. :/

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one right up until the ending. I still can't decide if I love or hate the twist at the end. It was well done but left me feeling oddly cheated even though we got several packages tied up with nice big bows.
The story feels very bachelorette-ish and I had a hard time picking which guy was best for her.

Content: Clean at least as far as there being nothing on the pages but there is implied premarital sex

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5.0

"The Year I Dated the Internet" is a cute and funny story that will have readers smiling from ear to ear.

Read full review in the 2017 October issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Melonie Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick and fun read. The idea of choosing your own ending was an absolute blast!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm studying interactive fiction by LDS authors, and this is one of the books I'm reading. This is a comedic romance novel where the reader can make one decision at the very end: which man Chelsea chooses to date exclusively.

I find this book interesting from a genre standpoint. I've played a lot of dating games, and it's common to have a "reverse harem" situation where a lot of men are interested in a woman (the protagonist). That's the same situation we have here, although in dating games, the other men lose interest when the woman starts dating someone. In this book, Chelsea keeps casually dating and kissing several guys at once. It's an easy source of conflict. In dating games, there are some clear character tropes which usually ensure that you can at least choose between a glasses-wearing nerd or a hot-and-cold cutie. The three men that Chelsea dates have some differences in what they like to do and if they can take a joke, but they were all handsome manly men. What's the point in having choices if all three of them seem kinda sexist and too eager to please?

The writing is a bit over-the-top. I felt a bit annoyed by how flimsy the characters were, until I realized that a lot of the first date scenes were throwaway comedic moments, and that they were meant to be caricatures of the kinds of people one meets on dates. Once I relaxed a little, I realized that the writing is about the same quality as a lot of visual novels I've read (actually, probably a bit better since it isn't stretched out too thin). I thought it was funny that Chelsea makes a tournament bracket of the men she dates, but it seemed like an artificial way to justify a few more bad first date stories. I also didn't like the highly gendered assumptions throughout the book, like that all of Brad's lawyer coworkers would be men and their spouses the wives.

The ending choice does not feel satisfying at all! I think that this is essentially part of the fantasy of the reverse harem--that the player character is desirable to everyone and can freely choose their mate according to their own tastes. However, the book itself undermines this fantasy by showing the problems of men competing with one another for the same woman. I think that by having all of the endings end "happily," the book also undermines the idea that there is a "right" choice of spouse. It's unsatisfying because according to genre conventions, the "right" man should be obvious to us. But since Chelsea ends up happy with any of her top three/four men, it shows us that the decision wasn't as important as we thought it would be.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chelsea is determined to get married, so she goes on multiple dating sites. She meets lots of men but cant decide between Michael (Video gamer geek), Brad (Rich lawyer), James (down to earth uncle of a student), Travis (Sports reporter) and Colby the cowboy she dated before she moved.

Chelsea is a great girl but seems confused about who she is. Michael might be in the friend zone, Brad seems ego driven James has trust issues, Travis is needy, and Colby is uncompromising and egotistic.

Who to choose? This story is different from any other I have read. It was like a choose your own adventure. You decide who she picks and it takes you to different pages and different story endings.

The stories were all very clean with no language, no sex, some kissing, and no serious violence.

[Sweetpea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chelsea vows to be married by the end of the year and turns to the internet to find Mr. Right. Along the way, she also finds LOTS of Mr. Wrongs. After narrowing down the field to four, this is where the listener comes in. We get to decide who she chooses. What a unique twist! I loved Lori Prince as the narrator and thought that she did a great job with the story and characters. The Year I Dated The Internet was a fun romantic comedy and a great listen. I would recommend this.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This review is my honest opinion.

[Tamera Westhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay Steamy Romance

I can't say it's clean, and I was super disappointed in the bad dates. Grabbing at her breasts? Yikes! Then we got over 75% into the book before she lets us choose. I didn't like a lot of the choices she was making and how she was hiding the fact that she was seriously dating more than one guy. I love that I got to choose, but still read the other endings and was disappointed with several. I didn't even understand why one was a choice. I was hoping for clean and really didn't get it. This is just to help someone know what they're in for. Definitely not for anyone teen or under!

[Teya Teya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is hard for me to rate. My official rating is 3.4. I enjoyed it except for a few moments at the first, but I loved her get back at him line. I did not like that it didn't have an official end. However, I did like that she had an ending for each man's possible out come. See hard to rate. I really didn't like her though. She was all over the place. However, it's also the first time I really understand and maybe "get" the bachelor and bachelorette thing. The loving each because of something and not liking because of something and the hard decision. Interesting view.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I, too, went through some duds while online dating in search of my husband. This book is funny, and it hits on the truth so much. It think that's actually what makes it so funny. This isn't a Pulitzer Prize-winning book, but it is a fun read. The story moves, the narration is good, and it is perfect for mindless listening. I found myself laughing out loud several times.

I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left my honest review. The free copy did not influence my review in any way.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course the title drew me in but the story line made me stay! I’ve been out of the dating for 15 years and and heard some scary dating stories. This book combines the good and the bad dates in an amusing plot to find love. Some mild romance and talk about sex but fairly clean romance. I know some reviews mentioned disappointment in a “pick your own adventure” type ending but I enjoyed it. This the type of book I had a hard time putting down! Thank you, Stacy, for writing such an entertaining read!

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and so true. Chelsea's thirtieth birthday is approaching and she chooses to find her mate online. Disasters appear at every corner (most likely the worst of any bunch) and four wonderful guys make the final selection. The author then took a very unique approach allowing the reader to pick Chelsea's choice. I imagine each reader will pick differently based on perception or thinking they've found the best for Chelsea. A great approach with fun endings!

[K.D. Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously impressed a romantic comedy had me invested!
I'm not a romance girl. But was intrigued by the "choose your own adventure" aspect. Because, every time there's a choice to be made in a romance, the protag chooses WRONG. But, not this time!
I thought Chelsea was charming, and honest. Laughed at all the creeps she came across online, and loved the guys she fell for.
A delightful, light-hearted read, and had my thinking who I'd choose the entire time. And the decision wasn't easy!

[Mikelle Pressett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the stories of so many terrible dates. It is a reality that many have to endure to try and find someone! This book provides moments of laughter. I literally laughed out loud while reading many spots within this book while at my kids swim lessons took place. The details of the writing gave life to the situations and online interactions. I also love the way it ends, like so many books from my youth, the reader gets to choose the ending!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun fast paced book with a twist at the end where you the reader get to choose the ending. It is a light hearted romance that keeps the reader interested and invested in what happens. I read this at the same time as a few friends and it was really fun to get together and discuss who everyone chose and why. I enjoyed this book very much. I received an ARC for an honest review.

[Emily F - Seriously Sweet Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dating Bracket for the Win

This was such an interesting book! It was a unique premise and am interesting journey. I really enjoyed the four different endings - choose your own adventure! I'd rate the content Pg-13, nothing graphic.

[Angelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd actually go 2.5. The concept is cute: you read the book, and then there are 4 different endings and you pick which one you think is how it should end. The problem was the execution: not all the endings rang true to the character you'd gotten to know for an entire book.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/17/2020)! 🎁

[Mindy Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute light read

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The author did a great job in the build up and i actually loved having a choice at the end. I surprised myself with who I picked. But the 3 stars comes from how TOTALLY unfulfilling those ending were. they were sooooo short. And the 4th one!!!????? (no spoilers) That one ended up being the one I wanted, however there was not a single word spoken between the lovers they just were suddenly getting married. Bad!!!! And heart breaking for a reader.

[Pascale’s*ARC,Unwind,Read,Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book by reading someone's post on Facebook. The description and the fact that it is a clean romance inspired me to borrow it from Kindle Unlimited. I loved the concept of this book! It was fun to guess which guy she would end up with and getting to choose in the end reminded me of the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books we read as kids. There was plenty of humour throughout the story and I shared some of the jokes with friends and family who all laughed as well. I would like to see more books like this. It lived up to its description and recommendation and I'm glad I read it. I would recommend it. It was just what I was looking for: a nice, light read with no heavy stuff.

[Aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun. A light-hearted, completely relatable read, I found myself laughing out loud on an airplane. I loved the characters, and the leading lady had a fun narrative voice. The end was my favorite part. A lot of people complain about the “choose your own ending,” but I liked it that way. We all have our preferences in who we are drawn to, this way, our favorite wins!
If you’re looking for a fun, relatable romance to make you laugh and cry, this book is great.